Cherry Picking in Chile

¿Hola como estás Momita? Estoy bien, y muy contento con my vida nueva aquí en Pucon. Hay muchos Judíos...es tan loco. No se, la verdad. Aun ahora estory combiando. Tengo deseos, que nunca antes en mi vida tuve. Y muchas veces no se que va pasar en mi vida. La unica cosas que yo se, es que yo voy volver a Puerto Natales. ¡Como estás Puerto Natales y la rama? Les Extraño muchismo. ¡Escribenme con toda la información!

Hey!

Wow, it's been a really interesting week. We challenged 4 people to get baptised, and 3 of them accepted. It's been really interesting to just go for it. I start to lose my fear of the people we are teaching and end up just being honest and direct with them. Showing them what we have for them is what they need. At times, I wish I could be stronger and a lot better off with Spanish to help explain the stuff better. But, I do lack on studying a lot of the time.

It was really good to Skype to all of you! I can´t wait for May. It won´t be too much more time longer. The truth is the time here in the mission goes by so fast that I can hardly see. But, in the same time we are hardly moving as missionaries. It must be like this for God. Everyone around me is moving and living life, and each day I get up and do the same thing and find the people that have gotten to the point where life is just too fast, and they can´t do it on their own. Then, God sends us in to help them pick up their life and start taking things one by one. You have all grown and changed so much. It's weird, because I don´t feel like I have really changed too much on my outside.

All our investigators are doing really well...many of them are starting to really question things now. Maybe finally, I am getting the hang of using the Spirit. He can hit a ton harder than I can. Haha, I love it.

SILAS I KNOW YOU WERE CRYING BECAUSE YOU MISS ME! I miss you, too. I saw that you got some Old Spice for the chicks...be careful...that stuff is really strong! If I come back and you have 3 girlfriends I will know why. Haha, how is World of Warcraft? What do you play as these days? Have you been praticing guitar? Got any good songs you like to play? Are you ready to drive my car? Is it alive?

How is the new Mission Impossible? I didn´t know they were doing another one...Haha.

I am sure that someday the birds will get the playstation figured out...and by the time they do that I will be home...It was crazy how much they talked to me. I loved it so much and everyone was laughing about it.

Gustavo & his hermanolito

Gustavo letting us play with his presents

Elder Medina & I getting ready to chow down. He already ate his tie!!!

So, today we went to a house and picked cherries to eat. I climbed up to the very top and laughed at Elder Medina because he was scared to go up. I ate at least a good 50 of them. I am sending pictures for you to see. It was really cool.

A bumper crop

Come on up Elder Medina!!!

Elder Medina climbing the ladder

A delicious harvest

Sweet is the work!!!

Its been pretty cool here...people are really nice, and well, although they don´t want to talk much to us, they always offer water and other stuff to help with the heat. Have you ever noticed how nervous the Jehovah's Witnesses are? We said hi to some of them the other day and they just like start shaking and look like they will die from the nervousness they have. I don´t understand it...Haha.

So, I started drawing a lot...I´ll have to send you some of my stuff sometime. I am not that great but, I think it would be cool to send you some stuff.

Well...I think that is about all. Oh hey...would you send me how much I have in my bank account? I had to buy some medicine the other day and I thought...how much do I have...

I love you all so much!

Just got to keep pressing on...till we get to the end. Sometimes, it's horrible in life. But, I am glad I get to live here. I am also glad that I have all of you. I just wish I would of been a bit nicer haha. I am very grateful to have met the people that I have as well. Its good to be alive. haha

Our place - It's pretty good

Our spacious living room

Our fabulous beds

Feliz Navidad!!!

Christmas in Chile

Momita, tu parte está abajo de Inglés.

Hey familia!

I am glad that you got my present. I hoped you liked it...I really enjoyed sending that Indio Picarro to you all. I thought it would give you a sense of the type of people I am teaching haha. It was really cool to find one that was tiny like that. The truth is I didn´t get to go to Mcdonalds, I ending up only getting to eat cookies. Haha, it was weird because I went out with an Elder who only knew his sector for like 5 days. We just followed the spirit without plans and ended up finding so many people who wanted help...I just hope he is actually going to visit them. I hope...

Elder Colque & Elder Burge

The little branch thing isn´t too bad. Really, it seems like these are always the best places to be! I really love it here, I have a good family here. There aren't counselors here, maybe AGAIN I will be the 1st counselor. Who knows...I am learning to just accept the will of the Lord for me. We have found so many people to teach here it isn´t funny. We found 8 people last week who could become investigators. I can feel that my testimony is growing. Because of the power it has, I can hit people right in the spirit. It's been interesting. Haha, the people call the store (Eltit Supermarket) with just the ending...it's so funny! I sent you a picture of a sign that is pretty funny.

