Spiders and Spanish

Feb. 14, 2015

Is is really Monday again? haha If there is anything about the mission that is crazy, its the distortion of time. I swear, hours seem like weeks but the days are like seconds. It continues to be super hot here. Fun fact i felt my first earthquake here. We have had about 5 since I've been here and usually i just hear them or i sleep through them. Nothing too serious though. Its kinda just a casual conversation here... ¨hey how are you? did you feel the earthquake last night? oh good glad your house is still intact.¨  it was only scary because i was dreaming when it happened about something and then woke up freaking out and the bed was shaking and it was that time when you wake when you're not really sure what is reality! But all is well. This week has confirmed several of my nightmares of the mission. First of all, I  taught my first lesbian this week so that was fun. Imagine trying to teach someone with these beliefs in English as if that's not hard enough. She pretty much told us she wants to be sealed to her wife and family is super important to her. its was actually really sad because she has such a strong testimony of the gospel but cant progress any more because...well because that's just not in the plans of God.  Fear 2- i got presented with my fear of milk. A family invited us for breakfast before church so i was pumped. They aren´t super financially stable. like many families we teach here, and they just had cereal for us which is perfectly OK. The problem was the milk, as you all know is my phobia. It was warmed in the microwave and in a pitcher that honestly was the farthest thing from clean, I'm talking dog chewing marks and like mold growing on it. Oh i prayed so hard to not throw up. Heavenly Father answers prayers i know this for a fact! Another random custom here is this obsession people have with their lawns. Except they aren't lawns its like their dirt paths outside. Every night you can find the people outside watering their lawns and sweeping the dirt off their dirt porches.It is so humbling! I seriously love the people here so much, Hate the spiders though! this one was a foot from my bed last night! It is huge. As for the missionary work, we didn't have much success this week. My companion is super sick, she has had this problem with her stomach for 5 months and she cant really walk anymore and is super weak so it has been hard. But we still work in our sector every day. No baptisms though! Always next week! I seriously love my mission so much. Thanks to everyone for the support, especially my family! The pictures are of the spider, my roomates!  Sending the hot chilean sunshine your way this week and you all battle the various elements of round valley! oh Eagar 's, i got your package finally. Thanks so much haha my roommates continue to make fun of me how every package has peanut butter. You all know me to well. Te amo mucho! Hermana Phelps

Feb. 22, 2015

Holy Cow! i know i say this every week but is it really Monday again? I'M sorry i cant send pictures this week. We went to a different Internet cafe thing and it is sooooo slow! haha it has taken me 20 minutes to open this email so sorry if i didn't write anyone back. It continues to be an interesting life down here . There was another earthquake that i felt. We were in the street so it was kinda scary but nothing too terrible. there was this cute little grandma that ushered us into her house and made us get under her table and then gave us candy and grapes. It was so cute! The fruit here seriously is so good! its so fresh, i would love to just eat fruit here all day but sadly i know i am am going to get so chubby. It is not uncommon here to have noodles with a side of bread and potatoes. Pray that i dong come back and win biggest loser! Each week continues to be a miracle! i still mess up a ton but i have learned to just laugh it off most times. I think of brooks every time i see a man driving a bike like the one from nacho libre. They are seriously so common here its awesome! the children love to climb in them and ride around. Also whoever wrote the movie 101 Dalmations and had the idea about the Twilight Bark lived in Chile at some point. It is a real thing here! I also dont ever have to miss Idaho because i get a cool ref4reshed every morning in the shower. The work is going super good though.