Lo Ovalle 1 - Week #15

¡Hola Familia!

I'm kinda bummed right now because it looks like Mom's letter didn't go through for some reason... so if you read this and there is a chance that I'm still online (or even if I'm not) send it again please!

¡Bueno! This past week has been a whirlwind of fun... Tuesday Elder Davenport and I had to go to the mission home to pick-up/meet our new companion and "padawan" (he calls himself that), Elder Diaz. He is from Viña del Mar Chile and just had his 19th birthday on Tuesday as well. It is strange to work in a trio but it is fun at the same time, we are taking advantage of the opportunity to do divisions with the members of the barrio since it is easier now. Right now we aren't sure how long he will be with us here in the Santiago North Mission but it is looking like he'll be here for at least 2 months and afterwards go to Concepción where he was originally assigned, but it possible he'll be here for the entire 2 years (we don't know). He is super bueno, and really has the urge to work as much as possible. It is definitely a humbling experience to work with a new elder that already speaks Spanish better than myself and to be training with so little time in the mission. I'm glad that Elder Davenport and I are training together (along with 2 other companionships), but sometimes it still gives me a headache! LOL.

Everything here in my neck of the woods (that we don't have) is doing great! We are currently teaching 3 families that are going to be baptized, the only question is when exactly. We are setting (or have set) goals with them for April and are striving our hardest to achieve them. It feels great when we can meet the goals that we have set during the week and to strive harder the next week to meet goals that are a little more difficult. I'm excited to be a part of the conversion of the people here in this sector and in this mission and I hope that they can be able to find the same blessings from this Gospel as I've seen in my personal life. The upside is that here in about a year they will all be able to go to the temple and be sealed as a family for time and all eternity!!! How great will that be? (My keyboard just decided to mess up so my punctuation may not be too great from now on... I'll try my best!)

This time here is flying by so fast!!! I'm loving every minute of the work, good and not so good. But our zone activity this morning wasn't neccessarily one of my favorites. This morning as a zone we climbed el Cerro Renca (a really big hill), unfortunately my body wasn't a huge fan of the climb and I wasn't a huge fan of the descent! The activities at the top were fun, but didn't last that long. I'll send you a picture or two if I can get them uploaded (I'll try to avoid viruses if at all possible).

Sounds like the things at the house are coming along again from what y'all have told me and from the letters that I got in my package, which I finally received this past week (THANK YOU!!!). Lots of work still but it will be worth it when everything can be moved. I'm sure Gabe and Ryah are medio apathetic about the move and just don't want to work over at the new house (like before I left). But it is all good... it would be really nice if the old house could be well sold before it is time for me to start thinking about coming home.

This week we had zone conference... it was 9 straight hours of amazingness! But it made me really really sleepy. (As did climbing the hill this morning). General Conference is this week!!! I'm super excited! The hours here are all messed up because of the change of when they were going to have the time change. So Saturday we have sessions at 1:00, 5:00, and priesthood at 9:00. Sunday we have sessions at 12:00 and 4:00 (and will only be one hour different from the time in Texas... from what I've been told). Besides all that, it will be so great to here from our leaders about the things that we need right now in the world and the revelations specific to our day!

I love this work and I love you all! Miss y'all bunches and look forward to talking to you in a little over 1 month! Keep moving forward and doing all you can to share this gospel with others.

¡Todo mi amor y mejores deseos! ¡Les amo muchisimo!

--Élder Todd

P.S. Recently I've learned that a few of the people in our ward (here in Chile) found my blog and are reading it... soooo... shout out to them!!!