Yo, Yo, Yo, Yo, Yo, Familia!
OKAY! FIRST OFF MOM!!! DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP! I knew that I wasn't going to have an e-mail from you last week, and that's okay because I KNOW MORE THAN ANYTHING that you love me. ha-ha. So please stop beating yourself up about small things like that. ha-ha. (even though it does give me a good laugh!) lol. And don't worry about the lost letter from Aunt Jill.
Things like that happen, Mom. IT'S OKAY! I got the first batch of dearelders here on Monday. Thanks!
Well I have a lot to tell you and it's probably going to be unorganized so I'm sorry. First, I still have a stupid cough but the flu is better. I got to go out proselyting this past Saturday. What an amazing experience! It was hard because I couldn't understand a lot of the conversation, but Hermana Quiroga, my old Latino companion, did most of the talking. (I say old because they left yesterday.) The Latinos are only here in the CCM (Central Capatatcion de Missionary) for 3 weeks, so we get two different companions while we are here. Sadly, this transfer, there are more North Americanos sisters than Latinos, so I don't get a Latino companion. Muy triste. Anyway, the experience was amazing! The people in Peru are so humble and receptive to the gospel. It is amazing. We didn't baptize anybody, but it was a great experience. ha-ha. My Spanish is getting better everyday, but it is still a daily struggle, so please continue to pray for me. I will really be hitting the books hard this week with the Spanish training.
I don't know what they are doing for Christmas here. They won't tell us because they want it to be a surprise. But I hear it's going to be amazing. I do get homesick every now and then. I miss a lot of things. I miss the constant Christmas music that was always playing in our house. I miss the candle scent of pine tree. I miss the cold and snow. I miss the traditions, but as much as I miss all of that, I couldn't think of a better place to be. I have truly been able to focus on the true meaning of Christmas, and I can tell that you guys have as well, with all that you are doing for Christmas this year. It's amazing! I can't explain how big of an example you all are to me.
The food here ALWAYS consists of rice and meat, just usually chicken and beef, so I am getting sick of it. I can't wait to get into the field! ha-ha.
I will be sending more pictures next week. And Mom, I will try to sneak one of "Chuck Norris", but we are only allowed to take pictures on our p-days, and he comes on Mondays. So if he is ever here on a Wednesday, I will get a pic. I wasn't able to get a picture of Elder Frank, the hot, tall, missionary, because of the crazy picture rules. But I do need to abide by them. Please tell Haley how much Jordan will be blessed for his obedience while on his mission. The Lord blesses his missionaries more than you could ever imagine, but we have to be obedient. As hard as it is sometimes, that is what the Lord asks of us.
We got to watch Mr. Krueger's Christmas last Sunday. IT WAS SO FUN! ha-ha. It was the biggest treat for all of us!
Dad, have you gotten anything from the health department of SLCC? This next e-mail, please send me an update of my personal bank account. Well guess what? WE GET TO GO TO TOUR DE PERU" TODAY!!! We hit our half-way mark here at the Peru CCM. They call us "avecnados". So they take the North Americanos on a tour of Peru. We get to go to the market and do some shopping, tour some of the old cathedrals and other stuff downtown, AND GO TO THE BEACH! I'll be sure to take a lot of pictures and send them next week!!!! And don't worry, I am being smart with my money. I keep it in my bra and only carry about 30 bucks, which in soles is like 60.
Please hang up my wish ornament for me this year. I will e-mail you my wish next week!!!! And please have some stocking breakfast for me. I am going to miss that sooo much. Mom, if you can, send me some candy to Ecuador. ANYTHING! I just need some American candy! ha-ha.
OK, here is a challenge for you guys. One thing our district here at the CCM loves to do is play "scripture facts". ha-ha. We like to think of crazy facts we can pull out of the scriptures, and read out loud scripture stories and reenact them! ha-ha. Well, we came across a scripture in ALMA about Spiderman. See if you can find it and then e-mail me, and I will tell you the exact scripture next week. I will buy a Peru gift for anybody that can find it! hehehehehe. I'll give you one more hint. The number 3 is in the verse or capitulo. Good luck!
Family, being here in Peru has humbled me more than ever. Dad, I can understand now everything you have taught me about being grateful that we live in America and for the things we have. The people here in Peru have nothing. The houses are small and old. Its amazing how much they are grateful for what little they have. Continue to think about everything we have. Here, smallest things like RAZORS TO SHAVE WITH, are a huge luxury to them. The girls don't use tampons here either. ha-ha. One of my roomates -Hermana Villegas - saw mine and Hermana Demke's tampons and she asked us what they were? Oh my goodness!
YEAH, I WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME EXPLAINING WHAT THEY WERE IN ENGLISH, AND I HAD TO DO IT IN SPANISH!!!!!!!!!!! Oh man, talk about awkward!? Gees! Hermana Demke was like drawing pictures and I was trying to explain things... yeah, that was sooo weird. After that, I hid my tampons to avoid anymore of those kinds of situations! ha-ha.
