Elder Parker Spanbauer: Week 22 Vallenar

Aug 11, 2015

Hey everybody! So this past week was really cool. So much happened I don’t know how I’m going to be able to cover it all. So the week started off pretty normal. We taught a few people and we were working like normal and then one day it rained like a ton! That’s right, it has rained yet again in the driest place in the world! It rained for a full day and we weren’t aloud to leave the pension that day. We spent the day inside listening to conference talks and then we ate lunch with a member. He had to come get us in his car because it was raining so much. We ate lunch with the Tapia family. They are by far the coolest family I’ve met in Chile haha. He is the one that has made us Cheeseburgers and stuff. We ate a really good pasta and then Elder Malan and I made brownies to share with them. They were disgusting haha! For some reason the brownie mix you can get here is terrible hahaha. They of course said they were good even though we could see in their faces they hated them. That’s one thing every missionary mom should send to there missionaries. A lot of brownie mixes hahaha. Jonathan Tapia accompanied us that night and we randomly knocked on a door and he knew the person! We now have a teaching appointment with them and Jonathan is going to go with us. The Lord truly does perform miracles. We also played some board games that day. I learned how to play a card game called "Magic". It is equivalent to like Pokémon hahaha. I’m such a nerd! Actually, My companion is haha. I won’t lie though, it was fun. We have been finding more and more people to teach. Elder Malan and I get along super well. We are basically best friends. So yesterday we had a Noche de Hogar with the Donoso family and it was a BBQ. I secretly planned it behind my companions back because today is actually his birthday. It was super awesome because the Elders from the other sector came as well and so did a few menos activo families. He had no idea that we were planning it until they brought out the cake and sang to him. It was super fun. We actually met a few new people to teach by doing it. Also, yesterday we had interviews with president Dalton again. It was super awesome and I learned a lot. He talked a lot about the atonement and how us as missionaries have to consecrate ourselves in order to experience miracles. If we are simply not exercising in the morning like we are supposed to, we are not fully giving ourselves to the lord. It was very strong. Elder Swett goes home soon like in a week and so does Elder Còmena. I have known them since I started the mission and it’s sad to see them leave. As far as today, we went shopping and don’t ask me why but I bought an old flashlight and the thing looks as if its from world war two or something. It says it was made in the US and its Authentic! I got it for like 9 bucks and I plan to take it to a pawn shop when I get back to see if its anything special hahaha. We have another Noche de Hogar tonight and I think we are going to do something with the Tapia family for Elder Malan’s birthday. Anyway, that’s about all for this week in Vallenar! I love you all and Hope all is well at home! Chao!

Elder Spanbauer