Holy Cow..........(this one has HerMama Thomas in fits!!)

SO MANY LETTERS THIS WEEK ITS SO EXCITING AHHH

You guys! Dang! I love you guys! Have I said that enough? Well, get used to it. Dang it.

This week has been CUH-RAY-ZAY. Enserio. You don't even understand. You don't. Nope, you don't.

I don't even know where to begin...Ok. Hermana Bokovoy was transferred. Sad! I love that girl a ton! Plus, she was the only person in the casa that spoke a lick of English...it was nice to have a moment in the day where I didn't have to think so hard, and I could just say exactly what I wanted to say to someone who understood and could respond! BUT. It's okay, because I have a firm testimony that God has a hand in EVERYTHING to do with missionary work.

She was switched with Hermana Rodriguez, from Peru! She is really great, and it's a blessing for me, because now I live with 3 different countries! (Hermana Rodriguez: Peru, Hermana Pineda: Guatamala, Hermana Contreras: Argentina.) So I guess you could say that I have a chance at learning spanish.

Hermana Rodriguez has been very sick for the past two months, though...I think it's been a pretty awful pnemonia. (Actually, a ton of missionaries right now are pretty sick...Hermana Pineda has a really wicked...something? It's definitely more than a cold, but she doesn't have a fever...and Hermana Contreras has been off and on sick the whole time I've been here.) Anyway, our casa is really close to a hospital, so this is good for Hermana Rodriguez.

Meanwhile, we've been working really closely with our family of investigators! Oh, man, I seriously love them so much. They are progressing so well. Hermana Pineda and I have been fasting and praying a lot for this family...there are five of them, and four of them are over 8, and all of them are just...wow! Super awesome! They all have Books of Mormon, and are eager to learn. They all attended sacrament meeting yesterday. Last night, we had a particularly powerful lesson with them, in which I got to bear my testimony of the Book of Mormon, and even share a few verses that have really spoken to me personally. The spirit was so strong!

During sacrament meeting, we were sitting with the family, and I started getting really nervous for them. I didn't know what they were thinking of it all. We don't have a lot of members in the ward that are active, and it seemed like everyone was staring at this family anxiously the whole time...especially the speakers! I just got really nervous for a second. Then, I had the quiet reassurance that...guess what? The members aren't the gospel. I'm not the teacher. These people are not in my hands. It's the Lord. It's the Holy Ghost. If this family is going to be converted, it's going to be because the spirit testified to them that this is the truth, and it's not going to matter how weird the members might have been, or if I stumbled over a sentence in Spanish, or whatever. The spirit is so powerful, and it can change beliefs, lifestyles, and especially hearts.

We also have an investigator with a baptismal date! My first one! I'm pretty stoked. Her name is Claudia, and she is really receptive. We've also been teaching her mother, but the day we extended a baptismal invitation, her mother was really sick, and wasn't with us in the lesson...hopefully she accepts, too! Claudia is great. She has a lot of things that are difficult in her life...she has a tumor in her head, and is constantly getting scans. We taught her the plan of Salvation, and it really seemed to ring with her. (In "Preach My Gospel," there's a quote that says that, because everyone lived with Heavenly Father before this life, the gospel will have a "familiar ring" to them, in their hearts. I really like this quote.)

On Friday, we had a mini-cambio, which meant that I had to go to leave my sector (La Florida) and spend a day in San Clemente (a different sector.) My companion for the day was Hermana Dana, from Argentina...but she's of Italian decent, so she pretty much looks like a gringo, too! But she doesn't speak any English. I also got to see Hermana Wilson again, and that was awesome! I totally miss that girl.

Anyway, I learned a lot that day. First of all, I am so grateful for my casa in La Florida....the shower in San Clemente is a tube coming out of the wall that either freezes you to death or bathes you in fire. It is conveniently located next to a giant hole in the wall, for those days when you just crave the feeling of having spiders crawling up your legs.

