From the Mission Home!

Family,
I have just arrived after about 26 hours of traveling since leaving the MTC.  I hardly slept and was completely uncomfortable until touching down from my third flight into Osorno.  Dad, flying inhere has nothing on the Happy Valley. Joke! It is the happy valley to the extreme! It is the happiest of all the valleys...Today is a beautiful, sunny, chilly, Chile day and it is green and I mean GREEN!  About 6 Elders, two office people, President and his wife met us at the airport.  I have felt absolutely terrified since stepping foot into the advanced MTC class until the moment I saw their smiling faces at the baggage claim.  Everyone has been nothing but so kind and welcoming.  President Lovell is such a gentle, calm, tender soul and Hermana Lovell is just a spitfire sasspot- I adore them both. President has everyone's names, hometown, and random facts memorized- he is awesome. We are just chilling in the mission home after a delicious lunch and President just informed me that I'll spend my first cambio here in Osorno with the "best sister" in the mission.  He got teary just talking about her.  She is from Argentina and this is her last six weeks, so I am so excited to start my mission working as hard as I can with a native in the city I'll probably end my mission in- he also said I am living in a small house with the best mamita in the whole mission(she cooks, cleans, and does laundry for us)- when the AP's found out they were jealous!  Anywho, it was so great talking to you at the airport yesterday.  I couldn't say everything I wanted to because I knew I wouldn't be talking to any of you till Christmas so I was kind of weird.  But seriously, thank you for your love and support and letters- they helped me so much in the MTC to work my hardest and to remember that although I feel like I am doing this completely alone, I have the best family on earth cheering me on and praying for me.  Mom and dad, you really are both phenominal people and thank you for having testimonies I've been able to lean on for so many years.  Even in these last three weeks, my testimony has been victim to my own thoughts and my own attacks on it.  Luckily, because of these atatcks on my testimony- it is stronger than ever.  I know this work will go forward because it is God's work.  I know that this is real.  That the reality in which we live is the one where God is God. Christ is not only the Son of God, but our Savior and Redeemer- the Atonement  was actually necessary and actually completed.  I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet who saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored through him.  I know the adversary is real and cunning and it is so easy to be distracted and led away by him.  I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is everything and I know that I have stepped over that line into lifelong discipleship and I'm never coming back.  I love that statement by Henry B. Eyring when he says "I will give till I drop , preach till all know, go till Christ comes and when He comes He will have no problem recognizing me, for my banner will be clear."  I aim to spend the rest of my life making my banner clear.
I love you all and still can't believe that the next whole year and a half will be spent here.  I can't wait.  Sincerely, thank you for everything you all have done, do and will continue to do for me.  It's ridiculous how lucky I am.  I love you all so much.  Sophie, be good because we have the best parents on earth.  I love you all more than  anything on this earth (besides the gospel, of course).  The gospel is true!
Hermana Bourne