Different...

Hola!!

Im emailing under very different circumstances today.

Right now I am in the presidents office using his computer. Its actually not even p day anymore but I have been super busy today and didnt get the chance to email earlier. And the president is nice haha

Basically to make a long story short....

Last week my leg started hurting really bad. Its a pain that starts in my lower back and goes almost to my feet...on the back part of my leg. It got so bad that the last 4 days I couldnt walk at all....or hardly sit up in bed. Today we had to take a bus 4 hours to Concepcion and have been at the doctors most of the day. The doctor thinks its something in my spine and I have to get xrays tomorrow. So we are just going to stay here for the night *hopefully in chillancito...that would be beyond amazing* and get those done tomorrow. 

Im not dying or anything...but obviously if I cant walk...I cant work and I cant be a missionary. 

Going home is the last thing in the world I want to do. I cant even begin to explain how devastated that would make me. 

So  all of your prayers would be very much appreciated.

In other news....we had another emergency transfer in our house.

We lived with another hermana who I love dearly. She has had a hard life...basically she made a bad choice about a boyfriend who was really abusive and what not and is still suffering the effects of that. Its sad there are such mean people in the world. But this last week I was able to talk a lot with her and I tried my best to help her. But I can solve everything...and saturday we had a surprise visit from President who told her to pack up...in 15 mins...and she was gone. That was hard. But I know she is getting the help she needs now...I just have to miss her now, She was my favorite little chilean. Probably the funniest person ever. But she promised to come visit California one day so its all good. 

Other than that...I dont have time for much else. Linares is great. My companion is doing great. She is growing up! We have the baptisms of Julia and little Rapheal this saturday! 

Oh...today after the doctor I really wanted to see Hermana De Leon and Tejerina while we were here in conce. They are both going home fairly soon and I knew this could be my last chance. We arent allowed to call each other so I just walked to  the office in faith that they would be there at that time...and they were!! It was so great to see them! Poor hermana Tejerina was crying and we were able to finalize her plans to the states....well kind of haha. It was just a nice tender mercy to see them at such a hard time. They let me know that I would not be going home and if I had to get a wheelchiar they would be willing to push me around in that for my last 10 months haha

Okay. I think I need to turn the computer back over ha

I will plan on calling around 6 sunday...6 my time. If you could get the skype all set up and just email me like you did last time that would be great!!

Love you all!

Hermana Orchard

Andes are falling

I have so many things to write this week but I just need to start with a fact. 

I am so HAPPY! I have never been this happy...and its hard to imagine I could ever be happier! There is nothing better than missionary work. Nothing nothing! It is the best thing in the world! And Chile is the best place in the world. I am convinced of that. It is a fact. Especially here in Linares. This little town huddled up next to the Andes Mountains...always in a cloud of smoke...is home to the humblest, sweetest most giving people. Its heaven here. I never want to leave. 

This whole week was just so amazing! As is every week. Everything is always just getting better and better. Deeper and more wonderful. 

Last monday night we had kind of a scary thing happen. I write it in faith that mom wont get scared. 

We were walking home from our last lesson. We live outside of our sector actually and have to walk about a half hour down long super dark streets with basically no people to get home. As we were walking a car pulled up next to us (always unusual to see cars here). And it was a really nice red jeep. A man inside asked us if we were going home and offered to give us a ride. He was about 30 years old and looked like he was up to no good. Obviously we said no and kept walking. I knew something was off...we always get yelled at and people are constantly taking pictures and following us....but this was different. We started walking fast and crossed the street to go where cars couldnt fit. After awhile we noticed that someone was following us. I freaked out a bit a there was absoulutly no where to go! There were no people on the street and I was just at a loss as to what to do. Something inside told me the man following us wasnt the average drunk...and we started to run. Ahead in the street I saw one single light. We ran inside and discovered it was a little bakery. We felt at least a little safer in there and I quickly called the elders. They ran to us and were there in about 15 mins. Meanwhile I kept buying little pies and cakes to calm myself down. The man passed in front of the store about 5 times...but never came in. It looked like he couldnt even see us inside...even though I felt like we were in a fish bowl. 

The elders arrived and walked us home. The whole thing was pretty scary even though nothing actually happened. Now we take taxis home every night but we wont be able to keep that up for long. 

