29 July 2013

Kami letter from Antofagasta (dated 7/29/13)

GGUEESSS WHHAATT?? I`m being transferred again!
I`m going more south again (colder...) to Copiapo. and I`m senior companion!! My companion is another gringa, with one less transfer than me. So we`ll see if I forget my Spanish again. :) I want to try to speak more spanish with her, but we`ll see how it goes ;) And this area is more flat, so it will be better for my foot. My companion got transferred too, to my old area in iquique. 2 Elders are going to be taking our place here. 

My foot actually is doing a LOT better. A LOT. It only hurts a teeenny bit. Last monday night I got a blessing for it, and since then it`s been a LOT better. Then Elder Chacon did the massage to realign (?) my tendons once again. 
Ok, so you asked how it started. 
First, I think it was my shoes. The ones we had bought before I left hurt because of the little heal, so I wear them only sometimes. I was wearing flats and because this sector is the worst with hills and such, it just messed it up. I bought new shoes, and it got better. But I guess it didn`t heal correctly, because it came back about a month later. This time (possibly last time too) it was tendonitis. It started to hurt at the bottom of my ankle, on the top of my foot, where it bends, on the outside. (I hope this makes sense). Then, it started to hurt a little on the inside, the big bone that`s right there. (this would be a lot easier if i knew the names of the bones :)  ). After that, once I started working again, it hurt half way up my shin and calf, because i was walking different so it wouldn`t hurt the first spot. It started feeling like a pull of something or a snap. then changed to feeling tight and tense. and now my ankle pops even more than before, but that doesn`t hurt ;)
I hope that makes sense. if not, oh well, because it feels a LOT better. I have two types of pills and two types of cream for it that I use everyday, a couple times a day. For the pain, swelling, strength... so it`s been a lot better! 

Ok, want to know something that I`m ashamed to write...? So we went to visit a less active lady that we haven`t visited in a while, because she lives way uphill. it had been probably 3 weeks or more. Anyway, she says to me "eres poco mas gordita!" which translates to..... "you`re a little more chubby" :( :( :( 
Here in chile, and the latino culture, it`s not mean to say things like that, so i just laugh. but yes. it`s true. I`ve gained a little weight here!! :( haha probably because almost every house we go to they offer us SOME kind of food, and we have to accept because it`s rude not to. Then with me in the house not walking for like 2 weeks... yeah. And I only have 5 months here! So we`ll see how "gordita" I am when I get home ;)

We also this week, got copies of the Liahona. for May, June, and July. FINALLY we have the conference edition, I`ve been waiting and waiting to read it again!!  So i`ve been studying that a lot this week. 
That`s awesome that Caleb finished the book of mormon again. Good job dudey!! ;) Enjoy those chicken wings, and  start again! 
I, like you said Dad, do find the book of mormon easier in spanish. There are some scriptures that translate a little different too, and have a cool meaning that way. It`s neat! I`ll have to explain them to you all sometime. It gives a new outlook on the scriptures and the application.

I thought the other day, is my car about paid off yet? It should be pretty soon, right?

Well, I gotta get wrapped up, because we have just a couple hours until I gotta leave to Copiapo! I`m excited for this new adventure! My companion and I thought for sure we will stay together, but nope! We both left! 

Hope you all have a great week!!
Remember always that you`re awesome and that I love and miss you lotsss!! 

<3 Hermana Severtson

P.S. Here are some pics! My companion and I at the bus terminal this morning, my mamita and her daughter, and me with all my medicine for my foot. one of the other sisters made this sign so everyone could help me remember to take my medicine so my foot heals ;)

P.S.S. some of my whole zone and us at the bus terminal once again! 









22 July 2013

Kami letter from Antofagasta (dated 7/22/13)

Hello Familia!
This week, I have to admit, was a little hard. I still LOVE the mission absolutely, but with my foot it`s a little discouraging. 
Wednesday, I finally felt good enough to get out and work. It hurt after a couple hours, so we had to come home a little early to rest, but still I did it! Same with ThursdayFridaySaturday... Saturday after lunch it hurt pretty bad again, and swole up again. And Sunday, just to SIT in church, swole up, up to half way to my knee, and felt huge and "asleep" kinda. It`s just annoying because some days are better than others, but overall, I think it`s getting a little worse everyday. It`s also frustrating, because when the doctor comes to see how it is, it always feels fine. I tell him that before it`s worse, and always when he leaves it`s worse again, but I don`t have much from him because of this. I feel bad because so many people are affected by it, and I just have to wait. He did tell me though it could be anywhere from 2-5 weeks until it feels completely better. Even the whole ward is worried and asking me about it...what I`m doing, if I know what it is, ... 

