So Wednesday night at about 8 we were teaching a lesson to
this family who’s preparing to go to the temple cause their son is going to get
married. We had just finished teaching when all of a sudden it started to
rumble. Usually they only last 3 seconds but it just kept going. My
companion and I didn't really know what to do so we just kind of sat
there. The dad of the family which is this manly guy with a mustache
didn't move either. The mom started to panic a little and she started
running around and stuff. After a minute we were like yeah we should
probably do something so we stood underneath door way. The street looked
like a wave and street lights looked like wiggly pool noodles. It kept
going and going people were running around and screaming. We were in one
of the most dangerous spots of my sector upon on the hill and they were
druggies running around screaming. The mom continued to panic and run
around and also she pulls a cake out of the fridge and starts cutting and still
freaking out she starts giving us all a piece of cake. It lasted 3-4
minutes then it stopped then afterwards the huge siren came on saying TSUNAMI
TSUNAMI PREPARESE! TSUMANI TSUMANI PREPARE YOURSELF! We were on the hill
far away from the beach soo we weren't scared. The siren kept on
going. Everyone ran from the central to the hills. Then the siren
started saying TSUNAMI TSUNAMI EVACUAR. Then buses chuck full of people were
flying up to the top. Cars were flying everywhere and people were
running. WE didn't know what to do so we went inside this small store and
bought an empanada and kind of hid out in there. A lot of people called us to
make sure we were alright. The damage wasnt bad in our sector, but the
epicenter was in Illapel which which is close to Los VIlos. Los Vilos,
Illapel, Tongoy and Coquimbo got hit the worst. Also I heard that Cabildo
and la Ligua were hit pretty bad but they are not close to the beach so there
wasn't a Tsunami. Also parts of Viña which is right next to us were hit
with a Tsunami. Ever since then there have been about 100 small
earthquakes, the worst is when they're in the night and they wake you
up. Also yesterday morning another Earthquake that was a 6.0 on the
Richter scale hit Los Vilos again. Apparently experts have been saying
that that there was going to be an earthquake for a while but no one did
anything and they also say an even bigger one is on its way.
You would think that such a thing would call them to
repentance but it didn't really work. They just brag about how they are so
prepared for earthquakes and how an earthquake of that magnitude usually
destroys other countries but not Chile. Then the most important day in Chile
the 18th of September, everyone was getting drunk in the street. Thursday
we ate lunch with a family and they gave us this soup thing that had a chunk of
really fat meat which I found out later was horse. We were eating when it
got stuck in my throat (I’ve inherited the choking problem from Mom I
think). I still could breath so I thought i just need to take a swig of
this fanta and it’ll go right down...but it didn't go right down. I
couldn't breath and started to choke. There was someone taking a shower in
the bathroom so i couldn't go there and i didn't want to blow chunks on my food
so i resorted to my old tactics and just puked in a pile of paper towels.
The soda came up but the horse meat stayed there but after a little while it
came up. Luckily the lady that was giving us food was in the kitchen and
some old grandpa was asleep so no one some me other than my companion. I
then continued eating as if nothing had happened and i downed the rest of the
horse meat proving myself to be more manly than the horse flesh.
We had a BBQ the 18th that was really good and there was a
stake activity the 19th that was fun ther was a ton of food but we were fasting
so we weren't able to indulge ourselves with the customary Chilean cuisine.
Presidente is making sure we are really prepared if there's another earthquake
and i wouldn't be surprised if there was to humble the people here. But
have no fear for the Lord our God is with us. It was a pretty fun
week. I hope now that all my converts in Los VIlos decide to go to
church. WE have interviews next Tuesday with presidente in our apartments
which is kind of bad because our pension is kind of missing a couple walls now
due to the fungus and earthquakes....well see what we can do....
I love you guys. Have a good week and be safe.
Also what exactly did they say on the news about the earthquake and on a scale
of 1-10 how worried were you? I think President let us write on Friday
cause he was rited of all the moms calling him. In the mission i have really found
a love for the Book of Mormon. Make sure you read it every day!
love
Elder Gardner
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