I LOVE CONFERENCE!!!

Hello Friends and Family!

Well, what a week. I always love the week of conference. This week had
been a little slow for us as far as teaching. We ended up doing a lot
of contacts out in the rain. We were able to find a couple new
families.

Monday after I had written you guys my comp wouldn`t talk to me. I
have no idea what I did or said but he just wouldn`t talk to me. Then
all of a sudden, Tuesday we wake up and he`s acting like nothing
happened...? I really think he`s bipolar. He`s all over the place as
far as emotions. It is really kind of difficult to work with him. I
had decided this week that I`m not gonna let his emotions and attitude
affect our work. I have decided that It is really hard to look and act
happy all the time. But if people see us and we are moping around it`s
gonna make us look by. Like I`ve always heard, fake it till you make
it. Even if its a slight fake happy. I`m going to be happy. Then...
Elder Uchtdorf basically summed it up for me... I`m not gonna have any
regrets on the mission and I`m going to be happy all the time. Like he
said ¨We determine our happiness.¨ I`m also gonna make sure that we
stop to help people with whatever thing even if we have a lesson.

This week end we had to take the 45 minute bus ride into Chillan to
the stake center. There, all of the missionaries and all of the wards
met to watch all of the sessions of Conference. We had a separate room
where it was being played in English. About 7 of us elders and 2
sister missionaries where in watching it in English. We all just about
freaked out when he announced the age being 18. We pretty much knew it
was coming because here in Chile you can leave when you are 18. We all
about died when he said that he was changing the age of the sister
missionaries also. I thought that was crazy. I really think it is a
great idea. We did get to watch a little of the press conference. We
all thought it was really cool. I think it will be great. I really
think it will increase the number of missionaries to serve. Let me
tell you I was on the edge of crying this whole conference. The Talks
were amazing and there was lots of really cool news.

Well, I`m not going to say what I think about what Ethan should do. But
I am going to say... Either way it is now, He`s going to need a lot
more preparation. It doesn`t matter if he leaves right away or waits
but He`s going to need some serious Preparation. I feel like I could
have prepared better for my mission. I would have at least read PMG a
couple times more. Now it is going to require a lot more preparation
from the young men and especially the young women. I feel like it was
a really good move to lower they age for the young women. That way
they can still serve and get home and get married. Only a year and a
half for girls 19 years old is perfect.

We did end up getting two people to the conference. We, along with the
ZL`s were the only missionaries to have people in church this weekend.
It was really awesome. We were the farthest sector away and we were
one of the only ones to have people there.

We ended up coming back to Coihueco to watch the priesthood session
here in our capilla. How do you say capilla in English... Uhhhh I`m
forgetting English. It ended up being a bad Idea. The Internet here
was really slow and we could either hear the talks but not see them or
we could see them and not hear them. We ended up not hearing almost
half of it and we had to watch it in the presidents office. We had 11
people crammed into a little room. It was quite funny.

I was really hoping that the talks would be online today to print
off but they are only ready to download. Guess ill have to wait till
next week.

Tell Ethan his picture was sick. That`s so awesome that the lady got
the picture perfectly. That is so cool. I wish someone was following
me with a camera so they could record or take pictures of cool stuff
I`m doing. I guess I`ll have to do it myself. I did get a free suit
the other week. Our branch pres found a bag of suits, ties, and pants
in the church and he gave me a grey suit with pin stripes. It is
pretty dope. I got it dry cleaned for free too.

Tell Grandma and Grandpa Kratchen they cant close the Restaurant until
I get home and can eat my last Pork sandwich and a couple rack of
ribs. Tell them if they close it they have to give me their boat to
make up for the sadness I'm gonna have because I can`t eat pork
sandwiches and ribs.

I am planning on using my football this week. I taught a couple kids
in the street how to throw a football. They had bought a piece of crap
rubber football in Chillan that probably cost a ton and were in the
street playing with it. I walked up, and their mom said something with
¨Mormones¨ and walked inside. Next thing I know the dad is outside
with the wife. I taught them how to throw it, threw it around with
them a couple times and then left. The dad was behind us and I could
hear him say, ¨oh, he`s only teaching them how to throw it.¨ It was
really kind of funny. But that lead on to our idea of having an
activity to teach how to play football. I really hope some people show
up.

I found out I can buy pepper here but it is really lame. I have been
using it like crazy this week. Chilean spices  and cooking methods
include, Sal, Oregano, aceite, y limon. I`m just about sick of eating
spaghetti, lentils, and pure con pollo. I could really use a
cheeseburger or even just a taco. But seriously like 5 bags of seeds
would be great. I need something to munch on. Everything cheap here is
really greasy and fattening.

Well not much else is happening. I have a mini cambio with My district
leader, who`s comp is the ZL. They are teaching close to 30 lessons a
week. I`m hoping he can teach me their secret. We also have A
conference this wed. Well Thank you all for everything. I love you all
and miss you tons.

Elder Torgersen