Serving an LDS Mission in Vina del Mar, Chile.

Monday, March 30, 2015

Natural Disasters & A Spiritual Experience

Okay. Thoughts about R** [his new nephew]. First off I like the name. It's not boring or overused (or used at all). It's original and R** just sounds cool. I approve of the name. As for who he looks like more - I have no idea. Every picture is different so at this time I cannot make an accurate, informed decision - in other words, more picture are required for analysis ;) He is really cute though. I'm excited to "meet" him in May. Assuming Skype decides to work of course. 
 
As for answers to questions - No I did not get transfered and neither did my comp so everything is still in the normal swing of things. Yes, I did get the package. THANK YOU! OH, my comp says thank you, too. He was really happy when he found out that half of the stuff was for him. 
 
So I'm actually surprised that Mom didn't ask me about all of the things that happened / are going to happen in Chile. To sum up the current events of the past week.....Don't read this, Mom, unless you want to go into an anxious, worried frenzy. You've been warned.
 
The northern part of Chile is the most arid desert in the world (yes, more arid than the Sahara). All of Chile has been in a drought for YEARS. Well, this week we got rain. A lot of rain for a desert in a drought. Long story short - we aren't supposed to drink water from the tap for a while because the river now has a ton of harmful minerals and chemicals in it and the filtration plant isn't working now. Apparently God´s protection is real because everyone who drinks the tap water (before boiling it and adding 10 drops of bleach (yes, 10) ) gets sick immediately - except the missionaries! We haven't done anything to our water because we don't have the time and none of us have gotten sick. Farther up north in Copiapó they received the amount of rain of 1 year in one day. In that area there are no trees so with all that rain and dirt there is a ton of mud. So much mud that there are 2-story houses that are completely covered. Miracle - the chapel is the only place that doesn't have a speck of mud but is completely surrounded by it. Also the members´ houses only got a little mud inside but none of them lost their houses. Oh, and now scientists from the US are saying that northern Chile is going to have a 9.5 earthquake soon. To confirm that, one of the missionaries has been dreaming of that earthquake for a few nights now. He only dreams when something is going to happen, and it ALWAYS happens. We´re just waiting to see what the prophet says this weekend. YAY!!!
 
So now for a spiritual story. Yesterday night all of our appointments had fallen through and we were headed to our last one. They weren't there. Right as we started walking, a neighbor (member) stepped out of her house and started telling us of another neighbor whose son had died 3ish weeks ago. Apparently this neighbor se acercó (cant remember the translation of that) [drew closer] to the member about 2ish weeks ago and told her everything. The member gave her a BOM and a Liahona. After she told us all of this we asked if she had time and if she could introduce us right then. She went with us to the house and the lady came out and told us that she was reading the Liahona right then and really liked what she was reading. We shared with her a part of the Plan of Salvation and Temples. Basically she told us that she was willing to join the church if God answered her pray about the BOM - that was a mini-miracle because apparently many churches have already visited her. God 1 and Satan none!
 
So ya. This week was great fun. Every missionary and member is excited for General Conference (the members mainly because they are waiting to hear what advice the prophet has for them in this time of disasters).
 
Love ya all!
Elder Groneman

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