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| Feliz Cumpleanos Evie! |
Fam!! I am so excited to tell you about my new area! It’s
not very far from Buenos Aires.. But I feel like I am in a completely different
world.. The first day was super overwhelming. I really missed the dirt roads
and sound of the ocean.. Los Cedros is like Lima, America, and Slovakia all put
together.. People have really nice houses and decorations on their walls and
tile! There is a mall like America with a Dunkin
Donuts and… SUBWAY! People live in little apartments like the exact same as
the one Evie, James, and I went to for a lunch with the missionaries in
Slovakia.. The only thing that reminds me that we are in Peru are the Jello
stands on every corner (Peruvians love their Jello) a chifa (Chinese restaurant) every 5 feet, and all the dogs walking
around in their sweaters… No joke I swear people just cut off the sleeves of
their sweaters and put them on stray dogs.. Poor things.. sometimes their
sweaters just do not go with their color fur and it’s just not…working out for
them and I want to take the sweater off but that might be a little difficult..
Oh I guess you could say I am in New York too! There are SO many taxis that
just honk all day..all night.. I really feel like they have absolutely no
reason to honk but do it for fun and to drive me crazy..except I am super
grateful for taxis! It’s going to be weird being back in Salt Lake one day and
not being able to just wave your hand for a taxi but instead buy a stinking car
and all that Jazz ugh I love how simple Peru is..
Anyways back to saying what I was saying before, the first
day was rough. It wasn’t like a “Let me go cry in a corner now” kind of feeling
but just a sort of “keep walking get through the day if possible” feeling..
Then this guy sang as we walked past, “Hello, is it me you are looking for!”
And at first I started getting annoyed and then couldn’t help it and started
cracking up haha and my companion did too. I explained to her the song he sang
(because she doesn’t speak a lot of English) and she said in Spanish, “We
should have given him a Book of Mormon and said no, but you are looking for
this!” It was funny haha. I had to keep telling myself, I can get through the
next hour..10 min..day.. Or did 5 things I can see, 4 things I can hear, 3
things I can touch, 2 things I can smell or taste, 1 breath. I looked at things
around and asked myself, “How does this bear witness of Christ?” “What
qualities of this can I use in my life?” I looked at a tall tree, upright,
strong, and firmly rooted, with its branches and leaves reaching upward to the
sunlight, or saw a rough beaten up dog and what that taught about enduring to
the end, or looked around on a crowded bus that gets us from where we are to
where we need to be… Anything to keep me in the present and stay calm.. (Oh
also the streets here are named after places.. Hong Kong, Budapest, San
Francisco, Philadelphia.. I hope you understand the struggle..hahaha).
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| Working on my tan can't you tell?? |
Well
that feeling didn’t last thankfully because that people here are AWESOME! Holy
cow the ward is so strong and united..everyone calls or comes up to the
missionaries asking if they can come teach with us or we pass members on the
street and they say they are heading out to go home teaching, visit teaching..?
I don’t remember the way that is said but I think it’s right? Sounds weird. But
anyways, they are so great about fulfilling callings etc! And I just came into
an area with more than 15 investigators and we received 10 more this week!
Seriously everyone just says stuff like, “Come in! I’m baking a cake and you
can help and also teach me about God!” You think I’m kidding and putting the
cherries on top but I’m not.. We literally taught a lady the restoration of the
Gospel while decorating a cake.. She listened and we made the frosting and
decorated. Twas a masterpiece…need a medal to put on my wall as one of my life
accomplishments.. Because we all remember my terrible stage at age 12 of
wanting to be a cake decorator and how that turned out haha.
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| The daily look |
Oh also our
pensionista/landlord/mom is a professional cake decorator! She’s so awesome! We
live with her family in this house that has this cabin feel plus Downton Abbey
and Pride and Prejudice…you know.. The plates on the walls, that painting of an
apple and a banana (super artsy).. Then you’ve got a 3-course meal at 1, tea
(herbal Louisa) at night..fancy stuff. I’m really wishing I took those etiquette
church mutual classes serious now.. all I know is “Pinkies up!” from
Spongebob.. (Just kidding I promise mom and dad) I’m getting really good at
eating noodles with a spoon politely! Anyways, the family is so great. You’ve
got Grammy and Grandpa, Kelly (the mom) and her two daughters! The best way I
can help you imagine the scene is if we were in the scene from Pride and Prejudice
looking through the windows of all the rooms and you would first look into our
window on the 3rd floor and see Hna. Springer and Hna. Aldana
planning for the next day probably laughing about one of the adventures of the
day (really funny one I’ll tell next week if I remember) then the next floor
you’d see one of the girls, probably listening to their super cool music that
we don’t listen to (but that’s ok because Hna. Aldana has the same taste in
music as the fam so we are best friends). Then the next window would be Hna.
Kelly baking or decorating a cake, and finally Granny probably doing the chacha
or watching futbol (or popping bubble wrap..she loves it!) and Gramps snoozing
outside on the chair. It is such a fun homey feel. I am really happy here! Haha
they are so funny and happy people.
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| The fam |
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| The sleepy spot |
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| Our cute room! |
I love my sweet companion! You will too from these letters..
Holy cow she is the best! She is from Argentina and is such a hard worker. She’s
been a convert for 3 years so she really loves missionary work and has such a
strong testimony. We actually were already friends because we were in the same
zone and I helped her with English once so when we found out we were companions
we were super excited! She’s super super sweet.. She’s that person that peole
would say if she doesn’t make it to Heaven then none of us have a chance haha…
I’m actually praying that we are stuck companions for like 6 months haha not
sure if she would like that very much but I’d be happy! She’s also really
helping me with Spanish. She speaks very clear and my Spanish has gone up from
just one week with her! So all is well.. You will probably meet her one day we
already planned a trip to Argentina and Utah hah.
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| My beautiful compie Hermana Aldana! |
Well I don’t think there is anything else for now! Can’t
wait to read all about your week! Oh! This week I read the talk, “The Infinite
Power of Hope,” by President Uchtdorf! Read it, it is really good! I think I
have always just focused on Faith and Charity and skipped over Hope and realize
now from this talk and studying this week how big of role Hope has! Faith HOPE
and Charity are Best Buds.. complimenting each other and grow together! “The
brighter our hope, the greater our
faith, the stronger our hope, the
purer our charity.. The things we HOPE for lead us to faith, the things we HOPE
in lead us to charity..” Hope holds it all together! Ok well I love you! Have a
great week! Read the Book of Mormon every day and serve others every day
without recognition.
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| The study spot |
Siempre,
Hermana Primavera-er
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