Anyways, the next day during the day we walked back down the street we ran down and looked all over for the bakery that basically saved our lives. We couldnt find it anywhere. 

My little daughter is growing up so fast! Just last night she was teaching a lesson...in spanish...in her sleep! I think I am working her too hard. But we are having so much fun! And somehow together us gringas are able to communicate with these people. People can understand our spanish..well most of the time haha. I actually get asked all the time if I am chilean. I guess my fattened face and use of the word "po" is enough to claim me as chilean! 

We had so many miracles this week. I cant write them all so I will just pick one. We contacted this lady at the park and she invited us in. She had the cutest little children ever! She gave us glasses of this rice drink and we sang I´m a Child of God for her. To which she cried and cried to. She said she had been abused her whole life and has never felt loved. It led to a wonderful lesson and she committed to baptism immediately. She calls us her little angelitas that are here to "give her light". 

We had to go all the way to concepcion wednesday because my little hija has weird bug bites. Turns out its not actually scabies (yaya! I didnt give my companion a parasite!) but we still had to go 8 hours in bus to the city. We drove right by Chillancito and it took every ounce of control to not jump out of the bus. I felt like I had arrived at home. Even though I prayed a lot...my old companion did not happen to be walking down the street as we passed by. Oh well. I will see her soon I am sure. 

We had a conference in Chillan friday. I was able to see my original mother again and introduce her to her grandchild. I also saw some mtc friends and we talked about how weird it is that we are already 7 months into our missions! How crazy is that? I still feel brand new! 

But I love it all so much. I already am starting to freak out when I realize how short I have left...I never want to go home. This is my home!!

But...Happy Birthday to Dear Elizabeth Billings and Summer Schmoekel..today I believe? They probably dont read my letters..in which case someone call them for me and tell them happy birthday!

Also...Congrats to Truman Florence for his mission Call to Santa Cruz Bolivia!! That is where my old companion and friend is from!! It sounds like the best place ever! With lots of lots of parties! He will have very pretty spanish when he comes back. Good luck with the food there though...

haha But Bolivians are my favorite!! I am so happy for him! If there is any people sweeter than chileans...its probably bolivians! Wow! He is going to have a great mission!! 

Okay...thats all for now.

Have a great week and try and be a little sweeter to your neighbors!

Hermana Orchard

P.S...its fall here right now and so beautiful!! All the leaves are orange and red and we just run through them all day. Also hello to tea parties every night! I think I have a little addiction to tea...never thought that would happen.

I love Fall!!

I gave my companion a parasite...and other confessions

Greetings America!

I greet you all with "mucho mas animo" as we call it. 

This week was wonderful!

But first I need to describe my new home a bit better. I cant remember what I said during the last email.

But anyways

So Linares is a sleeply little town right on the edge of the Andes. The people here are really humble and sweet. Very friendly. I feel safer here and more at home. We live in a cute old yellow house. It is actually one of the biggest houses I have seen in Chile. Its size isnt really a blessing thought because it is absolutly freezing! The first week I was just purple and cold all the time. There is no such thing as heaters here...or walls that keep out cold..or carpet or anything like that. And I was just cold cold cold everywhere that I went. But we bought a little space heater thing...I also bought a caliente cama...a pad that heats up that I put under my sheets (greatest invention ever) and some fluffly chilean stockings. And I´m not as cold anymore. Im ready for winter and to see some snow capped Andes! 

We have been working a lot with the endless inactives that live here. I call them gold mines. We go in...activate the parents (some times the grandparents) and then baptize the children. There is a ton of work to do here in Linares. Its so exciting!! 

I have learned that being a missionary you just do whatever anyone tells you...no matter what.

Last tuesday we got a call from someone...that said something something about someone died..come to the church and meet with president of the branch. Okay...so we skipped on over to the church building and were greeted by about 200 people for a huge funeral. The president asked me to play the piano for the music. I would have liked a bit more time to prepare to play in front of 200 people but whatever. Then he got up and announced that I would also being singing a solo. So I got up and sang a solo to a hymn that I hardly knew. Then he let me know that it was time for my talk...my talk?? What?! So I got up and gave a nice 20 min talk about who knows what..not sure if anyone had any idea what I was saying. Emergency talks in english are fine...but in spanish. Nada que ver!! 

And I did all of that while there was a dead corpse right in front of me. You know how I cant handle dead bodies. It was a miracle I lived through it!

