Patience, Graffiti, and a New Set of Wheels for Cesar

A Chinese Restaurant in Lima. The plate cost 9 Soles
(about $3.25),and the food was OK. We only get
about 90 Soles per week, so we splurged a little.

This week was pretty good, and I am learning a lot about my new area and how to work with my companion, Hermana Jaramillo. We don't get along very well right now, but we are trying to work through things. With time and patience, we should be able to teach and work together better. I am definitely learning patience. It was definitely a very trying week. I am very stubborn too and like things done a certain way. So we are learning how to compromise and get along. I know that we will be able to work things out and learn a lot from each other. 

Some graffiti on a wall here in Lima.

Me, Hermana Berta, and Hermana Jaramillo.

I'm getting to know my area a lot. Because I am more in the city now, there are lots of restaurants and little shops, which is pretty cool. On the downside, things are a lot more expensive. 

I took a picture with Hermana Berta, who washes our laundry and accompanies us a lot. She has a sister in Idaho, and her mom is moving there from Peru this week. She is super sweet and funny.

This ward is pretty good about helping us and being self sufficient. They are definitely better than my last ward, and so I am excited to work with them. The bishop is really great and accompanies us to our appointments sometimes. This ward has been a little down for a while, because Hermana Jaramillo told me that before her and Hermana Hewitt arrived 7 weeks ago, the ward hadn't had a baptism in at least 6 months. We are working hard so that we can help the ward be excited for missionary work. Right now, we are teaching a family of three, (K., H., and their one year old son P.). They have a baptismal date in April, and so if you can pray for them that they will progress. Especially pray for H., the dad, so that he will have a desire to be baptized and follow the example of his wife.

This week we had a really great experience of giving service to Hermana Rosa and her son, Cesar, who is special. When he was a baby, they found out that he had cancer and he had to have lots of therapy and operations. Now, he is about 35 years old and he has mental problems, is blind, is paralyzed, and has lost all sense of feeling. Hermana Rosa is about 70 years old now, and she has Alzheimers, so it is really hard for her to remember things but is super sweet and loving. Shortly after Cesar was born, her husband abandoned the family, so she has been raising and caring for Cesar all alone. She doesn't know how to read or to write, and was left with nothing to help her sons. She was baptized about 2 years ago, and the church has been helping her and Cesar, and some the of hermanas have been visiting her to help her learn how to read and write. 

Me, Hermana Rosa, Hermana Jaramillo, and
one of the hermanas from the ward.

This is one of the hermanas from the ward and her nina helping
us to deliver the wheelchair. Hermana Rosa and her son
live in such humble circumstances.

Hermana Rosa was so surprised and grateful
for the new wheelchair for Cesar.

We went on Thursday to clean and clear her house becuase the church bought a wheelchair for her son, but she had no idea. We cleared a big space in the middle and moved lots of her things outside. She wasn't sure why we were trying to organize and clear out her things -- ha ha. Yesterday, we helped bring the wheelchair as a surprise, and it was a very beautiful experience to see her face and her joy that her son will be able to leave his bed and move around after being confined for many years. Cesar was sleeping when we arrived, but we know he will enjoy his new silla de ruedas (wheelchair).