¡Hola mí familia!

This week was great. Our numbers this week werent so great but it was really hard with the fiestas here. It really is for a whole week they werent lying. But it was fun and enjoyable. The food was so great. We had a lot of food for meals and so after 18 which is the main day I was a little sick on friday but I was able to work through it. Saturday we had a party with the ward which we were aloud to go for three hours. That was really fun. There werent many people on the street or in their houses and when they were they didnt want to talk to us very much. We did find a few people we really like and are going to try and work with them. We thought we were going to have people at chuch yesterday but no so that is a bummer. 

One really fun thing this week was for saturday and sunday there were three of us in the companionship. A missionary that leaves tomorrow was serving in the north part of the mission and so for the days he needed to be down here for interviews and before he left he was with us. So that was fun having someone else. Especially someone really close to being done and asking for advice. His advice is very similar to everyone elses. Be obedient, Work hard and have fun. So that was fun. Last night was his interview with the president so we got to spend some time at the mission home. That was nice to talk to hermana kehnlein and their family for a little bit. I found out that they have a house in ceder hills! I dont know exactly where but I thought that was interesting. She said that after their mission they are going to decid what to do. Go back to argentina or to utah. I think they are going to go to utah. He probably will be a general authority. He just is that type of person. He is great. Also interesting is my group will be the last group they see off in the mission because the group that gets here this week will be with the new president for their last change. 

I feel like my spanish is still coming. I am able to talk more in lessions and in regular conversation so that is nice. Yesterday I gave a talk in chuch which went well. Like 10 minutes so that was really good. I think people were able to understand. It is wierd that I have been here for 1 change already. SO fast!! I find out on wednesday if I change or stay here. I am hoping that I stay here at least one more change. The president doesnt like changing people to much I dont think. Most people I have talked to only have like 5 areas by the end of their mission so we will see. 

The walking actually isnt too bad for me. Still tiring but I am getting used to it. A day at disneyland is going to be a cake walk after two years. When other missionarys come to my area they are really tired so I can tell that I have gotten stronger over the last six weeks because I remember when It was that hard for me at the beginning. 

Yes it is spring here but actually it is colder now than before because of the wind from the ocean. It can get really cold when we are walking and after the sun goes down. but my coat is great. On pdays we study, go shoping, write, and sometimes do stuff with the district or zone. Last monday and today we are playing soccer. I am better than I thought I was, not like the chileans though. 

I am so happy to hear about kamikos call and it is to chile too. Which mission in santiago is it? (This is a young man that worked with Tynan at Hapari. He is going to the North Saniago) After the mission we will have to talk to eachother about the differences. 

I did reallize something this week. What a blessing I have to be so near to the ocean and have such an amazing view each day. It is so beautiful to look out over the ocean and the beach. I was talking to a hermana that leaves this week to here home because she was at the ward fiesta with the hermanas in our district. She said that this is the first time she has been in viña del mar her whole mission or been by the ocean. The rest of the time she has been in the central areas. So I am very greatful for this and will enjoy the next two days until I find out if I stay here or change. 

I am  doing great! thanks for all of your updates. It is good to hear from you guys!

Te amo muchísimo

Elder Hamilton 

Here are some questions I asked and his answers

Are there lots of dogs??   Yes tons and tons of dogs specificaly in my area I have been told. In the city not very many but in the little areas right outside. yes. There are a lot of dogs on the street and almost every person has a dog too. 

Will you get to go to the temple in Santiago??  Yes!!!! I am so happy about this. I found out yesterday because the missionary that was with us had his agenda for today andtomorrow. THat the last thing you do in the mission is go to the temple. I am so happy because that was one thing I was going to be so sad about if i never got to go to the temple. So I still have like 21 months but it will be worth it. 

What is your schedule during the day??  In my area we wake up at 7 are out about 12:30, because I have more study because I am new, and are in at 9:30 and in bed at 11.

What floor do you live on??   We are on floor 4 and no we dont have an elevator. 

