November 28, 2011

So as you know I’m still here in Renaico and I’m with Elder Castillo from Peru.
Just to start off I uploaded the pictures I was able to recover to the photo bucket, under the folder week 2 of photo bucket use pictures, I’m pretty sure. You can download, I think you know that by now so yah that’s all for you. Hopefully the video uploads as well because it’s really funny.

So yah, happy thanksgiving and all. We didn’t do anything special, we did make homemade popcorn at night but that was it, I heard you all had a fun and eventful day, that’s always great to hear. The assistants and the Elders in the office had a "chileano thanksgiving" they had 3 rotisserie chickens, jello, and salad WITH ACTUAL SALAD DRESSING not just oil and lemon juice. And a Dr. Pepper, lucky butts.

So yah, I was writing in my new planner and realized all the events that will pass during this cambio:
Thanksgiving
Christmas
New Years
1year in Chile

That’s a big list for just one planner, look what happens within 6 weeks, wow I’m slightly shocked / blown away by all that, ha-ha.

So I was thinking about the Christmas call and wanted to know, Andrew, do you think that the new Google thing you talked about a while ago works well for 3 way calling? What do you think that I should do? Oh and will my new sister in-law be there? She better be if she wants to be related to me. But yah Andrew can you be the tech man on this one and tell me what I should do and all? Thanks.

We found a lot of new investigators this week because the ones we had were not progressing in the ways that we have hoped, we aren’t leaving them, but we just aren’t focusing as much on them, following the advice of our leaders, I hate it but it’s what I have to do huh?

Its getting crazy hot here, I know I keep saying that but man it’s getting hot. The worst part, Lebu is the "windy city" and I’m no longer there, I’m in Renaico, Angol area where there is no wind and it’s an awful humid heat. No beach and I have to wear a tie. We have had to come home and shower after lunch because it gets so gross. Man I can only imagine the other Elders out there in the world that have this all the time, man that stinks!

I just realized that Elder Myer comes home in 5 weeks, that means there goes my Oregonian, that will be so very sad, but he promised he would come visit you all because I made him promise, maybe for my birthday! ha-ha I have no idea but yah, I will miss him so much

So I don’t think there is anything else new here, I still not have received any packages, so I’m planning on getting a few when we have another conference or something, know I love you all so so much, miss you so much, and I can’t wait for Christmas to call you all!

Elder Kyle Allen

November 21, 2011

Whelp, I have a new companion. Elder Montalban-Cares (my companion right now that is the chileano) is going to be a zone leader in Temuco so I get a new companion. I am getting someone from Peru named Elder Castillo. I actually know him and I lived with him in Lebu for one cambio. So we are both excited and all because we know each other and we fall well with each other. He is senior companion and district leader. I am also getting Elder Palmer from my MTC district in my zone, which is pretty cool. So it’s me Elder Lundgren and Elder Palmer in Angol, fun group. Oh and Elder Owens from my MTC district is training, that’s so awesome for him.

Today Elder Gibbs and Elder Elder go home, that’s so crazy, I already miss them.

This week we stressed about cambios all week. Seriously, because Elder Myer and President said to both of us that we were not going to stay together so we had no idea what would happen with us at all. he also said to me that there are special cambios in 3 weeks (I might leave the sector in 3 weeks, I have no idea!) and that he would be calling Elder Montalban in the week, which means he is either going up to zone leader or training, and he got ZL. So we were both saying goodbye because neither of us were sure what was happening. So I’m not sure if I will be making my Christmas call from Renaico or from a new place. All I am sure is I have 3 more weeks here and we will find out after that.

We found a new family because one of the daughters thought I was Justin Beiber and the dad invited us in. Elder Montalban can’t stop laughing about that, because it’s the same 2 jokes whenever I meet someone new, and as you know, that’s all we do is meet new people. but the two jokes are:
1) I look like Justin Beiber, which I obviously don’t I’m just a gringo
2) I’m "elder alien" because they don’t read the 2nd L or in Spanish the LL makes a Y sound and alien in Spanish is pronounced very close a-yen (at least for Chileans)

So yah that’s the jokes I hear every day, many times each day.

Oh but this week we had conference of zones, the north zones all met at one, the middle as one and the south as one. I obviously was in the middle and we met on Wednesday. That’s when we talked with President and Elder Myer about what was going on so we were stressed after that point. The conference was good, and they forgot the mail so I don’t know if there was anything waiting for me or not but yah didn’t get anything. I might be able to have someone from the office bring anything that I have tomorrow but I doubt it because everyone has a lot to bring and do and move, all that stuff

Front of Bible



Back of Bible



Front of Book of Mormon

Back of Book of Mormon

Spine of both Book of Mormon and Bible

I got my leather cases and they are great! Joseph Smith looks a little like Jay Leno on my Book of Mormon but oh well, that’s what happens, ha-ha. I tried to upload the pictures but that stinking beetle is back again, it might just be the computers here but yah, I’ll try one more time, but no promises.

Well I love you all, I’ll write you next week and tell you all how it’s been, I miss you all so much, especially this time of the year, can’t wait to call home!

Elder Kyle Allen

November 14, 2011

So to start off, 2 volcanoes erupted near us and the ash is sooo thick! It’s crazy, but it’s still crazy hot which I don’t get but whatever, because we can’t see the sun and all.

So Saturday we find out about cambios. We have no idea what will happen. I could train, because I have the time to train and all, my companion could, we could stay together, or I could just normally leave. We are very scared and confused what could happen.

So we have an Elder from Mexico here and he made some tacos for us and they were great, it was great. So yah that’s what we did today

About the conference, we were supposed to listen to Elder Cook but he switched last minute to the Concepcion mission, so we heard from the 2nd councilor to the presiding bishopric McMullin. He was very good, and it was really cool because they had a translator for the Latinos and we didn’t need it. I felt special.

Sunday we had stake conference in Angol and we had to leave at 9am for the branch bus so none of our investigators went because that is way too early for anyone in Chile. It was funny because only 2 families from the branch went. The bus was empty and so was the stake conference. But we were still bummed because we had to report 0 for the week.

So that was our week, sorry there isn’t more but it was a slow week, we have capacitations on Wednesday and I think that will be fun, and cambios next Tuesday so stay in tune!

Love you all

Elder Kyle Allen

November 7, 2011

So I’m still having problems with the whole photo situation, my memory card got a virus from the awful computers here and I lost all the data, I’m currently in the process of recovering the data but it’s not promising.

So this week our zone put a goal of 20 baptisms this month, that’s very very high considering we have 9 fechas for this month but we are trying. Our sector has been pulling its weight, 3 baptisms last month, 3 for this month, that’s more than the norm so we are good but the ZLs are pushing us to make up the difference because others arn’t doing so hot and that’s just hard and stressful. Whatever, I don’t feel bad at all for the work we have done.

