We were surprised and concerned to hear that Dallon experienced his first Chilean earthquake. He is fine and said it was a somewhat cool experience. He is working hard and playing hard also. He shares about a new challenge that he's been assigned and tells us about some of his investigators.
"Two nights ago I experienced my first earthquake in Chile! It was crazy! I woke up at four in the morning and everything was shaking. I was half asleep, so I wasn't too scared. I was just thinking... is this a dream?.., for a full 30 seconds. I then thought... Oh shoot, I'm not wearing any socks and what am I going to do if this turns into a really bad one? ha ha It was fun and scary at the same time. Earthquakes are more scary than I thought because they are loud. I forgot that along with the rumbling of the ground, there is a lot of other noise too. Anyways, it was a first time experience for me here in Chile. It's funny that everyone likes to talk about what they were doing when the earthquakes hit. Most of the stories are really entertaining. ha ha It reminds me of when Mom freaked out when she saw a mouse in the pantry. ha ha"
"We are working and playing hard. We went to the beach today and had a blast! We played football and I'm proud to say that I scored two touchdowns! Booya! ha ha It was fun. We had a BBQ that lasted until really late in the day so I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to write. We tried to go last week, but we couldn't get permission from the mission president in time. The beach was beautiful and a little cold this morning, but I loved it!"
"The ward found out that I played the piano and have started to have me play during sacrament meeting. I guess that Elder Stephen Kapp Perry served a mission here and they all tell me about how he used music to reactivate a lot of people in the church. They have also asked me to help organize a Christmas choir. I am a little scared because my piano skills aren't the best. I hope that I'll be able to do all that they want me to. We have been talking to a lot of inactive members and they said that they are excited about participating in a church Christmas choir. Oh man! Pray for me that I'll be able to help these people sing Christmas carols! I'm just going to do my best with what I have. Tell Jacob to start piano lessons again because it will be such a benefit for him when he serves his mission."
"This week was really hard because we had a lot of appointments cancel. We ended up doing a lot of contacts and found 14 new investigators, which lead the zone this week! ha ha I don't think I've ever walked so much in my life and they say that this is a small sector!"
"The big news here this week was a bus traveling to our area from Santiago got in a huge accident. It rocked the community and everyone was upset about it. I think everyone here knew at least one person that passed away. It was really sad. It was a little scary for Elder Opaso and I because we always travel to Santiago on that same bus and route. It was just a freak accident, but it still made us nervous."
"There are two scriptures that have really helped me this past week. They are Alma 17:11 and Alma 56:47-48. These scriptures remind me of what I am here to do and the person that I want to be. I love reading the scriptures. My testimony of the scriptures has grown so much in the past two months. I LOVE THE SCRIPTURES! They have comforted me and made me realize all that I have. The Book of Mormon is amazing! I feel the spirit every time I bear witness of it. I know that it truly is the word of God and I have no doubts. The Book of Mormon is powerful just by reading it. It's like a key that unlocks a place for the spirit to be with you all day."
Dallon answered some of the questions from our letters:
1. "No, I hardly have time to write people back. I can only write on P-days and since we've had activities every P-day, I haven't been able to write."
2. "At night we return to our pension at 10:00 and plan for the next day until 10:30. After that, we are able to cook and write in our journals or whatever else we want. That hour always goes by so fast and it never feels like I have time to do anything. It would be nice to have time to just relax and listen to music."
3. "I have been really tired because we are working ALL DAY! I have never slept so well in my life. It's funny because the days just slip away and all of a sudden it is P-day again. The days seem long but the weeks are super short."
4. "At the pension, I basically eat bread, cereal, milk, eggs, Nutella, juice, cheese, and jam. I eat a lot of toast! I still don't understand all of the money here but I am starting to. I am starting to understand how much I can buy every week. I get hungry at night because we eat a HUGE lunch at 2:00 and then we don't eat for the rest of the day and the whole time we are walking and exercising, so I get hungry at like 6:00 and can't eat until 10:30."
5. "I am never worried about my safety. Except for when crazy dogs are attacking us. ha ha I don't think we are in that bad of a sector, so everythings been fine."
6. "Elder Opaso is great because he wants to work and we get a lot done. He always tries to correct my English! ha ha I'll say, "nothing is impossible" and he says, "Nope that is not correct. It is, impossible is nothing." I'm usually right and he gets mad. We fight over the the dumbest things. We don't really laugh together that much because half the time we're just trying to figure out what the other one is saying. ha ha But we have the spirit with us and have a good time together. I can't believe I'm almost half way through having him as a companion."
7. "Some of the people we are teaching are:
Guillermo and Norka. They are an older couple that have a lot of interest in learning more about the gospel. They have been coming to church for the past couple weeks. I really want to see them both baptized. We have a cita with them this Thursday, so hopefully we can commit them to set a date.
