Puerto Varas is Exciting

Look at all the apples

Both Volcano's in the rear view

2/26/2007
Hello to everyone. Yet another week here in puerto varas. This place is absolutely gorgeous, it is so awesome. We had our conference this last week. I got to know more of the sisters that are here, for example the hna that was in Punta Arenas before me, I took her spot, I feel like we are best friends and I hadn’t met her. So I finally got to know the assistants to the pres also, finally. I guess hna agurto always talked about me. Everybody has said that they have heard so much about me and I haven’t even been here. So that is kind of funny. Me and my comp had to teach a lesson in front of everyone, we had to do a practice, it was hard, because we are faking a lesson and so it is hard to have the spirit and do it right, but it is good at the same time. It was good.

I got my package, thank you soooooooo much. I have missed my other scriptures, thanks for the sheets and all the candy. My comp loves it. Thank you thank you. I appreciate it. Oh and sister Norma Hauffmen sent me an entire box of carmels, homemade, they are soooooooooooo good. I feel bad though because I don’t remember who she is, she even wrote me a letter, telling me who she was related to and I still don’t know. Tell her thanks a ton. Thanks for the pictures, I can’t believe dad has those gator shoes, or whatever they are called. You guys are funny, but looks like you had fun.

So I have an official announcement!! The fleas here are in FULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL FORCE!!!!!!!!! I have been bitten and bitten and bittennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. I have them alllllll over my body. The lucky thing is is that they don´t itch and they only hurt if I pick them, but let’s be honest, we all know me and how I pick things. But I am stripping everything off my bed and cleaning everything and buying bug stuff to exterminate my bed bugs. I never thought that little rhyme would really come true. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I have also come to know that these wonderful pulgas, or fleas, also love the gringos a whole lot more than they do the latinos. Aren’t we sooooooo lucky. Such is life, it is okay, no worries.

Hna Ramirez was telling me that in Peru they don’t have washing machines and if they do they are wayyyyyyyyyyyyy expensive. She has never used a washing machine before. That is so crazy to me. And here, nobodyyyyy has a dish washer, I have yet to see one. The people here have more money than in Punta Arenas. They are a little bit more modern, and have more things. I have seen a lot of drying machines, not a lot but wayyyyyyyyyyyy more than in Punta Arenas, I saw one! It is interesting.

In Punta arenas the Jehovah witnesse’s were in full force, here they are the evangelicos. It is interesting, these different churches scare their members to go to their church and so they won’t talk to us. On Saturday there was an iron man race here, we only saw a bit as we drove by. This city is making me miss the things that I love to do…like exerciseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. That is okay, the other day we taught 6 college students from Peru. It was really good and fun. But it made me think a lot about home and hanging out in Chico that is what it reminded me. But such is life, it was weird because Chile is sooooooooo much different, I am not used to being reminded of home and so when something is like home it hits hard but then it goes away.

Can you send me the recipes to peach cobbler and pancakes, but pancakes not from a box. Thanks.

Erica or mom, if you could burn the book of Mormon onto cd for me and send them to me, my comp wants them so she can learn English

We had an amazingggggggggggg lesson in ENGLISH the other day. There is a German here that doesn’t know Spanish but she knows English and they have been teaching her forever and she is so close to accepting baptism. She is so close. I taught the English in lesson. The spirit was soooooooo strong. Afterwards my comp was so pumped even though she didn’t understand a single thing that we said. She said she felt the spirit so strongly and she was like, wow it is so much better in English because that is the language in which the gospel was restored. I laughed, that is not the case but still. It was theeeeeeeeeeee weirdest thing to teach in English, my first time and I talked soooooooooo slow, to be able to think of the words. But it is awesomeeeee. We are praying for her a ton.

So last night the last hose we tried we found a lady named Teresa. She is feeling really lonely and has wanted to take her life. We talked about how god loves her and she doesn’t believe it and started crying. We taught her about the restoration and how we were there and that is an example of god’s love that he sent us there. I asked her if she knew that these things were true then would she get baptized and she said yessssssssssss. Wowwwwwwwww, the faith this lady has. She said she knows that the book of Mormon is going to change her lifeeeeeee. She was soooooo excited to have the book of Mormon and she really knows nothing abut it. It was so awesome. God loves us and that is why we are here. I am thankful that I listened to the guiding of the spirit so that we could go to her house, when she was home, and by herself. God has a plan for us, he knows when it is time. It was a miracle to say the least, I know she is going to accept and I know that her life is going to change dramatically with the knowledge of the gospel.

