Goodbye Prolima, Hello Trebol!

Hermana Morales wanted to come with me in my
suitcase. She actually fits ha ha!

Oops, I totally forgot that it was St. Patrick's Day, and I'm not wearing any green! I better not mention it to anyone! No one here in Peru celebrates it, so that is good. Not a lot of Irish Peruvians, I guess.

Cambios -- Hermana Morales with her new gringa!

Cambios (transfers) were super crazy, ha ha! Hermana Morales was super nervous, and I kept teasing her that she would have to train. Well, surprise to us both when she was called to train a new gringa! I'm already a grandma in the mission, ha ha! I am super excited for her! She will continue to do great in Prolima 2! Which means I was transferred to a new area. Hermana Mirla, our pensionista, was super sad that I was leaving, and I will miss her and her family a lot! I also had to run around and say goodbye to a lot of people I had worked with in Prolima 2. It was sad.

However, my new area, Trebol 2, is super awesome! I am more in the city, and so there are lots of tall buildings and really nice houses, and it is super beautiful. The best part is that the ward really wants to help us here and the chapel is in our area! I don't have to take a bus to get to church! Yay! In fact, while in church yesterday, I almost felt like I was back in the United States because the people here have a little more money and dress a little nicer and the church building is really beautiful and has air conditioning! AIR CONDITIONING! While the area is considerably smaller compared to my last area, it has lots of potential. 

Hermana Jaramillo and me

So my new companion is Hermana Jaramillo. She came in with the same group as Hermana Morales, so she has been out on her mission for three months. She is from Monterrey, Mexico, and has a little bit of an accent when she talks. With two companions from Mexico, I've learned lots of words from them both, and I probably sound a little Mexican when I talk, ha ha! Hermana Jaramillo has lots of family on her Dad's side in the US, and she lived there for about 3 years when she was a little girl. So, she knows a little bit of English, but for the most part has forgotten it. I am helping her to learn more English.

Herman Jaramillo is really great! She has lots of confidence and a strong personality. She can really talk to people and the ward loves her a lot. She really likes to work hard and loves talking with people. I am super excited to work with her and learn all I can from her. So far, we are working great together, and our lessons are super powerful. I have a feeling we'll do some great things here in Trebol 2!

Proud to say I made myself some tyrines verdes!
They were OK... I need to try again!

Also great about this area is that we don't have a pensionista to cook for us, so that means I don't have to eat rice for every meal! Yay! I can already feel that I have lost a little weight. I eat until I am satisfied and it is a lot healthier! Yay! My companion has also been helping me to exercise, so now we are waking up a little earlier so that we can go running in a nearby park. It feels good to get out and run again.

Speaking of running, we did a lot of it this week as we were running around trying to get to know the area and the members. It's hard to have to be back to square one, but on the other hand, I am happy to be in a new area. We were doing pretty good the first few days until Saturday night, when poor Hermana Jaramillo got super sick. We're pretty sure that she ate something that didn't agree with her, because that night we had eaten dinner in a restaurant. She spent all day in bed, but she was able to go to Sacrament Meeting to take the sacrament (we live about 1 minute away from the church). It was a little stressful because we had to do divisions so that I could go the Ward Council, church, and to our appointments, but the ward was really great and helped us. Hermana Jaramillo is doing better today, and I am super glad.

Anyways, I am super excited to be here! This week we met with a couple of investigators that have been listening to missionaries for a while, and we had really powerful lessons about the Gospel and the importance of baptism. Now, we have two baptismal dates, one on this coming Saturday and one for the 5th of April. Please pray for F. that he will be excited for his baptism!

Saying goodbye to the Familia Aylas. They
are super nice, and I was helping one of their
daughters learn piano. They also have the ugliest
dogs I have ever seen in my life, and they
scare me to death.

Saying goodbye to K and her family

Saying goodbye to a family I was working with in Prolima.

The other ugly dog.

