Last few days in Mexico and getting to Chile. Whew!

Oct. 28

Hey guys! I made it Conce alive and well. I only have 45 mins to email and we write our mission pres as well so I hope I can tell you all I want to! It was so great talking to you guys on the phone. I love you all!

So anyway, I am in an area in Temuco called Cautin. It is so cool and simple. The stars are amazing and it always smells like a really good campfire or s'more or something and I love it. The weather has been really nice actually. It only really rains a ton in the winter but usually the afternoons are nice and the mornings and nights are chilly enough for a coat and maybe tights. My comp is from Utah, South Jordan and went to BYU before this. She is a gringa, is 20 and her name is Hermana Hawkins. She is so nice and helpful and helps me a ton with my Spanish. She already knew Spanish pretty well before and only went to the MTC for 12 days so she's really good. She has been out for about 7 meses. The people in Chile are so friendly and listen to us even when they don't really want to. Everyone kisses on the cheek to say hello so I have gotten used to that which as I am sure you know, is pretty different for me. But it is cool. The culture here is so loving and friendly. They definitely talk fast and cut of their S`s (ma o meno instead of mas or menos). I am definitely learning patience with the language. I understand an okay amount but I get lost a lot especially when people talk quieter or are older. Sometimes it is frustrating because I want to participate or help out but I just don't know what is going on. I know that the Lord is helping me a lot and I can feel your prayers, so thank you! I am trying hard to not get discouraged no matter what because I know it would be easy since there are a lot of times here I feel like such a dope. This Sunday the obispo had me introduce myself in sacrament and bear my tesimony. I think it went well. Everyone was just looking up at me and smiling so that was good!

We also walk a ton! Our sector is about 15 or 20 minute walk from where we live with 4 other hermanas so we definitely walk a solid amount every day.

 We are focusing a lot in our area on reactivating because there are a ton of menos activos in Chile. We are working on getting more new people to work with now so we have been out in the streets a lot. One night we passed by a house of a family where they are menos activo. The two daughters were outside, 13 and 5, and we chatted with them for a while and said a prayer with them outside and set up an appt. It was so cute. The 13 yr old really wants to come to church but they are never able to because the mom works all the time to support the dad's hospital bills. I guess the dad is a lot older and is dying. The younger daughter, Connie, who is only 5 was taken out of school to watch her dad. It is a pretty sad story but the 13 year old has so much faith and still continues to read her scriptures and pray.

Yesterday we also visited another menos activo, Angelina, who also has two little boys. They were so crazy and the younger who is just learning to talk says "Hola! Hola!" all the time. It makes it slightly difficult to get a lesson going but it is hilarious. She has a pretty rough story as well and her boyfriend is addicted to drugs and she is just really discouraged. I shared 1 Nephi 7:11 with her as best I could with my broken Spanish and I didn't understand what she said afterwards but Hma Hawkins told me that she had just read that very chapter that morning and had been thinking about it. So cool! Being out here, even though it has only been a little while, makes me realize how lucky I am that I have you guys and that we all get along and have the gospel in our lives. I definitely have been taking a lot of things for granted! People sacrafice a lot for the Gospel out here. Also, the closest temple is in Santiago and the ward is saving up to go in December because they have a lot of people going through for the first time. Go to the temple in STG for me! We are lucky to have a temple so close!

This is one of the hardest things I have done but I am learning a lot and trying to work hard and stay positive. I am very blessed out here!

I love you all so much! Cam, good luck with football! Kill some guys! Courts, I am super excited for you with this medical assistant deal. Good luck! Ginny, what are going to be for Halloween? The Chilenos think Halloween in lame but it is still celebrated a little. Mom and Dad, you are the best parents in de whole wide world. en serio!

Love always,

Hermana Chalmers

Sorry I forgot my camera cord so I have no pictures! Next week!

Oct 24

Hey guys! I made it to Chile! They are giving us a minute or two to write and make sure you guys know we are alive. They gave us a bit of info at the mission home and then we went out to this town plaza/park and contacted people! Crazy! There are four other latina hermanas that are new as well so they put me in a trio with two other latinas to contact. They were so sweet and helpful and even though I didn´t really understand the people we talked to that well, I could pick up things and understood the Hermanas okay. It was hard to follow but I said a few things and introduced us once. A guy kissed me on the cheek, because I forgot they do that here, and he didn't give me time to react. My latina hermanas told him no no. Haha it was pretty funny. We will meet our mission president tomorrow and get our trainer. Tonight they are having us stay at a hotel. 

Love you all!!