Mom, are you sending my e-mails to Stephanie Stokes also? If you don't have her e-mail, have Sadie jump on my face book account and ask her for it. And if you are not already, please send these e-mails to Chalese too, okay?
Well, I play the piano a lot here, but not for people to sing, just for fun. But everybody makes me play the "Up" song (from the Disney movie), like everyday, or when they are sad. ha-ha It's very funny!!!!
Oh, and THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYS FOR HERMANAS NIELSEN AND MORLOCK! THEY GOT THEIR VISAS AND WILL BE COMING HERE TOMORROW!!! It is truly a Christmas miracle. They were some of the only Bolivian missionaries to get their VISAS. With them being here, my Christmas will be SO MUCH BETTER!
The Lord truly sees our needs and blesses us because of our obedience!
Yo se qué el evangelio is verdadero! Yo amo la iglesia con todo me corazon. Okay, I'll do this in English now because I want you guys to be able to understand. But I do love this church and this gospel. I have never in my life been this happy before.
I love being on a mission and can't believe it's already been 1.5 months! Thank you for all of your prayers and please keep them coming, and pray for those in Ecuador that I am supposed to teach, that they are being prepared to hear the gospel, and that I can have the Spirit with me and listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost to find those people. Mom, I got a dearelder from Aunt Jo. Please tell her to go on splits with the sister missionaries. There is nothing more powerful for missionaries than having a member contact go out with them. It's amazing the Spirit that a member invites.
Again, I love you all very much and I am very happy! So PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, don't worry about me. Mom, not once last week did I think you were a 'loser mom' or that you didn't care about me. Honestly, I was okay. I was actually sad though because I knew you would be very upset about not being able to e-mail me. But really Mom, NO MORE BEATING YOURSELF UP! Read the stripling warriors story. ha-ha. That is a good one! And just know that I am here because of how you and Dad raised me. I truly love both of you and appreciate all that you have done, and will do for me. If I can raise my kids half the way you raised us, I would be very happy! You are both amazing examples, and I couldn't ask, or would ever want different parents!!!!!
Well I better go shower and get ready for the "Tour de Peru"!!! I am very excited to get some stuff here. Oh, Dad and Brady and Jordan, I got you guys THE COOLEST THING EVER!!!! But sorry you won't get it for another 16 months or so! This may be weird to tell you now, but my mission has been extended a month. I don't know if I already told you that or not? ha-ha. But they have extended it, but it is still my choice and we will talk about it closer to my release date. But for now, it's a month over, so please keep me updated if you hear anything about my nursing school program.
Well, I pray for you guys everyday and I know the Lord is blessing you. I feel bad that I can't send you guys Christmas presents, but I know that me being on a mission and sacrificing time for the Lord's work could be the best thing I could ever give you.
Please don't miss me too much, and enjoy not having me there, because in a couple months, I will be back home. Time here has gone by so fast and I hear that the CCM is the slowest part of your mission. If that is the case, I am in trouble, because the field will go by TOO FAST! I can't let a single second go to waste, because I know I will NEVER get that second back.
Haley, when I get back from my mission, you and me are going to volunteer at the MTC in Provo in the TRC! (Teaching Resource Center) OKAY?! It will be super fun! I am actually thinking already about maybe working at the MTC for the first semester of school if I don't get right into the nursing program. ha-ha. I am already thinking of ways I can be a fake missionary when I get back. I am excited to see all of you again, but I will dread the day I have to take my name plaque off.
Mom, I am glad you like the pictures. I will send a lot more next week!!! You said in the pictures that I look really happy. YES, I AM SOOO VERY HAPPY!!!! Oh, and yes, I use safety pins to hold up my skirts because they are too big for me now. But the other day, I stood up from praying in class, and my skirt almost came ALL THE WAY DOWN! ha-ha. Oh boy, I will have to have some people in Ecuador alter them for me! But oh well.....
Well again, again, again, (otra vez) I love you so much! I will e-mail you next week!!!! Take it easy!
P.S. Dad, we need to get a taca taca table (foosball). Its my new favorite sport and I will be writing a letter to the Olympic committee so they can put that into the Olympics. lol.
P.S.S. Did you guys ever tear out the wall downstairs? What happened with the whole flooding thing?? Keep me updated on any crazy or funny news updates. It's weird to think there is a world out there!
P.S.S.S. Haley, how is my ipod doing? Are you downloading the new songs onto it for me? If no...DO IT!
P.S.S.S.S. I miss my guitar.
Okay, I love you all! Goodbye family! See you soon, and you will hear from me again next week!
P.S.S.S.S.S. The CTR rings here are AMAZING!!!!



