Journalist Junkie: A Week of Attacks

You heard me...to say the LEAST, I´ve had quite an interesting week.

So let´s start from the beginning:

Attack 1: Creeper Guy

So we went to contact a reference. He lives close to our Mamita, and we had already visited him twice. He happened to be there this time and we were excited! He agreed to let us teach him, but his family was busy, so we walked across the street to a little plaza of sorts, sat on a bench, and there we began. As we talked I noted several things: He looked at Hermana Ceccon like he was going to eat her. He asked us if he could spend Monday taking us to do fun things, or make us dinner. He asked if we needed anything. He asked a lot of questions...like about our phone number...and where we live. He was super intelligent and SUPER creepy. During this time, that we´re still teaching, I honestly wanted to JET. I felt BAD and did NOT have the spirit with me. We left, declining a ride to the house from him, and I explained my feelings. We kind of just let it be, but we still had our next lesson with him. I didn´t have the power to talk about it anymore so I just walked, very stiff, through the street. I planned exercises that would build my strength, and I prayed. My companions asked how I was and I ..I don´t even know what came over me but I burst. I cried like I cried when I found out that Zack, in Bones was the one eating the people with the bad guy. I KNOW that it was the spirit because I don´t think I would´ve said anything if I hadn´t have been so overcome like that. So overall it was super creepy. But it also ended up okay and we haven´t heard from him since.

Attack 2: Intercambios

Oh yes...This week I did intercambios with our coordinating sister. The last time we did them I went to their house, but this time Hermana Edwards went. So we had a change of trainer for a bit and that ..well it was a little weird. They´re both great trainers, but definitely different. I learned a lot and it was good, but that doesn´t mean it was easy.

Attack 3: Talk About a Shack

I live in a shack. Hermana Edwards says that it´s like...legitemately the worse house that she´s lived it. And this week, it just got worse. Lemme tell you what we have goin on. We have a shower that is NOT hot...and when it IS hot, it´s because you have it running in DROPS....there´s definitely mold now too in the shower. The door doesn´t shut. The oven consistently burts in to flames...so we just avoid using it as much as we can haha. The light in the bedroom hasn´t worked. The electricity is totally broken. Thursday it was going out every 10 minutes..and we had only one fan running for heat. That´s the other thing. It´s freezing. Hermana Edwards says it´s the coldest she´s lived in...and we´re not REALLY even into winter yet. Oh my...Basically it was already bad, but now it´s just worse. We live in a broken house. And for me, I´m okay with it. I worry about other things and it doesn´t end up being SO bad. Its hard at times, but it´s not gonna be forever. So I suck it up and think of it like I´m camping. That I´m on this extended camping trip in Chile and it´s super legit cause I don´t have to sleep in a tent!

Attack 4: Landlocked

This week we had lots of days without work. And guess what? It wasn´t cause I was sick! haha...not that it´s funny, just slightly ironic. Well, besides monday night. We walked around a lot and so by the end, I crashed. We went to plaza of Armas in Santiago and Hermana Edwards bought some cool stuff for her family. But it was a lot of walking. The other days, Hermana Edwards got sick ...I think the stomach flu, and Hermana Ceccon had some really bad back problems. I haven´t had issues with my ankle as of late, but the matress I have is just wires so that hasn´t helped my body much haha. But our numbers this week aren´t the greatest cause...well cause we like 2 or three days were we did almost nothing. I hated it to.I wanted to work sooo bad! But I couldn´t leeaaavvee cause I have to have my companions. So I painted, read Jesus the Christ, cleaned and weeded the front yard..oh and I taught my companions how to play Don´t Eat Pete. We ate a lot.

Attack 5: The Money Eater

What happened to my mission money this month I have no idea. I think with all the braces and ...like random stuff I had to buy, Mr. Money Eater just ate it. Right now I have like 3 dollars in my account. We also have to pay 20 mil, 40 dollars, to our mission mom since she washes all our clothes, and makes lunch for us three times a week. We didn´t have to do that in San Felipe...so it´s a little different. Basically it´s kind of funny. AND it´s not just me. Neither Hermana Edwards, or Hermana Ceccon have money in their accounts. We talked the Finance Elder and he´s gonna start giving us 20 mil MORE every month to make up for the cost of what we have to pay to our Mamita. PHEW. But for now, I´m eating crackers and herbal tea every night for dinner (which is okay right now since the lunches are so big).

Attack 6: Home?

I forgot to say! So we went to this really cool place on Pday. While we were there we happened to run into STARBUCKS. So of course I HAD to order something legit. CREAMY STRAWBERRY DELISHIOUSNESS. It was so weird seeing starbucks in Santiago...SO weird. We ran into a mcodnalds, and Hermana Ceccon HAD to have THAT so it was just funny. Monday was SO far from home, and sooo close all at the same time. I also looked through all the pics I have and reread some letters since I had time that night. I thought about home at random times this week...honestly I would just look at something and think WOAH! HOME! so It was just interesting. I haven´t been too home sick, but this week was just different in that sense.

Attack 7: Rock Bottom

Yep. I´ve hit it. That´s the honest truth. I´ve hit rock bottom in a lot of ways. I´m tired, I´m sore, the language is officially frustrating, and it´s just hard to have a bad week. We had problems with numbers, investigators...we had problems with the house...and I just had problems with myself. Here´s the good news about this situation...I´ve hit the bottom. I can´t sink any lower, and know I only have one direction to go: UP.

I´m still here, and I ...somewhat surprisingly, still love it. I know this is where I´m supposed to be and I´m putting in everything I´ve got.

Love you!

Hermana Alex Johnson