Week 38

Queridos Familia Y Amigos,

 

Had a rockin´week. Last Pday, we had an awesome BBQ style lunch with the zone and it was really fun! One of our zone leaders made Mac N´Cheese for us, that he got in his Christmas package. oh man, it was so delicious. The things that I´ve taken for granted nowadays:) We watched emperor´s new groove in Spanish and it was hilarious! 

Flavia and Christina are doing well, we have a FHE tonight with them and another family that are less active too. 

Mendoza family. An hermanita from the ward, Fidencia accompanied with us to both of the lessons that we had this week and they went really well! But sadly, Maria flaked out on church yesterday, Fidencia was gonna pick her up on her way to the chapel-but Maria called her and bailed:( 

Had a super funny lesson with a part-member family this week. It started out to be a less-active, Melich, and her mom, watching the Restoration video. Then, Melich left and the dad started watching it. Then the other daughter who´s a less-active member too joined us. then the parents slowly disapeared and so by the end of the video, it was us with Manjory. haha it was hysterical. 

A son of a recent convert, remember Pablo? We started teaching his son Henry and he´s awesome! has a baptismal date for February 15th. It was really funny tho, his dad was interrupting sooo many times while we were watching the Restoration video. oh my goodness it drove us crazy! haha its awesome how excited he is for his son to learn about the gospel, but oh man it was too good-he kept talking during the video. practically narrating everything. haha 

Marlene and Hart are the greatest! Their the less-active friends of Flavia and Cristina that are gonna have FHE with us tonight. Hart accompanied us to some of our teaching appts. this week, he´s 21 and starting to develop the desire to serve a mission!! 

 

ahh there´s loads more I want to say, but only 2 minutes left.

huge surprise for last-transfers are tomorrow and I´ll be leading my area with my new companion! Hna. Portillo is headed to Esperanza and will be in a trio for a week until one of her companion is headed home. We´ll be super busy, rushing around and saying goodbyes to everyone today. I´m excited to show my new companion around and for the members to meet her:) her name is hna. semorille and I remember her from the sister´s meeting. really funny and nice!

also we got a random call from hna. marler yesterday, cause hna. huaman wanted to see me before she left to go home. it was so awesome to see her!! man I have so much respect and love for my trainer! an incredible representative of Jesus Christ. 

love you all loaaads and stay tuned to hear all about my new companion! 

Week 37

Wahooo, happy happy 10th Birthday Grant!! I hope you have an awesome day, whatever your up to:) And on Thursday, enjoy your beautiful birthday mammacita Bonita!! Hunter, thank you so much for the family pictures!! I cannot believe how big everyone looks-especially McKay!! Santa Vaca, everyone looks all grown up:) 

 

My companion and I with the other companionship of Hermanas that are in our district randomly talked at a belorio on Monday night. A woman in the ward passed away and the RS prez asked us if we could talk about the Plan of Salvation. There were about 30 to 40 people all squeezed in the house and the casket and loads of flowers were in the main part of the house. We each took a little part of the Plan of Salvation to talk about and it went really well! We didn´t know the Hermana before she passed away, but it was awesome to be sharing such a beautiful message with so many about how we´ll be able to see our loved ones after they die. 

Yesterday, both Jose and Luis Galvez received the Priesthood!! Jose will probably be blessing the sacrament next week:) Luis has been super busy and stressed with all these projects that he has to get done, so we´ve been helping him finish a bunch of different print-outs for various activities and dances that he´d been hired to design and have. 

 

We´ve been continuing to visit loads of less-actives and have been seeing MANY fruits of our labors!! So many came to church yesterday, Flavia and Marlene for the 1st time and for all the meetings!! hooray:) One part-member family came yesterday, Vanessa Y Jose. Jose is less-active and we´ve been teaching Vanessa for quite awhile now. They have twins and a little toddler. Except they´re not married and he doesn´t want to tie the knot...but they all came to church yesterday!! Little, by little:)

We visited Marlene and her son Hart yesterday with Jose and like always, asked if there was anything we could do or help with. She looked kinda puzzled for a minute and mentioned that the fish tank needed to be cleaned and that Hart hadn´t done it yet...haha No one EVER takes us up on our offer to give service, so we were pretty excited. haha we took each of the 8 fish out of the tank, one by one with our hands. they all chilled together until after we cleaned the glass tank and brought them back into their cleaner home, one by one.  it was so random & so fun! couldn´t help´but just CRACK up as the little fish squirmed around when we were trying to fish them out (haha get it?) to clean it. the best part was that while all this was happening, Jose was taking pictures. and after, I said ahora un foto con los padres de los pecados. pecados=sins. padres=parents. common mistake folks:) haha we were cracking up for so long. 

