Elder Andrew Cherpeski in Linares with Elder Cabanillas

12/17/2018

Hola todos,

This week, has been a fairly stressful week, in comparison with the past because I have had to do a lot more. I met my new companion, Elder Cabanillas, on Tuesday after a morning of waiting around with the Zone Leaders and an Elder Huyter in the casa.

Although I have only known him for a week, my first impressions of him are quite good. He speaks with an Argentinian accent, but it is not as strong as my mission president´s. The most obvious example of the Argentinian accent is the ll. For many, this has the sound of an English y. In Buenos Aires it is the sound of sh. His accent is in between, more like a j. My trainer spoke the same way, so I have been doing the same. Little did I know I was already developing my Argentinian accent here in Chile!

My new district leader is Elder Benson. I am super excited to work with him. After spending nearly a year as a zone leader in the mission, he is spending the last two transfers of his mission training as a district leader. He is an awesome missionary, and I am going to learn a lot from him. My mission is divided into 9 "zones" and each zone is divided into districts. My zone, Linares (which includes Linares proper as well as other neighboring cities), is often called the Mega-Zone of Linares because with 34 missionaries, it is the largest zone in the mission. My new district, with 8 missionaries, is by far the largest district in the zone, so we are calling it the mega district of Linares. It is pretty awesome

The trip to the temple was even better than I thought it would be. I spent the whole time in the bus talking with Elder Richards and Elder Wood, who were in the CCM with me. I even saw Elders Benson, Snedden and Ormond from the CCM for the first time in a while. Being in the big city for my birthday, I did what any reasonable gringo would do. I had Dominos for lunch.

The temple session was wonderful. It was all of the missionaries from my zone as well as President and Hermana Catala. I really enjoyed the opportunity to focus on my purpose as a missionary, in greater context.

The next day we had the mega almuerzo de Linares because all the Elders from the two branches in Linares ate together in the same market.





My Spanish is improving quite rapidly right now. Having a companion who knows the language really well is super useful. I also love that so many words are basically the same. The challenge is when the words are different. That and the accent. There is always the accent.

My situation is a bit contradictory. Although, I would say that I can speak Spanish fluently, I still cannot understand underclass Chilean Spanish. They basically speak about as poorly as one can imagine. Si yo estuviera en México, yo sería fluido en Español ahora. Sin embargo, yo estoy en Chile.

I am excited for Christmas, although I have to admit that it feels nothing like Christmas out here. What with the blazing summer heat and all.

¡Cuídense!

12/24/2018
Feliz Navidad, todos.

I wanted to wish all of you a Merry Christmas from Chile. Truth is that It feels nothing like Christmas down here because we are the middle of summer and I work all day long, so nothing really has changed.

However, this week was pretty special because on Thursday, I did an intercambio with the brand new missionary Elder Johnson in Guapi, one of the most dangerous parts of my mission.

Elder Johnson doesn´t speak any Spanish at all, so it was all up to me.

Although, it was my first time being the senior companion in an area, the day was really satisfying because I did everything by myself. It was really awesome being a trainer for a day with Elder Johnson, who is really quite a good missionary.

We had a Christmas conference as the Afuera of the mission. (My mission is divided into to halves, adentro and afuera of Concepcion). It was nice. The coolest part was the singing competition between the three zones. Zona Chillan Ñuble in particular was incredible. Their finally song was basically the Pitch Perfect version of "Families can be together forever". It was so awesome.

One thing that I have always connected with Christmas is the 101 airborne division in Bastogne in the winter of 1944. General Anthony C. MacAuliffe wrote a letter to the soldier defending the town in deplorable conditions. His words escape me, and I don´t have google, but I always remember the sentiment of his letter and apply it to myself. "What´s so Merry about this Christmas?"

What is so merry about my Christmas so far from home? Well, I have learned to speak a second language and now am fairly conversant in Spanish. I have made bonds with people who I did not even know five months ago, relationships that increase the joy of my life. Most importantly, I have grown to see the importance of the purpose of this season. Jesus Christ is not only the focus of this Christmas season but should be the focus of our lives. More than any other time in my life, I have been able to take up my cross with Him. In the grueling challenges and the joyful moments equally, I can always look forward to the example that he made for me.

