I think this place gets more beautiful every day. Literally every inch of this land is covered in flowers...mostly roses. All different colors that I dont think I´ve ever seen before.
The people get more beautiful too every day. I dont think we can know a person without loving them. The more we know a person...know their stories and why they are the way they are...the more we have to love them! I think thats my favorite thing in the world....learning people´s stories and getting to really know them.
There arent any coincidences in anything. We were walking through a more hidden part of Haulqui the other day. We found this house in the middle of no where...we were trying to contact a reference close by that ended up being fake. Anyways, we saw this man just sitting in a chair outside his house...so we went and talked to him. He started telling us about his life. How his wife left him for another man 5 years ago and stole all his stuff. How his only son died 3 years ago and now he is completely alone. How he had a stoke 2 years ago and cant move the left side of his body at all. He said he just sits there everyday waiting to die. And is mad at God that he is still alive.
I think sometimes its hard for us to find purpose in our lives. When everything goes so wrong...its easy to feel that God has forgotten about us. That He has just left us here to suffer. We meet people a hundred times a day who feel that way. Its hard. Because we are just here..we can only see this moment that we are living right now. We cant see before...or after. And it takes an extreme amount of trust to believe that there IS a plan to all this. God really IS in charge and hasnt forgotten about any of us. There IS a reason for every fall, for every heartache...for everything. And we and our lives and plans are cared for with a detail and love and attention...that we cant imagine!
That is my favorite part about being a missionary. Sharing with everyone that God really does love us! He cares for us and he is always watching over us. Every moment of every day. And His angels are always around us...and we are never ever forgotten.
Think of all the little flowers in the world. All the little birds and rocks in the stream...all the little fishies in the ocean. God cares for each of them and knows each of them....and if He will care for each of them with all His perfect love and attention...how much more will he care and love US! His children! And maybe this life is a little hard sometimes (its supposed to be really hard!)...but there is so much good stuff ahead!
For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven. Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time,the design of your God concerning those things which shall comehereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore theday cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour isnot yet, but is nigh at hand. D&C 58:2-4
We also contacted a man who was walking in the street....he invited us right into his house. We started teaching about Christ and love and all that. And he admitted that God had indeed sent us...because he was out walking to go kill himself! So our timing was good. God is watching over all of us!
I love my little daughter so much! She is all grown up now and we will probably be seperated this next week...which breaks my heart. She has been my favorite and we have just had a ball together. I think that has been one of the greatest miracles I have seen....the change she has made. I literally do not know a person happier than Hermana Piriz!
After two wonderful weeks of steriods (wonderful as in pain free....my emotions have not been the most wondeful ...endless crying and laughing attacks...I´m quite the comic show) I will be going off them starting today. So we will see this week how my back deals with that.
Okay, its time to leave you all. But have a Beautiful week. If you want to make your week more beautiful....look up how to make manjar and eat that,
Love you all!
Hermana Orchard