Sandoval Encina. This is a family that we found and are teaching. They are really cool and promised to feed me empanadas! I hope the Lord will be with them and the Holy Ghost will testify to them of the truth.
Diego. He is about 12 years old and has a desire to be baptized. His mom is a member but his dad is not. He has a strong testimony and is learning really fast. I love teaching at his house because they have a big Christmas tree just like ours in their family room. It reminds me of home. He is really cool and an example to me because of his strong young testimony. It's been cool seeing his faith grow."
"Well anyways I have to go. Sorry that I can't finish. I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season. I am jealous! I am sad to hear about Boise State and am in mourning with you all. Thanks for the examples that you are to me and for all the support that you constantly give. Keep me and the people of Chile in your prayers. I LOVE YOU!"
Elder Dallon Smith
Monday, November 29, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Week 2 in Barrancas
Dallon had a little cold this week. Luckily it didn't last too long and he is grateful to be able to breath normally again. He still hasn't received any letters from Dear Elder or pouch. Hopefully he will get some on Wednesday when the district leaders visit. He says to mail everything to the mission office address. It costs $.98 to mail a regular airmail letter to him and takes about 7-10 days. This is easier for him to read at his leisure and he can write back during his free time. He had an interesting and full week that he shared with us and also sent some fun pictures.
"This week was full of dropped appointments and disappointments. We did a lot of walking and my knees are sore, but it was cool because the whole time I'm thinking...Wow, I'm a missionary! ha ha Finding contacts isn't the funnest thing to do, but I kind of like it because I know what I need to say in Spanish. When we are teaching lessons, I sometimes want to say something, but I just don't know how. I feel bad that I can't help Elder Opaso more. I hope the Spanish will come quickly and that I will be fluent soon."
"We also met two little boys that want to get baptized. They are both around 12 years old and are such an example to me in many ways. One boy just knows that it is right and wants to be baptized even though his Dad isn't a member. He is super receptive and already has a testimony. His name is Diego and he is awesome. The other boy is Nicholas. He is handicapped and uses sign language. We talk to him while his Mom translates. He can't say much but he signs with his hands that he wants to be baptized in the Mormon church and not Catholic. It's amazing. It truly touches my heart to see a poor family with struggles have the gospel penetrate their hearts. I can't really explain it. It is a cool experience to meet people who actually want to be baptized. I think in Utah we get use to going on to the next step; like when we turn 8, we get baptized. These people gain strong testimonies before and then choose for themselves to be baptized."
"In church yesterday, I met a lady from Payson, Utah that was here visiting her family. It was fun to speak English with her and talk about home. I also played the prelude music for Sacrament meeting. I'm practicing so that I can start playing during the main meeting. I got a little disappointed because I really couldn't understand the talks. I know a member of the high council mentioned me in his talk. I'm not sure what he said but I think it was good! ha ha Then in Elder's quorum the teacher used me as an example of the gift of tongues. It makes me feel good that even though I can't speak the language, I am still affecting people. It makes the everyday of struggling to learn, worth it."
"I have had a lot of cool experiences, but for the most part, I just realized how hard missionary work truly is. These are real people with real problems. I wish I could express to them every feeling in my heart. I know I am affecting lives but I can hardly speak the language. Everyone is always surprised at how much I can say, but at the same time, I probably only catch about 35% of what they are talking about. People say that Chile has the fastest speakers in the world. If only they would slow down a little for me! ha ha"
"Well I got bit by my first dog this week! We were contacting and had just found and made an appointment with a really nice lady. We backed away to go around a fence and Elder Opaso tripped over a dog. The dog got really mad and started barking like crazy. The whole time I'm thinking...Ooooh shooot, Elder Opaso is gonna get it!! All of a sudden, this crazy dog attacks me! Then his whole gang of two other black dogs came out of nowhere and got me from behind. One of the dogs bit me on the calf! My luck that Elder Opaso would make a dog mad and I'm the one that gets punished! ha ha Well, we made a swift escape and the bite wasn't bad. It didn't even bleed. It hurt though! ha ha"
"We got to go to Santiago for a "Greenie" meeting. It was a blast! I got to ride the Metro for the first time and went to see the University in Santiago. I met up with all of my "Greenie" friends and spoke English again! ha ha It was fun. We all had a blast together and I realized how grateful I am to have Elder Opaso as my companion. A lot of the other missionaries are truly struggling with their first area and companions. It made me realize how easy I have it and how blessed I've been. The Lord is really taking care of me and I am so grateful that I am here. The only problem Elder Opaso and I have is that we get in arguments over the dumbest things; like whether or not the word "plasted" exists in the English language or if one door is larger than another! ha ha It's alright and it really is the least of my worries." The Metro was an experience that I will never forget. It's an underground subway and there are billions of people cramming into these super long trains. Anyways at the "Greenie" meeting we got to eat pizza! I don't think I've eaten that much pizza in my life! It was good! ha ha I met a lot of my friends and we had a great time just talking about our first week in the mission."
