Christmas - Last Two December E-Mails

We spent a wonderful 25 minutes Christmas morning talking with Elder Harrison through Skype. It was great to not only talk with him but to see him face-to-face. He is doing real well. He can state this himself in his own words - below are his last two e-mails from December:

December 19 - This week went by super fast. I´m really starting to get into the schedule. And, I´m learning to enjoy the small spiritual moments teaching, or in my studying. We don´t have anyone particularly close to baptism, but we are working with lots of people and I´m am getting better and better and introducing people to our message. My companion is good. He´s the Zone Leader and has 1.5 years, so lots of experience. He´s kind of a big nerd in the science fiction kind of way. And is a little bit socially awkward - not as in "quiet" but as in how to interact with people. But I´m learning how to work hard and not get discouraged when people are blatantly denying the truth. I really like all the food. We´ve had some especially good steak and mashed potatoes from our mamacita who cooks for us 3 times a week in her home. I struggled in mixing the verbs orinar [to urinate] and harina [corn flour] at the beginning, and I sometimes let slip tú [familiar form], but overall it's going well and I´m improving my Spanish daily. I´m also gradually losing my ability to speak English! :)

This is the time of year to be continually reminding ourselves of the Savior, and I get to talk about it every minute with people here. But I want to share my testimony with you, that I know without a doubt that the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is directing His church. That the one and only true way to get happiness is to live the Gospel. And, that God our Heavenly Father is listening to our prayers, and will help us if we but ask. I´m tearing up just thinking of how sweet it is to know these things. And how powerful this knowledge is. I want you to know that I miss you, but this is something so much greater. And I hope to be able to save as many souls as the Lord will let me. Remember the people here in your prayers as well. And remember the gift of the Savior in your lives. Especially during Christmas.

Felizes Pascua

Con Amor

Parry

December 26 - Thanks so much for the packages, love and letters. It helped brighten up my Christmas, which otherwise was honestly the worst one I´ve had simply because we barely did anything to celebrate it, and it was very lonely and sad without my family. But, we did get to share a little more about Christ and His birth with the investigators and members, which was nice. And I am actually enjoying the day to day misionando. :) I´ve got to say that yesterday´s sacrament meeting was actually really good. The talks were great. And everyone spent 10 minutes after the meeting talking, getting acquainted, and wishing a Merry Christmas. It felt great to see a lot of ward unity and love. One weird thing about having Christmas in the Summer is that squirt guns are really popular gifts. Also, it's sad because a lot of parents are obviously much more into buying gifts than they should be. They buying things like ATV´s for 10 year olds! The consumerism here is really messing up their view of life.

About how much I speak English:  I´m kinda bad and speak English a lot more than I should, especially with the companion. But pretty much no one knows English except for the young ones, and them not very well. So I´m pretty much speaking Spanish to everyone else, or not speaking at all (because I can´t understand them). :)

We´re teaching a lot of people. None of them are particularly close to baptism, nor that amazed at what I´m sharing with them. But I have hope that two 16-year-old boys that we´re teaching individually will follow through on their date to be baptized. I´m trying to figure how best to help my companion by alleviating his burden of responsibility as senior companion, trainer, and Zone Leader. I´m trying to spearhead the interaction with the ward, for meetings, and having members accompany us in lessons.

The weeks are starting to go faster and faster which is good at this point. But according to my companions isn´t something one wants at their point in the field. Some days are difficult, but overall I'm good.

I forgot to mention that a couple of weeks ago I got to do an exchange for a day with an elder in the zone. It was very interesting to see how a fellow nuevo (1.5 months more than me) taught. And how much success we could have without our respective senior companions. We actually found more people and taught more lessons that day then I had any day up to that point. It helped me see the work in a different way. And not feel so restricted to teach the way my companion does.

Overall I´m doing great. And while I miss you, I feel buoyed up by the knowledge of how important this work is.

Feliz Año Nuevo

Con mucho Amor

Parry

Waterloo with Food

I have yet to become sick. We drink water, and the milk is actually not as bad as I initially thought. They only have sugared juices, and we´re always offered soda. In fact the word for drink in Spanish is "bebida". Here it means pop. :) My companion has taught me how to work, and how to not take it too personally when people are not caring or accepting the message. We're nearly always contacting or calling at doors when ever we are not going to an appointment or trying to visit the less actives. For Christmas we´ve got an activity in the mission home the day before - a dinner and caroling, and we get to sleep in and visit members on Christmas itself. I just got the letters sent when I entered the field so snail mail really takes awhile. I recommend emails. Here there is a ton of problems with smoking, and a ton of immorality. It's common to not be married and live with someone. The girls usually have a kid at 17. The food is actually quite good. But yesterday I had my Waterloo with food. We were eating with a family and the main course was stuff on rice. It tasted good but was a ton. I could barely finish it and I was praying that there was something light for "postre". But then they brought out something that is like cream of wheat, and a lot of it. I didn´t like it, and was forcing it into my stomach because I didn´t have any more room. When I finished I was just thinking, "don´t throw up until you get out to the street". To make a long story short, I didn´t make it. All over the table... I was so embarrased. But there you go -- I´m in the mission field. I´ll write more next week...

Con Amor

Parry

Two Weeks In

I´ve been here two weeks, and it´s been hard. The walking is really getting to me. We probably only go about 5 miles a day, but in dress shoes it's really hard. Also, it´s been quite hot here. It´s not really any more humid than in Utah, but it's just as hot, especially in Sunday clothes. I´m still in the sprawling city of Santiago, in a neighborhood and ward called Lo Prado. We live with the Zone leader and his companion. The other comp, Elder Gallucci, is from Argentinia and the two ZL´s are from the states: Elder Marrott from Texas and Elder Dearden, my companion, from Boston. It´s hard making sure I´m speaking Spanish all the time with fellow gringo companions. I met Tanner Barlow, a fellow class officer from Jordan High, at our celebratory day of sports today. We got the mission monthly goal of 79 baptisms. We had the baptism of a wonderful old man-Jose-yesterday. I´ll send picts next week. And, testimony meeting was great. To contact people we talk to everybody, on the street and "tocar puertas". The area is kind of like super lower class suburb so it's easier to see them on the streets and in homes. The people are almost always friendly, but very few actually want to listen. We´re in a transition phase right now, where we´re determining which investigators to try and keep working with and which to drop. We finally found some service in the garden of a Catholic "viajita", but she´ll need time to come around to our message. I try to talk a little each time, and when we actually teach formal lessons I talk a lot more. There are some Christmas lights and decorations up, but not many. The children are the cutest - to see 4-year-olds speaking rapid spanish is the cutest. We go to bed at 11:30 and wake up at 7:30. I´ve got to go, but I´ll write more next week...
Con Mucho Amor
Parry