What Kind of Store is This?

Pucon Branch Party

Pucon Barbeque

Painting in Pucon

I can´t wait to Skype you all, too. I am going to be doing it from the house of the papito. Haha, you can meet them all. I am sure they will try to speak English to you all. It will be pretty funny, and they want to see the birds and hear them sing. It will be hard this Christmas, because we can only leave the house for Citas Fijas (or appointments) and wow, we have none...so members only! Haha.

We won´t be doing anything for Christmas with the zone...just us here in Pucon. But that's cool with me, we will go visit members. It's so hot here, seriously I am dying!!

Elder Medina, is my best companion ever! I am serious. We get along so well and we are pretty much the same person. We laugh so much and have such a good time that we get people asking us how they can be happy and want to talk with us. It's been really cool, and we have really gotten teaching down together. I am pretty happy about that, hopefully we can turn that into baptisms.

Elder Medina

The new mamita, reminds me of Mom. Seriously, and the papito reminds me of Dad. It's so weird, they are a family like what we have. And it's really nice, because I feel at home. She cooks just like mom, too. Its been good to have them here.

It will be great to talk to you. I can´t wait, only one more day. I can´t wait.

Get your questions and dictionaries ready because I may not be able to speak English. Someone asked me if I spoke English to help them find out where they were on the bus. I tried to speak to them, and I couldn´t do it! Haha, I tried 5 times before English came out...it was a bit weird. All the missionaries were laughing at me. Haha, so was I.

Tell the sisters that I feel for them. I put a referral in the other email with pictures..


Ok, Momita está parte es para ustedes.

¡Mi sector es super bonita! Es una rama chicatita, pero es buena. ¡Les extraño muchismo! No estoy comiendo como allí. Pero, no importa porque estoy comiendo. Hay mucho mas calor aquí que hay y fue difcíl para me en el principio. La verdad es que, Elder Galarza está en Valdiva y el oltro día lo vi. Su rodillia está super mal y no puede caminar mucho. No va decir nada él. Es super fome...y no tengo un idea por que no va decir nada. Y tambien yo encontré Elder Deane y Elder Barbin (No sé como escriberlo). Fue, muy extraño para nostros. Aquí hay muchas personjas quien quieren hablar con nosotros y es vakan. ¿Cómo estáis, vosotros? Espero que estáis bien. ¡Miren! Yo puedo escribir en Vosotros..genial ¿cierto? Les amo, y perdón porque yo ovidé su email en la casa la ultima Lunes.

I love you all family!

See you all Monday!

Love,

Ben

I am safely in Pucon with Elder Medina

Hey!

I am glad I got back to Torres Del Paine, too. The sunburn is gone now...it really hurt for a bit, and yes I am wearing sunscreen now. It´s been crazy. I got really, really sick last week. I couldn´t get out of bed, or really do anything for that matter. I am pretty much better by now, but it's been crazy, and it hasn´t ended yet. In about 40 minutes I have to go to Valdiva and have a conference. The scriptures you got me were great! That's the kind I wanted to have, so we are good to go. This time, they won´t get wet! Thanks for the oil vials, they came in handy for me. I still have 2 left! I am going to give them to special people only...not just some random guy.

I got transfered last week, and a stupid volcano went off and we got delayed, and all kinds of stuff. But now, I am safely in Pucon, with all the beach babes and sun. Its so hot here! 30 Celcius (86 F). It's been really hard. My new companion is named Felipe Medina. He is really cool and a World of Warcraft fan. He is from Columbia. I am glad to have a latino again for a companion. But, I am in a small branch again of like 25 people. I seem to always get sent to places like this. It's cool, but at the same time, kinda hard. We have a really good house, but I can´t send photos, because I am a bit short for time...Haha, but it's really good. It's the farthest up north we can go...and I live 10 miles from an active volcano. Its pretty crazy, I have a thing for them I guess.

Ok, so for Skype I will add you all. I am ElderBurge. I will have time to make the VIDEO CALL!!! on the 26th. I am not sure when, but I am guessing somewhere from 7-8 in the night my time. I am not sure what that is there... I am adding you now to my contacts. It will be so sweet!! We should be making the call from the house of the papito. So, the date is 26th at 7-8 pm Chilean time. We should have about 40 minutes to talk. Not much, but it's something. My email is Benjamin.Burge@myldsmail.net if you don´t see my invitation. Sweet, your added to my contacts.

So, I am glad to hear that everything is well. I am pretty stressed at the moment. Not a lot of time, and it's so freak´n hot! I am dying here. I also forgot to add the email of Mamita, so I now have to wait till my next p-day.

