30 September 2013

Kami Letter from Copiapo (dated 9/30/13)

Hello Hello!!
No more spiders, rats, dog bits (still a million dogs though) earthquakes, ... nice and calm here in Copiapo. 
The only not so calm news.... We found out last Sunday that our ward has to double our church assistance in 5 months, or they`ll close our chapel and add us to one of the other wards. Everyone in the ward is doing all they can to invite their friends and visit less actives, so thats good. But we are all worried!! Its just ironic, because doubling the church attendance is the mission goal for the next 3 years with our mission president...and now we have to do it in 5 months! But I know we can do it ;) Faith and everyone working together!

Looks like Porter had a good big 18, cant believe my little brother is 18!! crazy! And GOOD that queen creek won Higley ;) WOO HOO!! haha 

Im so excited for conference this week! here we watch it live, but its at 1 and 5 here. weird! But im so excited!! A little jealous that you are all GOING ;) but have fun!! Ill watch for ya! 

Yesterday the YSA did the talks in sacrament, so they asked me to accompany their musical number, so i did. I miss it so much!! haha Im glad Ive had more opportunities though to play lately ;) 

I wanted to ask too. About my emails to gma and gpa porter. Ive been forwarding my answers to you, have you or they been getting them now? 

And as for school. I remembered that I deferred my "leave" until January 2015, then my scholarship after I recieved my call for August 2014... so i have to figure out something either way. If all goes as planned with the transfer schedule, I would leave here August 11, and get home Tuesday the 12th, then school starts the next Thursday, right? I guess maybe that would be enough time, Ill have to see. Maybe once it gets a little closer I can email my counselor or something. But like you said, I could even teach piano again, which I would LOVE! And itd would be awesome to get student teaching with JuLee... ;) We`ll have to see if we can get that figured out ;) 

Have you guys heard anything about Amanda? I know she was doing her summer performance mission in Nauvoo, then planning to go on a mission after. Have you heard about if she has a call or anything yet? Or Katie Coon? When was she leaving? 

Also, could you send me my seminary teachers email address? I`d like to talk to him about the mission too. Porter might have it, or you could ask him on my facebook ;) 

Hope you start feeling better, and hope you all enjoy your conference weekend and trip!! Super fun, enjoy it!!
Love you all lotsss!!
<3 Hermana Severtson

P.S. hey too, i forgot!
brother judd brought us a box yesterday... full of american candy and hot cheetos ;) it was so nice of him! oh yumm!! haha
and thats cool you guys are going to go out to dinner with him and his wife, thats neat!! 
maybe i can send stuff home with him to give to you when he goes back! ill have to see if i can find stuff by then ;) haha then maybe i wont have to send a christmas package either! ;) 

love yaaa!!!

23 September 2013

Kami letter from Copiapo (dated 9/23/13)

HEEYY!! 
Good to hear you finally heard from Brother Judd...and that he`s still there in Mesa. That would be awesome too if you could get together with him before he comes back. I`ll probably be here another 2 transfers. Nothing is certain, but they`re changing things so that everyone stays in their sector about 6 months. I was going to say too, dont worry about sending me that brown bag either... I dont need it. ;) 
And you went to Chicago again?? Wow! Hopefully it all goes well for ya and you wont have to travel so much anymore! I hope youre feeling better too... 
I cant believe that about Porter. WOW. He had brought it to school before though, right? hahaha Good thing he didnt get in any trouble though. yikes! hahaha 

So our independence day here was good..... As good as it can get! ha Everyone in our sector was traveling. No one was home.Wednesday-Sunday it was a ghost town. For real. There was NO BODY. It sorta worked out (...I guess...) because I was sick for a lot of it. And our doctor gave me some medicine to take to get better faster, but it made me SLEEP. I was so tired all the time. But he told me just to sleep...because no one is here anyway! haha but we managed to work more in the afternoon...and I feel a lot better now! And my foot is continuing to feel better too. 
On Wednesday (independence day) we ate lunch at the Zuñigas house in our ward. He served his mission in Chile Antofagasta from 1991-1993 or so.... when did Brother Case serve here?? I asked if he knew him, but he was going to go look through his stuff and see. 
Also, because of the independence WEEK, we didnt ever get the chance to visit any of those references or any new people. So we are really going to work with them this week. 
For real. I heard independence day was bad. But i didnt imagine EVERYONE gone, or partying. Wednesday was the 18th, and through saturday night we still heard people partying!! haha 