Cuídense

12/31/2018

Hola todos,

This week was a bit odd. Christmas here is kind of a mix between the Christmas of the States and the fourth of July. There were even some fireworks at midnight. It is really funny seeing all of the Christmas hats and Christmas stockings, when it is nearly 40 C outside (I am not going to convert that to Fahrenheit even though I could if I wanted to).

On Christmas Eve, Elder Jensen, Elder Boveda, Elder Cabanillas, and I ate dinner with the Alegría family, which is a rare exception, since we generally eat only lunch with the members. We got back to our house 30 seconds before we were needed to, so that was pretty clutch.

We basically spent the Christmas day singing Christmas carols in various parts of town. It is the hottest Christmas Day that I have ever experienced. That is for sure!

Although, my sector remains a quagmire akin to the Italian Campaign in the Second World War, the zone leaders in the nearby towns of Panimavida and Colbun had a stellar week, with 5 baptisms in the same Saturday. So, I got to officiate my first ordinance of the mission for a woman Flor, who is deaf and mute. I think that is another bucket list item I have achieved from the mission! I don´t have any pictures this week, but I hope to have them next week.

Elder Jensen and I had a bit of fun a few nights ago. He got two nerf foam ball guns for Christmas, so we snuck outside of the house of Elder Wood who was talking on the phone. Jensen gave the signal and we started the emboscada. It was over before it began. Elder Wood didn´t even know what hit him.

I am super excited for today, because we, the mega district of Linares, are going to watch The Incredibles 2. It should be pretty neat.

Tomorrow is 2019: The year that will be 100% in my mission. It will undoubtedly provide many more opportunities to grow and progress.

Talk to you all next year!

Elder Cherpeski

1/7/2019

¡Hola todos de ustedes, mis queridos segadores!

Todos de ustedes que lean lo que les escribo por lo menos...

Well, 2019 has started, and with it, the full year of my mission. We had our interviews with President Catala this last tuesday, and it was a great experience. While Elder Cabanillas was in his interview, I had a one-on-one conversation with Hermana Catala that was pretty great too. They both have a lot of wisdom, knowledge, and love which we missionaries here can draw from.

We put in a lot of hard work this week, so I feel like we are progressing in our sector, although it remains a fairly hard area. Elder Cabanillas and I are both optimistic about the sector looking forward. Given that I opened the sector basically, we have been doing well.

The coolest part of the week came when we came upon a couple in the street, and I started talking with the wife while my companion started talking with the husband at the same time. Basically, we taught two lessons at the same time. It was great to see how much my abilities have grown since I got here back in September.

I have been improving my Spanish a lot, and it really helps to have a native companion. Elder Cabanillas is from Argentina, but his native city Cordoba has a distinct accent. He basically has the equivalent of an English accent except in Spanish. He wants to learn English too, so I have been helping him with that.

Honestly, that is the stranger thing about the mission: living in a foreign city for so long that it basically becomes home. I know every street in my sector perfectly and can navigate the city of Linares. Today is the 5 month anniversary of my arrival in the CCM, and life really is different now. It is crazy to think how much experience that I have already accumulated with my short time out.

After walking the streets of Linares every day, 8 hours a day, for 3 and a half months it very much is my home away from home. The next transfers are in two weeks, and this really is the first time that I have the possibility

of leaving. Although, it is typical for new missionaries to stay for 4 transfers (24 weeks) here in this mission, you never know.

Elder Cherpeski

 

PS

Elder Staley came through! I am glad you got my Christmas present finally. I didn´t tell you about it because I wanted it to be a fun surprise which it was.

I meet a lot of Venezolanos here in Chile, and I always think of Brother Galindo when I meet them. He always used to say "Yes or yes?" to us in Seminary, and I always thought it was just because he was weird. But now I under stand that the phrase "Sí o sí" is a way to say "of course!" in Spanish.

Elder Cabanillas and I get along quite well actually. I would say that he has been the easiest companion for me so far (Although Elder Jensen is my favorite if I count the 2 weeks that we were in a trio together). He is not the most obedient missionary and is pretty open about it, but because we get along well, he lets me set the standard of obedience basically, so even that is not much of a problem. We get along fairly smoothly despite the cultural differences.