 

 

Had intercambios this week, which was great to see a different area and the chance to work with a different missionary. Except during personal study, we got a random phone call that we needed to head to the chapel in centro near the institute building for an activity with FSY. For the strength of the youth, aka. peru´s efy. and hna. bedoya that I was with and hna. allred that my companion was with are sister training leaders and needed to prepare for the activity with the youth. so we switched back until the meeting, then switched again for the rest of the day. haha it was such a cool opportunity that we had to be with the youth!! they were all super pumped from the week-long spiritual experiences that they were having and friends that they were making. we did a practice with them about how they could naturally and easily talk about the gospel with their friends or invite them to activities. I loved the group that my companion and I were with, they were such sweet young women with a desire to serve the lord and share the gospel. 

 

One of the main directors of FSY served his mission in Trujillo ages ago, when there was only one chapel in Trujillo and now they´re be a temple here next year!!! His Spanish is still pretty spot-on, except he looked at my name badge and said mucho gusto Elder Boody......haha WHYYYYY does everyone call us Elder/Elderes? alllllll the time, people scream out Elderes and we just ignore it and say Hermanas! por favor! let´s get the gender right people.

So yeah our sister training leaders have such an awesome room! its huuuge, they got a hook-up cause their pensoniesta´s mom owns it and no one was living there. separate room to study in, 2 bathrooms! man I was living the dream for 24 hours. she has such an energy to teach and I admire her love for these people. and their pensoniesta lives on the level beneath in the apartment complex, which is so nice to have so close! she gave us ice cream with our lunch-haha. Laureles 1 has got it goin´ on! 

Trying to find new investigators, cause all of the ones we have are old and not really progressing:( 

Today we´re making anticuchos with the zone (chichka-bob) style meat and playing volleyball! watching emperor´s new groove too! haha should be awesome. 

I keep forgetting that Johnathan Erickson served in my same mission! Obsipo Freddy de la Lavanderia says hi! haha what areas did he serve in? maybe we know more people in common:) 

Love you all so much and hope all is well! Man its so hot here, but I love the sunshine:) and the breeze makes everything just so beautiful. I know Jesus is the Christ and that God lives! The gospel is so incredible, it makes me so happy! 

Week 36

My heart is so full of joy and happiness! This week was deeeelightful:) We had a wonderful zone training meeting, luis galvez`s baptism, and stake conference!! Jose`s been accompanying us to lessons and he`s such an awesome new convert!! Has his own friends in the ward and has his interview to receive the priesthood tomorrow with the bishop. such a good kid! 

Our zone leaders gave a wonderful training on how each missionary and especially in each companionship, there are qualities that we each individually have and ones that can be developed, by learning from the other companion or missionaries. and how we can teach more like the Savior. Just think of the Quorum of the 12, each have their own individual profession and career, but all of them have the gospel in common and can together perform miracles, under the direction of the Savior and as He can use them as instruments in His hands.

 

Luis`s baptism went really well!!! About 26 people and his cousin made delicious tamales to share with everyone. His aunt and 2 cousins are members and used to be inactive, but have started to come to church again as we`ve been teaching him. He`s a wonderful example to many!! He was confirmed right after his baptism, since this weekend we had stake conference and when he shared his testimony after, he said as though he felt like a baby...haha man I love Luis!! 

