Good week in River of the Hand

I love being a missionary. 

This week was Halloween.  This being Chile every one got work off. And not a single soul celebrated the holiday.  Just a good excuse to do nothing.  We did find a family who was out trick or treating.  Elder Ackerman gave them a full sized snickers.  Thats one of the cool things about being in Punta Arenas, you find all of this awesome food in weird places.  Punta arenas gets almost all of the food from outside of Chile, so i have gotten a nice change in my diet. 

We sang in the cemetery this week for the day of the dead.  All of the missionaries in Punta Arenas got together, and with the accompaniment of Elder Jepson who plays the Violin like a master, we rocked everyone socks off.  it was a good activity and we got a lot of people to listen to us after ward.  And the Cemetery boss bought us all empanadas.

This week we had a competition as a District on who could get the most contacts.  Loser makes the brownies for the District meeting. Our district consists of The zone leaders, Elder Nielson and Elder Crockett, the Hermanas, Hermana Llanos and Hermana Estrada, and us.  Its a good District.  I like how we are working.  The zone leaders lost the competition though...  They didn't have an oven though so we are going to be eating stove top brownies.

 This week i did my first baptismal interview.  One of the coolest experiences.  I just got to hear this guy who was just converted red hot testimony.  The fun part was that i had to fill out everything on his baptismal record, even the signature at the end.  He didn't have any fingers.  Such a cool guy though.  

We had three investigators in church.  Its was awesome.  We had Jovita, who is the mom of a recent convert and is waiting for her husband to get back from fishing to get married, we had Oscar, who is waiting for his wife to get a divorce finalized, and we had Veronica, who is also waiting on a divorce.  So many things too get done here, but it feels good.  I love my companion, he is sucha good guy.  I have been really blessed with great companions.  This is an awesome opportunity that i have to be in Punta Arenas again.  I know there is a reason for me to be back and i am going to find it.  I'm so pumped to be here on the Lords work.  

Dont do stupid things.  I know you dont.

Love you bunches.

Elder Boru

PUNTA ARENAS????

27 Oct 2014

Well im back at the end of the world.  I really am shocked.  That never happens.  Punta Arenas is normally a one shot thing, but i don't think that president knows that i have been here before.  Well either way I'm happy to be back. My companions name is Elder Ackerman.  Great guy From Sacramento. 

This has been a crazy week.  My new sector is called Rio de la Mano.  It is directly above my old sector in Fitz Roy.  The thing is that our sector is GIANT.  literally the biggest sector in the mission.  Everyone knows Rio de la mano because of its size. The work is great though.  We have a bunch of great members that are willing to leave with us.  

This week was stake conference and i got to see everyone from Fitz Roy.  So weird to see everyone.  There are a bunch of really great members in that ward that i got to know really well, that was awesome.

I am really scatter brained right now.  

I think i have foot fungus, and that i might die from it. JK. But it is starting to worry me.  There is a Psychiatrist in our ward that said he would have a look at it.  When i asked if he would check it out, he asked if our family had any history of Diabetes.  We will see.  The guy is super funny though, HNO. Adrian.  Great guy.  

I don't have too much time right now.  I had to write some other people... no just joking,  I just had so much to read.  I love hearing about you guys.  Keep it up.  Love you tuns

Elder Burup

Back to Osorno?

20 Oct 2014

Well this week was another great week.  The only problem was that we had to go on another surprise trip to osorno... Ridiculous!  We had to waste 2 full days again to go up there and get my dang Visa done.  the good news is that i am finally legal, so i wont be thrown out of Chile this year.  So thats nice.

So we left for osorno on Wednesday and we got back at 9 the next day.  We stayed with Elder Warren again which was awesome.  Probably the last time ill get to see him for the next year.  He did promise me that he was going to be waiting for me in the airport with a with a beard. 

The thing about traveling so much is that you end up spending a whole ton of money on food.  We didn't even get to eat that much... fast food is way expensive, i am completely out of food money for the rest of the month.  

