Completos and mountains of food...aka I'm getting fat!!!

Whoohooo! Another week has come and gone. Crazy. Somedays I literally feel like I arrived here in Chile yesterday. And then I try to remember what it is like in America...

Can you really walk down the street without a crowd of 40 dogs?

Do people really have CARPET in their houses??

Was there a time when I didn't wake up drenched in blood from a night of fleas snacking?

Was there a time when I wasn't a missionary?

And sometimes it feels like I have only been here my whole life.

Either way...its going by super fast, but I love every moment dearly!!

First of all....HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!

All my companions agreed that based on your pictures you must be turning 25. One of my companions thought your picture (of you surfing or something) was of an american model and tried to tape it up in her study room. No joke. It was kind of awkward. Anyways....

One day at lunch a member mentioned that they have some Mormon movies....and we just happened to get a teeny tiny DVD player....so naturally we had to have a movie night!!

We also discovered (worst/best discovery ever) that there is a little food place that delivers! So we ordered a bunch of completos and french fries and watched The Other Side of Heaven on my bed. It was fun.

In case I havent talked about completos yet...they are basically hot dogs. Well...its a hot dog that is in a huge thing of bread. Kind of like a loaf of french bread or something. Not sure how to describe it...but they toast the bread around the hot dog and MOUNTAIN it with gaucemole, tomatoes, mayonnaise, ketchup and basically every thing possible. They are really good. Like really really good. We also eat french fries all the time. Everyone makes homemade french fries. They are also really good. Another thing I havent mentioned is that food is really cheap here. You can just walk by a little panaderia and but bread, empanaadas, ice cream, little pastels or anything for basically nothing. 

And these little panaderias are about every 5 feet. People have them outside their houses...or just about everywhere. Like yesterday...we were walking down this random street in the cerro when we passed a sign that said "Calsone rotos...10 pesos". 10 pesos is like a penny. I said to my comp "what is that" and a lady out of no where came and invited us into her house where she had mountaisn of these scone things smothered in this sugar thing. We bought some and happily walked down the street eat heaven. One day we will be rolling down these streets eating..ahhh

One more quick thing about food....everyone here has tea parties! Its the best! Every night. And we CANNOT teach a lesson without sitting down and eating with them first. Lots of tea and this coffee type thing. Lots of bread with cheese, jams, manjar and sopa pies. Lots of scones...and little cakes. I love it. And hate it. But I do love how everyone just stops everything to sit down and eat...with whoever is there! Chile is so much more family and people centered than us. No one ever has their phones out....I never see computers or tvs or ipods. People are always just talking. Sitting on their porch talking...sitting around the table talking....eating...talking...cooking...talking. 

And no one cares about getting fat. Most people are fat. But no one cares. And it makes eating time so much more enjoyable. People just eat what they want. There are no party downers who sit on the edge not eating because they are watching their weight or anything. Obviously there are good and bad parts to this...but its really refreshing. Here the value of peoples personalitys and hearts completely drowns out how someone looks. Which is good....because as my companion likes to tell me...my face is cresending. (growing). 

A word about gorwing up in latin america. I have really been trying to figure out what growing up in Latin America is like. When I told my companions that school doesnt get out til 3:00 and after kids have to do homework...they were shocked! Down here school gets out at 12:00...for all ages. And after people dont really have homework. The whole family comes home for lunch and has a couple of hours together before the parents go back to work. Whole families live together...grandparents..cousins...and everyone gets along! 

You can drop by someones house at midnight and they will immediately invite you in and feed you. I cant think of many people who would be happy with me dropping by their house unannounced at midnight. 

One other kind of weird thing. My companions....who are into their 20s have never had a job! Apparently the parents are expected to pay for EVERYTHING until the children are married. Even if the family is poor...the kids aren't supposed to work or get jobs. Its a huge shame on the family if the kids have to get a job before their marriage. (Even after they pay for a lot too). So my question was..."what on earth did you do your whole life if you got done with school by noon?"....hang out with friends...help my grandma cook...sew...go to dances...