 

Stake conference was so wonderful, an area of the seventy came and talked with us about temples and family history work, and a huge emphasis on faith. I loved it!! and Luis showed up for the first time in a TIE!! ahh my companion and I were both beaming with joy:) 

This week I hit my 8 month mission birthday and JUSTO the bottom part of one of the pairs of my shoes dis-attached itself randomly one afternoon. my companion was dying laughing at the noise it was making, like a flip-flop, until some 50 centimos super glue did the trick. haha it was a hilarious surprise

 

Thanks for the PB cups, mom!! My companion tried one for the 1st time ever and loved èm! You da best! 

 

Some bad news, hna.downs got sent home yesterday afternoon. long story and we`re headed out of this internet cafe, but basically her muscles need to be woven/knit back together. the hope is that she can get surgery and return in a few months, but not sure...please pray for her tons and if you`d like her address to send a note of encouragement, just holler and I`ll email it.

love you all TONS and hope you have a beautiful week!! I`ve never been so exhausted, yet so incredibly happy!!!!!!

Week 35

Happy New Year!! Crazy how time flieeeees. All the streets had yellow, red, and green decorations up. Yellow for luck, red for love, and green for money. We had to return to our room after dinner, cause the streets were CRAZY, but it was pretty fun. I treated my companion to a pedicure-used the nail polish from my package! her ankle may be still swollen, but at least her toenails are cute! we celebrated a little with our landlords and their family. Paneton and coca-cola! and I bought kernels to make some yummy popcorn. Their kids are really good singers, so they put on a little show for us:) were woken up at midnight by all the celebrating outside and saw some fireworks. 

 

 

Her ankle´s still not fully healed and its been almost 2 weeks since its happened. We saw President Marler on Thursday for interviews and he said to just take more taxis, so her ankle gets a little break. Reaaally hoping to get to the clinic for a x-ray. ahhhhh I miss running in the morning:( 

I finished reading the Book of Mormon this week, I started it my 1st full day at the MTC and its been absolutely  incredible to read it as a missionary and gain insights about this work of Salvation through all the chapters. Our mission´s reading it together, 5 pages a day that started on Christmas-so I started it again this week too. I KNOW that the Book of Mormon is true and the word of God, I always feel the spirit when I read it and enjoy coming to know and appreciate my Savior more everyday. Its so incredible. 

I earned my Young Women Bee!! But don´t actually have it yet, Hna. Marler is having her daughter send it from the states and it takes about 3 weeks for it to get here...but I´m excited! I´ll send pictures with it when it comes:)

 

It was kinda funny, on our way to our pensoniesta´s house for dinner, I saw an old lady carrying a bucket of cheese and offered to help. But she thought that I wanted to buy some, haha then I said that we could help her carry it. So we started walking with her, thinking that we´d be headed to her house or something to sell it. but no...she was en route to take it to a few different stores to sell it...haha and she was super nice and insisted that we took one of the wrapped rounds of cheese since we helped for a few minutes. 

 

We visited the YW president last night and she reminded me a lot of mom when she was talking about her son and all she´s done for so many years to make sure that he always had clean and ironed clothes and shoes to use for church. I´m thankful for all the may sacrifices that you´ve made all these years for us! Your an incredible mother with incredible faith:) 

and there was the cutest old little Peruvian lady in a hot pink blazer that gave such a pure testimony yesterday morning, she reminded me of Aunt Elizabeth. I love fast and testimony meeting! and the fact that the schedule changed so that now we have sacrament meeting at 10 instead of 8 has been beautiful.

Luis Galvez is doing really well!! His baptism is this Friday & his sister wants to make and bring tamales for after. haha. it was so perfect, we taught about keeping the sabbath day holy and he was saying that it would be really hard cause he needs to send his daughter money for school and is about 150 soles short, so it would be really hard to not work on Sundays. and yesterday, the lesson in priesthood was keeping the sabbath day too and helped answer some of the questions that he had when we had taught it, like why its Sunday and not Saturday. and right after the hour when he was getting in his taxi to go home, his taxi wouldn´t start. gotta be obedient to God´s commandments! Oh and it was HILARIOUS!! we were turning on the street where Luis lives and we saw about 4 groups of Jehovah´s witnesses knocking on his street and one group was at his door, talking to him. haha awkkkward...we visited Eduardo while we were waiting. too good! people confuse us all the time with their missionaries.

