Staying in Geronimo...but with a new companion...

Below is Elder Schwartz's most recent email home.  He is still in the same area, but will have a new companion.  He finds out who it is this week.  Thanks for all your support.


Dear Family and Friends,

You're not going to beleive it, but Elder Garcia and I are once again STAYING in Geronimo de Alderete.  This is going to be my 7th change here in this sector and that is absolutely unheard of.  Yes, Elder Garcia and I are both staying here in Geronimo, but sadly, we are no longer companions, just like we expected.  We are both going to be training new missionaries together!  Yes, I'm going to be a trainer!  Pretty exciting stuff.  I am kinda really nervous about it, but then at the same time I also have this peaceful feeling that it's all going to turn out okay.  I am going to train in the same sector that I got trained in, how weird is that?  I am really excited though.  It's going to be a TON of fun.  I heard from a semi-reliable source that my new companion is going to be a latin elder, but I guess we will find that out tomorrow!  

Highlights of the week:

Eduardo was made a priest yesterday!  Oh my goodness, it was so cool to watch him get ordained and become a priesthood holder!  Really, the feeling was indescribable, to know that just three months ago this man really didn't have the slightest idea of the Church, but now he is a priest, and a home teacher, and AGH THE MISSION IS SO COOL!  All of you kids out there reading this, SERVE A MISSION!  It is 100 X worth it.  I promise.

This morning we had a "training for the trainers" meeting.  There are thirty of us who will be training new missionaries, and wow, that was amazing.  The missionary world is changing, growing, evolving and it is such a blessing to be a part of it.  I got news on the Santiago South (new mission being created) thing, and they are not taking ANY stakes from Santiago East, so we are not going to be affected.

Claudia came to church! And she loved it!  It was so cool.  We ran into her and her mom when we were walking back to the pension on Saturday night, so we reminded her about it and she came!

All in all, I am really excited to be here in Geronimo for another change.  It's going to be a lot of fun training with Elder Garcia.  Odds are that I'll learn more than the missionary who I am going to be training.  I will probably spend both my birthday and my 1-year-mark here in Geronimo.  How funny, how awesome!

Thank you so much for your love and your prayers and your letters and your thoughts and everything!  I love you all and miss you, but don't worry too much about me, because Chile is amazing, Santiago is wonderful, and Geronimo is the greatest sector in the world (tied with Martinez, of course).  Keep in touch, hold to the rod, and I'll look forward to hearing from you all next week!

With much love,
Elder Schwartz

Elder Schwartz in an older photo a member in Santiago posted on Facebook