These are sooooo good! Fiesta!

First Time for Oatmeal!

Hi Mom

First off, Happy Birthday Nathan!!! Next month we will all be in our 20´s!!

This week went by really fast. Not a ton of success but I guess everyone we are talking to we are planting a seed possibly for the future. It is hard right now and will be this week because it is the 18th of september, I cant believe already half way through september. This is their independence day. ANd they are very proud to say that it is way bigger than the 4th of july. No fireworks but a lot of parties. It is basically a month long thing but especially the week of the 18th. So many people say that they cant talk until after the fiestas. So this week will be interesting to see if we can find anyone. We are really trying and sometimes it is disappointing but I just have to keep trying to find new people. We have some people that we are teaching but they are moving slowly along. Work for people here is sort of confusing because it isnt just like 9-5 people have different working hours. This same thing is with the schools. Some people have school in the morning some in the evening and some, even little kids, have school in the evening until like 8. It is really wierd. As for food. Nothing to crazy. REally good food from the members. Yes I have had empinadas and I love them. They are so good. THat and the bread, because there is bread everywhere. No churro but that sounds so good. One thing that is super funny about food. I tried oatmeal for the first time in my life yesterday here in chile. It was actually pretty good. I know a lot of people are rolling their eyes in disbelief but as far as I can remember it is true. That so great that grandma and grandpa andrew leave this week and come a little closer to me. I did receive my first letter down here from Ari  which was great. It takes a long time. The date it was in salt lake was july 20 and I got it on september 10th so almost 2 months. So If you send a letter just be a little patient I think it will end up getting to me. I have heard less time than that for packages so It will be interesting to see. I cant believe that I am 2.5 months into my mission and only have 1.5 weeks left in this transfer. Time is going by pretty fast. Brock has been out for over a year now and brandon for like 8 months I think. It is so wierd how fast time is going. 

Things here are going good. I take things as they come, like this morning when I woke up to no warm water, and take it one day at a time sometimes but I like the work and the spirit that is felt. The hardest part for me is when people just walk by us because I know how important this message is and the blessings I have had in my life from this gospel and I want to find people who are able to realize those blessings too. Wish it was as easy to do it as it is to say it but thats part of the experience. It is dificult but I can see myself growing and I am so happy I am able to relly on the lord for a lot of help. Because I need it sometimes. 

I love you all so much!!

Te amo Elder Hamilton

Note- Yes, I didn't serve my children oatmeal. Let's just say bad childhood memories on my part.  Cheryl

Hola Madre!!

This week was pretty good. Longer than the others a little but still good. We are still searching for more people to teach but not many want to so that is hard. And the people that seem so great are never home but we keep walking and trying everyday. We had a zone conference this week with the president which was really good. Almost all of it was focused on families and baptising families so they can be together for eternity. It was really good on talk was about the temple and the blessing it is to all of us. It is interesting because as I have been away from the temple I have missed it but I am able to feel that same strong spirit with me everyday. That is something that I am so greatful for, how strong the spirit can be felt here on my mission. Also I am so greatful for the power of prayer and the ability we have to pray anywhere. I can tell you that I pray all day everywhere. I am really focusing on having positive thoughts all day so when negativity comes into my mind I pray and ask for strength. 

I can tell that summer is coming. Yesterday was much warmer than usual which wasn´t great but a few people gave us something to drink and eat so that is always awesome. Also apparently yesterday was the day time changed one hour ahead here and no one told us. We have a meeting at church at 8:30 every sunday so we showed up thinking it was 8:30but it was 9:30. The leaders we just standing talking so we just guessed that they had canceled the meeting so we went upstairs for church. There were a ton of people and we were so confused as to why a these people were an hour early. Then we found out the time changed. So that was interesting. 

Random thing but really funny here. In the united states (dont say america because then people always say "Im american too") when you are walking on the street and you hear music like its a small world and row row row your boat you think ice cream!! Right?? Well here you think gas. Yes gas. The gas that is used in peoples houses for warm water is delivered on this trucks that for some random reason play childrens songs. I think if this was so in the united states people would probably say that it isnt health for children to associate those songs with gas that could be dangerous. Haha I dont know. 

