ARISE ARISE ARISE!!

Hola!!!! 

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

Love Love Love

Hola again!! 

I have a lot to write this week so perdon me if this is choppy.

Monday was a glorious day. Sunday night we spent in the hospital with Chelly because she had severe stomach pain. But the little rockstar still wanted to come with us to the city monday. We went to the University of Concepcion. They say its the prettiest campus in all of north america. And it is gorgeous! We planned to explore all of it but ended up putting a blanket in the grass and just sleeping. It was lovely. 

Tuesday we had a mini cambio. I went to Hualpen with hermana Lopez. She is my second favorite argentinan. One of those hermanas that I am going to return and visit every year! She yelled at me for a bit about not resting with my hernia. We talked about my dilemma. I cant get better if I dont rest. If I dont get better I cant finish my mission. I cant force myself to rest...I just cant! I know I need to rest...but my desire to go out and teach overpowers everything else. That night my leg started hurting a lot. Like a lot a lot. Even breathing hurt. And I thought of the pain I have had now for 6 months...and I realized that 6 more months is a long time. I have been so stubborn about that I am not going home..I´ve never let the thought enter my head. But suddenly the words of the mission hymn entered my head..

I´ll go where you want me to go..I´ll be what you want me to be. 

I accepted that phrase so fully when I got my mission call.. God called me to come to Chile. I accepted that with all of my heart. I put all my confidence and faith in Him and came to this place so different and far from home. I came where He wanted me to come and did what He wanted me to do. And if He wanted me to go home...to start a different mission in another place..shouldnt I be just as willing and enthusiastic about that? 

So I decided..obviously God is pointing in a different direction than I am looking...I need to go home. And I cried the whole night. And the next morning we went to Presidents house and I sat in his office and I cried and said I needed to go home. 

"Do you want to go home hermana?¨" No. "Do you want to be healed?" Yes. I cant count the number of blessings and fastings and prayers I have had...but here I am..still sick. "Do you have faith that He can heal you?" Well I did..now I dont know if He wants to. He then said that God still has work for me here. And he gave me blessing and said that I would be healed and finish my mission.

And after that I felt much better in every way possible. And everything will be okay.

Once I got back home to Hualqui I learned that Chelly had gone in ambulance to the hospital during the night. So we went and visited her in her house. I have never set foot in her house before...we are not allowed even in the yard. So miracle number one is that we were able to enter her house. I was shocked when I saw her. The poor thing was thrashing around on her bed and couldnt even talk from the pain she was in. She just silently cried. I couldnt even look at her..it was awful. We stayed with her and I tried to feed her creamed rice. After a few hours she reached a level of pain that I was scared she was going to die. So I got her mom to take us to the hospital. We went with her parents and her sister....none of who I have talked to before. But we all bonded in the emergency room. We even took her sister with us and she contacted with us! It was a night of miracles. I dont know if I have mentioned just how much her family does not like the church. 

Friday while walking home and I banged the top of my head with an iron rod. I kind of passed out for a min and my comp got a car to take us home. I was super dizzy and called the doctor. I had a little concussion and my comp and to wake me up every hour of the night so see if I was alive. Poor thing! I´m totally fine though now. Still have a large bump on my head. Obviously I am super accident prone.

Saturday morning President and Hermana Arrington dropped off cinnamon rolls at our house and your package. I hadnt had cinammon rolls in  a year so I was happy! 

Sunday we were supposed to have the baptism of X. He had three interviews and was super ready. He had left his drugs and drinking and everything for three weeks. And saturday night he went to a party and when we went to pick him up for his baptism...he was drunk. We already had the font filled up and had to empty it during the conference. It was really sad. He has come so far and was so disapointed in himself. It broke my heart. But we are going to get him some better medical help and keep on helping him. But it was a sad day. 

At night the other hermanas in our house made us brownies and we all cried that cambios was the next day. But mire!! Its monday and we are all staying here in Haulqui for 6 more weeks!!!! I could not be happier!!! 

