Andrew Update - 26 November 2010

Trains are NOT our friends - 22 November 2010

Well, as you can tell by the title, you can obviously guess that something happened this week with trains. Well, we left to go out to work after lunch, and we get stuck at the train tracks because we had to cross them. Now, there is this blue train called tierra sur, that passes through super fast, because it goes to concepción, and does not stop in Linderos. But, we see it passing through the station, then all of a sudden, the brakes sound loudly, and the train comes to a screeching halt RIGHT in front of us. So there we are, 3 feet from this GIANT train. Those things really are super huge when you aren't on the loading platform 3 feet above the ground. I wonder why it stopped, then I looked down the tracks, toward the station, and see a lump of blue, red, and green in the middle of the tracks. I could not believe what had just happened. Since we could not cross the tracks, because there was a stopped train there, we walk to the train station, because it has a crossway. As we walk toward it, we walk right by the mangled up body of the train guard, literally 15-20 feet away. We could see pieces of his body ground up everywhere, as they covered his body with a blanket. As we reached the cross, we looked down, and to our horror, there were pieces of the guard all over the ground, and big puddles of blood. Well that is enough discription for one day, huh? Well, it was pretty graphic. I am just glad I did not see the actual IMPACT of the accident, of I would have been traumatized forever. Well, that is my story for the week.

So this week, a less active family came to church, and 3 investigators too. Things are slowly progressing. We are working more with the Branch President, and other leaders to really get things moving, because people are way too lazy something. But I am not POINTING out their errors, just constantly encouraging them to work harder, and bearing my testimony all the time, and giving them examples of my life. I am loving Linderos a lot more, but am TIRED of doing contacts. They are just sooooo uneffective. NOBODY listens to us. We even went super far walking in one direction, to go to new parts, that do not normally get contacted, and we reached a place called Los Salinas. I call the Zone leaders to make sure it is in our sector, and find out it is from Viluco. Very far away. So we walk in a different direction, and we find ourselves in Buin, near the District building. Luckily, a member from Linderos passed by, and took us home. It was a 15 minute ride home in his car. Scary. We walk SOOO much sometimes here. I am seeing some baptisms in like anther month or so, because the majority of our investigators that progress are not married, and do not have plans of getting married until like March, which stinks for me!!!! But, I am working still.

Today I visited a place in San Bernardo called Los Limoneros, to say goodbye to a few families from my Companion, Elder Romo. It was real fun, and we ate a lot of currasca, or this type of bread that is yummy, with fresh made strawberry marmalade. Yum. Well I do not have much time to write, because I am going to look through my fotos and send some to the office, because they are making a Christmas video, and I want to send some of mine in. I love you all so much, and love reading letters and emails from all of you! I am excited to call you all in like another 3 weeks. Everybody pray so I can train this next change! WOO HOO!! I wish sooo bad! Hasta la proxima semana! Chao!

-Elder Nicholls

Week=lame - 15 November 2010

Well this week has been really lame. Nothing really happened at all. We just worked like steers, and had almost no progress. We found a few investigators, but they are not going to progress very far. And the few investigators we have, are not married, so they are barely any investigators. We finally had an investigator in sacrament meeting for the first time in 4 months! Wow! But he is 15, and a friend of a less active member. We pray and teach so he can progress, and I hope he does. My comp and I get along real well, and my spanish is basically perfect. I made this cool chart with all the prophets before Christ, and all the ones after, to show a comparison on how God communicates with his children. I am really thankful for your letter Dad, and plan on reading it several more times. Question- were you ever a branch president on your mission? Well I am going to go get to work early. Chao familia!

-Elder Nicholls

Phew.. - 8 Nvember 2010

Well, I am alive. So on Wednesday I was allowed to start walking again, and did so with little pain. But today. it seems like there was not even a problem to begin with. I feel absolutely nothing, but I plan on keeping it that way. I have a diet of rice, beans, no oil, very low sugar, and not eating salty snacks. Basically, I am turning into a health freak hippie for now, because of my leg. But it is ok, because I can lose even more weight, and spend less money. So I am happy :)

Well this week was so boring, but funny. We visit a really old guy named Andres Patuelli, and he always likes to play this game called damas, which is like a checkers game, but with his own rules. Do you all remember in the movie A Bugs Life, in the beginning, the really old guy plays chess with himself, is about to lose, and turns the board around to trick himself into winning? Do you know what I am talking about? Well, my comp was playing against Andres, and has only one piece left, and was about to lose, when the phone rings. Andres steps inside for a second, and we decide to try the plan. We turn everything around, and try to contain our laughter. He comes outside, and my comp tells him it is Andres's turn, and points to the one piece left. So he moves it, my comp moves one piece, and Andres moves again, killing like 7 pieces, and puts him into the "checkmate" position in the game. We were laughing so hard, we could not believe what had happened! IT actually worked! We asked him if he realized we had moved it, and he sincerely had no idea! Then today, he came by our house, and talked to the sister who lives next door, and asked that we do not pass by their house anymore, because of his deteriorating health. But the Sister thinks it is because he got mad because we win against him a lot, and that is why he does not want us to come by anymore. But, we are going to pass by at least once more to talk to him personally, to see if it really is true.

Wow Dianna, I cannot believe a Sister in the mission is in the same sector for 9 months. That is soooo long. Here, the longest has been 7 months I think, and that is when people are working in the office, and they work so good, they do not want to take them out. That is so cool that the members there like you guys so much, and that they do stuff like that to you to show their love and appreciation.

This branch I am in is falling quickly, and destroying itself from the inside out. Everybody picks sides, shares gossip, and spreads rumors about everyone that isn't on "their side". They pair off into cliques, and do not allow anyone else in. They all tell lies, and treat others with disrespect. Some less active members that we convince to go to church, are treated with disrespect as people stare at them with glares of hate, or some members tell them that they should just go home and not visit the chapel, because they are sinners and need to repent, and call them filthy and stuff. It SUCKS! I am really beginning to hate this Branch, because they is so much talking behind each others backs. I really do not know what to do, because people betray others all the time, and it is a big competition always, to see who can ask the "best question" in class, or say the "most profound" thing in their talk. There is one who never says "In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." Because he doesn't want to "conform to everyone elses habits" and gives other dumb excuses. I seriously do not know what to do in this Branch. There are lots of good people that are afraid to go to church, because the members treat them badly, or have bad relationships, because of confrontations in the street, and false testimonies. Sigh... I really need help here. Because the Branch President is not even from here! He has to travel half an hour to get here, so he can never visit peoples houses, or have interviews at convenient times. Well, any suggestion is wanted here, to find out what to do. Sigh...Well that's about all that happened this week.. This morning I had a piña soda chugging contest that I won, and felt like throwing up afterwards, and I am not sick whatsoever anymore, so no worries there. I am so excited that my friends are on the mission! Well I gotta jet, I love you all, and hope you are all happy and safe Chao!

-Elder Nicholls