Oct 22

Hey fam! So it sounds like Dad already got ahold of my flight info. I have a layover in Santiago for like six hours so I will try and call you then! Oh also, FIRST CLASS YOOOOO. I think it ended up that they assigned our seats alphabetical because me, Elder Baggs and Elder Christiansen are in first class.

 This week has been bittersweet. It has been sad saying goodbye to everyone. I have only known these people for six weeks, but I feel so close to them. There is a tradition at the CCM where all the missionaries leaving sing Para Siempre Dios esté Con Vos on Sunday night in the cafeteria so we did that and it was so much fun. We were all singing so loud and I have a video of it that I can try and send. Sunday night we went to our branch presidents apartment on campus and had hot fudge sundays so that was a dream come true.

We said goodbye to Hermana Rust and Fox last night and that was a little sad. Our district has grown so close and we were all sad to see it being broken up because most of us fly to Santiago together.

Earlier this week Hermana Cefalo and I taught Hermana Martinez´s 9 yr old nephew, Theorion, just for fun and to give us teaching experience and it was so much fun. He definitely didn't slow down his Spanish for us so that was nice practice. Some other Elders taught her 7 year old niece and as she was walking out she handed me a little blue marble as a gift. It was so sweet.

Tomorrow is Hermano Sanchez´s birthday so we had cake and a bunch of candy and did some fun stuff today with him. He is the coolest guy ever. We are his first American district so he is having a hard time with us all leaving. He said, "I will never love another district again. You guys leaving? Thats not pretty cool." He is still learning English and he says "pretty cool" all the time. It's hilarious. He also doesn't really understand when to use "Shut up" so he says that to us a lot and we just laugh. I attached some of the pictures we took with him. The posed one was all his idea because he wanted it to be his cover photo on Facebook. All day today he has been updating us on how many Likes it is getting.

I hope I get to call you guys from Santiago! Love you all!

Con amor,

Hermana Chalmers

                                          Hermana Martinez and I outside the CCM

                                                    Hermanas!

                                Our district with the Branch President and his wife, The Jewells

                                                    Selfie at our last Sunday movie

                          The Hermanas in our district in our classroom where we sat everday

                                          Saying goodbye to Hermanas Fox and Rust!

                                          Hermano Sanchez with his cake and treats

My Last Week in Mexicooooo!

Hey team! How is it already my last P Day in the CCM? Whaaaat?! I am beyond jealous that you guys are hitting Lake Powell this weekend. Soak up the sun for me! Thanks for sending the pics too. I love seeing you guys. I printed off some of them and put them on my wall. We just got back from the temple. Last time going for the rest of my mission! But it was really great as usual and I understood a lot of the Spanish which made me happy.

So this week has been great, as usual. I am excited and nervous to be heading to Chile so soon. I feel like I just got the hang of the CCM. But that is how life works. Once you get used to something and get comfortable with it, it is usually time to move on to the next. If not we would never improve or grow. There are no Hermanas going to Concepcion Sur so it is going to be just me and the Elders heading out and we are all talking a bunch about what it will be like over there which is exciting.

We have been teaching a lot this week and I feel like Hermana Cefalo and I have improved a lot. On Saturday we were all sitting in class studying language, and one of our teachers, Hermano Sanchez, ran in and asked us who wanted to teach real investigators! We were all freaking out a little. He has friends that he has been trying to get to come to TRC (we practice teaching members, teachers, or volunteers but there are RARELY no members) and they agreed to come. Our TRC wasn't until Thursday but he wanted us to teach them since we were his students and he loves us. He said not all of us could come because there were only two or three of them so Hermana Cefalo and I, Hermana Fox and Rust and two other elders in our district went. I was so nervous and excited to teach a real investigator, but it turned out we didn't get to teach them because they ran out of time doing other TRCs with the latinos. But we still might be able to later this week! But since we didn't get to teach them they let us teach this member. Her name is Alma, shes 23 and she is preparing to go on a mission. She is the only member in her family and has such strong faith. It was so cool to talk to her and even though I couldn't express myself that well it was still great.

We taught both our investigators La Ley de Castidad, and they both cracked us up. When we were teaching Mia we asked her if she knew what chastity was and she just made the motions of putting on a metal chastity belt. We have gotten so close with all of our teachers and I swear they are secretly trying to make us laugh everytime. I am going to miss them all a lot but Hermana Martinez is going to BYU this winter to learn English and then stay to go to school so I can come home and show her (hopefully) my Spanish improvement.

On Sunday I spoke in sacrament about "Perseverando hasta el fin" and our district sang Conmigo Quédate Señor. We all coordinated and wore blue like a bunch of squares but it was funny anyways. That night we watched a devotional given a couple months ago at the Provo MTC by Elder Cristofferson. I really liked some things he said like, "Don´t worry, the joy of Christ will swallow up any tribulation"and ¨This is the work of Jesus Christ and we do not have to do it alone."