So this week we are hearing an apostle this week, I'll obviously be more specific later (after we hear from him) I just don’t want to be too specific in the case that we don’t hear from him or just for plain old security reasons, but I’m excited!

We may be moving a fecha back a week from the 19th because we are having some permission problems.

Oh we received a call from Elders in Los Angeles and they gave us a reference of a girl named Evelyn and so we called her and she went to church without us even meeting her. Just goes to show you, references from members are a million times better then the contacting we do every day, so give a reference if you can, because at least it’s a place for the elders to attempt.

So I have a friend here in my sector that loves Paramore and he says they have 3 news songs?!? Please tell me if they are good. And I told him to look up Cartel and tell me what he thinks and he said they have a new EP. Andrew please please please tell me how they are. Another Elder from Mexico got an email from his dad saying the Cardinals won the World Series against the Rangers. Dad, what happened with that information? Ha-ha How did the Braves do?

So yes that font mishap became very funny for me and the branch president to talk about but then it turned bad because someone forgot to drain the font after the baptism and it instantly became my fault so that wasn’t very good. But still, I baptized a whole church! Andrew did you ever do that, nope didn’t think so! Ha-ha Yah that is one of those stories I’m going to love when I come home.

So Elder Gibbs (my 2nd companion) goes home on the 22nd, it’s crazy, all the people that have Miles´ Monson’s time are my best friends, man that’s weird how that worked out. I don’t want them to leave; they seem so much older than me. Man he must be excited, oh and Cory!!! When does he come home??? I miss him

So my companion gets huge packages from his mom in Santiago and they are just candy. We have been eating so much its ridiculous! And it’s like the box is never ending! He keeps saying in his old house (4 missionaries) it would be gone in like 5 days. ha-ha oh well guess I’m more polite, ha-ha

but yah that’s that, Mom I did that photo bucket so you can download the pics, Trevor can show you how, I love you all so so so much

Elder Kyle Allen

November 1, 2011

Hey before I forget, I got both packages, thank you very much, there is much envy on the nice sweater from the states. And the candy box was perfect to get on Halloween so I loved that, thank you so so so much

OK so about the activity, it was great, I did a lot of running, and that acted up my ankle so it hurts a lot now again. But it was great seeing everyone again as you know, and we all have a year now so that is just crazy to think about. but I only saw half the activity because we had a miracle last minute baptism here and I went to fill the font (that last baptism took 5 hours to fill) and after an hour and a half I went back to check on it and I flooded the church, pretty bad... ha-ha.  I started the font at 12, checked at 130 and I flooded the church. Got to slip and slide down the halls though...

So from what I saw of the activity it started with a devotional from president, then we played sharks and minnows and that was crazy! Then we played a game with the zones where we had to make a human tunnel each person and the zone would run under us, then us under the zone, it’s hard to explain but easy to show. Then we played soccer, football, ultimate Frisbee, or volleyball until 1 when lunch was.

I missed the rest because of the flooded church but that’s what I have about the activity, it was really great from what I saw.

So, Saturday we baptized Mauricio and Victoria in Tijeras (the other really small town we work in) and that was amazing! Elder Pliler came down and baptized Mauricio and I baptized Victoria, it was such an awesome baptism and the branch was all there, all 27 members, and we had a huge party afterwards.

We also had a surprise baptism yesterday that was never in a million years going to happen but we had miracle after miracle happen and we moved his fecha from the 19th or November to the 31st of October. So many miracles this week, it was ridiculous.

It’s so weird, Elder Gibbs and Elder Elder go home in 3 weeks... that is so crazy.  I’m not going to have anyone after Elder Jackson goes home. And Elder Gibbs is getting married in April, that’s so weird.

So we are going to have an Apostle come and visit our mission next week, I don’t know if I am allowed to say when for security reasons, but I do know which one is coming, should be really cool to talk to one face to face and all. We aren’t allowed to get autographs or photos I don’t think so I’ll just have to tell you about it afterwards.

So the heat is really getting bad, I have been getting pretty sick from all the direct sunlight and it’s kind of annoying because I have no energy and I am like not burned because I use sunscreen but it’s just taking everything out of me.

Well that’s what I have for this week sorry that I couldn’t send anything to you all yesterday we just had no time with the baptism and the activity and everything but yes that’s why I’m here now. Miss you all so so so much! But hey, less than a year!!!

Elder Kyle Allen

October 24, 2011

So Green Lantern was awesome.  Oh man I have missed those movies! But yah I just thought I would throw that out there for you all very first. We are planning more activities like that with the YM/YW because it was a huge success and so I might be watching other movies, I hope, ha-ha but yah it was great, we had all of them together for once! We have a lot of confidence with them.

So next Monday is Halloween and the huge mission conference so I’m excited for that! We might not be doing internet Monday but we will see because I have a lot to clean up and set up for the activity. So yah, you will just have to wait and see next week. I have been in charge of getting permits and other stuff for this activity. There is a council building we have to get permits to and from but it’s hard because it’s a religious group and it’s not like everyone loves Mormons and wants about 200 missionaries in this small town.

So we are having fun here in Renaico, we have 2 baptisms on the 29th so that is awesome, and they are from Tijeral the other town we work in. The branch said it is impossible to baptize there and we are showing them! So yah that’s pretty exciting. We are getting a cake to celebrate because they are awesome people and we are so excited that they are getting baptized. They are a young couple that’s actually married.

Oh and I am like out of money for the month so I will be taking money out tomorrow just so you know because I have none and I need to buy gas for the shower because I hate taking cold showers and they are very very cold.

So it is warming up here, the sun is strong and the sun screen is being applied. Man it stinks because everyone knows you are not from here when it hurts to walk outside because it is so bright and you are the only one in the town looking for a place to buy sunscreen because no one uses it here.

This week me and my companion tried resting and recovering because we are both sick, I have an awful cough and my whole body aches, he has an awful runny nose and his body aches too. We aren’t sure if we have the same thing but we are both very annoyed. So yah that’s been the awesome news from us.

I do like the idea of "the last" now, and no longer "the first". my first Christmas was so sad, and my first birthday and all that, but I’m so excited for my last Christmas and last birthday and last everything because I appreciate it so much more now that I’m no longer in the states.

So a few questions for Andrew, what are the wedding colors and how are you doing the wedding invitations, because as you know those are my favorite things, colors are amazing and I love designing so yes that’s my question for you. I have a feeling the bride will be taking more work on that side but I’m still curious because I love designing and colors. And is grandpa doing the sealing?

What did you all think of the shirt stuff I sent last week? I missed designing so much; I lost my abilities for sure... I don’t know if I’m good enough to do that professionally, but I want to, I don’t know maybe I’m just questioning what I’m good at because to be honest I have no idea what I am good at.

