Week 7 - Español Rápido

 written: 2/15/2021

Week 7

Hola everyone!!!

I am safe and alive in Chile! I am on Day 4 of quarantine but that has not stopped us from working! 

First, my journey to Chile was incredibly long and tiring. It started at 9am on Thursday when I was dropped off at the airport by my parents. I then had a flight to Atlanta, small layover to get some food, flight to Santiago, very long layover, arrival in Osorno, then a 1+ hour car ride to get to my area. All in all, it was over 30 hours total. The worst part about it all was probably once we arrived in Santiago, we got off the plane and immediately joined a line that we had no idea what it was. Turns out, it was for the health screening, and we were in that line for 3 1/2 hours with no air and so many people in line. However, thankfully most of the Osorno missionaries were grouped together and we were able to talk and get to know each other and it made the time after as we waited for our flight to Osorno go by much faster. 

Now to explain my current living situation: we arrived to our house on Friday in Puerto Montt and to our surprise, 4 new missionaries including me were told this is where we were staying and there were 2 trainers. We are living as neighbors in the 2nd floor of a home where a member lives on the 1st floor. One part of the house is 2 new missionaries and a trainer, as one missionary is waiting the arrival of his trainer from the US, and I am living in the other side with 2 other elders. Due to quarantine rules, I was unable to go to my assigned area until I complete my 10 day quarantine. However, once quarantine ends I am going to an ISLAND! I have to take a 2 hour boat ride next week and I get to go to a place called Chiloe. I am so excited to serve those people and I have already met members and amigos in Chiloe and I love them already. 

I just want to share a cool experience I had. We were on a video call (I have to call my companion in Chiloe everyday to do missionary work, we are on the phone for almost the entire day) with amigos (people we are teaching) and they speak incredibly fast Spanish, Chiloe is known to be even faster than typical chilean Spanish which is already fast. To my surprise, I actually understood what they were saying, until they both started talking at the exact same time haha. They had to go and only could talk for a little but I was so surprised at how much I understood. After the call, I told my companion I felt like I knew them for forever and I loved them. I told him our goal is to baptize them when we are in Chiloe and I can already see I want them to received the wonderful gift of the gospel. I cant wait to serve these people and I know that little by little I will continue to understand Spanish and be able to effectively communicate. I can do all things in Christ.

I am loving everything Chile has to offer and although at times I feel discouraged and sad and overwhelmed due to all the newness of everything, I just continue to work and pray and trust it with all work out, and it has and I know it will continue. I cant wait to share my experiences with all of you and I am so excited to see the amazing things that are going to happen!

Love you all! CHAO!!!!

Love, Elder Collin Steele