[No Subject]

Week Twenty-Six!

This week was a long one, not because of anything that happened, and not because of anyone else, but because of my own pride.

I was pretty upset that I was taken out of Chilca right before my birthday and I let that bug me even though I knew there would be changes my whole mission but I still let it bug me a lot to the point where I wouldn't let anyone in or I would pretend to let them in but really I didn't get to know anyone.

On Friday I got a reality check and it really opened my eyes to how ridiculous I was being and since then I have really been able to improve which is always good.  That is one thing I really learned this week, yeah, we know how much we have improved and gotten better and met our goals.  But there is always more we need to do.

Yeah, I can understand and read Spanish, but I still fault a lot of the speaking, yeah, I can look people in the eye and actually talk to new people but I still need to learn how to be more personable.  There is always room to improve and that is something I learned a lot this week.  Being in a new area I don’t know anyone and they don’t know me.  They just see where I am at and not where I have come from.  So that is what I really learned this week. 

The people here are pretty good.  We baptized, on Saturday, a 70 year old man named Lorenzo.  He grew up in the jungle and was an alcoholic, because he said the elevation bugged him.  He quit drinking and became ready for baptism.  It was a really remarkable story and the ward here has been so good to him to the point where one member bought him a brand new beautiful new cane to replace the walking stick he was using.  It really is a beautiful thing.

Love you,

Hermana Peters

Look my mission!

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormonism-in-pictures-church-growth-peru

Mantaro

                           
Week Twenty-Five!

Well cambio's were this week and I was changed, which was actually a big shock because Presidente told Hna. Witt that she was leaving Chilca which meant I would stay but Hna Witt stayed and I left, which was really hard.

Mantaro is about 20 minutes from Chilca but a lot different there is a lot more wealth here and it is really uncomfortable obvious, and it’s really hard to teach a lesson when there is a bigger TV than the one you have back in the US staring back at you.

Oh yeah, and I’m companions with Hna. Polatis, she’s white, she’s from Blackfoot ID, she goes back to her house in 6 weeks, and she is a Hermana Leader.  It is nothing like what I expect.  It is really hard especially right before my Birthday, because now no one knows when my birthday is so it will just be another forgotten one to go down in the books.

Things work a lot different here and some things are better and some things are not.  Because it is a richer area there is a lot more Hermana's, which will also be something new for me.  I just feel like I’ll be growing a lot this next cambio.

Love Hna. Peters

Chilca District

Chilca District

 There are a lot of people who are 6’ 4” and blonde, like 90 percent of our mission is from Utah and if he hasn't served in the city I don’t know him and it’s called La Jolla.

I didn't have the visa problem because all my work was done in the CCM.  I’m legal.

I don’t really have a lot of dreams out here, but I noticed that when I think of memories from back home or like things people said, sometimes it’s in Spanish or Spanglish and I’m just like wut.

The church was out of water but the neighbor let us
use his hose. 

Look it’s a Haunted House, oh wait…it’s a church.

[No Subject]

Week Twenty-Four!

Well this week was good.  Since it was such short notice on the Lima thing I just spent the 3 days with Hna Ugaz and Hna Gonsalez (from Australia).  It was pretty fun but it was really hard having our Area closed for a few days.  But Hna Gonsalez is really cool, she’s basically the Australian Avery so we got along pretty well and we both think that we are staying in our District this next cambio (tomorrow) so we should be hanging out a bit more.

We had interviews with President this week and they went well I don’t know what else to say but he did say no one stays in one area their WHOLE mission which makes me feel like there is a lot more work for me here in Chilca.  While to Hna Witt he said I’ll get you out of Chilca as soon as possible and I think it’s best for her, she’s not the type of person to stay in an area for a long time.

Yeah but once we got back we had a whole day of like district meetings, then interviews with president, then it was Sunday, so it was a really short week and we didn’t get much done.

Teoblado wasn’t baptized this week because of this, and then we set a date for this next week and he’s like whatever.  Then on Sunday his wife came up to us all sad and explained that he didn’t want to listen to us if we didn’t have a male member of the ward with us and that he didn’t want to be baptized this week.  So that was pretty upsetting but some people just need a little more work.

One person that doesn’t need work is Paul I don’t know if I told you about Paul but he’s a cool kid.  He accepted a baptismal date for the 2nd of August.  We know he will be ready by then and we talked to him about the day of rest and he was all distressed like my whole family works on Sunday.  We were just like awe let’s just work on you first then we can help you with your family but he is one of those people who is just so ready for the gospel.  He has a few Word of Wisdom issues so that is why his baptismal date is a little further out but he is so ready.

