Chilean Weather Baby!!!

Hello Friends and Family!

Well this has been quite the hectic week. We have had some crazy
weather and it has rained for almost a week straight.

This week has been insane. Friday I had to go to another sector while
our DL came to do our interview for Antonia. Of course, I had to go
work with the Weird Elder. We left our house at 4:15 and went to take
a colectivo. He flagged down a number 32. I asked him isn´t it a 40
that we take to go to your house. He told me that he had been there
longer so he knew the number. Guess which number it really was... A
40!! We ended up being really far away from their house and had to
walk forever. We got to the house, I dropped my stuff and was ready to
leave. He messed around doing who knows what for about an hour. He
went to the bathroom and messed around. During this time I´m telling
him, Hey we gotta go. He finally is ready by about 6. We lost about an
hour and a half because of this stupid elder. He has 2 cambios less
than me and thinks he can boss me around. So... we finally leave the
house and we go to do contacts. He turns to me and says ¨can you
contact this house. I´m not very good at it. Can you show me an
example?¨ I ended up doing almost all of our contacts. I told him he
needed to do contacts to get better. Our lunch was kinda small so by
about 9 I was starving. I told him I was going to a negotio to buy
something and he tells me ¨no, we need to be diligent.¨ The whole time
I´m thinking, Ok and wasting an hour and a half is...? I was ready to
drop this kid. He also had on his big rain coat,rain boots, a huge
umbrella, and everything in plastic bags. It wasn´t even raining!! It
had rained in the night and the ground had puddles but it wasn´t
raining. He made sure to walk around every puddle, (he had rain boots
on up to his knees). The next morning our Zone leaders who live in the
same house asked him if we are going to do service. He tells our ZL that
he didn´t want to lose his energy for the day by doing service. I
asked him what the reason was of why he was here then if he wasn't
going to serve. He kept quiet. I was miffed at this kid. He´s really
strange and wears a cowboy hat while working. The members think he is
really weird. Even the members in our ward ask us who the Elder is
that wears the cowboy hat. I´m not sure what to do with him. We found
out he is getting transferred tomorrow. We just finished my 5th cambio.
I think I will have one more cambio with E´ Gordón.

Antonia passed her interview and Saturday we were supposed to have a
baptism. Saturday morning we had winds from 60 to 70 MPH. These
Chilean houses were being ripped to shreds. The metal wavy, roofing
was literally being ripped off of houses. The tops to the chimney
pipes were being ripped off and blown into the air. Trees where broken
off, up rooted, and destroyed. I sent some pictures of Centro De
Chillán. There were huge trees that snapped and had smashed a car. The
members all had the radio on and it was saying not to leave the house.
Our ropa lady was really worried about us. We ended up having to
cancel the baptism because no one would leave their houses. Saturday
after our mini cambio I got a little post it note that said, ¨my
brother from another mother, Elder Torgersen.¨ I opened it to see that
our bishop had given me a talk for Sunday on Fasting and a generous
fast offering. Sunday we got to church and didn´t have any power
because of the storm. I had to give my talk without our lights and a
microphone. This was my first talk where I had written something and
ended up teaching without reading or saying what I had written. A lot
of people told me after that my talk was really good and I actually
spoke perfect Spanish. I felt really calm and felt like I relied on
the spirit. It was an awesome experience. To finish it all up, We had
the Baptism after church.

Well we had an awesome Noche De Hogar with our bishop and Benjamin.
The Bishop gave me a BOM, D&C, NT, and Principles books like Ainsley´s
little Book of Mormon. They are so cool. Benjamin had a blast at this
NDH. His Parents love us and last night we went to visit him and his
dad ran over shook my hand and gave me the biggest hug I´ve ever
gotten. His parents are awesome. I think Benjamin will be an awesome
example for his family.

We are still talking to Robinson about getting baptized again. We are
going to try and baptize his daughter soon. We should have a lot of
baptisms this next month.

Last week I bought the camera I wanted. I found out the camera usually
cost $220. and I got it for $80. It was on sale on top of the discount
the member got me. She said if I wouldn´t have bought it that day it
would have gone up again. I´m really happy with it. The pictures are
amazingly better and I got it for cheap.

Well not else has happened. I love you guys and hope you all feel
better and will stop getting sick.

Con Amor,
Elder Torgersen