You think you have tornadoes in Kansas?

Well, hello family. I know I haven´t sent pictures in a long time so I am going to use my time this week mostly sending pictures...I¨ve got some good ones! All from this week actually...sorry none of them show my house, but I´ll try and send those next week.

1. Pte and Hna Lovell´s farewell. I´ll miss them sooooo much. They are like our mission mom and dad. They are such special people to me. It was hard to give them that last hug goodbye.

2. I don´t know if you all heard or not, but the same day that we went to Valdivia for our Zone Conference to say goodbye to Pte and Hna Lovell, a tornado passed through Villarrica...right through our sector. There has never in the history of Villarrica been a tornado. I told them I´m sorry...I´m probably the only "tornado alley baby" in the whole town...it´s probably my fault. Hermana Gebara and I are counting our blessings though because if we were not in Valdivia for the conference all our plans that day were right where the tornado passed through, but we are safe. We found many opportunities to serve...starting at our church building.

3. The tornado stole our steeple...but luckily that was about the only damage, apart from the debris.

4. Other big news...I´m an old lady now. Hit the big 23 this week! I went with Eric´s advice and got the mil hojas cake. Yummy. Please note the homemade candles. :) Classic.

5. My new friend....I am becoming a very animal friendly person on the mission, I think. (this is at our momita´s house)

6. We went to the waterfalls in Pucón this week. So pretty.

7. This is our zone in Villarrica...somos pocos...pero fuertes.

8. ...but we´re the most fuertes ;) Obvio.

Anyway, so that´s that for the pictures. Brief summaries, I know. I apologize that I am not writing more, but time is short. In other news, without pictures...is that I got to talk to the ex-companions in Osorno, and they said that Orlando (the blind man) is getting baptized the 25th of June, Belen and Carlos are getting married the 8th of July and then she is getting baptized the 9th, and Juan and Paola are getting married and she´ll get baptized in August! Miracles. I love these people so much. They told me that Roddy is also preparing to receive the Mel. Priesthood this November and is just doing great. I love the mission. I love the miracles that happen, and the blessings of serving the Lord.

The work here in Villarrica is really starting to progress well as well. We finished this week finding two families of GOLD, and we have another family that has a baptismal date and came to church this week, and loved it.

We are blessed and happy, and safe. I LOVE YOU ALL LOTS. Thank you for everything.

LOVE,

Hermana Bertagnole