Love Hermana Peters

No I’m not fluent in Spanish, but I can live, because people are patient enough to figure it out and it’s like the Spirit does the talking anyway so just keep studying and working and it will come.

Oh yeah I forgot to answer when you asked about our new district leader, his name is Elder Moore, he’s pretty cool.  We struggled with him a little bit but we realized it was because we kept comparing him to Elder Tellez, and we were kind of being brats but he’s a really good kid and knows a lot of the gospel and has taught us a lot since he came in.  Sometimes you just need to humble yourself before something works

And Hna Gonsalez says she wants more of the brownie cookies that came in the dear elder package, because they were yummy and the birthday hat and noise makers came in handy because it was Andre (our pentions sons) birthday and I think they enjoyed them.

Hey I have a question really quick, when Sydney was sealed to our family were you in the full temple outfit or just the dress, because we were talking about it and we were wondering.  Because we were talking and when Hna Witts mom was sealed to her family she only remembers everyone in all white and I only remember white from when we were sealed to Sydney so we think it’s like some sort of like spiritual block so that we don’t remember the ceremonial clothes.

"I was solo, eating rolos"

Week Twenty-Three!

Yes I got my packages, the Easter ones with pictures of Will and Jon and the Dear Elder one, so don’t worry all is well.

This week I am writing early because our zone leaders called this morning and said Hrna Witt is headed back to Lima to finish her visa we are pretty sure it is only 3 days this time but it’s still upsetting because cambios are in a week.  And because they literally told us like an hour ago and we don’t have anyone to be my companion so I’m living with the sisters of penaloza for the next few days which is also stressful.

The timing is bad because Teobaldo, the spouse of Hna Haydee is getting baptized on Saturday and he doesn’t have all the lessons that he needs to be baptized so our plan was to meet with him every day this week but I don’t know how that is going to happen if Chilca is closed for 3 days.  He’s a really good guy but we need to baptize him before he goes back to work because he won’t have missionaries in the mines of Cero de Pasco.  He goes to church every Sunday her entire family is just so ready for the gospel.

This last week we also met Paul.  Paul is a good kid.  It all started with us knocking on his door.  We had a cita with him the next day.  We went and talked about the restoration and he seemed a little suspicious and was like is this the same bible I have and were like yeah look, James 1:5, and were like the way to get over your doubts are to ask God if Joseph Smith was a prophet.

We went back a few days later when he told us he would be home, and he wasn’t there and the next couple days we looked for him and then we found him again and he bought us juice and was like, I feel bad I missed the cita.  We were like no problem.  Did you pray?  He’s like yeah but probably not the way I should have so we talked about prayer and the Holy Ghost and he’s like okay.  We were like when can we meet again and he’s like tomorrow in the park and were like cool that like never happens.  So we took Percy (a member) with us and met Paul in the park and then went to Hermana Filomenas house and taught the Book of Mormon, which was a little scary because of the whole Bible thing but we did it and he’s like I found one of these in my parents things and were like what that’s cool.  He was accepting of it and it was cool and we were like when can we meet again and he was like, tomorrow and everyday it was like that.  We had a cita with him every day that week, which never ever happens, and it was so cool and he’s a really good kid.

That’s really all,

Love

Hermana Peters

Huancayo Stake Conference

Week Twenty-Two!

Well this week was good.  Not a whole lot happened.  My parents forgot to write me and President thought it was my birthday.  I’m hoping that that means I have a package in the office but I won’t know until tomorrow.

This week was stake conference here.  I think that is like my third one this year?  It was pretty good, we had Elder Torres from the 70 (I don’t know which quorum) and he spoke to us.  He is a man of words good words but lots of them.  I was able to learn a lot from him and it was good for our investigators too

I think they heard what they needed too.

The dad of the Elders Pentionista passed away this week we decided to go and support her even though we don’t know her that well and it was an interesting service.  Because her family was Catholic they wanted a Catholic ceremony, even though he was a member, so that was interesting and it was interesting to see the difference between her sadness and her siblings.  Like hers was a temporary sadness if that makes sense and she was crying but not hard.  Her family was sad like it was the end and that was the saddest part.

There are just some things that have happened and it really makes me realize how blessed we are to have this gospel.  We have been teaching a man named Alvino and he is 76 years old and every time we come over he’s like there is always a joy when you guys come.  This week we found out that the Jehovah Witnesses have been visiting him too and were like what are you doing and he’s like yeah I’m just confused about what he talks about but you guys just make me so joyful and were just like Holy Ghost is awesome.

