Burning Dolls and Patience

Hermana Valverde and I on our day together! We had the sister leaders come again and it was my first time being with a Latina! Oh that poor girl because my Spanish still isn’t that great but we got along just fine! She is so sassy and a hard worker at the same time. She taught me a lot and wow it was fun to see her interact with the people because she is from the same culture (she is from Trujillo Peru)

Well I am going to write a short message this week! I had quite the week from moving this week to the New Year here in Quillabamba Peru to learning how to be patient with myself. I feel like I say this every day.

 Patience patience patience. 

AHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I have to read about it every day

 and remind myself the language will come. 

Anyways, first off the new year was great!

 We got to see many different things.

 One was that they make munecas (dolls) out of their old clothes

 and they write their bad habits or things that they want to change 

about themselves on paper and stuff it in the dolls and then burn it!

This is the ashes from the munecas that they burn on New Year’s Eve.We saw all kinds of piles of ashes everywhere on New Year’s Day…

 Oh and they take their suitcases and run down the streets if they want to go on a trip this next year. Haha I thought that one was pretty cool! 

I will probably have to start that one as a new tradition once I get back to the states.

 But TONS of fireworks! And it starts a little before midnight

 and doesn't stop for seriously 2 days. 

Well a ton during the madrugada-middle of the night

 and then the next few days they were randomly going off. 

Thanks Mom for the earplugs! They have saved my life! 

They have tons of parties too! But luckily we didn't run into any drunks the night before but definitely the next day!!! Wow there was just random drunk men peeing in the streets and totally passed out on the sidewalks. That one was a new one for me.

 It was quite entertaining and it was definitely a bigger ordeal than Christmas!

 Wow!! But so fun to see it from another cultures perspective.

Hermana Valverde and I doing service in a menos activos restaurant. 

We helped them prepare food for that night, New Year’s Night.

 It was so fun and interesting so see how they prepared food!

Well, once again I am writing about how the mission is hard.

 I am such a happy person.

 I LOVE MY MISSION.

 I love every part. 

But just like everyone has said the mission is hard. 

Each missionary goes through something that is hard for them.

 But I have come to the conclusion that you cannot judge others.

 You don’t understand their whole story, and assuming is always the worst way to go.  Here on the mission so many missionaries compare each other and their Spanish and I have gotten caught up in this. For instance they will say “Wow they must have this much time in the mission because they speak so poorly, or this missionary probably has this much time because wow they are so amazing!” Since day one seriously the one thing I have struggled with is the language and now that my training is almost done I am freaking out. 

I feel like such a failure which is not true! 

I have made so much progress.

 But part of it is that I am not being patient.

 I am only 4 months into the mission.

 I just expect perfection.

 My companion has been so good to deal with me this week. It has been so hard. But don’t get me wrong.

 There has been so many miracles along the way.

 The Lord has blessed me. He has, and I need to recognize it. 

I found a scripture that has helped me so much.

 It is Jacob 4:7 “ The Lord God showeth us our weakness 

that we may know that it is by grace,

 and his great condescension’s unto the children of men,

 that we have power to do these things.” 

There is a book specifically for missionaries called “Adjusting to Missionary Life.” Wow this has been my bible this week. 

In there I have found that I HAVE to be patient.

 Even though memorizing is so hard for me there is so many solutions. I can learn different ways to memorize like coming up with actions, making flashcards, and so many other things. I have to keep a sense of humor. Especially with me because I am constantly making mistakes. 

Haha! I can’t even tell you.

 I have to find strength in my weaknesses.

 Even though I can’t speak very well

 I can share my testimony through my smile,

 service, and body language.

 And the number one thing I cannot do is compare myself to others.

 This is MY mission.

 I can only compare myself from what I did yesterday.

 The Lord has called me here.

 I remind myself every day of my purpose.

 I can go and do what he has commanded because

 he always provides a way.

 No matter how hard it is always worth it.

 I want to thank all of you

 for your support, love, and help no matter what point in my life.

 I hope you have all had a great week

 and I would love to hear from you!

 I do love my mission.

 I feel bad because it is one of those complaining emails but its real life.

 I can’t sugar coat it.

 But wow I am still so grateful despite all the struggles

.  It refines me, it molds me, and I will be better because of it.

 Keep moving forward.

 It has always been my motto. 

Love you all! 

Until next week!

Hermana Frame

We moved this week and it was quite the stressful ordeal and to top it all off the sink was broke.
 So of course Hermana Hoskins and I decided we could totally do it.
We are definitely not the normal sister missionaries.
We seriously went and bought a wrench to fix it! Look at us go! 

My companion did my hair twice this week because I was sick of doing my hair so WAAALAAA!! She is the best and it was definitely a good change from feeling like I have a mop for a hairdo.

This is a fun picture I took right after the New Year at our pensions house of her grandson and I. I love talking to him because he has as much vocabulary as I do and I can totally understand him HAHA!

A gigantic spider my companion found in a park that is in our area!!! A stinking tarantula!!! I died. Goodness me I just pray every night that I don’t ever find one close to our house

This is a Peruvian drink called Chichamorada. It has definitely become an acquired taste… I have talked about it before but they boil the black-purple corn with the pina rounds and then they drain it and serve it as a cold drink. I love it now! It is so good!