Week 10

Okay. First I will preface this email by saying that I can´t send pics this week. For the last couple weeks we´ve been using computers that don´t have USB ports. BLAHHHHH! So sorry everyone! Love you lots. Next week well be in the Cyber Cafe in Buin, and they have better computers.

Anyways, to start, want to learn some of my favorite Spanish words that I learned here in Chile?

Bakan/Bacan = Awesome or cool

Flaite = Gangster

¿Enserio? = Seriously?

Fóme = Lame

¿Cachai? = You get me?/ Catch my drift?

Watch. I´m going to have everyone using these words when I come home from my mission. It´s going to be a thing.

Also, Chileans really do say  ¨po¨
A lot.
Like, a lot. hahaha
I´ve been told that it doesn´t realy mean anything, but they use it to accentuate the seriousness of some things they say.
¨¡Si, po!¨ ¨¡No, po!¨ ¨No tengo tiempo por eso, po!¨
My goal is to figure out where ¨po¨ originated before the end of my mission. 

Also! Prayers for safety would be very appreciated. There has been talk around town that there might be a huge terramoto (earthquake) on its way.

I hope it happens in the middle of the day at least... Scary scary.

A few weeks back, Hermana Rajapakse and I came across this old man named Guillermo. We met him when we were passing by his house on our way home. He never wanted to receive us and he was really closed off. He wouldn´t even tell us his name at first. But over time, as we kept passing by and greeting him and joking around, he FINALLY received us last week! We taught him and his daughter about The Plan of Salvation, and we´re going back to teach them again sometime this week! Woo-hoo! =D

Also, last monday all 8 of the Paine missionaries had a Noche de Hogar (Family Home Evening) with the family of the President of the Paine Branch. His wife shared an interesting thought: She talked about how when we´re taking the Sacrament, sometimes our minds can tend to wander to other things rather than thinking about The Savior and what He did for us. She compared it to the Apostles falling asleep when Jesus asked them to tarry with him for a while. Remember that story? I thought the analogy was interesting.
After the lesson, she brought up David Archuleta and said that he used to be in the Paine Branch. And he´d sing all the time. She handed me a hand-written letter that she received from him about a year or so ago. Cool stuff! hahaha

In other news, cambios are coming up. I´m starting my 5th week in El Campo! AAAAAHHHHH! Hermana Rajapakse says she feels like she´s going to be transferred out of Paine after wek 6. NOOOO!
¡No me diga eso, Hermana! :(

She has taught me so much. She is the biggest ray of sunshine in all her 4´10¨ glory. hahaha I love her so much.

One thing that she taught me during companionship inventory was, 

¨A lot of missionaries say that they´re going to be the greatest missionary ever when they speak Spanish. But you´re a missionary NOW. And sure, missionaries start out not knowing the language, but you have so many other opportunities to do good with all your other talents. So, in short, do what you can with what you have.¨

I´m so grateful for this opportunity that I have to be a missionary. It really is awesome. The Gospel is amazing and it´s great that I can be part of God´s Army with the purpose of helping people to come closer to Christ.
I know He is my Savior, and I am so grateful for the blessing of His gospel in my life. It really is the root source of my joy.

Until next week, friends. LOVE YOU!!!!

- Hermana Darley