To Be Venezuelan

(As you'll read below, these kids were getting away with murder. That's me in the back.)

Indulge me, or indulge yourself if you will, as I share with you this list of crazies that I found today in my mission letters home.

If you've been on a mission, I am sure that you can relate, to learning to love and laugh about the idiosyncrasies of the people you serve. For me, I served the Venezuelans, and I LOVE the Venezuelans. Still, I think they're crazies in a few chuckling ways.

When I had been out on my mission for about a year, I sent home to my family a letter of the crazy things that the Venezuelans believed and would say. I have wanted to find this list for years! And today I did!

Thanks to Grandma Maw who saved all of my letters I wrote home, I have been reading all of my letters home in sync with how long my brothers have been out on their missions. I wanted to read letters of my progress in the field at the same time I was reading how my brothers were doing. Needless to say I got behind, so today I was catching up.

Here's what I wrote:

Let me include here a list of the crazy things that these Venis think (they might not be funny to you guys but I will try to relate them so you can see the craziness involved here):

1. We saw our friend outside with her little two-year old boy the other day. She told us that she was outside with her son today because "yesterday he got wet and so today I have to keep him out in the sun." What?

2. Everything that goes wrong is a direct result or consequence of the "change of climate" (cambio de clima).

3. After having a baby, you must go on 'la dieta' or "the diet" for 40 days. The diet means that you can't go outside, go up stairs, see anybody, READ anything, and a bunch of other crazy stuff...or you'll die! 40 days! If she doesn't die from depression before the 40 days ends!

4. EVERYTHING can be cured by drinking a hot drink of lemon.

5. Vinegar on a rag on your forehead will get rid of your fever.

6. When you ever feel the slightest discomfort, just go outside and find a weed that smells good, pull it out by its root, boil it on the stove, and make a tea out of it (I hate to admit it, but I have made tons of weed teas. I doubt they work, but every member sends me home with weeds.)

7. If you feel sick, you need an injection and you need to go to the hospital.

8. If you get your haircut by someone with "a good hand for cutting" or on a full moon, your hair will grow faster.

9. You fail at being a cook if you don't do it with 'carino y amor', "love and caring." For example, I have asked for the recipe of things before, but at the end they say, "but not just anyone can make this. I have the hand, and do it with a lot of love and caring. If not, it doesn't turn out." They are funny crazy!

10. If you are sick, you must get in your bed for 7 days without leaving. No matter what! You have a cold = 7 days in bed.

11. The world stops if it is raining.

12. You CANNOT go outside in the rain. If you get even your feet wet, you will become gravely ill.

13. Every dream you have is a vision for your future.

14. My least favorite thing they do. The Venis would say, "si Dios quiere" (If God wants it/wills it) to try to get off the hook of any commitment. I would say, 'Are you going to church with us this Sunday?', 'Are you going to read that chapter of the Book of Mormon tonight?', and they would reply, 'Si Dios Quiere.' And I would always reply, "Si claro! Dios quiere!", "Of course God wants it!". No no no. They are not getting off the hook with me with that one!

15. And finally, can you see what is odd about this picture?

These things are fun to remember, but in the end, there is no people I love more than the Venezuelans. They are kind, compassionate, caring, loving, humble, and the members are full of iron clad faith. They truly inspire me and I hope to be near them in the world to come.

In reading my letters home, I also found this statement that my Aunt Cindy sent to me. At this time in my mission I was feeling especially stretched.

"Achievement and success can't always be written on a piece of paper. Sometimes it is an 'inside job', like your achievements and successes are being recorded inside because you are improving inside instead of what is seen. We can't do great things all the time, but we can do small things in a great way. Life is a roller coaster and the trick is to enjoy all phases of the ride. Relax and enjoy. A grateful heart at all times gets us through."

Isn't that great?

Read your mission letters. It will be amazing!

Love,
Candice