Elder Nathan Hales: Nathan's Letter Dated 6-25-12

Hey guys! So I have had a crazy, crazy week, and I will try to fill ya all in.

So I got transferred from La Serena to Quilpue. I am the closest area to Viña but still part of a different zone. My ride down in the bus was way fun. I slept most of the way, and talked with other missionaries who came with me. We got to the mission office early in the morning, and then all of the other missionaries who were getting transferred came to the office. It was way fun to see old companions and other missionaries from my old areas. Then, my new companion, Elder Rodriguez, arrived with the zone leaders. He is from Mexico and is in his seventh change (one behind me). He is from Mexico City, and is 21 years old. He is a pretty fun companion, and it was an adventure getting to our apartment. We had to take a little bus with all my luggage in the middle of Viña, and it was pretty intense! Haha

My new area is really great. But, there are a LOT of hills. We spend most of the day going up and down huge staircases and all the houses are situated on the side of the hill. It is really fun. We have a really fun time during the day, and my legs are already getting used to the hills. We also have been going running in the morning. I have a feeling that I am going to lose weight here... haha

We also had one of the coolest experiences of my mission this week. We went with our branch to the temple in Santiago!!! It was a two hour ride to the city and we spent the whole day in the temple. It was way fun to be in the temple speaking only Spanish. My companion and I skipped lunch and spent an extra three hours in the temple. The temple here is very similar to the temple in North Carolina, and I have a few photos so you can see.

This is going to be a crazy change, but I am sure that I will continue to adapt!

Un abrazo,

Elder Hales