Also, there are a BILLION mosquitos here and I am getting eaten alive now the we teach outside at night. I feel like I am back in Alaska and I am NOT HAPPY BOB. We had french fries today at lunch so today has been really great, of course. Yesterday for our service activity we really didn't want to mop in the kitchen again so we folded sheets and blankets and it turned out that everyone that worked in the kitchen that day got to help fry tortillas and they had Coldplay playing so they listened to it all through service hour. I was preeettty disappointed because we almost always work in the kitchen. I guess it just wasn´t mean to be. Charlie Brown and I will reunite again in a matter of months.

Just some interesting things at the CCM-

1. the birds are SO LOUD and obnoxious always. and they are not afraid of humans at all.

2. there are always bombs going off which apparently are fireworks since Mexico City is one big party. but sounds like a huge bomb. You can always tell which missionaries are new because they jump when they go off.

3. The weather is 100% unpredicatable. Mornings will be perfect and then after dinner it is pouring rain.

4. They put fruit in everything. There is always a surprise pineapple or guava in my meals.

5. They also throw hotdogs in everything. Chopped up, in a salad. Whats up?

In the pics from today, some casa 21 Hermanas are wearing jeans for the first time since leaving and it felt so weird so we took a pic of course. And a picture of Mexico City on the way to the temple. I love just watching out the bus window on the way there. There are so many cool sights and people to watch and we dont see any of that in the walls of the CCM.

¡Les amo!

Love always,

Hermana Chalmers

Hola from Mexico!

                                                                                                                     Oct. 9, 2013

Hola Mi Familia! Happy birthday yesterday Cam!! It sounds like you guys are really living the high life right now. I love hearing all about STG life. Congrats on doing so well in the marathon mom and dad! I am so proud of you guys and I hope all three of us can run it in a while. The cabin also sounds like it was a blast, conference plus brian head. What could be better?

Speaking of conference, I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. Wow it was great. It was pretty fun watching it with an auditorium full of missionaries. Whenever a speaker mentioned the Mexico CCM everyone cheered and when they announced that Elder Uchtdorf was going to speak there was an audible, "yessss." I saw Michael David in the choir a couple times too! I hope you guys heard the MoTab sing O Divine Redeemer on Sunday. It reminded me of dad singing it which made me happy. The Saturday afternoon sessions really hit home for me. Especially Elder Holland´s talk. So powerful. 

This week has just been one to remember really with General Conference. Sunday night we watched The Testaments. If you guys haven´t seen it you should definitely watch it. Sunday morning before our sunday school with the MTC presidency we sang the EFY Medley in Español with our branch. I imagined Cam and Jonny singing with me too since they did for my farewell!

This week I feel like Hermana Cefalo and I have really learned a lot about how to teach and understand the spirit as we do. We had some personal coaching earlier this week with Hermana Martinez and she told us that I need to talk less and Hermana Cefalo needs to talk more. I felt bad because I know that I talk too much. Sometimes I think I just get the need to take over and other times I get nervous and start talking a lot of bad spanish. But anyways, we get some good advice on how to improve from our teachers and conference so prepared to teach La Palabra de Sabiduria to our investigator, Mia. We also found out earlier that week that Mia (Hermana Martinez) is in real life, Hma Martinez´s best friend and the problems that she talks about are real and current and things that she tells Hermana Martinez about all the time. Mia has a lot of problems with drinking and partying and with her family so teaching her has been a real learning experience even though we know it isnt the real Mia. So we taught her on Monday and it was so awesome. They spirit was so strong and Hermana Cefalo and I were teaching equally. At one point Hermana Cefalo shared a scripture with her (1 Nephi 7:12) and Mia started to cry and we both almost did too. It was a great learning experience for us on how preparation is so important. The Lord can´t help you remember scriptures or other things that you do not know or haven´t read. I also learned that Hermana Cefalo has an amazing way of inviting the spirit that I cannot do as well. Another time this week we were practicing teaching a Latino missionary and Hermana Cefalo brought her to tears with a story she told and a scripture. She is so awesome and I learn a lot from her about how to teach more sincerely. Tonight we are teaching Mia the Law of Chastity so wish us luck!

Today for P Day we played sand volleyball and soccer with our district and one other. Our distrcit is now the oldest district in our Zone so that is weird. I feel like we just got here. Anyways, at one point when we were playing Elder Kemp and we both went to bump the ball and smashed into each other. I am sure it broke all kinds of missionary rules but it was pretty funny afterwards. During soccer I was reminded how untalented I am at the sport, but that is just too bad because I will probably be playing a lot of soccer in Chile so I just go for it every time and probably look like a spaz, especially since Hermana Fox played soccer in college so she outshines all of us even the boys. It is still a bunch of fun though.  