We are teaching a little orphan boy named Erwen. He lives in an orphanage and loves church so much. I started to try and teach him about God but he is having a hard time believing. He says that God loves everyone else in the world except him. That God has forgotten about him and doesnt like him. I have made it my sole purpose here to show him God´s love for him!

We are teaching a lady named Silvana. She has tons and tons of questions of "where does it say that in the bible". Its hard to teach her and I always doubt my bible knowledge...yet somehow I remember where everything is in the bible. And it also encourages me to know my bible a bit better! 

We found a inactive family of 13 people that hadnt come to church in years and years. Sunday they all came. I almost cried. They filled up half the chapel! We also found an  old stake patriarch and his family of returned missionaries that are all inactive of about 10 years. They all came to church yesterday too!! It was an Easter miracle! 

We started teaching this lady who has sever severe depression problems. Her whole house is dark and we just enter and feel darkness. But the moment we start teaching we are filled with light! The house is filled with light. She is filled with light. And I have to realize once again...that we are just carriers of light here!  The gospel is actually LIGHT! And how wonderful it is that we can be FILLED with this light and fill others too!! 

This weekend we had mini missionarys come stay with us. We did divisions with them and I got to walk around with a little 16 year old. At first I was excited but she was a little on the annoying side and I was about ready to throw her in (not in front haha) of a bus! But then we contacted this one house....and a possesed lady answered. I wont go into details but it was not a pleasant experience. My poor little mini missionary was in complete tears after. I didnt think she would want to finish her mission....but after a long talk about the power of God versus the power of satan...she was ready to go and spread some light! And she behaved much better. Three days later she was almost a completely different person. It was a miracle! 

One morning I took all the mini missionaries and my daughter to the plaza. I gave them each a book of mormon and some pamplets and had them go to town contacting. They were so scared. But I told them if I could do it in spanish...they could do it too! Talking to people and sharing the gospel is infectious! It was a fun activity! One you should all go do every weekend! 

Other things that happened...

oh we got in a taxi crash!

The branch president came into relief society and told everyone if they didnt feed the missionaries lunch he was going to take away their temple reccommend (we have been having problems with the members wanting to feed us)

People tell me all the time that I look and sound chilean. People immediately assume that I am chilean and think my companion is from Germany. 

We drink endless tea here 

We walk hours and hours every day. This sector is HUGE!

We have lots of funny stories about misunderstanding the language. Two new gringas together gaurentees that.

I love it here and more than ever love being a missionary!!

I love training too. Its super fun!

Oh I forgot to mention...I might have given my companion scabies. She has lots of bites on her. We are going into the city wednesday to find out what it is. I think its just fleas. Ojala!! She will hate me if I gave her scabies! (That thing is the worse!) I took another dose of that strong medicine last night just to make sure they are all dead.

Much more to say but I have some emails to catch up on! 

Love you all!! Have a great week!!

Hermana Orchard

Transfers, training and tears

Oh my.

I dont know where to start. This week has for sure been the toughest yet. 

But first...Emily did WHAT??? 

I mean I guess its not that surprising..but a helicopter too??? I dont know if I want to laugh or cry at that....

Last monday was normal. Except the whole day I had the strongest impressions that I needed to buy warmer clothes...and print pictures...and write my converts and roommates letters. But I ignored all of the thoughts because I knew I had two more weeks to do all of that. But I just couldnt shake a feeling of...not sure..sentiment..or something all day.

Tuesday we went to zone class like normal. 

Right before the opening prayer we got a phone call from president. We ran out of the room to answer it. 

Hermana De Leon answered. She looked really scared...and then kept grabbing my hand and looked like she was crying. I was sure someone in her family had died. I was preparing mysef for that when she got off the phone. Then with big tears she shocked me and said "we have a emergency transfer...you are leaving"

I felt like someone had just slapped my face and thrown me off a building. And immediately I was crying. And dear Hermana De Leon was crying. And we were sobbing and hugging and sobbing and hysterical. We both knew we were going to be seperated in two weeks...but two weeks and one day is very different! All I knew at this point is that I was going to a place called Linares and I was going to be senior companion. 

We walked back into zone class looking like we had just got back from a funeral. We suffered through the class...quietly crying as all the elders stared weirdly. Then I had to get up at the end and announce what had happened and say bye. I couldnt look at Hermana Tejerinas face at all. I just cried. And looked at all these missionaries who have become my family...and cried and cried and cried. 