OH HEY, my next p-day is this Saturday! The Christmas hours are a bit different for us here. We have p-day Saturday, then we don´t work Sunday. It's strange but it works.

I love you all, and I can´t wait to see you all! Haha, it will be weird to talk and see you.

I promise to write more in my next email and send pictures. It's just a bit crazy right now.

With love,

Ben

Mamita & Paula

Francisca & Her Family

I'M LEAVING!...I'm going to Pucon...the farthest place north we can go!

Well, well...look who it is.

It's been a whole week since the last time I talked to you all. And boy do I have news for all of you. We got combios...I'M LEAVING! What a bummer...I don´t want to leave this place. But, the Lord calls, and I answer and do what He wants. I am going to Pucon - a beach babe, tourist town - and it's the farthest place north we can go!

Pucan Branch Chapel

Pucon

Haha, I just keep getting sent from one end of Chile to the other. How strange...and it's always a place beautiful and sweet. But, so that I could really know the Torres del Paine we went today. Left at 5 in the morning and hiked the 6 hours to get there and come down. It was really amazing! We even drank the water from up there. It's like the best tasting water I have ever had and it's pure. It was really good. We took lots of photos, but I try to send the best ones. I got so sunburned...it hurts.

At the Trailhead with Papito

Don't be a pushy missionary!

La Bienvenida a Torres del Paine

Elders Burge & Ruettinger

Papito, this is the best water I've ever tasted!!

I got the packages you all sent! Haha, and if you´ll notice I am wearing a Cookie Monster shirt I got from the grandparents. Haha, I ate so much food and stuff I got really really sick and had to go to the hospital. They poked me in the butt with a needle, and the next day I felt much better. Haha, it was a crazy party...I shared it with all the members. They love that stuff. Everything sent made it perfectly! Even, the peanut butter cups!!!
There is nothing left...NOT ONE BIT OF IT...it was really good.

I am not really sure what we will do for Christmas, but we will find out next Monday I am sure.

The computer you got sounds pretty sweet...and I am VERY VERY proud you got it from NewEgg. That;s the way to shop for computers! It sounds like a sick system. Let me know how it goes...

Sorry I don´t have much time to write. I am really late and need to buy medicine for my sunburn....I love you all very much!

Next week, I´ll be writing from Pucon...it's good and bad....

I love you!

Ben

I am in the same boat as Bishop Gibbons...tithing settlement here, too

Hey mi Familia!

Wow, its been very crazy this week. It's been a bit down for us here. I have been so stressed about the sector that I have had a headache for about a week or so. So, today I made plans with Paula and in the morning. We met at the church and did Yoga. Haha, Papito came but, he just watched and laughed. But it made me feel better and helped me relax a bit. So, now i think I will start getting up about 6 and doing that to help relieve the stress. It will help to know where I am going or if I am going haha...I don´t want to because I want to be here for Christmas. However, it's what the Lord wants and not really important what I want.

Mamita made us a cheese cake!!

Wow, Kayleigh is babysitting now...that's so crazy! I can´t believe how the family is starting to change. It's just one of those things that happens when we start growing up and everything. It's been just about one year since I was back home with all of you.

Haha, sounds like I am in the same boat as Bishop Gibbons. We are doing the tithing settlement here, too. I have been working a TON on the information in the system, and really, it's bad. It's going to take a lot of time to get it to be correct. We have 2 huge problems...one, no one is really helping, and two, many of these houses don´t exist...it's really weird.

Sounds like the craziness of the mormon life just seems to keep on going...everywhere in the world.

My new card is in Punta Arenas, but I still haven´t gotten it yet. It really sucks...I haven´t had money for 3 weeks, because I don´t want to take it from my account. However, I did get some to buy gifts for the family for Christmas. I don´t know how long it will take to get there. The package you sent to the Mamita got there the next week after you sent it! I was so shocked to come in and see them waiting with their stockings. Haha, they all flipped out and went crazy eating the candy and being in aww over the gifts. Haha, they all loved their stuff.

It's been really sunny and hot here. I have been in just pure white shirts with my pants. It's been so hot, I can´t wear my sweaters nor a jacket. It's weird that I don´t have snow right now...but I do get to see all the lambs eating grass outside all the houses. They make a crucified lamb dish that looks really good. But, they have to...you know...crucify it.

It's the same set up here as back home. Lights, presents, fake trees, and lots of fattening food. It's your average Christmas in Miami...with all the sun burns you can take.

Almost a year mark...I feel like I don´t have a lot of time. Its really a bummer. I wish I had more to show for the time I have in the Mission.

BOO YA!

Thats all I have...

I miss you all!

Family, I love you all. And I can´t wait to hear from you on Chirstmas!