Monday, April 22, 2013

Highs and Lows


The high this week was... 96 degrees... right now it is 91 but because of the humidity it feels like 104. Just so you know. The low (which is my high) is around 75 at night, so please don't complain about the heat unless where you are it is hotter than here. Honestly, this week I felt like it has been cooler than normal.

Concepcion Chile. This week, my sources say it stays around 60 to 65 degrees. Sister Berbert, you are killing me. haha.

Paul said that he loves weakness, because when he is weak, Christ makes him strong. If I can work my hardest through this mission and get over my weakness despite the heat, I know that I will be made strong. If the heat cant kill me here, then I can get through anything! And should we die before our journey is through... jk.

I send my condolences to my poor suffering parents, who are undergoing withdrawal. They are currently residing in the mainland of the United States after their trip to Hawaii. Poor things.

Alright, sarcasm isn't very missionary like, so I tell some incredible stories now.

Victor get baptized this week! He is way cool, but the worst part was that we forgot to take pictures... I feel really bad about it. But it is all recorded in heaven, so its all good. But my kid cant send photos to his family because of it. I am such a terrible father!

Honestly, after all was said and done (baptismal services are always stressful for missionaries it seems, as my esteemed colleague in Chile has also concluded), I was able to really feel the Spirit. It was a great experience, and I got the feeling that all of this really does matter. This young man really is going to live the gospel and stay active. He is doing this for the right reasons, and he understands. It was a real feeling of comfort and approval more than anything. The Lord loves and looks out for His missionaries, and I am so grateful to be in his service.

Josue is getting over some family opposition, but I think he is going to get baptized. I really really really really hope so. He is one of my best friends that I have had on the mission, and I want him to be able to do this. His mom is totally against it, but he thinks that if she understands, she will change her mind. So I am doing divisions tomorrow to go to another area in my district and talk to the mother. haha. True faith knows no boundaries! (thats not to say that rules don't apply. Geographical boundaries... and metaphorical, social boundaries...).

We moved this week to a smaller, cheaper house, and it is better. I think it is cooler too, but that might just be this week. We will see with time. But the best is the neighbors. The first councilor of the branch and his wife live right across the street, and they own a little shop. she lets us go in every night and make ourselves dinner. She says she is too busy, so she just gives us the ingredients and lets us work and wash the dishes. We don't do it every night because I don't want to take advantage of the situation, but I think that she would actually prefer if we did. People really have the mentality of, "I am going to get blessing for feeding the missionaries!" haha. I don't mind. But on Friday I was making the food, and using a cast iron pan... I am not used to the handles not being plastic. I grabbed it for about a split second and zap fried three of my fingers! It hurt soooo bad! hahaha. I had my hand stuck in the freezer, and I didn't know how I was going to sleep because if I took my hand out, my thumb started burning again. I'm so dumb... So I called the nurse and got some advice. I slept with a rag on my hand, and in the morning my hand was fine, and I had three really cool scars... They are already almost gone. Too bad...

Well, the work goes on, and I am as happy as ever! Healthy too! And who knows, if I get to bed on time this week with everything that I have to do, maybe I will even be wise.

Love you all so much!

Elder Kent Thalman

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