It sounds kind of crazy....but good. What a nice slow way of living.  Nothing's rushed...no one is stressed...everyone just helps each other out and is just...nice and I don't know how to describe it. We can learn a lot from this culture. Not exactly the kids not working part (that is not what I am trying to get at here) but the slowing down thing. People care much more about spending time with their family than spending time working to make money. 

I have gone on enough tangents this week. 

A few more little tidbits....I started teaching piano classes! In the chapel. No one has pianos here or knows how to play. Its kind of hard to teach without books and in spanish but just the chance I have to touch a piano again (even if it isn't real) is priceless!! 

I have been completely attacked by fleas this week. I wake up in blood and find little fleas dead all over my sheets. I spray everything...I wash my sheets all the time. I don't know what to do. I have little bites covering my entire body. It looks like I have the chicken pox or something. At night I can feel them crawling under my clothes and biting me. Its horrible. Pray I can find a solution. p.s....they only eat us americans!! 

Alright....thats good for now. I´ll have a much more organized ermail next week. 

Hermana Orchard

These grandmas were my first lesson here in Chile

Falling Chili Chile

Hola Hola from the not so sunny south!

Yes. Autumn has hit! Last week I even had to bring out my huge snow jacket and scarf. The days are still hot hot hot...but at night the temperatures drop like...70 degrees. But I am happy because..

    Cold nights mean

                More empanadas to keep us warm while walking (and more fat on our bodies to help with the cold too)

              Hot Bolivian soups every night! I am so thankful that my bolivian companion forces me to try her weird (but wonderful) concotions

               People feel bad for us walking in the cold and more easily let us in

                

And one day....it RAINED!!! I love rain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I say that now...they tell me to wait til rainy season and I will be ready to go back home.

    This week was really great. And just to clear up the confusion...next monday is cambios. I still have at least one more week with my companion.

One of my favorite hermanas in the ward called us tuesday and said she had a present for me. We went to her house...and not only had she made my favorite thing ever (sopa pies with manjar)...but she had knit me a beautfiul scarf...and this chilean shirt/sweater thing. Ill send pictures one day. She just KNEW the weather was about to change! And it just made me happy.

We prayed for a miracle with our little family...and got a miracle.
We randomly passed by their house one day,,,and they let us in. And we had a really awesome lesson. And they came to church yesterday! Not only did they come to church...but they got up and bore their testimonies! All three of them...at the same time..together! It was the sweetest thing. I was actually really nervous through it...but they talked about how much the gospel has changed their lives...how Alejandro is going to get baptized next week (that was a surpirse for us!) and cried. And after the whole ward hugged them and gave them all their chilean love. And little Antonia loved nursery. And everything was just great. Bascially they are golden. 

Another exciting thing happened at church. 

Background story.

My companion has this boy. He is kind of like an old boyfriend...who still likes her...and she kind of likes him. Well she is just not sure. Anyways...he lives in Santiago (about 8 hours away). Last week he emailed her saying he had a surprise coming. Naturally we all got really excited..he sends wonderful packages of chocolates and stuff.

So we are sitting there in church...when guess who walks in!

Awkward....incomfortable..shocking moments. haha

Dear companion didnt know what to do. 

Eventually she just shook his hand..said hola...and we left to teach a class. After a very uncomfortable moment. After class he waited for her outside...for a good while. And then left. 

How sad..he came 8 hours only to say hola. 

It was weird.  But kind of funny.

Anyways. We found this awesome man who has two of the cutest little boys ever. One of them is 1 year old and literally never stops laughing and smiling. His wife died 4 months ago. And we taught him..and he seemed golden. Perfect. Great lesson...invited him to baptsim..."I think I´ve already been baptized"...Turns out that he is just another very less active member. That happens too often. We have about 900 people on our rolls for church. And about 70 come each sunday. We dont know where have the people live...if they have died or anything. Its a mess. And that is why our new focus is to reactivate people. Which is good. Its time to clean things up a bit...organize the lists....figure out whats going on...bring people back (who dont even know they are members) all that fun stuff.