I made some really really good rice last night, I never realized how easy it was without a rice maker, and I’m totally making rice more often because it’s so simple. You know what’s really good? rice, eggs and ají! oh my gosh I love it, ha-ha.

Trevor what have you been up to, minus the business strategy that you have now with Hayden. But yah that’s awesome that you are doing good with that, but what else are you up to, big senior year bro!!!

How has Tillie been doing without me? I became really close with this dog of one of my converts and she died so I was very sad this week because of that and I kept thinking of my Tillie, how is the eye and all?

Well that’s all I have for now, I love you all and hope you are all doing ok, thanks for everything!!!

Love Elder Kyle Allen

October 19, 2011

I am writing to you on Wednesday because I went to Lebu with Elder Elder on Monday.  He leaves next month.   It was a good trip but we slept on the floor in Lebu and that was the worst night in the world! I visited the one family that I really loved from Lebu and showed them that I could finally talk, so that was nice and they loved it. But the bus rides were awful! Just awful and sooooo long, not fun.

 My new comps name is Elder Montalbán-cares. He is from Santiago Chile, is 23 years old and worked for apple. He has the new iPod shuffle that you can wear as a watch and it is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen! I’m in awe seriously, it’s amazing. This is his second sector so I am teaching how to move into a new sector.

What have I been doing you ask?  Ok so we have an activity in our sector (Renaico) for the entire mission on the 31st of October. I am in charge of all the things we need for this activity, aka the stadium, the grills, the permits, everything in Renaico I need to get before they come. So it’s a nightmare because it’s not like in the states where you can call the parks and rec and just ask for a day, it’s hard because we are a religious group and blah blah blah. We are told that no one should be staying the night, but I doubt that very many people will follow that rule because Renaico is the favorite sector of many missionaries.

I will attach a picture of the T-shirt that I have been designing for our sector.

I am not feeling any better.  I’m about the same, honestly it’s that time of the year, everyone is sick, we gave 3 blessings yesterday so yah everyone is sick. I don’t have green snot just so you know, ha-ha

Ok so Elder Pliler is a zone leader now, and so is Elder Jackson, which is really exciting for them. We are focusing this cambio on helping the branch, so what we are doing is lots of activities with the young men and young women, we are doing lots of branch family home evenings and lots of visits to less active members. It’s actually really fun because we had an idea for a movie night for the YMYW and we didn’t want to do a Disney movie like Shrek or Rio because no YMYW would come, just you know their little siblings. So what we are doing is showing Green Lantern. We heard its good with a really good message for the YMYW. We asked our mission president if we could watch it with them and he said yes, and that we should watch it first so that we know it’s ok to show them. I’m going to watch it in English tomorrow because, I COMPLETE A YEAR TOMORROW!!!

Yep that’s right I’m in the dead middle of my mission, that’s crazy and I’m so happy. I’m half way done and still half a half. I don’t know it just feels better and I like the focus we have on the branch this cambio because I am not thinking about numbers just the people and only the people. We don’t have the best numbers but I don’t care, the leaders don’t like that but I love the work we are doing and the branch does too so I’m just plain happy with that, minus when the leaders get mad, but my comp is district leader so he says, whatever. President has lots of faith and confidence in us and that’s why he said we can watch that movie and that’s why we are in Renaico while the activity goes down so I feel a little better. Still am sick but overall, it’s ok, because I made it a year. I made it a year. Know that I love you all so much and I’m sorry I was rushed this week but that’s just what this time is, crazy, next week I'll do better, fyi I just printed all your letters and will read them tonight, next week I’ll do my normal responding.

love you, Elder Kyle Allen

October 10, 2011

So I did not get transferred this time.  I got a new companion.  He is from Chile, Santiago I think, so that will be fun. He has been out 6months and is my senior companion and a district leader.

So the huge mission conference is on the 31st of October, so that is this cambio and we will be having a lot of fun because it is in my sector and the whole mission is coming to my sector for the activity. My house will be so so so full so I’m not excited for that but I am excited to gather everyone together. Elder Gibbs, my second companion only has this cambio left then he goes home!

So we had a baptism this weekend! We baptized Nicole who has been investigating for like a year and we finally got her to get baptized, so that was an amazing experience that we shared, I got some pictures from Elder Pliler on his camera I will try to send next week because we don’t have much time, there are a lot of people that Elder Pliler wants to say goodbye to today so I don’t have a huge amount of time of anything to do that.

We have another baptism planned for the 29th of this month and it’s a couple, just married and they are awesome, we have an FHE with them this Tuesday and we always stay and visit with them and sometimes eat (like a small small dinner that is just a cup of echo (Mormon coffee) and lots of handmade bread)

So yah that’s what I got to say this week, we are just stressed on time because there are like 7 families we have to visit tonight and its already like 530pm so we have very little time. I’ll try to put those pictures up next week I got from Elder Pliler this week.

So yah I’m glad that all is well and that you all loved conference so much! I am hoping to get the videos of the sessions we missed very soon so yah, stay safe.

Oh heard some news, Steve jobs died? Huh, how is apple doing now? Just curious how the company took that one

Stay safe; know I love you all so much!!!

Elder Kyle Allen

October 3, 2011

So just so you all know, we didn’t get to watch any of general conference on  Saturday because the internet here in the city was completely out, so yah we are trying to download now the sessions but it’s not looking amazing, so yah we will see what we can do with what we have.

As far as transfers anything could happen this Saturday because Elder Pliler could be training and I could be kicked out of the sector again like I was last cambio or he could go up and I could go up too, not sure at all! So we will see Saturday.

I’m still working on the camera problem because I think it might be some weird sensor reading problem but I’m not sure. I’m still working as I said which is sad cause we have had lots of funny moments.

So yes we are working on watching general conference and all that, because we heard we really missed out on some great sessions and Elder Holland only talked during priesthood session so we need to watch that.

We have a baptism planned for this Friday so I’m hoping that is still going down, she is a very odd person, ha-ha so we need to check with her every day this week, I think we are going by tonight to see her. But yah that’s really exciting for us, but sad because I have never worked so hard as this cambio and we only have her progressing and we didn’t even find her, she has been investigating the church for like a year. I don’t know, at least we have a baptism.

Few things from dads email about the priesthood talk I didn’t see:

For Trevor--

Those three things are soooo important but I would say the 3 most important things to do to prepare for a mission are these

1) Like he said, have YOUR OWN testimony of the BOM. Don’t have any crutching on others for that, know 100% for yourself its true. Try as hard as you can to get that.