We went on splits yesterday too, which is interesting considering I don’t know the sector very well, but it doesn’t matter, it is okay. It was really good, we visited a lot of people. We almost met all of our goals this week. Which is a miracle because they are hard. We can still do better but we have improved from the week before, so that is awesome. We are only going to go up. Can I tell you how weird it is to walk around with a cell phone in my pocket!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Soooooooooooooooooo weird!!!!!!1

So mom, I know you are probably sick of my favors but there is an elder here that wants things from the states, a latino, things you can’t get here, he wants the other side of heaven, the testaments (I would love that one too), and the best of years…if you could send them to Alexander Vargas, and tell me how much it is and then he is going to pay me. Thank you. Sorry.

If you ever send things, you can always send me anything from the distribution center, stickers, anything in Spanish, any nick knack from the church. The people here are wayyyyyy into stickers. What else can I tell you. I am not sure.

It has been a really good week. Oh, next week we are going on a trip on Monday. So I will probably write late. We came across a guy who hna agurto used to teach and he drives the collectivos and so when he sees us he always takes us places for free. He took up us to see some gorgeous viewsssssssssss. This city is amazing. There is sooooooooo much to do. Lael, you would seriously die here. Not kidding. We saw people, not repelling, no it is called zip lining and it was theeeeeeeeeeee most georgous scenery. One day I will be coming back here. And we can eat allllll the fruit for free that we want. Life is great here. Our sector is reallllllllly small and the elders have a huge sector. The accents here are different and I am trying to get used to them, it is hard though. We are working hard, it is a little different being a senior comp, and we both are, but it is really good also. I am learning a lot and trying to become the best teacher that I can be. I am trying to know how I can help the people change their lives so they can be happier and be closer to god. The German said that she is growing closer to god, and that is what we want, it is awesomeeeeeeeee, and then he won’t lie about which baptism we need, because he can’t lie, he will tell all of us the same thing. It is amazing the gospel.

That is me for this week. hope you are all doing great. Thanks for everything. I really am lucky to have a family in the church and people that can support me in these things. Keep your prayers with us. We are going to see miracles in the lives of the people here. We will do great things, but only with the help of the lord.

God bless, love, hna Jamie

Helping the Elders!

Jamie and Hermana Ramirez

Misc Pict's of Puerto Varas

02/19/2007

Tell nelson happyyyyyyyy birthday for me!!!!!! I hope he has an awesome birthday, well I know he doesn’t like birthdays but that doesn’t matter to me much. I hope you enjoy the pictures, they aren’t that good because it has been rainy and cloudy, on a good clear day, I will get a real good pictures, the mission gets more and more interesting, we are working with an excommunicated member. She is amazing. She went on a mission even. She is seriously amazing. I think her excommunication was a mistake in the long run. She never had a counsel.


Yeah so get this, so I got an idea from elders in Punta arenas and then I was talking to the dl (District Leader) on the phone and told him what we had been doing, we had, had success and he used the idea and found a bunch of new people too. He was like, thanks hna for your ideas. he was way pumped, it was awesome, the ideas of the other elders, this city Puerto varas reminds me of Palo Alto, but not as ritzy, not even closeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. But with the greenery and everything. There are parts here reallllllllllllllly dangerous, I have heard a lot of stories already, but we aren’t scared because we know the lord is taking care of us. We are fine. Plus we are cautious. :) don’t worry mom, we are okay, hna agurto was here in her first transfer. hna moreno was here too. but it is fun some of the things they say about han agurto. It is great. she is still in chiloe. I hope I see her but I doubt it.

Well I better go. love ya all. Jamie

Puerto Varas

Map of Chile for reference of Puerto Varas location in the Country

Puerto Varas is situated on the south west margin of lake Llanquihue one of the largest natural lakes in South America, 20 km. from Puerto Montt, and possesses all the poetry of its houses full of roses and the intimacy of the bay. The city is well known for its German traditions, its food, its fish and seafood, the natural environment, its casino and 4 star hotels.

Closer View of Puerto Varas

One can appreciate the evidence of German colonization in their typical constructions and beautiful gardens. The volcanoes Calvuco and Osorno stand out in the horizon. The insertion of different cultures in these desolate difficult territories where nature offers all its beauty but also big difficulties keeps being a strong challenge for man.

The perfect cone of Osorno volcano and the snowcapped peaks of Mt. Calbuco and Mt. Tronador are clearly visible from the lakefront. On the western shore of Llanquihue Lake are the tourist localities of Puerto Octay, Frutillar and Llanquihue.

