Hey Dad--
We changed our P-day to Tuesday this week. Our zone wanted to go to a different zoo that isn't open on Monday, so we went today. It was okay. The zoo is located on the hill called Cerro San Cristobal(downtown Santiago). My favorite animals were the foxes. Followed closely behind by the crazy beggar that bugged the whole zone and gave a non-sensical speech.
I still haven't eaten lunch(its 5:30) so you can imagine I am a litte famished.
A BYU loss always makes me feel better. Who are the big dogs in March Madness? Let me guess.....Duke, UNC, Ohio State, UCLA, and.....Butler?

This last week I did the following:
Divisions with Elder Sanchez from Mexico. I met his investigator during the week, then on Sunday I did her baptismal interview. She was cool. Saturday we attended a baptism of an 81 year old woman. Super cool. She gave her testimony of how she finally found what she didn't know she was looking for(her whole life).
During the baptism I ran into a member from my first ward. She updated me on everything that's happened there. Pretty cool to get to talk to her and hear about Carlos Valdovinos Ward.
We started teaching a cool family. The Dad(45ish) is an inactive member. His girlfriend, with whom he lives is named Nicole(25ish). Yes there is a age gap of around 20 years. When we first met them, we asked if she was his daughter. woops. Nicole is really interested and has come to church 2 or 3 times now.
On Sunday we went to Ward Council. There were more worthy priesthood holders in the ward council than my ENTIRE last ward. Seriously. This ward is bomb. The Bishop is inspired and the meeting went well. I left in awe.
We met a woman in a little photocopy shop. She refused to charge my companion for a drink he bought. Turns out she is a member, SUPER inactive, but her grandson is leaving in April to serve a mission in Peru. She doesnt want her grandson to leave. However, she showed us a jar she has full of coins. She told us that everytime a person comes in to make photcopies, she drops the coins in the little jar. She wants the jar to fill up several times, and she plans on giving the money to her grandson so he can buy clothes for the mission. In other words, she doesnt want him to go because she has no testimony, but because he is going, she is willing to help him out financially. Cool grandma. We are gonna teach her this week.
Yesterday we found a family together. It was cool. We had a rather rare contact 2 weeks or so ago in the street. We contacted a young girl in the street, and she gave us her address and told us to come by. We went by 2 or 3 times, but she was never there. We went by yesterday, and her brother wanted us to come in. So. We did. The girl we originally contacted wasn't there, but the rest of her family was. Cool beans.
This week is the last week of the change. Next monday will be my last with Elder Barco. He will likely leave, and I will likely stay and get another zone leader. It could be an old zone leader coming from a different zone, or it could be a new one that I will train as zone leader. Who knows?
Glad to hear the funeral went well. I feel a little ashamed that you read my email. Ask permission. haha. I can't remember what I said, so it's making me nervious.
Welp.
Gotta go. Love you guys
Elder Van Dyke