Cambios are here.  But Pte. Obeso is trying a new thing out.  Normally we find out our cambios on Saturday or Sunday, and then the actual cambios are Wednesday.  Now we are going to start finding out monday night.  That gives us one day to get everything in order and then leave.  And it also means that i don't know still if i am going or if i am staying.  I guess you´ll find out next week.  it is likely that i am not going to be in Dalcahue this next week though.  The Secretary said that we needed to get my visa done before the cambios because he saw where i was going and he said that it will be really hard for me to get it done from there.  That worries me.  Dalcahue is one of the farthest places away from Osorno.  It takes 7 hours in Bus.  The only thing that would take longer is if i go back to Punta Arenas or Coyaihque.

well i guess i´ll find out in a couple of hours.  I am really sad about leaving this place though.  It really feels like my home.  I honestly feel like i could live here.  I am really going to miss the members here... they are so awesome.  I am going to ask president one thing when he transfers me.  That he needs to call me when Dalcahue becomes a branch.  They are really close, this week we planed an activity and organized the home teachers.  I think they are set.

Well that about it from me.  I love you guys bunches. Keep on sending me pictures, I really like it.

Elder Borup

1. Me and Elder Kvarfordt on the crazy Island

2. The Jovenes here in Dalcahue. ( we were kind of appointed as the temporary young mens presidents)

3. Me and our ward mission leader.  Such a funny guy.

4. Some really gross tasting/sounding candy.

5. The Priesthood of Dalcahue.  The guy in the middle who looks really scary is Hernan, our old investigator who has decided to start coming back to church.

 

Road Trip

13 Oct 2014

Ok ill start by apologizing for the lame letters... i really just don't have time sometimes. 

Well this has been one of the craziest weeks of the mission for me.  This Tuesday we had to go to puerto Montt in order to do my visa on Wednesday.  we went and we stayed the night in the house of the zone leaders there.  In the morning we went to the extranjeria and met up with the mission Secretary.  We go into the office and the first thing they ask me is where do i live. I said that i was living in Dalcahue.  Then right away they say that i can't do my visa here, that i have to go and do it in Castro.  The thing is that we aren't aloud to do our visas in Castro because the guy in charge in Chloe is out to get all missionaries exported.  So anyways they end up sending me to Osorno.  In osorno we couldn't do anything else for the visa because the office was already closed by the time we got there.  So we had to spend the night there.  I  called the Zone leaders here and asked if they could hook us up with some beds in Ovejeria!  We got to stay the night there.  You want to know what's really crazy though?  Elder Warren is training in Ovejeria.  They split the sector and put him there, training a new elder.  

So we get to Ovejeria at about 6 and we have the rest of the night to go out and make some visits.  It was so awesome.  I got to pass by and visit Orlando and Silvina, and Maria and Constanza.  It was way cool to see everyone.  I loved it.  They are all still investigating but Maria is getting really close to baptism.  I think it will happen soon.

So after we make all of the visits we go back to the house and order a pizza.  In the morning we have to go super early to the office to go and get the visa stuff done.  We head over there meet up with the Secretary again and go to the visa office.  They were closed.  Ridiculous.  But we got to spend another night with Elder Warren in Ovejeria,  So not too bad.  We went to a big grocery store in centro to buy something to eat for lunch and guess who we ran into?  Victoria!!! It was so crazy she was in Osorno visiting her mom and was out buying a gift when we found her.   It was so awesome to talk to her.  talking to her made me realize how little i really knew about Spanish when i was with her.  She said that she is sending her papers in at the end of this month.  She put her availability date for February. Way too cool.  She is going to go on her mission before i even make it home.   

So we stay the night in Ovejeria again and then we wake up early again to meet up with the Secretary and go to the office.  When we got there they were open but when we tried to get it they said that it was way too early to try and start my visa.  so it ended up being a whole waste.  But it was the best waste ever.

We ended up getting a ride back to Chiloé with President Obeso who was headed down there to do our interview.  That  was one of the most memorable rides of my life.  President got pulled over.  That was funny.  he used to race cars in the Baja 500 and is a really fast driver.

