"The Beast"...

First things first..we had zone conference this past week, entonces.... I GOT A PACKAGE FROM MOMMA :D I was so happy, I coulda flew home on a unicorn! Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you a million times over! I got it right when I needed it :) No mail other than that (no letters). Oh, except for today.. We stopped by the mission office for my mission debit card and they gave me a letter from Caleb Marshall haha. I was como "what the random?" But yep, hopefully I will get LOTS of letters from people next zone conference..in about 6 weeks (boooo).

So this week I realizd that I never told you guys about Clase Ingles. There is a brother in our ward that lived in the US, so he teaches english in Thursday at the church and we go. It is like a little slice of heaven once a week. I never knew how much I missed english, until I actually use it and I realize "wow, I do know how to communicate with people!" Sometimes, I feel like I am losing my social skills because I can´t talk to people in a REAL conversation... goodness, I ´m gonna be soo awkward after my mission at this rate! But on a bittersweet note about language, in the night after planning, I am allowed to say that prayer in English..but lately, it has been getting harder and harder for me to say it in only english cause my brain is hot-wired español all-day, er-day. I take it for a good sign though!

Here in Chile, people eat dinner for lunch...meaning that their HUGE meal is almuerzo and then they have a little tea-party/lunch-sized meal for once (meal after almuerzo). I have been struggling with this stomach-wise cause my stomach is used to little to no lunch and then dinner. To "fix" it the Hermanas in our ward give me more food so then "my stomach will change faster.." .....riiiiiiight.. or I´ll just puke on the way home..whichever come first I guess. Normally we don´t get once/dinner (we are supposed to work right through it), but whenever a member invites us over for once, it is my favorite thing ever! I feel like we are having a tea party cause once always consists of little sandwiches, some kind of hot drink, and then a postre/dessert. Me encanta :)

As I have said before, there are MUCHOS dogs in Chile everywhere. When we walk by there fences, they ALWAYS go loco..barking and growling and running in circles and jumping and peeing in a general direction and foaming at the mouth..its quite the adventure to say the least. And it always reminds me of the movie "Sandlot" with the dog `the beast´ haha...classic.

-Sidenotes:
---Dad, count your blessings that you are only bishop. In our ward, the bishop is bishop (obviously), his wife is primary president, and their son is young men´s president and early-morning seminary teacher! Crazy, huh?
---In the Book of Mormon, Nephi always says "my soul delighteth in plainess"...and then he goes on an Isaiah rampage. What up with that? Talk about awkwardly ironic.
---This week I have had the longings to have homemade cookies (warm from the oven); to watch Ella Enchanted, Surf Ninjas, and all the princess Disney movies; and to watch the boys play Fifa together (never thought I would miss that).
---Spanish......yep.............it´s comin along.....sorta. Let´s just say, I´ve had my better trials.
---2 Nephi 9: totally about the plan of salvation. Where has this chapter been all my life?? After coming across it in my personal study the other day, I´ve dubbed it one of my new favorite chapters.
---Mom, for your portuguese, have Dad ONLY talk to you in Portuguese for a certain amount of time daily. It´ll stink and at times you´ll hate it, but it´ll help you more than anything else. Trust me.

I am so sad to hear about Andrew Page. I saw him tons in the MTC and he always brightened my day. He was so kind and happy all the time, and I was so grateful for him to be there with me in the MTC...he literally shined as a missionary (and only a select few of us actually do that). I bet the Lord needed his brightness as a missionary on the other side...like Emma and Grandma. It´s so heart-breaking but it´s all part of the Lord´s plan for Andrew. We now have to trust the Savior and guide us and help us walk each step for the next little while in this hard time.Tell his family that I am so sorry for them and that I can honestly say that their son was a great missionary..because I saw it first hand!

So one last thing before I go, this week in my personal study, I came across another section of scripture that I now love. In 2 Nephi 4:30-35...it´s a prayer of Nephi. I don´t know why but reading it really hit home with me (in the ´ole corazon). I decided that I wanted to have the same experience with prayer that Nephi had in these verses. That night, when I said my bedtime prayer, I did. I can´t even explain the experience that I had, but I in all honesty, there have been few experiences when I have felt closer to my Father in Heaven then I did that night. I felt comfort and love and support and every feeling that I needed to feel from Him.
...All I have to say is, prayer is real, and I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves us enough to NEVER never ever leave us helpless in our moments of joy and in our moments of sorrow.
Christ lives. I know this with all my heart.


I have to go now cause my short time is up..(I could email y´all day if I could)..so until next time, I love you all with all my heart and soul and God be with you siempre.
Love always and always,
Hermana Abigail Page