Week 20 (out of 78): Feliz Navidad!

Wow so this week was really good. Not only cause I got to talk to my family, but because the members here are finally starting to come together( for a while its been a struggle). 

But highlight was definitely thursday night we went caroling. Mostly in Spanish, and well theres a little 8 yr old in our ward who was standing in the crowd... She is pretty shy, so she only sang one song with us but after she went contacting with my companion and I, and talked about Ha nacido(I think its like he is born?) Her part was to introduce the video and invite them to averiguar porque (Discover why). She did a really good job and after she told us she wanted to serve a mission. This was a little tender moment, and I get a little teary eyed talking about it.... cause honestly these people we contacted most of them rejected us... But the last one didnt. I am really happy that the last one accepted the invitation to have visits...

Also during the caroling we sang in spanish and the 6 or 7 gringos after sang in english on a ledge (look at picture). Elder underwood is a super goofy guy and was dancing... He actually reminds me a lot of Sam. 

After we had dinner with the Pulache family. They are who I feel closest to inthe ward. Just always there, and they always comment on how much my spoanish has grown in the past few months because they see me every day for lunch. But anywho they have a 1 yr old named Abish. She is the cutest and always asked for hand sanitizer, and wants it all over her body because she likes the smell, but this

last time she realized she likes to take selfies with me.. haha it was really funny, because she just kept saying mas... Half of the timeit was hand sanitizer and half of the time it was a picture. 

Week 19 (out of 78): Sullana

Well I found him. I found the person that God has prepared for me. So Jorge is 78,or something like that but lives on our street.My companion had tried teaching him but he never progressed when I came he asked us for a BOM which was weird, but then he told us why. SO before I came, he had a dream of me. I was in all white. Perfect, and there were a ton of little animals around me. HE felt like it was a vision of heaven. So when he told me I feel like he saw me in my resurrected state or something like that, but now he is progressing and he een came to church for 3 whole hours which never happens this fast.

THings with the new companion are great. She has a lot of patience and is from Neuquen Argentina. She is a really awesome missionary and so far it hasnt been awkward between us.

friday we had a ward christmas party that was supposed to start at 7... We had 5 investigators there and it didnt start until 8.30.... Whoop WHoop :( it was a little to have to explain and keep our investigstors there....) but it was cute our district sang feliz navidad and our deseos. it is by michael buble but pretty much I sang the whole thing.... kinda awkward.... 

Other than that I am excited for christmas and for our investigators it should be a really good week this week with christmas and all.

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!

Week 18 (out of 78): Transfer 3 - Sullana

Wow so I am done being trained.. Or as people say I am leaving the egg.... I feel like it should be leaving the nest but they say leaving the egg. 

Anyway so My mama Hermana mitchell was transfered to Los Ficus in Piura, and I am now with Hermana Garcia from Argentina. She lost her accent already but she is really sweet. We get a long super well. 

This past week was super exciting! So we have been teaching Camila for a really long time and well she was my very first real lesson in the mission. SHE HAS A BAPTISM DATE FOR 10 OF JANUARY! We asked for the 26th of this month but for some reason she wants the 10th... So I am totally ok with that. 

We also had a mission part with Zone Piura Central, and played minute to win it games and watched Its a wonderful life. Its my mission presidents favorite movie.... SO that was awesomke plus we were able to watch it in english, well you got to watch it in your native tongue.... It was just a really fun day and was super exciting to see other people.

THis past Saturday the YW had their evening of excellence and had to present a number or just something.. our ward decided to sing and dance to a pop version of hark the herald angels sing, and well so far that is the most embarassing part of my whole mission... It was super funny after but during was super embarassing.....

This week we have a Ward christmas show/talent show and the missionaries have to do something for it.... Well outof 6 missionaries here 4 left.. So its just me and some Latinos... and hopefully we can pull it off...

Week 17 (out of 78): Sullana

I love being a Missionary but my whole email just erased and I can’t find it.... So back to square 1.....

So this may be shorter... 

SO this last P-day we had a really awkward situation. So the other Hermanas and I were talking and joking around, and well I winked at one of them, and the elders next to us. Our Zone Leaders started talking about how they couldn’t really wink and well I winked at our super serious Zone Leader.. HAHA really funny but super awkward... He talks to me more now... Haha

We have a baptism date with Sonia who is a single mom and well she is awesome. She drinks occasionally with friends but feels it is wrong and is going to stop. Her Grandson is also super funny. He is maybe 4 and well he shows my companion and I random dance moves. 

We have transfers next week, and my companion and I are sad for them, but it is time for change.