The people there have very little. (At least in the parts we worked in that day.) One woman in particular has a lot of problems in her life. Her mother was molested, and she is the child. Her father would hit her in the eyes when she was young, so she can only see shapes of things in front of her. She has two children with one man, and another man on the side (which the children do not know, but their father does, and he's totally fine with it...?) My heart absolutely breaks for her. Absolutely. Hermana Dana told me that she believes everything they have taught her, but she refuses to pray to know if Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. They have asked her many times to do this, and she flat out refuses. She can't read, but she really likes when they read the Book of Mormon to her. When we visited her, we asked her to say the closing prayer. She didn't want to. I reminded her that she is a child of God, and because of this, it doesn't matter if her prayer is perfect, because God only wants to hear from her. Then Hermana Dana shared a really great scripture...I'm awful, because I don't remember what it was...I don't speak Spanish, okay?...but the spirit was strong, and this seemed to change her attitude a bit. She prayed. It was simple, but it was sincere. Ugh...my heart was broken when we left.

(Side note: As we were leaving, she said that I was really skinny. I was feeling pretty good as we walked away, and then I remembered that she's almost blind...) (But serioiusly, Hermana Pineda and Hermana Contreras always tell me I'm getting fat. It's not an insult, it's just a fact here.) (By the way, I am not getting fat.)

Oh! Another thing! Yeah, people are super weird about compliments here. All the time, I tell people "oh wow, thanks so much for this food, it's so good! It's delicious!" and all they say is "que bueno." (how good.) They never say thank you. Actually, usually they don't even say anything! So weird! BUT THEN they have absolutely NO problem ASKING for compliments! They'll say, "is the food I made good?" or "do I look good today?" The other day, Hermana Bokovoy, Pineda, Contreras and I sang together during our Zone Conference...and afterwards, Hermanas Pineda and Contreras were asking every single person if they liked our song! Super weird. Hmm.

Anyway, after my mini-cambio, I returned to La Florida...to find that our study room had been converted into a room of quarintine for Hermana Rodriguez...because she developed tuberculosis. Yikes!! All of our things had to be moved out while I was gone, and she is not allowed to leave that room except to use the bathroom...for three weeks! I feel so awful for her. But I'm disinfecting like nobodies business. (Mom, you would be proud.)

AND THE WORST PART IS THAT ALL THREE OF US LIVING WITH HER NEED TO BE TESTED AND YEAH THAT MEANS THAT I NEED TO GET MY BLOOD DRAWN AND IM NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT EXCITED ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW HOLY COW IM ACTUALLY FREAKING OUT LIKE I MIGHT BE A LITTLE UNBALANCED MENTALLY WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS so thats the worst news ever.

BUT this means that none of us are leaving next transfer! Wahoo! I'm so happy, because I feel like I have so much left to do here, and so much left to learn from Hermana Pineda! We'll have to do a lot of switching around, because Hermana Rodriguez can't be left alone in the casa, but the three of us are pretty much a companionship of three right now.

But let's look at the miracle here. Our casa is definitely one of the bigger/nicer casas in the mission. It is also next to a hospital. If Hermana Bokovoy hadn't needed to be switched with Hermana Rodriguez, Hermana Rodriguez wouldn't have come here. But because we have this casa, we had space enough to house someone who needed to be quarantined. And we have that hospital so close!

You guys...God is real. I know it. I know he's involved in EVERYTHING...in everyone's lives. Not just us. I know that he has a hand in everything we do. How can you not believe in a god? How can you believe that everything is a coincidence? How can you hold a newborn baby in your arms and not have the feeling that they came from somewhere, and from someone? I know that God exists. I know that Jesus Christ is his son, and that He loves all of us so much, regardless of the paths we choose or what we believe. That's His unconditional love.

I love you guys! Dang I love you guys! Don't forget to pray every day, and read the Book of Mormon! Enserio!

Love, Hermana Thomas.

PS: as for my animal story of the week...I first-hand witnessed a two-year-old kid scissor-kick a kitten in the face yesterday. Enjoy.

Wahoo!!!!

