Farewell Peru!

 

 

This week was GREAT! The last week in Peru! :) Last week being an avocado which I realize I have been spelling wrong my whole life. hahaha

 

We got to watch the Trujillo dedication and it was amazing! Such a spritual experience! :) They also gave us all white handkerchiefs with the Trujillo temple sewn into them, so thats so fun! haha

 

They gave all the Hermanas consecrated oil! Our district leaders consecrated it for us while we were in the room and now we have some in case a priesthood holder doesn't have any and someone needs a blessing! How cool is that! So now I can get a cool key chain thing like Steven has! Kidding! hahahah

 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD tomorrow! YAY!! 35 years! It seems like just yesterday you two crazy kids were getting married :,) hahahahha I hope you have a wonderful day! :)

 

I forgot to tell you from a couple weeks ago when I went proselyting that I saw a cat sitting outside in a window and the temptation was SO REAL to pet it or hold it like a baby. hahahaha but I knew I couldn't. Because my heart rests with Scout! Annndd Its against the rules and I probably would've died. hahahah

 

We had a sub teacher in our class yesterday and she went around to all of us asking about our language study plans we have to make every week and when she got to me we chatted for a really long time because she said she had heard about me from other teachers! haha about how nice and funny and enthusiastic I am and I searched and finally found the sentence to say I was a cheerleader. hahaahhaha but really. Every ounce of crazy enthusiasm is dedicated to Jessica Rodriguez who made me do cheer with her when we were 14. hahaha But seriously. Whats not to be happy about? LIFE IS GREAT! 

 

I leave on either Monday night or early Tuesday morning for Bolivia! :) It will be SO FUN and I cannot believe I have already been here for 6 weeks! Where has the time gone! Next time I write I will (hopefully) have a nice, PATIENT trainer! :) How fun! I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week!!!

 

Love,

Hermana Park! :)

AVOCADO!

SPANISH SCRIPTURES that cost like 98 soles, or around 30 dollars.

pic from last week with hermanas that left

 singing from last week with my district and 2 random younger hermanas

placing LDM to a young lady at Garages hahhaa

the first pleasant bus experience YET 

group of avocados and intermedios!

This week flew by! I'm an avocado! (avancado) Meaning I leave in LESS THAN 2 WEEKS. This last bunch of Hermanas that left was sad. We all got really close and it was just a big weep party and they made me sing "Bop to the Top."  Then Hermana Gonzalez, Presidente's wife came in and said "Ladies, what time is it?" And I think that is the most scared I may have ever been. hahahahaha

Proselyting was good! It was Hmna. Higham, me, and 2 members from the Peru ward. It was Lima East! We visited inactive young women. It was so fun to just walk the streets of Peru! Everyone was just walking around. haha not like Blackfoot at all. haha so fun! :) Long day though. We were all so tired by the time we finally got back and had to go to class for another 2 hours. But Im not here to sleep!  Who needs sleep! Sleep is for the weak!

There was a white family here touring, and we were watching them all throwing out speculations of who they were, and it turned out to be a man who served in the Trujillo Peru 15 years ago coming to the Temple dedication with his family and parents. Hïs wife said "look kids! They speak English!" 

Today, I brought 2 copies of El Libro de Mormon with me. We were about to leave and walk back to find a bus and I took the copies out of my bag, because my arm was dead from carrying them, and 2 guys came up to me and asked me what my book is. So I told them and 1 was atheist and 1 Catholic but they took them and said they will read them because I am a "chica bonita" Hey. Whatever furthers the gospel, right? haha

The branch presidency changed in my CCM branch and we got a new counselor. Their last name is Sheffield and the wife grew up in Blackfoot years ago! How fun is that! Elaine Street in Blackfoot is named after her mom! Small world!

I love you all and this week was great! One more week in Peru then off to Bolivia! YAY! Cant wait! :) Except for the fact that I am going to have to wear every piece of clothing I own on the plane so I make weight. hahaha but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. I love you! Have a wonderful week and never forget how loved you all are! :)

Hermana Park!

What Even Is Time?

 SAME skirt as my favorite avocado Hermana Jaspers! :)

Sometimes we play volleyball

This week was CRAZY! Plus, how have I been here for almost a month? This is like Interspection. (hahahaha that is not a real name of a movie.) (Interstellar!) The one with the astronauts that go to another planet that is like 7 years for every one hour. Because that's how I feel! 

So today we went to the temple and the market like usual, but I really wanted to talk to someone. So I prayed last night to have someone put in my path to talk to and then the supply closet was locked this morning, so I couldn´t get a BOM so all I had was The Gospel of Jesus Christ pamphlet (in Spanish). We had switched lines and decided to switch randomly again, and a man asked if we were here with a church! And he spoke English! HE said he has traveled to the USA for work so he can speak a little English and he wants to go to Idaho because he loves potatoes, and hes catholic. So he already believes in religious things! And so we kept talking and he asked where we meet for church and when. We didn't know what to tell him, because we don't leave the CCM for church, so we got his contact info and I gave him the pamphlet and it was AWESOME! What is life? THE STORY DOESN'T END THERE! 

