<Insert from our previous email - We've heard how warm the Chilean people are from various individuals so I'm sure you will experience lots of good-hearted people when you're there.>
I have only heard good things from people about Chile except from Elder Weeter but I think that he is just wrong.
<Insert from our previous email - Maxine called a while ago - I had it on speaker and she had Dad almost falling off his chair laughing. Not that she was telling jokes, of course. It's just always a bit of an adventure talking to her. She always asks about you though and is so proud of her nephew!>
I am sure I would have loved to hear that conversation with maxine but alas...
I am so looking forward to getting to meet my Mission President and my trainer in two weeks. I just hope my trainer is good (obviously) but I think that the trainers are usually good so I am not too worried.
I have not been doing anymore nightly exercise because the elder I was doing it with gave up, but I have been playing volleyball almost everyday so I'm still getting exercise. I'll just wait till I'm in the field to do more.
I'm glad to hear that you got my letter and all my pictures cause I didn't want to have to deal with that.
Yes, I have been back to the temple, in total since I got here I have done 3 sessions and I really enjoyed them. Before this week I could go every week but the temple is closed for cleaning now, so I can't go anymore.
Both of my teachers are gone now, Hermano Heap last week and Hermano Rapp left this last Monday. They both play the role of investigators every couple days for each companionship so its like you are teaching real people and they never talk about how its going. Its really interesting that you know these aren't real investigators and yet you still grow really attatched to them and want them to progress.We don't teach any non-members at all, but every week we do the TRC and during that you teach either 2 x 20 min lessons or a 40 min one (we are on 40 min now) to a member that volunteers to come in and its really cool. I think it will be a big adjustment in Chile, but not enormous.
Apparently all the international missionaries get to go to Temple Square to see theChristmas lights but Canada is not actually considered international (Super Lame).
Also we are doing a Christmas exchange here with our district and I made Elder Parker (my person) a fruit loop necklace and I think that he is going to love it. Also, my advent is nice as a supply of continual amount of candy.
Here are my travel plans straight from the sheet.
Salt Lake- Los Angeles 7:10am- 8:20am Jan 2
Los Angeles- Lima Peru 11:50am- 11:25pm Jan 2
Lima Peru- Santiago Chile 8:15am- 1:40pm Jan 3
Santiago- ANTOFAGASTA 4:00pm- 5:55pm Jan 3
Nothing but the most expensive flights for us missionaries (chiste (joke)). I have no way to be able to tell what times those are in Alberta so you will have to do that yourself as homework but I was thinking I would probably call around the middle of the layover in LA 8:20-11:50 am. That would probably be the easiest for me. And yes, I think that is about 33 hours of travel time with only 15 hours of flights...FUN : (
Till next week (my last letter in America)
JORDAN mccaskill