Ah! So much excitement in my email box this week! ¡Enserio! Wahoo!!

AMIE CRITCHFIELD, YOU LOVELY WOMAN. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT YOUR MISSION CALL. Also, I know why you're leaving so soon. It's because I've had a secret wish that you'd not have to wait to leave too long, because I don't want to have to wait for forever to see you when I get home in a year and a few months!! So you're welcome. (Trust me, you did not want to wait 4 and a half months.)

So, HEY, GUYS! Man, oh man. Do you know how awesome it is to get emails as a missionary? It's the best. I love it. It's fanTAStic.

This week! Was crazy! ¡semana loca! It was the week of independence for Chile, and people partied hard! Consequently, not many people were very patient with us...but that didn't stop us! I just wanted to say to everyone I passed, "I'm sorry, but I'm starting to get concerned about your salvation and stuff."

(I really hope that most people reading my emails have seen Nacho Libre. If not...awkward. Because I think I've quoted it quite a few times in the past.)

Our neighbors have partied all night and into the morning (I'm talking 5am in the morning) almost every night this week. I'd like to help you visualize what it's like to live next to these people: Imagine that you're standing in a...25x25ft room. Then imagine that you are about 10ft away from a cannon. That never stops firing. Ever. And the only thing separating you from the cannon is...a sheet of paper. And it's a really drunk cannon. 

My bones were vibrating with the music coming through the wall.

The language! It's coming along! Man, it's gonna be cool when I know what people are saying! I'm totally psyched for that day. In the meantime, I can just keep saying "¿Què?" (This has become my catchphrase.)

Hermana Pineda continues to become dearer and dearer to me. I love her guts. I can't even say enough about it! OH. This reminds me of my animal story of the week. 

So, we have Nutella, right? And cookies, right? And I'm an unhealthy person, right? (Just kidding, Mom. I'm doing really good at eating healthy. Don't have a heart attack.) (That's my job.) (Just kidding.) Anyway, every once in a while, I just really need a cookie with Nutella. So I purchased the ingredients necessary, and then I accidentally got everyone in the casa absolutely addicted to it. Anyway, one morning I really wanted a cookie with Nutella, and Hermana Pineda said no. I asked why, and she proceeded to show me a paper she'd printed from Hermana Jett (who is the woman in charge of the health of the missionaries here.) This paper said to eat very little chocolate, because it caused headaches, and all these other problems, and then Hermana Pineda practically bore her testimony about how we shouldn't eat too much chocolate. 

So, feeling reprimanded, I refrained. Two minutes later, the lights went out, and as I was working to restore the power, I saw out of the corner of my eye someone in the kitchen, reaching for the Nutella and cookies...yep! Hermana Pineda had FIVE COOKIES in her hand, and one stuffed in her mouth! I abandoned my work with the power, and pretty much tackled her. This wrestle lasted for about five minutes. I don't remember much of it, it really was a blur, but by the end I had bite marks on my arm as proof of the battle. 

Yep, my companion bit me. So this is my animal story of the week.

I guess another animal story can be that Hermana Bokovoy accidentally ate a worm. It was in her apple.

Back to the festivities...I loved them! We had a ward party on Friday, with a lot of dancing and food and food and FOOD. Also, I learned a lot about the history of Chile! It was really interesting. The missionaries judged the events the whole night, and it was a great opportunity to bond with the members.

At this party, there was a family of really awesome people who were not members. A girl in our ward had invited one of their daughters to attend, and the whole family came! Hermana Pineda and I talked with them a bit, and visited them the next day. Only the mother was at home, but while we taught her, she said that she felt something really deep in her heart with us there, and that she believed that we could do something to help her family very much. She was crying, and we told her that this was the spirit. I got to bear my testimony about how families are eternal, and I cried, too, because I love you guys so much, and I'm so grateful to know that I get to live with you guys forever!

At the Ward Chile Independence Day Celebration!

She and her daughter attended church with us the next day! We are really excited about this family. They are very receptive. I know that the Lord guided them to us, or us to them. We have another appointment with them tonight, and we are really excited about it. 