Then we went to lunch where I had to tell my favorite member family that I was leaving and I cried and cried and cried.

Then we all packed up my stuff the whole day while I cried and cried and cried. I only had two hours to say good bye to everyone...so I could only pick my favorite 4 families. Which was good because I am sure you can guess what I did the whole time....yes I just cried and cried and cried.

At night we tried to have a last little party in our apartment..we bought completos and french fries but I felt too sick and sad to eat. We had a little speech time and my heart broke as I watched my companions cry. And we all just badically cried for the whole time. No one slept at all

Thats pretty much all I need to say. There were lots of tears. I´ll come back to this part later. 

We went to the bus station super early the next morning. We had last goodbye hugs and I bordered the bus. Sure that my heart had broken for good. Knowing that since I was going to a place so far away...and my companions have such a short time left on their missions and live in such obscure countries....the chances of us seeing each other again on this earth are very slim. And that is the saddest thought ever!!!

I had a 5 hour bus ride as I was taken out far far away. Basically to the middle of nowhere. A little town called Linares. Right on the edge of the Andes. It feels almost like another world here.

My new companions picked me up at the train station. And we walked with all my stuff to a little old yellow house. 

Have I mentioned yet who my copçmpanion is? A gringa...american. And I am training her! She is brand new. And cant speak spanish. 

I think the president is crazy. Having me train already. I barely just finished my training. My daughter looked a little scared when she realized her madre had almost the same time in the mission as she had! 

I was very scared at first to train. To not have a translator with me all the time. Every morning for two hours she just looks at me with wide eyes and expects me to train or teach her or something. And somehow...I realize that I actually have a lot to say. 

We have had some lessons where people say they cant understand either of us. And where I really cant understand them either. But overall it hasnt been a total train wreck. 

I think the hardest part is that I feel like I need to be perfect. I need to be the perfect example and teach her perfectly or I am failing and will ruin her mission. But I know thats not really how it is. I just need to work on being patient and forgiving with myself right now. 

Also being patient with my daughter.

Because it requires a lot of patience. I dont think any experience has been quite so frusterating in my life. I dont really know how to explain it. Maybe my thoughts will be clearer next week.

But trying to figure out where everything is...who we need to teach..what to teach...and trying to do everyone by myself is hard. Im not really enjoying it too much. But i know it will get better. 

So I am in a branch here. And the members really dont like us missionaries very much. But the people in general and very nice. They are much more receptive than in Chillancito and I have lots of hope for this place. 

We found a beautfiul family with three cute little boys to teach this week. We taught them the plan of salvation and I think it was the first time I really understood it. 

I have always had a hard time with goodbyes. Especially this week having to say goodbye to my companions who have meant so much to me and who have changed me so much. I was trying to get hermana Tejerina to promise to visit me in the states last min before I left. The thought of not being able to see her again was just too much. And she said something very enlightening..."hermana...how many more years are you going to live?

"probably like 70 at the most right?...yes...well than this is just goodbye for 70 years. Because after that we will both be dead and can be next door neighbors in heaven...forever...and we will never have to say goodbye again."

Goodbyes are really hard. Every time we moved houses and had to leave everyone behind it was hard. When I left for college that was hard. Leaving everyone to come on my mission was hard. But here...the goodbyes just seem more permanent. Because they are. But then I remembered what I am here for. To teach people....that because Christ died for us...we can be with our families and our friends and all the people we love...for eternity. And we will never have to say good bye again. Everything here is just temporary and is just a teeny tiny moment in the eternities. We have forever with all these people that we love so much. 

And we have them forever because we have a Savior who lived and died for us. And how wonderful is that! And how grateful I am for Him! And how happy I will be when I can walk into heaven and again see convert Maria who always held my hand so tightly during church..who was so scared to get baptized because she didnt feel perfect...who always prays for me and my health. And Carolina...who taught me how to make lemon pie and always gave me gloves to wear because I always forgot mine. And Willfredo...who was the entertainment of my life. And Hector...who spoke english in the funniest way and made so many long days delightfully fun..and gave me chocolate manjar eggs when he knew I was leaving. And Hermana Gonzalez..who opened her heart and home so instantly and made me feel like I had a family here in Chile. And my sweet hermana De Leon...who scared me so much at first but has alwasy been the perfect example of obedience, humility and diligence. Who sang in english just to make me laugh...who would rap as I jumped along the street..who took care of me every time I was sick...who shared her boyfriends love letters with me so I could practice reading spanish....who made me tortillas and ahi and who was always extremely patient. And Hermana Tejerina...who taught me how to really love people. Who inspired me to be the best missionary possible and to love my scriptures. And who made weird soups for me that I now am weirdly addicted to. Who stayed up with me when I was sad or stressed and always told me the truth about my face growing larger. 

