The HARDEST but BEST week of my life!

HOLA FROM LIMA PERU!!!!!! I am literally in Lima Peru! I can’t even tell you how crazy it is how far away I am. I definitely feel it though. The plane ride here from going to migrations, from going to the temple this morning and going into downtown Lima. I dont even know how to describe it! It is LOCO!!! But before I talk about all the crazy culture shock I have to begin with all my spiritual moments. 

Seriously from the time I stepped out of the office after getting set apart till now I have had so so so so many spiritual experiences. But they happened because of how hard it has been this first week in the CCM. The first three days were the hardest. I was getting used to all the people that spoke spanish. Literally everyone does! My teachers, my companion, the hermanas in my room, everything I read is IN SPANISH!!!!! I am literally the only one that probably doesn’t have at least 3 years of experience with it. So this has been my biggest trial. I am doing so much better right now then the first little bit. Honestly I had a break down on the third day here. I hate admitting it because I really didn’t want to and I felt really weak but at this point I felt so lost, so down, and so confused because I hated not being able to speak it and let alone understand half of what is going on. But the second I broke down my companion was the biggest blessing. She is not an emotional person AT ALL which is crazy because that means we are total opposites but it is the best thing ever. She told me how I am teaching her to be more empathetic and have more compassion because we are balancing each other out. My testimony grew so much of how we need to turn to others in the hard times. It hurt my pride so much because I didn’t want to admit I was struggling but I was. It was funny because she gave me a big hug and said Is this okay? HAHA I LOVE HER SO MUCH. Having a comp is the best thing. Her name is Hermana Jesperson and she is from Cedar Hills Utah and went to BYU. She is so opposite of me it is so funny. Everyone in my district has told us that but is a good kind of opposite. God knows I needed to be with her though.

Sunday has been my favorite day. It is the day where there is people that speak English!!!!! YES! YES! YES! Not just because of this but because it was a day for me to refuel and refocus on why I came here on a mission. But it was quite funny though because during a devotional that night the counselor in the presidency only spoke spanish so of course I had those translator earphones.... It felt so weird because back in the US the spanish speaking people were the only ones that used those. HAHA!!! But that morning our room decided to fast for a girl who had been sick coming and couldn’t get rid of a cough but I was not in the room when they all discussed it so I found out that morning we were all doing it and WOW I was so mad. I am not usually like this but I had this super selfish attitude like Oh man my week has been crazy enough and hard as it is and now I have to go without food. WHAT?????? NOOOOOOOOO!!! Haha and if you know me I eat three meals a day every day and I don’t miss except for on fast Sunday. But as I pulled my scriptures out to study I immediately sat down to pray and start my fast. Once I was finished I opened up to 3 Nephi (I think ch. 13) and it was a scripture about fasting and not being a hypocrite, not murmuring, and blah blah blah.... Basically slapping me in the face saying come on Madi, you know. The blessings that came from this was that it helped me realize that when I can put aside the natural man, and put Heavenly Father first and blessings came. But all the blessings came pouring in that whole Sunday. Wow my testimony shot through the roof! I definitely understand how fasting can bring blessings. But with the right attitude and if you are doing it properly.

The third spiritual experience came when I watched a movie from Youtube in class called The Atonement and missionaries. Elder Holland and Elder Eyering were a part of it. WATCH IT!!! IT IS AMAZING. The reassurance once again that why I am on a mission is the right thing for me. It didn’t matter how bad I was struggling with spanish or how hard it was to conform with the new culture and lifestyle.... but that the sacrifices I was making were for so many blessing in the future. I know that missionary work requires something of our soul. I know that the atonement can carry me through this and that more importantly it will carry my future investigators. The only perfect missionary is Christ. He knows my weaknesses. He knows my strengths. He knows that I am having the time of my life here.... but he also knows how hard it is. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. Last night I had the best night of being here. We had a live devotional by Elder Scott talking about prayer and that night as I knelt down to pray I knew my Heavenly Father was there. I knew he was so proud of me, and I knew that what I was doing was completely right. I thought of my brother Elder Frame who watched the same devotional and oh how grateful I was that we both are out serving the Lord 24-7, day in and day out. Yes, I did have tears as we sang Called To Serve for the first time in English (THANK THE HEAVENS NO SPANISH) HAHA!! No, but I feel the missionary spirit when I sing in spanish too. It is unreal. What I am doing right now is the best thing. It is something I love, and I wish I could do it forever no matter how hard it is.

Some fun-crazy things I have experienced since being here.

-THE FOOD IS AMAZING!!!!!!!! Holy Hannah I love it!!! So many amazing veggies, fruits, juices, desserts (the ice cream is to die for) There are these fruits called granadillas that look like an orange and you crack it open and it looks like fish eggs inside but they are so good! And then also albena. It is a cinnamon drink that is phenomenal! It is warm and we drink it in the morning and it cured me yesterday (along with the herbal tea which is weird to say I have drank tea) but I had a cold coming on and now I don’t have any symptoms!!! YAY

.-The CCM is small and so awesome. It is beautiful. It is colder than I expected but with my awesome sweaters and my millions of scarves I am bueno!

-I love playing sports here. There is a girl that is really good at volleyball and I love it! She is from Cali and is amazing, so it is so fun to pepper.

-I LOVE LOVE LOVE INCA KOLA! I had a freak out about it when we went into downtown Lima and all the Hermanas were laughing for days about it because it actually exploded all over me! HAHA of course it would happen to me. But it literally looks like pee, smells like bubble gum, and tastes like bubble gum creme soda. OH IT IS TO DIE FOR

-The traffic is CRAZY! I am stressed every time I am in a car, van or the bus. AND THE BUSSES ARE EVEN WORSE! But it was the coolest experience. We are literally smashed in and you hold on for your life.

Well I am having the time of my life.... I like to compare my first week of nursing school to the first week in the CCM and it is comparable but WAY different. I LOVE what I am doing here and I have never felt like I once wanted to come home. I love you all and I can’t wait to give you more stories.

Hermana Frame

-----Sad news I CANT SEND PICS!! I am so so so so sad. I know you want to see my cute shining face... Obedience is key here... So 5 more weeks and then I will send you a ton of them!!!!