This week I completed one whole year in Chile! it seems like just yesterday
I was getting off the tiniest plane in the tiniest airport in Osorno and shaking
President Obeso´s hand for the first time. A lot has changed in one year and a
lot has changed in only one week. I can say that I never planned on the mission
turning out this way when I completed a year in Chile.
So Monday they called and said I had sobre cambios. I thought they meant I
would leave Tuesday in the morning, but no, they called and told me I was
scheduled to leave on the bus at 7pm that same night! That was a nightmare. We
ran home and Hna B helped me pack while I tried not to have a break
down and still call and say goodbye to members. We got everything packed up in
time and headed to Puerto Montt to take the bus there.
Saying goodbye to Hna B was very hard; we both cried a lot. I
know we`re going to see each other after the mission, but it was still hard. I
wanted to at least finish her training. I don't think I`ve ever cried so much in
my entire life.
I arrived in La Union at about 9:30pm and the hermanas lideres were there
to greet me with my new companion. My new hermanas lideres are Hna C, from
Valdivia and Hermana L V, (my former roommate! We were super excited! And my new companion
is Hermana K from Salem Utah. She was actually Hna B's companion
in the CCM. She was really sweet and really excited to see me. We got on another
bus to go to San Pablo. On the bus we talked and got to know each other better
and I explained everything with my knee. Her companion, Hna S, got bit by a
dog a couple weeks ago so they had already been in the house for awhile too. She understand why the change had to happen.
San Pablo is un pueblito, a very small small town in the middle of nowhere.
It's all campo/ country. Everyone already knows each other. We have a small
rama/branch of about 30 people that regularly attend. There are tons of cows,
pigs, roosters, chickens, and dogs that hang out in peoples back yards or in the
streets. There are more dogs than people I swear and every morning we get to
wake up to roosters... which isn't as cool as you think, it's just
annoying.
The sector is small and very flat. I'ts really cold here, like really cold,
and my first day it was really windy, It reminded me a lot of Punta Arenas.
Flashback. There are two dogs named Johnnie and Rambo that follow us around
everywhere an make trouble- bark and pick on other dogs, pee on stuff, search
through garbage, chase cars... they are ridiculous. but they are funny. On
Tuesday we left to work and it was great, but towards the end of the day my knee
started hurting bad so we came back home. Hna K bought me a Berlin
(Chilean pastry) for my one year birthday in Chile.
 |
| Chilean Berlin |
Hna K is really nice, she comes from a family of all boys. She is also a farm girl so she knows how to work hard. She`s very loving with the
members and is everyone`s best friend. She has been very patient with me and
everything that is happening.
On Wednesday we got permission from the nurse to go to the clinic in Osorno
and see a doctor yay! The doctor looked at my knee and wanted to take x rays and
run tests and stuff but the mission doesn't want to go through the expensive
paperwork for that. so the doctor prescribed me some pain meds and creams and
signed me up for 10 sessions of physical therapy. If the therapy doesn't work,
then we can talk about x rays. So we still don't know exactly what is wrong, but
we are doing something to help.
So this whole week was going to therapy sessions! And then coming home and
staying in the house because the doctor says I shouldn't walk a lot after
therapy. So I am still not working. and I think Hna K has cabin fever. We
were going to therapy in La Union and the doctor told me I couldn't go out to
work this past weekend; only to go to church, to cross the street, walk to lunch
etc. But today we changed to Osorno because it's easier and the new doctor told
me I need 2 days of complete rest - like I cant walk anywhere. so we`re starting
that tomorrow. I`ve been taking lots of pills and putting on lots of creams and
trying to stay positive.
This week were helped a girl with English, we shared scriptures with our
Mamita, we don't eat with members- we have a Mamita the church pays to feed us
everyday. And we went to a noche de hogar on Saturday. The members are very
loving and funny and relaxed. Of course they all wanted to know what happened
with Hna S . But they are already joking about how they`re going to kill me
off, that I'm going to finish my mission here in San Pablo.... lets not jump the
gun.
This week we studied, cleaned, organized, slept, baked, hung out, got to
know each other, read the scriptures. Our house is small and it has all wooden
paneling and I feel like I'm trapped in a wooden box. We're trying to
mentally prepare ourselves for the upcoming week of more time in the wooden
box.
This week is the 18th and we`re excited! It will be Hna K's first
18, its Chilean Independence Day!
I've been trying really hard to have a good attitude this week and its been
hard.I missed Hna B and Puerto Varas a lot and more than 100 times
the question crossed my mind "why me? why now? why everything?" But the lord
helped me see little miracles and tender mercies every day that reminded me that
He has a plan behind all of this.
Something that happened on monday, that I feel that I should share, and if
Hna B's parents end up reading this it would be great if they could let her
know.
Before the mission I had to wait a long time to leave and I did not enjoy
it. I didn't understand the reason behind having to wait and suffer and stay home
while everyone else left for missions. I asked Heavenly Father a million times
why I had to wait. Well I came on the mission and I thought I understood why, I
thought there must have been lots of reasons I had to wait.
When I was saying goodbye to Hna B, I told her ¨thank you for
making all the decisions you did so you could come on the mission and be my
daughter" and then she turned and told me "thank you for coming on the mission
when you did so you could train me" and suddenly a light came on in my mind and
I started to cry again and the Spirit told me "you had to wait to come on your
mission so you could train Hna Braithwaite... you were waiting for her".
I thank my Heavenly Father everyday that he let Hna Braithwaite come into
my life and that I could have this short time with her. I now know that God
always answers prayers, sometimes years later but He always answers. He has
a plan and a purpose behind everything. I have faith that all of this is
happening for a reason. I just have to be pacient.
Have a great week!
love, Hermana Williams
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