I have so much more I want to say but will save it for next week!

I am just grateful that Chelly is better and okay! and that I get to stay here in Hualqui!!

Love you all!!

Hermana Orchard

This is our 1 year anniversary.  Our ward mission leader brought us donuts.  It was the one year mark for me, Hermana Razeria and Elder Moore.

This is us with Chelly when she opened her mission call.

In front of the stake center

Last night eating brownies before cambios

SUMMER!!!

Hola SUMMER!!! It has been a long winter but the SUN is OUT! 

What a week! I will just brush over a few things.

First, please do not feel the need to call my president again. I am fine and my leg is a lot better! I fully intend to finish my mission...and will come home in March...or come home in a box..dead.

haha no I wont be so dramatic. But really I feel a lot better. I was able to walk this week without limping...something that I havent been able to do in months. 

Bullet points this week..

My little Chelly got her mission call!! It came in the mail earlier in the week but her parents hid it for a week...then softened their hearts a bit and gave it to her. They wanted nothing to do with it though...so us four missionaries opened it with her saturday morning. I just cried the whole time. It is so amazing to see the strength of this girl. She pretty much is kicked out of her house now and has no way to pay for any of her mission supplies. But even like that...she is sitting here beside me again. Anyways, I prayed a lot that God wouldnt just send my Chelly to any old place..because she is the best and needs to go to the best place! I was really worried about...but God knows all of us so perfectly. And she is going to Guatemala! Which is a super dangerous place but perfect for little chelly...she can beat up anyone!  Even though it breaks my heart to see all the challenges she has to pass through to go on a mission...and just to live in general. I am so happy she can go on a mission...it is the best thing she could possibly do. Did I mention that she got baptized just a year ago! She is amazing. And we are adopting her into our family. Literally. We are having her sealed to us. 

Manuel has his baptism between conference sessions this week! He has tried to drop his heavy drugs for years...gone to countless rehabs and everything. And with the gospel...he was able to drop them all immediately! The gospel is wonderful and perfect! I love it!

Thats all I have for this week!

But I would like to let you all know that I fully plan on living in Chile the rest of my life. Maybe I will come home for a month or two...but my real home is here. And I will come back. And my children (all 12 of them) will dance to reggaeton in the streets and eat empanadas everyday. 

Love you all!! Sincere thanks for all the fasting and prayers!

Hermana Orchard

18 dresses

Whoooooo!!!!!!

Monday again!!

What a week!!

A week a have waited for ALL of my mission! All I heard was meat meat meat and....well my wish was completed!

Did you know its a law that you have to have a chilean flag in your yard for the whole week of September 18? If you dont you get charged $200!! So we got a flag...went out to the woods to find a large branch to stick it to and looked like  we lived in an abandoned ship. 

The party lasted all week (month) long. Thursday morning we went to the church building and sang outside and sang the national anthem, raised the flag and watched everyone break into dancing. The national dance her is called the cueca and I´m pretty sure they teach it to kids here the day they are born. 

Then we went and had the biggest lunch of my life. It started with huge suasages wrapped in huge bulks of french bread and then slathered in tomatoes and mayonnaise. Its different than a completo...I´ll explain how later. Then we ate two amazing deep fried empanadas (literally each empanada was the size of my face). That was followed by about half of a grilled chicken, potatoes, soup. And then for dessert..mote con huesillo...a peach that is dried...then put in water to expand..then put in a super sugary peach juice with cinammon and who knows what else...and then added a oatmeal, wheat type thing. We ate it about 10 times everyday this week. 

I literally couldnt walk after. We all thought we were going to throw up and we had to lay down in the street for a bit. It didnt look unusual though. Everyone was sleeping in the streets this week (you had to watch where you stepped so you didnt walk on top of people...lots of drunks). The eating didnt stop there though! Everywhere we went we got more meat, empanadas and sweet breads stuffed on us. I think I literally gained 15 pounds in one week! Who knew that was even possible?? I did spend most of the night hours throwing up though...eww...

