I have a little poem for you all. I didnt write it...but here it is. (Gracias a Sister Gallacher in our awesome homeschooling days)
All the water in the world, however hard it tried
Could never sink the smallest ship, unless it got inside
And all the evil in the world, the blackest kind of sin
Can never hurt you in the least, unless you let it in
I have been thinking about this poem a lot lately. Sin in all shapes and sizes is always around us. There´s really just no avoiding it. Temptation will always be there. But we have the choice to never let it into us..to never pay attention enough to it for it to have any effect. And I think that applies to all kinds of darkness...pain, fear, sadness, anger, hurt. It may all be present..but we dont have to let it in! We always have the choice to what degree we experience all these negative things.
Remember that man who lived in the concentration camp? He was there with his son. Even though there were so many horrors going on around them...he created a beautiful world for him and his son. We can choose how we see things. How we want to react. We choose the feelings we have in our hearts..who we want to be...at all times. No matter what is going on around us...how dark it may be...we always always have the choice of what goes on in our head. Let´s make it good, shall we?
"The world becomes a creation after our own image, a reflection of our own faith or lack therof."
Most of the people here dont have much. They have more trials than we can really even imagine. Yet they are the happiest most giving, friendliest, funniest, loving, thoughtful and wonderful people ever. I will be happy to be just 5% of what they are.
Can I stay here forever?
Last Monday I found my dear Hermana Tejerina in Conce. She goes home in 4 weeks...waaaaaaaa. We went to the doctor with my little Chelita and she had an echo of her stomach and found that everything is okay. Then we went to my chiropractor. Have I mentioned how awesome my chiropractor is? He is super awesome and said he will treat me for free for the rest of the life. He always makes fun of my spain accent. Have I mentioned that everyone thinks I am from Spain? They all say I speak with a spain accent and people are super confused when I say I am from the states. Not sure where I got the spain accent from..
I think the most progression I have seen this last month has been my companion. She came here such a shy little think...and kind of unhappy. Now she is the happiest person I know! She is CONSTANTLY laughing and we just walk around looking insane with outrageous smiles on our faces. Hopefully I can stay with my little daughter forever...
Solange,,,the girl who got baptized 4 months ago....started her missionary application!!! Some people are just so awesome!!
One sad part of the week is that bedbugs and fleas and scabies and who knows what has hit us all again. We spend the day itching and itching and trying to kill bugs but we just cant keep up with the fleas. Have you seen how many dogs there are in Hualqui?!! To give you an idea...about every 10 feet there are at least 3 dogs. No joke. They run around in packs of 30.
But its okay because Hualqui is the most beautfiul place in the world. To enter Hualqui there is about an hour drive in bus or train....it winds through hills and mountains and along the huge bio bio river. The trees all have yellow and pink and purple blossoms that just float in the wind everywhere and all along the river there are sunflower fields and little birdies and its all just so gorgeous!! Horses walk along the streets and people sell fruit and flowers and vegetables all along the streets in little wagons. Oh Hualqui has stolen my heart completely.
Okay I must go. We are going to have a little picnic in one of the precious hills here.
Love you all!!! A challenge...everyone give the book of mormon to 5 different people this week! I know its a lot but I know you can all do it!
Hermana Orchard
