The Eagle has Landed

(We received an email Wednesday with a scanned copy of a handwritten letter that Elder Rich wrote us after arriving at the mission home. The following day we received a photo and brief message from his mission president letting us know he had arrived safely.)

Family,

OSORNO! This place is so beautiful and ridiculously green. The flight was long and I am exhausted, but I cannot stop smiling. The trip started at about 4 in the afternoon on Monday (so I had been awake all day), and it is currently 6:30 pm on Tuesday.  I flew from Mexico City to Santiago and then from there to Osorno.

While waiting for the plane to Osorno in Santiago, I ended up talking to a very nice Chilean woman named Clavania.  She was very hard of hearing so I basically yelled my testimony to her. She expressed a love for reading so I gave her a Book of Mormon, and she was so shocked and impressed by the gift, she almost cried. She promised to read it.

On the plane, I spoke to a woman named Maria Adriana. She is around her 60s and sat right next to me.  I helped her put her bags up above and gave her some of the Mike & Ikes I had bought, and from then on we were best friends. She told me she was Catholic, loved Jesus, and after I explained my purpose to serve the people, she expressed her respect for me.

We talked about our families, showed each other pictures, and she taught me more Spanish. As we were about to leave, she pulled my planner out of my pocket and wrote down her name, email, phone number and address. She said that if I stay I this area, she wants to be my first dinner appointment.

I love you so much and I am so happy. 

I love you!

Elder Aidan Rich

(P.S. Just got called to Maria’s area!)

Elder Rich with President and Sister Obeso in the Chile Osorno Mission Home.
He will be serving in the Rahue Zone and his companion is Elder Holt.