2) Like he said, have the desire to work. Don’t go in thinking you will get better, things will come, because if you don’t come in 100% its soooo hard to get that, I am still learning that every day

3) Most important I think, don’t think that because you will be a missionary that things will change. Don’t think that with the mantel that it will be easier, that you will have a stronger line in prayer with God. Nothing just comes...

But yah that’s all I really got for now

So yah how are you all doing? I hope you are having fun!

Congrats to Ty Davis, that’s crazy!!! Africa, man you are going to come back with a whole new world’s perspective! Props man

Love you all

Elder Kyle Allen

September 26, 2011

Yes we are all crazy excited for general conference here!!! We get to go to Angol and watch in the biggest Church I’ve ever seen, it’s like a boarding school I’m not even joking! And we get to listen in English which I’m really excited about, our numbers won’t be the best for this week but that’s ok because we get to listen to the most amazing weekend ever.

Sorry my camera has not been working the past 2 weeks and I have been trying to fix it to take pictures for you all but I can’t seem to get it yet, still working though, I don’t get it but it just takes all black pictures, not sure why but they just show up as black.

So this week we put a fecha with a girl that missionaries have been working with for a long long time. She will be baptized on the 8th and we are pumped! She is nice but crazy lazy, turns out she just needs chocolate to go to church, ha-ha.

We are also having success in Tijeral (the small city that we work in Tuesday and Friday) and are going to baptize a guy and his wife, people in the branch of Tijeral say all the time that it’s impossible to baptize there but we are going to show them! Ha-ha.

One quick interjection here:

CONGRATS ANDREW, IM CRAZY EXCITED FOR YOU!!!

Dang Andrew, this is so weird you have no idea! I don’t even know what to think man, it’s just crazy, obviously good thoughts but you know what I mean? It’s ridiculously mind blowing my bro is engaged...

And happy B-day grandma, early I know but at least I got it in right?

So yah we are excited here for this weekend, and on October 31st, it’s a Monday so it’s a pday and we are having a mission conference, the whole mission is coming to Renaico, so we don’t have to go anywhere, its awesome, the whole mission will be in my sector, I’m really really excited for that. It is next cambio and it is the first of my lasts, if that makes sense.  And hey when does Cory get back? Really really soon right?

So I’m pretty sure that everything is live here for GC because priesthood session is like 9-11pm, ha-ha. So we won’t be home until like midnight, 1230 ish. Because we have to go to Angol for it, there aren’t any busses that late so I’m hoping a member will be able to take us home, and I don’t want to take busses all this weekend because we have to come back after each session I’m pretty sure, not 100% we will find out next letter, ha-ha.

You  should be getting a Skype from Andrew, so that’s my little check for him to do it right (I’m talking about the package I sent him). And just a general FYI, the relief society president from the Renaico branch is in the US for 2-3weeks and I gave her a package with a few notes for you all, and she is willing to bring me a package back (free shipping, man I’m sorry she did tell us until this week because it was a quick planned thing on her part or she just didn’t tell us until now) and so if you want anything to get sent back with her, tell Andrew and he should have a way to keep in contact with her, and to Andrews joy, she only speaks Spanish, well Chilean (Chile Spanish) so he gets to experience what I get every day, hope she uses all the words that only Chile uses.

Well know I love you all, hope you are ok

Always thinking of you all

Elder Kyle Allen

September 19, 2011

Well it’s been a long 2 weeks

This month is the month of sanctification, as you may have found out, we are doing a butt load of thinks to "sanctify the mission" one was the week without internet and we took the entire p-day to do nothing but super cleaning in our house. Wow that was pretty awful I’m not going to lie, ha-ha. We are also changing the norms for the mission for the month, 12 lessons with members, 12 news (a new is you need to enter the house and place a return visit, entering the house is the key) and 300 contacts each week. It’s ridiculous, seriously. The contacts are numbers to me now, and I don’t feel it’s at all what the contacts are supposed to be, but it’s the norm for the month. And entering 12 houses a week, that’s seriously almost impossible, its ridiculously hard cause no one seems to want to listen to us.

But yah that’s what is up with the month and its ridiculously hard and stressful, and really trying us physically and emotionally, it’s all about numbers to me now and I hate that. I don’t feel like it’s the people anymore it’s just a goal that we need to make. And my comp is the district leader with the zone leaders in our district so we are much pressured to do it every week.

Well September 11 here in Chile is the day of the youth revolting or something and they destroy things in the street and fight the cops and everything, it’s awful that such a sad day in the United States is celebrated with all that destruction here.

Sept18 here is the biggest day of the year, it’s their July 4th, it’s insane! But it’s more of a culture thing then a pride day, if you get what I mean. we eat a butt load of empinadas dink moté con wasía which is like a whole dried apricot in water with weird grains and stuff, I can’t describe it very well but at first its soooo gross but after a while you get used to it.

I almost have a year, that’s ridiculous... I’m on the last of my first´s and beginning my lasts sort of speak, I know it will go faster so I will be home in no time and talking to everyone face to face which is awesome!

I still don’t have the scripture cases but I know they will take a long time so I’m not exactly worried, no one in the mission gets them fast the guy takes forever, ha-ha but hey they look cool when they are done so that’s all I care about. And I got the package, thanks soooo much that was amazing and I loved all the candy, it was gone day one and the other elders were very very jealous! It made it totally fine, unopened and all. But I did get return to sender all the letters that I sent home/to friends, so sorry Martha, Hilary, and Denise...

Trevor, I hear that you are taking a lot of IB classes, good luck with that, I couldn’t do that but hey if you can, way to go man!!! Those sound crazy hard and as you know the IB math that I took I dropped it at the semester so that was my experience with the IB program, ha-ha.

Well know that I love you all so very much, that week without the family and friends emails was very hard on me, which just shows how much I love you all.

Love you so much

Elder Kyle Allen

September 5, 2011

Well, I am in the sector called Renaico but we work in 2 cities, well, cities is a big word, more town ish areas? I don’t know, it’s weird but yah. We work in Tijeral Tuesdays and Fridays and Renaico the rest of the week. Every Sunday we do splits because we have 2 branches to watch over, one in Tijeral and one in Renaico. Tijeral is more like Yumbel, 15 people went Sunday including me, and Renaico is more like Lebu, 43 people went. So, yah, that’s the interesting thing here, oh and we have bikes, that’s awesome, so awesome but I haven’t ridden a bike in years so I had to re learn because the bikes we have stink and don’t have a back brake and the tires are beyond worn down but it’s a bike none the less.

