A few months ago, we watched as Sister Allen arrived in Santiago. She was a very "delicate" sister. She did not like anyone to touch her. She was afraid of getting sick. She was very timid and shy. She looked at you with her face cast down toward the floor, in other words could not look at you in your eyes. In talking with the President of the Mission, he was very concerned that she would not last through one week. He interviewed her, assigned her one of the most charitable sisters of the mission, a Sister Veras. He also told us that in our Sunshine visits, we needed to keep her high on the list.
People down here thrive on touching each other. Women greet each other cheek to cheek and they kiss the air while "cheeking." Her Spanish was very weak, and she would not speak it at all. But knowing Sister Partridge, she is a pure lover and took her under her wing.
Every Thursday, I teach the investigators, and those two sisters come, Sister Allen and Sister Veras. So every week, we try to spread Sunshine into her life. We love her, cheer her up, Bon treats her with tender loving kindness, and she is responding to that love.
We have met them and taken them to Pizza Hut, helping her overcome her many fears. We have made them cookies, we have done many things to try to help her learn, grow, and want to remain here. (Sister Allen is the sister, far right.)
She just finished her ninth week here. What a miracle. About one week ago, the two sisters were walking along a busy street, and a ladron, or a BAD DUDE approached them with a knife. The thief asked for their money and their phone. (The people down here speak so fast, and sloppily.) Sister Veras gave him the phone and said they didn't have any money.
Right after he left, Sister Allen asked Sister Veras why she gave the guy their phone. Since she didn't understand the language, nor the speed in which he was demanding, she didn't know what was happening.
When the Mission President called her to assess the mental damage, fearful what she would say, she told him that she was not frightened, nor did she know what was going on, thus she was "fine." I guess there are blessings in not knowing the language. Or perhaps miracles???
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