November 22, 2010

"Please feel free to send Elder Dastrup a Christmas Card soon....it takes about a week and half to get to the mission home and should cost $1.20 if it is larger then the normal size letter envelope which costs .98 cents to send...we know he would LOVE to hear from you"

Hey Everyone,
Had another good week and it is looking like if I have 6 more weeks here we are going to have a few baptisms. We are on fire right now! We confirmed Laura this last week and I have a story about that but here is the short version, we had a baptism last week and Sunday was the confirmation. We got to church and I asked her who she wanted to confirm her and she said me! So I mentally prepared myself and we get up to the stand in front of everyone (120 people in our ward) and the mission leader starts doing the confirmation! What the heck!!! I'm never going to confirm anyone! These last 2 weeks or so we have just been finding people like crazy and they have actually been doing their compromises. I feel like the sector will have 5 or so baptisms in the month of December and hopefully a baptism or two the 19th of December (moms birthday) because it is a Sunday. Also the 26th is a Sunday so if we are here we are going to try to baptize somebody Saturday the 25th...Christmas Day. I am really excited for this next week, I feel like we are going to have a ton of success and we are really in a groove right now. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to leave and know a different part of Chile but I could definitely wait another 6 weeks. We have transfer next week so I will know next Monday if I am leaving, and if I am leaving I will leave Tuesday in the Morning. I have been really blessed in this sector and I couldn't have asked for a better start to the mission. I have had a lot of experiences here and I don't think I will ever be able to forget my first sector in the mission.

Today we played soccer and I had 2 goals!! We played against the other zone of missionaries in Chillan and we lost horribly but we played a game of basketball afterwards and we destroyed them, so it's all good. I am starting to lose a little weight and get a tan (or sun burnt) because it is really starting to heat up and the Sun down here is devastating. I have heard Chillan is the hottest part of Chile and December, January and February are the hottest months down here so if I get transferred it will be a blessing in that sense. What else...I am working really hard with the language and if I have another transfer with Elder Gil I feel like my Spanish will be pretty solid. I am starting to wake up at 6:30 (usually we wake up at 7) to have another extra 30 minutes to study and I still have a ton to learn. I actually like studying here and I am learning a ton. Anyways, I am doing really good and I have a lot of energy and excitement to work these next couple of months, hope everyone is doing well and if anyone has any questions send them to my mom and she can send me them. Love you guys...Have a good Thanksgiving and save me some pavo! (turkey)
Yours Truly,
Elder Cody Dastrup