James Biesinger: Feb. 23, 2015

Saludos de Playa Ancha!

So I am loving my new area. It is a different world. It's so cool, but it has taken some getting used to. When I got to belloto from home I thought, wow it's humid. But the humidity in quilpue is nothing compared to the coast. The mornings are cold and foggy, it's hard to get out of bed. Then by the time the sun overcomes the fog it's a sauna for a few hours until the wind picks up off the ocean and cools everything off to start the night again. Sometimes it's so humid that it is like its raining. The seasons are all confused down here. Everyone keeps telling me that this is not normal at all.. that the seasons shouldn't be like this. I just smile and think well ya. ha But It was cool this week we were working with some members doing some visits and all of a sudden I realize that there is a tree filled full of parrots. ha Yeah so I saw my first real life parrot that doesn't live in a cage. They are super pretty they are not all different colors they are just green but still super cool. The other day there was like 4 or 5 on a fence and I wanted to take a picture, but right before I could a car drove past and they all flew away.

Another thing is how crazy the structure of this city is. Valparaiso is the city of Hills. But when I say hills you need to imagine the steepness of maple mountain, and that the flat parts are just the tops of the hills and that they run out to the sea and there are buildings on every square inch. Even in the canyons that are almost straight up and down the people build houses, and houses on top of houses using stilts to keep them level on the way down the edge and even houses and roads in the bottom of the canyons, and then there is stairs and trails in every direction. That is the best way I can describe it for now. It's amazing the impression it leaves. But hiking all over maple mountain everyday looking for people to teach has helped me to lose a little weight. Not only that but the people are of every kind so you always gotta be careful, some will want to ask you for drugs, to marry them, or who just wants to argue. hahah This week I was talking with the husband of one of the sisters in the ward he is not a member because he likes his wine to much or something like that I'm not really sure, he lives in the area of the sister missionaries, but we started talking and it turns out he is a hunter. He showed me his shot guns and his dogs and gave me a Chilean hunting rules book. It was pretty cool.

This week we have been able to find a few investigators shouting at doors. We found Manuel a 17 year old kid he is reading the Book of Mormon, and it will be cool to see if we can help him and his family progress. Luis is another one we found, about 70 years old, lives alone, his wife passed away and he read Alma 40 so hopefully we can get him interested in the plan of salvation. Last night the member that we were doing visits with called us, and said that they were able to visit one of the other families. That only one of them is a member, and that they want to learn and be baptized so we will be visiting them this week. The only name we know from that family is Claudio he is the 9 or 10 year old son.
I'm super excited for this week we are going to try to put some baptismal dates in the street. ha but I love the mission.

So this morning we went to a cemetery where there is a lot of imagantes barried in translation it's name is more or less the cemetery of imigrants. In this cemetery is where the son of Parley P Pratt is buried so I'll be sending pictures of that. Also the majority of the cemetery was in English and German. I looked for last names that would be familiar I found a Schmidt (idk if thats how its spelled Anna and Ryan or not I forget half the English language.) I also found a Searle. I'll send pics. But if anyone wants to do some research the Cemetery is Called Cemeterio de Disidentes. I found lots of German last names that end in Singer. It was pretty cool. Also we went to the place where one of my favorite things started the Chorrianna the restaurate is called J. Cruz it was pretty good.

But I'm having a great time thanks for all the love and support have a great week everyone!

Chaou,
Elder Biesinger