"The food here basically consists of chicken, rice, vegetables, soups, etc. Not too flavorful, but I did have jello with condensed milk that was delicious! I get to see the ocean everyday! It's really cool when it mists. The weather is so strange. It will be really hot outside, but the wind is super cold, so it is a weird experience. It's like cold hot. ha ha I'm not too use to it yet. We are going shopping today so, hopefully, I can buy some super delicious groceries! I haven't used any of my own money yet, but I just might...because I get a little hungry out here at night. ha ha We are also going to the beach, so I will be sure to take some fun pictures to send home."
"It's good to know that you are all doing well. You are in my prayers every day. I love and miss you all! I hope you enjoy the pictures. I only have time to send a few."
Elder Dallon Smith
"This week was full of dropped appointments and disappointments. We did a lot of walking and my knees are sore, but it was cool because the whole time I'm thinking...Wow, I'm a missionary! ha ha Finding contacts isn't the funnest thing to do, but I kind of like it because I know what I need to say in Spanish. When we are teaching lessons, I sometimes want to say something, but I just don't know how. I feel bad that I can't help Elder Opaso more. I hope the Spanish will come quickly and that I will be fluent soon."
"We also met two little boys that want to get baptized. They are both around 12 years old and are such an example to me in many ways. One boy just knows that it is right and wants to be baptized even though his Dad isn't a member. He is super receptive and already has a testimony. His name is Diego and he is awesome. The other boy is Nicholas. He is handicapped and uses sign language. We talk to him while his Mom translates. He can't say much but he signs with his hands that he wants to be baptized in the Mormon church and not Catholic. It's amazing. It truly touches my heart to see a poor family with struggles have the gospel penetrate their hearts. I can't really explain it. It is a cool experience to meet people who actually want to be baptized. I think in Utah we get use to going on to the next step; like when we turn 8, we get baptized. These people gain strong testimonies before and then choose for themselves to be baptized."
"In church yesterday, I met a lady from Payson, Utah that was here visiting her family. It was fun to speak English with her and talk about home. I also played the prelude music for Sacrament meeting. I'm practicing so that I can start playing during the main meeting. I got a little disappointed because I really couldn't understand the talks. I know a member of the high council mentioned me in his talk. I'm not sure what he said but I think it was good! ha ha Then in Elder's quorum the teacher used me as an example of the gift of tongues. It makes me feel good that even though I can't speak the language, I am still affecting people. It makes the everyday of struggling to learn, worth it."
"I have had a lot of cool experiences, but for the most part, I just realized how hard missionary work truly is. These are real people with real problems. I wish I could express to them every feeling in my heart. I know I am affecting lives but I can hardly speak the language. Everyone is always surprised at how much I can say, but at the same time, I probably only catch about 35% of what they are talking about. People say that Chile has the fastest speakers in the world. If only they would slow down a little for me! ha ha"
"Well I got bit by my first dog this week! We were contacting and had just found and made an appointment with a really nice lady. We backed away to go around a fence and Elder Opaso tripped over a dog. The dog got really mad and started barking like crazy. The whole time I'm thinking...Ooooh shooot, Elder Opaso is gonna get it!! All of a sudden, this crazy dog attacks me! Then his whole gang of two other black dogs came out of nowhere and got me from behind. One of the dogs bit me on the calf! My luck that Elder Opaso would make a dog mad and I'm the one that gets punished! ha ha Well, we made a swift escape and the bite wasn't bad. It didn't even bleed. It hurt though! ha ha"
"We got to go to Santiago for a "Greenie" meeting. It was a blast! I got to ride the Metro for the first time and went to see the University in Santiago. I met up with all of my "Greenie" friends and spoke English again! ha ha It was fun. We all had a blast together and I realized how grateful I am to have Elder Opaso as my companion. A lot of the other missionaries are truly struggling with their first area and companions. It made me realize how easy I have it and how blessed I've been. The Lord is really taking care of me and I am so grateful that I am here. The only problem Elder Opaso and I have is that we get in arguments over the dumbest things; like whether or not the word "plasted" exists in the English language or if one door is larger than another! ha ha It's alright and it really is the least of my worries." The Metro was an experience that I will never forget. It's an underground subway and there are billions of people cramming into these super long trains. Anyways at the "Greenie" meeting we got to eat pizza! I don't think I've eaten that much pizza in my life! It was good! ha ha I met a lot of my friends and we had a great time just talking about our first week in the mission."
