What, What What???

Dec 30, 2013

Dear Family and Friends..

What what what?? Transfers and I am headed out?? What a sad Christmas present! Chau (bye in Chile) Valdivia!! Hermana Espinosa is going to train a new sister, and I am being sent down more south to be a sister training leader in Osorno. (There are six sister training leaders, and I was the Northern STL but now I´ll be the STL in Centro)  I am bummed to leave Valdivia, because I have never been such a short time in one area (with all the exchanges I was here about three weeks at most) but at the same time, I am thrilled about being in Centro, in the area of Rahue Alto, because guess what?? I get to go on exchanges with the sisters in Purranque and in Barrio Centro, so I get to go back to all of my old areas!! wheeewww!!! And also, we have to travel via plane every six weeks to go to Coillaque, more down south. So it´s going to be another six weeks of adventuring.

But merry Christmas everyone!!! I had a thoroughly Argentinian and Chilean style Christmas. We worked all day, taught a mountain of lessons (that´s a phrase here, un montón de algo jaja) in the street, on the doorstep, and then went back to our apartment to celebrate Christmas south American style (we had our cena at ten at night, but here they celebrate Christmas at midnight on the 24th,open their gifts and then sleep ALL day on the 25th!) Hermana Espinosa made me fruit salad and empanadas (YUM) and I gave her gifts, and then in the morning I gave her a Christmas thoroughly gringo with a HUGE smile and a stocking filled with chocolates and gifts "HERMANA!! FELIZ NAVIDAD!!" and she looked at me groggily as I had a huge grin, sang, and made her open the gifts. She laughed, opened them, and I had way too much fun. 

But It has been a really special transfer, where I have learned much, and have seen pure miracles in the sector here--people have come out of nowhere and pure hard work, and I feel good about the base of people and the work I am leaving here. 

I love you all!!

Hermana Monroe