Hey, thanks so much for your words of encouragement and for your prayers. I am really grateful for this chance that I have to be here in Peru serving the Lord. I am also so grateful for my awesome parents, because they have worked so hard and sacrificed so much for our family. I love you all back home and hope that you have a great week.

Feeling Better, New Families, and Rain!

One good thing about Peru is there is no Daylight Savings -- ha ha! I'm super glad I didn't have to spring forward. I like my sleep! I am so happy to report that I am just about 100% over my cough and bronchitis now.

Hermana Morales, Sol's mother, and myself

This past week, we had the opportunity to begin teaching lots of new families! Normally, we always try to teach when the fathers are home, but most of the time they're not around or don't stay to listen. However, this week we were so blessed to be able to teach 4 families about the Restoration with the fathers present! The fathers really make all the difference because without them it is so hard for the family to really progress to baptism. The Lord blessed us to be able to come to their homes at the right time and know how to testify to them.

We also had the chance to teach with Hermana Archibald, our Mission President's wife, when she came to our area for one day. I am grateful for the opportunity that we had to learn from her. Even though she can't speak Spanish very well yet, she understands almost everything and knows how to testify about what we teach. She really cares about the investigators and tries to help them feel comfortable with us. She told us that when we taught, she could feel the Spirit, so that makes me feel like I am doing my job. It was fun to be able to see her out in the field with us!

I also tried to speak more in English to help Hermana Morales learn her English faster. She practiced a lot so that she could talk a little bit with Hermana Archibald. It was cool to see them communicate and try to help one another understand. Now, Hermana Morales has the goal to be able to not only understand Hermana Archibald, but also talk with her in English!

It sounds like Spring has come early back home in Utah. Well, this last week, we actually had some RAIN!!!! It almost never rains here in Lima, and so to have 3 different days where it rained (well, sprinkled really) was super cool. The temperature has finally felt pretty good here these last few days because of the clouds blocking the sun and a little bit of wind. The river in our area is super full and fast and it is cool to see it becuase when I arrived here in winter, it was pretty much dry! I am loving the warm-but-not-too-hot weather and I want it to stay this way forever! I don't know how long it will last but maybe this is a sign that it is starting to cool down a bit.

Well, training is over for Hermana Morales, and so now she is 100% ready to be a missionary and train others. She is a great example and I have loved working with her. I am super excited to see the success and miracles that she will have in her mission.

Sol and me. She helps me stay up to date.

No baptisms this last week, but we have two people with a fecha for this Saturday, March 15th. If I get transferred to another area before then, Hermana Morales will have to send me the pics! I saw Sol yesterday for the first time in about 3 weeks! She started school early and then got sick, so she didn't come to church for a couple of weeks and couldn't come proselyting with us. However, she calls us sometimes to give us updates if something happens in the family that is posted on Facebook. Thanks to Sol, I knew that Alex was accepted to BYU the night he got the acceptance letter -- ha ha. I was super happy!

So, I don't know if I've been transfered yet, but we will find out later today. I'm pretty sure that I will be, but who knows? I have 8 months left to be a missionary, and I hope that I can get to know a couple more areas in Peru before I leave. This transfer, we will be getting 5 more sisters, but the mission has now reached it's max with sister missionaries. There will be about 60 sisters in this mission! There just aren't enough safe areas to put any more sisters, so we won't be recieving more than we lose each transfer after this one. Pretty cool that there are so many sisters willing to serve, right?

Chest Therapy, Phlegm, and Catching Up

Loading sand bags at the bottom of the hill for our service activity

This week we had a service activity where we helped haul bricks and sand up a huge hill to where a family is constructing a house. Tough work!

Passing bricks up one at a time

This past week was also really rough because I ended up having to go to the clinic 4 different days. I'm starting the second half of the treatment for broncheus, which is a different inhaler and more jarabe (yuck!), and I had to go back for three days to get some chest therapy. The therapy was to help me get the phlegm (ew) out of my lungs. The therapist used a machine that compressed on my chest and then she

taught me some breathing exercises. Now, I just have to do the exercises and keep up with the inhaler and stuff. The worst is that I can't drink anything cold, and I have to drink really hot liquids throughout the day. The doctor said I should do it for about a month. I am dying of the heat here! But, if it means I can quit coughing, it's worth it.

