I greet you all with "mucho mas animo" as we call it.
This week was wonderful!
But first I need to describe my new home a bit better. I cant remember what I said during the last email.
But anyways
So Linares is a sleeply little town right on the edge of the Andes. The people here are really humble and sweet. Very friendly. I feel safer here and more at home. We live in a cute old yellow house. It is actually one of the biggest houses I have seen in Chile. Its size isnt really a blessing thought because it is absolutly freezing! The first week I was just purple and cold all the time. There is no such thing as heaters here...or walls that keep out cold..or carpet or anything like that. And I was just cold cold cold everywhere that I went. But we bought a little space heater thing...I also bought a caliente cama...a pad that heats up that I put under my sheets (greatest invention ever) and some fluffly chilean stockings. And I´m not as cold anymore. Im ready for winter and to see some snow capped Andes!
We have been working a lot with the endless inactives that live here. I call them gold mines. We go in...activate the parents (some times the grandparents) and then baptize the children. There is a ton of work to do here in Linares. Its so exciting!!
I have learned that being a missionary you just do whatever anyone tells you...no matter what.
Last tuesday we got a call from someone...that said something something about someone died..come to the church and meet with president of the branch. Okay...so we skipped on over to the church building and were greeted by about 200 people for a huge funeral. The president asked me to play the piano for the music. I would have liked a bit more time to prepare to play in front of 200 people but whatever. Then he got up and announced that I would also being singing a solo. So I got up and sang a solo to a hymn that I hardly knew. Then he let me know that it was time for my talk...my talk?? What?! So I got up and gave a nice 20 min talk about who knows what..not sure if anyone had any idea what I was saying. Emergency talks in english are fine...but in spanish. Nada que ver!!
And I did all of that while there was a dead corpse right in front of me. You know how I cant handle dead bodies. It was a miracle I lived through it!
We are teaching a little orphan boy named Erwen. He lives in an orphanage and loves church so much. I started to try and teach him about God but he is having a hard time believing. He says that God loves everyone else in the world except him. That God has forgotten about him and doesnt like him. I have made it my sole purpose here to show him God´s love for him!
We are teaching a lady named Silvana. She has tons and tons of questions of "where does it say that in the bible". Its hard to teach her and I always doubt my bible knowledge...yet somehow I remember where everything is in the bible. And it also encourages me to know my bible a bit better!
We found a inactive family of 13 people that hadnt come to church in years and years. Sunday they all came. I almost cried. They filled up half the chapel! We also found an old stake patriarch and his family of returned missionaries that are all inactive of about 10 years. They all came to church yesterday too!! It was an Easter miracle!
We started teaching this lady who has sever severe depression problems. Her whole house is dark and we just enter and feel darkness. But the moment we start teaching we are filled with light! The house is filled with light. She is filled with light. And I have to realize once again...that we are just carriers of light here! The gospel is actually LIGHT! And how wonderful it is that we can be FILLED with this light and fill others too!!
This weekend we had mini missionarys come stay with us. We did divisions with them and I got to walk around with a little 16 year old. At first I was excited but she was a little on the annoying side and I was about ready to throw her in (not in front haha) of a bus! But then we contacted this one house....and a possesed lady answered. I wont go into details but it was not a pleasant experience. My poor little mini missionary was in complete tears after. I didnt think she would want to finish her mission....but after a long talk about the power of God versus the power of satan...she was ready to go and spread some light! And she behaved much better. Three days later she was almost a completely different person. It was a miracle!
One morning I took all the mini missionaries and my daughter to the plaza. I gave them each a book of mormon and some pamplets and had them go to town contacting. They were so scared. But I told them if I could do it in spanish...they could do it too! Talking to people and sharing the gospel is infectious! It was a fun activity! One you should all go do every weekend!
Other things that happened...
oh we got in a taxi crash!
The branch president came into relief society and told everyone if they didnt feed the missionaries lunch he was going to take away their temple reccommend (we have been having problems with the members wanting to feed us)
People tell me all the time that I look and sound chilean. People immediately assume that I am chilean and think my companion is from Germany.
We drink endless tea here
We walk hours and hours every day. This sector is HUGE!
We have lots of funny stories about misunderstanding the language. Two new gringas together gaurentees that.
I love it here and more than ever love being a missionary!!
I love training too. Its super fun!
Oh I forgot to mention...I might have given my companion scabies. She has lots of bites on her. We are going into the city wednesday to find out what it is. I think its just fleas. Ojala!! She will hate me if I gave her scabies! (That thing is the worse!) I took another dose of that strong medicine last night just to make sure they are all dead.
Much more to say but I have some emails to catch up on!
Love you all!! Have a great week!!
Hermana Orchard
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