Lake Llanquihue

The city of Puerto Varas, also known as “the city of roses”, was founded in 1854 by Vicente Pérez Rosales. The city is named after Antonio Varas, minister of the interior during the presidency of Manuel Montt, when the city was founded. The Montt administration offered lands around lake Llanquihue for mostly German speaking Europeans to settle and farm those lands. Puerto Varas was founded as the main port on the lake, connected by road to the nearest seaport, Puerto Montt. This homsteading program continued through the remainder of the 19th century.

The great growth of Puerto Montt (20 km south by highway), has spurred growth of Puerto Varas as a residential town and an important tourist destination. Puerto Varas now has an excellent hotel infrastructure, wide variety of restaurants, cultural events, in addition to being the departure point for fascinating tourist attractions in surroundings of dramatic geography turning it into the tourist capital of the Lakes Region.

On to Puerto Varas!

Well, the moment you have all been waiting for…where am I? Wouldn’t you like to know. I think you would.

Well, I left Punta Arenas this morning and took a plane to Puerto Montt and I taught a lesson on the plane and had a really good conversation with the lady that I sat next too. I then took a bus with two other missionaries into downtown Puerto Montt where I finally got to meet a bunch of the missionary’s because I have been in a bubble so far away all this time. Then I took a bus by myself for another half an hour away to a town called Puerto Varas where I will be staying for the next six weeks at least. It is a tourist city. I am here with a hermana named hermana Ramirez, she is from Peru. She says that I speak Spanish very well in the form that a Latina would speak. That was nice of her. I already feel like the mission is way different in the north with a bunch of missionaries. It is awesome.

Oh and by the way. Monday night the assistants called me and gave me my assignment. I am senior comp now. My comp has been on the mission a lot more time and so we are what they call coco, two senior comps. It is going to be great. I am so pumped. Way pumped. It was soooooooooooooo sad to say goodbye to the people in Punta Arenas but I was happy too. I have been smiling the whole time. It was touching, many people cried as I left. I have really grown to love the people in Punta Arenas, they are awesome and I have learned so much there. I was even more shocked when hna Moreno BURST out into tears with me, I mean burst out. I was so surprised, she was so sad when I left. She just never talks and I never know what is going on.

(I asked Jamie a bunch of questions the other day and these are her answer’s) Favorite food, gnocci, it is like potato pasta. Question What is the best thing you have learned about the area so far? Pull out toilet paper outside of the stall at some places and then go in. Again favorite food? I love empanadas de manaznas, like apple turnovers. What is the best thing you have seen or done since you have been in Punta Arena’s? They have baskets outside of their houses to put their garbage in, like wire baskets. Weird. Yes, I can watch dvds. Some people have internet but it is expensive, so not many do. Alli, go get your jacket, busca tu chaqueta. Erica, scriptures in Spanish on cd. Love the calendar, thank you so much. Great job mom for reading every day your scriptures, that is awesome. Worst thing eats, raw clams or oysters or something

Yeah leaving Punta arenas was so hard to say goodbye to romina y Javier. I really feel like I knew them before. They were my family in Punta Arenas, I got so close with them, romina would go out with us every Thursday to do divisions and I was with her always and so we got way close and talked a ton. They are so awesome and their testimonies are soooooooooooooo incredibly strong. I will miss them a lot a lot. I will se them again one day.

So I have heard that Puerto Varas is theeeeeeeeeee prettiest place on the mission. It is raining hard right now, I thought we would have some sun and some heat but no, I don’t think it gets hot anywhere, I think we are going into fall now. I am so pumped for a new sector, new people. I was a little nervous being senior comp. hna Agurto emailed me, she is still with hna Morphis, she is way pumped for me. I miss her a ton. She is awesome. She is proud of me that I would be senior comp already. I didn’t think that it really was going to happen. I thought I would have at least one more comp before I did but the assistant said that the president trusts a lot in me and hna Faulkner as well, and obviously god does too. They said that for me to continue progressing and learning I needed a different calling, I needed this to keep moving forward, honestly I felt like I have been senior comp this entire time with hna Moreno. But that is fine. The time flew by with her and I can’t believe I am finally somewhere else. It is sooooooooooooo humid here and way different then down there, way different. I love it already. I love Chile and I love the Latinas, they make better comps I believe then the gringas. I have to speak Spanish. We were in a trio last night, the new hnas in Punta Arenas got there early and it was a lot of fun to be with someone else but weird to say goodbye to everyone with her. Oh well. It was said but I am pumped for my new calling and know that this is where I need to be. I have rejuvenated energy and am ready to work. I tried to talk to everyone I could. I taught on the plane and on the bus to the bus driver. I hope they could have felt the spirit of god testify to them that what I was teaching was true and have a desire to learn more. I am really learning how to love the people and be bold and share the gospel and let them know how important it is to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have heard that here we get all of the free fruit that we want. That is so awesome. Yeah for that. In Punta Arenas fruit is so incredibly expensiveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. So I am full of energy and don’t know what to say, I want to get out and get to work because I am so pumped for a change and new everything, comp and sector and people.