Questions from mom:

1. What is your home like?  Bedrooms, bathroom. Kitchen?  

The home is really nice; we have a small small small living with 2 personal arm chairs, sooooo nice. A fair kitchen, a small bathroom, a huge bed room with a wood stove and each person gets a dresser (that’s a first), then a room for the bikes, a room for the luggage, and a room with another full sized couch (it's my relax room)

2.  What are the sleeping arrangements?  Bunk beds, futons? 

 We both have personal beds and they are comfortable (for once) and in a big room, so that is amazing

3. Branch or ward?

It's 2 branches so I still have not been in a ward, I’m waiting for that privileged day

4.  Tell us about your companion?  Any other missionaries serving in your area?  

His name is Elder Pliler from Utah, and it is just us in the house. He is awesome and so funny, we make those dumb awkward jokes all the time together, like that breakfast was eggs-alent! Ha-ha and dumb jokes like that, we quote a lot of movies and he is the district leader. We also bought a sack of potatoes and carried it 3-4 miles home, sooooo heavy.

5.  What is the town like?  Stores?  Banks?  Traffic lights?  Restaurants?  

Very small and spread out, there are no supermarkets just little candy type stores with the basics that you need. No banks and 2 traffic lights. We go into Angol for food on Tuesdays when we have zone meeting

6.  Are you walking everywhere?  How are the shoes holding up?  

We walk about half the week, a lot less than other sectors. The shoes are doing fine because I still use the Nikes the most except when it rains, but yah I think they will last, I hope.

7.  What is the weather like there?  Warmer or colder than Yumbel?

Its colder then Yumbel but not at night, it’s a little warmer, it has been sunny some days and rainy the others. Its bi-polar weather here

8.  I think that I read that you are close to a river, is that true?  

There is one close but I’m not sure I have not seen it; it’s not like Yumbel where you have to cross like all the time

9.  When is the next conference?  Have you gotten a second package from me recently?  Is there a faster way to get things to you? 

It’s this Wednesday I think, I’m not sure, but I have not gotten anything yet because I have not had a conference until the next one, so yah. I don’t think there is any faster way, to be totally honest, I’ll ask around. 

10.  Scripture covers yet?

Nope, we will see on Wednesday but I highly doubt it. He sends them into the mission office for the missionaries. I'll email him to ask when I should get them but it normally takes a long time

11.  Where do you go to email us?  

There is a cyber in the middle of the town where an inactive member works, we go there, not sure how else to describe.

12.  Anyone helping you -- cooking for you?  Doing laundry?  

Yes we have lunches here, but we do still cook because me and Elder Pliler like to make food and its fun because we talk like French chefs to each other, and we try to make fun healthy things. And yes someone does laundry, so I’m more happy about how it runs here.

So yah that’s how it all works here, I have some funny pictures that I will send the next time that I can get on, and we might start taking funny videos together, we will see.

The 18th of September is Chile’s July 4th so we will have a huge party on that day here in Chile, lots of traditional foots and dances ill try to capture that, and mom I loved that photo idea, I will try it for sure.

I really hope that this isn’t the last time I’ll be writing for 2 weeks, because that sounds really hard, like really really hard. It’s hard enough being on the other side of the world, but not being able to talk to you all will kill me. But the mission president has told us that we may not be able to email next week because some Elders were not being obedient with their internet privileges.  So the whole mission will go without email for one week. 

Everyone says the sector I am in I will see lots of success, so I’ll fill you in on that one if it’s true, ha-ha. Elder Escobillana was really excited for me to come here because it was his favorite sector, so I am glad that it’s thought so highly of, but of course, Yumbel was so highly though of and that was tough.

Well I have to go, know I love you all!

OOOHH—most importantly about the letters, the ones I mail out I keep getting returned to sender (the letters to Hilary, Meagan, Denise and Martha) so I’m really sorry, mail from Chile is not reliable but to Chile is, so keep that in mind!  Hilary, Martha, Denise and Megan – sorry I did try to write.  Thank you for your letters, they keep me going.

Love you all, Elder Kyle Allen

August 29, 2011

I will join the very very few number of people to only have spent 1 cambio in a sector. That’s right; I’m leaving Yumbel and going to Renaico. My companion that I’m still with for today was in Renaico and loved it; it was his favorite sector so he is very excited for me. I am leaving Yumbel because he is training so that’s why I’m leaving. My new companion is Elder Pliler (don’t know if I spelled that right) but he is an American so I will get some English as well, which is awesome. I hear that he is a really happy fun guy, so we will see how this all goes down, but Elder Myer (I lived with him in Lota for the 2 cambio was there)he is an assistant and he knows all, so I’m sure he put me with someone that I can deal with, you get what I’m saying.

So yes I am off to the zone of Angol, its south so it will be a lot colder and more rain I hear because September doesn’t get warmer it just rains more, so I’m not terribly excited for that but that’s just the season. I’m not going to lie, I will miss wearing a jacket in the summer though, and I have grown very fond of this black jacket.

Thank you for the long emails, they were great and my fun imaginative brain was able to picture it all, especially mom busting a cap on a blue jay, totally doable by the way because the nationals stink! (Please dad and Trevor get my baseball joke...) speaking of baseball, how are my Braves doing, its winding down and getting close to the post season right? And did BYU play or is that in September?

So this week was the same as normal, I did have an empanada with chicken today and that was good, it was not the traditional empanada so I liked that. September. 18th is like Chile’s July 4th and there will be a butt load of tradition that day so I will spend my first 18th in Renaico, I wanted to spend it in a place where I knew the people well and could have a fun day celebrating but looks like I’ll have to find an awesome family for that in Renaico. Jackson, my old companion that I loved being with is in angol as well so I get to see him once a week and hang out with him on pdays as well so I’m excited for that, for sure.

I hear that Renaico is really campo (ask Andrew for the translation because there really is no good word in English for it) but yah, and I hear rumors that it’s the only sector that has bikes, or that some elders there had bikes at one point, that is exciting.... ha-ha.

So yes, I’m going south for the winter/spring (spring doesn’t exist in Chile just summer and winter) so this is interesting. And I was thinking:

3 in Lebu

2 in Lota

1 in Yumbel

That’s weird and curious; maybe I will get an emergency transfer tonight and actually have 0 in Renaico, ha-ha

Mom, Dad -- that day at the beach sounds really cool, I actually miss the beach, even though I have only gone 6weeks without it, because Lebu and Lota were on the beach and I saw it every day, but its different being in the middle of Chile. Although I totally am in the Oregon part of Chile, grey clouds, cold, rainy, and lots of trees.

Hope you all have a good week, love you all and will write about a new place next week, so look forward to that.

Love you, Elder Kyle Allen

August 22, 2011

Well it’s the last week of the cambio this week and so Saturday I will find out if I stay, my comp stays, we both stay or we both go, so this is pretty big Saturday for me.

Nothing else is new, but here are some of the answers to your questions

Tell us about the open house. 

We have not had it yet so that is in a few weeks I think. I don’t know the branch is excited about it because it is going to be a community thing that the missionaries are doing for them so they just have to show up and be normal, ha-ha.

