Tuesday, September 14, 2010

I'm definitely not in Medford anymore!!!

Alright family, I know you're going to want to know everything that has happened in the past week so I'm going to tell you the best I can and not forget or leave anything out. First, thank you Mom and Dad for the greenie package. I loved it, and thank you for the letters also.

But, wow this place is so different from the United States! in some small ways it is the same; its weird. When I first got off the plane I could not believe that I was actually here, and there was no humidity at all but just kind of cold. There were about 12 of us going to Chile Santiago East. So we arrived and when we stepped out of the airport, there was about 6 missionaries including the APs that were there and they all ran up to us and gave us a big hug (everyone does that here by the way) and then we saw president Laycock and Sister Laycock from far away and started walking toward us and he gave us all a huge hug and his wife shook our hands. He told us that this will be a day we will always remember and to think as we drive through the city that this we be the place that we will be serving for the next twenty two months. So we got into the cars and started to drive and I was really excited at this point but also really scared about who my companion would be, we were driving in the middle of Santiago east where there where big buildings and it was a lot different than I thought it would be, when we got to the church which is right next to the temple and then they took pictures. then he talked to us for a while and it was totally awesome. he also told our group that we will be serving with him till the end which i didn't know and that Santiago Chile east was the smallest mission is the world but has millions of people. but really president and sister Laycock are the most loving people, they are so awesome and really funny. then we went into the room and said that we would meet our trainers and he said that these elders were the best, and he couldn't think of better people to be training us, so we walked in and they all stood up and president Laycock said that every night he and sister Laycock would kneel down to pray who each of us should be with.

He then started to pair us up and he called me and my companion's name we each stood up and gave each other a big hug, then we were off to our sector. I just continued asking my trainer elder Johnston so many questions, there was so much I wanted to know; by the way he is way awesome, super hard working and he totally has patience with me according to the language, he also has been out a year and this is his first time training. He is way awesome and builds me up and we both try to have fun so it's all good but it kind of stinks cause he got pneumonia last week so we didn't have many people to teach but we are building it right now. Anyways so we walked to my sector with him which is called punt alto (I'm not sure if that is how you spell it) all on the way there I looked like I was made of money compared to everyone else. lol. I had both of my luggages and everybody was looking at me weird. Now I am getting used to it, so we had to get on the metro and we went in an elevator when these two ladies told me to come on; I thought they wanted me and my companion but nope only me and so they told my companion that only I could go on there but elder Johnston said that he has to be with me always and so that was kinda weird. I don't know what they were trying to do, and it kinda freaked me out.lol. but after we got on the metro it took us 45min. to where our pensions were and we got their and the place was totally gross and apparently it was one of the best pensions out of all the ones that the missionaries stay in; it was really small too.

There was just so much happing that was just being thrown out at me and also that day I had major jet lag and super tired but I tried to push through it, I then got groceries and then went tracting which totally scared me. When we go tracting we have to stand outside and yell ¨Hola¨ so it was different and I found out the reason they do that is because everybody has a gate about 7 feet in front of their house and every fence including ours around our house are jagged and spiky so no one can get over it. so we went tracting and it went alright, I'm trying not to just sit back and let my companion do all the talking so I tried to talk but I could only say a couple words and I could not understand what they were saying at all. They talk so flipping fast and so it's going to take some time to understand them. We then visited some people and I told them that I have only been here for a day and they couldn't believe it. so they tried asking me a question and I just stood there with a retarded look on my face and had to ask my companion what they said, so it was kinda embarrassing but it's all good, so yeah I'm definitely getting used to nodding my head and saying ¨Si¨ lol.

Over the last couple days though I'm really starting to love these people it just irritates me sometimes cause I want to so badly get to know them faster. I still get to know them but only barely because of the language barrier, I am really learning a lot about the language and the people here have a lot of their own words for things that exist nowhere else.

I'm just going to mention some things that you all might want to know:

They have dryers here which stink so we hang our clothes outside, everybody has a dog and there are dogs everywhere all over the streets, food is a huge thing here and lunch is huge like elder Moony said (who I met by the way) and every time I get into someone's home they always give us juice or soda, nobody drinks water here. the biggest drink here is big 2.5 liter bottle of coca cola or doctor pepper, and I don't like either of those lol and one day they gave me so much juice I felt like throwing up and you have to drink it or else they will get offended. Another thing that is weird is that everybody comes up to us and tries to speak English to us, everybody wants to know English. they all listen mostly to English music. The food is good here also. oh and this week is their big Celebration, like the fourth of July that Shanna was talking about, so it will be fun, oh and also I have to give a talk this Sunday! They told me and my companion and I just got here, so I'm kind of nervous. My zone is also way cool, all of them are awesome, and we all give each other a hug every time we see each other so yeah I'm turning into a hugging kinda guy. When people give hugs here it's a handshake, a hug, and another handshake. Its weird but cool. My ward is awesome as well as my area. My comps last companion baptized 7 people and I'm scared I can't fill his shoes because I don't know the language, but I'm going to definitely try.

I still cannot believe that I'm out here. I'm still trying to get used to everything here. I want to tell you more but I have got to go. I hope i answered most of your questions, and I hope everyone is doing great back at home and Mom where is your e-mail for today? Oh well it's all good. I wish I could of talked about the people that I taught so I will have to just tell you next week. Dad thank you for writing Elder Bednar's talk I'm going to print it off and read it. By the way I can receive dear elders here. Give my love to all the cousins and the coffman's and everyone. I love you all.

Keep the faith, choose the right!

Con Amor,
Your Elder Pedersen

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