Elder Scott McMillan

So this week was a little chaotic. I feel like I say that for a lot but this week was actually a week full of sidequests. We had a Multi-Zone Conference planned for Friday. So we spent time working with a companionship of Hermanas to make a presentation for our zone at Zone Conference. But it was also a special Christmas conference so we had to prepare a Christmas skit to do with our zone that we were going to perform at the end of the conference. Anddd we got a text from the Hermanas that we were going to direct the conference and that they wanted the Elders in our zone to do a special musical number... So we just start plugging away, getting our work done and letting the Elders know that we are going to sing Silent Night which they were not excited to sing! Then on Thursday, the day before the conference, we got a call from the Zone Leaders in Valdivia who were supposed to host the conference and they said that there was a dead body in their chapel so we were going to have to mov...

Pretty crazy week ngl. I mean some of the weeks of the mission were starting to feel like repeats of all the other weeks. Pretty much like groundhog day but it was groundhog week. But this week something unexpected happened every day.  I was able to do 2 intercambios this week. Which means that we switch companions for 24 hours to get to know the other missionaries and how they like to work. I went with Elder Revilla and Elder Rubilar. Elder Revilla is originally from Venezuela but moved to Santiago Chile when he was 11 to escape the crazy of Venezuela. He's a super cool guy and we ended up making arepas for dinner. They are like the staple food item of Venezuela. You make them with a special type of flour and lots of salt. They turned out really good. So while you were eating Turkey all week, I was eating arepas.  Also got to go to his sector which is a little town like an hour away from the city I am in. And I probably got one of the best photos of my mission so far.  Shout ou...

So last week I was given 8 hours notice and I had to pack up all my worldly possessions into 2 suitcases and hopped on a bus to my new area! I didn't think I was leaving so the whole packing thing was a little stressful. The transfers where pretty crazy but all went smoothly and I was able to show up in Valdivia and get to work.  I'm serving in a city but our congregation is still super small. But they give the missionaries lunch every day #blessed. So amazing of such a small ward.  I was actually starting to cook some pretty fire food in my other sector but I still prefer receiving food as opposed to making it. It is also the best way to get to know the members.   My new sector is quite different than my other sectors. It's in one of the major city's of my mission and its not way far in the middle of nowhere! There are a bunch of people in the streets, some large buildings, and an actual Walmart even though it is called Lider....same logo, similar store, different n...

Welp, my time at Entre Lagos has come to an end. We ended on a high note...one of our friends chose to get baptized. She is a little bummed that the Elder she wants to baptize her is about 1000 miles away in Punta Arenas (next to Antarctica). Super stoked for her. She will be in good hands with Elder Cresap who is replacing me in Entre Lagos. He was my first online companion in the CCM for 1 day but we made that day count.  I was preparing to make the most of another transfer in Entre Lagos with goals to work a lot with the members but there are other plans for me. In retrospect I feel like it was just the right amount of time to be here.  1 transfer would have been too short but 3 would have felt long but I was prepared to stay. One of the most interesting things that happened this week was witnessing a cat fight outside our apartment.  It was pretty funny with hair flying in every direction in the air.   God is sending me upward....litera...

Just made it through another week in Entre Lagos. In nice chilean fashion it was really sunny the first part of the week, then proceeded to downpour for the second half of the week. No idea when we are supposed to enter into real summer but the Chileans say soon. NOt sure if real summer actually exists. My only doubt is that they have been saying soon for the last 2 months but I am keeping the faith. I got to go have my interview with President. Interviews are awesome for a lot of reasons. I'll list some right now... 1. Get to talk to President 2. President buys lunch 3. Possible that President brings packages that where waiting for you in the office 4. You get to see other missionaries So prettty much those are the reasons that interviews are lit. We got Papa Johns pizza. In a Zone where you only get fed on Sundays, a nice lunch is always appreciated. Also President brought me a package. I got some new TRX bands for my mission/home gym. There pretty nice. So my range of worko...

I didn't know California went though the whole daylight savings thing and was a little worried when my family wasn't picking up the phone but now that I understand that it was 6AM there and my parents were on the swim grind. Chile is now 5 hours ahead of California time which is a little wild. This week we had zone conference. It was pretty fuego. Per usual I brought my camera but ended up forgeting my memory card at home. It was really unfortunate when I went to turn on the camera and it gave me that screen that no card was inserted. Good news, while no photo to prove it, I saw my first district leader Elder Nielson. He went to Coyhaique right after my first cambio. He's a super cool guy. We tried to convince the APs to let us be comps next cambio but they seem less than reassuring that would happen. But we'll just have to see what happens. I have at least 2 more weeks in Entre Lagos, if not another transfer. We are working hard but have lots that falls through. I f...