Is your comp well? 

Yah he is better but you know it’s bad weather here. It’s warming up so summer is beginning but yah; we are just waiting for the weather to get better. I bought a hot water holder for my bed because at night my feet are freezing.

Good spiritual experiences.

Well he had a new family and the dad wants us to go with him to teach his brothers and his mom, so he is driving us every week to that house. And that huge because no one has a car and if they do, gas here is crazy expensive. So he is awesome and testified to his family it was true after only one lesson with him, it’s crazy, and amazing, he really is great. So we have a fecha next month.

Letters and packages?  

Still none, I’m guessing the end of the month or next, I’ve gotten past the no I can’t wait thing because it takes forever to get anything here, and it’s annoying but that is life.

oh and I have 10months in the mission, that means 14 more, crazy I’m almost a year in this thing, I’m almost half way through. 

y también puedo entender todo, bueno casi todo. no puedo hablar perfectamente y tengo problemas con vocabulario y cosas como eso, pero estoy mejorando y mi compañero dice el mismo. es tan difícil escribir en español pero necesito ¿verdad? Andrew, voy a tratar a escribir a tu mas en español porque te gusta,  pero por favor trate escribir en ingles también porque solamente lunes puedo leer ingles.

Ok there is some Spanish for you, it’s weird, that the first time spell checker hasn’t said every word is wrong because I write in English and it checks for Spanish words, ha-ha.

So I made some brownies today for the birthday of a member’s mom, the ovens here are so weird and they like work for a little then stop, then go crazy, and she owns a restaurant so it’s a "good oven" man it’s insane, I do miss the good old American kitchens.

So I won’t have conference or any big mission thing until next cambio, I’m hoping that the package will come then and possibly some letters? No idea and do you know if any of my letters are getting there to anyone? Like Denise, Hilary, Martha, Kevin? I sent some of them a while ago and am waiting for a reply; I’m hoping that mail from Chile is reliable because so far mail to Chile is.

Well know I love you all, and I’m sorry if my letter is lacking there just really is not much different here when we do the same thing every day, ha-ha keep safe and stay classy

Love Elder Kyle Allen

August 15, 2011

So this week was really really rainy and my comp is sick, as of today so it looks like we are going to have a very very long week this week.

so yes the branch president is out of town but the 1st councilor is still in town so I’m not the "branch president" but if he gets sick or anything it’s all me. Very scary. And a lot of teaching on my end, with my horrible Spanish... not so fun. And blessing the sacrament in Spanish is tough, for sure.

So Wednesday I saw Elder Jackson and that was awesome, I miss him so much and we are totally hanging out when I get home. Because he lives in Provo so simple.

Nothing really happened this week much, today we had an activity for the branch so I’m on latter on the computer than normal but that’s about it. Sunday we had 18 people in church, including us, and the babies.

We are planning an open house type of thing for the church and are trying to announce it on the radio. Hope it works because we want to get the community to get to know the church because there is a lot of bad talking about us after what happened.

So if you wanted to understand how religious crazy Chile is, listen to this. so it’s just like we teach the first lessons, one person can read a scripture and say that it means one thing and another person (or church) can read the same scripture and say it means something completely different. There are posters all over the plaza that says the godhead is not 1, or 3 people but 2. That the Holy Ghost is Jesus himself. And quotes verses from the bible. Man, I thought that all the churches that could be made already have been, but nope I was wrong.

So I don’t know what else to say, we don’t have much time before this place closes so it will be short this week but this is all for you all

Know I love you all and hope you are doing well

Love Elder Kyle Allen

August 8, 2011

Antuca LA North and LA South Zones

Family – Here are some answers to your many questions


How was your first interview with the new Mission President?
He is really relaxed and chill, he just joked around with me and it was great, took a lot of stress off me in that aspect.

Do you still walk everywhere? Bikes?
Yes, walk everywhere; there are no sectors in the mission that has bikes, its walking my whole mission unless I’m an assistant or an office elder

What are the dogs like in Yumbel?
They aren’t as bad to me; my comp was attacked last cambio when he was here so we will have to see.

Any good places to eat?
Well there is a member that owns a restaurant (trust me, they are WAY DIFFERENT then in the states) that’s pretty good, we eat there every Sunday, but other than that no
What do you do for groceries?
There is a store, we go to like 3 times a week, I buy a lot of bread and cereal and eggs and cheese. Dad there is a cereal here with little mini whoppers in it, soooo good, ha-ha
The weather look like it is raining for the rest of the week there. Do you feel like you are back in Oregon?
Kind of, it’s pretty but a different language and the houses are soooo different. Ha-ha

I read that there is a river that runs through Yumbel. What is that like?
It’s like really small and crazy dirty; it bends around our house so our house is crazy cold

Have you had to conduct Sacrament meeting yet?
Yes, next 3 weeks the branch president will be in Concepcion for work so it’s just the 1st councilor and me, even scarier.
How was your split with the other missionaries?
It was good; I went with Elder Palmer, who was with me in the MTC so I had a good time being co-comps for a night

Well today we had the chance to go to Antuco which is like Provo valley covered in snow with the zones LA north and LA south. There are Latinos in our zone that have never seen snow so we went for them, wasn’t anything new for me, but yah it was fun. We had a BBQ but it was over 5 hours of bus rides for me and my comp because it’s like an hour and a half from our sector to Los Angeles where we always meet.


So this week we had the mission goal of 490 contacts. we didn’t make it, but we did beat the norm number which is good, and we got 21 news, yep Andrew and dad that’s true, 21 news in a week (a new is someone that you enter their house and make a return visit appointment) they aren’t all good but yah it makes up for the shortage of contacts because I hate contacts soooo much. It’s just fighting with Catholics here.

So this week is pretty normal, but to answer dad’s question, my calling in the branch presidency is every day. We have to do a lot of visits to regain members and visit all week. We have branch council meetings and I have to plan branch activities meaning I have to be at all the activities.

On Sundays I bless the sacrament, then pass it, then conduct... its fun... ha-ha

So this upcoming week we have a zone conference for all the zones in the middle of the mission and I get to see Elder Jackson again, finally, I’m really excited for that for sure, other than that it’s a normal week, lots of working, lots of rain, fun fun fun.

Make sure to tell Kevin Perry Happy Birthday for me because I miss that guy.

I love you all, thanks for everything, know I’m thinking of you always

Elder Kyle Allen

August 1, 2011

Well this week was so not as eventful as all of yours, that’s for sure! You all had fun with your vacationing and Sunriver, and I’m glad you all had fun! I loved the pictures, I love pictures in general.  Anyone can send me pictures anytime. 