"The food here basically consists of chicken, rice, vegetables, soups, etc. Not too flavorful, but I did have jello with condensed milk that was delicious! I get to see the ocean everyday! It's really cool when it mists. The weather is so strange. It will be really hot outside, but the wind is super cold, so it is a weird experience. It's like cold hot. ha ha I'm not too use to it yet. We are going shopping today so, hopefully, I can buy some super delicious groceries! I haven't used any of my own money yet, but I just might...because I get a little hungry out here at night. ha ha We are also going to the beach, so I will be sure to take some fun pictures to send home."
"It's good to know that you are all doing well. You are in my prayers every day. I love and miss you all! I hope you enjoy the pictures. I only have time to send a few."
Elder Dallon Smith
Elder Opaso, President and Sister King, Elder Smith
The port city of Barrancas, Chile
On the bus with Elder Opaso and Elder Smith
The name says it all!
Monday, November 15, 2010
The First Email from Barrancas
Finally news from Dallon! It was the longest week of our lives. He is so happy and our hearts are bursting with joy. We must have received the wrong information from the Mission Office because Dallon is serving with Elder Opaso from Concepcion, Chile in an area on the coast called Barrancas. He says that he is in love with Chile!
"This experience has been absolutely amazing so far! My adventure has just begun and I LOVE CHILE!!! My companion's name is Elder Opazo. He is a native of Chile from Concepcion. He also speaks exceptional English. The Lord has blessed me so much this past week and my heart can hardly handle how grateful I am. It feels like I have been here for a long time but then I remember that it has only been a week. ha ha"
"My first thought when I arrived in Chile was wow... this place looks a lot like Utah. The mountains are all snow capped. We arrived at the airport and had a blast trying to navigate it with broken Spanish. ha ha All of the travel gate ladies were asking me for my name because they thought I was really good looking. ha ha It was really funny among the missionaries. Everyone here in Chile says that they want to trade eyes with me. It's funny because I can almost count on it every time I meet someone new. Anyways we finally made it through the airport and I was the first one to leave and meet Sister King. She is so funny and sweet. We all crammed into a 12 passenger hippie van and rode off to the MTC. Chile is so beautiful. I wish that you could see it. The temple is so small and short that I felt like I could touch the Moroni! ha ha We had lunch at the MTC cafeteria and then had orientations along with an interview with President King. President King is awesome! I hope I get to know him a lot better over the next two years. In my interview we talked a lot about everything. He asked me about my testimony and about how the church had been in my life. He told me that a testimony like mine was exactly what the people of Chile needed. He also said that I would be playing the piano a lot! Which I'm excited for, yet at the same time, a bit nervous. ha ha After that he asked me if I would be alright with a native missionary. I told him I would do whatever he was inspired to do and I would get along just fine. He was really cool."
"After the interviews, President King came in and told us that he had prayed to know who our companions should be and that it was apparent to him who we should be paired with. He then began naming off the names of companionships. My name was one of the last. He said...Elder Smith...Elder Opazo, and then looked up and smiled at me and said, "You're going to the coast!" ha ha I was the only one out of all the new missionaries going to the coast! I was so excited and everyone was jealous."
"After that we went out to the temple grounds and I met Elder Opazo. He was way cool to me and he spoke really good English and Spanish. He is definitely a blessing in my life. I don't know if I could have had any other companion. He helps me out so much! We all soon piled into vans and cars and went and dropped everyone off all over the city. I wasn't really sure what was going on, but I got to see a lot of Santiago, including the crazy drivers! ha ha Then we went back to the mission office to pick up Elder Opazo's stuff and headed to a big bus stop. Elder Opazo worked in the mission office for 8 months of his mission and he has been out for 13 months. He is a convert of three years and after the earthquake, the rest of his family all joined the church. He is so cool and is an example to me in many ways. I don't know if he's the best trainer because he hasn't really taught me anything yet, but we are getting a lot done and I feel safe here. We traveled on the bus for about an hour and a half to our sector, Barrancas. Little did I know that this is a sector that Elder Opazo and I are re-opening! I was surprised that President King sent me to open a sector for my first assignment. On the bus, Elder Opazo bought me a super eight and peach juice and told me about his life. It was real cool."
"This week has been full of work to re-open the sector. We had to go and meet all of the leadership of the church in the area and start finding investigators and updating everything. It's been a lot of work, but it's been fun too. My Spanish is actually pretty good. Everyone is always saying that they can't believe I've only been here for one week. Elder Opazo says he is grateful for me because my Spanish is so good. I told him to stop trying to make me feel good about myself, but he said he was serious and that I talked better than some missionaries that have been here for a year! I didn't believe him and told him that I hope not because I want to be a lot better than this in a year! ha ha The next day we had a district and zone meeting. All the missionaries couldn't believe that I was new and that I didn't know a lot of Spanish at the MTC. It makes me feel good. At the MTC, everyone was so much better than I was, so if they think I'm good, then the missionaries that were in my district must be phenomenal! ha ha When I first got here I felt like I couldn't understand anything. Chileans talk so fast, but I am understanding more and more everyday. The Lord has blessed me so much this past week that my heart is bursting with gratitude."