At least they let me be at the top of the chain

I am just about healthy again, but our numbers this week are really low. We did divisions a couple of times in order to try to make up for the lessons, and we were still able to teach some new investigators. We want to work hard this week to make up for the numbers a little bit and get back to visiting all our investigators and less actives. This week we also had to drop quite a few investigators that we just can't find at home anymore, are always busy, or just aren't progressing. We want to be able to really focus on those that are progressing and find some promising new investigators.

We are teaching a PF named A., who is 13 years old and has a fecha for the 8th. We are really hoping that he is ready for the 8th and that his father, who is a Jehovah's Witness, allows him to be baptized. Pray that his heart will be opened! A. is really great and has already read more than 20 pages of the Book of Mormon! We are super excited for him!

The view from the top of the hill

Hermana Morales and Me at the top of the hill.
Good thing we're not afraid of heights.

Well, transfers are next week and I'm pretty sure I will be changed because I've been in this ward for 8 months now. If I stay for another transfer, I'll have 10 months here! Hermana Morales will finish her training this week, and is doing great. She is so ready to be a missionary and even train if she is asked to! She is a little nervous, but I know that she will be great! In some ways, I am ready to leave this area and go somewhere new. On the other hand, there is so much potential in this area and I love lots of the members. I will be sad to change, but I know that I can work hard wherever I am.

Feeling Better and Tortillas

Kind of a shorter blog this week as I was writing a few emails. So first off, I guess my Mom got a little freaked out about my bronchitis last week. Well, I am happy to say I am doing a little better than before, but still coughing a little. I got a priesthood blessing on Friday, and I have another appointment with the doctor on Wednesday, so hopefully they will give me the last of the medicine that I need to not cough anymore. Hey don't worry about the medical care, the mission sends us to the best places and we get all of the bells and whistles. I also got a phone call from my mission president's wife to make sure I was OK. So things are better on that front. No worries! Thanks everyone for the prayers and love!

So this past week, my companion and I have been trying to make tortillas because she has been missing them a lot (she is from Mexico). Well, her mom sent her the ingredients, but no instructions (I don't think her mom knows how to use a computer very well -- ha ha.) So if anyone has a good recipe for tortillas, and could send it to us, we would sure appreciate it!

Investigator Success, Valentine's Fun, and Bronchitis

This week has been pretty good, and our investigators are coming to church and progressing! Yay! We have been working hard to help our investigators progress, reading the Book of Mormon with them and bearing our testimonies in every lesson. Everything hinges on the Book of Mormon, so the progress of our investigators hinges on their reading and gaining a testimony of it. We have a family of 7 that we have been teaching, and we are helping them to read the Book of Mormon. The father of the family is the one who is really interested, and so our goal is to help him first gain a testimony. He has accepted to be baptized when he finds out it is true, but wants to learn more about the church before accepting a date. We have high hopes for this family!

I have been able to feel the Holy Ghost testifying to me during this week, helping me to bear a strong testimony and know what to say. My faith has increased as a result of testifying of the Book of Mormon and how the Gospel has blessed my family. I want all the blessings that I have to be enjoyed by those I am teaching. All they have to do is to use their agency to commit to living the commandments and make sacred covenants. I have been working with this ward for a while now, and I feel like I am feeling the Christlike love that is charity for many of them. Heavenly Father is helping me to change and be better, and has put many people in our path that we can help.

We have three investigators that have accepted to be baptized the 1st of March. Please pray for them that they will gain a testimony and have the desire to be baptized and change their lives.

