SWAG

WHAT IS UP PEOPLE OF THE 801 and possibly other places of the world like Belgium. ANYWAYS. This week was actually superrrrr sweet. hahaha in really small ways but it was fun. The old guys just left and now new ones are coming in tomorrow and I can't wait to haze them... KIDDING. Hahah anyways, just got back from P-Day and you guessed it, I bought some sick socks. 

First things first, I am going to answer my mommas questions. :)

-Yes, I felt that earthquake (6.6) and it was SO weird. Hahah i was in the basement of the CCM and it just felt like the whole world was shaking and it was soooooo weird and I got way jacked after that because it was so sick.

-The language is coming. We will say that. I have learned ALOT since i have gotten here but it will be difficult out in the field for sure. But, I can get by for sure.

-My schedule is: Wake up, Exercise, Classes, Sleep. Hahah thats about it.

-They literally eat mexican food but the meat looks like dog. Haha freaking weird and they have this caramel stuff on EVERYTHING.

-They had chicken alfredo once since i have been here and that has been my favorite.

-Yes, I really gained 8 lbs but since my bowels have started working I am back to normal. :)

-I play soccer everrrrrrry morning and Pedersen plays frisbee. Speaking of the kiddo, funny story for the day:

So I was trying to throw a pamphlet over to Elder Brooks and I accidentally skimmed his head when I threw it so he grabbed one and threw it at my eye out of rage. Never have I ever wanted to punch someone in the face so bad before. But yeah ahahaha it was funny too.

Alrighty now I will throw down what I did this week. :)

I traded 3 ties in one night and ended up with a dopeeeee tie at the end. It is DHS colors. :) I also got two teachers to follow me on instagram on twitter hahahaha so success. I have also been trippin while I sleep and have been having THE WEIRDEST DREAMS. Like with the most random people too hahah. I wrestled with Elder Brooks one night and he shoved me into the bunk bed and I knocked a wheel off the bottom of one corner so the bed is lop-sided now. It is also getting close to Chile's independence day soon (which I have heard is CRAZY) and so on the way to class one night there was a crazy naked guy dancing around in the street smashing bottles hahaha it was awesome. So, really not a whole lot happened but it was fun. LAST THING AND THE MOST IMPORTANT MOM. I NEEEEEED MORE MUSIC. (Total i told you so moment) But our mission president allows like instrumental music sooooo you should send me popular instrumental (only piano) music like Already Home -A Great Big World and (ask palmer about this) but Minecraft night time music. I NEED THE MINECRAFT MUSIC.

WARNING: Spiritual moment of the day. ;)

Alright so I actually had a couple thoughts/things happen to me this week spiritually.

First, I felt the spirit the first time speaking in spanish to an investigator. It was the best feeling ever and the investigator told us she could feel it too. :))))) Also, on Sunday we watched a devotional from Elder Oaks about missionary work and a couple things really stood out to me and I would like to share them with you guys.

(This is where some people might shake their head and say "He is only a month in and has already gone crazy" hahaha) But Elder Oaks wife said "You as missionaries promised your investigators in the pre-existence that you would find them" and that hit me like a ton of bricks and got me soooo motivated. I know that I am here to find and teach people who need this gospel. I am not here for a thank you. I am here to give everything to these people so that hopefully some day they can be happy and live with there families forever. It reminds me of a quote, "If I have to leave my family for 2 years, it is worth it if I can give a family the opportunity to live with each other for eternity." So, I thought that was kind of cool and I can't wait to further the work!

Last but not least, I love you all SO much and think about you a ton. I look forward to hearing from ALL of you every week. Be safe at home and I am praying for you. With SO much love,

Elder Brophy

The Chilean Slaya

PS- I finna hit something

MY NAME IS BEAR GRYLLS

HOLA EVERYBODYYYYY. If you can´t tell, my PDAY time changed from 2-5 o clock for the next two weeks. I figured this out yesterday so sorry I couldn't tell you guys. ANYWAYS, today has been pretty good and a lot has happened in a small way because I literally do the same thing every single day so there isnt a lot of variety hahhaha.

First things first, I am going to answer my questions from my momma. :]

-Pato has not come to see me yet.

-I haven't met my mission president yet either haha.

-I have been using my cinch sack but I am buying a shoulder bag today.

-I havent been using my sleeping bag BUT I will in the field.

