Circunvalacion 1 - Week #2

¡WOW!

¡Hola Familia!

This past week has been a whirlwind. I clearly wasn't able to check my e-mail until today, but it was still good to get 2 letters for the week!!! We got a little behind on writing today, so I'll have to do it fast... for some reason none of the Internet shops were open (we went to 5 or 6) and there aren't enough computers in the office for the 7 of us here (5 office elders and the assistants to President). This last week has been real down to the wire, with deadlines and trying to get a lot of projects finished up. Proselyting in the office really takes a hit with the kind of hours we've been pulling lately!!! I'm currently working on getting everything organized so that I know what is going on and I can stay on top of my work. If there is one thing I've learned here in these last 2 weeks, balancing work and proselyting (like work and family later), it is that planning is KEY... there is no other way to do it and make time for both. Currently I'm working on learning it all so it is a little bit difficult, but I'll survive.

I'm sure my e-mail caught everyone by as much surprise as the phone call caught me. It was kinda crazy how it all went down! Luckily I'm liking it... this last week was hectic enough however that we didn't see President May here much. Usually he and Hermana May are in the office every Monday morning for a coordination meeting, but this week was a little weird in that since...

I'm kinda learning that the office has a few perks to it... I do now have my driver's license and am legal to drive in Chile. The only downside is that I had to wait in line for about 5 hours to get it (and that was with connections), and that everyone in Chile drives like they bought their license at Wal-Mart. So I'm looking forward to being able to drive after I watch the video "Drive Safe" that the Church puts out and says you have to watch... YAY!!! Luckily I thought the test was fairly easy... I barely looked over the book, but I still got 33 out of 35 correct. I still don't get how some people can fail twice...

I DID GET MY PACKAGE!!! I actually got it yesterday afternoon, but I haven't had time to go through everything yet... THANK YOU!!! Other exciting news for this week is that WE GET TO GO TO THE TEMPLE!!! The mission as a whole is going in 6 sessions over the span of Wednesday through Friday, so we are all pretty stoked about that.

Mom: I'm so proud of you... You are learning to use your technology!!! And you've even got your e-mail forwarded to your phone... You never answered if you were going to get me hooked up with a nice Blackberry when I got back or not...

Dad: I'm finally coming to my senses... I think. I've always denied that I was a little bit "touched" like the rest of the family... but as I keep thinking about it, I get more convinced that I want to work in the ER... so I'm thinking I'm a little "touched" as well!

Sorry to be mean, but I think that that is pretty funny that Gabe, Ryah, and Dillon got caught sneaking out in the middle of the night! I don't think I ever even had the desire to do that... What possessed them??? And I even think I remember Ryah saying something a couple of weeks ago about doing the same thing... I guess it seems alright until you get caught! LOL.

To finish up, I thought I'd just let you know that we will be having a baptism this weekend (if all goes well). Our investigator is named Matías and is 14 years-old. This last week he had a little bit of a rough spot in that his mom, with whom he does not live, told him that if he was baptized she'd disown him (in a round about way). He was clearly a little broken up about that, and still is, but he still has the desires to be baptized and has not in any moment lost those desires. So be praying for him as we finish up this weekend!

My time has about run out, but I love you and miss you and will definitely be talking to you next weekend (it feels weird to say that... weekend). Send me more pictures and keep me posted on the goings on.

¡Todo mi amor y cariño!

-- Élder Todd