Aug 22, 2011

All is well here. I love the work and speaking in spanish and all that jazz because it's the best.

Still no penguins. I guess I have to wait like another month. My second p-day so far has been pretty boring but we are going to go shopping and have an activity and stuff later. so that should be fun.

Umm okay so stories. We have a few really good investigators and some that aren't as awesome but still good. We found a family of 5 that live right next to us and they are all able to be baptized, they aren't to that point yet because they haven't gone to church or anything but they are living the right way and all of their kids are older than 8 and they all were present for our lesson so it was pretty cool to have that happen. Besides them we have a couple who are named Andres and Rachel, she is from seattle so speaks english and was part of some religion previously so it's cool teaching them she says she's curious about learning more about our church and they both came to church yesterday so that was cool. She asks some super deep questions too we were just teaching our first lesson with them but had to pull out like all of our information to answer the questions she had. Obviously we weren't able to answer all of her questions in that amount of time so we have more lessons set up for them. I just decided to change the saying "curiousity killed the cat" to "curiosity baptized the cat" because that's usually how it goes from conversion stories like "yeah I was curious and wanted to see what it was like and they got me!" so hopefully that's how it goes with Rachel and Andres. We taught him before her so we had a baptismal date set up (which is not going to happen but it was a goal for his preparation and we're working on it) but when I commited her to baptism she said "But I don't want to like set up a date" and she said it about two seconds before my companion would have tried to commit her to a date. But it was cool and they are good people.

We've found some other people as well and there is going to be a baptism in two weeks for a guy who's name is Mario Varas and has been taught for a long time (so it's not my baptism) so we're super excited for him because he had to stop smoking to be baptized and they did some Preach My Gospel activity with him and he has quit smoking cold turkey but doesn't feel anxiety about it or anything so it's cool stuff.

There's a recent convert here that I think Dad would like. His name is Ian and he is basically hilarious, yesterday he gave a talk and used a quote from the song Imagine (the one by John Lennon) and he plays the guitar and stuff so yeah he's cool. ummmm other stories. Ohh yeah so basically like the things you don't want to happen on your mission have happened already to me. Like being bit by a dog or having awkward contacts like the one I told you last week or being rained on all day... All that fun stuff has happened to me and my companion like everytime has said "That didn't happen to me for the longest time!"  (Okay so side note this country is soooo stuck in the 90's. It's hilarious. With the Dragon Ball Z and Simpsons and all of this music like styx playing right now) Okay so yeah uhhh My mission is awesome.

Okay so another story. Last night we contacted this old guy and we started talking but he interrupted us and said "you want to know why I go to church?" and we were like well yeah and he told us this story about how in jail he saw a spirit (he thought it was Jesus but it wasn't and you'll see why now) and the spirit reached out to shake this guys hand but their hands passed through each other and then in some other experience the clouds opened and he saw another spirit come out of the sky with a beard like waist length and he said he told people the story but they never believed him and we were like "we believe you but we know that Jesus has a body so we believe you saw SOMEbody but it wasn't Jesus" but we didn't explain all of that to him but got his address and stuff but it was like ¿Whaa!? and it was awesome because we talked about it afterward how you can tell whether apparitions are from God or the Devil by asking to shake their hands and if they are Angels they will decline to shake your hand, if they are devils they will try to shake your hand and you won't feel it, and resurrected people (like Jesus) you'd be able to feel their hands so yeah. It was pretty cool. I think we're going to work something out to send you pictures but I totally forgot my camera (fail) so We're going to figure something out with my companions camera. and it'll work well. Because I said so. Besides that I don't really know what else to talk about. I've felt like I could go throw up if I chose to basically since I got here but I don't feel sick... So I don't know what's up but I think I'm fine. Hopefully there is money in my bank account because I am going to go try and get some to buy a scarf... because I need one. So yeah. Heads up on that because I need to go work that out today in a couple hours... But hopefully nothing has been taken out since our phone call in LA so I should (key word should) be okay. =)