Valentine's Day craziness

I want to start running again, but it is just super hot! Even when I wake up in the morning, I just want to lay there and stay cool. Still, I am happy that I don't have to shovel snow. It seems like every day we try to escape the sun. I am sure pretty tan, though! Lots of people don't realize it until I show them my tan lines and how white I really am, and they tell me I should stay this tan. We'll see if it lasts until I get back.

The birthday girl is in the dark blue shirt on the right.

So this week we celebrated Valentine's Day in our own awkward way -- ha ha. We ate manjar blanco and made faces and told one another how much we loved each other -- ha ha, but there's only so much you can do when you're a missionary.

We also went to a birthday party for the daughter of one of our less active members that we are teaching. She turned 13 and it was the first birthday party that she has had in her whole life! It was super sweet and fun! Hope everyone back home had a great Valentine's!

This past Wednesday was crazy! In the morning, Hermana Morales had to be in the offices at 6:30 AM to go to immigrations. In our hurry to leave, she didn't realize that she put on two different pairs of shoes -- ha ha. Super funny. While she was in immigrations, I went with Hermana Leyva and Hermana Lopez to San Diego. We got back to the offices at around 3:30 PM. I've been fighting a nasty cough for a couple of weeks, and finally I was sent to the clinic. The appointment was at 4:00, so once I got back to the offices to pick up my companion, we just stayed there for 30 minutes and then walked to the clinic.

Nervously waiting for my shot. The screaming girl isn't helping.

Hermana Morales telling me not to scream.

We waited in the clinic for about four hours to see the doctor, and it was so long! I finally got in, and they told me it was bronchitis or something like that in Spanish, and he gave me a list of five different medications. So, we went down to the  pharmacy, and it turns out one of the medications was a shot! Ack! After running around getting things Ok'd by different departments, we found the room for the shots by listening for the screaming...literally! When we got there, there was a little girl screaming inside! I was already a little nervous, but when I heard that I was freaking out a little.

 Well, I got a big shot in the butt, so I know how Ashley feels -- ha ha. The problem was that the shot was some pretty poweful stuff, and I needed oxygen for 15 minutes, wait 15 mintues, and then 15 minutes of oxygen again. At the time I got the shot, it was 7:55 and the clinic closed at 8:00. So, they gave me the shot and sent me to the emergency room for the oxygen.  It was great fun, and definitely an adventure. We didn't get back to our apartment until 10 pm.

Already starting to feel better.

I had to go back on Thursday as well to get an X ray of my lungs, but that only took about 30 min. The mission is really taking care of me, and Hermana Archibald called me and told me I needed to sleep more. Wow!  For the past few days I've been sleeping an extra hour, and I think I am starting to get a little better. I should get sick all of the time if I get to sleep more! Chiste! No quiero estar inferma. The mission is taking care of me, and all is good, so don't worry! It's been quite a week.

Mass Weddings and Peruvian-Mexican Food

Well, as far as I know, Valentine's isn't anything too special here in Peru, but several cities have mass weddings and lots of people get married that day, so that's good. If anything exciting happens, I'll let you know.

Noche de hogar with our pensionista's family.

The Book of Mormon really is great! Something I've noticed is that when my investigators actually read it on their own, they progress and gain a testimony of the church. When they don't read, they don't progress. The Book of Mormon is so important, the keystone of our religion!

Oh, my parents told me about the 50th anniversary of the Beatles playing on the Ed Sullivan Show this past weekend. It would be fun to listen to them again. I have heard their songs a couple of times in Peru, but not many people really listen to the Beatles here.

Mmmm tacos!

My parents also mentioned the Olympics started in Russia this past week. I didn't even know they were going on. I haven't seen anyone watching the Olympics here in Peru and haven't heard anything about them. There are actually quite a few members here that have BYUTV in Spanish, and they get to see BYU play soccer and some other sports. It was really weird for me to see them watching a BYU Women's soccer game -- ha ha! I was like, hey, that's my school!

