W28: Jazz Sesh

Takin down the sweats. Yeah so this week was straight grind time. It was just puro work. But it was really awesome. To start the week I had an intercambio with Elder Vasquez. He is just starting the mission and is now in his second transfer so he's been a missionary for 2 months.

I'm like fr getting so old in the mission now. *Note the delusional sarcasm in that statement because I have 18 months left* but the weeks go really fast now.

So I went with Elder Vasquez to his sector. It was like actually in a city. Not in the middle of nowhere boonies. So it was a little weird when he said we arrived at their house and it was a highrise apartment complex. Pretty sure more people live in the apartment complex than the entirety of my town. We did some studying then went out to work. He's a great missionary.  He had to work really hard in a factory to support his family and save up for the mission so he's a little older.  I used to think I worked hard before the mission and then God shows you someone who actually worked really hard....like a lot harder than you knew existed.   

Elder Vasquez is from Mexico so we just talk puro Spanish. Now it doesn't really bother me when I speak Spanish. It used to really bother me because it was a lot of work to do it so I would love to speak English whenever I could. But now it's more natural to speak Spanish so I can do it and it's not that bad anymore. English is still easier but they are both fine.  

I have also unlocked the ability to successfully bible bash with people in Spanish. We contacted this old guy and he started telling me about some tabernacle of Moses stuff. And I wanted to say yeah I went to my youth camp too bud but I refrained. Nah, I didn't hit him with the doctrine of the tabernacle of Moses stuff because he wasn't actually interested in listening. He called us Chicos and said we gotta keep studying. It took all my willpower to not hit him with some strong words but instead kindly finished by telling him that I'll keep studying. 

I am also becoming a guitar weapon. I'm learning Atlantis by Seafret. It's a good song to fingerpick. One of our friends' brothers gave me a book of chords which is awesome.  My first Spanish music book. I'm actually meeting up with an Elder today who is really good at the guitar and we are going to try and play jazz. We had to try and explain to someone this week that we don't actually have YouTube or anything. He asked us what we do when we get home and was very confused of life without youtube and such. I tried to explain that I practice the guitar, read, sleep, eat, study, plan for the next day . I guess people just don't understand the whole monk lifestyle thing. 

But monk life is pretty good because I just bought some new protein powder. The 2026 comeback is loading. Class of 2030 ain't ready for me. 

Just concluded our crazy jazz jam sesh with Elder Bowcutt who is in our Zone. He's from SoCal and wants to study jazz guitar at BYU after the mission. He was crazy good at the guitar and we played some sick 12 bar blues with me on the keys. Probably the highlight of my month tbh. It was awesome playing the piano today.

Below is a pic of hats our friends gave me and Elder Martinez.  Thank goodness for small heads! Bought a new jacket in Osorno to help keep morale high and water out since my other jacket was starting to rip. So with that, all is going well in Entre Lagos. 

It is festival this week as Chileans celebrate their independence from Spain.  Unlike 4th of July, they pretty much party from the morning until night all week long.  We have to go home by 730 each night. Until next week! 

Elder McMillan