"Yesterday, I had an amazing experience at church. There are about 40 - 50 members and it was fast and testimony meeting. President Galvez asked Elder Opazo and I to bear our testimonies. I was scared but did it anyways. I told them that this past week I had met many of them and that they are incredible people followed by my testimony of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and temples. I also told them how I was really impressed that they were members who were stronger than me because there were only a few members in this area and my whole life I have had members all around me to help me be strong. I probably made a lot of speaking mistakes but I know that the spirit was there. Afterwards, the 1st counselor got up and talked about me his whole testimony. He said that this church was a church of miracles and that I was living proof of that. He told the members that I had only been here a week and that they could see the gift of tongues happening right in front of them. The members here are absolutely amazing! They are so humble. I love them already! I have realized this week just how much the Lord has blessed me. Back at home we have soooooo much! Remember to be grateful for our chapel and our home. I can't believe how blessed we are. Even the richest people here, don't compare to what we have."
"The coast is beautiful and my pension, or place where I live, is great! It's like a little Chilean Seaside! All of the houses here are small and feel like a basement. I live in a really nice pension where sister missionaries used to live. It looks a lot like a cabin inside. I love it and have never slept so well in my life! ha ha One thing about being close to the coast is it's pretty cold. I have been wearing sweats to bed with three blankets. We get to wake up at 7:30am, instead of 6:30, because in Chile they stay up later and we go to bed at 11:30pm. We get up and exercise for about 20 minutes and then get ready for the day. We have study and companionship study and then go to lunch at a member's home. Afterwards we come back and have language study hour and then leave for all our appointments along with Permaneced, which is a program that reactivates the inactive members. President King told us to focus on restoring and rebuilding the church here, more than baptisms. Luckily, we are doing both and already have three progressing investigators that are on their way to being baptized. We get home around 10:30pm and have time to relax before going to bed."
"Barrancas is not really a beach town. It's more like a port town. There's a lot of small houses that are pretty run down. They are made of cement. In some places it looks like Greece. Oh and there are mean dogs everywhere! They fight eachother and have dog gangs. It's really strange. ha ha None of them have bugged us much.
"I don't have a lot of time but I love it here. I am learning so much and love that I'm actually making a difference now. Every day is an adventure and I'm in love with my mission right now. Of course, it's only been the first week, but it's still amazing! The members here do all of our laundry and cooking. The food is kind of bland and they eat a lot of vegetables, but I've eaten everything and am full usually. We eat huge lunches and at night I get a little hungry, but that should change now that I can go shopping today! One good thing is that they have Nutella here but it's super expensive. I bought a bottle and went through it in one week. ha ha Yesterday we ate artichoke that we dipped in vinegar. It was interesting. The bread here is pretty good though."
"I love you all and am grateful for all your prayers. Tell Tori I scored my first soccer goal against the natives in Chile today! ha ha The coast is amazing and I ask that you pray for the people of Barrancas."
Love you, Quedense! Elder Dallon Smith
"This experience has been absolutely amazing so far! My adventure has just begun and I LOVE CHILE!!! My companion's name is Elder Opazo. He is a native of Chile from Concepcion. He also speaks exceptional English. The Lord has blessed me so much this past week and my heart can hardly handle how grateful I am. It feels like I have been here for a long time but then I remember that it has only been a week. ha ha"
"My first thought when I arrived in Chile was wow... this place looks a lot like Utah. The mountains are all snow capped. We arrived at the airport and had a blast trying to navigate it with broken Spanish. ha ha All of the travel gate ladies were asking me for my name because they thought I was really good looking. ha ha It was really funny among the missionaries. Everyone here in Chile says that they want to trade eyes with me. It's funny because I can almost count on it every time I meet someone new. Anyways we finally made it through the airport and I was the first one to leave and meet Sister King. She is so funny and sweet. We all crammed into a 12 passenger hippie van and rode off to the MTC. Chile is so beautiful. I wish that you could see it. The temple is so small and short that I felt like I could touch the Moroni! ha ha We had lunch at the MTC cafeteria and then had orientations along with an interview with President King. President King is awesome! I hope I get to know him a lot better over the next two years. In my interview we talked a lot about everything. He asked me about my testimony and about how the church had been in my life. He told me that a testimony like mine was exactly what the people of Chile needed. He also said that I would be playing the piano a lot! Which I'm excited for, yet at the same time, a bit nervous. ha ha After that he asked me if I would be alright with a native missionary. I told him I would do whatever he was inspired to do and I would get along just fine. He was really cool."
