Professional ground sleepers and ice cream eaters

Hola familia. 

What a week. Seriously you’re not going to believe it. Sooo goood. 

So first I’ll finish off with where I finished off last week- Coyhaique! 

We had the ever-classic fhe (family home evening) with familia Soto, that I love so much. Then the next morning we bused off to Aysen for intercambios.(sister training) I love Hermana Torres so much. She is from Mexico and darling. (we had a 10-minute chat about the perfect Mexican taco.)  

We kicked it and it was really fun and really, really rewarding. I loved it- we finished the day and were laughing and smiling, talking about all our little lecciones or experiencias (lessons or experiences) and she said she has never had a day like this in the sector! LOVE. It was so good. 

The next day we bused back to Coyhaique and had intercambios with the hermanitas. (sisters) I was with Hermana Jopia- who has become a real dear friend here. We had one of ¨those days¨ in the mission. One where we walked for 1000 miles and contacted everyone- but only entered one house to teach the last 45 minutes of the night. It was such a long day- but also so good. We finished with tired feet and so happy.

After all these little trips we are becoming professional ground sleepers and ice cream eaters. 

Then we returned back to my good ole happy home right in time for the coolest day of service of my life. 

So Friday we prepared and went over to the Hermana Teresa’s to make close to 100 sopiapillas for the branch activity the next day. (They are so yummy) that night the big party started up- pesca´o frito.  (fried fish)

They had a crazy party all night long- it started at 10 and ended at 5 in the morning. So the next morning the branch got together to do garbage clean up duty because we were literally the only sober group in the whole village. Ha-ha. 

So every year they do it because the plaza gets filled with bottles and cans. But we cleaned up and had a sopiapillas eating party.  Then they all went to take naps and we went to work. 

That afternoon was the BEST. Get this, so the city builds a house for someone who is in need. They then have it on top of huge trees and it is floating in the ocean. Then the boats all bring it in (our branch president Ancamil is a captain of a boat so he was in one of the boats. so cool) 

Then they pass out these ropes that are suuuuuper long. And all the people grab and then we literally pull the house (completely made and with all the stuff) across the whole village (it really isn’t that big ha-ha but still) 

And the streets are lined with people singing, cheering. The firemen are spraying everyone with water (there are literally thousands of us) and we pull, pull, pull running then there is a little break while they are re-arranging the trees that we are pulling the house on- and during this time there is a band in a big truck and they play and everyone dances these cute Chilean dances. 

It was the coolest service project I have ever done. 

It was also was cool because we had a bunch of lessons right there pulling along. We also contacted people from all over the world. It was cool because as we were pulling we could hear people pointing out ¨hey it's the Mormons¨ it was way fun. 

We had a crazy lesson with a group from Germany and Switzerland. I sent home a picture but it was so crazy because I attempted to teach in inglish.(I thinks she means English :) ) It was so weird. It was the first time I have spoken in inglish in a very, very long time. 

The real last was with Hermana Parkinson. I don’t have problems writing in inglish each week- but I literally could not speak. It was the weirdest thing. I couldn’t remember words and the order was off and I would start in inglish and then find myself ending in Spanish. It was wack. I LOOOOOVE having Latina companions.

Also, I love serving here. I love Puerto Cisnes more than anything in the world. I am so happy. I explained last week how in other sectors or a different part of my mission how I would be completely terrified to just get up and talk. But that sure has changed here. Honestly, this sector is hard. There aren’t a lot of people, and its hard with time for example in these 2 weeks 7 of the 14 days we are in Coyhaique (we are going to Viajar again on miercoles. Wednesday) but I love it because I am learning so much. 

And I love the branch. They are so sassy! And it’s cool because we do a lot with them. For example, yesterday it was fast meeting- but there aren’t many of us so those who got up got up but we still had a lot of time left in the meeting so president gave me that look and I got up and just shared. 

Ha-ha yesterday’s analogy, with the rope for the house as the iron rod. Ha-ha it rocked. But then the next hour I taught the New Testament class, (we have the primary and then our class for todos all) and then the next hour we went and taught primary. 

As I am writing this I really hope I am not sounding like I’m full of myself or something because no. I still struggle it out with Spanish. But I just love it here because I really have so many opportunities to try and figure it out. Love! 

Well family. I got to run. But I sure love you. 

xoxox also there is one part where the weekend of parties all took place and the trees and ground and just the air still smells like fried fish. Good old Puerto cisnes.xoxo

Hna Ball