-I am going to bring the little duffel bag because it could come in handy.

-My spanish is definitely coming along okay. I can keep a conversation about the gospel fairly well and I can understand my teachers 90% of the time.

-My companion is definitely loosening up. Hahaha I love it so much. He has kind of opened up to me and sometimes even smiles. Hahahahah just kidding he smiles a lot... kinda. Haha but it is good!!!!

Okey Dokey. Now time for the weekly recap. First, I freaking knew this would happen and now it makes me sad. Hahaha but dumbest thoughts ever while I am in the shower. But mom and dad and palmer and emma and madi. Remember when me and Palm would sleep together alllllll the time and Emma would come down on weekends and sleep with us? Yeah, I miss that. SO stupid I know but I was just thinking about it and I really just miss you guys a lot. Haha. I also would literally give up anything right now to just cook some White Chicken Chili with my mom right now. Funny how things change huh mom? ;] But I know I am supposed to be here and I am having fun.

So, this past week has been really good but hard at the same time. So the CCM just got more kids this last Wednesday. WELL PRESIDENTE SWITCHED OUR ROOMS. So I got moved out of Elder Brooks and Johnsons room. I was legit ticked at the beginning but everything has worked out. So now I have 2 new room mates. Elder Rice and Elder Allsop. Elder Rice is pretty cool and Elder Allsop is a Pedersen Jr. Hahahah. District 6 also got all new teachers! WHICH I LOVE. Our night teacher is a legend among men. This dude is crazy and scares me into learning and focusing. Hahahah he is awesome. He made is go out on temple grounds and teach natives about the sacrament. It actually went better than I thought but Chileans literally have no chill and talk at a speed of 435464 mph. Me and the District are all SO CLOSE. I love my District so much. I will send a picture at the end of a selfie i just took hahaha.

Before the spiritual comment[s] of the day I just wanted to talk about some funny things that have happened and some things I am grateful for from my parents.

MOM, thankyouuuuuuuuuu for the missionary reminders book. ITS THE BEST. There are a couple more books I want to get when I get out in the mission field.

DAD, thankyouuuuuuuuu for making me laugh every week with your emails and for the pictures. I love you both so much. Also, I am grateful for the watch you guys got me but the face is plastic and all scratched up now hahah so thats good.

Something funny that happened this week was I gave Elder Pedersen a haircut in our room. It turned out good and it was WAY fun hahah. Also, Elder Brooks spilled chocolate milk allll over his suit on Sunday and I just about died on the ground laughing. [I know at this point this isnt even funny but you just had to be there okay haters] I also got called an old grandpa because my outfit one day had too much swag.

WARNING: Spiritual thought of the Day.

On Thursday night I think, I got the opportunity to give a blessing to a girl in my District. She was having a really rough day and not feeling very good and just looked at me and asked if I would give her a blessing. So I did! Haha it went really well and I was literally shaking from the spirit I could feel. It was awesome. Later that night I was reading my patriarchal blessing and there is a whole paragraph about me giving blessings. So cool. The priesthood is definitely a powerful thing and I know that at that moment in time, I was speaking what the Lord wanted me to say. 

Anyways, I am going to wrap up here real quick so I can live chat with the peeps of the UT. But Mom, I got your letter today that you sent!! SOOOOO COOL! I was smiling so big when I heard about that. Also, thankyou again for all your packages. They get me through the week and I loved the hearts you gave me in this one. They are on the ceiling of me bed! :]

I LOVE YOU ALL. 

Oh, and the title is weird because me and E. Brooks have the dumbest jokes about Bear Grylls because he eats all the dumbest things.

For example: My name is Bear Grylls, and even though I am only 2 miles from home, I am going to sleep inside this dead camel. Super dumb I know but we keep each other entertained. 

BE SAFE EVERYONE AND C BROPH IS OUUUUUUUT. 

DEUCES.

HOLA DOUGIE

I don´t know where I come up with these names for the title but I love them. Hahahah. ANOTHER WEEK DOWN. It has been yet again, another busy and crazy week. I have learned so much and my brain no longer works after 7:00 pm. Legit it is fried every night. BUT, I am somehow having fun and keeping extremely busy and definitely coming closer to the Lord.

I finna am going to start off with something that is going to scare the classical music out of my parents nose that I have learned about the Oeste [West] Mission.

