Monday, April 6, 2015

Changes and New Dresses

April 6, 2015
Hola Familia!!

 I am staying in Tamburco!!  But Hermana Holland is leaving L.  Today’s going to be so hard.  We have become best friends.   I also know that I am getting a Latina companion!  I think this might be desperately needed.  Two gringas is really ideal for me but it’s hard for the work.  People usually are afraid of us when we try to contact.   Okay this week I really felt like a Peruvian.  I efficiently swept water in our apartment, experienced the joys of when you don’t have a toilet paper holder (which means you drop the whole roll in the toilet), have forgotten how to speak English and ate rice for every meal and basically enjoyed it.  So Am I Peruvian yet? Hahah

Responses as usual: We watched the women’s conference in the chapel in Spanish, and we watched General Conference in the chapel too but in English.  But it was really cool because the talks that were in Spanish we could just go over to the other side and listen in Spanish  J So that was super cool.  I loved conference and I am so excited for the temples!! Wow!!  Conference is the best as a missionary.  It blows your mind sometimes because they explain things so simply that you have been trying to explain this whole time! Wow!  I can’t wait to have all the talks.  I definitely had all my prayers and questions answered and I am so so so grateful for a living Prophet.  Also Edgar and Monica came to a session and they are becoming our favorite family! I will attach a picture of them. J

The pictures that we took with the Hermana leaders is in a place called Patichacra and Santo Thomas.  It’s really pretty there!!  The Hermana Leaders are the best!  We go on splits with them once a change and basically it’s the best.  They take really good care of us and are always making sure we are all good.   They travel a lot and they are hardly ever in their sector so it’s very hard on them.  They sacrifice even more on their missions.  We love them!!  Hermana Hunter is from California and Hermana Chipunavi is from Brazil!  I feel so blessed to get to know them!

Okay everyone just keep writing the same normal emails.  I love all the details and I don’t care if you tell me all your problems or tell me the mundane parts of the week. I love it!! It helps me and gives me the strength to go find the families that are ready to become like mine.  J

Also I was wondering if Taysom Hill is going to start this season?  Haha little worldy thought….

This P-day we spent it with Carolina and Lisbenia.  We cooked American food and I think they enjoyed it.  I made popcorn with white chocolate on it.  It was delicious!  Carolina tried peanut butter for the first time and she did not like it.  It was hilarious.  She said it was a little weird.  She also said this hilarious comment.  Hermana Holland was singing in English and Carolina looked at us and said “I never thought I would listen to people singing English, like real people”  ahaha she is hilarious and I love her so much! She is such a fourteen year old.  We washed her clothes for her this week while she was at school and we got blisters on our hands, but it was so worth it.  Carolina loved it and she had time for her homework and her mom was super happy!!

This week we had an activity with the whole zone.  All of us paired off with a leader from the Rama or someone that could accompany us all day.   I was with a ysa named Katy!! She is so cute and we had the greatest time.  It helped me realized that yes I can speak Spanish and understand and that I also know what needs to be taught and how to teach.  Katy was wonderful and I loved talking to her.  She wants to go on a mission in January!  They have such strong testimonies here too.  It’s incredible!! She will be amazing.  I will send a picture and explain which one she is!!

We had a lesson with Edgar and Monica this week that was very spiritual.  WE talked about the atonement with them and I think they finally understood it, or at least a little bit.  Then we reviewed the plan of Salvation and talked about the family because we really want them to pray about their wedding and find out when God really wants them to get married.  We used the example of the empty can and the full can.  We likened the full can to a family that is full of the teachings of Christ and the lid was a secure marriage.  We showed them how that was so secure and how satan can’t destroy a family like that.  It was really powerful because Hermana Holland took the empty can, crushed it really easy with her hand and kind of through it on the table.  The spirit was so strong and Edgar and Monica could feel it.  They right away accepted a marriage date and said they would pray about it.  It was amazing.  It made me convinced that there is nothing else more I want in life than a strong family that is founded on the principles of Jesus Christ.  Only this way will we be able to resist the temptations and powers of the Devil.  Who is real and who is attacking the family more than ever.  I can’t wait to study the conference talks on the family.  Family really is the center of life!

Well I don’t have much to add this week.  Hermana Holland is leaving and after three changes it’s really hard to say good bye.  I am nervous about whose going to come but also excited because I know that she will have ideas that we didn’t have.  And I am also excited to be working with the family that we have!

I just want to share a real quick thing I learned this week.  As I was studying Preach my Gospel I was reading about a successful missionary.  It says that a successful missionary helps others enjoy the Holy Ghost and really our role as missionaries is to have the Holy Ghost with us.  So why do we repent every night.. . to have the Spirit with us.  Because that is so important!  We should really be doing all we can to have the Spirit with us.  I know that when we do this we will be guided in our daily life and we will be able to overcome challenges that may seem huge and daunting at first.  I am so grateful to be a missionary.  I have learned so much and I am extremely grateful to my Savior this Easter season.  He gave His life because he loves us more than we can comprehend.  He has paid the price for all our sins and He lives.  I know it.  He lives and because He lives we will live again.   I know that the Gospel is true and I know that when we apply it we start to see miracles and blessings in our lives.

Love you all so much!! Thanks for the support!!  Have a great day!

Love Hermana Russell!!

The pictures with Candy and us in new dresses!  Yeah she made us those dresses for Easter and  The other pictures are with the Elders and our Ward mission leader:)







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