Flashback Friday

Tonight I am taking you back almost 10 years ago when I started my mission. I was called to serve in the Chile, Santiago West mission.  I arrived in Chile on December 23rd 2000.  I was a nervous wreck. Ask my trainer or anyone who was there when they say me.  I was scared to death.  I had been in the mission field for about 6 weeks. My trainer, Hermana Ashworth finished her mission.  No one told me that that was going to be really hard. I was still in my first area, 5 de Abril, en Maipu, Chile. The ward was called Lo Errazuriz. I recieved my second companion, Hermana Van De Graaff.  She was amazing.  She was hard working.  She became my new best friend.  We hit it off on the first day.  I was so thankful I didn't get a native companion. I was dreading that part.

(This is Hna. Van De Graaff and I outisde our pension in 5 de Abril, Maipu)

(We were invited over for dinner with Franco and Clara. We had so much fun with them)

 (Companionship study in our bedroom. Really nice I know)

Let's just say that we worked our tails off with only one baptism. We were only together for 6 weeks but those were some of the best 6 weeks of my mission.  Some of our highlights, walking, lots of walking, meeting our first amazingly handsome Chilean man on a door contact, singing Chayenne in the streets, meeting Fernando in the streets. Now mind you, this wasn't just any man.  We came across him one afternoon while walking. He was laying on the grass listening to his little radio. He looked a little strange but he was a Child of God and he deserved to hear the message, so we approached him.  He accepted and funny enough we kept meeing with him and we finally found out where he lived so we met with the rest of his family. He was an older man, alittle slow at times, ok slow most of the time. He was only interested in "protecting us."  One night after we had a discussion with he and his family, he asked us if he could walk us home.  He then went on pointing at his "combat boots" that he was wearing telling us that he was the "defender of our faith" and that he was there to keep us safe.  We thanked him nicely but declined the offer so instead he sent us home with peanuts and coke. Fair enough I guess.
Joey (Hna. Van De Graaff's first name), do you remember meeting Franco and Clara for the first time? Do you remember teaching them? I remember feeling something really strong with them. I just knew they were going to make it. After a lot of hard work and a lot of faith on their part Franco was baptized and Clara started going back to church.  Do you remember leaving their home one night after he told us that he would be baptized? I remember almost crying because we were so happy.  Remember walking home one night from a discussion and we were given so much to drink and we started talking about some of the elders and I had to sit or I was going to pee? Remember that? Little did I know that that story was going to be spread throughout the mission and I would soon be labled "Anda gringa?"

Thanks for the great time we had together.  You taught me a lot of great and important lessons that I took with me for the rest of my mission.  You are such a good friend. Muchas gracias Hermanita! Me ensenaste muchisimo. Gracias a ti, yo ensene muchas cosas importantes. Nunca olvidare nuestro tiempo juntos. Espero que estes super bien con tu familia. Te extrano mucho. Besos y abrazos. Gracias!