1. I have heard my mission is tied for the most ghetto part of Santiago. HAHAH YES.

2. Me and Elder Brooks were talking to a missionary who was about to return home from his mission and was telling Elder Brooks that there are a lot of gangsters in the West Mission. Haha i guess they flash their guns and knives at all the missionaries and give them a hard time. BUT DONT WORRY YALL. I have devised a plan to keep myself safe. When they come riding past on there bikes [Cause there is no way they have a car haha] I am finna gonna chuck a wrench in there spokes and I will have to bust a couple caps in a knee. No biggie though. So dont worry hahahaha.

3. There are a TON of wild dogs with rabies. But that isnt the worst part at all. My teacher said that 75% of them are German Shepards. Pretty much a small horse... I am going to have to carry around a sock full of soap or something to defend myself haha I am hyped.

But besides that, Oeste is SICKKKKKK. Hahaha, also another stupid/funny thing that happened this week is I traded my first tie wooooohoooooo. It was funny because I traded it with one of my teachers. I call him Spoder.

For everyone asking how the food is... It really isnt that bad, but it is really bad for you. I have gained 8 lbs in 2 weeks hahaha. But I do have some defense that the bread here does something to your body that makes it impossible to relieve yourself if you are catching my drift. Hahah so no more bread for me and lots of running. 

This last week we went through the temple which was absolutely amazing and an incredible experience. The temple here is truly beautiful.

So I have 2 more stories. One scary, one cool.

First scary, so after lunch one day me and my companion went outside of the CCM. All of a sudden this weird looking guy is staring at us and legit casting spells on us hahaha it was soooooooooo weird and creepy, then immediately after that i started feeling sick and was sick the rest of the next day. So weird. Cool story, me and my companion Elder Pedersen have a progressive investigator in the CCM and we had a lesson with her. Both of us being completely new to spanish obviously cannot understand her very well. So before we went into her house we decided to pray and ask for the gift of tongues. Long story short, we got in there and KILLED the lesson and could talk [in broken spanish] to her and understand 90% of what she said! It was amazing and really cool.

Spiritual Message of the Day:

I know that after reading this my mom is going to say, i told you so. But trying to learn spanish and being here in Chile away from friends, family, home, and everything else I was used to in my life has definitely humbled me [disregard my earlier comments about beating gangsters up hahaha]. I have now realized how much I had at home and how EASY it was at home. Holy cow. It sucks I didnt realize how much I had until I lost it. But, thankyou mom, dad, madi, palmer, emma, extended family, friends for everything because you have all blessed my life and been incredible.

Also, this last night my district [District 6] had a testimony meeting of why we all came out here to Chile on a mission. Well, there is this kid who shared why and at the end he was telling us that his mom had died 3 years before and that he knows this is what she wanted him to do and that she is with him right now and it legit got punched in the face by not only the spirit but how much you did Mom. Haha I would have forgotten to pack if it werent for you. But it was a real eye opener and the spirit was definitely felt in that room. Also, thankyou for the packages I get to open every week. THEY ARE THE BEST and get me through every week:]

I have made a goal to read the Book of Mormon before I get out of the CCM and I am already on page 200! So, that has been really good and I love reading it.

This email is running kind of long so I am gonna end with some funny/stupid stuff hahaha.

So first, I was sitting at lunch one day and I heard Katy Perry come on from the kitchen and I legit started singing in the middle of the lunch room hahaha. I freaking miss music. Also, Elder Pedersen [my opposite] is ALWAYS serious and doesnt seem to know what fun is so me and Elder Brooks every night turn on piano music and dance around him like ballerinas while he is writing in his journal. He doesnt show it but I know he is laughing so hard on the inside and he is loosening up a little bit. 

Well, stay freakkkkyyyyyy fresh people in the UT. Palmer, rep my clothes with much swag and stay out of trouble. Emma, I almost cried reading your cute letter to me and I miss you 200%. Madi, do some freaking work in the Dutch. Mom and Dad, I love you guys so much. See everyone next week!

Connor with Elder Pedersen...making the Distric 6 sign. Haha

Connor loves being a roommate with Elder Brooks...biggest comfort ever to him. He is just like Connors best friend back at home!