Let’s begin with today; well there are no ATM's in Yumbel. Yep, there are none, so we had to go to Los Angeles to take out our money today, no big deal just an hour and a half bus ride to there and another back, ha-ha. And it was raining and freezing cold today, so yah that’s been my day, not much but bus and rain.

I got the package, and it was amazing, all the candy is gone, in like 2 days, the fruit leather and my favorite candy gummy cokes, oh I mean Swedish fish (love you so much mom!) were a hit with me and my Chilean comp. Next to the fire that we have to create in our wood stove every night (with pine cones because wood is crazy expensive and pine cones are less expensive to buy). The videos you sent will help, thank you so much, and the pictures were great, I loved getting them because I was getting bored of my others as well.

So we have been working a lot with reactivating members because of the callings that we have and the fact that the attendance  at church is 25 people here in Yumbel, so we are trying to get more priesthood to church so we don’t always have to bless and pass the sacrament. I put a picture of one of the guys we have been working with, and he was baptized by my dad Elder Goddard so the circle goes around!

I put up pictures we took at his house, because he has some fun stuff to play with, for sure, ha-ha

So this week we have more of the same, but I am going on an intercambio with Elder Palmer (someone that was in my MTC group) so that will be really fun because he is awesome! Real men come from Blanding Utah, that is for sure.

I think we are going to the place where is the HUGE snow storm in out mission that’s putting Chile in a state of emergency for the people living up there next P-day, ha-ha so ill send pictures for sure

Mom can you send me a brownie (like really good brownie) recipe?

So I learned how to make some Chilean food, very excited to see if I can remember how to make them... ha-ha its pretty much like making your own bread but frying it because we are in Chile and everything is fried or just has oil in it for "taste"

Well I don’t have much more to say, I love you all so much, stay safe and know I love you!

Elder Kyle Allen

July 25

My first week in Yumbel

Well I am the 2nd counselor in the Branch Presidency and my companion is the Elder's quorum president. It’s tough to say the least. Sunday I blessed the sacrament and then gave a talk to an attendance of 25 people, 4 of which were investigators. I miss Lota for sure.

As 2nd counselor we went with the YM/YW to San Pedro Saturday to represent the branch. It was an YM/YW activity and we couldn’t do anything. During their dance we sat in the hall and heard the blaring music and kids screaming, how fun right?

So my companions name is Elder Escobillana and he is from the very very north part of Chile. He is about to complete 4 years as a member very soon and is 23 years old. He is really funny, well tries really really hard to be funny I should say, and loves being with the members, which is nice for me, because I love building a connection with people and then asking for their help and all. But yah we also need to because our callings are rather big ones if you know what I mean.

So we live alone in the house and it’s so cold, very very cold, even for my pjs which are still amazing.

We do our own laundry and cook for ourselves 3 days a week, so it’s a lot more work on us then Lota was but the people here are grateful for the help.

Yumbel is about an hour and a half outside of any other city and the only English I get is Tuesdays at the zone meetings. It’s tough.

We bought pine cones to burn for heat but they are hard to set on fire, a lot harder than wood on campouts.

So Wednesday is interviews and it’s my first with the new president, I have a feeling it’s in Spanish so yippy, ha-ha. We finally get to meet him one on one so that will be very very nice. I should also receive that package on Wednesday so that is one very very nice thing as well.

The members here are really nice though, I know why Ahart was sad to leave. They love the help, and relate to all the new work that has to be done. I have a feeling like I will be here for a while which is nice but scary because I want the same type of relations I had in Lota but it is a lot of work with the calling.

So how are you all doing? I hear that you are all at Sunriver, and that’s awesome! I am very jealous by the way because I get no vacations, and its go go go all the time, as you all know. I hope you all are having a great time.

Love you all

Elder Kyle Allen

July 18

I am going to Yumbel; it’s an hour and a half travel time outside of Concepcion, so yah, still up north! It’s weird I never have gone south yet, I will spend my first year in the north I have a feeling.

So yah I will be getting my first Latino companion, that’s really scary for me because it’s just us in the house.

Elder Myer is going to be assistant! I’m so excited about that. Elder Nelson is going to train, and Elder Brimhall will be my district leader, it’s crazy!

I don’t want to leave Lota at all but you know what that’s like. I love this sector so much! I just don’t want to go, but I hear that Yumbel was President Swenson's favorite sector and that he wrote out the combios before he left so that means he put me there.

I have so many goodbyes to say today, it’s so crazy and I don’t know how I can say goodbye to everyone. I really don’t want to leave but I know that I have to.

So now I don’t have much more to say because really the huge news is that I’m going, and I need to say goodbye to a lot of people.

Goodbye Dagoberto

Goodbye Lota

I put a lot of photos up on the website, and everything.

Momita in Lota

Searching for a new area

Preaching

I heard that its vacation week, happy for all of you! That’s awesome, make sure everyone at Sunriver knows I love them and would love to be there, but apparently there are people that need me right now in Yumbel, ha-ha.

Have fun with the family, thanks for all the emails, Andrew and the whole family, enjoy your time all together!

I hear that Google plus is the greatest thing ever! I want to find out more of this soon, ha-ha

Hopefully we will have conference next week and I will get that package because I would love it, ha-ha.

Andrew sorry I didn’t write back, know I love you

To everyone --Thanks for all the support and the love, I feel like it’s not me at all doing the work, and I know it’s not, but I know that all of you are helping me, cause there is absolutely no way that I could do this alone! Love you all so so much

Until next week

Love you all   Elder Kyle Allen

July 11, 2011

I forwarded the pictures of the whole mission with President and Sister Swenson, hope you all enjoy, and all of us with white ties was to show we all baptized while they were our president, I think?

I find out Saturday July 16^th  if I leave Lota on Tuesday July 19^th or if I stay with Elder Nelson another combio, I love Lota and it would be tough to leave.  

I hear you all have a hectic few weeks soon, vacation time it is! Oh and dad you can’t do the minute to win it card throw because we all know that I am so much better then you at it, ha-ha. Oh and I have been keeping up my skills with pass along cards so a rematch would be useless, ha-ha

This week we found out that a recent convert of Jackson, my last comp, is not allowed to go to church anymore and her mom is trying to strike her from the records so that she is no longer a member of the church. We aren’t allowed to visit and neither are the members. It’s really tough for us because she is one of the strongest members I’ve ever seen, even stronger then some of the members all their lives. So yah pray for her, her name is Gissela (the G is an H sound in English).