I've learned here how difficult it is to accept a prophet in this day. When I think about it from an investigator's perspective, it's pretty difficult to believe! I am so grateful that I have already developed a solid testimony of living prophets in my life...man, I'm just grateful that I've been raised in the gospel in general!

I know, without a doubt, that this the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored to this earth, and that God exists. I think it's important that everyone who is a member of this church develops a really firm testimony of this...honestly. You guys should read Preach My Gospel and then read it again! It has so many great scripture references to help build your faith. It's amazing.

I'm so grateful for the trust Heavenly Father has in me. I am so imperfect...it's amazing to realize that He can still use me as an instrument in His hands! I love being a missionary. I'm so proud of my friends who are serving with me right now, because you know what? This is hard. It is by far the hardest thing I've done in my life thus far. But I know that I'm growing from it every single day, and that this is the foundation for the rest of my life--my marriage, my family, my education, my occupation, everything! This is a grand opportunity, and I don't plan on wasting it!

I love you all with allll of my heart! ¡Con todo de mi corazòn! Read the Book of Mormon! Pray every morning and every night! I absolutely promise that your life will be so much happier, despite difficulties. 

Love, Hermana Thomas

Ummmm...hai

Okay, let's just get this over with. This week, I stepped on a snail. Yep. I stepped. On a snail. ¿Como se dice "I hate all the animals in the whole world" en Español?

...not anymore. I like them.

Anyways.

Yeah. Stepped on a snail. But Hermana Pineda has stepped on three so far, so once again, I am counting my blessings. (I keep track of things like that. So far, she has tripped 20 times. I've only tripped 6 times. Raise the roof.)

Hermana Pineda continues to crack me up. I have taught her a few phrases in English, one of which is "I know where you live." The other day, the power went out, and while I was trying to get the lights back on, Hermana Pineda crept up behind me with a flashlight on her face and said, "you know where you live!!" I laughed for a pretty long time, but she didn't know that she'd made an error for another ten minutes. Then we laughed again. I love her!!

Erinnn guess whatttt you're never going to believe this. No one has told you this before. This is the very first time you are hearing this...everyone here knows our songs! Your song is actually on our phones. So did you know that you're famous?

Well, for those of you unfamiliar with the Chilean customs, the 18th of September is their independence day. And it is kind of a big deal. It's really hard to make appointments, because people keep saying, "well, this week is pretty hard." 

You mean there's not ONE hour you have in SEVEN days that MIGHT be available? 

Sounds crazy? Well, it's life. Because it's TRUE--these guys party it up down here! On the calender, there are three days reserved for celebrating independence day. And people eat food and dance and I don't even know what else...but I'm excited to find out! Members keep asking us what our plans are for these days as missionaries. We always say, "to work!" And then the members laugh in our faces and tell us that literally no one in Chile is going to listen to us for this entire week. Encouraging.

But! I have faith that this week is going to be great for working! Woohoo! (Oh, also, I can't tell if people are messing with me or what...maybe Taylor can help me out with this one. Is is actually true that if you don't have a Chilean flag outside your house for these next few days, you get fined?? We have one, and it's out, but I couldn't tell if it was a joke or not. I've been told that sarcasm doesn't really exsist in Spanish, but this can't be true.)

Every day, my love for these people in Chile grows. They really are a very friendly people. They all greet each other with kisses on the cheek, and hug and hold hands and laugh, and I really just love them. Don't know what they're saying half the time, but I love 'em.

Some of these people...are a little odd, though. There's this one church...dah, I don't remember what they are called. But there are quite a few of them in Talca, and you always know when you're talking to one of them, because they'll say something super, super, super odd. One guy asked us, in a very chipper and flamboyant way, what the vision was of our church. We were a little confused by this question, but tried to explain the purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He cut us off, and said, "si, si, si...pero...¿què es la VISIÒN de su iglesia?" We asked if he was talking about the first vision...? Then he politely handed us back our pamphlet and said something I didn't understand, and with a smile, closed his door. Even Hermana Pineda didn't understand much of what he said.