WASSUP SLAYASSSS

Hello everybody!!!! Holy this is like a big moment... my first email home from my mission. I only have an hour so I gotta type fast mainly because so much has happened here at the CCM/MTC. Actually, we do the same thing every single day so not a lot has really happened but we are always busy so I guess a lot kinda has happened... It is hard to explain. Anyways, the CCM is... amazing... kinda. Haha it has been a week and I already want to get out of here in the Santiago. Not because I hate it here but because I want to teach the beautiful people of Santiago. There is only one problem. I don't know the language hahaha. Spanish is actually freaking hard. I got here day one and everyone is speaking 65043 miles per hour and I am just like Donde esta el banyo? [Where is the bathroom?] because I dont know how to say anything else hahaha. But even though it has only been a week I have learned a decent amount of spanish. Not enough to really get me around the city yet [Learned that today trying to buy a bag of chocolate] but I can say a couple phrases that are important. The food here at the CCM is actually pretty good... BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS DOUSED IN BUTTER AND SERVED WITH BREAD. Hahahaha seriously I can see why missionaries get fat here. But don't worry, I am working out every night and morning hahahaha. My companion is, Elder Pedersen, and I will say it has definitely been a challenge being his companion and room mate. Think about me, then imagine the EXACT opposite of me and there you will find Elder Pedersen. He is really shy and doesn't talk much. But there is obviously something I need to learn from him [How to shut up;] Hahahah. I am really happy here but it has been extremely difficult. I really miss everybody at home SO much. Its hard after dinner in class and in my room not to think about everyone at home. I love all of you so much and can't WAIT to see you guys Christmas. Hahahah mom, I am not going through PS3 withdrawals... YET. Hahaha I am just kidding but luckily enough I havent really thought about it much but it would be nice to dong a billcam right about now. Anyways, here is my motivation/spiritual message for the day so Steven, Grandma, and Grandpa here is your warning to stop reading now. [Hahaha I am totally kidding]

I have been thinking about the name tag I have been wearing here at the CCM all week.

Elder Brophy

La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias

I have thought, I am not just serving for myself or representing myself. I am representing my entire family down here in Chile. And I cannot wait to come home and look at my entire family [But especially my mom and dad] in the eye, and say, I have served a full-time, successful, 110% obedient, hard, and life lesson learning mission. But more important than my name, is the name of Jesus Christ. And I cannot wait to be able to look HIM in the eye and say, Lord I have served thou 100% for 2 years and been completely obedient. The final days are definitely here and it is a privelege to serve here in Chile.

Anyways, thats the thought for today I would share with you all. When I first got to Chile I had the weirdest thought I was in Russia. Hahaha it looks like RUSSIA here hahaha. ALWAYS CLOUDY in the winter. Except for today. Today is the first day I have seen the sun. Also, it is extremelyyyyyyyyyy poor here. You havent seen poor until you come to South America. Wowzahs. The mountains are very big and beautiful with snow on the top and oh boy do I wish I could hit the slopes and throw a backside rodeo [Good joke Connor]. 

Another reason I have had motivation to stay here is because of my roommate Elder Brooks. He is Hayden Smith but shorter. BIGGEST COMFORT EVER. I really miss you Hayden by the way and CONGRATS ON YOUR MISSION CALL TO ITALY. HOLY NECKAR. But he is absolutely amazing and we get along perfect. He will be going to UVU when we get home so me and him are gonna hit it up once we are back:]

So first a cool/scary/sad story then a funny story.

Cool one. So in Chile there are 456 dogs every two feet from you. And they are all wild and scary and have rabies and fleas and are psycopathic. One day on the way back to the CCM we encounter two dogs squaring off to each other. One was black, about the size of Gracie and the other one was a German Shepard the size of a small horse. Anyway, the german shepard WRECKED/SLAYED/SCOOPED this dog on the back and the poor black little pup like barely got away with its life. I almost petted it but I would have gotten fleas and that is NO GOOD.

Funny story. Im going to keep this one short but I pretty much accidentally said a bad word in spanish on accident in front of everyone in my class yesterday. [When a dude gets excited]. Yeah, it was fun. Hahahahaha.

Also, I literally kill everyone at soccer here. They call me daddy. Less go. 

It has been Elder Brophy [Leans forward and shoves nametag into face of investigator] READ IT. Can't wait to hear from all of you next week. It will be the same time next week. Tuesday 12-1. I LOVE YOU ALL. And yes, my emails will be more entertaining than Madis [Im playin Madi you are the best and I love you so much, you are a slayer]