Jonny, Hermana Rust and I translated this for you, "Osos, remolachas, batalla estrella galatíca."

I love you guys!

Yo se que el Evangelio es la verdad. Estoy agradecido por mi Salvador y hermano, Jesucristo. Yo se que Jesucristo sufrío por nuestros pecados por medio La Expiacion. Yo se que Thomas S. Monson es una profeta de Dios. Esto agradecido por la oportunidad a compartir este Evangelio con la gente de Chile. Amo mi familia mucho. Se podemos juntos para siempre mediante el perfecto plan de Cristo. Yo creo en Cristo con todo mi corazon.

 Amo siempre,

Hermana Chalmers

 

pics - Hermana Cefalo and I on the earthquake circles and then Hermana Cef and I and Hermana White and Eastman (Hermanas in our casa). They are all over the CCM. No earthquakes yet though!

Letter from October 2, 2013

Mi familia!                                                                                                                                               Oct. 2, 2013

How has it already been another week? It sounds like you guys are doing great. You bought a four wheeler too?! I am sure that was all mom's idea. This week our district has been trying harder to focus on our Spanish and lessons because our teachers told us we need to step it up. Monday we spoke Spanish all day until dinner and it was so helpful. Our lessons with our investigators (teachers) are going well. Ïvan¨ has a girlfriend that he lives with and we knew that we had to teach the law of chastity at some point so Hmna Cefalo and I were planning on it this Monday for our lesson with him. We walked in and he started telling us about his struggles at work and my companion and I both felt really strongly that we shouldn't teach what we had planned and instead talk about the atonement which we had not planned on. It was such a cool experience. That lesson was not us, it was the spirit teaching, which is how it always should be. Even though our Spanish was all over the place we knew the spirit was present and helping us.

Also Elder Devon Anthony from Snow Canyon is in my branch now and oh my goodness. haha the first time he saw me hmna cefalo and I were walking back to our classroom and it was his first or second day and he must have forgot he was a missionary because he tried to hug me and just said, ¨hey whoa we can't hug!¨ It was pretty funny. He likes to tell my district that we dated in high school, which we didn't and probably isn't the best joke for missionaries. I never really know how to respond.

We also did our first TRC this week where we teach volunteers that are either members, less actives, investigators or teachers. We had members and the second one was a 13 year old boy named Aaron. We just chatted with him about our favorite scriptures and what he liked to do. Even though he was already a member it got me excited to teach real people!

One of the highlights of my days is when there is horchata at lunch. Hermana Rust, Hermana Fox and I go crazy for it!

This past Sunday was fast Sunday and we fasted from lunch saturday to lunch sunday. Sundays are really great. my favorite part was a nightly devotional we had  by the MTC director. Something he said that hit me was that how we act here in the CCM is a reflection/pattern of how we will act in the field. That made me want to work a lot harder. Sometimes it can be hard to focus here because the investigators arent real and days can get repetitive with all the studying. Especially since our disricit is so close now and we always just want to talk. But I know that we need every minute here to prepare. 

Also, Mom that peanut butter that came in that last package is the best. I bring it to the movie nights on Sunday and we eat apples and chokis with it. Our room has really been missing music since we are not allowed to listen in our casa since there are so many people to a casa so we just sing when we get ready in the morning and for bed. I would probably hate me, but we are desparate for some music so I am sinking to that level. Singing in the shower is one of my favorite hobbies now too.

Oh so for our language lesson our teacher, Hermano Rangel, goes around and has us make up questions with what we are learning. He called on Hermana Fox and for one of her example sentences she accidently said, esta durmiendo en mi cama.  Haha you are sleeping in my best. Hermano Rangel got a crack up out of that one.

I am excited for conference! Our branch is singing the EFY medleyin Spanish before we watch one of the sessions and I am really excited. Reminds me of my farewell talk!

So today we went to the temple for PDay and didn't use head sets. Only Spanish. It was awesome. I feel like I have so much more to say but I cant remember! Everyday blurs together. Oh! Dad, do you work with a Bonnie Allred. My companion said her family emailed and they know her and she said you guys work at the hospital. Hma Cefalos grandparents live in Santa Clara. Mitchell Dr. I think. Small world!

I love you all! Have fun watching conference at the cabin!

Love always,

Hermana Chalmers

                                          Adventure Time!

                                         Happy Birthday, Cameron!

                                                    Some of my district

                                          Some great hermanas at the temple

                                                       The view outside the CCM from the bus on the way to the temple