Okay, so to start off, my stomach pains aren't too bad. I had a blood test and the Whitney's are updating me on that. So yeah, it's being taken care of. Really nothing I haven't had before, it just got a tiny bit worse. Really nothing to worry about haha.
I'm glad you guys enjoyed my testimony in my last email. I really have seen my testimony grow so much here! I'm so greatful for this oppurtunity. I love what I'm feeling now and never want to let it go. I will never give Satan one inch. I can't remember exactly where, but I was studying exactly that this week during studies, that Satan starts with the small things and those just grow until he's got you. I think it's in Matthew or Mark, and it said you have to bind a strong man before you enter his house to rob him. Satan starts with the small things to rob us until he can bind us up and then he can destroy our houses, so never give him that inch or he will take the whole yard!
I love what you said about how the Lord blesses his missionaries. That's so true and I have just seen that so much! I'm so thankful for this amazing opportunity.
I'm just pumped out of my mind for this next week! We are going to have a multi-zone meeting this Wednesday and then come back and try to make it to the wedding of Marilu and Magnu! I can't believe I forgot to tell you guys about Aracely's family last week! Marilu and Magnu are getting married this Wednesday! Dad's birthday!!! Then they and their daughter, Lucy, will be baptized on the 24th and confirmed on Navidad! (Christmas!) What a gift, right? The best gift you can get for Christmas! Like.. BOOM here's the gift of the Holy Ghost! Top that! So yeah, super stoked for that. And this time it's for real haha. We've had so many problems but it's taught both them and us patience and I'm so thankful for that and for this opportunity to have been able to have taught them.
Anyway, so this week not a ton happened. Monday after p-day we had a nice little noche de hogar (family night) with Marilu and her family. We had what's called chocalatada.. I honestly don't know if I spelt that right haha. It's Paneton with hot chocolate. Paneton is a sweet bread that is usually eaten at Christmas and New Years. And no big deal, I just burnt my tongue off haha.
Elder Alarcon and me having Paneton and Hot Chocolate with Lucy.
Me and Lucy.
Good stuff.....but hot.
The next morning I was a little frustrated with my companion. Nothing he did.. he just couldn't understand what I was trying to say. I was trying to say a phase in Spanish but he wasn't understanding and it was actually important for planning for an investigator so I got a little frustrated with that. But then I prayed.. asked for some alone time. You know, the bathroom is a good place for "alone time" on your mission. Sometimes our prayers are answered in ways we don't recognize. Weird I know, but it was a blessing for me.
Later we found a man named Gabriel. He is the old guy with the cool Jesus soccer jersey in my pictures. The guy is awesome! He knew the Bible front to back. He would ask us if we knew some random scripture, then we would kind of look at each other and be like.. no.. what does it say? And he would recite it and go.. si o no!?.. (yes or no?) and we would say, ya.. así es.. (yeah...it is...) and he would go claaaro! (clear!) haha he's the best!
Me and Gabriel
The next day we fit 25 people in a convi. That was cool . Haha usually 18 in a convi is pushing it. Nope, they didn't care, they were trying to stuff as many people as they could in the van to get to Viru. So I had to stand bent over for 25 minutes haha, oh well. That night.. I was a little frustrated. Just layed in bed for the night after planning. I'll see if I have time to share the story. (Looks like he ran out of time, because there is no story) but yeah, that story plus I was frustrated because I couldn't express myself to my companion like I was wanting during planning and ugh. Sometimes it's hard to have a Latino companion but I'm just learning patience and man, it's hard. Don't take this the wrong way. Trust me, I'm happy! There's just those moments sometimes when I just want to have a white companion to speak English. But I won't learn the language that way, so here I am, being all patient and stuff. Oh what fun!
The next day got a lot better! Like a hundred times better! We woke up and Aracely texted us saying Durlee had told her that she wanted to come to church with her mom but didn't know how to get there so she needed us to come pick her up (Durlee went to an activity Saturday night with the young men and women) that made us so happy! I was stoked. So we went and got her and her mom and they came and loved it. That night we taught them again and they asked a ton of questions! It was awesome.
Also it rained.. twice this week! (It rarely rains there) That was great. Only like 20 minutes and just a light rain but enough that we got wet. It was pretty cool. I pretented it was snow.
Sorry I honestly don't know how much more time I have so this could end short. Oh crap... I just got my two minute warning... um yeah... well I guess that's it. I'm sorry, I had to do some more things today, ugh. I'll add my picture discriptions and then I have to go. Ah shoot. I'm so sorry but my time is up. I only have one minute. Ugh. Sorry to cut it short. There was so much more to say. Well I love you guys! I will talk to you Sunday!!
A nice picture of me doing our mission sign.
Me eating a lizard.
The moon was really pretty this night.
Juan Mendoza in the tree picking Mangos. He's a recent convert. It was cool, he was barefoot and just climbed the tree.
Up in that Mango tree.
It was Flor's birthday so we smashed eggs on her head. (Apparently this is a common birthday tradition in Peru.)
Flor with the eggs all over.
She loves us! Happy birthday Flor.
