Hermana Heywood

Kaitlynn in the Chile Puerto Montt Mission

Transfer Call with You (Puerto Montt → Coyhaique), December 1, 2025

December 1, 2025 · Herriman / Puerto Montt

Monday call on the eve of your transfer 6 move from Puerto Montt to Coyhaique. You were packing during the call. The transfer itself is significant: Coyhaique hasn't had hermanas serving there in about eight years (you called it "pink-washing" the sector), you are being assigned to train your first hija (likely a Brazilian), and you will have no area book at first because the app transfer takes days. You didn't know who your companion would be yet but knew the names of four incoming hermanas (Juncker, Kenison, Ekery, and one Brazilian). I started stalking each on Instagram.

The assignment

You confirmed you are going to Coyhaique. Eight years since hermanas served there - you'll be "pink-washing" the sector (a sector previously worked only by elders, now being opened to hermanas). You didn't know who your companion is yet. You'll have no area book at first because the app transfer takes a few days.

You showed me the location on a map: Coyhaique is in the south of Chile near the Argentine border, in the mountains, "easily the most beautiful part of the mission." Your summer will be there. The forecast looked similar to home (a Sunday was forecast to hit 23 degrees C / ~73 degrees F).

Local quirk you explained while pulling up the map: Chilean streets are often named after places in other countries (Panama, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay), so there is a "Libertad" in Puerto Montt and presumably in many other cities - searching just the street name gets you results in many cities.

Your sector will be "Coyhaique Alto Dos" - based on a sign you were reading, you assumed your area is at higher elevation than the main town and an existing elder apartment is already set up that you and your hija will move into.

Saying goodbye to Hermana Soares

The house was in mourning. When you started packing during Soares' shower, Soares came out, stared at the pile, and said "don't leave." You noted that Soares is not normally expressive that way. Your joke: "the neighbors are going to be worried when they don't hear screaming anymore."

You revealed that you and Soares had been making post-mission plans: you fly to Brazil, pick Soares up, and travel through all of South America together.

Who is your new companion? The stalking

The mission announces incoming missionaries by last name only - full identities come later. You knew of four incoming hermanas: Juncker, Kenison, Ekery, and one Brazilian. You didn't know which one is yours but suspected the Brazilian because of the "natural" Portuguese-pairing logic (and you already knew some Portuguese from Soares). I started looking each one up on the "Facebook moms and dads" group and tried to guess.

Mid-call - the Coyhaique hermana líder called

Mid-conversation you took a separate call from "the Brazilian" (the new hermana líder in Coyhaique). The good news: your new sector is the líder's sector. There were hermanas in the building before, so it's not as much of a cold start as you had feared. The bad news: only you and your new companion are going to Coyhaique on Thursday - no one else is training - so you'll have to navigate the travel logistics solo. Plane tickets, ladies at the ticket stand, finding the apartment. "I'm going to get lost. We're going to die. But it's okay, because we'll go straight to heaven."

Soares' new companion - Hermana Layton

You announced that Soares' next companion is "Hermana Layton." I started looking Layton up on Instagram. Layton appears to be a country girl, possibly from California; "I love New York" was on her page; loves dogs and the beach. The joke writes itself given Soares' standing inside-joke "I hate New York City" - Soares is being paired with an enthusiastic New York fan.

Layton's mom and Soares' mom: Soares said her parents have told her that the only American (gringa) companions welcome in their home are you and Layton.

Packing triage and the sleeping-bag liner

You debated whether to leave your unused sleeping-bag liner behind. My suggestion: donate it to the mission office. The bag was sufficiently warm without it; someone else could use it.

I offered another idea later: unroll the liner flat over your stuff inside your luggage as an extra cover layer - minimal added bulk but kept the liner with you.

Other packing: a sweater you still find cute but is now "inconvenient"; you've gotten rid of most things you don't wear. You and Soares were heading out that afternoon to buy walking shoes (not boots - you already had boots, and both pairs had holes in them). No mall in Coyhaique, so today was the day to stock up.

My mission memories - training Elders Hatch and Cook

I walked through my own two times training:

The principle: every greenie comes out with a fire. Your job as the trainer is to stoke and direct it, not to extinguish it. Even when they're quirky or have issues, just love them. "If they're more annoying, just love them more fiercely."

You: "That's what I'm scared for. Because with my siblings, they were as annoying as they get and I couldn't really love them." I said: "That's what siblings are good for. You usually don't learn to appreciate your siblings until you're more grown up."

Saving the worn-through mission shoes

I suggested you keep the shoes you wore holes in: "That would be something really cool for your children and grandchildren to see. These are the missionary shoes I wore holes in as I was sharing the gospel in Chile." I still have one pair of my own. You agreed.

Closing - stalking continues, sign-off

I continued looking through Instagram trying to identify the soon-to-be Hermana Layton. We wrapped with "love you, bye" before you went back to packing.

Cleanup Notes