I have seen some of the prettiest skys here on my mission. I dont know if it is because I look out over the ocean and to the sky when a door closes or another person just walks by us when we say something but they are really nice here. 

My companion is great. We get along fine. I think he didnt really know what to expect when training a greengo because I can tell he gets a little annoyed when I dont understand everything he says and ask again. A lot of the time he just reverts to english which I dont love because I need to understand the language. But things are good. I just try and talk completely in spanish to him. He is from santiago, like 1.5 hours away. His dad served his mission here in vina del mar and actually close to our area. He is the youngest like me and has two older sisters. It is interesting because the old bishop of our ward now lives in his home ward and was his young mens president. 

Things are good here. I am hoping this week is better than last. Not that the last was really bad but it wasnt super. haha old missionaries are probably thinking every week isnt super but I dont know Im still learning. 

I love you all so much. Be safe. and pray always. 

te amo 

Elder Hamilton

Note- I love flowering trees, and Tynan sent me this picture. So strange that it spring there and the trees are blooming. Cheryl

Classic Mission Experiences

Hola Mom

No im not suprised you just looked at where I am. It is in both viña del mar and valparaso other than that im not sure where exactly. The little towns are just call different things inside the larger cities. So mine is called esperanza. That is what the ward is called so you might be able to use the lds ward locator and search that way. No those sunset ones were not from my pension they were from my area though. I am able to see the ocean really well and the sunsets are great. Yes I was able to get a donut, it was so awesome. Haha they have quite a bit of similar things like the fast food places. Not in my area but more in the central parts of the city. There are small stores everywhere though with bread and other things. The candy is pretty cheap here. This week was good. We met with a lot of less actives and a few actually came to church which was great. The ward is great we have gotten to know a few of them, as much as I can with the language. The members really enjoy helping and want to be involved which is nice because my companion says this is not like that everywhere. The ward has like 80-90 people but it is a ward not a branch. The chapel is small but nice. It actually has heat but it is still cold, mom you would be freezing but I always think of you because other people have little shawls like yours. We write our emails in a little internet cafe place but without the cafe. Just computers and phones no food. That is interesting about the sisters with Ipads in california. My president said that he is really working on recieving the athorization for us to use facebook but ya I cant see ipads anytime soon. But I can definately tell why it would be super usefull. Thats good that grandma and grandpa are getting ready and excited to leave. Down here in south america is the best place right now so it will be good for them to join me. Well this week is called Fire and inspiration throught the bathroom. Yes I know wierd. But the other day we didnt have lunch with a member so we had to make our own, which is fine. I was making some rice and I put to much into the pan so it was really full and my companion thought it was hilarious so he was going to "show me how to make rice better". He was using oil and stuff, something he learned from another companion. He walked away for a second, which is not good when you have oil over a fire stove. And the oil caught on fire. He was going to put the pan in the sink and I yelled that you cant do that with oil fires and grabbed the lid and put it on the pan, putting out the fire. So that was a funny interesting experience. I told him it was going to be a classic mission experience. Now for the inspiration through the bathroom let me explain something. I havent had any problems with my stomach and the food here or in mexico. I have heard from a lot of people who served in south america that you always have a bathroom problem but I though my stomach must be pretty strong or something. That leads up to last night. We were walking around at like 8:30 and I sort of needed to use the bathroom but I figured I could wait an hour until we got home. So we walked a little more and the need suddenly increased. So I told my companion if this door doesnt open we need to go back to our apartment, like 5 minute walk. The door didnt open so we started rushing back but I was like "I am not going to make it" So we stoped at the nearest members house and yelled, because that is how you ring doorbells here when there isnt a doorbell. No one came so we ran over to another house that is part member. Someone luckly answered the door after what felt like 30 minutes and I was able to go to the bathroom. While I was in the bathroom my companion was talking to the grandma in the house Who is not a member, I dont know a better way to say that but simply the grandma in the house. I came out and we talked a little more. Abviously living with members she has heard and talked about the church. But we were able to give her a book of mormon for herself and asked her to read in it. So in this experience we learn that the lord does really work in mysterious ways. Haha. another classic story I have now. I love you all so much. Have a great week.

