Advice for Future Antofagastan Missionaries
Alumnists, mail me to send your
advice.
DISCLAIMER: Although this page may contain good information from return
missionaries who have been to northern Chile, this is in no way "official"
advice. It may not even be what the church would recommend; it is just
what returned missionaries have sent to me. In order to be fair I will
publish everything sent to me (within reason). Thus I may not even agree
with some of the views expressed on this page.
Sunglasses; food
Take a quality pair of conservative sun glasses. The sun is incredibly
strong, especially as you move inland.
When you arrive at your first area and it's a really humble place,
be a good sport about it and don't complain or whine. Don't tell folks
that where you came from is much better, etc.
Some of the chow might blow your mind. Eat as much as possible, you'll
be glad you did when you're half starving to death in your next sector.
Sam Escalante
Headaches
My tidbit is to take a bottle of penicillin and when you feel a little
sick or feel something coming on, take it regularly for a week or so and
you may prevent some real headaches. My doctor advised this and I'm sure
it helped a lot more than I know.
Greg Campbell
What to bring
Even though it says you need an umbrella and coat, you don't. It will
get cold in winter, but you can buy a warm llama sweater for a couple of
bucks and for most parts of the mission, that is all you will need. And
who needs an umbrella in the driest desert in the world?
Don't think you need to pack for the entire 1 1/2 or 2 years at once.
Razors, new clothes, aspirin, film, etc can all be bought in Chile. You
may even be able to find your favorite brands, but not always.
For sisters: You will need hose, heels, and nice dresses
for the MTC. But leave them in the states. You may want to take one of
each to Chile for zone conferences, but for everyday and even Sunday use
you want much more comfortable/practical clothes. I suggest skirts, socks,
and one nice comfortable pair of shoes. Just picture yourself trudging
through sand for 8 hours a day and dress accordingly. Also some of the
people you are teaching may not feel comfortable letting you into your
homes if you are dressed up too much.
Melissa Hatch
The People
My advice is less practical. While out there, enjoy the Chilean people!
How often does one get to interact so intimately with people from a totally
different culture. I never understood the gringo missionaries that preferred
to be companions with other gringos. I spent most of my mission with Chilean
companions, and loved it. (And I never got really good at the language.)
Pray for a deep love for the people, and enjoy them. After all, you’ll
be with gringos for the rest of your life!
One more thing; BEWARE OF ECCO!
Jeff Lyons
Amen to the above
This tidbit is from one of the few natives on our alumni list. It should
really make you think. The message sent to me was prompted by the advice
directly above.
Thanks for the advice to the missionaries going to Chile, it is
the best and the the most realistic of them all; you won't beleive how
many of my gringo companions didn't want to be with me and wanted to be
with other americans instead , I'm not ashamed to say that I found myself
crying many times, and found myself so lonely when I was the only chilean
in the district or the zone and could not speak English and had no one
to talk to.
Thanks for your good words, that surely made me feel that we, chilean
missionaries, were not so bad after all and our testimony is as strong
as everyone else's.
I hope every elder or sister that goes to Chile can develop a true
love for the people, they will be affecting their lives for the rest of
the eternities, and these peoples will keep "their missionaries" and love
them in their hearts for the rest of their lives.
Carlos Bravo
Man, is it hot!
Take or plan to buy a SMALL electric fan. Summers can be killers even
at night and it sure helps you sleep more comfortably. Also, make sure
you choose your fabrics carefully. Cotton everything seemed to work best
for me. And if any of you want to bring me back some of that fine Chilean
mustard I'll pay very well for it!!!! (You just can't make a REAL completo
without it!)
Jeffrey M. Larson
General advice
First love the people and work hard.
Second have fun.
Last of all, learn to play soccer.
By the way, it did not rain once for the entire two years I served
in Chile.
Gary (Joey) Loden
Respect for beliefs
When you get there you'll find that the people have many home remedies,
beliefs about hot drinks and cold air being harmful if mixed, dangerous
air pressure changes if you throw kids in the air, or even the dangers
of eating certain foods together. Though the beliefs are sometimes
silly, always remember to respect those people. They often really
believe the stuff and would be upset if you laughed in their face.
Brian Stone
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