Januray 17th

Hola,

Okay so to answer the most important question of the day. I love my new area. The barrio is called Cordillera and the city is named Chillán. It is a city a lot further south from where I was and now I am only about 1hr or 1:30hrs from Concepción. That means that hopefully I get mail faster and can feel like I am more on the "inside" of the mission. Technically I´m not on the inside but one can always hope. I know I´ll make my way down there eventually. I really like the area. The ward isn´t huge but it has some just rockstar members. I am really excited to be working here. I got here and the first saturday we had a baptism which was cool but I am glad that from now on the baptisms we will have here will be "mine".

My comp, Elder Stephenson, is from Arizona and is about a year and a half in the mission. We live in a house with two other missionaries, one from Utah and the other from Chile so we have a lot of fun in our house. It is really nice to see more than just one face all the time. While I was in San Clemente, we never had that opprotunity so it has been nice. I think I have adapted to the new sector well. I just need to take the bull by the horns and get to work. We focused this last week on finding people to teach and my goodness did we find some goldmines. I dont want to say "Jackpot" but I guess I already said it. No in all seriousness. It is incredible the things that have happened here so far and I know that it will only just get better.

I just want you to know that I am praying for the house and for grandma and grandpa (well all four of them) and I hope things are going well there in Gringolandia. Don´t let things stress yall out. Everything will happen as it is ment to. Also, dont make Kerri trunky. That will only make these last few weeks harder for her and for me as well.

Love ,

Elder McNeil

January, 11th

Bueno, first off. Mom read 2 Timothy 1:7 and D&C 10:55. Hopefully those help. Also LDS.org has articles and videos about every topic possible so you don´t need to ask us missionaries but use the resources of the church that you have at your fingertips (this is a principle that the people here still need to understand. I can´t even count how many blessings and scriptures I have had to share with members since I´ve been here). It sounds like things have been a little crazy for all of you and I hope that things calm down as fast as possible. 

Okay so as far as the packages go. A few months ago, I got the package with the CD player, then a few weeks ago I got the one with the Christmas stuff, and this week I got the one from the ward. If there are more I haven´t received them yet. Also, I just want Kerri to know that I DID get her package that she sent me and that I am more than grateful for the things she sent me. (Mostly for the Predicad Mi Evangelio that Mike gave her. That is easily my most prized possession here in the mission). 

Well I have some really interesting news... I AM GETTING TRANSFERRED!! Yup, this is my first time having to change sectors which is probably one of the strangest feelings of my life. It is really hard thinking that I am actually going to leave. So I am going to a city named Chillan which is south of where I am at but still a good distance north of Concepción. So I wont be out here in el campo anymore. I will be in the city and will have to adapt to working in the city which is really strange thinking about. I am going to miss San Clemente a lot but, hey, its a part of the mission so there is no use crying over split milk (especially when you already knew that the milk would be split). But this last week in San Clemente was probably the best I have had since I have been here. We really worked hard this week and the Lord really blesses you when you are putting your shoulder to the wheel. 

So some of the things that have happened to me this week. Random people who I have never met before came up to me to tell me that I have the aura of a good person (these weren´t crazy people either). Basically people like me for no reason in particular which made me feel pretty good. Also, we got a history lesson from one of the oldest members of the branch who showed us around some of the most important historical places out here in San Clemente. We were given free popsicles a few different times. There is this one kind of popsicle called Lenguix which as you eat it turns into jello and it starts to look like a tongue which was an interesting experience. Also a random mentally handicapped man ran up to me and gave me a hug. Also we got stranded in one of the farthest parts of our sector so we had to borrow two bikes from a member and ride 15 kilometers in less than 35 minutes to make it to our house on time which was fun although I still don't like bikes. 

Well, I will let you know all about my new sector next week and hope everything goes well for yall in the states. 

Love,

Elder McNeil

January 3rd

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Because it seems to be the topic of choice, no I didn´t feel the earthquake yesterday, well at least not the big one. We have a pretty big tremor here in the region of Maule (where I am) during Church but the Earthquake was farther south and we didn't feel anything here. It would be like if there was an earthquake in Tijuana Mexico and you feeling it in San Jose. I am going to ask if any of the missionaries further south felt it but all the way up here we didn´t feel it. (Remember that I am in the north of the mission, about 4 or 5 hours from Concepcion.) Okay I am really happy you got the package. Did anything break or was it all okay? Also I am really glad mom liked her pig.

Now on to what really matters. The baptisms. So I told you over the phone that we were only going to have two but Hilda surprised us 5 minutes before the baptisms and said she wanted to do it. Because she already passed the interview AND the font was already filled AND we even had two extra dresses, she got baptized too. So that was my first family that I have baptized. I´ll send pictures when I can. I don't have the cable to my camera or an adapter for my memory card so I just have to cross my fingers that I can find a Ciber with a slot for SD cards.

So to explain what happened with the P-day situation; We had two P-days the week of Christmas (Monday and Saturday because it was Christmas). Then a week later, New Years Day was also a P-day. Everything was closed on New Years so we couldn't actually write then so we were given permission to write today. Unfortunately, we don't actually get a pday this week. We just have to wait until next Monday which also happens to be transfer day so if I am getting transferred it is going to be just as busy as a normal work day, if not more.

So New Years, we had a bar-b-que with all the missionaries in Talca and watched some movies. I really love the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox. It is really freaking funny. We also watched the RM which makes me really not want to come home from my mission... EVER. Well, I guess for mom´s sake I will eventually come home but I still dont wanna.
So in theory, I could get my other packages tomorrow. I obviously wont know until tomorrow but I´ll let you know.

Well I love yall and hope everything is going well for you.

Elder McNeil