Jose and Eduardo are both doing really well, visiting ém and members have been great friends to each. Lots of less-actives have been returning to church and its amazing to see the fruits of our labors:) 

Something I´ve been thinking about for awhile is the concept of weak helping the weak. I don´t know a LOT about the gospel, but I know enough and with the Spirit, can teach others about the love that God has for them and how they can feel his love and protection in their lives. and others lift me up when I need a word of encouragement or hope. We´re all struggling, humble children of God that can be strengthened through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Week 34

ahhhh it was so incredible to talk to all of you and see everyone´s faces!! wow-everyone looks already so bigger and more grown-up. especially McKay! I love how we all still interrupt each other and I´ve missed all the chaos:) skyping was the GREATEST. It was just what I wanted for Christmas and gave me more of a desire and push to truly serve with all of my heart, might, and mind!

forgot to mention-Rolando Falabella´s in the Liahona!! page 23! He´s in Guatemala? at least I´m pretty sure its him, he´s holding an umbrella:) check it out!

On Monday night, we were having a fhe with the Heredia´s and Luis Galvez. they invited him to spend Christmas with them and he mentioned something about having a surprise for us the next day...we were really intrigued and wondered what it could be. my companion felt that it would be him accepting baptism and I wanted it so badly to be it, but also didn´t want to get my hopes up either. so the next night, Christmas eve-we had a lesson with him and Jose accompanied us. we were talking about the Atonement and baptism, Jose bore strong testimony and the spirit was really strong. Then he reminded us of the surprise that he had told us about yesterday when we were teaching about baptism and he told us the absolutely wonderful news of accepting to be baptized, he´s given it a lot of thought and really feels that its right. January 11th, wahhooooo!! it was the absolutely best gift that we could´ve gotten for the celebration of the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ. 

 

Speaking of CHRISTMAS...seriously the BEST Christmas EVER!! thank you Oakton Ward YW (and mom) for the package!!! Holy cow-I don´t know what I´m gonna do with 9 packets of insect repellant wipes. haha...but thanks:) the new flats are really cute! yáll are the greatest!! spent Christmas eve with all the missionaries in our zone at the zone leader´s pensonieta´s house. chicken, pappa fritas, hot cocoa, MICROWAVABLE popcorn, paneton, and SMORES!! yes, it was truly bliss. 

 

And on Christmas day, all the missionaries in Trujillo spent it together with President and Sister Marler for a few hours in the morning. talent show with hilarious skits and singing, spiritual fireside, time for testimonies, and cake to celebrate Jesus´ birthday! we saw pictures of the current temple construction and its gonna be 3 times as bigger as the temple in Lima! Its so incredible that we´re here to help prepare God´s children to enter into the House of the Lord and families can be together forever. A house of learning and a refuge from the world in which we can have strength and power.

I made a small notebook for my companion and a printed a picture of the both of us. She made me a lovely card and princesa chocolates! ahh they´re so tasty! did everyone like the chocolates that I sent home? hope so, bon o bons are like a peanut butter dream! 

So...Christmas night we had to be in our rooms early at 7, since the streets would be crazy and plus people would be celebrating their own Christmases with their families. we had just barely finished visiting Eduardo and Mamma Transito and it was 7, but my companion was walking towards another family in the ward since we had a card to give them. I was right about to say something, since we needed to be headed back, but ignored the impression, it would only be a few minutes to drop off the card and wish them a merry Christmas. while we were waiting for them to answer the door, I don´t know how, but my companion tripped on the street curb and her ankle rolled quickly under her foot. it all happened really fast, but man-it was BAD. she was crying, intense pain, and I didn´t know what to do cause I doubt that she could walk. hailed a taxi and called the zone leaders. the family that we live with helped me with helping her up the stairs. Ice, cream, and elevating it. Boy it was bad! super swollen, but I didn´t think it was broken. a perfect way to end Christmas, right? certainly memorable:)

 