Guess what else we had this week? RATS AND SPIDERS. Wednesday we came home from lunch, and found a RAT in our kitchen! We were all running around figuring out what to do, when Hermana Santos yells saying she caught it under her foot. It climbed under a box, and she figured she`d try to step on it to stop it, even though they run really fast, and she did!! We found a bucket for it to run into when she lifted her foot off..... but when she lifted her foot, it was dead. She was so sad because she didnt want to kill it, just stop it, and she didnt press that hard. But I guess it solved our problem... haha 
Then that night and thursday and friday, we found a MILLION spiders!! They`re HUGE and the rincon kind... venomous. The only venomous thing Chile has. But we were afraid. and every time we found one, we found a couple. So we were really scared! We decided to all put our clothes in our suitcases and always zip them, so the spiders couldnt hide in our clothes. As I was putting mine in... I found one. EWW I attached a picture of it dead on my shirt. its dead and shrivled and still HUGE!! But we havent seen them since.... definitely an answer to our prayers right there! 

I also found out this week... that remember a few years back about the 33 miners that got stuck in the mine for a couple months? And they all lived when they finally found them and got them out? Well, I found out that was Copiapo, and the mine is in our sector. cool! haha our ward mission leader told us maybe one of these pdays he can take us over there to look at it. 

And as for school too. Yes, that was something I was considering, starting in January 2015 instead. Im still considering it... if it would even be possible with my scholarship deferrment. But I know too Im supposed to do some clinic things before school started. and they were going to try to get me in to do it real quick when im home. And im not sure too... i was thinking, i might even have to start the internship when THAT school starts. and id miss that for sure. I have no idea. Could you try to look into it, and ask them if I could even defer it one more semester? If they even tell you anything about it? If not, I could try emailing someone too. We`ll see. What do you think would be best? 

Happy Birthday to Porter this week too! I hope he enjoys his big 18..and stays out of trouble now that hes legal ;)  
Love you lots!!
--Hermana Severtson


16 September 2013

Kami letter from Copiapo (dated 9/16/13)

Wow Wow Wow! Keeping busy!! Glad to hear your surgery went well. And Bentley got a job!! Woo hoo!! Hopefully Porter can get one too pretty soon. and you are going to conference! IM JEALOUS!! But I will for sure look for you all (and yes, we do watch it live.) We`ll all have to go again when Im home!! 
You asked about the earthquake too. It was just a little one, probably no more than 3 or 4 seconds, so I wasnt too worried. But it sure was neat to feel! 
Then for speaking in Spanish. Its getting so much better. Its crazy, sometimes I actually sit there and think..."wow. Im understanding and speaking without really thinking about it!" haha then I think too "wow, im in chile. i live in south america. ive been here in chile for 6 months" and kinda freak out... ;) its so weird to think im so far away, because its just normal now! i almost forgot what its like at home, because everything here is so different.
and for the piano, im afraid i`ll forget it, but i seem to remember about the same. i usually dont play much more than hymns. (I played the piano too at the conference we had with president) and sometimes its just hard to remember what they are in english and how they go, but i remember soon enough ;) im excited though to be able to play all my old songs! 

for the independence day this week, everyone is out of school and most out of work for the whole week. I know we go home early on wednesday (the 18th, the independence day) because everyone is drinking and stuff, but i feel like it will be a whole weekend thing. we`ll see. everyone is traveling too, most of the ward is gone, so we`ll see! ;) 

As for this week we had here, it was a pretty good one! 
Last Monday, we were walking down the street during our Pday, and a guy comes up behind us "I hear ENGLISH"...we turn around and theres this old guy on a bike. He tells us his name is Garth, and he rode his bike all the way from VANCOUVER CANADA to Copiapo chile. and we met him on his year anniversary. he is going to go down to argentina then fly home. he does it for charity. He has a facebook page "Garth Rides For Hope"... so maybe you guys could check it out. But wow! that seems really cool, riding a bike from canada to chile in a year!! LONG TIME. he knows parts of 35 languages, because he`s done it through europe and stuff too. crazy! 

My foot is doing better, I didnt change anything again.... still doing everything the same as before, and it healed. I hope this isnt a cycle through my mission.... good for a month or two then hurts for 2 weeks, good for a month or two... but whatever. Now that my foot is better, I`ve gotten myself a cold or something too. My throat hurts, my ears hurt, and I always feel super tired. But whatever I guess... i`ll get better soon enough! haha 

I had been wanting for like 3 months to cut my hair...I was sick of it! But I was also afraid of the salons here, because Ive heard crazy stories. So finally, Hermana Santos told me she could try if I wanted. She cuts her own hair, and its pretty easy, but she never cut anyone else before. So she tried it, and I love it!! Its just a little shorter, but the gross ends are off and my bangs are shorter again ;) I love it! haha 

The conference we had with President went really well too. They talked about our goals for the mission. By the time president ends his mission in 3 years, we want to double the church attendance every week, double the amount of converts every month, double how many members have temple recommends, and have them announce a temple in the north of chile ;) They talked about how we have to be exactly obedient in all aspects, and disobedience of one affects the success of the whole mission. it was really cool!
I talked to president about my foot too. He told me in October, we are getting a senior couple missionaries, and He is a retired physical therapist! So i`ll get to talk to him then. perfect! 

