Week 8: La Playa!

Hola Hola Hola!

Happy Birthday EMILY!!! and mom...later this week! 

Wow, what a week! This whole thing is just such a roller coaster. I`m not quite sure what to think about it at the moment. Lots to say...so I`ll just hop to it!

Our mission Presidents wife came and had a little mini cambio with me and my companion for a day. That was fun....especially since she cant speak any spanish so for once I wasnt the only clueless one! haha

Our ward had a talent show. They really love talent shows down here. Apparently they have them all the time. As missionaries we had to perform but didnt have any time to think of anything. So we ended up just rapping some hymn that Ive never heard before. These people are very courageous. Everyone got up and performed something. Even the investigator we brought spontaneously got up and performed! Most people sang a solo to a english song...it was pretty funny. And long. It was supposed to start at 8..but following proper chilean time it didnt start til 10....and went until like 1 am (we obviously didnt stay for the whole thing). This is on a wednesday night. Chileans are so funny. If you are out of the house by 10 am...you are the only one. Also at the talent show the bishop did a little jig to Rhiannas S and M I think its called. Whatever it is its a really bad song and it was hilarious.

I get a 2nd chance at seminary! We are the stakes seminary teachers! No one in the stake wanted that calling...so its ours! Its pretty fun. The kids are...fun. They have a blast making fun of my spanish. We also just started teaching english class as a way to find new investigators. Its a hit! Everyone wants to learn english. And they have more sympathy for me trying to learn spanish afterwards too....:)

My sector I have leanred has a pretty bad reputation for being the most ghetto and dangerous in the mission. Im not sure why hermanas are here...but rumor is we wont be here for long. Anyways...along with that comes lots of....compliments lets call them haha. My self esteem has been built up so much here. Every man we pass calls us "models" or "precious rubias" (im blonde here by the way). Lots of "I love you" too.  They will chase us down the street and we found out the hard way that when you go into their house-...they wont let you out! Dont worry, we found out that we arent even allowed to go in mens houses without someone else so that wont happen again. I got proposed to! It wasnt too romantic. They just slobbered all over my hand and said something I couldnt understand. What I am trying to get at is that pretty much everyone drinks here and smokes. There are lots of drunks....and they are always very willing to be taught. We try and not enter their houses though, but sometimes you dont know they are drunk until you are inside. One man always bows to us as we walk by. Not a little bow..but on the floor head on the ground bowing. I have learned to just laugh at the sometimes not so great attention. My companion told me by the end of my mission I would hate men and dogs. We had a few close encounters this week. I have finally figured out where all the drug dealers and gangs hang out and we try to not be there at night. Im fine though! Nice and safe! Dont worry

In the morning we go running up and down the staris of the hills. We are surrounded and in the mountains and hills. And they have stairs up and down them. We call them  machu pichu haha. Think stariway to heaven type stuff. When you get to the top you can see in every direction and its just gorgeous! This pleace is really just so green and beautiful. I forget that sometimes as I am trudging through the city getting chased by men and dogs.

The food is still a struggle. For sure the hardest part. During lunch is normally when I want to put my head down and cry....or throw up. Its just super unhealthy food and they give us SO MUCH! No joke its more than 10 people could eat together. And we have to eat all of it. Im just getting a little tired of throwing up everyday and feeling like Ive drunk grease. They dont drink water...and will get offended if you ask for it. I drink propbably a gallon of soda and juice everyday. The soda is better than the juice....the juice tastes like melted popcicles with added sugar (have I already said that?) Everywhere you go people will give you juice or soda. 

Let me give you an example of what lunch is like. 

1:30...they give you a big glass of juice. (sugar water)

they bring out a salad (iceburg lettuce with vinegar and salt on it...and sometimes some mayonnaise too)

they give you a loaf of bread to eat by yourself

This is when I am full. And then they bring out the main dish. yesterday it was pasta with heavy heavy homemade pasta. It was literally on a platter. Each plate was the size of two of our plates. It is just piled on there. 

You eat a little bit...and they refill it. You drink a little and they refill it. 

1 hour later the plate is empty and its basically the biggest acheivement of your life. Then you notice you still have juice. So you drink that without getting sick. 

And then they bring out dessert. Basically a whole cake for each person. And more juice. 

I have never prayed as hard as when I am eating lunch. There is no other way to get through it. Im hoping my stomach adjusts soon. They say it takes a month or two.

Anyways, enough about THAT! 

We found a really amazing FAMILY this week! They came to church yesterday too! The parents are just wonderful and they have two teenage boys who already look like missionaries! We are hoping to baptize them all on the 7th of december.

One day I hope you can all meet the Gonzalaez family. They are so amazing. They became members a year ago and are just about the sweetest people on the planet. I wont try to explain them more. I wouldnt do them justice.

My companions and roommates are just the best! EVER! They are all so great and just so much fun! They all kill the spiders for me and do it silently so that I dont even know when we are being attacked by them! I dont know what I would do without them!

Today we had a zone activity to the "embarkadora". Which is just a secret word for beach! It was beautfiul! It looked kind of like prarie creeks beach except it was hot and just more beautiful basically haha. We played frisbee and climbed to the top of this look out spot. I also got to take a little siesta in the sand...something I didnt think I would do on my mission. But it was wonderful! So beautfiful and no one else was there. It was just this random little secret bit of heaven. Ill send pictures next week when my camera isnt dead.

Okay Im out of time. This letter may not have been as inspirational as it should have been...but Im just glad I made it through the week haha

Dont pray for me...pray for these people down here. They need prayers so much more than I ever could.

Love you all!!

-Hermana Orchard

ps yesterday I counted how many people I kissed...96. 96 kisses in one day. Beat that! ;)