Things are busy but as always I love it. The Lord gives us small blessings every day. You just have to look for them.

The pic is the Hermanas in our Zone at lunch today

Week 16 (out of 78): Sullana Soccer Tournament

WELL WE WON THE TOURNAMENT!!!! WOOT WOOT

That was the highlight. Our elders are very serious about soccer. VERY SERIOUS. However we beat every other zone so ha! Our zone may have been stacked though...   

We found a new investigator Candy. She is pregnant and really interested. She is so cute, the only problem is that shes not married. We have more lessons this week with her,.

Tomorrow I have my first intercambios! The sister leaders are splitting up and Hna Valencia is coming here with me tomorrow. 

Last thing was we had a thanksgiving lunch with our district and made tacos! It was good. Everything homemade, however i dont really like tacos so kinda not exciting..... But they were ok.. It was fun to be there with 5 gringos. 

That is sadly all that has happened this week.. Not really a whole lot.. 

I love you All and have a great week

Note from Dad: Sorry for the delay.  Katie failed to mention that the shortness of the letter and the lack of much to say is related to the fact that her companion is recovering from the Dengue.  They did not get out much.  I am not sure how she saved the pictures.  Some people have had a hard time opening them.

Week 15 (out of 78): Sulla

So wow I am officially legal here in peru!!! Thursday I went to Lima and got to have real food again... AKA Burger King and McDonalds. So while there Hermana Mamani from Bolivia, she came with my group, anyway I talked with her a lot and she told me she feels like we are going to be companions and that would be awespome! She is the sweetest person ever. Also while in Lima I was able to help people from England and share the gospel in English. Way easier, because I am not worried about saying it wrong. 

This past week was a little rough, my companion may have denge(no clue how to spell it), and we had stake conference which was good until one man on saturday night and sunday morning spoke for a straight hour both times.... I wanted to be like if the Prophet only needs 15 min you do not need an hour... and there was a lot of things that were repeated, but maybe that’s what the people needed. All I know was it was hot and after 30 min of listening to him I was done. 

Today during our mission soccer tournament we totally won the first two rounds of 3. We are straight killing it. We had a comeback in the second game and at half it was 3-1 we were losing and we won 5-3. We scored all of the goals with only one gringo in, so I mean our latinos are the best haha.... 

fun  joke look up a peruvian hairless dog.... #ifsatanhadadog #bringo

Week 13 (out of 78): Sullana

Ok well we are finally not sick!! woot WOOT!

So this week was absolutely lovely... NOT. But it was not terrible. So Nov1 to the 4th are a holiday here in Peru honoring the dead.. Each day is a different catagory but  it is really just an excuse to party and drink... And Nov 5th is the anniversary of Sullana... So 5 days in a row people were just drinking, and guess what... Friday, Saturday and Sunday are all drinking days anyway. So it was hard to find the people at their homes or to contact people because we aren’t supposed to contact drunk people.... because they won’t remember any of it. 

The good part of the week is we actually got a recent convert to do family history work and send a name to the temple.. So we practically baptized someone this week!!! That made us super excited, because it’s really hard to get people here to look for the dates and places where people were born.

Also we may have a baptism this week with Marilyn which may be fun and interesting.. Everyone has to wear all white... and there’s a huge party after... She wants it to be really special.. We were supposed to have her baptism the 21st but no one told us it was Stake Conference so that doesn’t work anymore. And we cant do the week after because the ward is going tro the Trujillo Temple the 28th.  So, hopefully we can change her date....

She is really the only one progressing.. Its been hard to find Angel lately so thats worrysome to us... and Sonia did not come to church like we thought she would.... so Church was a bummer (minus the little 3yr old that leads the music with me in sacrament meeting)... AND SUPER STRESSFUL. So we have a recent convert Gianella, who is 19, and her mom came to church, which normally would be great right.... but no. Here is the story. Gianella’s mom is super against her joining the church and said she would be kicked out if she joined and would not be allowed to attend church... So Gianella decided she wouldn’t tell her... So her mom came to church and wants to talk with the missioneries, which is us, and doesn’t know her daughter is baptized. Plus she is one of those that questions and asks for proof of it in the bible so that will be fun. Also during church this man came during 3rd hour who really only wants to flirt with us and talk to us... So it is just awkward, luckily he doesn’t actually live in our area so we can reference him to elders. HAHA But both of these situations stressed me out. 

Anyway I think these were the main parts of this week. I love peru and I love being here in the semi heat, its not bad anymore. Anywho I love you all!!