So, this week, nothing really exciting happened. We had a fecha bautismal fall through. We're working with our investigators to follow through with their commitments. We have been trying to get Hermana I. to come to church, Hermana F. to pray and decide to be baptized, Hermana E. to follow through with her fecha, and for Hermana K.R. to come to church and want to be baptized. We have been working with these people so much, and hope they can be baptized!

So, here are a few pics from last week. We had a noche de hogar with the family of our pensionista, and she bought us (Peruvian) Mexican food in honor of Hermana Morales. Mmm tacos! It was actually pretty good, but I prefer Café Rio!

Hermana Morales is super sweet, and made me a sign for my 9-month mark on Saturday. Also, this Thursday will be my hump day! Don't get trunky now! Woohoo! Sometimes the time flies by so fast.

Well, that's about it for this week. I hope that everyone at home has a great Valentine's Day!

Super Busy and Another Flea Circus

We were really blessed this week in being able to visit with many people. Can I just say it was a super crazy week? We taught more lessons in the past week than I have ever taught in one week during my mission so far! Needless to say, I am super tired! The Holy Ghost was definitely with us to tell us where we should go and what we should teach. We had the opportunity to give the first lesson to some of the families that we have found, and we also shared a family home evening. While no one has accepted a date for baptism, all of them said they will read and pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true. We have been practicing with one another how to invite people to be baptized, including a date. This week, we had the chance to meet a member's reference, named Hermana M. We did a short family home evening with her family, and then two days later we went back and taught the first lesson, in which she accepted not only to be baptized but to prepare for a date. She has definitely been prepared by the Lord! She recently returned home after a trip to visit her mother, who is a member. She told us that she was able to see how the gospel has blessed the life of her mother, and she now wants those blessings in her life. Visiting with her husband, however, will be a challenge because he is very Catholic and when we invite him to join us, he always has an excuse. We will continue working with this family so that not only Hermana M. is baptized, but hopefully also her daughter and her spouse!

Me and Hermana Morales overlooking Los Olivos

We have also been working with Hermano F. and his partner Casimira, who is less active. This family needs lots of help and patience, and tonight, we will be having family home evening with them. For the lesson, we are going to use some new booklets we received that teach about how to have a happier family. We've felt very strongly that we should help this family be married, and so we are looking into information for matrimonios masivos. We are hoping to strengthen and unify this family, and to help them be sealed in the temple one day. Because we have this cita with Casimira and Hermano F. tonight, it means we have to climb a huge hill to get to their home. At least I'm getting some exercise in.

These last few days have also been stressful because we are having another encounter with fleas! Two days ago, we could see fleas jumping around on our floor, so we went into crazy mode and cleaned and disinfected everything for almost 2 hours. We've just about killed all of them in our apartment. Then this morning, our neighbors called the exterminators because all of the houses in our area are having problems. I already told you that I had fleas once, so I know how it is, and about five days ago, I started getting what look like hives or a rash on my feet and ankles. Then, about three days ago, I started noticing a few flea bites. The puzzling thing is that if we have fleas, Hermana Morales should have a ton of bites too, right? Well, she only has one bite on all of her body. That's so not fair. So ya, that's my exciting story -- ha ha.

Hermana Morales and I are doing great, and she is really helping me with my Spanish and teaching. We are getting better, but we still have a lot to improve on. I know for sure that I need to train her better because Pres. Archibald called me last night to ask me why we still don't have any baptismal dates. He was not very happy and told me that I need to be better at inviting people to be baptized and that I need to teach Hermana Morales how to do so as well. Needless to say, I've been pretty stressed this week, but we've been working hard and this week we finally have a baptismal date for one of our investigators.

The weather here is getting hotter and hotter, but I think we're just about in the time of year when it is the hottest. We just sweat all day and do everything we can to stay out of the sun. Hermana Morales told me that in the summer at her house, everyone sleeps on the floor because it is cooler, and she has suggested that we do so one night because some nights are pretty warm. We'll see if we do, but definitely not until the fleas are all gone -- ha ha.