So I have been told by a member here (and I won't lie I just looked) that my Blog hasn't been updated since June 14th.... Just saying. Haha. I guess people would like to see that. The guy who told me is basically awesome. He should have gone to the MTC a while ago because he's been called to serve in Mozambique but he hasn't gotten his visa to the states so he spends his time going to teach with the missionaries, watching tv in english (because he speaks basically perfect english) and checking out facebook. His name is Oscar so if I have recieved friend requests from any oscars you can accept it haha. He also complimented me on my spanish because I speak it super good (apparently.... everybody says that.) he heard like a contact or something the first time he came with us and his first response was "Really Elder? You ONLY had spanish in school?" and I was like "yeah for 9 years" and he said "well everybody here has 12 years of english but does anybody speak it? No!" And then I was like ohh... well dang. But it's just the gift of tongues. Stake pres said I would see it so yeah. I'm rockin the gift of tongues! Baha.

Okay really I think I have told you everything interesting. But wait. I've had a revelation (not really but you should think that) I think as a family we've kinda sucked at keeping the sabbath day holy. especially the last few years. And since i'm a professional testimony bearer at this time I think it's important for you all to know that I think that is something we can all do better because Preach My Gospel teaches that when people don't sanctify the sabbath day Every part of their lives are negitively affected. So yeah... I think if that is made better things will work out better with everything (like axiom and money and all that) so yeah.

I hope everything is going well for all of you. I hope the Grandparents are all well. I love you all and hope that you are all safe, happy, and healthy.

-Elder Bassett

P.S. My companion thinks I'm an agent from the matrix. Because I can quote the "Mister Anderson" really well... So yeah. I'm awesome. And I will work on getting you pictures today and next week!

Aug 15, 2011

So hopefully I will answer all of your questions. I've been given new rules about the email thing (which I think are kind of lame but whatever I'm not the boss) and I can only write one email home and then one email to the mission pres. We`ll see how that works out. But I have been given 45 minutes instead of 30 which is much better. because the 30 minutes was definitely not enough time.

So monday is my p-day now which is kinda nice it's like a long ish weekend. I believe I'm  hours ahead of you so it's 10:50 ish where you are. I think. cool beans.

Anyways... So yeah I have my assignment to Punta Arenas (and you should be getting a letter sometime from me saying as much, I knew that p-day would come before the letter did though) and it's sooo cold down here. Which makes sense since i'm almost in Antarctica. I´m closer to Antarctica than I am to Osorno actually.. I think... But I don't know.

So yeah it's pretty cold down here but whatever I just wear my coat like 24-7 and gloves, and a beanie.. my suitcase had to be sent down here without me though because I was only allowed to take one with me on the airplane. So right now I don't know where it is but I believe I will be able to pick it up tomorrow, which will be excellent! It's really cool being here though, I saw the southern cross for the first time ever the other night (north = northern star, south = southern cross. just sayin) so that was cool and everybody drives like crazy people and they don't really enforce the laws as far as I've seen like we haven't worn seatbelts since I got here.

As far as the language goes I'm a boss. Jk. But really. The first day here I understood 95% of what the latino missionaries were saying and about 85% of what the other latinos were saying. It's almost like everybody has a lisp here, not like in spain where they use the th sound instead of the z or c it's like they leave off s's. like instead of saying "seis" they say "sei" and a lot of people mumble so you have to put your ear like 6 inches away from their face but it's chill. I am able to carry on conversations with people and understand basically everything except the random word or 2 that I don't know. but instead of looking dumb and asking "what does that mean?" I look dumb and like don't give a direct answer. I usually shrug and say i dunno. or just no. Then random things happen like the lady at the cash register giving me 1 peso. which is worth...... like less than 1/2 of a penny.... yeah. then my companion explains what just happened but whatevs the 1 peso is kinda cool. super tiny. and worth nothing. i'm awesome.

