Falling

Hola!! 

Welcome to the craziest week yet of my mission!!

It hasnt been the best...but I will start with today. 

Well last night. We were all laying in our beds talking when Hna Raziera (from Brazil...she is teaching me portuguese!) said she felt itchy.  I asked for how long she had been itching and she said two weeks. I demanded to see her stomach and turned on the light. I wasnt surprised to see a bunch of little red dots...but with whitness under and (since I am a total bug bite expert now)...I had to give her the sad news....that SARNA has hit us once again. That would be scabies. For my THIRD TIME!!! whooooooo!!!!

So this morning when we all got up and my two favorite people in the world (Solange and Aracely) came over...we teased them by kissing their faces and then screaming that they had sarna. We all ran around for a bit. It was funny. Everyone we know probably already has it. Anyways,,,,

We walked out to a country part of our sector near the river. It is the beginning of spring here and I am convinced that there is not a more beautiful place in the world. There are flowers springing up of every color imaginable. We walked out along a train track for awhile until we came to the edge of the river. It was beautiful. I stood there and cried at the beauty for awhile and then we set out some blankets and all our food (pure manjar, chocolate, flan and cookies) and ate and sang for awhile. We ended up staying for about 6 hours. We took a nap in the beautiful sun....got almost ran over by wild horses and cows and caught a ride back in the back of a truck. It was lovely. Then we came back to the house and made mini pizzas and ice cream. 

Okay....on to the not so lovely parts of the week. 

My leg has been killing me lately...wel for about 6 months to be exact. Some days I can walk pretty well without limping...and other days I could walk faster crawling...I know that it doesnt really matter how much it hurts..I just have to work. So that is what I have done. But it has progressively gotten worse. And worse and worse. Until last week I started falling down...all the strength I have in my leg (which isnt too much) would just give out. So my dear Aracely helped me by almost carrying me around. But I went in to see the doctor again. He took a look at me..saw I couldnt walk...took a look at my back and said it was all lopsided. Like all my back was in the right side of my body. Basically I have a hernia. And its rather large and between my last vertebrae and my sacrum. Not sure why it took so long to figure that out..but here we are. The doctor was absolutly amazed that I am able to walk 10 miles a day with it...(let alone to the bathroom). I asked him what to do...he didnt hesitate for a moment and said "you need to go home and not get out of your bed for 6 months". Well obviously that is not an option. And I told him that....and after some fighting and him saying nonsense like "if you dont rest now you will ruin your back and leg forever". We came to an agreement. I would rest for a week and do some more hardcore physical therapy. And then the mission doctor came and started talking nonsense about going home. And I just started to cry. I have never let those thoughts enter my head. And I told her that..I´m not going home! I have walked in pain for 6 months...I can walk in pain for 6 more months. I´ll deal with the damage when I get back. 

Sadly the mission doctor said that wasnt up to me...and she would talk to president. It was pretty much the most miserable moment in my life. We left the doctors and tried to catch a bus home...but it was raining and 10 at night and in the big city and I was lost. Then I got a call from Aracely saying that she was in Conce..and if we were still there. All I really wanted to do was talk to my parents,,,but since that wasnt an option Chelly was a close second.  She ran to us and helped us find a bus. And we went home. And I said I was not answering the phone if president called. I went to sleep miserable. 

The next morning we worked everything out. I would stay in and rest as much as I could for a week...and we would walk as little as possible. And thats what we did. And even though my little baby only has three weeks in the mission..I sent her out with Solange to do visits (because Solange is amazing and like the best missionary ever..and its only been three months since her baptism!) And it all worked out okay. And I let president know that going home is not an option...now or ever. I´m chilena and will be staying here in my home. 

Ohter news....we took Patricio (who got baptized a month ago) to Manuel (who should be getting baptized this month). They are both around 23 years old and found that they have the same drug addiction in common (it happens to be the strongest drug in the world). They both like to traffic drugs and carry around guns and stuff like that. And they have both changed incredibly!! Watching Patricio testify to Manuel that he can overcome his drug addiciton and change his life because HE did it was amazing!! 

I love the people here so much. I love being a missionary and I just love Chile. This is my home and the people here really are my family. I´m not sure exactly when is my time to come home (my plans never work out exactly as I think they should)...but the day I leave here will be....oh I cant even think about it. 

Love you all!!

Hermana Orchard

ps Aracely added all the photos that I was behind on to my facebook...so dont be surpirsed when they are there.