Yes...it will be a good day. There really arent any endings in eternity...just bright beginnings! 

And I am excited to be here...to meet new people who I know I will love.  And to have the opportunity to progress through training. 

Dont take our plan of Salvation for granted! It is the greatest blessing we could ever have...and one I dont think we will ever comprehend. 

Hermana Orchard

Tsunamis, parasites and LU!

Oh my stars!

This week has been an adventure!

I´m not sure where to start...so I will start with what went down Tuesday night. 

We were all sitting in the church building (well us four missionaries and our ward mission leader) and we were having correlacion. We were talking about our investigators and what not when someone ran into the room screaming about a tsunami...earthquake...8.2..bla bla bla.

Well it wasnt really bla bla bla....I heard the word tsunami and suddenly my lifetime of nightmares ran into my head and I was in total panic mode. 

All I was able to translate into my head (which was filled with images from Day after tomorrow and basically no logic or anything else) was thatv we had to go back to our house...Right away! 

We ran. I screamed the whole way. Acting like a missionary was not exactly in my head during these moments. It was a long 10 min run in which we learned from random passerbys that there had been a huge earthqauke somewhere in chile...and we had huge tsunamis and possible earthqaukes heading towards us...they were planned to hit at 11:00. So we had 30 mins to bunker down in our apt. 

I knew we were far enough away from the ocean that the chances of the tsunami hitting us were small....but we changed into our pjs quickly and sat between our beds covered in pillows....anxiously waiting for the first set of temblors. And we waited. And waited. 

Got some chocolate out. Waited some more. 

The hardest part was just having no idea what was going on. We couldnt look on the internet or the news...or radio..nothing!

Finally we fell asleep and if there was an earthquake during the night it wasnt strong enough to wake me up. 

My poor hermanas that live on the beach had to evacuate their house in the middle of the night in the cold and climb up a hill. haha hmmm

Other exciting things that happened this week....oh yes. I found out I have little bugs living under my skin eating me from the inside. 

Yes. I have received (or at least discovered..who knows how many I have) my first parasite. You know all that talking I have been doing about my endless bug bites...well.

For the last month it has gotten so much worse. I will wake up covered in blood in my bed. And then I will have itching attacks randomly. Where my body feels like it is literally on fire and I am almost in tears because my body just itches so much! I used to have these in the night and would scracth so much in my sleep that I would wake up with huge bruises. So we started tying my hands together in my sleep so I wouldnt be able to itch. Just like they do to babies! 

I wont go into all the details...like how during the day I can feel little something crawling around on my skin...yet I would get so confused because I saw that there was nothing there. But then there would be huge bite marks....ohh so horrible

Anyways...went to the doctor finally about it and came to find out that I have scabies. I didnt know what that was but it sounded really awful. Who knows where I got it from. I kiss every person in my path and sit in some terribly dirty places. In case you dont know..scabies is a parasite of little bugs that burrow under your skin and live there...and bite you. And lay eggs under your skin until you have about a whole village of little bugs...living under your skin. I know, I know. I will stop. It is disgusting and there is probably nothing worse in the world. 

Its also super contagious so the doctor had to come to our house and give us all a strong medicine to take. All the bugs inside me are supposedly dead. But I need to take the meds again in two weeks to kill the eggs they have left. 

Am I giving too much detail?

Its okay if no one ever wants to touch me again. 

But Im just very grateful I dont have to wake up in blood anymore or feel little things running all over me todo el rato. 

Anyways! 

Conference was wonderful, wasnt it? I chose to watch it all in spanish. It just made me appreciate all the english hymns so much more! I could not get over how white everyone looked! Wow everyone looked so pale! I was looking at the choir and was just amazed at the whiteness of skin! 