Te amo 

Elder Hamilton. 

Can you believe they have Dunkin Donuts!!

Hola mi familia

This week was a great week. I think the first week was so hard because I didn´t really have a p day and much time to talk to everyone so it was really nice when i got to email. After emailing last week we had a zone activity which was so great. We spent time reading and praying about our patriarchal blessings. They really are constant revelation with god. I hope everyone takes time to read and pray about yours because it is amazing the things you can learn each time you read it. I cant believe I have been in chile for 2 weeks now. it has flown by so fast. I feel like time is moving faster here than it did in the ccm. I had two days this week where we had intercambios, I dont remember what they are called in english probably just interchanges. I had one with my district leaders companion and one with my zone leader. Both were in their areas so that was nice to get out of my area for two days and see other places. I learned a lot. My zone leader is american so it was good to ask him about how he studied the language and other things. Everyday we have been talking to a lot of people and contacting old contacts. Most people dont want to listen but there are those that do. We have been able to find some people to start teaching so we will see what happens with those. I can definately tell my spanish is improving. I am able to read something and understand most of it, unless it is in the bible that is more difficult. Also I am able to understand a lot more of what people are talking about. Sometimes I am not able to put the sentences together completely but I am able to understand the words. I need to start talking more with people. I try to always talk in spanish but i need to try and talk more with other people because sometimes I end up sitting there listening to the conversation, mostly in awe because I am able to understand another language, but I need to jump into conversations so I can improve. It is weird because before my mission I thought learning a language just meant that you were really good at translating things in your head but really you dont have to translate because you sort of just understand. It is wierd to experience and hard to explain but is a cool experience. I dont even think about it very often, we will just be talking to someone on the street and I stop and take a step back and realize holy cow I am understanding spanish. And as I am writing this I keep writing words in spanish and having to delete them to write them in english so that is wierd too. But I guess this shows some progress. Yesterday was a really awesome day. Church was good and the first few hours of working were ok but last night we taught a lesson to a girl whose father and brother are members but she is not It was really great and I am hopintg something comes out of it. Also there is another girl we are trying to get time to teach but she is really busy with work, number one excuse in the mission for the people on the street. Then the last person we contacted at their house was a man that the missionaries had taught before and he seemed really interested in being taught so we will see how things go this week. But overall this was a great week. I am learning a lot and feel like I am improving everyday which is good. That is so crazy that you guys just picked up and left for a week but that is fun! That will be good for both of you to have some time away from things. I hope you have fun. Thanks for the picture. I am sending some pictures of the ocean here as well because I can see it everyday! My shoes and everything are working well no problems for now. The members still feed us every day which is so great. I havent even been served beans yet aparently it is not very common here, lots of rice and chicken, which is great for me. It was funny because we were fasting this sunday and when we started my companion said, "I bet someone offers us food today". and sure enough two times people offered us food which hasn´t happened in our area. It was really funny. I like my district and zone a lot they are all great. Things are going good! I love you guys so much. Thanks for the emails. 

Te amo 

Elder Hamilton 

View Outside my room

Lots happening the past week. First this great article and video about the Mexico MTC. Can't see Tynan in it but still really great to see where he was. Make sure and watch the video.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865584354/Mexico-City-MTC-training-hundreds-of-missionaries.html

Elder Hamilton left the MTC on Monday, August 12. This was the letter he sent that morning.

