Singing in the rain

I'm jamming out right now to total eclipse of the heart... As you can tell. TURN AROUND BRIIIGHT EYES! Anyway... So the baptism has been postponed. Sad day. Well our branch president wants to make sure he really wants this for the right reasons. So right now we're having the elders help us teach him. We don't want him to be super attached to us. I don't know how to exactly explain it, but hopefully you get the point. Weird thing, this morning it was raining hence the subject title. Now the sun is out, so another hot day to preach the good word. Well what to tell y'all... Christmas was alright. Skype was the best part, I didn't want to say goodbye! I cried afterwards. Man, titanic is playing right now hahaha. My heart will go on! Distractions! So getting to the point, today I've now been in the glorious mission for 5 months. More time to fly by that's for sure.

Explaining the photos. There's some gifts I got for Christmas, an elder bought a skateboard and I have no idea when I'll be using that. Just silly stuff. There's an example of the deathly plates of food that I have eat. I'll be honest, I didn't finish that meal. Continued... I will write back wednesday because the president's wife is coming to my house right now so until wednesday!!!! Sorry. AHHH! Don't know what's going on, but I'll tell you later. 

Love Y'all!

Hermana Melody Anderson

 

 

Feliz Navidad! Merry Christmas!

Hello! Merry Christmas! Things are different here, but it's good. So our Pres gave us permission to stay out until midnight last night. So here they stay up until 12 and then open presents. I have no idea when Santa actually comes to their houses... Well MERRY CHRISTMAS! Oh by the way in pictures, it's not real alcohol. I love you all!!! Feliz Navidad.

P.S.I forgot to tell you that now Ivan has his baptism for the 28th of this month. I can't wait. He's so strong because he's been giving up smoking and drinking. If we have faith in the Lord everything is possible. The thing is with faith we need to act. If we act then we can receive blessings. I hope all of you have been able to think about the birth of Jesus Christ, the real reason for Christmas. Because of His birth and His life, we have the chance to change through of his Atonement. I'm forever grateful that I always have the chance to be better person everyday. I'm not perfect. I'm a missionary, but I'm not perfect. I wear His name on my heart literally, this makes me want to be better. Hope you can think of things you can change to be more like Him. BYE!

Week of December 16

Hello friends and family! This week has been pretty good. I received my packages for Christmas! Sorry Grandma, I opened yours. There was no way I could wait if I opened my dad's. Thanks mom and dad for the tampons that was prob the best gift I've ever received in my life... They actually sell them here, but thank you so much for the memory cards and SD card reader!!! I can send pictures always now. Grandma, thanks for the calendar I can always use one! And I really like the eye-shadow. Anyway, the best gift will be when I get to skype you guys! I think we're going to skype at 3 in the afternoon Chile time. Can't wait to see you!!!

Oh I recieved the packages on the 11th. The day I had the Christmas conference. Which was great, we received a pillow and a pillow-case for our gifts. It was good to hug and see my Pres, that man is so loving. Also I got to talk to Chan, apparently he's training right now. Crazy! I'm not. All of the zones performed funny numbers. Our zone sang rudolf the red-nosed reindeer and danced, I have video you can see when I come home haha. 

Well we keep working hard here. Still hoping to have a baptism with Ivan, he wants to in January. We're working for this month!! So hopefully that works out. We also had an activity with the elders in our area. We all had Santa Claus hats on and we passed out Christmas pass-along cards in the plaza. So now we have some new directions and people to visit! YAY! Hope all is well over there, we just having a good p-day today. We watched Monsters University and took a good siesta (nap) haha. My comp and I love naps on p-day! Enjoy your sleep kids. It's hot and then cold at night. Today is cold and foggy, which is odd. Anyway love you all! 

 Hermana Melody Anderson

Week of December 9th

Hello mi querido familia y amigos! I'm just great and dandy here in Lota. I'm getting more freckles on my face. Great shoe tan lines. Hot stuff. Anyway, what to tell you this week... We have a batism date with our investigator Ivan, but we'll see how that goes. A lot our investigators have a problem with the word of wisdom. Dang it. But we're working hard here, we try our best. Went to Concepción today for a doctor's appointment por mi compañera. Turns out she has a case of a cold and allergies at the same time, boo! All I hear is nose blowing. Luckily I haven't caught it yet. I don't think I will!

How's the cold? I understand the whole White Christmas thing here now. There's no Blanca Navidad aquí en Chile. It doesn't feel like Christmas here, because it's HOT. Things I miss: 1. Music 2. Sweet, sweet sleep! My left eye twitches during the day, not sure if it's stress or no sleep. But it's all good! I can sacrifice these things for the Lord. It's only a short time. Hope everyone is getting into the Christmas spirit. My comp and I really want a baptism before Navidad, but not too positive it will happen. But we have faith! The Lord knows who's ready to recieve His word.

Oh so internet is back to an hour in the misión!!! FAAAAA. Woot. How's America?? There's some strange things here folks. They sell eggs from their cars, preach the gospel through cars with a microphone blasting your ear-drums. Just funny things they do here that doesn't happen over there in the good old USA! Dad add my skype, melody-anderson!! Michael Buble is playing right now. EEEE musica, enchanta musica. "I wanna go home, let me go hooooomme..." Maybe not the best song right now. Oops. I'm here! Have a great week. I have a Navidad conferencia on wednesday! I get to see Chandler, my Nevada buddy hehe. I love you all!!! This gospel is true, I know it the more I testify of it. 

