You can write Alison by sending a letter to:
Vina Del Mar Mission Home, Hermana Alison Royal, 4 Norte 1112, Vina del Mar, Chile.
Her Email address is:
So, I'm in Chile!!! and I don't really know how to use these key boards so I'm sorry if there are alot of errors!
Ok, let me try to organize my thoughts ha ha because I have been thinking about what I should write in these emails for the last couple of days. Let me first start with the plane ride:
So, after I got off the phone with you, I got directly on the plane to Chile. It was a huge plane, tons of people. Right when we sat down a man next to us asked who we were and why we were going to Chile. ha ha Obviously we jumped on this opportunity and spent the next 2 hours or so talking about the gospel. It was crazy! My first missionary experience (in English). His name was Daniel and he was very interesting One of the first things he told us is that "in Chile, people wake up in bathtubs with there organs cut out of them" ha ha. We were like, "oh, that's interesting" but he was so willing to listen to our message and we gave him a Book of Mormon and he started reading it during the flight. The elders said they saw him writing in his journal about us too... who knows, but it was exciting to do some real missionary work with Hermana Ellsworth.. I miss her...
So, we arrived in Chile and it was CRAZY at the airport, we had to get our passports stamped in customs and everything was in Spanish and I don't really remember much expect how dumb I felt lugging around two HEAVY bags ha ha. Then we saw Pres. Gillespie and Sister Gillespie waiting for us and I loved them right away! They are so great! We hopped in a bus and drove for about 2 hours to Vina and went to the Reloj de Flores (clock of flowers) and took pictures (which I look AWFUL in. I didnt sleep a wink on the plane and my hair, face showed it) ha ha. But we were excited none the less. After that, Pres. Gillespie gave each of us a paper with the address of the mission home and told us to find our way in companionships and to try to get there within an hour.. Then he left. ha ha. It was pretty crazy, no mas ingles, solemente espanol! We were able to find it pretty easily. Then we got assigned our new companions and went to work!
My companion is Hermana Jacobo. She is from El Salvador and doesn't speak ANY English ha ha. Both Hermana Ellsworth and I got native companions. So, basically, I can't speak any more English except in this email and my personal prayers. I will be honest, I can't understand about 40% of what the Chileans are saying. They talk SO fast and they cut off the ends of words so its like a completely different dialect of Spanish. My first day was pretty overwhelming becauseI couldn't understand anyone. But everyday it gets easier. I wonder how long it will take me to feel comfortable with the language... Who knows, but it is exciting to be completely immersed in the culture. I kind of can't believe it sometimes. Hermana Jacobo is great. I can understand her really well and have no problemo talking with her, but her Spanish is so much more clear than the Chileans.
That being said, I LOVE the Chileans! I LOVE Chile. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Vina del Mar! It is absolutely the most beautiful city in the world! I live right on the coast and can see the ocean from my balcony. I love reading my Scriptures outside in the sun. It is so beautiful here. It actually has a very European feel to it. The houses are stacked on mountains (which means so much walking up steep steep hills) and the houses are all painted different bright brilliant colors. There are flowers everywhere. I love it. I think my most used phrase is (oh, Que bonito!) ha ha There are also thousands of dogs and cats. EVERYWHERE ha ha I want to pet them, but don't want to risk getting fleas or rabies Ha.
The people are so loving here. And beautiful (very light skinned and attractive people) And instead of shaking hands when we meet a woman, we kiss on the cheek. This took me a while to get used to, but I love it, it is so much more genuine than a handshake. Everyday, we eat lunch at a members house and they give us So much food! ha ha. I am for sure going to gain weight. Plus, pretty much every house we go to, they give us juice or bread or fruit. The fruit is so good here! There is also a meal called "once" and people love to feed us that. Oh, so much food. The food is a little different, but I am always so hungry I don't even think twice about eating it. Yesterday, we ate at someone's house and they basically had 7 very large people living in a tiny one room house and they fed us so much. Some of these people are so humble, but so willing to share with us. It is very humbling! But on the other hand, there are also so very wealthy people here. Vina is like the San Fransisco of Chile, some very well off people.
Everyone calls me the Gringa ha ha. One thing that I love is that EVERYONE tries to speak English to me. Its so cute. They have funny accents and it makes me laugh every time. We are teaching one family and the daughter Katalina is obsessed with Americans and always asks me to tell her what "kids choice awards" or "find me somebody to love" or other phrases from songs mean. Ha ha. I am going to be teaching an English class this month and everyone is so excited to learn. I am nervous because I have never taught English before, but its the one language I know better than them ha ha.
Also, yesterday, I had to give a 15 min talk! SO scary! I thought the Bishop was kidding when he asked me, but nope, he was serious. It was scary, but everyone is so patient with my Spanish and they are so willing to help and explain things to me. So far, probably the scariest thing for me is to open my mouth and speak. Because it is so easy to just let Hermana Jacabo talk, but I know I have to stretch myself. The other day, we were teaching an AWESOME family, Ronald and Katalina and Roland. We invited them to be baptized and Ronald turned to me and asked a very long fast questions. I didn't understand any of it but I had been praying so hard for the gift of tongues and for the Lord to fill my mouth and he did. I was able to answer and they understood (even said I speak very good clear Spanish) and I was able to answer their question and they accepted a date for baptism! So exciting. I have never prayed so much for a family. We are also teaching a lot of really great people. I love them so much. I am so grateful to be a missionary and to be in a position where people freely invite me into their homes and listen to my broken Spanish.
ANYwho, how are you all? I have thought a lot about how much I miss you and how much I want to pick up the phone and talk to you IN ENGLISH. ha The first night, I was feeling so overwhelmed I just wished I could call you, but don't worry because I am SO happy here. I love it. I honestly feel so happy all day, even when we get rejected most of the day. I also have never slept better. I get home and the second my head hits the pillow, I am out. I expect you all to write me lots! And also, I CANT believe Shelby is engaged. Tell her I expect a letter or email from her AND a wedding announcement. I am so happy for her, but sad I will miss it. Probably one of the many big events I will miss. but that's OK, its worth the sacrifice!
So I am trying to upload pictures, but it isnt working for me, So I will have to try again next week, but I just took so beautiful pictures at the beach. We can go right up to the beach, we just aren't aloud to touch the sand. I feel so lucky to be serving in my area. It is called Agua Santa (that's the name of my ward) and it is a huge space of area, it includes very poor areas, and very rich areas too. Wow this is a long email. Long story short, I am happy, and blessed to be serving in Vina Del Mar. The lord knows me well because it is such a artsy city and the architecture is amazing. Remember how much I loved SanFransico, well this is better.
Le AMO a todos! Gracias por todos sus correos. Sigue adelante! Hasta el proximo lunes!
Hermana Royal
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