The other day, we met another woman from this church on the street. We were trapped for nearly a half an hour listening to her tell us our spiritual gifts. She said that she could sense that Hermana Pineda and I complemented each other as companions, because Hermana Pineda was the seer, and I was the prophetess. Then she demonstrated for us a scenario we might face, where the two of us are walking down the street, and all of the sudden, Hermana Pineda freezes and says, "oh...I sense something." (Mind you, this is all being acted out right in front of us by this lady. Very dramatically.) Then we follow Hermana Pineda's spiritual sense to a person on the street, and I bend down and speak super biblical...I don't even know. I don't know. I could hardly understand anything. At one point, this lady asked me for a scripture from the Bible. I was really confused, but I gave her 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, and she just stared at me and said, "wow. You just had a revelation for me." It was just super super weird.

And people think Mormons are odd??

BUT it was really funny, and in summary, I love the people here! Weird or not weird!

The weather here has been absolutely freezing for the most part, but every day it is getting warmer...I think...maybe it's just wishful thinking. It probably feels worse than it is because we don't have indoor heating! ("Tengo frio" is one of my most used phrases...it means "I have cold," I think. Kind of weird to translate, but in spanish, a lot of things are like that...like, you're not "hungry," it's "I have hunger" (tengo hambre.) It's something I've had to get used to.)

We have three new investigators! They are great. I've learned that when you really try to talk with EVERYONE you meet about the gospel, the Lord begins to trust you more, and puts people in your path that are prepared to hear! But when you're nervous about sharing the gospel, it seems like everyone you speak with doesn't have time, or doesn't want to listen, etc. It's easy for me to feel nervous, because I don't speak the language very well!

But always always ALWAYS trust in the Lord! That's a huge lesson that everyone needs to learn. If you believe in a God, why not trust in him? If you believe he's great, why not trust in him? If you believe he is loving, why not trust in him? He can do anything! And we can do anything through him. I don't have my scriptures right now, but in Alma...maybe chapter 23?...anyway, it's that great scripture where Ammon declares that he will boast of his God, because he can do all things through him! It's becoming a theme for me right now in my life, because...hello?! It's only logical that if I have this incredibly firm belief that God is there, he's my father in Heaven, he loves me and knows what's best for me, and I'm doing his will...why am I nervous at all? It doesn't matter that I don't speak the language! This gospel isn't a language, it's a feeling. It's peace and love and a relationship with the Lord. I don't have to speak the same language to teach this gospel.

I love you guys so much. I can't believe I've been here as long as I have! I can't wait to keep growing. I feel your prayers for me, strengthening me every day! 

Keep praying, keep reading, keep going to church! Share the gospel a little more for me!

I LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU,

Hermana Thomas

Hmmmmmm......

Family! Did you know I love you? Because I do.

This made my heart smile (in the words of a dear friend). I LOVE Erin and Lindy!!! Always thinking of her sisters!!!

So. Chile. What's up with that, am I right?

First thing's first: inactivity. THROUGH THE ROOF so much inactivity! It's so sad! I don't know what it is. I swear, every other person we run into has already been taught/baptized by missionaries at some point in their life (yes, yes, in OUR church,) but they absolutely do not want to come back to church. It's so sad, because they have the truth and the way to happiness in the palm of their hands, but they choose not to take advantage of it. 

EVERYONE READING THIS LETTER: IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS, and you ever ever EVER stop going to church, me and my friend Elder Holland will come to your doorstep and personally drag you by your feet to the chapel. 

