at the convent with Santa Teresa

4 August 2014

¡Hola Familia!

This week we had intercambios again, but I stayed in Calle Larga with Hermana Lima, a sister training leader from Brazil. That meant I had to navigate again. It was fine again. The church is true. We visited a man who is trying to quit smoking. We have only taught him one lesson, he just already had the desire to quit. When Hermana Lima and I showed up in front of his house, I asked how his Book of Mormon reading was coming. Usually we leave the introduction and the testimonies for people to read the first time we visit and the next time we tell them to start in first Nephi. He said he had read, but he stopped because it was too hard. Hermana Lima asked if we could read with him, something we do if they haven't read or if they have questions. We asked him to show us where he stopped. He was in page 99 of the Spanish Book of Mormon, in the Isaiah chapters! No wonder he thought it was hard. We were impressed.

Mom, I did NOT buy a Chile flag shirt from the MTC. I borrowed it because the other option was my John Daker shirt and I have too much respect for him to use that shirt in a service project when it might get dirty. To answer your other question, I should pretend to like people's pets, but I just can't. I can't even sufficiently explain to you how the dogs are EVERYWHERE. I am surrounded by several everywhere I walk. I don't think I can visit Chile after my mission because I don't think I could handle the quantity of dogs if I didn't have a calling and divine aid. 

Transfers are next week. "I'll go where you want me to go," applies beyond the initial big white envelope. You never know where you're going even once you're here. Feel free to pray for me to remain in Calle Larga with Hermana Dodds. 

This morning we visited the tomb of Santa Teresa of Los Andes. She is a Catholic saint who died in 1920. There is a cathedral built in Calle Larga and we went to about 10 minutes of mass because Hermana Dodds has never been to one. Then we walked downstairs where her body is kept in a box (you can't see it) and there is a museum with her books, her spoon, her shoes, her postulant dress, locks of her hair, and other collected relics. 

The picture of me is in front of a convent there. I always wanted to be a nun and a missionary visiting a convent is pretty close. The other picture is where her body is kept and people can pray to/through her.

Another fun Catholic thing here are all of the little shrines with pictures of saints, flowers, and assorted objects. They are often by the side of the road and in everyone's front yards. The best Hermana Dodds quote, "Oh, you have old, useless junk? Throw it in the worship cave out front!" That was after we had seen a particularly odd one in a front yard with an old blender and a plastic soda bottle. I pictured Dad's barn in my head. It's like his own personal worship cave, only much bigger.

Have a good week,

Hermana Eva VanCott

Santa Teresa

 

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