I know this is random for me to email you today. We were down weighing our bags and were told that we could check mail if we didn´t have anything else to do so I thought I would let you know what my schedule is. I am leaving the ccm today at 4:30 and my flight leaves at 9:30. We get to chile tomorrow at 6:50!! It is a straight through flight which is nice and shorter than I was thinking it would be. There are 21 people going to chile. 7 from viña del mar and 14 going to concepcion. From the airport it is a 1.5 hour bus ride to viña del mar. I am planning on calling tonight at the mexico airport as long as things go according to plan and there is time. As for when I get to chile im not sure what is happening I just know that they will email you when I get there. I hope everything is going good today! Tell everyone I say hello.

This week has been good. It has gone by fast which is supper great because I have just wanted to leave. I really am not nervious at all to go to chile. I feel like i am doing a lot better at giving lessions and speaking spanish so I am not too worried about it. I know it will be hard but I am more excited about it than anything.

I dont know how long I will be on here but email me back if you get this. I love you

Te amo

Tynan

We were able to talk to him for about 2 minutes at the airport- just long enough to say I love you and hear it from him!

Now we are on the great Monday schedule for letters.  Our first letter from Chile.

Hi mom!

Yes i am finally in chile!! I slept some on the flight which was good. When we were landing I started getting really nervious because this was really happening to me right now! No more mtc, the field!! Costoms was easy and right when i saw my mission president I felt so happy and comforted. Like when I got my call, exept minus all the tears. We went to a lookout point over the city which was cool. And then to the flower clock. It was really awesome to see that! Then they gave us a book of mormon and the address to the mission home, drove us a little farther down the road and told us good luck. There was 7 americans and probably 11 latinos so all the americans had a latino. Which was great because THIS IS NOT THE LANGUAGE THEY TAUGHT ME IN THE CCM IN MEXICO! I could not understand like anything that was going on! we found the mission home after like an hour and a half, had lunch and interviews with the mission nurse and the president. I love my president so much, he is so great! The rest of the day was sort of just a relax day. We all went to bed at like 8. The next day we woke up at 7 (thats when we wake up here in chile, and we go to bed at 11) Did excersize and studying and went to some training meetings. After the meetings we had the change meeting and got our companions and areas. My companions name is elder abarca. He is from santiago, 1.5 hours away, has been here for 6 months and i am his first son. It is great to have a native who knows a lot, he speaks almost perfect english too but I try to speak as much spanish as posible. My area is esparanza. We are actually reopening it. It was closed 6 weeks ago because they didnt have enough missionaries to put everywhere. So we started out with nothing but names to go off of. So we have just been contacting on the street, references, and past investagators. It makes it hard because we have only taught one lession in 5 days. I just dont get it, in the mtc every door we knocked they let us in but here they dont. HAHA yes I understand it is different. It is hard because sometimes I feel like I am doing something wrong, but i just have to remember to keep going and keep trying. Our area is super confusing. We have a map but it is small and the roads are so wierd here it doesnt make sense, and the house numbers are totally random most of the time going from 4 to 62 to 103 to 1. It makes no sense. We are on a hilly area so most of the time we are walking up or walking down a hill, so i make sure and not exercise my legs in the morning because they get enough durring the day. We had a zone meeting which was nice. All in spanish but I understood most of it because it was americans talking in spanish not chileans. Each day my ability to understand gets better and better. And I am trying to talk more to people to get used to everything. Sunday was great. I love the ward! I cant talk to them really well but they are nice. We are fed lunch by a member everyday which is awesome. We havent had time until today to do shopping so our breakfasts have been very small. The food the members fix is good, nothing really wierd. this does bring me to the worst thing about chile...  They DONT HAVE DINNER!!! I dont know why but they dont. sometimes they have once (pronounced like 11 in spanish) but no dinner! Definately something else to get used to but its fine. Once we go shopping today I will have food to eat at night when i get home. We do have hot water which is great! It isnt the best shower or water pressure and the hot water doesnt last to long but I think i can survive. It is funny because so many things that if I were home I would be like "heck no" here I just smile and think "now I am having a mission experience that everyone always talks about!" Things are good here though. Some moments are really hard and I get down on myself not knowing If I can learn the language, walk up another hill, or be away from all of you but that is when I pray and ask for help! I want to work this week on always having positive thoughts during the day! It also felt like a long two weeks because I havent had a p day, or a long opportunity to talk to you guys for two weeks. So today is great! I love you all so much! 