This week we have been trying to find more to teach. The Elders Quorom President in another ward showed us 4 houses of people he works with that are interested in the church, so we are going this week to talk to them. One, is a less active man who is wanting to get reactivated, and his wife and kids arent members. woo hoo! 

We were at a members house the other night, and they asked to see my pictures. They speak english very well, so they know a lot of american tv shows. they said Jonah looks like the kid in The Middle!! ;) I dont remember the characters names at all, and she didnt either, but she said Jo totally looks like him ;) haha 

anyways. I am probably going to finally have time to buy new shoes today...so look for that charge coming from my credit card ;) 

hope you all have a great week! Make it a good one ;)
love you lots!

--hna severtson



09 September 2013

Kami letter from Copiapo (dated 9/9/13)

GmailToby Severtson

Hello to the Home Front!

Kami Severtson Mon, Sep 9, 2013 at 9:41 AM
To: Toby Severtson 
POR FIN. I get to keep a companion. ;) Hermana Rindlisbacher and I (and Hna Santos and Hna Delgado who we live with) are all staying together this next transfer!! I´m really excited, finally I get to keep a companion and a sector. ;) First time for me! We were really happy when the assistants called us Saturday night to tell us that. Except they were messing with us a little..like for me "you`ve known iquique, antofagasta, and now copiapo. you`re getting to know the mission well. would you like to get to know more? you still havent been to arica, calama, chanarral...." but i figured i was staying. especially because they told my companion she was staying before they told me ;)
But its probably going to be a quick transfer! we have chilean independence day the 18th this month...and they celebrate it all week. and we will have general conference. My companion will be 6 months, and me 7 and 8 this transfer. WOW. but itll be fun to celebrate it all together!

My foot though... still having problems. :( Today its not too horrible, good because we have a lot of Pday things to do, but yesterday was bad. and a few other days this week. we had to come home early quite a few nights for it. Elder Chacon gave me some pain killer to take for it (which doesnt help with too much pain) but also makes me still walk on it. it hurts less, so i work, then it hurts worse the next day and i still have tendonitis. hopefully it will start to get better. we have a conference on saturday, so hopefully i can talk to him and/or president about it then. 

Something cool. and kinda scary i guess. but i liked it and it was cool. i felt 2 earthquakes this week. One was REALLY strong during our personal study. it was so neat!! it was my first time to ever feel an earthquake, so i thought it was cool. i have no idea what number or degree or whatever it was, but it was kinda cool ;)

yesterday in church, i gave my first talk! just about support and help from the members, so it was pretty easy. i was kinda nervous because it was my first one in spanish, but it wasn`t too bad actually! ;) then, us missionaries also did a musical number. i played the piano! which i loved because i miss it so much!! we found the music for "come thou fount" the one i played at home. then another girl in the ward played the violin for it. and the other hermanas sang. it was pretty fun too!

its also been starting to get HOT HOT HOT. and its not even SPRING yet! i`m already getting my tan on ;) it got up to like 91 i think. if the converter on our phone is right. WOW. and im in the southern-most part for sisters, meaning the coldest too. haha 

we had daylight savings again...so we lost an hour. i really dont like this thing! im glad AZ doesnt do it! 

As for those 2 kids, we have not had a chance to go meet with them again. we had an appointment, and they werent home, but they had told us they might have something else, but would try to be home. and we tried once more, but i think they were still in school. then with my foot, we had problems to be able to get to their house (its kinda far) and with actually going out to work. but we are going to really try again this week. 

and that SD card, yeah, its just the same size as my camera. so the regular one? i have no idea. but yes, the same size that my camera takes.

and as for your ulcer and job, hopefully everything works out...yikes! two big crazy things going on at once! but everything will work out how heavenly father needs it to, and will be for the best. but i think you should try to get that ulcer out... doesnt sound fun being sick all the time, especially with fevers and everything! yikes..

hopefully things start going better with those. and that bentley can find a job! and the boys are doing good with their football, scouts, but always keeping up with school too ;) learn lots, work hard, and always do your best! remember what you know, be happy, and let your light shine ;)

love you lots!!!
<3 hermana severtson

02 September 2013

Kami letter from Copiapo (dated 9/2/2013)

Hello Hello!!!