We finally got to meet President and Sister Dalton this week, they`re amazing! They`re very humble and have a special light about them, I like them a lot. President has a new vision for us, to work more with members and less actives to get referenes. He said in his mission, he can count on his fingers how many doors he knocked for contacting... almost none. because he worked with members more and had more success this way. I`m excited to try his new ways and see the continuing success we will have. 
In our interviews we had with President, I experienced something amazing for the first time in my mission..... difficulty to speak english. ;) I don`t know why, but I had to really concentrate to speak english! I guess having everyone in my zone except my zone leaders being latino is the reason for that. I really use no english, and I`ve decided to start writing in my journal too in spanish, so I can fully think and act in spanish. I love it! Finally! :) 
ALSO, they told us that in August, we are having a General Authority come! Someone in the 70, I don`t remember who it is. But I`m excited! I imagine we will have the whole mission get together, so that will be fun too. 

I can`t believe it, we already are having transfers next week. I don`t want to transfer, I would really like to stay one more transfer with my companion. Part of me feels like we will because for both of us, we have had a new companion every transfer. But also for my foot, I don`t know if they`ll change me for that. Our sector right now has a big portion up the cerro. But we haven`t gone up in like 3 weeks and my foot still hurts me. And if I leave I`ll not be able to get the medical help as easily. So I don`t know. We`ll hear Saturday or Sunday what our transfers are. 

Thanks for all your love and prayers. But don`t worry about me.. I`ll heal soon enough and be back working like normal in no time... hopefully :) 
Have a great week, and have fun starting school!!
miss and love you lots! 
<3 Hermana Severtson

15 July 2013

Kami letter from Antofagasta (dated 7/15/13)

Happy 5 months to me!! ;) 
I celebrated by making brownies for us 4 hermanas ;) And I gotta say, they were VERY yummy ;) And i think I ate more than half the pan..because I was stuck at home for my foot again.  Yep. All week!!!  So Monday, like I mentioned last week, I had to wait the 72 hours to leave and use it very little. That I did, but the 72 hrs is supposed to be through Tuesday. Tues morning we had our district meeting, and I went to that because I was feeling a lot better. BUT walking back from our Mamita`s from lunch, only like 6 or 7 blocks, it swole up a bunch again! 

So wednesday, I woke up all ready to go out to work, but after showering and getting ready for the day, my foot was HUGE again. and purple. like the blood wasn`t flowing right. So, I rested it again all wednesday.
Thursday, we went again to our weekly planning, and once again, walking home from Mamita`s, it swole up again. SO I let it rest. Again. And we called Elder/Doctor Chacon, and he said that because it keeps hurting and swelling, I need to not leave until it doesn`t hurt at ALL. 

Friday, still hurt, so I rested. Saturday, still hurt, so Elder Chacon came to do some medical massage thing on it. He at first said he didn`t want to do it, because it will hurt me and his hands..but after a week of not healing it`s what needed to be done. So I was a little afraid at first, but he numbed it with ice first to lower the swelling. and I didn`t feel anything, but I don`t think it was very hard either. It was kinda weird though, an elder giving me a foot massage... ;) haha no, it wasn`t like I make Porter always do :) it was just his finger rubbing on my ankle. ha but a couple other elders came with him, and the whole time asking if they could have their massage next, and elder chacon would just say "...NO" haha 

Sunday, still hurt once again, and so we didn`t go to church, because to walk to church is downhill and rocky and would be bad on my foot. So some of the elders had to bring me and my companion the sacrament. 
So here I am today, I haven`t left the house since thursday after the appointment, besides right now to write you guys. I thought it was a lot better than it is, because just to walk down here to the cyber hurt quite a bit more. Yikes... I just want it to feel better! I don`t like having to just wait for it to get better. I feel bad because it`s halting our work, and the work of the other hermanas we live with because my companion does splits with them a lot so someone can stay home with me. AND I feel bad because I feel like i`m not doing anything! I can sit at HOME in ARIZONA and wait for my foot to heal, I`m here to work! haha, hopefully this week will be better. I`m really hoping so! 

