Swinging Through Life: 2013-11-24

Hola Hola!

I have a new address for all of you! The other one still works and I will get anything that you send there...but this one is just BETTER! :)

Chile Concepcion Mission

Castellòn 1063 Oficina Norte

Concepciòn

Bio-Bio Chile

This week was such a roller coaster. I really need to just sleep off all the craziness that happened...but there´s no time for that so I´ll just write about it instead.

I found out the hidden meaning to why I needed to take anatomy. So much of what I see here I wouldnt be able to handle without my cadaver time. Like...we visited a lady who was missing half her head...and a few people who were literally missing portions of there head tambien. She is a tad bit crazy now but a super sweet lady who promised to teach me the queka-Chile´s national dance. We see dogs everywhere we go who are in every condition...missing eyes, feet, tails, legs etc. We also visit lots of elderly who love to show off their wounds and sicknesses. Yes...my anatomy study tolerance has helped me a great deal.

Contacting is a great way to meet all sorts of people! While out we contacted a man who`s appearance made me a bit apprehensive. While talking with him about how baptism can wash away his sins and stuff he got really excited and said ¨"oh that would be real good! I´ve got some blood one my hands a couple times". He then proceeded to act out on us how he stabbed someone or something. We got out of there pretty fast. And that folks, is why you dont go to the cerro! Have I mentioned yet that we get flashed at least ten times a day? We will just be walking by and men will start yelling or singing or something and just undress...in the middle of the street! There is nothing we can do about it though because its totally legal here. Its only happened while we are contacting them a few times though...

I´m having a bit of a hard time transitioning from english to spanish. And that is what it is...a transition. Right now I cant speak english...but I cant speak spanish either. Its just this weird in between language that only a select few are able to understand. haha

About the whole food situation...it is BETTER! I bought a tuberware container and its basically my new best friend. I have used it a few times now and the members dont seem to be offended by it. I also have started asking for water instead of accepting the soda they give me. That always shocks them. We explain that in the US lots of people drink water...PLAIN! They laugh at that. I have learned and practiced how to say "Im full...I cant eat anymore. Its really good...can I take some home in my container?". Its working out pretty good. But its kind of too late...I already dont fit into two of my skirts. Whoops!

These past two months I have learned with a new depth how even our smallest and simplest prayers are answered. Three stories...okay here we go.

Last week after I emailed I was just so discouraged. I craved everything about home...warm showers, non mayonnaise coated food, a bed clean of fleas and bugs and being able to communicate with people. I needed to talk to a friend. And then BAM! I looked up and there was my MTC companion aka my bff! ;) We hugged and screamed and cried and admitted that this whole thing wasnt the easiest piece of queque in the world. And somehow when our little therapy session in the computer lab was done...I was better! I am so thankful for all the people that God places in my life to help me just in the moment when I need it most!

Later on in the week I was discouraged again and was swirling into some dense fog of despair when another of my unspoken prayers was answered! I went on little mini cambio to santa Sabina. A BEAUTIFUL town right on the beach. Its also extremely rich and I felt like I was back in America! My companion was hermana Romney...she is wonderful and was SO kind and patient with me. She just pulled me up from my drowning exsistence and gave me hope and the ability to handle all of this. She also is the one on the womans BYU basketball team (on the poster) who is pointing out from the middle (fun fact- I knew I recognized her!). I was able to see a new way of being a missionary that allowed me to be ME! And their house was not a little shack full of rodents and bugs...that was nice too. I got what I needed most in those 24 hours..hope! Hope that one day I will be able to communicate with these people...one day it wont be a struggle every second with my companion and one day I will have a stove and a real bathroom again! And thats all I really needed to know. ··Added note. Hermana Romney also looked and acted like Aleza Yerkes. So ALEXA I saw future missionary you and you are a GREAT missionary! :)

Third story. Our living condition is pretty awful. I thought all mission houses were like this but after visiting a few others I realized we arent even on the same sphere as them. Me and my roommates health has been not as great since we got here and I thought...maybe its the fact that the walls are literally BLACK covered in mold? So we did some scrub a dub dubbing and got some of it off. There are also holes in the wall the size of...well about 2 feet wide. Its just not super fun to live there and we are always literally tripping over each other because theres just not really enough space to move at all. So I decided to pray that we would be able to move living spaces. Cambios is in three weeks but I dont want any other missionaries to have to live here either. So I prayed. And we got a surpirse visit from the mission presidents wife who started crying when she walked inside. She also said "please dont tell your moms you live here". But I already told you before. Anyways, we now have a mandate from the president to make our first priority finding a new place to live. I hope to be out of there by this weekend! And Im sure we will be...either in a new house or a different sector. So dont you fret!

I think that has been the best lesson I have learned so far. That prayers are always answered. My prayers, our investigators prayers...everyones. Not always in the way we want or think would be best...but in the best way. I feel so protected here. I never worry about anything. God controls everything. And being able to see that so clearly everyday is SUCH a blessing!

Today me and my house went to the presidents house and helped Hermana Arrington make some food and we had a mini thanksgiving meal! It was great! It is also my two month birthday so they sang to us and we had a little party. Can you believe Ive been out for two months? I cant decide if it feels more like 10 years or 2 days.

Welp Im out of time. I am doing GREAT! Dont worry about me (Im tempted to delete my whole email now). I expect MIRACLES and LOVELINESS this week! Have a wonderful thanksgiving!!!

Love you ALL!!

Hermana Orchard