"After the interviews, President King came in and told us that he had prayed to know who our companions should be and that it was apparent to him who we should be paired with. He then began naming off the names of companionships. My name was one of the last. He said...Elder Smith...Elder Opazo, and then looked up and smiled at me and said, "You're going to the coast!" ha ha I was the only one out of all the new missionaries going to the coast! I was so excited and everyone was jealous."
"After that we went out to the temple grounds and I met Elder Opazo. He was way cool to me and he spoke really good English and Spanish. He is definitely a blessing in my life. I don't know if I could have had any other companion. He helps me out so much! We all soon piled into vans and cars and went and dropped everyone off all over the city. I wasn't really sure what was going on, but I got to see a lot of Santiago, including the crazy drivers! ha ha Then we went back to the mission office to pick up Elder Opazo's stuff and headed to a big bus stop. Elder Opazo worked in the mission office for 8 months of his mission and he has been out for 13 months. He is a convert of three years and after the earthquake, the rest of his family all joined the church. He is so cool and is an example to me in many ways. I don't know if he's the best trainer because he hasn't really taught me anything yet, but we are getting a lot done and I feel safe here. We traveled on the bus for about an hour and a half to our sector, Barrancas. Little did I know that this is a sector that Elder Opazo and I are re-opening! I was surprised that President King sent me to open a sector for my first assignment. On the bus, Elder Opazo bought me a super eight and peach juice and told me about his life. It was real cool."
"This week has been full of work to re-open the sector. We had to go and meet all of the leadership of the church in the area and start finding investigators and updating everything. It's been a lot of work, but it's been fun too. My Spanish is actually pretty good. Everyone is always saying that they can't believe I've only been here for one week. Elder Opazo says he is grateful for me because my Spanish is so good. I told him to stop trying to make me feel good about myself, but he said he was serious and that I talked better than some missionaries that have been here for a year! I didn't believe him and told him that I hope not because I want to be a lot better than this in a year! ha ha The next day we had a district and zone meeting. All the missionaries couldn't believe that I was new and that I didn't know a lot of Spanish at the MTC. It makes me feel good. At the MTC, everyone was so much better than I was, so if they think I'm good, then the missionaries that were in my district must be phenomenal! ha ha When I first got here I felt like I couldn't understand anything. Chileans talk so fast, but I am understanding more and more everyday. The Lord has blessed me so much this past week that my heart is bursting with gratitude."
"Yesterday, I had an amazing experience at church. There are about 40 - 50 members and it was fast and testimony meeting. President Galvez asked Elder Opazo and I to bear our testimonies. I was scared but did it anyways. I told them that this past week I had met many of them and that they are incredible people followed by my testimony of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and temples. I also told them how I was really impressed that they were members who were stronger than me because there were only a few members in this area and my whole life I have had members all around me to help me be strong. I probably made a lot of speaking mistakes but I know that the spirit was there. Afterwards, the 1st counselor got up and talked about me his whole testimony. He said that this church was a church of miracles and that I was living proof of that. He told the members that I had only been here a week and that they could see the gift of tongues happening right in front of them. The members here are absolutely amazing! They are so humble. I love them already! I have realized this week just how much the Lord has blessed me. Back at home we have soooooo much! Remember to be grateful for our chapel and our home. I can't believe how blessed we are. Even the richest people here, don't compare to what we have."
"The coast is beautiful and my pension, or place where I live, is great! It's like a little Chilean Seaside! All of the houses here are small and feel like a basement. I live in a really nice pension where sister missionaries used to live. It looks a lot like a cabin inside. I love it and have never slept so well in my life! ha ha One thing about being close to the coast is it's pretty cold. I have been wearing sweats to bed with three blankets. We get to wake up at 7:30am, instead of 6:30, because in Chile they stay up later and we go to bed at 11:30pm. We get up and exercise for about 20 minutes and then get ready for the day. We have study and companionship study and then go to lunch at a member's home. Afterwards we come back and have language study hour and then leave for all our appointments along with Permaneced, which is a program that reactivates the inactive members. President King told us to focus on restoring and rebuilding the church here, more than baptisms. Luckily, we are doing both and already have three progressing investigators that are on their way to being baptized. We get home around 10:30pm and have time to relax before going to bed."
"Barrancas is not really a beach town. It's more like a port town. There's a lot of small houses that are pretty run down. They are made of cement. In some places it looks like Greece. Oh and there are mean dogs everywhere! They fight eachother and have dog gangs. It's really strange. ha ha None of them have bugged us much.