I could talk about each talk...but will refrain. I know you all were righteous and watched it too. 

Today we visited the University of Concepcion. It is supposedly one of the most beautiful campuses in the world....and I would have to agree. It was breathtaking. It was also super clean and I had a hard time realizing that I was still in Chile. 

I went on a cooking spree this week and smoethered my companions with pancakes pretty much every morning. 

Last week I read an awesome talk by Monson called something about seeing the potential or importance in others. Its oct 2012 if you wantr to look it up. But it talks about our responsibility to have the ability to see others as they could be. Everyone has so much potential. We cant even begin to imagine the potential we have...and the potential everyone has. I mean...each person here has the potential to create worlds! Just think of what people could become if we gave them the opportunity. If we had a little bit more faith in people...and give them a little bit more of a chance. We all know that if you want someone to be nice and honest and good..you have to believe they are that way..and treat them as if they were already that way. Sometimes that is very hard to do...but this week I really tried to do that. To really see others as God sees them...and see their potential. And I think its changing my mission..and my life. 

Its getting me to go talk to the people who normally only whistle at us and swear..and getting me to go to areas that before I was pretty afraid of. And the results have been interesting...if nothing short of miraculous. 

I think if I could learn one thing from my mission...and life..it would be the ability to see others as Christ sees them. And that includes myself too. If we all believed in our OWN potential a bit more..just think of what we could accomplish!

We were not meant to just be weak humans here. We have great things to accomplish! 

I also thought this week...

Did I give up my life for 18 months to come here and just do small things....or to do GREAT things? 

I need to remember that more often. And we all do. 

Lets use our "4 mins" more wisely!

Love you all! 

Have a great week! 

Is it Easter this week? I dont even know

Hermana Orchard

We found a chinese restaurant last week...it just tasted like chilean food though haha but it was fun

Pancakes I made

Everywhere you go are just random piles of trash

Willfredo...my favorite man in the world

Welcome to Antarctica!!

Last week I was in this same internet cafe...sweating and almost dying from heat. Today I am wearing my snow boots, giant snow coat..about three different shirts...tights, leggings, five socks and a hat...and I´m still cold! WHAT HAPPENED?! I guess there is no such thing as seasons here. Only burning hot summer and arctic winter. They say all the missionaries gain about 30 pounds (no joke) in the winter. And I am okay with that...anything to stay warm!! More about that later.

This week was wonderful! I think I am finally starting to figure out how to do this thing RIGHT! There is always more to learn and improve of course...but we are making progress! 

Tuesday was my 6 month cumplemes! I woke up to beautfiul signs from all my lovely companions and lots of hugs and my favorite....speeches!! jajajaja My companion also tried making french toast for me. She did a pretty good job. I think she could pass as an american pretty soon! But it was a lovely day that ended with a meltdown over the thought of only having a year left in chile. Only one year left to be  amissionary! Thatis the most devastating thought I have ever thought! I started thinking....I have to return home. And suddenly...thats really scary. I mean there is school...are there really other things to study other than the scriptures and spanish? Dates...that sounds like just about the most awkward thing ever. Being alone with a boy is so not allowed!! Lock your heart!!! And days without kissing everyone...days without talking to everyone on the street...days without sharing the gospel every moment...days without a constant companion...days without spanish...days without bread and manjar...days without the andes surrounding...days without structure and organization...it´s just too much to think about!! I´m getting anxiety. I need to stop. Luckily I have a whole year to get used to the awful reality of leaving this heaven here. 

Moving on...

Congrats to MikaTika on the engagement! Not sure who the boy is but hopefully he is worthy of her! 

Also I dont think any picture has made me happier than seeing that sweet Jenny Sawyer and Jacob know each other por fin! Dream come true!! ;)

Thursday I had a mini cambio and went to Collou. It is a beautiful little town right on the edge of the mountains.It is absolutly gorgeous! Sorry I didnt have my camara with me.

So there are these abuelitos we are teaching. I dont know if I have mentioned them before. But they are three siblings...two sisters and a brother.They are all above the age of 80 and live together in a little house. They are the funniest three things I ever did meet!! The brothers name is Willfredo..and I will not lie. I have never loved anyone more! He is absolutly hilarious!! He also doesnt have any teeth. One night I offered him an apple I was eating...and he took it and started eating it. Watching him eat an apple without teeth was very fascinating. How he did it I do not know.

