Hey all!
This week was incredible and unbelievably wonderful and emotional and just overall nuts! So I decided to make it a continuation of the last letter, hence the subject. It was a great week though, easily one of the best I've ever had. Then it got a little sad on me towards the end.
We found a lot of new investigators this week. That's what made it such a great week. The first family we found, we found when we were walking up some stairs to a part of Conti we walk to a lot. I noticed this dirt path off the stairs that I had never noticed before, and we decided to follow it to this little town kinda thing that was on the side of the mountain and didn't have any roads or anything, just a bunch of little chilean houses in the field. We decided to contact there, and the first house that we went to let us in right away. It was an awesome young little family that's god-fearing but they don't have a religion. They were a super nice family, and even though they didn't have much they gave us juice and olives to snack on.
Then I ate an octopus!
2 actually.
They had this bucket chuck full of octopi, which I found rather odd at first, then the man (his name is Marcelo) put a bunch of the octopi in a strainer and started frying them. I had never heard of anyone eating octopi before, and I was hoping he wouldn't offer us any because I was a little concerned about how they would taste. But sure enough, he did, and so after taking pictures of us holding the little octopi (they shrink a lot when you fry them) we ate them, and they weren't too bad! They were actually pretty good, so I took another! The only weird thing for me was sticking something with eight legs in my mouth period, especially all in one bite. We left them with a pamphlet that day and came back to discover that they had actually read the pamphlet, as a family! And really thought about it and understood it! Eso nunca pasa!! They are an amazing family. We taught them lesson 1 that night and it went really well. They have a lot of potencial and would progress easily. Which I was excited for.
We also found a guy named Luís, who is super friendly and wants to listen to our message. When he let us in he told us how much he respects us and what we do and wants to hear what we have to teach him, and sadly that night we weren't able to get more than a little spiritual thought in, but we were still super excited about it because he's a great guy! He lives up on the hill and has a very nice house for Chile, I forgot what he does for work unfortunately.
We found Jesús again!! I know that sounds weird, but that's true. We found Jesús about 3 months ago (I was in my first change still) and he was absolutely golden. He let us right in and we taught the first lesson and put a fecha with him, all in the first time that we met him! It was amazing and he was super promising, then he moved to Santiago. And that was depressing. But when we were on our way back from the octopus family we found him again! Apparently he had returned and he's going to be here for a while! We didn't get to teach him again which was sad, but we were hopeful that I'd at least be able to with my new comp next change.
And then the changes came, and the changes were weird.
We got the call on Saturday night, and our zone leader told us that Elder Hadlock would be going to Panamericana in Talca (he's staying in Talca lucky sucker) and that he would be companions with Elder Castro, a Mexicano who came in my group who I get along with really well, so I was excited for him, and obviously knew that he'd be going. He's been in Conti for a super long time, at least for this mission. Then they told me that I'd be going to a branch in Paniahue in the Santa Cruz zone, and that I'd be companions with Elder Leguizamón from Argentina. Then they said that they'd be closing our sector. For those of you who don't know what that means, it means that nobody is going to replace Elder Hadlock and I when we leave, so there'll be only 4 missionaries here instead of 6. I was told that there wasn't much of a possibility that they'd close our sector, and because we were having good success lately I didn't think there'd be a whitewash either, so I was a little shocked. Apparently, two missionaries had to go home due to injury lately so there weren't sufficient to keep 6 missionaries in Conti.
But there is good news! We figured out things really quick and we're going to have the Hermanas in Conti take over these great people that we found recently, so with luck they will all still continue to progress! Just a little sad I won't be here to see it.
And more good news! I've always wanted to be in the more rural parts of the mission and participate in the tiny little branches and that's exactly what Santa Cruz is! It'll be all large fields of delicious fruit and I'll get to take more responsibility being in a tiny little branch in Santa Cruz. That's where Elder Hadlock was when he nourished the branch in perelillo back to health after the branch president was excommunicated. Apparently the fruit is absolutely amazing there and really cheap and a lot of people give you free fruit. So I'm excited for that! The only downside is that it'll be very very hot and there aren't a whole lot of people there to teach. It'll be a lot more service and a lot less teaching, but I love service so that's okay!
Yesterday and today are full of sad goodbyes, we're leaving for Talca at 6:00 this afternoon. I'm going to miss Conti a ton too, there is very little chance that I'll ever get to see it again in my mission. Conti sent us off with a bang though, with the 3 most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen in my life, 3 nights in a row. Pictures to follow. When the second one happened Elder Hadlock and I were on the side of a mountain watching the waves roll in to the beach and viewing the giant Piedra de la Iglesia and the other giant ocean cliffs from above, so that also added to the amazingness of that moment. It was the most beautiful place I've ever been in my life. Pictures to follow.
The saddest goodbye's for sure were that of Megan the Gringa, La'Cote and her family, and, surprisingly, the bishop. Last night we went to the house of La'Cote and her family to say goodbye, and it was a really special experience. Usually when elders leave that family likes to send us off with a huge party that's a liiiiiittle too much for missionaries, but last night we just ate once while the whole family went around and told us about how much of a difference we've made in their lives. I almost cried. It just goes to show you that baptisms aren't any indication of success. They said that they'd miss us a lot, and they want us to invite them to our weddings, which I found a little odd but hey it works.
So the bishop. I told you guys eariler that our relationship with the bishop was really rocky, and I really shouldn't of told you that. I really regret it, that was really stupid. I should never complain about members in my group emails, that week was just particularly frustrating. Since then, our relationship has been getting better and better. I've been noticing little things all the time that have been indicating to me that he trusts us more, but I've never really thought that he actually really liked us until last night. We passed by his house to say goodbye and take some pictures, and he and his wife took at least 2 dozen pictures of Elder Hadlock and I. At the end, he told us that it was a huge privilege knowing us, and that he would miss us a lot. He thanked us a lot for everything we'd done for him, his family, and the ward. His openness and sincerity really threw me off, and I nearly started crying. I told him that I'd be back, that one day I'd come back with my wife. He told me that that's what he wants to hear, and that when I come back I'll have a place to stay in his house. He said he really looks forward to when we'll be able to see each other again. At the very end before we left he told us that he knew why we had to go, but that he really didn't want us to. It was very touching, and I'm really greatful for my friendship with him.
Well, it was a long crazy ride here in Conti. I will miss these people and this place like crazy. I love everybody in this ward and all our friends here more than I can possibly express, and that's what's so great about serving a mission. I really love them, and it hurts leaving them, but I know that I'm going to love everybody in my next little branch just as much, and that's the great thing. Conti was a little bit of a baptism of fire for me, but I have always loved the little city, and I know that one day I'll be back. I will never forget my experiences here and how this place and these people have forever changed my life. I like to think that the 3 of us have made a difference here in Conti, as well.
I love you all, have a great week! The church is true!
Love
Elder Fox
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