Hey everyone!

This week was a fun week for us all in the mission, since the 18th of September is the independence day here in Chile. Actually, the president asked us that we stay with members and investigators to party on the 18th, because he knew that not a lot of work would be done. So, we got together as a wawrd and had some fun getting to know each other. I ate way too many empanadas (it's like a calzone but different) and lots of steak and meat. It was all delicious, and at the end of the day I ended up with this huge sack full to the brim with bread. I still have some bread to eat from that sack, actually.

I also learned a bit of the national dance here too, called Cueca. Notable things about it is the use of a hankerchief and that most of the dance is in the legs. There is a really good dancer in the branch here, he taught me a little, but I am still very lost on how to dance it.

Aside from all of the parties and whatnot, I still managed to work this week, and found a couple of miracles along the way.

The first would be Juanito. He is the town friend- a dude who loves to socialize and knows just about everyone in Catemu on some level. We found him last week, and taught the restoration. It was a real powerful lesson, and he accepted to listen to us again after the 18th (everyone was busy until after the 18th). The 2nd lesson we invited him to church, and he actually came! It was kind of suprising, expecially condsidering that he usually goes off to play soccer with his friends sunday, but he decided to go to church instead! I saw that he was really interested in everything that was going on, and he is reading the Book of Mormon a lot. He truly has a desire to learn and progress, it makes me happy to see.

That's important to me because Catemu is a difficult area- it actually doesn't have it's own church building, and there aren't too many active members. The main member here is named Leonor. The next story will be about her, but the point I want to make is that to go to church is a real sacrifice here. It's a poor working town that doesn't have the time or money to go to church in another city too often, so if anyone comes at all it's a real blessing.

Now on to Leonor. She is this caretaker maid that is very loving, and has been a member for around 5 years. So far, I think she is the only member I  have seen at church. Yet, she is very strong in the faith, and cares for the missionaries here. She gives us lunch for like half of the week. The first week we arrived here in Catemu, she decided to invite a neighbor of hers to church- without our help. The neighbor came too! So far, I have yet to have a week without a person in church. I can see the lord working with each one of these people to guide them to us or to guide us to them.

Last miracle I want to mention for the week. We were working yesterday, when my companion says "hey, I want to go up the hill."There's a hill right next to the center of town here, and there are some houses there, but we hadn't gone up yet. We climb the hill, talk to a couple people, and head back down. We get down and literally the first person we shake hands with within 30 seconds mentions how he wants to change his life and to feel happy. His name is Elias, and he just wants to come closer to god and to stop drinking. If we hadn't changed plans in the middle of the day, we most likely would not have found this man, who had moved to Catemu literally 2 days earlier. I know the lord inspired my companion and me to climb the hill- not to meet people up there, but to put us in the path to find this other lost sheep.

Anyway, that's all I got for the week, see you next time!

Elder MacGregor