This week was really great! We are teaching three really awesome families who I have just completely fallen in love with.
But...cambios was this morning.
I´ll replay it for you.
7...Elder calls. Asks if I have been sleeping. Of course not. I had already been awake for three hours. Who can sleep the night of cambios?
Well he lets me know that I am leaving....and to WALKEE!!!!!! The place I have dreamed of going my whole mission!!!!!
It is way out in the middle of no where but has a reputation for being an awesome and BEAUTIFUL place!! I love the country!! I am so excited! I immediately started screaming and running around the house. I also get a latina companion again which is always an answer to prayers!! I leave tomorrow morning. I am happy.
We had an awesome branch activity saturday. It was actually super stressful since we dont get any help from the branch or anything. But we managed to get a chocolate fountain and tried making popcorn over the stove. It ended up just starting a small fire in the kitchen but thats another story. We played a big game of fruit basket and everything was fun and dandy. Everyone was getting really into it..shoving people down in their path and screaming. And then my little stalker Martin decided to come in. The elders tried to get him to leave...or at least stay away from me...but he came up and was mad. Again asking why, why why. He scares me a lot and I am excited to be very far away ffrom. This last week he has been trying to follow us on his motorcycle as we walk along so we have had to run away a lot. Running isnt exactly a thing I am too great at right now.
Oh...where I was going with the activity. All the elders in our branch are from Colombia and they got up and did a zumba type dance. I was a little annoyed that they could dance better than me so I had my latina companions try and teach me how to dance and move my hips more latina like this morning. It was pretty comical and I definietly feel more gringa now. I just wish I could be a full blood latina!
We had lunch with the new american missionary couple this week. We spoke english the whole time and I was shocked at how different the food was...how clean everything was and just how much more proper it all was. And I surpirsed myself by not really feeling at home. I felt uncomfortable only eating stuff off my own plate...speaking in english and just not having the warm loving latino atmosphere! It made me very unhomesick and scared for the day when I will have to pretend that I am american again. Because I really do feel latina. I think I was meant to be latina. I feel so much more comfortable in this culture than I ever did in my own. Its strange.
Thursday we took a trip down to conce and I went and saw a chiropractor. He let me know that my legs arent the same length and that is the problem. Makes sense. He did some adjustments (which I did not enjoy) and then told me to get something to put in my shoe. My leg hasnt really been a problem this week so I hope we figured out the solution!
We learned some scary stuff about the youth in our branch this week. I wont go into it but sometimes I am really glad I was raised in a safe environment. Most of the young woman get pregnant at 13 or 14 here. And we found out that one of our young woman here...last year murdered her boyfriend. Yes you read that right. With a knife. A sweet little 14 year old. She was put in a teen jail but after 6 months escaped and is here again...just living peacefully. I wish I didnt have to know some of the things I know.
Two of the sisters in our branch had babies this week so we got to go to the hospital and visit them! I loved looking at the tiny little monkeys...but it was torture not being able to hold them!
Today I started going around and saying good bye to people in the morning. I really hate goodbyes. The elders in our branch surpirsed me and made me pizza in the church. That was nice of them. They almost burned down the church in the porcess. The ovens here are basically bombs and to turn one on you have to lay on the floor..start the gas...light a piece of paper on fire...put it under the the oven and hope it doesnt all explode. It took a few trys today and the poor elder kept burning his hand. At one point too much gas leaked out so it kind of exploded and burned his shirt and everything.
I am going to miss this little pueblito in the mountains. My time here has been relatively short...yet very hard. But I have learned a lot. You should know...I´m planning my trip back for next summer. I have to tell myself that this will only be a year seperation. If I think for any longer than that its just too hard!
I love Chile. And Linares will always have a special place in my heart. Also I have given everyone our direction with the invitation that they can come visit/live with us whenever they want! So...be ready for that!
Have a great week! I am told that this rain and almost snow will only last for 2 more months! There is hope smiling brightly before us! In the meantime...I am enjoying all the sopa pillas that people make everytime it rains!
Love you all!!!
Hermana Orchard