Thanks for your letter this week! I love getting letters from all of you ;) I apologize to all you kids if I ever don`t have time to email back. A reminder too, you still can send those DearElder. Those are always fun to get when we get our "pouch" mail. ;) But emailing is fun too, so just whatever you all like! I just love hearing from everyone!!

I sent a letter to you guys a month or so back, my first week here in Copiapo. (and today is the last week, so i might have more transfer news next week!!) I know there was some strike or something going on with ChileCorreo, that just ended, so that might be why you never got it. But I sent something, so be looking out for it! 

Also, I have been thinking. I want to send you guys some stuff for Christmas, and probably should mid-end of october! how crazy fast thats coming up. what kinds of things would you all like me to send you??

We had a crazy week here. The stake did a mini MTC activity, where all the missionaries in the stake and all youth came. we taught them about how to prepare for a mission, how to teach, and did role plays. then after, some went to another building to do contacting, and some stayed to help bring people in for an "open chapel". Hermana Santos and I taught the Plan of Salvation to a bunch of people, so that was cool. we even made big picture things for each of the parts. it was pretty cool! and a bunch of the kids got more excited about serving missions. 
Funny though, there were probably about 40 missionaries or so, and youth less than that. But here that`s considered a good turn out ;) I just laugh, because including missionaries and leaders that were there, the youth in Montelena are more than that ;)

Then that same night, we had a ward activity to watch The Other Side of Heaven. It was in Spanish, but i always love that movie. Ive only seen it a couple times, but its a good one ;)

So like i said about those plan of salvation pictures, we had our stuff ALL over the floor during lunch one day, since we don`t have a mamita, we have 2 hours at home to make food, eat, study... so we were starting this plan of salvation thing. Then the elders in the office call us, to say they`re on their way to our pension to fix one of the doors, and theyll be there in half hour. We all dropped what we were doing and threw everything where it needs to go. we laughed after, because it totally was like the Best 2 Years when the President comes to their house and they throw everything everywhere last minute ;) haha 

We found two new investigators to teach this week too. Guillermo and Consuelo. We were out doing contacting, walking the streets, and my companion says "we should knock this door"....and i was JUST about to say the same thing. They`re 2 twins, 14 years old. And were really interested! We started the lesson 1, the restoration, and about how god is our heavenly father, loves us, sent us prophets.. and Guillermo says "Hey, its a lot like our church" (they`re catholic). Their aunt walks in "no no no no no its different from ours! these kids have to study, you have to come back another day!!" haha but they scheduled a new appointment with us and said they really wanted to know why our church is different and all the stuff we believe, and were really receptive to the lesson. it was so neat!

So guess what.... my foot has started to hurt a little bit these past couple days. ;( the same foot, but a different part. I am still taking medicine and doing everything normal, so i dont know why its hurting me again! hopefully it goes away soon this time, and im not stuck at home forever again. 

Did our member in our ward ever call you? he should be back here in chile now, so if not, its too late ;) but no worries!

Today for our pday activity, we went to Caldera. Its a little city about an hour from Copiapo, still part of our zone. Its on the beach! So our ward mission leader drove us 4 hermanas and the zone leaders there, and we met up with a couple other elders from our zone, and the other zone here in copiapo. It was so pretty!! i`ll attach some pictures, and when other people send me some, attach those too. ;) it was super fun! i think i got sunburn though, and now im really tired ;) but it was a fun last pday of the transfer!! 

to answer your quesions, yes, i still do keep in touch with bryndee, we email every week. and what you said about if it was mom doing the solo, she`d be laughing not singing....yup that was us ;) but luckily Hermana Pack from the other zone DOES sing and saved us by making us a trio ;) haha 

hope all continues to go well for you all. learn lots in school, be an example to everyone, and stay happy!!
love you!!

--hna severtson

P.S. these pics are from Caldera, and some from the top of the cerro in our sector. its all part of our area. the other one, thats like a path, i kinda thought looked like havasupai ;) then spent a good amount of time telling my companion about havasupai and how great it is. she wants to go sometime ;)










P.S.S. the third one is my area ;) from the conference with elder viñas. i cant figure out how to do it separate! ha




P.S.S.S.

oh also, if that guy in the ward didnt talk to you, can you send me the sd card of music? pretty much whatever efy music we have, from all the years we have. because a good variety is good to have here ;) i bought the music player today because it was really cheap. and if we have time (probably not today, but maybe next week but ill let you know) i need to buy new shoes again, for my feet, and id use my credit card :(

miss and love you lots!