This week was wonderful! Wonderful as in there were lots and lots of really hard moments..lots of tears...lots of laughter and tacos with ahi and explorations of the beautiful land of Chile!
Normally I make a list of things that happened during the week that I can write about so I dont just get here and stare at a blank screen. Sadly I forgot this list at home today and am now staring at a blank screen (my mind is pretty blank too). So bear with me
We were given a questionable lunch this week. Pretty much every lunch here is questionable...this one moreso than others however. Anyways, I found some little worms swimming around in my soup. I put the ones I could see secretly in my napkin...but not sure how many I ended up swallowing. I know...disgusting. Who knows how many parasites I have already. We were all sick after for two days. My only hope is that I get the parasite that eats all your fat. I cant remember the name of it. But I would be totally fine with that. After 5 months is Chile I am definitely starting to see the effects of incredible amounts of food every day. We walk probably 5-7 miles of hills and stairs every day. But I am afraid nothing can compensate for the food. Yep. I am totally okay with a parasite.
Other fun fact. Remember how I use to hate mayonnaise...and huge amounts of oil on everything...and basically all of chilean food? Well. I love it now. Scary huh? Now I crave coke instead of water. And I drench everything in salt and oil. If it is not swimming in oil....it doesnt taste good! AHHHHH What is happening to me???!!! haha My companion has also got me eating the weirdest gautemalan foods. We come home and make super weird soups....and put ahi, lemon and salt on EVERYTHING! And I LOVE IT! My bolivian companion is also spreading some weird eating habits to me too. I wonder what I will look like in another year of this...?
Its fine. Its all worth it.
After lots of struggles with our ward...we are finally turning some things around! We got a new ward mission leader who is REY BACAN! We are super excited to get him and the ward involved more! I am convinced the ward mission leader is the most important calling in the ward. I hope you guys have a good one! We only get about 1 legit reference a month here. Which is sad after the prophet told us to work solely off of references from the ward. I hope you are giving your missionaries references weekly! Lately we have been sharing with the members the talk (By President Monson) about how it is the members responsibility to supply the missionaries with people to teach. In your ward...if the missionaries dont have good investigators and baptisms....its your fault. At least in America. We dont really have enough members down here in Chile to completely have that frame of mind...but hopefully soon! I just hope you are following the commandments of the prophet and giving the missionaries references ALL THE TIME!
Enough about that.
We found some super awesome people to teach this week! We decided to explore some hills and darker places this week....and were surpised with some awesome people! Which was good because....sad news time....the little family who completely stole my heart...shocked us by saying they didnt want anymore of the church. It broke my heart...mainly because they know it is true and they know what they need to do...and they are choosing to not do it! Sometimes I hate agency so much! But we havent given up hope on them....hopefully we can do some discovery this week and help them out.
Transfers are in a week. Yet again. I feel like we just had them yesterday. It is seriously so crazy how fast time flies here! My companion is the sassiest funniest person ever. I have already decided to go live with her in Gautemala for a bit. It sounds like the craziest place. Her favorite english phrase to say to me is "ask me if I care". Not sure who taught her that one but she uses it perfectly.
My bolivian companion as always keeps our house very, very interesting.I have decided I love living with latinas. And I just love latin america. You all know I love America with every speck of my heart....but I feel like Latin America is just..I dont know...more homey? Maybe I can live here forever? I really dont want to leave. And I want my kids to speak spanish (because its a lot more fun than english)..and I want them to know how to dance all the different cha chas...and how to cut up a tomatoe in their hands....and how to love people instantly and completely...and I just dont want to leave! I know I still have a year but thats not enough time! And with how fast time is going right now...its going to come tomorrow! I want to always have empanada panaderias 2 seconds from my house. And kiss complete strangers in the street. And have people be real and honest enough to tell me how much weight I have gained.
Maybe you can all do me a favor and try and make America a little more loving..so that when I come home its not a complete shock? That would be nice.
I love Chile. With all of my heart. And I love these people. And I love that fall is coming. And I love being a missionary. So much. So very very much. Every single part of it. I love contacting people in the street and running away from dogs...and suffering every day through huge lunches....and writing in the area book...and all of it.
And I forgot...what do you do when you go to someones house just to visit? Do you really leave without sharing a scripture? How sad. I dread that day.
Well turns out when I dont write out what to say...it turns into a "I love" list. Sorry bout that,
But I hope you all have a great week! Can you believe its March??!! ahhhhhh!!!!
Love you all!!!
Hermana Orchard
oh PS! Yesterday a random guy complimented my spanish. I thought it was a set up. Then some other person later asked me what country in latin america I was from. This tells us two things. One...my skin has gotten pretty dark. And two....my spanish is improving!!! IT WAS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!!!
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