"I don't have a lot of time but I love it here. I am learning so much and love that I'm actually making a difference now. Every day is an adventure and I'm in love with my mission right now. Of course, it's only been the first week, but it's still amazing! The members here do all of our laundry and cooking. The food is kind of bland and they eat a lot of vegetables, but I've eaten everything and am full usually. We eat huge lunches and at night I get a little hungry, but that should change now that I can go shopping today! One good thing is that they have Nutella here but it's super expensive. I bought a bottle and went through it in one week. ha ha Yesterday we ate artichoke that we dipped in vinegar. It was interesting. The bread here is pretty good though."
"I love you all and am grateful for all your prayers. Tell Tori I scored my first soccer goal against the natives in Chile today! ha ha The coast is amazing and I ask that you pray for the people of Barrancas."
Love you, Quedense! Elder Dallon Smith
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
First Day in Chile
We were excited to receive an email from Dallon and also one from President King with this picture. The Elders were greeted at the airport and then taken on a small tour of the city of Santiago. They ended at the mission office where President King interviewed and gave each Elder a priesthood blessing. They had a nice luncheon, met their trainer and left for their new area. Dallon's trainer is Elder Cannon from Logan, Utah. His first area is slightly southeast of the mission office called Los Cerillos. He said that the mountains have snow caps on them and reminded him of home. He also mentions that the city looks modern and fun. He is so excited but very tired. It was a great beginning.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Hola Chile!
We received a call from Dallon at 6:30 pm last night from the Dallas/Fort Worth Texas airport where he had a three hour layover. He sounded happy and well, although he told us that he had a little cold all week. He also said that he got to perform in a quartet for Sheri Dew at a devotional at the MTC on Sunday. She visited with them and complimented them on a beautiful performance. The music director told the boys that it was the best quartet that she had heard at the MTC. He is sending a video clip of the performance to us in the mail.
A funny thing while we were talking to him, he would stop to dig for pocket change for another elder who was using change for his phone call. We thought, what an act of brotherhood and it's wonderful to know that they were taking care of eachother. Dallon was in a group of 10 elders traveling together. There was another group of 20 traveling at the same time. He said while he was waiting around at the airport, a couple people approached him and asked him for directions in Spanish. He was able to understand and respond to them in Spanish. He was so impressed with himself.
It took him about 20 hours from the time he left the MTC to arrive in Chile. He got there this morning about 6:30 am our time (10:30 am Chile time). We are excited and waiting to hear from him and his Mission President.
A funny thing while we were talking to him, he would stop to dig for pocket change for another elder who was using change for his phone call. We thought, what an act of brotherhood and it's wonderful to know that they were taking care of eachother. Dallon was in a group of 10 elders traveling together. There was another group of 20 traveling at the same time. He said while he was waiting around at the airport, a couple people approached him and asked him for directions in Spanish. He was able to understand and respond to them in Spanish. He was so impressed with himself.
It took him about 20 hours from the time he left the MTC to arrive in Chile. He got there this morning about 6:30 am our time (10:30 am Chile time). We are excited and waiting to hear from him and his Mission President.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
MTC Week 8
Dallon got his travel plans! He will be leaving next Monday for Chile. He leaves the MTC at 11:30 a.m. for a flight out of Salt Lake at 2:35 p.m. He will head to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas and wait for a three hour layover. He then will fly out of Texas at 9:10 p.m. and arrive in Chile at 9:50 a.m. Chile time. It is going to be a long day, but he is ready and excited. His letter is mostly about getting everything ready to leave. This may be his last email until he arrives in Chile.
"I have scheduled appointments for a haircut, dry cleaning, orientations and so on, so it's going to be a busy week. There is so much that I need to do! This week is going to fly by. I am so excited to get out there and teach. I am amazed at how much I can say in Spanish. I want to share it with real people now and start contributing to something. I do love my experience at the MTC, but I am ready for a new chapter to begin in this adventure."
"The past week was great. Elder Nelsen and Elder Scott came and spoke to us. It was so cool to hear what they had to share. Elder Scott spoke about following the spirit. I want to be following the spirit all the time! I want the experiences that are possible by following the spirit. Also our quartet was selected to sing at the devotional next Sunday. I couldn't believe we got picked! It is pretty competitive, so we are all stoked!"
"Halloween was great! My district loved the Krispy Kreme donuts you sent and devoured them. ha ha We had a fun time here too. We went trick-o-treating in the dorms and I don't think I have laughed so hard in a long time. One of my good friends, Elder Menendez, dressed up like a muslim, Elder Peterson was a pirate, and I was Elder Hill. All the sisters said I looked like a Ken Missionary doll. ha ha It was probably because I parted my hair...? Elder Menendez is a really big hispanic elder. He is absolutely hilarious and watches out for me. He is great! We also have a new elder in our district. He is Elder Huntsman. He went to Waterford with Sara and we know a lot of the same people. It has been fun talking with him about home. He and I have become great friends. I sure am going to miss a lot of missionaries here."
