Limari Alton

Hola Familia!! 

First off, thank you so much for all the emails...they really made me super happy! I am glad everyone enjoyed conference and Maddy´s birthday..I can´t believe she is 7 years old and receiving curlers for her birthday :). Also I received the Dear Elders of everyone on the mission this week so thanks Mom. Also we now have permission to email friends...which I am super super happy about because I was worried I would´n´t be able to share things with Kari or many very much but the rule has changed...yay!

Well the biggest adjustment for my week was transfers ..yes I was transferred on Wednesday to Limari Alto...which I found out Wednesday morning and transfers were that night....so I started crying because even though I couldn´t communicate very well in the language I was going to miss the people so very much and Hermana Hermansen helped me so much with everything...we became very good friends and I will hold our times very dear to my heart..I wish her all the best..you should look her up when she gets back in September. I probably didn´t cry as much as I did the week when I left for my mission...I hadn´t felt so much of a home sickness in so long as I did for that area and those people I came to love..but mamita gave me some sock things because she would always scold me when I didn´t wear shoes...but this is so great and don´t you worry, I am doing so much better...so on to explain my new area and companion.

My companion is Hermana Tovar from Peru (this is why I cried one day while studying) just because things were different..but I know we are both trying because we both have a barrier between us which is the language...but she is helping me so much with speaking and teaching lessons. Transfers are hard, but I have learned and continue to learn to really put my trust in the the Lord. Hermana Tovar is super sweet and tries to help me..it´s just hard to communicate and also make sure I am not offending her...so this is fun :). Oh did I mention we are opening a new area...yea so we are trying to find people to teach we are in a rama or something that isn´t quite a ward yet and there are four sister missionaries here. So yea the members are super super nice and willing to help us out with everything  I did miss my old district the first district meeting but these elders are super great and helpful..I feel bad because our district leader is district leader and training..he has a lot of responsibility right now..but he is doing a great job. He is also gringo and said the same thing happened to him that he was put with a native speaker his 2nd transfer. He really helped me feel better and said my Spanish is going to improve..I can already see it´..it´s crazy...oh and us being girls couldn´t get the water heater working (so yes we showered for 3 days with cold water..that was fun) and had to have a man from the ward come over..yea we are those kind of sisters always asking for help...okay not always but you get the point. 

So like I said I had a rough weekend and tried to stay strong because I knew both me and Hermana Tovar were suffering because she was in her area for 4 months (her whole mission) this is both our second area. But she is a great work and a great missionary and is teaching me a lot about contacts and how to get other lessons during the day. Our area has lots of hills which is great and very beautiful..I love it.  We are in the northern part of Chile so yes we had to take a 6 hour bus ride here Wednesday night...and needless to say I threw up...but only once...don´t worry! and got a good rest on the bus...we all know it wouldn´t be a trip without me getting sick..I think it was a mixture of the new area with a companion that doesn´t speak English and the motion sickness. Okay so I had been praying to Heavenly Father to help me know what to do and adjust to a whole new companion and way of teaching and getting along and yesterday in church I felt the spirit so strongly and Relief Society was about what to do in times of struggles ..this week has been really great. Of course I am still getting used to things..we ride taxis more in this area than last...so that´s fun. Í have started talking with more contacts and with the members. Hahah this girl in the  ward who seems to like me mostly just because I am North American and she asks me all these things...but she learning English and she showed me her note book and she is so good at English..she should show me how to do what she does only with Spanish ..but I am trying to talk more with Hermana Tovar as much as possible and she really pushes me to talk more..everything truly is a blessing form the Lord and I know with all my heart in times of trouble or fear all we need to do is put our trust in the Lord..follow the commandments and we will be able to overcome the difficulties..even though they may not go away we will know how to over come them. 

Oh did I mention Jean from my last area passed his baptismal interview Tuesday night...so he was going to be baptized yesterday. I don´t know how it went because I wasn´t there..but he seemed super ready and understood that this was a leap of faith for him..I am so happy I got to be part of his conversion..he will be a great member...also  last week before I was transferred me and Hermana Hermansen shared the importance of the LDM with a family and I felt their spirit and the importance for me to always live worthy of their trust and stay true to the gospel..I felt true love for them and hope they stay on the straight and narrow path throughout their lives... their boy reminded me of the Justin Bieber of Chile..so that was fun :) Oh also the lady that washed my clothes in my last area had my Taylor Swift shirt but Hermana Hermansen promised she would get it back for me...so yea there is my materiel worry for the week..but thankfully as a missionary you really don't have much time to think about such things. OH but we did have a conversation in our new rama yesterday of a young man named Francisco ..but sadly he is not in our boundaries .but we did find a a great family this weekend and hopefully they progress. It is hard opening a new area and remembering streets and such..in this area we have a small park that me and Hermana go to and I run around and she does other stuff in the field part because she doesn´t love running..but she is great and loving and does it because she knows I want to do that..I am thankful for her..new companions are just hard and when I left Hermana Hermansen I felt like I was losing my best friend...but I know I  will see her again..thankfully she is from Utah...she better not be married when I get home hah I have told her that like a million times. 

AH I can´t believe that about Jacqueline...that is so sad for both of them! and Mom, horse is good...when it has the right spices :). Congrats to Corinne for her YW award! Hope the family is doing great! and continues to have a great week. I am glad the Braves are doing well. 

I think that's about it for now.Hope Margaret and Derek the best with moving ..I hated moving just an apartment..I can´t imagine a house..but it´s exciting at the same time...use patience and look forward to the fruit that is what I am doing right now. Alma 32:41 has really become my theme scripture for the time being and it is great to use with members. Well I love you all. continue to stay strong  thanks for all the prayers and support and I am so grateful for you all..also Jason thanks for your advice to pick and choose battles with companions, I am definitely needing to remember that with my new companion now...she just does things different, which aren´t bad just different...so it´s good to remember that. Keep reading your scriptures and pray to our Heavenly Father....ah prayer is my favorite thing oh and studying :)..i know el libro de mormon can change lives. love you all

con mucho amor

Hermana Anderson