55th B-Day Sorry better late than never.. I was on Grand Manan Island NB Canada

55th B-Day
WOW the earths a quakin again....

What's crackin Fam?

All is well here in Chile. I'm alive and breathing, fat and healthy (I'm exercising no worries), happy and smiling... I think that's the important part. All the rest doesn't matter. :)

I've been struggling with some stomach problems this past week (heartburn, lack of appetite, etc) and exhaustion. I know it's stress and the frustrations of mission life. Sooo I called the mission nurse and she told me to watch what I was eating, to get some more sleep, use some stress management techniques, and enjoy the last 5 months of the misson. :D And being that I'm so obedient and all, I'm trying to do better. I even ate oatmeal for breakfast Mom (I'm losing my cereal identity!).

I am enjoying my time with Hermana Tax... we have another 6 weeks together! We are trying to work as hard as we can and to serve with all of our hearts, mights, minds, and strengths. Just sometimes the strength fails ya. I know we are not doing our work, but His work. I am confident He will help and guide and strengthen us.
I hope you all have your experience to share with me. What you did to serve someone and how you specifically sacrificed for him/her? .... Don't be lazy. Put in batteries and do it. :)

We had a very weird moment this week. They talk in our mission rules about how we shouldn't take unmarked taxis. Never taken one. Never seen one.... Until this past week. Well, at least I think so. Story: we're speed walking in the street. 10:20 at night. 1 block from our house. And this guy pulls up (driving in the opposite direction) in a nice looking silver car, unrolls his window, and tells out the window "TAXI?". I was like "what is this?!" and yelled back "NO!". And he drove off. I wonder if he really was a taxi driver.... I shall never know.

Okay. So you've got a square box and a whole bunch of circles (different sizes); you gotta fix the circles in the box. The box is the world we live in, the church we go to, the families we have; we're the circles. It's hard to fit in the box! Really hard because this square box has rules, whether it be God's rules, family rules, etc. and it's necessary to live by them. However, we're not squares. It's difficult to live by such rules and regulations especially when it's not in our nature. Sure we help eachother out... We try to make a little more room in the box so that it's a little bit more comfortable, but it's still difficult. Until... we fill in the gaps with something... the gospel of Jesus Christ. Where in this gospel we find prayer, hope, charity, obedience, diligence, the scriptures, ordinances, the priesthood, etc. That's what makes us unified and able to endure to the end. Then we all fit in the box with ease.

I got to do some "surgery" this past Saturday. An elder got bit by a spider (brown recluse, we think) and in the end he developed a huge access in his arm. Dr. Johnson took care of it a while ago (cutting it open to let the puss out), but we are still packing the hole with gauze. Sooo I did nursing... live nursing... this past week. It felt so weird. Imagine me, the nurse of this mission, in a poor members house in the middle of nowhere doing a procedure that was supposed to be sterile, but ended up being as clean as it could be... on a kitchen table. 0_0

Another story: I had a dream this past week before changes (today). I've had some funky dreams lately. And they've been coming true; however, I don't think this one will be. I received a call that I was being change... but not just the sector or zone... but my mission... I was off to England to finish the mission. It was an urgent change. I accepted it without question; however, I did worry about one thing... my accent coming home. Hahaha. Can you imagine an accent between someone from Maine with a Spanish/English accent? Hahaha. But no worries. I think I'm here in Chile Santiago Este to stay. I rather think that President and Hermana Wright won't let me go.

Love you all.
Hermana/Nurse Talboooot

P.S. There was another pretty strong earthquake. 14th floor of a high-rise building. I was swaying on my feet... just waiting for it to stop. We were fine. It lasted maybe 10 seconds.