it was LOCKED DOWN

Hey Fam!!

So this week has been good! We got a new Elder in the pension. Elder Silva from Argentina. That means i am now the only Gringo! SO hopefully this will help even more with the whole spanish deal. Its not really a problem anymore, i say a lot of dumb things now but thats because im not taking the time to think them through so much because im speaking more fluidly. but thats slowly getting better as well. i have noticed that i am already dreaming in spanish, wich is wierd but fun! Sometimes i dream about you guys and you speak to me in spanish! So even if you cant speak it for real, you can in my dreams if that makes you feel better :)

This week we had a Talent show that we brought some investigators to. one of them did a comedy skit and the other did a sing a long to violetta. it was pretty good! we dressed up as fat people and did exercise and fake fought. 

Also, on Thursday the river came down! it was... magical? then we had a meeting in the church. Afterwards we went to the bathroom really fast and when we came out. it was LOCKED DOWN. everyone had left and there was no way out. of the church or the fence. we were alone. i will send a video of that. it was funny. at the end we called someone from the ward to come save us but i was laughing :)

It was cool this week, as i was reading the Book of Mormon in personal study time and it seemed like just about every day as we visited people i found specific uses for the scriptures that i had read that same day. that was fun. Theres no way to not feel guided when it happens so perfectly like that. Even though i didnt feel it in the moment i was reading, it was obviously happening, i wonder how often that happens, i bet more than we think.

I love you all lots and lots!

Elder Gold

The river

 Night of Talent

I wanted to swim so bad hahaha

Hey Fam!

Cambios were this week! Im staying here with Elder Rodas for at least one more Cambio in Rio San Jose. But Elder Knowles, who has been here for my whole time is finally leaving. well, left. off to antofa again! a little wierd! i think thats how its gonna be every time there is a cambio but im excited at the same time. We had a pretty good week here. We helped this less active family move into their house and then they were so happy. they came to Church again and they want us to come back during the week to dedicate the house.

Its been ridiculously hot here! i dont care what the thermometers say online or on tv or anything! The one we have say its at least over 90 every day. and this is literally the strongest sun i have ever felt. I am so grateful for sunglasses and sunblock! The good thing is that im not really getting burned that much. Its just hot. 

This week we went to a few tourist sites here in Arica right after sending off Elder Knowles in the morning. so i have a TON of pics haha. we went to a sweet beach with a bunch of caves in it and lots of tide pools and stuff. it was a good time! i love the beach. then we went to another beach after that was just beautiful.  sand for miles and miles with massive waves. it had a super slow decline too... i wanted to swim so bad hahaha. the water was like chilly without being freezing... yep. thats all.

Love you guys tons!

Elder Gold

Elder Knowles

there was looooots of blood (1/6/14)

Hello everyone!!

I hope you have all had an awesome week! Took advatage of new years day with Family, watched the ball drop or something; and ate lots and lots of deliscios food! We spent our new years in the pension! had a dinner with a family at night then they went to go watch the fireworks, we went to the pension then at 12 climbed on top of the roof to watch a little bit of fireworks and listen/watch everyone else party. suuuuper exciting! but thats ok. We didnt have to productive of a week... really hard to get appointments, but we still worked! until friday that is, we were walking over the hill to get to our sector and my comp stepped on a broken bottom of a bottle that somehow twisted and stabbed into the side of his foot, through his shoe, and like another inch. that was interesting! there was looooots of blood. we hopped him down the hill to a members house as he is bleeding and dying of pain, bandaged him up then went back to the pension. so he couldnt walk friday or saturday and not much on sunday either. Friday i worked with another elder in our house in my sector and saturday we worked in theirs. so i wasnt dying to bad of boredom. I was grateful for that. but my comp was going nuts. sometimes after working lots and lots you think it would be nice to just not do anything, but you can only sleep and read scriptures for so long. and we have nothing else. So! this week should be a good one! with all sorts of motivation! The Vargas family are officially moving to santiago, they leave wednesday. I really think they are gonna join the Church, he just didnt want to do it when they were gonna move. So im happy to have been able to help them even though i didnt get to baptize them. im going to have to make sure to stay in good contact with them. Its so crazy sometimes just the apartness of being a missionary. but it is also something totally unique and beautiful. im so happy to be able to do this. Life is good.

I love you all like crazy!!

Elder Gold