My district leader, Elder Benson, is really awesome. I had my first intercambio with him this week, and learned a ton. He spent the last year as a zone leader and has tons of experience. He is on his second-to-last transfer in the mission (like Brandon), and everyone knows it except for his companion, the brand-new Elder Johnson. Everyone is pretending that Elder Benson still has a solid 8 months left in the mission, so it is going to be pretty funny next zone conference when he finds out that his companion is going home!

It is really cool how close I have gotten with my house mates, the zone-leaders in particular, with whom I have lived since I got here. One thing that I really appreciate about the house, is that I always have a view on all of the stuff that is going on in the mission. Every time the zone leaders do intercambios, I meet other missionaries too which is always great.

 

1/14/2019

 

Hola mis queridos amigos, familares, y seguidores!

This week was fairly unremarkable, in that it was my 17th week in the city of Linares. I know this city like the back of my hand.

However, this week, I did have the opportunity to visit a new place: the micro bus park.

As I described in my title, Micros are a mix between a taxi and a bus. These little buses drive preplanned routes around the city. (1, 1b, 2, 4, etc). But there are NO preplanned bus stops. Rather, people who want to board wave down the bus, which then rapidly pulls over, so that they can board. When you want to get off the bus. You stand up and push a button to indicate that you want to disembark. The bus stops long enough for to get off before speeding back into action. Getting off is really fun because I always feel like I am getting off of a republic gunship from Star Wars. 

Micros are really fun, but also a wee bit dangerous.

Anyways, an Elder lost a backpack in a micro, so Elder Cabanillas and I went to look for it in the staging center for these buses because it is in our sector.

It was cool, so I took a picture.

On Tuesday, we had an ice cream competition activity in the church. My companion is a pro for this kind of stuff. I took the picture.

Elder Boveda has been here in Linares as the Zone Leader for 5 transfers (which is 30 weeks), so it is almost certain that he will leave this week. I have to admit that I am a bit sad faced with the prospect of losing my first zone leader after all this time together in the mission. Elder Boveda has a unique set of talents and is an incredible crowd handler. I think half of the people in this city know him. Anyways, we did a tie-swap this week in preparation for his departure. I happened to select the tie that Elder Boveda got from Elder Hershberger, who is basically the legend of the mission (he was assistant for 1 year). I now have a tie that has passed through the hands of two distinct legends. It`s pretty neat.

This week I am going to have my first exchange with the Assistants, so that should be fairly interesting.

Also, next time I write, I will know the transfers.

Elder Cherpeski

 

1/21/2019

 

This week was loquísimo.

The first piece of news: I am getting transferred. Elder Cabanillas is getting transferred too actually, because they are closing my area. It kinds of hurts, but it makes sense. After all, the sector really was difficult. Nevertheless, I am really sad to leave Linares. It always will be my first sector. El Mega Distrito de Linares had a good transfer.

I am headed off to Coyquen. Honestly, I don`t even know where Coyquen is. However, I am really excited about my future Companion. Elder Aparicio is from Spain (the only Spaniard in the mission actually), and everyone who knows him tells me that he is really awesome. Although I am switching from the Linares zone to the Chillan zone, I am still afuera, or in the part of the mission that is outside of the Concepción Metropolitan region. I honestly enjoy my life in the small towns of Chile.

I took a lot of pictures this week with the upcoming cambios. I am sad to say good bye to Elders Wood and Richards because we have been together since the CCM and gone through a lot. I also have to say goodbye to Elders Boveda and Jensen. They have been my zone-leaders, house-mates, and in the case of Jensen, my companion. They are both awesome.

I went on an exchange with another Elder Jensen, one of the assistants, which was a fun day in the Copihues in Chillan.

I also spent of couple of days with Elder Johnson, the new missionary, this week. He has got a lot of motivation and it was a lot of fun taking more of the lead.

We also visited the mountains today close to Linares. It is quite beautiful out there.

 

 

Honestly folks, I just scratched the surface on what I did this week. I went to Yerbas Buenas one morning. I spent a night in another small town called Longaví the next. This week was crazy, but it isn´t over yet!