I love you, Be safe, Pray always!

Love 

Elder Hamilton

--I am not going to fix spelling. Hope it doesn't drive you all crazy! Cheryl---

 

Hola!! Another week has gone here in Mexico City. Now I only have a few more days left here in the CCM!! I still dont know what day I leave, I am guessing monday because that is when the latinos always leave but it could be tuesday. I should find out tomorrow. Believe me I wish I new too!!

We are all super happy to be leaving. I am a little worried about the language but I am feeling more comforable. I have done many hard things in my life. I know i was only able to do those things becuase of the lord and I know this is the same. I will just continue to do my best and I know the lord will raise me higher. I am really excited to get out and really interact with people and really start my mission.

The ccm is getting really full. I think there are 650 people here now. WE had to move classes again yesterday. This is our 4th time moving. This time our class is half the size of our old one so it is tiny, But we really only have 2 or 3 more full days in the class room so it wont be bad. On friday we have in field orientation all day and sunday is our church schedule, so really just thursday and saturday. Hopefully we leave on monday. They told us yesterday that the peru and argentina MTCs are full, so next week this mtc is getting and additional 50 missionaries they werent planning on. Yes, It will be nice to leave. I have loved watching it grow in size and change each week. It has been interesting. It is so much more organized for the new people but for us it was lacking a little.

Yesterday was a little bit of a crazy day. Along with moving classes I guess there was a small earthquake. I was sitting in my room after exercise and I heard a really loud alarm. I went outside to figure out what was happening and the cleaners were all running down the stairs. So I went and started banging on the door to the bathroom because my companion was in the shower. We get down there and the alarm just stoped. Apperently it was big enough to set the alarm off but small enough not to feel a thing. We felt a bigger earthquake two weeks ago when we were in the temple. It would have been nice if someone would have told us, "If you hear a really loud alarm get out of the buildings because it is an earthquake!!" All of the americans were so confused.

On a random not I must have a strong stomach or a great digestive system. Because this food hasnt affected me very much at all but everyone in my district are having problems. Two of our hermanas were sick this week, and the elders are having harder stomach experiences. I guess that is good and I hope it continues into chile. All of my district exept my companion and I are going back to the states so they always say that they will think of us when they are eating normal food.

One thing I really have noticed is I miss music! Not even regular music but church music. Here we arent allowed to listen to music. I am excited to get out into the field where I can listen to music again.

Well I think that is everything exciting for this week. Yes, I know music and food and moving class rooms are super exciting and just what you wanted to hear about today. I am really excited to go to chile though. Our latinos that we sat with at all of the meals left on monday. (We are the next ones to leave!!!) They said it is a 13 hour flight to chile! I went on a 15 hour flight to china but this is still long.

I was thinking about all of the amazing spiritual experiences I have already had on my mission. This week specifically I have had two that stick out. On sunday I was a little afraid of the idea of leaving the ccm and was doubting myself. In the shower (I know wierd, but the only place I am alone) I prayed, really prayed for help. I had such a strong spirit come over me. I have experienced this before in other times of my life but it was great to feel it again in this time of need. Also, just last night I was laying in bed and the spirit was so strong. I though about how I can feel other peoples prayers for my. I realized for the first time how you are able to feel others prayers for you. It was an awesome experience! Pray sincerely everyday. That is what I am trying to do better at. Have a conversation with God dont just think you have to do a normal public pray in private. Just talk, he will always listen.

I love you all so much. I will talk to you in Chile!!!

Te amo

Elder Hamilton

 

Beautiful day of peace and rest, bright be thy dawn from east to west! (Shout out to the boyers, val, and liv)

 

Por favor, manteganse alejado de las puertas!!