A new investigator came to church this week.  She has lots of potential.  

I love you guys bunches.  Have a good week and don't get run over by anymore cars.

Elder Borup  

Someone actually could pronounce it this week.

Surprise, surprise, i got no time

6 Oct 2014

Well we just got back from this crazy island (I´ll send pics next week), But i don't have any time to write today.  This island was awesome though, super spooky.  Its an island that is about a 4th of a mile away from the shore and its connected to by this huge peer thing.  THe only thing on the island was a church and a cemetery, and a ton of really creepy looking old trees.  

This week we got to watch general conference and it was amazing.  We got to watch 2 sessions in english and the rest in spanish.  We got to listen to the spanish speakers in their actual voice which was way awesome.  Spanish is the coolest.  I like it alot.  

Sorry this letter is so short. And sorry i didn't get to write any of you, but ill try harder next week.

Love you lots though,

Elder Borus

(our mission leader)

Dalcahuino for life

29 Sep 2014

I love Dalcahue so much! 

Its been a really good week.  We are coming up out of a slump that we have been in ever since the 18 de septiembre.  But now we are really starting to go  to town.  

What happened this week......   Something funny that happened this week is that our group mission leader, Hno. Yuseff,  says that he wants to retire from being our leader, he says that now that there is a mission leader in Castro that we don't need him.  He got really emotional and said that this might be the last time that we come to his house.  As he is tearing up he goes into his kitchen and comes out with this bag of powdered milk, specially designed for old people.  He hands me the bag and says that its for us.  he then proceeds to give us detailed instructions on how to make it.  This was a sad experience, that is until Sunday when hno Yuseff comes back up to us and says that we will still be going to his house every week for correlation.  He said he wants the milk back.

We taught this guy through a window this week.  He said that the door didn't open, so we just starting shouting about the restoration so that he could hear.  He was an interesting guy,  we have a cita for Thursday.

We went out to go teach someone with Hector and all of the citas we had planned fell in the first 15 min.  So then hector and elder K really had to go to the bathroom.  We went looking for a bathroom.  Elder K did not make it to one.  He ended up peeing his pants a little.  Reminds me a lot of Mad-eye.  He has to go to the bathroom every hour on the hour.  So funny.

Well we have found a lot of really good people this week.  We are working with them so that they can become real progressing investigators.  I would say that that is the hardest part.  Every one the world will listen to us here, but very few will act on what we teach them.  

I love you guys a ton.  This has been a great week,  being is a missionary is the best.  I know that this message is true, i can see the change it has on the people who have accepted it.  

Love you a whole lot,

Elder Burup

(classic)

PS remember Victoria from the beginning of my mission?  she is working on her mission papers now!  

I got 15 min. again

22 Sep 2014

Well this was a terrible week.  I'm going to be very honest.  Absolutely terrible.  I found out so many terrible things and we were stuck in our house almost the whole week because of the 18 of September.  

I gave a talk in sacrament meeting.  first time here in Dalcahue.  I talked about why scripture study is so important and how it can really guide our life.

I love being here in dalcahue, i love meeting in our tiny little house, and i love the members here.  We found out this week that it may be my last week in the house.  Next week we go to Castro because we have branch conference, then we have general conference, and then we go to Castro every other fast Sunday and this next month we have to go in.   I have been having crazy fantasies in my head about me just flipping my little study table through the window and throwing my chair after it.  I really don't want that to have been my last Sunday there.  Only about half of the members were there.  Its the worst. 

Well some weeks are lame other weeks are great.  I guess it was just my turn for a bad one.  

Today we did a deep clean of the house.  President Obeso said that he is going to lift the ban on soccer once all of the houses in the whole mission are clean.  I don´t have very much faith in that, but i don't want to be the missionary who prevents it from happening.  

I guess that's it from me.  I love you guys lots.  I am going to send a better letter next week.  Be patient with me.

Love,

Elder Bolun

(5 year old child took a whack at it)