Saturday night..we were really far from our apartment and in a really sketchy area. NO ONE has cars here....but there is one menos activo that has a car. And he drove us home! I cant even remember the last time I drove in a car...well it was 6 months ago. It felt SO weird! But it was really fun!

Today we went to a beach again. The elders were in charge. I´m not sure why they are ever in charge of anything. They had us hike up this crazy mountain...and then down this sleep sloop where everyone was falling the whole way. I twisted my knee weirdly. Hopefully nothing happens with that. We did go to this cool private beach with caves and stuff...but honestly after walking all day everyday..I just wanted to sleep. Then we walked back and started a bonfire to cook our lunch. But no one knew how to start a fire---and after two hours we just went to the little stores above and bought cookies. And used a random ladys bathroom. Who happened to love mormons...and missionaries...and AMERICANS! (no one here likes americans). We got about 10 hermanas together and we all sang for her. And the spirit was so strong. And it was just so great. And I realized that I probably have more hymns memorized in spanish than I do in english!

Anyways, thats about it for the week. This internet cafe is really hot and im tired and have sand all over me. I think we are gonna leave early.

Have a great week everyone!

Hermana Orchard

A couple photos from the beach today

Flying through

Alright Alright alight alright alright HEY!!!

This week was wonderful! Wonderful as in there were lots and lots of really hard moments..lots of tears...lots of laughter and tacos with ahi and explorations of the beautiful land of Chile!

Normally I make a list of things that happened during the week that I can write about so I dont just get here and stare at a blank screen. Sadly I forgot this list at home today and am now staring at a blank screen (my mind is pretty blank too). So bear with me

We were given a questionable lunch this week. Pretty much every lunch here is questionable...this one moreso than others however. Anyways, I found some little worms swimming around in my soup. I put the ones I could see secretly in my napkin...but not sure how many I ended up swallowing. I know...disgusting. Who knows how many parasites I have already. We were all sick after for two days. My only hope is that I get the parasite that eats all your fat. I cant remember the name of it. But I would be totally fine with that. After 5 months is Chile I am definitely starting to see the effects of incredible amounts of food every day. We walk probably 5-7 miles of hills and stairs every day. But I am afraid nothing can compensate for the food. Yep. I am totally okay with a parasite. 

Other fun fact. Remember how I use to hate mayonnaise...and huge amounts of oil on everything...and basically all of chilean food? Well. I love it now. Scary huh? Now I crave coke instead of water. And I drench everything in salt and oil. If it is not swimming in oil....it doesnt taste good! AHHHHH What is happening to me???!!! haha My companion has also got me eating the weirdest gautemalan foods. We come home and make super weird soups....and put ahi, lemon and salt on EVERYTHING! And I LOVE IT! My bolivian companion is also spreading some weird eating habits to me too. I wonder what I will look like in another year of this...?

Its fine. Its all worth it. 

After lots of struggles with our ward...we are finally turning some things around! We got a new ward mission leader who is REY BACAN! We are super excited to get him and the ward involved more! I am convinced the ward mission leader is the most important calling in the ward. I hope you guys have a good one! We only get about 1 legit reference a month here. Which is sad after the prophet told us to work solely off of references from the ward. I hope you are giving your missionaries references weekly! Lately we have been sharing with the members the talk (By President Monson) about how it is the members responsibility to supply the missionaries with people to teach. In your ward...if the missionaries dont have good investigators and baptisms....its your fault. At least in America. We dont really have enough members down here in Chile to completely have that frame of mind...but hopefully soon! I just hope you are following the commandments of the prophet and giving the missionaries references ALL THE TIME! 

Enough about that. 

We found some super awesome people to teach this week! We decided to explore some hills and darker places this week....and were surpised with some awesome people! Which was good because....sad news time....the little family who completely stole my heart...shocked us by saying they didnt want anymore of the church. It broke my heart...mainly because they know it is true and they know what they need to do...and they are choosing to not do it! Sometimes I hate agency so much! But we havent given up hope on them....hopefully we can do some discovery this week and help them out. 