Friday we had the convert Hector acompany us the whole day.He is another one of the funniest people ever! He has a pretty good english vocabulary and was entertaining me the whole day. He also looked at my arm and let me know that something was very wrong. Between my dog rampage and flea bites it didn't look so great. He deemed it bad enough to go to the urgent care or something. So we walked over to a hospital.And sweet Chile...they treated me for free even though I´m not even a citizen! Anyways...they gave me some medicine for my flea bites because I have an allergy to them or something. I took the medicine the next morning and fell asleep exercising...fell asleep in the shower...fell asleep eating breakfast...fell asleep studying...and when we left I just slept through all the lessons. Finally my companion decided that having me as a zombie in lessons wasn't the best idea so she took me to a members house and I slept off whatever drug the hospital gave me. While I was sleeping the other hermanas showed up because we pretty much had a typhoon or something like that.

I have never experienced rain like we have here! It is insane! It shakes the street and houses. It sounds like bullets shooting down from the sky. This day also happened to be extremely windy and freezing and we all waited in this members house for the strom to pass. Well it wasnt just any member...it was the family gonzalez. Basically my second family here on this earth. While we were there Hermana Gonzalez decided that our rain gear was not good enough (I was sopping wet in about 2 seconds) and she made us all rain skirts and jackets! Just when we were about to leave...there was some shooting on the streets or something and we remembered that this day was a day to celebrate some mass murder or something. And was extremely dangerous. So we werent allowed to leave the house. Between the rain and being able to stay with my favorite family all day...it was basically heaven! I taught hermana Gonalez how to make cupcakes and brownies and we had hot chocolate and sopa pies and rice pudding....it was wonderful! We stayed until night and we could catch a taxi to deliver us to apartment. Yay for days when the streets are too dangerous to walk in!! I decided that this saturday for general conference we are going to make cinnamon rolls. I have no idea where I am going to find all the stuff to make them...but I am going to try!

Hermana Tejerina has some crazy life stories.I will share some of them. She is from Bolivia, yeah? And is only 23 years old. But she has already been primary president for 6 years! She had some awesome ideas about primary so I will share some of them. In her primary they had lots of problems with the kids (6 and 7 years old!!) leaving church and going to the sreets and buying hamburgers and stuff. The kids would say they were going to the bathroom and then sneak out. So she started walking with the kids to the bathroom when they said they had to go. She would tell them ¨Lots of kids have been lying and saying they need to go to the bathroom when they really dont need to...so I am going to stand outside this door and you are not to come out until I hear that you go "pee pee". That seemed to solve the problem. Maybe you could try that with the young woman or something jajaja.

When she received her mission call she got the whole primary really excited about missionary work. She had mini MTC days with the kids.They would all come in in the morning and study together...then they would havea lesson and practice teaching lessons and doing contacts...then she gave them all pamphlets and book of mormons and sent them out for 7 hours to proselyte! These are kids from the ages 5 to 12...

They would go and talk to people in stores and hand out book of mormons. Then they would all meet back at the church and talk about who they taught...who they thought was interested...who could progress etc.

I dont know if I would sent 5 year olds out alone to talk to strangers....but it sounds like such a great idea!

She also would go to each of their houses each week and have interviews...talking to them about how they were with their prayers, scriputres..what service they had done that week...what missionary stuff they had done. What a great primary president! I told her she must come home with me and help us out!

Okay...no time left. Thanks for all the letters and love! This week pray for Alejandro. We are hoping we can get him baptized this saturday. But we are going to need a milagro to do it!!

Oh and how wonderful that general conference is this weekend!! I am super excited to watch it in spanish!!! Actually I think Im really going to miss the voices of Elder Scott and Monson...but I am still excited!

Have a great week of preperation to listen to the voice of the prophet! Do we realize what a amazing opportunity this is!? Dont take it for granted! Make conference..all 4 sessions your FIRST priority this weekend!

Love you all!!

Hermana Orchard

All Dogs go to Chile

Can you believe next week is April??!! 

How crazy is that! Want to hear something even crazier?

Tomorrow I complete 6 months in the mission....1/3 of my mission is done!

I only have a year left!!

See you in 365 days!

ha

This week I completed many different life goals. 