I`ve been reading a lot, because there`s not much else to do :) I started reading that Relief Society book, Daughters in my Kingdom, but in Spanish. And I was surprised I can understand a lot more of it than I thought! 
This transfer, I can understand a LOT more. That was my problem before, understanding, and that has improved a lot. I can understand almost everything. And my speaking has improved too. I really only use English to read the scriptures (sometimes, I do that in Spanish a lot too), to write in my journal, to write you guys, and talk with some missionaries. So it`s improved a LOT this transfer! And I can`t believe it! Only 2 more weeks of this transfer, it went SO fast! But, I don`t know, I feel like I`m going to stay this next transfer with my companion. We`ll see though ;)

We still have yet to meet our new president, I hope this week we get to know him! I`m excited to! Whenever our meeting is with him, we will have interviews. So it will be cool to get to know him personally. 

As for Carolina and Franco, all still is going good with them! Carolina talked to her mom about being pregnant, and her mom was really calm about it. That`s one difference about here in Chile, the parents are all SO relaxed, even if their kids are doing drugs or are pregnant. It`s crazy! We see kids like 13 or 14 ALL THE TIME smoking, it`s so sad. 
But anyways, we have planned a Family Home Evening with them this week (hopefully I can go) and we`ll watch a movie like the Restoration or something, so that will be good for them. ;)

Sad to hear too that you`re going back off gluten! I wanted to send you all some really yummy treats and cookies. They have these coconut cookies here (that are delicious) that I thought Dad would love because he likes coconut ;) I`ll have to send other non-gluten treats sometime too then ;)

Your trips all looked so fun! The beach, cabin, girls camp... ahh I miss girls camp a lot ;) But I hope you`re all getting prepared to start school here pretty soon too! 
have a great week!

Con amor, 
--Hermana Severtson



08 July 2013

Kami letter from Antofagasta (dated 7/8/13)

Hello Hello!
Things are still going great here in Antofagasta. Still loving every moment of everything! :) My foot started giving me more problems this week though... I do have tendonitis and I guess it takes up to a year for it to completely heal. So walking fast and a lot on unstable/bumpy ground messed it up again. It doesn`t hurt as bad as last time, and in a different spot, but Doctor/Elder Chacon told me to stay off of it for 72 hours. 3 DAYS. Yeah, I`m not sure about that ;) I rested Saturday night, Sunday after church, and this  morning we went and did some Pday errands, and it started to hurt a bit more. So I`m going to rest more tonight and maybe part of tomorrow, depending on how I feel. I don`t like sitting at home just waiting for it to heal! I feel like it`s wasting time, but I just have to keep telling myself that a day or two now to heal is better than possibly a week later. We had the Testament and the Restoration videos, so I watched those in Spanish, and hey! Actually understood more or less. helps too that i`ve seen them several times before ;) 

I still have yet to meet our new Mission President...I hope this week or next week! But he came with new "news" from the area presidency and the quorom of the 12. All missionaries, elders and sisters, will have to use bags instead of backpacks. It looks more professional. For us now, it`s when we have to buy a new backpack, to buy a bag instead. But all new missionaries will come with bags. Interesting! But I think for the good. Also, for more help from the members. He`s going to really apply what they said in that broadcast a couple weeks ago. Dad, from your mission, do you have any advice for working with the members? Getting their confidence, references, unity, ...?

How was your 4th of July?? We celebrated here ;) me, with the 2 argentina and 1 peruana sisters I live with ;) we bought french fries and coke and celebrated! We had a good time. And the Argentina Independence day is coming up too, along with our cumplemes (the month anniversary of our mission..me 13th, 2 on the 14th, and one on the 18th). So we`ll have more parties and celebrating! :)

Hey, quick question, do you know how to get an oil stain out of a shirt? Oil from a fence. The gate brushed against my WHITE shirt and left a mark. I tried Vanish, bleach, ... and it won`t go away ;(

The people we are teaching are going good. We found a new girl the other day, Carolina and her brother Franco. Carolina is almost 18 and Franco is 11. They are both GREAT and really receptive to what we are teaching. They were really excited to go to church with us. During our second lesson, Carolina mentioned how she had a "personal experience" happen and she prayed and felt a lot better. After the lesson, she told us that she recently found out she is 1 mo pregnant, her boyfriend left because of it, and she doesn`t know how to tell her mom. Yikes.... We prayed with her, and told her she can pray too and she felt a lot better and calmer. BUT I think she did tell her mom and got her punishment. Carolina is always looking forward to our lessons, and when we stopped by, her mom said "oh she`s busy right now" and wouldn´t let us visit her. And they ended up not being able to come to church. They were amazing investigators! We pray for her and hope we can visit her again. 

