Week 19

            Fam-jam,
That´s awesome that Erickson and Sykes are on their missions now! Sweet. Mom, good luck on your lesson in YW-I don´t know if you´ve already had it or anything, but enjoy it! Make a cute handout or something. Time out for Women sounded like it was fun! Clark and Hunt-BYU women´s soccer game looked legit! That’s funny that you had to wait for the TX football game since it was raining. Glad to hear uncle John had a fun birthday with you guys, he cracks me up. Enjoy your new house! Study hard! Rex, congrats on your scrimmage game little bruddah! Write me back. Mckay, how are you liking Thoreau? It’s a bit of an adjustment, but if your friendly and nice, you´ll make lots of new friends! Plus how could people not love you? Grant, who´s your Japanese teacher? Stay outta trouble.
This week I´m really grateful for earplugs. We live 2 doors away from a bar and EVERY weekend they blast music until like 3am. It´s weird hearing American pop music.

Let´s see, alright this week:
 
We went to the Apiat/plaza last week for pday. Third time´s a charm I guessJ I got legit tire sandals. We saw Dispicable Me 2 in Spanish, pretty funny. Taught Rosemary and had a NDH with Sandra Cruz and her family.

On Tuesday, my companions and I talked about how to work with the ward, specifically the bishop more effectively. Honestly, that’s been a large part of how we´ve been able to have success. Bishop Bruno meets with us every week and we have an hour to talk about our investigators and what they need from the ward. Love the ward´s help!! Later, we taught Dante-a less-active. I was really direct with him. That’s one thing Hna. Gonzales has told me, that I´m really direct with people. Haha I haven´t really noticed, but that’s good I guess. I´m just sick of hearing excuses and want to pin-point exactly whats impeding their progress in the gospel, so we can better know and help them come unto Christ. Taught Luis Fransisco and Sandra. It felt so good-ripping up a picture of a top-less woman on a calendar in their house. 7 Guinea pigs running around the kitchen dirt floor.

There was  a new missionary and trainers meeting on Wednesday, but I went out prosiliting with the other Hermanas in Palermo since I´ve already been to that meeting when I first got here. That evening, Hna. Huaman felt really sick with a fever, throat hurt, and just over all super weak. The 1^st and 2^nd counselors in the ward came over and gave her a blessing before bed. Gave her some medicine, but it hurts her stomach. 
Hna. Gonzales and I had companionship study and did all of weekly planning on our own while Hna. Huaman got some rest on Thursday. Poor thing wanted to prosilite so bad, but barely enough energy to take a shower. Sick mammaL
 
A member went out with Hna. Gonzales to teach while I stayed and took care of Hna. Huaman. Now, she´s feeling much better-thank goodness. Something similar happened last year too, she thinks its because of the change in climate. One of the other tenants in our house is a nurse and she made this natural remedy hot liquidy plant stuff, which helped her throat. The Zone Leaders also brought loads of medicine too.

WE´re preparing and planning for 3 baptisms on the 21^st, I´ll tell ya a little bit about each one:
1.       Rosemary approached us at church last Sunday and explained how she was introduced to the church in Mexico and wants to get baptized. Bishop wasn´t sure if we could, since she lives out of our area. But she moved, so now she´s in our area and we´ve taught her a few times. Good foundation of Jesus Christ and already know quite a bit about the gospel.
2.       Luis Fransisco, adopted son of Lidia-in the ward. He was gonna be baptized with Jose Luis, but his mom thought it was too soon and the dad couldn´t be there for last Saturday-and obviously we want him there. Good kid, continues to learn more and is excited for his baptism.
3.       Sandra. The first time we taught her was way back in late July or August, friend/neighbor of Camilla-a girl in the ward. She said that her parents wouldn´t be ok with it, so we were just really friendly and taught her one other time when a different appointment fell through and we were already in the neighborhood. Now, her mom´s ok with it and we´ve included her on lessons too. Sandra has been coming to church for several weeks now and is seriously SO excited to be baptized. Back, when she didnpt have permission-she literally refused to bathe before school, eat, sleep-because she wanted to be baptized so badly. Haha she´s 11 and is learning about the gospel really well-golden gem.
We´ve been preparing a few recent converts for receiving the priesthood. It´s exciting! Stake conference was yesterday and they talked about that too, so it was good to have them hear about it there too!

Juan Carlos (less active)´s wife Coty won´t have work on Sundays any more after this month, so we´re really excited for her to start coming to church and Jan Carlos too! If they get married, Coty and their 8 year old son Diego could be baptized at the same time, ahh so awesome!!
Still working with Modesto, Sandra Cruz´s husband. Doesn´t really have a desire to be a member, loves his futbol on Sundays and alcohol. But I think with more time, pacience, and seeing how this can bring his family much closer together-he´ll want to change.
 
Yesterday, we started teaching a less-actives son Christian. He wants to be baptized. Hopefully he can be the example to get his mom back to church. Dad is NOT interested. Not one little bit.
Julio. Its awesome that Juan Hererra has been such a bud to him, but I don´t know what to think about Julio. I always refer to him as my disobedient little grandpa. Haha he reminds me of Uncle John a little bit. Still doesn´t understand the resoration. I have never seen such a ghetto bike, one of the petals broke and he attatched the flat part of a metal spatula to fix it. Haha still cracks me up!!
Something kinda funny, I asked this guy with a sweet mustache how long it took to grow, but he thought that I had asked how long he´s had it for-40 years sounded too long. Oh Spanish. The mistakes I make are funny. Lots of patience, I´ve been able to understand more with time.
I don´t know if I´ve ever said it before, but Peruvian dogs are so ugly. They don´t have any fur, except for around their face. And they just run around the streets. And mating in a public park is totally normal.
 
I love this work and hope yáll have a great week!
Con Mucho Amor,

Hna. Boody