July 13, 2013

July 13, 2013
Dear Friends and Family :)

Cultural Notes:
     This week I realized that we are in the middle of winter here in Chile and I´m walking around in my suit without any coat or sweater. In the morning it's cold and I wear some black earmuffs and/or a scarf.  Sometimes if it's really cold, I wear the overcoat that I inherited from Ryan.
     This week I re-learned how to drive stick and noticed that not a lot of people in Chile drive defensively.  Also, I realized that the majority of the cars here are stick because of all the hills.  Luckily, as I was re-learning to drive stick, I was down in Viña where it's all flat.   I protected a cars' bumper with my leg - ha-ha.   That's what you get for backing up your companion and putting yourself in-between two objects... DUMB!   But there's nothing broken and no damage.  I´m walking, so don´t worry.  It was just a bit of pressure.  I can´t even see a bruise.  Elder Lastra is learning to drive stick too :)

    On the 4th I lit a match in the apartment and then went to bed :P  I forgot it was the 4th until we got back to the apartment at night.  I guess in how much holidays matter to me, I´m just like Father, ha-ha.   And No Mother, I just don´t feel like making holidays matter to me would be productive, ha-ha.

    On Thursday I had to go to Valparaíso with Elder Lastra to accompany him to the government.  Valparaíso is a port city so it's a lot older and you can note the difference in the architecture.  I´ve noticed that I like architecture, or at least looking at it fascinates me.

    Next week we are moving the office back to the old location because they have finished the remodeling.  I can´t wait to see it.  President told me I have my own office... I don´t know how that works out, but cool, ha-ha-ha.
     God is in the details of our lives. This week trying to prepare everything for the conference of leaders of the mission we had to do a ton of things.  We needed the truck, but Elder Saldivar (a senior missionary incharge of ) left with the truck and wasn´t answering his phone. So we left to try and do the things without the truck (which would have been almost impossible).  We got halfway down the hill and remembered that we forgot the tickets for the missionaries in the North, so we went back and there was Elder Saldivar, who said, "I went to go paint an apartment, left my phone in the truck, and I was about to start painting but I felt like I should go back to the office.  I didn´t know why, but here I am."  Luckily, because Elder Saldiver was listening to the spirit, he came back and we were able to get everything done.  Plus it was a miracle that I didn´t get us killed while driving stick, ha-ha.

    To be honest, it's been really bothering me not knowing if I´m changing or not.  I´ve been in the mission for a year and I feel like I´ve learned/observed a TON of things but applied almost nothing.  I do need to set some more goals.  I set a few goals on the 11th when I completed a year, but I feel like I´m really bad at changing and applying what I learn.  Plus, I still have to learn the powers of persuasion as it says in my PB.

    I know I did a lot before the mission, but I´ve always looked forward to my mission as something that would produce a radical change or something like that, like it was for Ryan.  I saw him leave on his mission and come back completely changed.  And now that I´m half done with my mission, it's now seeming like there's not time to make radical changes :P  Maybe my perspective and expectations are the problem.  Well, now I´ve got some more things to ponder.

How is Bo and Jessie?   I´ve been emailing them, but have you seen them?

Say Hi to Ryan and Gary :)   I´m assuming Gary is trying to make me trunky!  But it's not going to work!
I love you all, but times up until next week.  Give a hug to Ellie for me!
All is well,
Elder Hall
P.S. I guess you can all have a hug from me, ha-ha.  It's good to chat!