Mission Days

There is a mission reunion coming up this coming weekend that I am really sad to miss. I can't attend because we are so close to having a baby, it is not worth the risk. I have always enjoyed going back to visit old missionary friends and to "remember the days" as they so call it. Since I can't attend I decided to do a little bit of my own remembering. I found my mission scrapebook and all the pictures I took during my 18 months in the mission field. I served in the Chile, Santiago West Mission from October 2000 to April 2002. It was 18 months of tears, sweat, and complete happiness. It is hard to explain what a mission is like to someone who has never served one. From the time I entered the MTC until the last day of my mission I had 11 different companions, 5 different areas and a handful of incredible baptismal experiences. Here are some pictures I dug up. I will try to explain them. To those of you who I served with who read my blog, you will get a good laugh and to those of you who have no idea that I served a mission, well here you go....
Santiago is beautiful, ugly, unique and a very dirty city of 7.5 million people

My second companion(Hna. Van De Graaff) and I with our first baptism Franco and Clara at dinner in their home.

My second companion Hna. Van De Graaff is my first area. This was the patio to our home in 5 de Abril, Maipu. She was an incredible missionary!

Morning companionship study time, 5 de Abril, Maipu

My third area, Villa Brasil, La Granja. This was a common sight to see after the street markets (ferias) were done. The dogs and garbage man would later come by and clean it up, most of the time. It sure didn't add to the smell.

Our stake baptism the La Granja Stake. This was a family we had been teaching and the father was an inactive member. We activated him and he was later able to baptize his family.

Some of my very best friends to this day - Elder Griffeth and Hna. Makai at exchanges in Republica. I loved serving and being with these hard working missioaries. They changed my life for the better. Thank you!

An amazing family with amazing faith that we taught in my last area Melipilla. They never committed to be baptized but I am confident that they will one day. Their son, Mario, in the middle (who has cerebal palsy) was such a tender boy and this sweet mom never left his side.

The ward mission leader in my very last area Melipilla. Hno. Nelson and his family were the most well do to family I ever saw during my mission. They even drove a mini van that they bought from the U.S.A and he helped us gather people each Sunday for church. What an amazing family. They had such beautiful chilren.

Often times we would have "free car washes" for those who had car at the church to find investigators. They were so much fun, in this one particular car wash in Ochagavia this man should up completely drunk. We had a fun time talking with him.

Hanging out with the American sisters that I was living with in Ochagavia. The others were all natives and they were such hard ones to work with. This was during our lunch break. We would always change into our second set of clothes, because the summers would just make you sweat like no other. After our showers taking a breather.

My all time most favorite zone of the mission in La Granja. We would sometimes get together at the stake center and have a bbq with the elders.

Holidays were hard but we made the most of it, my 4th area, Davila, Ochagavia.

4th area - Our zone having our last party before Elder Griffeth went home.

This was the strangest baptism. I won't explain but it was in Ochagavia.

This was the cutest little man ever. I was serving with my last companion, Hna. Campos(from Argentina) in my last area Melipilla. Every time he saw us he would pull over and make me smile for him because he said I had the whitest teeth he had ever seen. Which was not true but the thought was nice.

Celebrating Chile's Independance - September 18th. I was in La Granja and the Stake put on a big festivity that day. It was so much fun.

My last ward I served in- El Barrio Melipilla. It was a ward who really struggled.

My last night in the mission. Saying goodbye with all our friends who came to see us off.

My dear Mission President- President Hadfield and his sweet wife Hna. Lexine Hadfield. This was the last picture of them taken together before he passed away last year. I had the opportunity to go to his funeral. It was a very humbling experience.

This picture was taken at last years mission reunion, 2 weeks before President passed away. The Hadfields.


So there you have it. Do you think it was long enough? These are just some of the pictures of some the places and people who have had a huge impact on my life. Thanks for all the good memories. It was fun to reflect and look back on the good old days.