Friday we had another large lunch...the lunch of my dreams for my entire life! I was able to truly see how much meat I had the ability to eat. So we had a BBQ and unlike lame BBQs in the US where the main dish is salad (we dont understand food)..we ate MEAT and nothing else!! Literally...on my plate they put 12 pig ribs (so delicious!) about half a cows worth of steak, a whole chicken, half a bunny rabbit, and other meats that I was too afraid to ask about. I felt like an animal eating so much meat but I do admit I thoughouly enjoyed it! I will never be satisfied with the meat porcions we have in the US. 

In the night we had the best ward party ever!! It lasted a total of 12 hours! Started at 2 in the afternoon and went til 2 in the morning. We ate a wonderful dinner of..you guessed it...meat! Then they started the dancing. Everyone danced the cueca..including little 2 year olds. There is nothing cuter than little 2 year old girls in their fluffy 18 dresses dancing around! Then they started the cumbia and it made me sad that we dont know how to dance in the US. All our parties could be so much more fun if we actually danced and ate better food (like lots of meat!!)

I know this was the lamest email ever because I only talked about food and how Chile is better than America...but thats all I have time for today. 

Love you all! Thank you for all the prayers and everything! My leg is feeling a lot better!

Hermana Orchard

Falling

Hola!! 

Welcome to the craziest week yet of my mission!!

It hasnt been the best...but I will start with today. 

Well last night. We were all laying in our beds talking when Hna Raziera (from Brazil...she is teaching me portuguese!) said she felt itchy.  I asked for how long she had been itching and she said two weeks. I demanded to see her stomach and turned on the light. I wasnt surprised to see a bunch of little red dots...but with whitness under and (since I am a total bug bite expert now)...I had to give her the sad news....that SARNA has hit us once again. That would be scabies. For my THIRD TIME!!! whooooooo!!!!

So this morning when we all got up and my two favorite people in the world (Solange and Aracely) came over...we teased them by kissing their faces and then screaming that they had sarna. We all ran around for a bit. It was funny. Everyone we know probably already has it. Anyways,,,,

We walked out to a country part of our sector near the river. It is the beginning of spring here and I am convinced that there is not a more beautiful place in the world. There are flowers springing up of every color imaginable. We walked out along a train track for awhile until we came to the edge of the river. It was beautiful. I stood there and cried at the beauty for awhile and then we set out some blankets and all our food (pure manjar, chocolate, flan and cookies) and ate and sang for awhile. We ended up staying for about 6 hours. We took a nap in the beautiful sun....got almost ran over by wild horses and cows and caught a ride back in the back of a truck. It was lovely. Then we came back to the house and made mini pizzas and ice cream. 

Okay....on to the not so lovely parts of the week. 

My leg has been killing me lately...wel for about 6 months to be exact. Some days I can walk pretty well without limping...and other days I could walk faster crawling...I know that it doesnt really matter how much it hurts..I just have to work. So that is what I have done. But it has progressively gotten worse. And worse and worse. Until last week I started falling down...all the strength I have in my leg (which isnt too much) would just give out. So my dear Aracely helped me by almost carrying me around. But I went in to see the doctor again. He took a look at me..saw I couldnt walk...took a look at my back and said it was all lopsided. Like all my back was in the right side of my body. Basically I have a hernia. And its rather large and between my last vertebrae and my sacrum. Not sure why it took so long to figure that out..but here we are. The doctor was absolutly amazed that I am able to walk 10 miles a day with it...(let alone to the bathroom). I asked him what to do...he didnt hesitate for a moment and said "you need to go home and not get out of your bed for 6 months". Well obviously that is not an option. And I told him that....and after some fighting and him saying nonsense like "if you dont rest now you will ruin your back and leg forever". We came to an agreement. I would rest for a week and do some more hardcore physical therapy. And then the mission doctor came and started talking nonsense about going home. And I just started to cry. I have never let those thoughts enter my head. And I told her that..I´m not going home! I have walked in pain for 6 months...I can walk in pain for 6 more months. I´ll deal with the damage when I get back. 