Con Mucho Amor,

Hermana Melody Anderson

P.S. Sorry no photos this week. My comp's cam broke and I used to use her camera for my SD card b/c I don't have a USB cord for my cam. Anyway, poo! I'll figure something out eventually.

Week of December 3rd

Well I found out this morning I'll be Lota for Christmas with Hna. Barrios!! Phew. I was freaking out. Life is good here in Chile. One our new investigators is really progressing. I invited him to get baptized, he didn't say no and he didn't say yes, so working on that! It's crazy though to see how the gospel can change lives. First he would never pray for us or read, but he does both. I can see the difference of light in his eyes. I know this gospel can make people happy, I'm so happy.

We didn't have a Thanksgiving here in Chile. They just don't celebrate it, but that's okay. Lately I feel like I have thanksgiving dinner everyday for lunch and I explode! I don't know if I'll want to eat when I get home. Oh so weird thing I just realized, my training as a newbie is over. No soy bebe no mas, soy un big girl now! AHH. It doesn't feel like it at all. There's still a lot to learn!

I can't wait for Christmas! This season is great to meet more families, because everyone will be together. We don't really have decorations, but the season joy is in my heart. Great old St. Nicholas! I miss listening to Christmas music with my fam-bam. It's okay I can sing for my comp! She's funny. I can really be my crazy self with her. I'm so grateful to be here, I'm sure you'll be hearing that the whole time I'm here! I love truly getting to know the gospel on a deeper level. I learn new things everyday! I know the spirit helps me speak spanish everyday. The gift of tongues is real. I know it, beacuse I experience it everyday.

Con Mucho Amor,

Hermana Melody Anderson

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello folks! Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful that I'm here serving a mission. It's definitely a growing up experience. Sorry I'm writing so late, but the interent was down here in Lota. Dad I have to pay for internet, there is no libraries here and the university is an hour away. So I'm here in a internet lab. This week we have a few new investigators. One came to church yesterday! YAY. But muchos de nuestras investigadores son flojos jejeje. Boo.

Anyway, the next cambio will be December 3rd, so I'll find out if I'm leaving to another sector or not. Wish me luck, because I don't want to have to adjust all over again. I hope I'm here in Lota for Christmas con mi amor, Hermana Barrios!! She is such an example to me, I want to teach like her.

The spanish is getting better, but I still don't know everything. Well Mom and Dad we get to skype for Christmas so make an account or have Alexi sign on so we can chat it up!! I love you all, and the more I'm gone the more I can truly rely in the Lord, nuestro Padre Celestial. My testimony is getting stronger every single day. Gracias por todo! Le amo mucho!!!!

 

Con Mucho Amor,

Hermana Melody Anderson

P.S. Dad I'm not worried about an Elder writing me who's in Panaca... Just thought it was a little funny. I got my cowboy buddies!

Elder Holland Came to Chile!

Hello everybody! Elder Holland was here in Chile, but I'm not in that area so I didn't get to see him... Craptastic! Oh well. So sorry not as cool as Miss Harmony! That's so cool that he talked to her and her comp! I'm maybe a little jealous also that she got to shake his hand.

Well anyway, one of our investigators finally came to church yesterday. I was so happy to see him walk in the chapel. It was stake conference, so it was only 1 hour. I sang in the choir. Man, singing in spanish is a different experience. Everyone here thinks I sing like an angel which is pretty funny. We also have a new investigator named Carla, tonight we have noche de hogar con ella! So hopefully that goes well.

Oh I got a package from Aunt Heather, and some letters. One weird thing: an elder from my ward in Panaca wrote me a letter haha. But hey, whatever floats his boat I guess! He just asked me questions about the mission. This week also we had a conference with our Presidente Martinez! I was able to see Chandler and talk to him for a while. I think we're both kicking off slowly with the spanish, but it's getting better! Mi español es mucho mejor con Hna. Barrios porque ella no sabe ingles! My patience is quite grand with her. Maybe even more for her!

Anyway, writing passes by when you have 45 minutes and you have to write the Pres first! I know this gospel is true and I would never give up for anything. I hope everybody is doing well. I'm still alive and kicking!

Bye! 

Hna. Melody Anderson

Paintballing!

Well this week was alright, the days just keep going by. Someone got a hold of my pin and drained my debit card. Dad, I promise I only used it once! So I have no idea how someone got it. I cried, because I'm a girl. It's not very fun having someone steal all of your money you worked hard for! Anyway, the show must go on! 

 

Today we had an activity with our zone. We played paintball! We were the only sisters who went haha. I felt pretty BA in my gear. (Beautiful American) I accidentally shot an elder in the neck... That's gonna bruise quite nicely. It's a good thing I'm a sister or else who knows what he would've done. 

 

Hmmm... I'm out of words this week. I miss my country music. It's different listening to EFY music all of the time, but it's better than nothing. Oh Tay, thanks for the pictures! I appreciate it! I wish I had more pictures of me with my family. We have some new investigators so things are good. The work is moving along. I wish I had more time! Well until next time. TTFN!

Hermana Melody Anderson