Ummmm what else has happened. No I haven't seen any penguins yet they come around in october. so i'm stoked for october. and condors.. I haven't seen them either but one day I will. Oh yeah. My trainer (or "dad" as the missionaries call it) is pretty chill. he's from Wyoming and his name is Brandon Galovich. So the chileans have a hard time saying it but it's kinda funny. But yeah he's cool. our zone is really cool too. we just went ice skating for a zone activity. I took pictures. But I forgot the little plug thing sooo you'll have to wait another week for those pictures... Baha. sorry. but yeah.

There's a lot to tell. Oh yeah the other day in the store i saw a lady who looked almost exactly like jessica (my cousin) except her face was like longer. weird stuff. and we were doing contacts and this guy thought we were spies sent to check out the area and that America has secret technology that causes earthquakes and volcanoes and thunderstorms and stuff. it was funny. aannnnd Okay yeah last night (this is the most awkward thing so far) we were doing contacts (like usual) and we were talking to a drunk lady and when we went to shake her hand she like grabbed my companions hand and rubbed it and i was like "weird..." in my head but then she grabbed my hand and like rubbed it and kissed it. then I was like "whaaaa!?" and we walked away and my comp was like "she kissed you! she kissed you!" and it was awkward. :/

That's like all I can remember... Church was cool. Our bishop is only 26 and he's pretty cool we had lunch with him yesterday. We've taught a few people but there's only one that's like "my investigator" all the others have been being taught for a while but we just started teaching this guy like friday we did our first lesson with him and it was sweet. He didn't come to church because (I guess) he thought it was later even though we told him it was at 10:00 so he missed it but we went to see if he was home beforehand and his girlfriend (who is from seattle so we spoke english with her) said he was at his mom's house but next week she wants to come "check out" what our church is like and we were like "sweet!" kus we didn't even ask her before she said that. So it was cool. The work is growing in the area. the goal for the whole mission is at least one baptism per companionship every month. so like 85 new converts throughout the mission everymonth. so that's cool.

It's good to hear that the boys will be doing something besides sitting around. Football is alright. But band was better. Just sayin. I hope they do good in School and aren't bums. The injector thing sounds pretty cool I hope that's working out well. I hope work and axiom and everything goes well. ummm Yep I think that's like all that I have to say... I'll think for a second... That's really about it. The flight was super long but I slept through some of it. which is about all I could do because we can't watch movies and the people watching movies in front of me... They were horrible movies. Either that or I'd seen the movie before (like thor and fast five. They had Kung Fu Panda 2 on the plane also but nobody around me watched it)

The keyboards here are awkward everything is put in a different place... It's weird but i'm almost used to it. All of the music in chile is either spanish rap or English. I've heard everything from Journey to the beatles to michael jackson just today. So it's pretty cool. Even though I can't listen to that music.

Yep that's all I can think of. Nothing super crazy. No baptisms for me yet. Oh but hey! Dear Elders DO get sent to me. and it's free for people who do it. I figured that out the first day when they handed me one from Michelle. So that was cool.... and that's it. So you can all email me back. Talk to you next week!

P.S. I just remembered. Everybody here likes Dragon Ball Z and The Simpsons. I thought it was pretty hilarious. I've probably seen 12 z´s graffitied on the walls Baha! Just thought I'd throw that in there. 

Aug 4, 2011

I'm sooo Stoked for having that long of travel time! actually i'm just a little nervous apparently people try to pick up my luggage for me and then ask me for $100 (which i for sure don't have) and the chilean airport has a tax ($140) that the church will take care of so Hopefully all goes well in that arena! Ya never know... :/

Uhhhhhh yeah that's all. i'm packing all my stuff up so i'm excited to get outta here!

I'll send some pictures home for you guys. Kus i can. :D so yeah love you talk to you whenever my next pday is! (which means y'all should write me early so I don't have to miss your emails the whole week.!

Love you tons. Good luck with all the stuff.. especially work! Talk to you sometime in the next week. Oh yeah. Like Monday, I get to call you from an airport so i'll probably do it in the morning! so talk to you Monday!