Monday, April 13, 2015

Week 53: "Hna Dodson, are you baptized?" I smiled and said, "Yes." And then Pedro said, "I knew it."

Lunes, 6 de Abril del 2015        FELIZ CUMPLEANOS ANDY!
     We had our normal study at 10 am and then we headed to Chiclayo (about a 15 minute ride).  We went to Chiclayo because I had a doctor appointment to check out my ear.  We went to the Tottus first and did our shopping.  I bought some really cute shoes!  Then we bought ourselves some chocolate cake. :)  I still don't understand why I am so fat? :)  We also bought ourselves a toilet seat. Be proud.
     After shopping, we went to internet and it was fun to see pictures from Easter and also about everyone's thoughts about conference.
     Then we went to my doctor appointment at 2:00pm.  They told us that the doctor wouldn't be in until 5:30pm....so we left and went searching for a souvenir shop.  We found a huge one with lots of fun things.  I bought some sweaters, Peruvian made shoes, two shirts (for my Gma and Gpa Pearson), a table runner, a cool notebook and some cool bags.
     After shopping, we headed back to the doctor's office.  Turns out that the doctor wasn't even coming in today, but he would be back tomorrow from 10:30am-5:30pm....so we left and went back to Pomalca.  My ear was killing me, so we went back to our cuarto and rested. :(    
    We ate dinner at 8:30 pm, planned for tomorrow and talked until bedtime.

Martes, 7 de Abril del 2015    1 YEAR SINCE BEING SET APART AS A MISSIONARY!
     This morning at 9 am we had a sister leader meeting with Hna Williams.  Today she talked to us about studying and using the scriptures, and how we can teach the other missionaries how to study. Hna Williams is so amazing.  She has such a strong testimony of the scriptures and even in her broken Spanish, the spirit is able to penetrate our hearts.  She and President Williams take such good care of me, and are always checking up on me.  They are great!
     At 10am, we started our leader meeting with President Williams.  I love listening to him.  He knows how to teach and keep us all interested.  He talked about how we must be wise when inviting people to baptism.  He gave us an example: "When you get home from the mission, you are going to go on dates and after a couple dates, you are not going to ask her to marry you without fully knowing what she was going to say"....then he said, "When I asked my wife to marry me, I KNEW she would say yes"....and then he stepped back and put his arms out and looked himself up and down, like he was hot stuff...it was so funny! He does lots of funny things like that.  I love how funny he is, but that he can still teach with the spirit.
     For lunch, we had hamburgers from Chili's Restaurant! :)
     I got a package from my family.  It had a cute outfit, some bunny ears and some Easter candy.  Thank you!!

wearing my new shirt and bunny ears
     At 4:00pm, we went to the doctor's office.  When we got there, they told us that he would be in at 5:30pm.  We set up a cita with the doctor for 5:30pm and then we went to find a place to get our hair cut.  As we were walking back to the doctor's, we were both craving milkshakes, so we stopped into a restaurant called Kango, and bought an Oreo shake to share.
     We went back to the doctor, and got called back at 6:00pm.  He looked in my ear and told me that I have an ear infection.  He gave me some medicine.  I hope it works.
     We got back to Pomalca late.  We ate dinner at 8:30pm.  We had corn on the cob and broccoli.  It was the best dinner ever!
     By the time we got back to our cuarto, we were dying of sleepiness.  We planned and got ready for bed.  We ended up singing some hymns together.  We sang "Abide With Me Tis Eventide" and "Oh, My Father".

Miercoles, 8 de Abril del 2015  1 YEAR SINCE LEAVING MY HOME!!!!
     We had a really good day today.  We taught a lot of people and we saw many simple miracles.
First miracle, was when we were in San Antonio teaching Jose and Teodora their last lesson before their baptisms on Saturday.  We taught them about tithing and fasting.  It was a powerful and very spiritual lesson.  The best part was when Hno Gaspar, son- in- law of Teodora and Jose, was talking about members who don't want to fast and pay tithing....and Jose, a man who doesn't have a lot of words, said in a serious voice, "They don't have faith.  It is a law of faith."  It was amazing!
     Second miracle was with the familia Isique Garcia.  They were waiting outside the house and they were so excited to hear and see us.  This family is amazing! This family has been struggling with a lot of things lately, but they are staying strong.  They said, "Ever since we started listening to you and we accepted it, we haven't had to work on this or that and so on...and hermanas, we know it is true.  We are sticking with it, no matter what happens." They are so prepared.  Anyways, when we were teaching them, Pedro asked if Moises (the 1 yr old) would get baptized with them on the 9th of May...and sadly we had to break the news that neither he (Pedro) or Moises could be baptized right now.  Pedro started to cry.  So we explained that in August, when he turns eight years old, he could get baptized.  He didn't like our answer, but by the end of the night, he "forgave" us and told us that he loved us.
     Then we went to dinner, went home and planned.

