2nd week down

 Hello Everyone,

Busy couple  of days we have had.  I have seen a lot, spoke with even more people and am trying to do my best out here.  We had the blessing of having 2 baptisms on Saturday.  Super exciting!  I was able to perform the baptism for our friend Jose.  Super bacan dude.  The services were really good as well.  I am grateful for strong members in the ward who helped out and brought the Spirit to the meeting.  

I found a cockroach in my shirt last Tuesday.  That was a fun experience.   Also saw a tree full of big spiders.  This area is really cool.  There is a lot of dirt and dogs but it is great.  I hope you are all safe and enjoying life.  Right now I am craving Chick-Fil-A.  I know the sooner I get to work, the sooner that day will come. :)

Questions I asked that he has answered

How big is the ward/ branch?  Is it a ward or a branch? Have you had to give any talks or help out with the meetings yet?

We have a ward here.  Los Industriales.  It is fairly decent size.  Probably about 100 or so.  So far, I have only had to just show up and listen.  I have only attended 2x.

Do you have hot water in your apartment?

We do.  The way they do it here is that every home has a propane tank that heats a pipe which the water runs through.  I actually think the water pressure and temperature here is better than back home.  I won't say anything about the condition of the shower itself though. Haha.  

How are the living conditions for a lot of the people you are working with?  I know in Mexico there is a ton of poverty and In Peru too. (I just saw my dad's pictures from the trip he took in January) I also know that Chile is pretty stable and has a large middle class so just wondering what you have encountered so far.

Yeah, there are not really any homeless people.  People live in tiny houses, but I think that is more of a cultural thing.  Mostly consists of old or cheap furniture.  The walls usually need help and stuff like cracks in the tile.  Not the worst thing in the world.

Are you in the city for the most part?

Yeah-ish. There is a lot of dirt and dust.  There is also some construction going on of some nicer looking departamentos.  The main street in our sector is Linderos by the School Chile Norte here in Arica.  You can probably google map that 

Are there really a lot of stray dogs there?

Yeah, there are also a lot of dogs and dog poop.  The strays leave you alone and you just see them.  So far any dogs that would give us trouble are behind gates.  The dogs are just part of normal life.