As for Porter and his AP score... AWESOME! wow, he`ll for sure have college credit. He can start applying for ASU in november or december i think. and for me, they sent me the scholarship offer with the application. for applying to the school, they look at your test scores, grades, and school participation to automatically offer the scholarship. He`ll for sure get one! Good job bud! :)

I can`t believe that Cal leaves in a couple weeks either. Wow! Time flies, that`s for sure. but how great for him. The mission is the best place to be. Before we know it, it`ll be Porter, then Jonah will be home! ;) 

Hope you`re all enjoying San Diego! Take lots more pictures! I love the pictures you sent so far, everyone has already grown so much! WOW! 

Love you lots! and miss you!
<3 Hermana Severtson

ps pictures attached are our 4th of july party ;)



01 July 2013

Kami Letter from Antofagasta (dated 7/1/13)

Another great week in Chile!! and sounds like you are all having a great summer there ;) Enjoying the heat and all, while it`s winter here and we`re trying to stay warm! nah, it`s not that cold..and during the day in the afternoon it still gets kinda hot! ha! 

anyways, happy anniversary to you and mom ;) it was the last day here for President and Sister Bruce, and now we have Pres and Sis Dalton. I still haven`t met them, but I`m sure they`ll be just as great! With President Bruce leaving, he wanted us to exceed our goals and break records. This month, we broke the record of the South America South Area for number of baptisms in a week, number of baptisms in a month, and number of baptisms in 6 months. AND these 6 months, we had more baptisms than when Pres Bruce started here in 2010 all year. pretty cool! we had a goal of 150 baptisms this month, June, and had 163. totaling 683 in the 6 months, when the goal was 670. WOW! Pretty exciting, and now we are the TOP mission in Chile, and south america :D

Yesterday here in Chile was elections. I guess here, and I know Argentina too, it`s the law to vote, and if you don´t, you have to pay a ton of money! crazy! So we also only had sacrament meeting, which we had to get approved because it´s illegal to hold meetings on election day. And all day the streets were empty and the schools and stuff full of people voting, pretty cool! OH, also, I was asked to lead the music in church too. Reminded me of our old Coronado Ward when I was asked to do that for a while ;) It was fun! 

I also found out the other day, that we have a member of the 70 in our ward, he is a member of the area 70 (Bro Giminez), pretty cool too! he spoke in church yesterday, and was talking about the decisions we make in our life. a boy once asked him (thinking he was the prophet since he`s in the 70) what his future was. Bro Giminez answered that his future will be whatever he decides it will be. I thought that was cool, our decisions we make and how hard we work will determine our future. 

Another cool quote I heard, was "If you`re not having a spiritual experience everyday, something is wrong". One of the sisters was in charge of our district meeting, and said that. I thought that was neat too, because it`s so true! Everyday we should be having an experience to strengthen our faith and testimony. There is something in every day that we can learn and grow from, we just have to have the eyes and will to see it. 

There`s a talk from L Tom Perry called "Raising the Bar" that you guys should read. I thought a lot about my brothers when I was reading it, because its all about preparing for the mission. 

If you talk to Wilhelms, tell them thanks for me, I got a card from them the other day, very nice of them ;) and Denise too! Good to hear things are still going good for them, and that Zach is about to leave on his mission! AND I`ll be looking for their friends coming to my mission! How cool! I had never heard of Chile Antofagasta before this, but there`s a lot of friends and people who live close to us! 

I can´t believe how tall Garrett is!!! I saw those pictures you pasted, WOW! Taller than dad?? I can´t believe it! ALSO I couldn`t believe there was a picture of Porter walking into Ross.. haha I`m glad he`s tolerating that store now, and hopefully by the time i`m home, he`ll realize it`s his favorite store too ;) And porter in that snowsuit.. good ol` Porter :) haha Sad though that he got laid off from his job, and Bentley still hasn`t heard from Desert Schools!! Hopefully soon  she`ll hear something. I remember it took a while for mine too after the first interview. And the pictures from Chicago! how cool! I`d like to go back and visit too someday when I`m home ;) 

I love the mission. So much!! It`s the best thing ever, and I`ve already learned so much, I´m excited to see how much more I`ll learn, since I still have a while left in the mission! I miss you all a LOT, but I`m with you forever, and only the mission 18 months ;) 

have a great week, and enjoy San Diego!! Take lots of pictures!!
<3 Hermana Severtson

P.S. Here are pictures of my companion and i at the beach this morning. AND a plan of salvation I made ;) not quite done with it yet, but all done coloring!