Jueves, 9 de Abril del 2015   FELIZ 1 YEAR OF MY CALL DATE
     This morning we did weekly planning and at 3:00pm we headed to interviews with President and Sister Williams.  I love the Williams so much.  I am very blessed to have such wonderful people to lead me in my mission.  They are so spiritual, strong and loving.
     Hermana Williams is my mom away from home.  She hugs me, and tells me she is lucky to have me as a missionary.  She always has wonderful advice for the mission and life.  President Williams reminds me of my dad, serious and funny. :)
     Later, we went out teaching.  At 7:00pm, we headed to an activity at the church.  The familia Isique Garcia were there waiting.  I talked with them and showed them some pictures of my family. They fell in love with my family... and every day that I see this family Isique Garcia, I fall in love with them more and more.

Viernes, 10 de Abril del 2015
     This morning we had a zone meeting, and being sister leaders, we helped the zone leaders teach at the meeting.  I really enjoy being a sister leader!  After the meeting, we did intercambios (exchanges).  I headed to Tuman with Hna Yaulli (Arequipa, Peru).  She was one of the hermanas from when I had my bad foot and we would stay in her cuarto in Chiclayo...she is really cool.  She is 33 years old and has an amazing testimony of the church and she became a convert to the church when she was 28 years old.
     We didn't find a whole lot of people to visit, but what was fun was that we ended up being accompanied by twins, Stephanie and Carol.  They are 19 years old and are preparing to leave on a mission.  They are cool girls.
      P.S.  I ate cuy (guinea pig) for lunch...not just the meat, but straight up full body cuy. hahaha I ate it....well most of it. :)

Sabado, 11 de Abril del 2015
     We ended the intercambios around 9:45am.  Hna McGinnis told me that while she was on intercambios with Hna Villa (Mexico), they went to visit the familia Isique Garcia and that they were very confused as to why I wasn't there.  Hna McGinnis explained to them what was going on, and they were very relieved that I was not "leaving". :)
     We got back to Pomalca around 10:30am and then at 11:00am, we headed to the church to clean and fill the baptismal font.  While we were cleaning in our nice clean church clothes, two men from the other ward (Las Delicias) showed up to clean the church building.  They offered to finish cleaning and filling the font.  :) So we left and went home to do language study.
     Then we went to lunch with a member.  Whenever we eat with members, they always give us A LOT of food, so we bring little bags to put our food in to sneak it out, so that we don't die from eating so much.  Well, we usually eat alone, but not today.  She came and joined us after giving us FOUR full plates of food.  We ate it all and left feeling barely alive.
     After lunch, we headed to the elder's cuarto to pick up baptismal clothing and then we headed to the church.  We were helping get everything ready for Jose and Teodora.  At 3:00pm they showed up and changed into their baptismal clothing.  We took pictures with them and then we started the ceremony.  It was a very nice service.

Jose y Teodora



The family on the far right side are the familia Isique Garcia.
Maria and Pedro on the back with
Maladiege, Pedro and Moises in the front.
     The best part was when the father of our pensionista, Silberio, who was going to baptize Jose, leaned over to Jose as they were walking to the font and said, "Today, you are going to heaven."  Jose looked concerned, especially because that phrase could be taken as a threat of murder, since Silberio would be pushing him under water in just a few minutes.  Hna McGinnis and I busted up laughing.  I love old people.
     The familia Isique Garcia showed up to the baptism, and they loved it.  During the baptism, I was sitting next to Pedro and as people were talking to his family about their baptismal date, Pedro leaned over to me and asked, "Hna Dodson, are you baptized?"  I smiled at him and said, "Yes."  And then he said, "I knew it." :)  Then with a little sad puppy face, Pedro then asked me, "It's true that I will have to wait until August to get baptized, huh?"  I told him, "Yes.  But guess what?  I had to wait until I was eight years old to get baptized, too....and I turned eight in October and then I had to wait until November to get baptized."  Pedro said, "Wow, you got baptized when you were eight, too? I thought maybe you were old when you got baptized."
     After the baptism, I talked with Maria and Royer for a bit and then we all left.  As we watched the familia Isique Garcia leave, walking down the road together, it was such a beautiful scene.  The best part was when they turned around and waved at us.  I love their family.

familia Isique Garcia
     In the nighttime, we were talking in our cuarto after planning and Hna McGinnis shared Alma 26 with me, and applied it to us as missionaries leaving the States to come to Peru to save our Peruana brethren.

Domingo, 12 de Abril del 2015
     At church, I led the music again....haha.  After church, we went home and studied and then went to lunch at Alaska and Gaspar's house.  Teodora was there, too, so we talked with her.  She is so happy and content.  She is so adorable.
     After lunch, we went out visiting, but not very many people could talk with us because they were leaving, so we set new citas and went to the next house.
     At 4:53pm, as we were leaving San Antonio, the familia Isique Garcia were calling to us because they had a reference for us.  Maria's sister, Magdalena, was at their house and they wanted her to hear our message.  They were so excited.  They were just glowing.  Maria kept saying, "Magdelena, these are my little dolls who I love so dearly." I love her.
     Afterwards, we were walking and trying to find a moto to take us to the church for our meetings...but we never found one.  So we ended up being late, but luckily here in Peru, the meeting started late, so we what actually happened was that we were early! :)
     We were in meetings from 5:00- 8:00pm.  Then at 8:00pm, we went to dinner.  We had lasagna.  It was so good.
     Then we went home and had some hot chocolate that Hna McGinnis had received from home.  I love Swiss Miss hot chocolate, so if you want to send some, I won't complain. :)
     We planned on the floor and then got ready for bed.

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