Transfers are in a week. Yet again.  I feel like we just had them yesterday. It is seriously so crazy how fast time flies here! My companion is the sassiest funniest person ever. I have already decided to go live with her in Gautemala for a bit. It sounds like the craziest place. Her favorite english phrase to say to me is "ask me if I care". Not sure who taught her that one but she uses it perfectly. 

My bolivian companion as always keeps our house very, very interesting.I have decided I love living with latinas. And I just love latin america. You all know I love America with every speck of my heart....but I feel like Latin America is just..I dont know...more homey? Maybe I can live here forever? I really dont want to leave. And I want my kids to speak spanish (because its a lot more fun than english)..and I want them to know how to dance all the different cha chas...and how to cut up a tomatoe in their hands....and how to love people instantly and completely...and I just dont want to leave! I know I still have a year but thats not enough time! And with how fast time is going right now...its going to come tomorrow! I want to always have empanada panaderias 2 seconds from my house. And kiss complete strangers in the street. And have people be real and honest enough to tell me how much weight I have gained. 

Maybe you can all do me a favor and try and make America a little more loving..so that when I come home its not a complete shock? That would be nice. 

I love Chile. With all of my heart. And I love these people. And I love that fall is coming. And I love being a missionary. So much. So very very much. Every single part of it. I love contacting people in the street and running away from dogs...and suffering every day through huge lunches....and writing in the area book...and all of it. 

And I forgot...what do you do when you go to someones house just to visit? Do you really leave without sharing a scripture? How sad. I dread that day.

Well turns out when I dont write out what to say...it turns into a "I love" list. Sorry bout that,

But I hope you all have a great week! Can you believe its March??!! ahhhhhh!!!! 

Love you all!!!

Hermana Orchard

oh PS! Yesterday a random guy complimented my spanish. I thought it was a set up. Then some other person later asked me what country in latin america I was from. This tells us two things. One...my skin has gotten pretty dark. And two....my spanish is improving!!! IT WAS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!!!

SUN SUN SUN!!

HOLA! 

I don´t have much time at all but this week was great!!

My companion was very patient with me as she taught me the national dance for each country in south america. 

I tried a famous chilean remedy for burnt skin and let a huge black slug slide across my face for awhile.

I discovered that my taste buds are closer to my gautemalan companion than my bolivian companions. We have been having fun feasting on tortillas with lemon, salt and ahi.

I tried a disgusting chilean dish called omittas or something. Its kind of like a tamale as in its wrapped in a corn husk...but its different because it is disgusting. Its pretty much wet corn bread with a vinegar taste. We tried dumping sugar on it to help it down...but eventually just ending up secretly slipping them in our backpacks...one spoonful at a time. Somethings are worth ruining your backpack for. 

Chillancito is still hot hot hot but I am enjoying the summer I have now enjoyed for a year straight!!

After a little emergency transfer we received another gringa in our house so I now have someone to speak a little english too! 

But speaking of english...in case you cant tell...I am forgetting mine a bit. Which is good. I feel like I can FINALLY understand and speak this crazy chilean spanish. And life is SO much more stress-free, enjoyable and just fun! Being able to understand and communicate with people is SUCH a blessing!! 

And I realized I am almost 1/3 of the way done with my mission!! WHAT?! How and when did that happen?! Its scary. And sad. Everyday I just fall more and more in love with all of this. And my heart already hurts that I will eventually have to leave. Time needs to slow down! Weeks pass by in what feels like seconds! ahhh sloooowwwww doooowwwnnnnnn!!!!

Okay, I know this letter was like the lamest thing ever but I keep getting distracted here in the internet cafe. Too many past roommates and missionaries to talk to!

Next week I will be more focused. Promise. 

I am sorry for my spelling. And my lack of grammar. 

Also. I would rather just send this email to my parents and then have it pasted onto my blog for everyone. Much more simple. So starting next week you will need to check my blog to read. If I remember right my blog is....swingingthroughlife.blogspot.com

Okay. Love you all!!!

Hope you all had a great day of AMOR! We made french toast and smothered it in manjar. It was divine.