Laundry, Fleas and a day in the Andies

Hola
Hey how is everyone doing? Sounds like things are busy for all of you. They are for me too. We contact and tract for about 8 hours a day. That is what happens when you don´t have investigators, but we are working on it. We got into a home and taught a great lesson. The dad is just afraid of getting committed to the church, we will see. We don´t have another appointment with them for another week though and that gives them a lot of time to read and pray.
It has warmed up a little this week. We still don´t know what we are going to do about laundry. We will most likely have to wash them and get nails and rope and make the main room in our apartment a drying room. I had to wash some stuff the other day and it took three day to dry. Oh well so next Monday we will be up at 7 washing our clothes, we will see how it goes.
Thanks for sending that stuff. I want a lighter jacket for like preparation days and for days that are not super cold but you still need to wear a jacket. The one I have is plenty warm but it is not cold enough to be wearing it all the time. Clothes are just really expensive so thanks I hope it gets here. I haven´t gotten any letters or anything because nobody has brought it up from the mission home in Concepcion. So, I might not get it till cambios (transfers) or next zone conference. I thought Pres. Chavez might bring it up this past Wednesday when we had interviews but he didn´t, oh well. I pray it all works out and gets here. Money is just tight for missionaries down here and we have to travel a lot to go to district meetings and zone meeting every week. Thanks Mom I really appreciate it a lot you have no idea.
I haven´t fixed castidad (gnome) yet, haven´t been able to find super glue. So he is still broken. It just stinks he only made it 2 weeks and then got broken. Oh well I will live. I have so good picks of him and me that will start sending them when I get the cable.
I had a mini cambio with the zone leaders this week and so I stayed in Parral and my companion went back to Cauquenes with the other zone leader. Their apartment has fleas and they went to town on my hands and ankles. I can tell warm weather is coming. I put my flea collars around my bed and they seem to be working. Annoying little things! Well I don´t eat dinner I have a bowl of cereal for breakfast about 8 am and then we have lunch which is a pretty good size meal. It is the biggest meal of the day. We get 2 hours for almuerzo. We go eat at the member’s house then come home and take a nap. I don´t eat dinner because eating at when we get home at 10pm is too late. So I only eat twice a day but it fills me up. Don´t worry I am not starving myself or anything. I have lost weight though, I put my suit on Sunday and the pants are pretty big on me. I have to add 2 notches on my belt. I want to know how much I have lost. It is noticeable though to me least.
I am doing good, Elder Farrelly and I get along really well. We have good times. It is fun. We are not speaking any English this week so it is going to be hard, I pray for the gift and interpretation of tongues every time I pray. It will come but, you know me I am the very impatient with myself.
Today we had a zone activity and went to a lake about an hour from Parral. It was fun imagine a van the size of yours with 12 Elders 2 Hermanas and 2 large Chileans (the drivers of this shuttle van thing) all crammed into this van for an hour drive on the old Camp Ritchie road it was funny and fun. I have awesome pictures but you will have to wait for them sorry. I was actually in the Andies Mountains, it was beautiful. We just chilled, played capture the flag, Elders were doing card tricks, it was good times. I was just happy to not have to wear proselyting clothes. We had to get up at 5 though to get to Parral on time and we got back late so yes we are breaking rules but we have to email home. It was a fun trip and next week I think some of us Elders might borrow member’s bikes and go for a ride in the mountains.
Dad, here are the answers to your questions: We live in a 3rd floor apartment. We have a main room, a study room, a bedroom and a bathroom. The whole place is as big as the area of the kitchen, dining room, sewing room and desk area at home. Not that big! It is cinderblock and brick. Roads are some type of crappy asphalt and dirt. No Laundry mats they don´t exist here. The members help me, some of them. Sorry I really have to go but I love you all, time to get to work.
Talk to you later the 18th is Independence Day here, it will be crazy!
Love you all, Eric