Now that that's out of the way...we have two investigators! Oh man, they are awesome! They are both young-ish mothers with a lot of interest in the church! One especially is super great. She has a son who is four months old, which she had with her live-in boyfriend (called a pareja,) and this kid is absolutely adorable. Absolutely. And he has a really weird fixation with me. Seriously! I don't know if it's because I'm a gringo (spelling?) or what, but every time I speak...okay. We taught the first lesson to her, and every time Hermana Pineda was speaking, he was squirming around and making a little fuss. Then I'd start talking, and all the sudden he'd freeze and stare at me with his big blue baby eyes. When I told the story of the first vision, he peacefully fell asleep. I dunno. I dunno. Maybe me awful accent is soothing to babies. ("Baby" in Spanish is "Wawa." or "bebe." But I like "wawa.")

Anyway, our investigator asked me to say the opening prayer, and when we were finished, you could tell that she had gotten a little teary. She told us that she didn't know which church she wanted to baptize her son in. And during the story of the first vision, again you could see her eyes becoming misty. We asked her how she felt afterwards, and she said she felt really, really great. This is my first experience really teaching with the spirit to someone who is receptive! I just love it. We even gave her a brief idea of the Law of Chastity, and at the end she nodded her head and said that it made sense...which is awesome, because she lives with her boyfriend right now...she didn't say she'd live it or anything, but she still wants to learn!

Oh, remember that time when a bird pooped on my hand instead of my head? Well, I've got another tender mercy for ya. We were tracting a few nights ago, and on the doorstep of someone's house, as we were speaking with the resident, a dog flipping peed on me. BUT I was wearing boots. So...miracles happen every day in the life of a missionary.

So you know that awkward moment when you accidentally make eye contact with someone on the street, and you both really fast look away, and pass by, and pretend it didn't happen? Well, buck up, your life is not that hard. Welcome to my Chilean LIFE. Literally

every single person I pass, I make eye contact with, because--breaking news--I'm a gringo! Yep, surprise! EVERYONE is looking at me all the time! 

Don't think I'm being conceited right now. This is honestly my life right now. 

Oh, that reminds me...okay...so my second day here, we were contacting, and this really old lady, hard to understand, I think she had some mild turrets or something, let us into her casa. (The reason I remembered this story is because this lady told us very directly that the only reason she was letting us into her casa was because I had a "cada bonita.") Anyway, we taught her the third lesson (The Gospel of Jesus Christ.) Mind you, this is my second day in Chile, and I literally don't understand anything. 

So this lesson is going, and it seems like it's good, Hermana Pineda and this lady talk a lot, and then we leave. I thought it went really well. Hermana Pineda said something to me as we walked away, but I didn't understand, and so I just nodded my head.

Anyway, two nights ago, I asked Hermana Pineda what ever happened with that lady...why we'd never taught her again? Hermana Pineda said that she already told her, but I reminded her that I had the vocabulary of an intelligent rock my second day here, so she re-told me what happened. I guess that this old lady said that if we were really sent from God, we needed to touch her husband's foot and heal it with our godly powers. 

Yay for Spanish.

So that was weird...but everything else is great! Mom, I haven't gotten that package yet...hopefully it gets to me! 

Man, I love you guys all so much. Oh! Go read "Our Search for Happiness" by Elder Ballard, please. It's not that long, and he's an incredible writer. It might be my favorite book every! (It's in the missionary library.) Right now I'm reading "Our Heritage"...there have been so many miracles in our church's past. And so much sacrifice. It makes me realize that I have a legacy to live up to, and it motivates me to do better every day! Please go read that first one, and then the second! 

Chile is great! Everything is great! This week I've been especially grateful that I have so many people supporting me--friends, family, ward members--I LOVE YOU ALL. I pray for you!

Please keep writing. And read the Book of Mormon!!

Love, Hermana Thomas (pronnounced doh-mahs)

Hermana Thomas and Hermana Pineda

"Oh...the Places You'll Go!!!"

 

English.......??? First 'real' letter from Chile!!!!

What the heck is English?? No recuerdo English!!

HOLA FAMILY! GREETINGS FROM TALCA. Literally, this is the most English I've used in a couple days. IT'S CRAZY.