My whole district has become singers. We all sing and Elder Riddick beat boxes and we have a good time (church music and primary) and it's crazy how many primary songs we all randomly remember. Anyways, we were doing that outside of Tottus (the store we shop at every other week) and then walked back to get on a bus and we were still singing and some guys across the street were saying hi and showing interest and so we were trying to get Elder Hart, the district leader who is the best at Spanish, to go talk to the 2 guys. But he wouldn't! So I just ran across the street and accidentally scared them with my loud HOLA!  But..HE SPOKE ENGLISH TOO! And so we gave him some pass along cards and got his info and then randomly ran into some Lima Central missionaries and gave them all the info. WHAT EVEN IS LIFE? Then on the bus I had a First Vision pass along card and I was TOTALLY ready to quote it in Spanish to this guy and he said he doesn't believe in God or Christ. So. But I just gave him the card anyways. Today was GREAT and I love leaving these walls!  Also, on Saturday all the intermedios get to go PROSELYTING! They ship us off to a church and we all split up into either the Lima South or North missions I think. We go with a Latino missionary and a member! So yay! Cant wait! I will be an avencado (avacado) next time we speak because all of them are leaving Monday and Tuesday! What is life?

Some Latinos said my Spanish was good! So there's that. haha

The other day we were all getting ready after physical activity and we all thought we were just feeling things..but a little mini baby earthquake happened! And we felt it because we were on the 3rd floor! FUN! :)

Oh and the Elders HAVE to wait for the Hermanas every meal. So we all go first, and it made me sad at first because they just literally have a giant line out the door and I don't need food that much. But its a rule that we go first. And ya know, exact obedience. But on Fast Sunday, they all passed ice cream bars down the line so that was fun to watch, except all the ice cream is gone now. But I don't really like it anyways! 

We got to watch Elder Perry's funeral live on Friday and it was so spiritual!

Oh, happy birthday Saturday Adam!

On Saturday night there was a huge fiesta going on across from the CCM and the music was ridiculously loud, so much that I could understand the words in my bed on the 3rd floor with the window closed. Life here is great.

On Fast Sunday, everyone basically bore their testimony and it was solemn and teary and ya know how I can never be serious, so as usual Emily behavior I get up, grab the microphone and say "What a time to be alive!  Everyone asked me if my happiness was a learned thing and I just keep saying that why wouldn't I be happy? But mainly because I was a cheerleader so that's how I'm hard wired. 

This was a great week! just 2 and a half more before I'll be in Bolivia! YAAAAY!

I am LOVING it here! Everyone is wonderful and the food suddenly got WAY amazing, or I am just getting used to it?  Thank you for all your prayers! I can seriously feel them so strong and things are improving! We gave our first completely ad lib lesson with no notes and it rocked. I could teach everyone how to pray. 

I love you!!!

Hermana Park!

Another Week in THE BEST PLACE EVER

Hello!!

I have figured out that Hermana Higham is "Conlee" hahaha so that's fun! :) We get along pretty well!

Spanish is now finally feeling good! I am getting the hang of it! I love it! It's frustrating the lessons not being able to express my feelings just saying the basic things! But life is great! :) I can pray and testify pretty well, that's all ya need!

The investigators try to make the lessons feel real, so they yell, speak fast, and play music. I have learned to ask them to turn off their music. But one lesson, I walked up and he was playing Take On Me by Aha and I seriously could not get anything out of my mouth because I was laughing, which made my companion laugh, which made the investigator laugh. It's a good time.

I have overcome my fear of soccer! hahaha I just decided to jump in and I've been scoring goals! It is SO FUN! I love it!

BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT: Hermana McDonald taught me...how to roll my R's. How exciting is that??!  Arrodillarse!

Things here are WONDERFUL! The new Americans came in last night and all the girls are SO CUTE. I feel so old and they look so young even though I've only been here for 2 weeks.  Oh, also, I moved up and am not a participiante (i dont know how to spell it haha) I am an intermedio! In 2 weeks I''ll be an Avecado which my district nicknamed avacados. 

This morning, my session in the Lima temple was with a bunch of Lima West missionaries and the president and wife! It was so fun! I am loving Peru! It is so fun to hop on a really crowded bus and travel! haha I am being serious! 

Life is SO GOOD. I am seriously having the time of my life and seeing all the avacados leave was so heartbreaking. We all stayed up until 11 (GASP) and a girl beatboxed while we all sang primary songs. that is the life of a missionary.

I love you ALL and I hope life is going so so well for you all! Eat lots of fun American things! :) Heavenly Father is SO GOOD and truly loves us all. Wait, I can say that in Spanish. Dios es nuestro amoroso Padre Celestial. Have a splendid week! Be nice to everyone you meet!

Hermana Park!