Sadly the mission doctor said that wasnt up to me...and she would talk to president. It was pretty much the most miserable moment in my life. We left the doctors and tried to catch a bus home...but it was raining and 10 at night and in the big city and I was lost. Then I got a call from Aracely saying that she was in Conce..and if we were still there. All I really wanted to do was talk to my parents,,,but since that wasnt an option Chelly was a close second.  She ran to us and helped us find a bus. And we went home. And I said I was not answering the phone if president called. I went to sleep miserable. 

The next morning we worked everything out. I would stay in and rest as much as I could for a week...and we would walk as little as possible. And thats what we did. And even though my little baby only has three weeks in the mission..I sent her out with Solange to do visits (because Solange is amazing and like the best missionary ever..and its only been three months since her baptism!) And it all worked out okay. And I let president know that going home is not an option...now or ever. I´m chilena and will be staying here in my home. 

Ohter news....we took Patricio (who got baptized a month ago) to Manuel (who should be getting baptized this month). They are both around 23 years old and found that they have the same drug addiction in common (it happens to be the strongest drug in the world). They both like to traffic drugs and carry around guns and stuff like that. And they have both changed incredibly!! Watching Patricio testify to Manuel that he can overcome his drug addiciton and change his life because HE did it was amazing!! 

I love the people here so much. I love being a missionary and I just love Chile. This is my home and the people here really are my family. I´m not sure exactly when is my time to come home (my plans never work out exactly as I think they should)...but the day I leave here will be....oh I cant even think about it. 

Love you all!!

Hermana Orchard

ps Aracely added all the photos that I was behind on to my facebook...so dont be surpirsed when they are there. 

oh oh ohhhhhhh!

Hollllaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!

Before I say anything else...
Dad...can you make my blog private? I have been having too many people come up to me saying that they read my blog. Like a girl from Mexico who found me...said she recognized me from my blog and started to recount countless stories from my mission. I put too much personal things about the people and places here to have it be public. 

This week was wonderful and hard like all!! Last Monday I took baby to the house of Solange for breakfast. Solange is an awesome 22 year old who got baptized 3 months ago and lives all my herself in a big house! Her house is basically our house now. We keep half our food and clothes and blankets there. Anyways, she is super awesome and accompanies us everyday. And has already started her papers for her mission!! She is so incredible! Anways, we went and ate breakfast at her house with Aracely. 
I havent talked enough about Chelly. She is basically the most amazing thing on the planet and my newest best friend! She is 20 years old and got baptized 1 year ago. Before she was baptized she would literally get into fistfights on the street all the time! Everyone knows she is super strong and no one dares to mess with her. Anyways, she met the missionaries and got baptized in three weeks. She dropped all her bad friends, drugs and what not without a second thought! It wasnt an easy sacrifice though. Her parents were super mad and almost kicked her out of the house. And in secret she just finished her mission papers! She accompanies us everyday and is basically our third companion. She´ll be getting her mission call soon and I am praying that it is to the States because I cannot live without this little chucara! I used to think I had to sacrifice a lot to come on a mission. But Chelly has to work super hard at a factory lifting bags of wood to pay for her mission. She cant talk about it with her family because they cant know. And when she gets back...she will have no where to live and no family. How selfish we sometimes are thinking that giving up 18 months of studies or fun party time is too big of a sacrifice. Sometimes we just dont understand anything! Our sight is so blurred I think...in the states. We have everything...big nice families...money..food...everyone has cars...we have minimum wage (which is the greatest blessing...I see the results of not having that down here). Yet we dont really have anything. As a nation we are empty of love...we focus so much on material things (like good jobs and studying) and altogether fail to take time for what really matters.
I hope I never forget the difference between my two countrys and can always be more chilean than american. 