So are you guys going to come and pick me up from my mission? I would love to know. I don’t really have anything else to say because my mind is all over the place. We have pday on Monday again. I don’t have my cable to send pictures so I will send more next week, it is in my suitcase.

Life is great, I love the mission. I never thought I would leave Punta Arenas but I did. I can’t believe how much bolder I have become and how I just say it as it is and there are no excuses when ii comes to the lord, we did it or not. Oh yeah, I had to give a talk in sacrament this last week and teach gospel essentials, lucky me, like my farewell, everyone figured I was leaving. Such is life. This gospel really makes us happy, I have been smiling for days. I can’t wait to go out and see the miracles here. Trust in god, he is what makes the miracles. I am ready to increase my faith and work as an instrument in his hands.

Peace Out!

Incredible Week!

2/5/2007

Thank you so much nana and papa for your package!! Loved it. The people are loving the popcorn with salt and butter because they are used to popcorn with caramel or powdered sugar. Asi que, they love it and I have shared it with many people. It is fun to share things from different countries.

Happyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy birthday papa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One year younger and stronger! Hope you have a great birthday and I am thinking about you!!

So we finalyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy got a new bishop yesterday!!!!!!! After three months they finally called another bishop!! We were soooooooooooo pumped!!! It is such a relief. We had a conference with elder pratt on Friday, the pres of chile…finally I met the man with my name and yes he is from parley but the pratt´s that moved to mexico, a helaman and his family, I don’t remember the man’s names in our family. But finally I met the man that everyone asks if we are related. And yes, I have become the chorister in all of the meetings, always!! I don’t know way!! Que vergüenza. Seriously. But oh well. So our bishop is awesome and all gun ho on helping with the missionary work and our first counselor, now, always helps us to. So we are only on our way up! We are so pumped with that.

So we had some awesome lessons this week, we really saw a lot of god’s miracles this week in his work. It was awesome. We went to visit the lady we found last Sunday in despair, the second lesson with her she was doing awesome. She was so happy and she had an amazing experience with reading the book of Mormon and had a really spiritual experience as the book brought the spirit of the lord in her life and the love of god. It was so awesome. The book of Mormon really is the key stone to our religion. This book brings the spirit into our lives more than any other book and on every page it testifies of Jesus Christ and his divinity and atoning sacrifice. If the people can take the opportunity to read the book and feel of it’s spirit, they can’t deny that it comes from god and if it comes from god then Joseph smith really was called as a modern day prophet like moses and noah anciently. It is so clear. This book is amazing. My testimony grew a ton of the book of mormon this week. It really brings the consoling power of god into our lives.

So we had an fhe with Javier and romina, they are awesome, members 1 year, going to temple this week, and alejandra and patricio. It was awesome. We talked about eternal marriage and the temples, how we can have our families forever and what we have to do. With out the baptism of jesus cristo we can’t enter into his kingdom, we need the exact same baptism, by authority, by immersion, and with an age of responsibility. We challenged them to get baptized and patricio accepted and alejandra was a bit more reluctant. Finally I just laid it out, do you know the bom is true, then everything else is true, joseph smith, the church and then this is the one and only baptism that will save us. She accepted too!!!!!!!!!!!! We were seriously on cloud nine, after like 5 months of working with them!!!!! It was the best feeling in the world. We felt this load lifted off of our shoulders, it was like we had a burden because we were always worried about them and how we can help them. It was the best feeling to have this lifted and to know that they are doing to get baptized. I had never felt happier, it was amazing. And it was all for the testimonies of romina and Javier because they were catholic too and went through the same process, something that I can’t relate to. They are so strong in the church and have such strong testimonies. It was the best experience ever. They wanted to get baptized the 10th so that I could be there, because cambios are the 14th and most likely I will be leaving, we extended the date for the 17th so we were going to do everything we could to get them baptized this week.