Since then, the swelling has gone down, but its got some bruises and still really painful to walk on it. I was going to work with another Hermana in her area and her companion who also needs to rest and can´t work since she got her appendix taken out was gonna come to our area for about 4 days. but they had a baptism on Saturday that they both wanted to be there for...so been resting up in the room. the 1st day we couldn´t proselyte, I read 22 pages in the Book of Mormon! haha wahoo, I´ll defiantly be able to finish by Jan 9th! Yesterday after church, we were going to only visit with our apt with Jose, but ended up tracting like normal for the afternoon and now its worse.:( the other hnas. that also have our same pensoniesta have been bringing us meals, which has been super nice. there´s not a ton we can do, her ankle just needs lots of rest and time to fully heal. Probably will do splits tomorrow, so our area can still progress and I can go out with a member and teach while she rests in the room. our landlords have been super nice and its funny to see everyone offer up their two cents of advice as to what to do, since we haven´t gone to a clinic yet...please pray for Hna. Portillo! I want my companion back:) and a normal sized ankle.

I need to trust the spirit more and rely on the impressions that I receive! It was a lesson and hard experience that I needed to learn. Humbling and hard, each day. 

I know that Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer, His love is for all and it was so special sharing His message during this time of Christmas. The Atonement is all about love and we can show our love, appreciation, and gratitude to Him by being obedient, serving, and using the Atonement. I used to think that the Atonement and using it was just for sins, but honestly we use the Atonement and the infinite powers of His life each and every day! Its the means by which we can improve and progress each day. Its the love that we can have for others and share with others. I´m so grateful for my Savior and His love and sacrifice for me.

Thank you for all your Christmas love and wishes!! It was such a fun and wonderful holiday and time to celebrate the birth, life, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Love you all more than you will ever know!  Merry Christmas to all and how CRAZY that we´ll be entering the year 2014...WHAAAAAT?!? when did that happen?!?! for real. absolutely nuts yo. be careful walking around sidewalk curbs this week, that's my best advice!

Week 33

awesome week!!!

José’s preparing for his interview to receive the aaronic priesthood and even accompanied us with some of our teaching appts this week, gettin`him ready to serve next year!! yeahhhh buddy!!!

Luis Galvez. Had a wonderful lesson with him and Jose bore strong testimony. he begged us to have a chocoletada (hot coco) and cheese from a city that he just got back from after we taught. it makes me sad to see how lonely he is, dad-whenever you think of how crazy and hectic our family is, just be grateful that you DO have a crazy and hectic life!! loads better than being home alone, all the time. 

Eduardo`s doing really well, such a stuff. his mom’s insisting that we visit tomorrow:) 

We had a ward Christmas devotional this week, well actually it was just eating a bunch of paneton and hot cocoa. haha its how you get èm to come! and watched a video about the Savior. It went well, Eduardo’s mom came!! people actually started to come and started about an hour and a half late...classic. 

We’ve been visiting a less-active named Tula and were teaching about Adam and Eve and the creation. my companion accidentally called her hermana eva and we couldn’t stop laughing. then tula said something about how my companion was gonna wet herself. oh man it was so hilarious. almost as good as when an investigator’s cat jumped on my shoulders and I screamed in panic. oh man there are so many stories that I forget to tell you all! I’ll make a list. 

My companion, hna. portillo, had a sonogram to see if there was anything funky in her stomach. nothing was found and we’re waiting to hear from the office if she needs to get another exam done which she would need permission from her mom cause it would involve anesthesia. man I’m good at spelling....she’s feeling better, but still not 100%. sometimes tho she simply cracks me up! eats total junk food, then complains about an upset stomach later...I feel like that’d be a common-sense cause and effect reason to eat healthier...but no. haha I’ve never known anyone to love lays potato chips and coca-cola so much!! haha.

Its really tricky to work on her xmas present!! I started it while she was napping this morning, but still have to finish!! Our landlord is good with Photoshop and graphic designing, he did an awesome job with a picture of her that I’m gonna give to her and I asked them to buy a pillowcase that I’m gonna decorate. Quite useful, right?!? trying to make it a fun holiday for both of us, esp. cause its our both first and only Christmas away from home and on the mission!! we’ve been invited to a few houses for tomorrow, but too bad we can’t eat outside of our pensoniesta`s house:( well hot coco and paneton is ok, but not a dinner or anything. Which is too bad, cause a less-active family wanted to have us over to try guinea pig for Christmas! 

but we’re gonna have a dinner together as a zone tomorrow in Moche and making SMORES!! Really excited. it’ll be really wonderful. and on the 25th, we have a few hours with all the missionaries in Trujillo with prez and hna. marler where they’ll be a talent show and cake or something. HUGE thank you to the Oakton ward YW for the package!! haven’t opened it yet, but looking forward to it on Christmas morning!!!