Anyways, so last monday we ate some breakfast with Solange and Chelly and then went to Conce. There we met up with Hermana Tejerina and went to lunch. It was so fun seeing my mamá again and talking to her! She goes home in just a couple weeks..which breaks my heart. 
Tuesday a man came up to us in the street with a cute little 2 year old in his arms. She was all dressed up in a little party dress and the man looked a little stressed. He came up and put the girl in my arms and asked me to take her home with me. Thats not the first time that has happened. We never know if we should laugh or cry in these situations. 

Wednesday I heard noises in the night so I got up and turned on the lights....which woke up the other hermanas. Whatever it was went away but we all stayed awake the rest of the night huddled together. The next morning some inspectors of the mission came over to inspect the house. They said it was completely unsafe and showed about 10 different ways for someone to easily enter the house. Also there are some uncovered cords in the shower that I never really noticed..but they said we could easily be electrocuted in any moment, Dont worry...the house is safe now!

At night we had an awesome lesson with an investigator Manuel. He has lots of problems with drugs and everything. Here in Chile they have a special word for partiers...because they are more than partiers Its like their job and very being! Anyways...Manuel went one whole year partying every night without stop! Literally everynight he would leave and party until noon and then come home and sleep for a few hours before he went out to party again! For a year! haha anyways, getting him to give up his lifestyle and addictions has not been easy. We decided to read 3 Nephi 17 with him...about when Christ comes and blesses the people and children. Its always my favorite. Before we went I called a member to come and give Manuel a blessing. The member didnt answer so I just left a message thinking he would never show up. So we went and read the chapter and talked about how Christ didnt heal all the people at once...He had that power and there was lots of people sick and hurt. He could have just reached out His hands and healed them all at once. But He didn´t...he went around and healed one by one. Its the same with us...Christ and God listen to our prayers one by one...watch our lives one by one..and are with us one by one. 

We were talking about this and Manuel put his hand over his heart and said Ï feel something¨¨Like a jumping...or laughter from my heart!¨And he started crying and it was really wonderful...and just then the member I had called for the blessing showed up with the stake president! We taught some more of a really powerful lesson and then they gave him a blessing. And it was just...really great. I wish every lesson could be like that. 

We have been going out to some new country parts lately....trying to find a family with 12 kids that will feed us fried chicken and bread and baptize their whole neighborhood. We have yet to find them but have seen some really truly beautiful parts of Hualqui! We went to this place on the side of the huge Bio Bio river. Its almost spring and all the trees have bright pink and purple blossoms and we are just surrounded on all sides by colors! Colors of trees and flowers...colors of houses..I feel like even the sky has a different color here! Its so beautfiul!

One day we tried climbing up a hill in the rain to get to a house on top. It was super muddy and we came up to this little cliff. I decided I wanted to climb up it to see the view...only I was in half heels and a skirt...and well....dont have the strength to climb up a cliff. My foot got stuck in the mud and I lost both shoes and fell. I was covered in mud and a mess. Aracely had to climb up the cliff to help me down and put my shoes back on. The constant rain cleaned us up fast enough though! 

We found a dying dog in the street one day. It had gotten in a fight with the pack of dogs and had lost in eye and was bleeding everywhere. We knew it was going to dye soon and it was raining so we put our umbrellas over it and bought it some bread to eat and watched it die. It was really sad.  My poor companion is a huge dog lover and was sobbing hysterically. 

I have been having lots of problems with my leg lately. Well....pretty much consistently fro 6 months now. So I am used to it...but its easy to get really frusterated about it. But I tell myself the only option is to work...so I work and normally can walk the whole time. But friday night we were late coming home and I could barely put one foot in front of the other. I felt like all the bones in my hip and leg were broken and I just couldnt walk anymore. We were super far from home and we didnt have any options. I was stressed because I knew we were going to be late getting home...if we ever got home. So I prayed for a miracle...and a family from our ward pulled up next to us and offered a ride home! It was truly a miracle becuase....no one has cars...we were in the middle of no where late at night. Miracles happen! And almost everyday I am able to see at least one miracle in connection with my leg. 

