Happy Thanksgiving from Chile

The last couple weeks have been nuts crazy.  My Spanish is a lot better now that I have a Latino companion.  It was pretty awful at the beginning, and I had a headache all the time, but now we're all good.  I'm starting to think in Spanish, which is really weird, and I'm starting to dream in Spanish, which is even weirder.  Especially when people in my dreams speak Spanish but don't actually speak Spanish in real life.

Elder Beirouti and I are finally reviving the work here in Libertad 2, Puerto Montt.  This week we had our first investigators attend church, and our first investigators with a baptismal date.  Awesome.

I wish I could tell everyone all the funny stories that happen but I only have time for one.  My companion and I were waiting at a gas station for a member of the Church, when a crazy bum walked up to us.  He was carrying in his hands a broom handle and picture of a cruise ship with a calculator as part of the picture.  And he would just not leave us alone.  When you're a gringo in Chile, especially a missionary gringo, all the people think you have tons of money.  It's just a culture thing I guess.  But the result is that all of the bums and drunks accost you in the street looking for handouts or whatever.  But anyway, this bum approaches us rubbing his hands together, motioning for us to give him money.  And when we don't give him money, he shows us his wallet, which is empty except for a single American dollar and a picture of a lady holding a wad of cash.  Then he starts punching numbers in his calculator, showing us his math, the whole time babbling in a mixture of Spanish and crazy-bum-talk.  Either way, I had no idea what he was saying.  Elder Beirouti took a few steps away, looking for the member, and left me to entertain our bum friend.  He babbled some more and did some more math, and then I finally told him I would change his dollar if he left us alone, because we were waiting for someone.  He cackled and agreed, so I gave 500 pesos for his dollar.  Then he stuck out his grimy hand, and I reluctantly extended mine, but he swiped his away and cackled again and walked away.  And now that dollar bill is in my journal for a recuerdo.

On a more spiritual matter, this week we taught an investigator who was out of work.  He and his girlfriend live in a house that is nothing more than a room, about as big as a modest college dorm, with one stove, a cabinet for dishes, a cabinet for clothes, and a mattress in the corner.  It was amazing how humble and spiritual this man and his girlfriend were.  We are working with the local Church to provide them with help in looking for a job, and we are teaching them the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The other day we had a lesson and they shared their desire to learn the word of God, from the Bible and the Book of Mormon.  So we shared with them the Sermon on the Mount.  It was incredible how strong we felt the Spirit.

Pictures:

The view outside our apartment.

The view at night.

My companion, Elder Beirouti.

A member family that gifted us with lunch.

On last Monday we got to go to see a scenic view, los Saltos de Petrohue.

If you want to send me a letter my address is:

Elder Thomas B. Crotzer
Mision Chile Osorno
Casilla 7-0
Region X
Osorno
Chile

If you write me a letter, I'll write you back!  I love to hear from you guys!