Also thanks for the boy’s school pictures and Christmas card!! wow-McKay looks so handsome in braces and grant`s HUGE!!

The show in plaza de armas was AWESOME!! I was in the very front and it was just a tad intimidating singing in front of SO many people, but went really well! I got chills up and down my spine when the audience got really into some of the numbers and everything. it was so rad!! Saw loads of friends from the MTC and so wonderful seeing some of the missionaries that are serving in Chimbote!! ahh Hermana Human is on her last transfer and I’m thankful that I had a chance to say a final goodbye. she’s so incredible!! Saw some incredible people from my previous ward in el bosque too, it was wonderful!!!

2 people asked us for $$ for medical needs and I genuinely want to help èm out, but we can’t as missionaries:( 

And the guy that sells bread on the corner or Costa Rica and bobadilla is only 13 years old!! We pass by and say hi to him every night, but I didn’t realize how young he is! and works so many hours every day! 

a member’s grandson wants to be baptized, we had our first lesson with him yesterday and he’s such a precious 8 year old.

Merry Christmas and I can’t wait to see and talk with you all on CHRISTMAS!!!

paz Y amor yàll. eat extra choco for me:) and watch elf and aaaaall the home alone movies. and ice skating! 

Week 32

We just finished practicing all the Christmas hymns and parts of the Christmas program for the plaza de armas that we’ll be performing at this Friday and Saturday!! pretty exciting:) singing in front of about 2 million people, no big deal or anything:) ahh Christmas is just the GREATEST, right?!? and we can skypeee on the 24th or 25th, I’ll coordinate with Hunt since I´m pretty sure mom’s still trying to figure out how to copy n´paste these days:) so excited!!!!!!! 

My companion has been sick lately, I’ve been taking care of her and we finally were able to make it to the clinic, after vomiting a few times!! hoooray, it was actually more legitimate than I had imagined. She has an inflamed stomach and we’re going back to have tests done this afternoon. The doctor thinks that she has gastritis, which would make sense cause she´s had it before in El Salvador. Hoping to find out what exactly it is, so she can start feeling lots better!!

Transfers are tomorrow and we’re together another 6 weeks. Not a whole lotta changes in the zone, one area was closed and we have a new zone leader and district leader. I’m glad that we’ll be together for Christmas and have a looong list or people that we need to make/buy Christmas gifts for.

José’s baptism was on Friday and was truly wonderful. There were of course a few random close-calls before, like the guy who was gonna baptize him randomly went on vacation and didn´t tell us until a few hours before. and couldn’t figure out how to drain the baptismal water and ended up just adding more to the already dirty water. haha then using a dustpan to filter the bugs that was at the top of the water. oh and the elders saving us when the pair of white pants that we had didn’t fit and they hurry and ran to their room to get another pair. but none-the-less, it went really well. I gave a talk on baptism and the holy ghost and the ward mission leader baptized Jose. truly, his life’s changed forever and he started to cry as he bore his testimony after. He’s awesesome!!

We were invited and sang a pretty song for the activity that the YW had this week, it was beautiful and funny how always any Peruvian activity or event doesn’t start until at LEAST a half an hour after its suppose to. classic Peruvian time. I LOVE the young women´s program and hearing these girl’s testimonies was so beautiful. they are incredible people! I´m so grateful for my own absolutely remarkable mother, I think of you and your example more each and every day:) Especially when I was trying to nurse hna. portillo back to health, I remembered all the many times and different family members that you took care of and how you never once complained or were impatient with. I read her a story in the liahona until she fell asleep, just like you’d do with us in the "big bed". 

Guess who finally finished Alma?? yeeaahhh buddy!! its so incredible, honestly I’m learning so much about the Savior every day and am just LOVING the book of Mormon.

I love you all so much and hope all is well, merry Christmas!!