Lo Ovalle - Week #5

¡Hola Familia!

Last night we received a call about cambios at 11:30 (earlier than usual)... and the survey says... Elder Davenport and I nos quedamos (stay) in Lo Ovalle 1 for another 6 weeks (ojalá)!!! We both had the feeling we would be staying and were both hoping that Elder Nielson (de the Texas Dallas Mission) hadn't jinxed me when he said I'd be district leader this change. Turns out, our district leader left to my old zone... and... I'm not district leader! LOL.
So today it appears as if the 4 missionaries from our ward (all 4 are still here) [including mi jemelo (twin) from Argentina (Elder Walker)] are going to do the most worldly entertainment we are allowed to in the mission, BOWLING!!! I'm excited but I'm sure I'm going to get my but kicked by Elder Arave (companion de Elder Walker).
So this week was kind of a disappointment, our logros looked really bad and we dropped from having 10 references received these last 2 weeks (por lo menos) to 0... OUCH... Also we had to drop several investigators. The bad thing is that a bunch of our investigators were on vacation this last week, but at least it was only 1 week rather than the 2 months that alot of the Chileans take... (yeah it would be nice wouldn't it???).
The only spectacular news I have is that the terremoto (earthquake) that happened in Haiti this last week happened while we were teaching algunos Haitianos. The communication right now between Chile and Haiti sucks so there are still some of them that don't know how their families are. I can't imagine what is going through their heads right now. But there is help that exists, and it is called "The Gospel of Jesus Christ" (especially the Plan of Salvation). Previous to Tuesday of last week (when the earthquake happened) we were having alot of trouble getting one of the Haitianas that we are teaching to pray. For some reason or another she was just stuck on the fact that she wasn't worthy or algo como así. So Nadege (the same Haitiana) on Tuesday just before the terremoto told us she was going to pray to know if José Smith was a prophet... And she did! When we taught the Plan of Salvation yesterday we asked her if she did and with a huge smile, that seemed like she received an answer too, she answered in the affirmative! Now we've just got to get her in the water!!! LOL. All of our other chances for a baptism this month have failed except for 1 who is also now progressing, because nobody wants to go to church. AHHHHH!!!
So Elder Davenport and I get along super well and have really started getting the hang of working together. Somehow we are avoiding the temptation to speak much English, especially since we are both new, and it is really helping us to improve. The only disagreements we've had have been settled with a quick Nerf shoot-out!!! And then the other day we ganged up our old district leader (Elder Newton) and I ganged up on our companions (Elder Davenport y Elder Boyce), it was fun.
So it kinda sucks that both of the Lufkin elders are leaving. Did nobody think to ask them if there were more missionaries being transferred in to open the sector??? Either way, I doubt it will be closed again after the success that has been had there as of late.
I'll try to get pictures to ya'll of me in my "missionary environment". If all other efforts fail I'll get a disk in the mail within the next couple of weeks.
Sounds like work has been fun and work at the house is going to be even more fun in the next couple weeks repairing all of the freeze damage. I did receive the pictures of the house but it would be good to see more of how it is coming along.
Success here in the mission field feels so good, but unfortunately we have disappointments too. I saw on our mission website today that one of the people that we (Elder Low and I) were preparing for baptism in El Salto 2 was just baptized this past week... so ¡felicitaciones! to Rosa Olivares, the first person I've helped prepare for baptism. Anyways, we are starting to see more success here and look forward to the success that this week is going to bring. We now have the faith and the investigators sufficient to achieve our goals, and we are going to do it! I'll let you know how it goes next week.
I'm going to try to send a few pictures today so hopefully ya'll can see some of my world! Love you and miss you bunches.

¡Todo mi cariño y amor!

-- Elder Todd