Today we had breakfast with Solange and Aracely again...and then watched 17 Miracles. Then we went to hermana Cecilia´s and she made us lasagna. I havent had lasanga in a year! Hermana Cecilia is like my mom here. Always feeding us...I feel just as at home in her house as I do in my own! 

My new little hija is Hermana Piriz from Montevideo Urugauy. She thinks I am crazy but is okay with that.  We get along great!

I love Hualqui!
I love Chile!
I love Chileans!
I love this month of dancing and food (its independence month here...not day..MONTH!)
I love being a missionary!

Oh and if you see new stuff pop up on my facebook its because I gave Solange my password to add photos and stuff. We made a video today explaining what happened when we were robbed....except after it was done I realized that it was in spanish and no one would be able to understand it. But there it is!

Love you all!!!


Hermana Orchard

New

When Michealangelo was asked how he created a piece of sculpture, he answered that the statue already exsisted within the marble. God himslef had created the Pieta, David and Moses. Michealangelo´s job, as he saw it, was to get rid of the excess marble  that surrounded God´s creation. So it is with you. The perfect you ins´t something you need to create, because God already created it.

I´m not alowed to hold babies here but every once and awhile I see them. There is so much innocence and perfection in them. And then I see the rest of the world and wonder how we grow so far from the perfect state we were in.

It seems like my mission call has been to convert the drug dealers of Chile..which has taught  me more than I could have imagined. The power and importance of our small day to day decisions and the potential that all of us have to change. Not just small changes...but 100% change!

I cant look at any person the same anymore. The teenagers and drunk men smoking in the streets and robbing in the night I can now see sitting in church, teaching lessons and preparing for the temple and missions. 

God never gave up on us. How can we ever give up on anyone else?

I had kind of a hard week. I had to say goodbye to my best mission companion. I had to continue sleeping in this house after our front door broke off . I´m training again (a girl from Urugauy) which is really fun but always a little difficult. And my leg started really hurting again after the doctor said there is nothing more he can do. We had some hard things happen with the members and people here and I started to find myself wanting to change some things. I wanted to be able to write my own story and have things go MY way. I lost some trust in God´s plan for me because, well I just didnt like it! And then I thought back on all the difficult things in my life. All the stories I wanted to end my way. Would I really go back and change any of it if I could? No. Maybe I dont know all the reasons behind my life earlier...or now. But I know God loves me and all people enough to write a better story than we ever could. 

Maybe I dont want to change the story because I dont know what a different ending holds.  Theres a reason I am not writing the story and God is. He knows how it all works out, where it all leads, what is all means. I dont.

Sometimes I want to go to a safer place. Or I think of all the times after elections when we talked about escaping to the mountains and crazy stuff like that. But really that is all silly. God is in charge. There are no ïfs¨in God´s world and no places that are safer than others. The center of His will is our only safety. 

Training is fun! I always enjoy it! My new baby is a quiet thing from Uruguay. The first day I took her contacting in the cemetary. She thinks I´m  weird probably haha. But its fun! When I went to pick her up at the mission office I was able to see all my old companions and friends and it was just like a reunion in heaven! 

Last week when I was scared and needed help....I called my favorite member...Aracely...at 5 in the morning. She ran to our house in the rain and stayed with us for 5 days! She is a super strong thing and I felt super safe with her! She´s also here now reading what I am writing...she cant understand any of it though! But basically what I am trying to say is that the friends I am making here...well its just 10000x worth all the bad stuff that happens. Who would have thought I could have such best friends all the way down here at the end of the world....and in a little town hidden in the mountains. Really nothing is coincidence. I love all these people so much. Heaven is going to be such an awesome place!!!!!!

Love you all! 

Dont worry about me...I am safe! And if anyone thinks about calling president to get me moved....I will never talk to you again!! I love Hualqui and plan to stay here forever!!!

Hermana Orchard