I’m talking with Elder Brimhall right now and we both agree that we miss taco bell and 7/11 slurpies. Sad moments for us, but yah that’s what we do when we have gringos in the same cyber writing home. Ha-ha

So this week was a little tough because we only had 1person in church, and that was tough because we had a lot of people saying that they would, so yah we will need to find out what happened with them. Betsabé was way too busy for us to visit her and we are having some problems with her so we are trying again with her. but last night we were contacting and this guy was on the corner of the street and invited us to take once with him (it's like a snack at night time, not at 11pm Andrew, ha-ha)

Oh, I deposited the money for the scripture cases that’s why there is a huge chunk out of my bank account, thanks for that, I’ve been so lazy and not doing it but finally did.  I got a receipt in my wallet so that way I should always have proof. It didn’t say the name I put it into on the receipt so that is kind of sketchy but missionaries all over Chile do this so I have faith that it will work.  It was just weird doing it, I had to get help from a banker here and the whole time she was like ”freaking gringos...." ha-ha it was really funny cause I understood her!

So it’s really really cold here now, I’m wearing a scarf now, and it’s very fashionable, I must say, ha-ha. it’s something I will totally wear back home because my neck is crazy warm now and I never realized how much that helped, so yes get all the jokes out, I am using a scarf, and I enjoy it very very much.

I am trying to get the guys here in Lota to make a shirt with me, but it is a bit expensive so I don’t know, I want to design one but we need to do a lot to get the price down. If I can get it down enough so that it is reasonable I so want to but it’s tough you know? Oh money, why are you the life blood of the world?

bueno, este parte es mas para Andrew porque él necesita saber que puedo hablar en español, entiendo muchas mas que puedo hablar, pero puedo hacerlo. es tan dificil a veses pero estoy tratando porque necestito, ovio. espero que este fue correcto, espero, jajaja.

Yah that’s some Spanish for you, hope it all worked out and was right, ask Andrew to translate, he will get what I’m trying to say better then Google translate will, I’m guessing because gringos understand gringo Spanish much better

I hope all of you are doing ok and enjoying yourselves, stay busy and safe, and keep up the un in your vacationing.

Trevor, don’t get too tan! you don’t want to look like a fake person from southern California, you are an Oregonian, wear that pale with pride.

Love you all, I’ll write more next week like always, stay safe

Elder Kyle Allen

July 10, 2011

This is a note from Kyle's Mission President who just left.

El verles todos vestidos en blanco fue uno de los momentos mas maravillosos en nuestra vida...es fácil imaginar a todos nosotros en el otro lado del velo para la Gran Reunión! Les amamos tanto y oramos por ustedes cada día.

Presidente y Hermana Swenson

P.S. El regalo hermoso de las fotos de los bautismos estará un tesoro en nuestra familia para siempre. Muchísimas Gracias.

To see all of you dressed in White was one of the most wonderful moments in our lives. . . it's easy to imagine all of us on the other side of the veil at the Great Reunion!  We love you all and pray for you every day. 

President and Sister Swenson

PS The beautiful gift of the baptism photos will be a treasure in our family forever.  Thank you very much.

June 2011 Concepcion South Mission. 

July 4, 2011

Well we did celebrate the day, actually. It was a p-day so we had a huge BBQ on the beach and set off boat flairs for fireworks. We had 3 zones all together, it was pretty much amazing! and it was so fun, I ran and played flag football (with ugly ties as flags) and my ankle held up, but hurts so bad now, so I’m going to take it easy for a little bit. So that was an awesome day for America! oh and Chile is playing Mexico in the American cup today, Argentina tied with Bolivia, they are supposed to win it all, and Brazil tied as well so Chile has a really really good chance of getting a good seed in the pulls. So yah that’s what’s going on here today and contacts are IMPOSSIBLE during the American cup because everyone is glued to the TV watching soccer.

So Betsabé is our awesome investigator, we told her to pray to God and really think hard and act like you are asking your very close friend if this church is true, and she got an answer. Her biggest doubt was that she didn’t want to change religions, because she has a religion, but now she knows she needs to because it’s correct. It was awesome!!! She has a fecha for next Saturday; she needs to go to church one more time. Thank you church for putting "pray to God and he WILL answer you" as one of your biggest selling points.

We have a zone compasitation tomorrow so we will be meeting the new President for the first time tomorrow, so kind of scary and kind of cool at the same time right? Yah I think so at least I’ll finally be able to tell you all what he is like.

Other than that there really hasn’t been anything new. We did a lot of contacting in the rain which really stinks, man how did you do that Andrew?

I’m still trying to obtain a DVD of all the Mormon messages because they help soooo much with investigators, no joke.

Oh we had 2 other cool investigators, if you remember Bryan and Jaime, they have not been in Lota for 2 weeks, but they went to church in the 2 cities they were in, so that was super awesome!!! Hopefully they come home soon because they are great.

I hear your 4th of July is not going to be as cool, I’m so sorry, it will still be better than mine, even though mine was pretty amazing. we sang the national anthem with all the gringos that were there, the Chileans tried to sing the "Vamos Chile" song but we just destroyed them and made them feel bad because we circled them and there were like 5 Chileans and like 30 gringos, it was so awesome. I just felt like I was in the 7th inning stretch. Speaking of which how are the braves doing? How is Chipper?

Quick question, did any of you play contacting games? Or what is a fun way to make contacts more fun. I’m bored of them, and I want them to be a little more fun when we are pushing for the numbers. But yah do you have any suggestions or like any fun things you did or games or anything you heard others do?

Trevor how was the high adventure and what did you do?? I’m very curious because I heard you were doing a last minute change, so whatever could you have done? And Trevor, what’s this about 100 people following you on Twitter? You be crazy my friend.

I don’t know what else to say, ha-ha.  I hope your week is good and I can’t wait until next week already, ha-ha I love writing home, I don’t think I will ever change that. I hear other missionaries say that they get bored and leave after like 30minutes and I don’t think that will ever happen to me, I love getting the emails from mom too much.

OK so at moms request, the details about my clothing: whelp they are doing ok, things are not as white as when they were first purchased but hey that is supposed to happen. I wear those spare pairs of pants all the time because we don’t need to wear suits to work. Only one of the pairs has a hole in it because I was bit again by a dog so that put a hole in the back of my pants, and that wasn’t really fun and it hurt, obviously. I was bleeding, man not fun. Crazy dogs in Chile. But yah, the jackets are amazing, the rain one works amazingly because it actually deflects the rain and the other black one is so warm. I am regretting now not bringing a sweater because everyone has one. But I’m ok, I love winter, I don’t want to go back to the summer here, sweating stinks literally and figuratively. so that is a problem but hey, that’s why I entered in the summer so I only have to go through it one more time, and I have this winter and the next one, wow, I’m down to just one more things, weird........ but yah, that is pretty much everything, if you want to know more, ask more questions, but I feel like I have been pretty good judging by the fact that I haven’t gotten any questions besides how is your new president in a while, ha-ha

Know I love you all very much!!!

Elder Kyle Allen