{(Peru Chiclayo Mission)}: Week 3: Hermanas, Hermanas, Hermanas! Earthquake!"

Martes, Abril 22, 2014

We went to the temple this morning at 6:40am. It was an amazing experience. Tender mercies from God today:
1. english headsets in the temple

2. traffic laws

3. spanish cards in the temple for answering

After the temple, we as districts 107 and 106 went to the temple store and bought scripture cases, a HLJ ring (CTR ring) and sticky notes. Then we went to Metros (a ghetto Walmart) haha We got some yummy treats and I got some inca cola! It is a soda that tastes like bubble gum. It is super popular here in Peru.

When we got back, there were new Latinos at the CCM. We have two new hermanas in our room. Hna Rodriguez and Hna Garcia. They are super cute! We ate lunch and then did our laundry. I seriously, with all my heart, hate doing laundry at the CCM.

We went and ate dinner and finished our laundry and went to watch a devotional being broadcasted from the Provo MTC. Elder Dallin H. Oaks spoke with his wife about missionary work. They both spoke about loving your companion and loving them always. "Have a vision of who you are and what you are called to do." Elder Oaks Today was a day full of laughs from "had to be there" moments, but it was such a great P-Day!

The Church is true. Yo se que la Iglesia de Jesucristo es verdadero. Yo le que Dios es huestro amoroso padre celestial.

Miercoles, Abril 23, 2014

Well my best friend left on her mission today. I am so proud of you Sister Loftis! You will change so many lives, I know it!

Today, I had a ton of study time, but I used all of it to study Spanish. I studied church terms so at least that was "church" related! haha Spanish is pretty hard and I don't know why? Just kidding, I know it is hard, because you are relearning to speak. Somedays I wish I just knew everything, but other days I am glad I don't know it all, because I see miracles happen. For example, today Hna McGinnis and I had to teach Sabastian and we studied some spanish for the lesson, and when we went in there, we taught him, answered his questions marvilleso-ly. haha We committed him to read the Book of Mormon and pray diariamente (daily)! He accepted and we left. We did great for not knowing Espanol and not having an exact lesson plan.

Before planning every night at 9:00pm, District 106 and my District 107 get together and sing "A Child's Prayer"! My teacher Hna Villanueve recorded us singing and wanted to tag us on facebook, so accept her request, please and thank you! :)

My teacher Hno Ceasar Aguila thinks I am hilarious because I am always teasing him. He is always saying "Freakin' Latinos" in his adorable latino accent. :) But today he said something in Espanol and I didn't understand so I said, "Freakin' Espanol!" and he seriously laughed for a good 20 min...Okay...5 min. haha But he laughed.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors" in Espanol.

Yah, que, po

No nose goes en Espanol

No nariz van

We play this with our nueve (new) roommates! They are so cute!!! I love Latinas! :)

Jueves, Abril 24, 2014

Just a usual day at the CCM, except for some odd reason all morning my brain would not focus!! It was so annoying. I tried so hard to focus but I couldn't. :( But thankfully my brain sorta focused when Hna McGinnis and I taught "Ernesto" at 10:40am. When we finished our leccion, he told us that we are his favorite companionship! It meant a lot! Because first he is a teacher and second he is such a cool guy! He is the same teacher that took me proselyting on Sabado. He is a cool guy, but he is quite the trickster because he speaks PERFECT ENGLISH! But he pretends like he doesn't know a lick of it. silly silly man.

Tonight during Spanish class Hno Ceasar Aguila told me I was doing a great job. So far in class there are the missionaries who are very good at Spanish or those who are bad. I am the only one in between. They haven't had an issue with me and they also haven't used me to make perfect examples. haha But today I felt like I am making my way up to good! After class all the missionaries got ice cream tonight! They said we are all working so hard that we deserved it! :)

Viernes, Abril 25, 2014

Tonight Hermana McGinnis and I taught "Maria" and it was so amazing! We taught her about the Book of Mormon and how the Bible and the Book of Mormon are meant to be used together! She said she would read the introduction to the book, and we told her we would help her read it! It was so great. We had her pray at the end and it was so spiritual. Such a great experience.

Today, during language study, I really forced myself to work even harder and I can feel it working. I also try and speak more Espanol than English and that helped me today as well.

During morning classes with Hno Chavez y Hno Hans told us a tongue twister in Espanol and made me say it super fast. And in return, I made them say "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" It was so funny because they have such strong accents that it sounds so funny.