But let’s just say that nothing ever works out perfectly does it. The next day romina and I went to teach the word of wisdom, they accepted and were ready. I went into their kitchen and through away all of their alcohol, dumped it down the sink, took out all of their tea and coffee and we got rid of it all. I was shocked at how bold I was. She was a little hesitant but I felt the spirit tell me to be bold and do it, it shows my love and my testimony and that I know it is a commandment of the lord. So we through it all out. But then she started talking about her doubts and how they want to go to the catholic church to see the difference because it is hard for her to change her religion and she still doesn’t really feel the need to get baptized.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. But they can’t deny that the book of momron is true, they know it is true and they say it is true!!! It has changed their lives and everyone can see there is a hugeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee difference in their lives because they read almost everyday and they say their prayers as a family every day, and all on the behalf of their testimony of the bom and how they have applied the teachings in their lives. On top of it all we went on Saturday and alejandra was the old alejandra, pessimistic and everybody hates her and life sucks. We were so bummed. Satan really works in the people’s lives, always. After we left her house, I felt something I have never really felt before outside of the mission. I felt this immense pain in my heart that I can’t explain. The entire day, I have never quite been down quite like this before. I guess the love I have for them and the desire I have for them to have their family forever and to take this step into the celestial kingdom, to save their souls al final. I couldn’t shake it at all. Seriously, I can’t express the pain I felt for them, knowing that they were doubting and take huge steps backwards. I couldn’t think of anything else but how I can help them to accept, to have their faith grow and to trust in the lord and in their answers from their prayers. I searched for help in todos lugares. I fasted a ton, I have thought and tried everything, talked with everyone, read everything. Al final, we are going to wait a few days, they need to walk on their own and we can’t hold their hands forever. They didn’t go to church yesterday, they aren’t doing anything now, 180 degree turn around. But I am okay now, we are doing our part and we are trusting in the lord. We don’t want to baptize them if they are going to be weak and become inactive. That is not our purpose.
Afterwards the lord blessed with another family, we found an amazing family yesterday and we found the cousin of alejandra and already read her bom and had her answer that it is true and came to church. The lord blessed us on the flip side. So we ended the week well, we improved a tonnnnnnnnnnnnnn. We taught a tonnnnn of lessons!! Way better than we ever have done. We are on our way up. It has been really cold, windy and rainy all week. The wind sunk to the bones and we are getting drenched today and the other day soaked. We are doing awesome though. My comp and I have fun together now and talk a lot more. We laugh a lot more and things are going great, she teaches great and I am learning from her as well. We try to compliment each other with our strengths. She is strong being the only member in her family. It is tough for her with her family but she is great really. I just took a long time to realize it unfortunately. We laugh, she thinks I am funny. What can I say.

So this family that I always talk about, romina and Javier. They are absolutely awesome, seriously. I am sure that I knew them before. I know that we were friends in the life before. They are so awesome. I learn so much from them, and I tell them and they get all embarrassed because they have only been members for a year but their dedication to the work of the lord and their testimonies are amazing. So here there is a tradition that when the bus leaves to go the to temple, because once a year the stake gets a bus and all goes together, all the other members go to see them off and congratulate them, it is kind of funny. So Saturday they are leaving to the temple. I will miss them a lot when I leave. I will come visit them one day, I told them when I finish my mission they have to come to the temple when I am there and so they are going to set a goal to be able to try to do it! It would be awesome.

bom schedule
339
348
358
368
397
386
397
406
417
427

i hope everyone is reading, these are the page numbers.

Remember that cambios are on the 14th and so I won´t be writing on Monday. If you here from me in the morning I am still in punta arenas. If you hear from me in the afternoon I have arrived in my new sector after I have traveled by plane and bus and maybe boat, who knows, and if you don´t hear from me at all, I am in osorno and will write that Saturday. Who knows what the lord has in store for me, wherever it is I will gladly accept, I can go anywhereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Oh yeah, tell matt that we can’t wear sunglasses on the mission! But rain coats, siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.

Remember that the spirit talks to each one of us differently. It is not all the same, the lord speaks to us in the way that we need and is best for us to learn and understand. I can’t change the way the spirit talks to me to have the same experiences as the other people, it is only in my way. Every time I teach the gospel, I feel this peace and comfort in my soul and know that what I am saying is from god and that we have the power as missionaries to promise blessings from the lord. I did that this week and it was the most powerful feeling, I truly knew it was coming form the lord the things I was saying, the power of the true spirit of the lord in incredible. I know the lord will hold up on his end as I promise things to the people that he has prompted me to say. The power is remarkable truly incredible.
that is it for me this week, i don’t´ know what else. i am doing great and if i have to leave this next week it is really going to be hard to say goodbye to some of the people here. like romina and javier. i have really grown close to them. and javier speaks English really well, romina no but that is okay, they are awesome.

hope you all are well, saludos a todos. cuidense y nos vemos la proxima semana. tell everyone i said hi. read the bom, seriously!!! love ya all, hna pratt