"This week we are doing a mock experience called "a week in the field". We have to teach twenty lessons and we don't have class anymore. It is fun but I would rather just get out there and teach, than pretend to here. ha ha But I am enjoying every last minute that I have here. There is a sister at the temple that loves me! ha ha Her name is Sister Larsen from Spanish Fork, Utah. It's nice having someone there that is excited to see me every time I go. Today was the last day that I will see her. She gave me her address. I thought it was cool that out of all the missionaries that volunteer at the temple, she asked me to write. I think a lot of the time God sends me his love through others."
"I have had lots of people write me but I don't think I will have time to respond to everyone. It makes me feel bad. I also really want to write a letter home to my brother and sisters. I miss them so much. I hope I'll be able to find some time today. If I don't have time, tell them I'm sorry I couldn't respond to their letters. I want to, it's just really hard to find the time, especially this week. I just want you all to know how much I love and are grateful for you. The gospel of Jesus Christ is truly phenomenal. We are so lucky. Don't ever doubt. I KNOW that Heavenly Father loves you. He has made it known to me in so many ways these past couple weeks."
"There's not a lot of really interesting stuff in this letter, but I'm about out of time. I am glad sometimes when I get to see you in my dreams. ha ha Speaking of dreams, I haven't slept very well because we got new roommates. I think I jinxed myself last week. They snore like crrrazies! Luckily last night, I hit the exhaustion point where I just passed out, so today I feel great! I am so excited to get out into the mission field! I think about you often and am doing my best every day."
Love, Elder Dallon Smith
"I have scheduled appointments for a haircut, dry cleaning, orientations and so on, so it's going to be a busy week. There is so much that I need to do! This week is going to fly by. I am so excited to get out there and teach. I am amazed at how much I can say in Spanish. I want to share it with real people now and start contributing to something. I do love my experience at the MTC, but I am ready for a new chapter to begin in this adventure."
"The past week was great. Elder Nelsen and Elder Scott came and spoke to us. It was so cool to hear what they had to share. Elder Scott spoke about following the spirit. I want to be following the spirit all the time! I want the experiences that are possible by following the spirit. Also our quartet was selected to sing at the devotional next Sunday. I couldn't believe we got picked! It is pretty competitive, so we are all stoked!"
"Halloween was great! My district loved the Krispy Kreme donuts you sent and devoured them. ha ha We had a fun time here too. We went trick-o-treating in the dorms and I don't think I have laughed so hard in a long time. One of my good friends, Elder Menendez, dressed up like a muslim, Elder Peterson was a pirate, and I was Elder Hill. All the sisters said I looked like a Ken Missionary doll. ha ha It was probably because I parted my hair...? Elder Menendez is a really big hispanic elder. He is absolutely hilarious and watches out for me. He is great! We also have a new elder in our district. He is Elder Huntsman. He went to Waterford with Sara and we know a lot of the same people. It has been fun talking with him about home. He and I have become great friends. I sure am going to miss a lot of missionaries here."
"This week we are doing a mock experience called "a week in the field". We have to teach twenty lessons and we don't have class anymore. It is fun but I would rather just get out there and teach, than pretend to here. ha ha But I am enjoying every last minute that I have here. There is a sister at the temple that loves me! ha ha Her name is Sister Larsen from Spanish Fork, Utah. It's nice having someone there that is excited to see me every time I go. Today was the last day that I will see her. She gave me her address. I thought it was cool that out of all the missionaries that volunteer at the temple, she asked me to write. I think a lot of the time God sends me his love through others."
"I have had lots of people write me but I don't think I will have time to respond to everyone. It makes me feel bad. I also really want to write a letter home to my brother and sisters. I miss them so much. I hope I'll be able to find some time today. If I don't have time, tell them I'm sorry I couldn't respond to their letters. I want to, it's just really hard to find the time, especially this week. I just want you all to know how much I love and are grateful for you. The gospel of Jesus Christ is truly phenomenal. We are so lucky. Don't ever doubt. I KNOW that Heavenly Father loves you. He has made it known to me in so many ways these past couple weeks."
"There's not a lot of really interesting stuff in this letter, but I'm about out of time. I am glad sometimes when I get to see you in my dreams. ha ha Speaking of dreams, I haven't slept very well because we got new roommates. I think I jinxed myself last week. They snore like crrrazies! Luckily last night, I hit the exhaustion point where I just passed out, so today I feel great! I am so excited to get out into the mission field! I think about you often and am doing my best every day."
Love, Elder Dallon Smith
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