That is really all that happened this week.

What we do on p days.

We went to the museum of terrorism of Peru.

It technically wasn't open yet but they let us in because we said pretty please so when it is famous I can be like I was the first one in there.

Long Live Chilca

Week Twenty-One!

This week has been pretty okay.  It has been kind of hard getting use to a new district leader, especially when he is the exact opposite of the previous district leader, but I have been learning and growing a lot.  It is okay because his companion is super cool.

Anyway.  There were some cool things this week.  Like the USA won two world cup games.  The only parts that I have seen is when they show the American fans wearing Peruvian jersey’s and everyone is just like Americans are so dumb and I’m just like awesome.

There have been a couple goals I've seen.  Most people here don’t care too much because Peru isn't in the world cup so like our days are mostly normal.  We actually had some pretty high numbers this week with lessons so that was good.

The ward members here are so awesome.  Yeah they all have their problems and sometimes their problems drive us nuts but they are still so great and they come to lessons with us and love our investigators

Hermana Witt and I have some really cute pictures this week but my camera isn’t working on the computer this week.  The computer is still running on like Windows XP so that’s rough but it’s still a blessing to have a computer.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SYDNEY AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILL!  I ate cake on Sydney’s birthday for her and we plan on getting cake today for Will’s we will see if that actually happens and happy belated Father’s Day to dad.  I guess that is kind of important too.

I heard two stories about the Chupacabra this week and it wasn't the my sheep were eaten stories it was the I was face to face with the Chupacabra stories and it made me so happy and I literally sat there for an hour just listening.  Then Hna. Witt is like what is a Chupacabra and I’m just like your mom is Mexican how do you not know and it was probably the greatest moment of my life

I don’t know what else to write other than I forgot to mention Hna. Witt cut my bangs she’s never cut hair in her life so that was really fun.

At night it does cool down but only to like the needing a sweater weather like a nice summer day in Portland.  I don’t need any extra clothes for that.  Whoever is complaining is either in Huancavilica, Cero de Pasco or is a big baby.

Love you 

Hermana Peters

PS

The prophet told the mission president he has to shut down the blog.

So he did.

So yeah.

This Week from Huancayo Peru

                           
Week Twenty!

Well this week was interesting but good.  They kicked all the Costa Rican missionaries out of Peru which includes our district leader Elder Tellez.  We got some white kid now so that will be interesting.  It’s a big change from Elder Tellez but I’m sure he will lighten up a bit once our zone leaders get a hold of him (they are a little bit crazy) but it is good.

This week we baptized Sherly, she is the little sister of another convert named Henry, he was baptized like right before Hermana Witt and I moved in and we got permission for him to baptize her and it was the cutest thing ever.

Henry baptizing Sherly

Henry and Haydee

And this week our stake had a concourse of dances and it was also so cute the same Henry danced with Haydee our recent convert from a few weeks ago, and just seeing everyone dance was so cute.  It was like all of our favorite people were dancing together and it was so awesome.   

Each ward had a different South American country and our ward was Chile I don’t know if people in Chile dress the same as in Portland but that is how they dressed for the dance it was funny.

The picture of them walking out is like all of our favorites in one photo.

Concourse of Dances

That was really all the highlights of the week.

I have not gotten my package yet. 

Hermana Witt went to Lima because she was illegal and needed a visa.

Snow doesn’t exist here, it’s hotter than life.  I’m tanner than I have ever been in my whole life it’s like a bajillion degrees during the day and then from like 6pm to 9am it’s like a little bit cold like in the 50s.  If this is winter I think I may die in the summer.  I miss the rainy season.

I don’t talk about zone conferences because they are the most boring thing ever.  This last one we met at the church after P Day and listened to a 1.5 hr PowerPoint about true happiness then watched everyone get packages that had them then we went home, it was so fun...............................................

Our Zone is Zona Huancayo, which is our district Chilca, like a district of the city of Huancayo, which is us and the elders in our ward, the sisters and elders in Peñaloza, and then a little pueblo called Pampas which is like an hour away.  Then another two districts called Huancavalica (1&2) which is a city that’s about 5 hours away on the most dangerous road in all of our mission (Which I survived whuttup) and there is a district there of 4 elders and another of a pair of sisters and like four more elders and we see them like once a month for zone conference.  In your area really no matter where you are you’re kind of in a box of your district and you never get to know anyone else and since I have been in Chilca my whole mission with the same companion I know nobody, yay!  But the kids I know are cool so it’s okay.