The first is I learned how to make Chilean Lemon pie! Its pretty much the best thing ever so learning to make it was essential. Mom said my last letter was only about food so I am going to try and not talk about it much in this letter...which is hard because I am hungry..

But anyways...Carolina (basically my best little 18 year old friend here....3rd companion....star member ward missionary) taught me! We had a lovely time making it. Then it was time to go home for the night so me and Hermana De Leon started walking home....with the pie in my arms. We were normally walking along...singing...saying hola to every creature....when a pack of dogs ran by. About three different ones came and crashed into me with such force that I completely fell down...and the pie went up up up and down down down on the ground. Rey triste. 

At first my companion was only worried about our smashed pie...and then she saw my arm. 

I had happened to fall on glass (as there is glass and trash in every inch of the streets here) and scraped up my arm and hand pretty bad. We ran home and spent the next hour trying to dig out the glass and stop the blood. My arm survived. But sadly the pie did not. Just another experience that makes me wish there were pounds here. Really...WHERE ARE THE POUNDS??

Other life goal completed

Our relief society has been having knitting parties every saturday. We take our older investigators to them and its great. Except I cant knit. I have tried thousands of times....well okay maybe only like four or five times in my life....

But it just hasnt been something I have been able to do. 

Luckily I live with the amazing and incredibly patient Hermana Tejerina....who spent 6 hours with me as I cried..threw fits...threw needles...and just COULD NOT learn how to tie those tiny knots. 

But miracle of all miracles....last night I finally figured it out. Hermana Tejerina cried tears of joy that she did not have to resist the urge to suffercate me anymore. 

I plan to make everybody scarfs! But first me....because its really cold here now!

Oh Hermana Tejerina...such patience. Anyone who can be patient enough with me to teach me both spanish AND how to knit! What a rockstar.

Last Monday we had an activity for the hermanas at the house of the president. I love going to his house. It has carpet!!! And you dont have to wear your shoes inside! Or a sweatshirt or kill bugs every five mins! Its basically heaven!! We ate french toast which was great...but they had WHIPPED CREAM!! Oh such tears of happiness.

To try and get people to our English class, we have turned it into an English/American foods class. Last week we made brownies. Brownies are kind of a magical thing here. Everyone knows what they are...but no one knows how to make them or really what they are. People were fascinated. It was pretty funny. They didnt turn out too great but you would have thought that I set pure gold on the table.

Saturday I needed to stay at a ward activity to our convert Maria...but we had some appts far away so my companion took a member and went and did that. I walked Maria back to her house and waited for my companion there. She took a really long time coming to get me so I got to hang out with Maria for awhile. Her daughter is a profesional chef of pastries or something. She came out and said "What American food have you been missing lately?". I have thought about that a lot and without hesitation said "pancakes". Not only did she make me wonderful pancakes with manjar and dulce de leche....but also amazing fried fish....and hot chocolate and basically I was in heaven.

Opps. I have already spent half this letter talking about food.

Okay. We have been setting really high goals for contacts lately. This last week we were returning back to our house at night but still had about 15 more contacts to reach our goal. We passed a soccer game and counted the players on the field. 15. Perfect. We thought maybe if we just kind of stood on the side of the field they would stop the game and we could contact them all at once. But they didnt. We didnt have much time so I basically just ran out into the field yelling in english and they all stopped and looked pretty surprised. We were able to give them all a nice little presentation and invite them all to church. A few of them seemed interested. A few threatened us and told us to get off the field. We`ll see what happens. It was pretty funny. My poor companion...I don't think she ever knows what to do with me.

That is super cool about your missionary experience yesterday! It is amazing how some people are just so ready and prepared! Members are so important to have in lessons. We have been teaching this one lady for probably three months now. She has made progress in different areas but just never commits to baptism. We had pretty much given up on her when we passed by her house with a recent convert. We had him share his baptism experience and this lady who is always so hard...and who we just have not been able to connect with cried. And committed to baptism!! Oh the members are so important!!

Our little family has been struggling but I think they are finally back on track. They have a little daughter who is 2 years old and pretty much the most darling thing on this earth.  She will run up to me and yell "asha"...the closest thing she can say to orchard. It melts my heart. Oh please pray for them!

Chile is the best! I never want to leave. I can't imagine the experiences and love I would have missed if I had decided to not serve a mission. There is nothing better. I am convinced of that with 200% of my corazon.

Have a great week!!

Hermana Orchard