During night class Hno Aguila is always teasing me so I called him sassy and old (because he pulled a muscle in his leg trying to kneel down) so I told him he is like my Dad. haha He didn't think that was funny because he is maybe 27 at the oldest. haha

Tonight right before daily planning was over, all the hermanas in my district decided to start reading Jesus the Christ! I am very excited about it!! I love this church!

Sabado, Abril 26, 2014

Oh my goodness. Santa Vaca....(holy cow!) it's already Saturday. My days are flying by! 18 months is going to be nothing! Well Hna McGinnis and I were supposed to teach "Carlos" at 9:30am but he was busy so we taught "Oscar" (He was the same teacher who pretended to be Ernesto) Well our lesson was not as good as I was hoping, but when he gave us feedback he told me I did an amazing job. So that was nice. During my personal study today I read Jesus the Christ and I seriously love that book! I am only 30 or so pages in but the beautiful descriptions of Christ and His Atonement are so touching. I made a little "poster" about it. I like it a lot! I put all the names of Christ and my 2 favorite quotes about Christ.

During night class tonight, we were doing practice teaching and one of the "security" guys came over to me and my companion, Hna Lofgran, to help us teach. His way of helping was saying he was the Holy Ghost and whispering stuff in our ear. I started teaching when all of a sudden, I hear in my ear, "You is so good. Keep going." You should have seen my face....we all started busting up and the hermana I was teaching was trying to kick us out, because she didn't have time to hear our message....but the guy walks over to her and whispers, "You know this is true, get baptized!" And so she says..."Baptize me." and we all busted up again! One baptism in less than a minute. :)

Domingo, Abril 27, 2014

Well last night around 11:30pm I woke up to the Latinas yelling, "Hermanas, Hermanas, Hermanas!" And all the lights flick on and all the Norte Americanas were thinking, WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU YELLING FOR? When they finally had us all up they told us there was an earthquake. None of us felt it, but apparently it really happened! We all thought they were trying to trick us, but everyone this morning that was up at 11:30 pm felt it, but everyone else that was sleeping didn't. Well...I survived my "first" earthquake...how interesting.....

Today at church all the speakers spoke on the Book of Mormon. It was such a spiritual day. Also today the sacrament was very spiritual. I went early to watch the Elders set up the sacrament and I have never noticed how gentle and spiritual the men are with the beautiful ordinance. It was so wonderful! I love this gospel! While everyone was speaking about the Book of Mormon, I read the the introduction and it is so beautiful. I challenge you all to read it! And read the Book of Mormon and take Moroni's promise and ask to know if it is true.

During personal study I read Jesus the Christ and on page 25 at the bottom it reads 2 Nephi 9; read the entire chapter. So I read it. It is so amazing! Read it!! After that I read my Patriarchal Blessing and I love God with all my heart! Read your blessing!! Get your blessing! It is worth it!

Lunes, Abril 28, 2014

Today I had a lot of study time, so I studied Spanish...It is so hard to know what to study and trying to review everything I've learned!! I also studied the scriptures and memorized the first vision in Espanol. "Vi una columna de luz. Mas brilliante que el sol. Directamente arriba de mi cabeza y esta luz gradualmente decendio hasta decansar sobre mi. Al reposar mi la luz, vien el aire arriba de mi a dos personajes, cuyo fulgor y giona no admiren descripcion. Uno de ellos me hablo, llamandome por mi nombre, y dijo denalando al otro, "Este es mi hijo Amado, escuchalo" Saying it in Spanish and understanding each word is so much more spiritual for me, but it could just be me, but it is so amazing in Spanish. Hna McGinnis and I taught Maria and it was not as good as we were hoping. :( But bonus, tonight at 8:00 pm we taught the Latins! And we walked into the room and they randomly assign us topics to talk about and we got the restoration!!! :) It was perfect. We hardly knew what to say because we don't have the Spanish, but when it came to the vision, I said it and the spirit was so strong and the hermanas we were teaching (the hermanas in our room) started to cry. It was such an amazing experience. I love this gospel and I know even if we don't speak the language as well as we would like, we can say simple truths and with the spirit we can bless lives!

Our family drawn by Sierra

District 107 drawn by Sierra
Hna Favero, Hna Kennedy, Hna Waite, Hna Blackburn,
Hna Lofgran, Hna McGinnis, Hna Dodson,
Hno Pawn-Kalilikane, Hno Sandholtz