First of all, did you know that there are dogs in Chile?? HA. YEAH. THERE ARE. Many many many many doggies. Every single house has at least one dog...then there are the dogs on the street...some of them are really mean. The other day, Hermana Pineda and I almost got eaten alive. I wish that was a joke. BUT then there are dogs who decide that they like you, and follow you around for hours. The other day, we had a dog that followed us for about 3 hours. We named him Phil, only Hermana Pineda says "Feel"...so I guess his name was "Pheel...?"

I love Hermana Pineda! She is the best. Yes, she is from Guatamala, and she's a doll. She JUST got finished being trained, so I'm her first "daughter." In our casa, it is our companionship with one other, Hermana Bokovoy and Hermana Contreras. (Hermana Bokovoy was in the MTC with me, and Hermana Contreras was Hermana Pineda's trainer just before. She knows Taylor! Both she and Hermana Pineda were originally called to Concepción...Hermana Contreras has been here 12 months, and when I showed them pictures of my family, she recognized Taylor as her old zone leader! Crazy!) 

Hermana Pineda is trying to learn a little English from me...the other day I was rubbing my stomache because I was so full, and out of nowhere, she says, "you are fat." In her cute accent! (She probably thinks I have a cute accent, too...or maybe not so cute...) Anyway, she's funny like that. We laughed. We laugh all the time, actually! 

In the mornings, we get up at exactly 7:00 for exercise...Mom, you would love Chile. They just have public little...exercising places? They look like playgrounds, honestly, but no. They are for exercising. It's pretty funny, but they are super effective. I'm totally sore!

Then we get ready for the day, and plan and study and all that fun stuff! THEN we study the language...which really is just talking and having her really correct me. Then we usually eat...by this time, it's about 1:30 here. 

YEAH THEY GIVE YOU A LOT OF FOOD. Usually, we have some soup along with tomatoes/veggies drowning in...I want to say it's vinegar...? It's actually good. I love it. Then you have your entree, with the food literally PILED on the plate. Mostly, it's been chicken with either rice or potatoes. I really like it! (There was one day, though, that I literally was gagging down the food. It was probably the worst thing I've ever had. Thought it was meat...wasn't meat.) 

Then we go to our appointments. People usually aren't there, though, or maybe they see us through their windows and decide that they don't feel like it. (Probably.) But that's okay, because we use that time to contact! Aquí en Chile, you shout "ALO" at the gates of people's houses...I really like it, because it's the closest I get to come to belting! I really really like it. Usually a dog will drown it out by barking. Dumb dogs.

Oh, I got pooped on. (Not by a dog.) A bird. I was just walking, minding my own human business, when I reached up to fix my hair...and right at that moment, a bird turd landed on my hand. I guess I should be counting my blessings...it very well should have landed on my head. Just further proof that the Lord protects his missionaries...?

Hermana Pineda told everyone.

Anyway, there's so much to say, but not enough time! I had to spend half my time on the computer today receiving instruction from others on what I needed to do...so I don't have much time left! I love you guys. So dang much. Wow. I've thought about all of you every day.

Ireland, braces are not fun, but not awful. At least you won't need them for THREE YEARS. Count your blessings, love! Why haven't you emailed me recently?!

Erin, you're dumb. JUST KIDDING I LOVE YOU. Congrats on the play!! Stuff it, Saxe Middle School.

Dad, I juuuust got your email. You have this uncanny way of emailing me riiight before I run out of time. I LOVE YOU.

Mom, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. I MISS YOU SO MUCH. I TALK ABOUT YOU A LOT. To everyone. It's almost embarrassing.

Keep praying. Hey, someone should take a Spanish class so that I we can speak when I get home. Or maybe...wait until I get home. Then I can help you with your homework. :) 

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE

Hermana Thomas

PS: look at the picture of the floor, and then think about why I am going absolutely crazy when I see this.

[HerMAMA Thomas' note--She sent a bunch of pictures BUT I am having some technical difficulties loading them to the blog. Will get them up ASAP.  The picture of the floor she is referring to, really makes me laugh because Kenna has a OCD 'thing' with symmetry. Poor kid....stay tuned....I will post it.]