Week 8: Adventures of creepy grandmas and huge completos

Allo! Check out this super handsome picture of Zach. What a stud! For reals, I am going to need to beat girls off with a bat when he gets home. That is off topic. Now to this little missionaries eighth week:

Elder Van Pelt had his first zone conference this week in Temuco and an area 70 attended. Zach was pretty well known at this conference already, he thinks it is because everyone is super excited that they have someone named Elder Van Pelt in the zone.

Elder Van Pelt and Elder Murphy have had a rough week in the area of getting people to listen to their message. He said that left and right, people are telling them "no" or ignoring them. It has gotten them pretty down, but Zach is trying to keep his head high. The only baptism that they had scheduled has backed out of it after they helped him to quit smoking. That hurt Zach knowing that the investigator was denying happiness after what he had felt through the spirit. Walking to the bus that day, he broke down and prayed to Heavenly Father, asking that they would be sent one person to listen to their message. At the end of the night they taught a family who invited them into their home and they challenged them to read the Book of Mormon. Elder Van Pelt and his companion gave each other blessings of comfort and woke up with the "clouds parted". They contacted 17 different people and 7 potential investigators. He said it felt like it went from people saying "no" to listening to them and saying "yes". Zach attributed his success to prayer and hard work, which goes perfect with the quote he sent along, "Do all you can do and when you have done all you can, pray and do more."

The shower in their apartment

Zachs favorite part of the day is his morning shower which is heated by gas. Other than that, it is pretty chilly through out the day. He said he can see his breath when he is outside all times of the day. His Spanish is getting better everyday, and even uses his daily ciesta (a time in the latin culture where everyone stops midday and takes naps) to practice the language further. He says the extra hour daily definitely makes a difference. Elder Van Pelt sure misses his junk food, and is having withdrawals from his fast food. He is trying to buy healthy food at the grocery store on p-day because he has sugar and ham sandwiches every night for dinner. He should know better because Mrs. Taryn Bodine taught him how to make a lot of food in foods class last year. Once I tell her, I think she will be disappointed. His favorite food thus far in the mission has been the completos, which are basically just humongous, giant hot dogs covered in a bunch of different things. His had mayo, guacamole, sauerkraut, and bread. Uh gross. Whatever, he would eat anything.

Zachs first mission house

The wood burning stove they use to stay warm

Elder Murphy in the study area

Their kitchen

The highlight of the letter to me this week, seems to be a trend of grumpy old grandmas. He said in his letter that this experience was more creepy to him though. Elder Van Pelt and Elder Murphy were out tracting and stopped at a house where they couldn't find a door. After much searching, Zach yelled "Allo!" (thanks to some information from Matt Anderson who also served in Chile). Anyways, an old grandma came to the window and stared at them for about 30 seconds, just shaking her finger back and forth. She then disintegrated into a pile of dust and was picked up by the roaring wind. Just kidding, but Zach is convinced that this woman has never left her house and just stands in that same spot all day looking creepily out the window because her house has no door.

Sleeping quarters

Well Zach is doing great and really loves the work he is doing. He misses everyone though a lot. Keep the letters coming (he LOVES handwritten letters, they make his day). We really miss him too here at home. My mom won't let anyone touch they soccer shoes he left in the middle of the living room, because it makes it feel like he is still here. She jokes that when he gets home she is going to scold him and tell him to pick up his shoes. This week he was visiting with a member family and heard the first song he has recognized while in Chile, by Enya. In our family, everyone knows that this is a special song because our little niece Tegan would immediately stop crying and fall asleep when we busted out some Enya for her to listen to. So that made Zach a little home sick and actually started crying at the table because of what a fond memory it is. Now he whistles and hums it everywhere he goes, so his companion is probably super sick of Enya. In closing, lets heed to Zachs advice "Do all you can do and when you have done all you can, pray and do more." What a great example!

Hasta luego! 

Victoria, Chile

Victoria, Chile

Victoria, Chile

Their church meeting house

Victoria, Chile