Las Brisas - Week 4

September 7, 2015

Monday- For P-day we had kinda a sports day and played futbol (soccer) with Lima Tambo (our Neighbor zone). It was fun, I saw Elder Noel (from my CCM district) and it was nice to catch up. After that we went and ate some really good authentic Mexican American food. Mexican food really is much different than Peruvian food. But all food is good food to me. Then we had a FHE with a family from the ward. We talked about temple work and family HIstory. Then we played a game- kinda like charades- except the timer is someone pumping a balloon and if you don't guess the word before the balloon pops you loose! It was craaazy! And lots of fun. The Members of this ward remind me so much of the Gastonia Ward! (G_TOWWN!) Love their guts. 

DOUGHNUTS!!!

Tuesday- We had a loooong training. It was almost 5 hours. But it was good and I learned alot. Also we had spaghetti so that was super duper. Also Hermana Larson (Pres. Larsons wife) Is just the sweetest thing ever. She reminds me alot of aunt Jill, the way she looks, her mannerisms, and the way she puts up with the Elders (like aunt Jill with Uncle Doug and LD). After that we got some DOUGHNUUUTS!!! YUMYUMYUM I have been craving doughnuts for about 2 months. They were divine. Straight from heaven doughnuts. Yum. Then we had our English class in the Capilla (church), always fun. The class is at 7 PM and one of the YW in the ward came strolling in and with sooo much confidence announced "Good Morning!" It was so funny. We all laughed. Shes so funny.

Wednesday- I finished reading in Helaman and now I'm in 3 Nephi! I think the Book of Mormon is like a drug, but in the best way possible. Yeah so today we had a lot of study time. After that we visited some people and had meeting with Isabel and Ana. Isabel is a recent convert (July) and Ana is her less active sister. They are fun and are always asking questions wanting to learn more. And they both want to serve missions! Yeaaaahhhh!! Then we had a FHE with a member- but it was also a Happy Birthday! for H- Linares! It was greeat!

Thursday- Ugh I woke uppp siick. Yuck I had a fever so I took it easy most of the day. I was feeling much better in the afternoon and didn't have a fever so we went out for a bit and went to the Institue building to do Family History. 

Cokes from Hermana Sisi

Friday- We had a couple appointments, but we had one super duper appointment. It was with a man named Johnny. He probably comes up to kinda almost my shoulder. But anyways he's great. He is in a weird situation with his female person, so they either needed to get married or separate. We told him this and he was like "Ok yeah, I'll talk to her cause this is important. We have commandments for a reason and its important to follow them." - But in Spanish- YEAHH, he's solid. He accepted his baptismal date and so now we are just waiting to find out what he is going to do with his mujer (woman). Woot Woot

Saturday- We did service, but service is hard to do here so we ended up teaching a member how to cook some colombian food. ( well i was learning too)  We made arepas (I'm not sure how to spell it) and some banana thingies. They were soo good! Also I'm writing down all the recipes so I can eat this food for the rest of my life cause it is scrumdiliumptious! Also Hermana Sisi (the member) got all the hermanas cokes with our names! She is a hoot- so much fun! We had a couple visits after that, but a lot of people were not home. 

Park near our apartment

Sunday- We were up at 5:30 to have our missionary correlation meeting at 6. I don't think I am ever going to get used to waking up early. Anyways, Church was great. It was fast and testimony meeting. It was nice to listen to all the testimonies. I can understand for the most part what everyone is saying. but I have also learned that it is important to listen to not only Spanish, but the language of the Spirit. That has helped me so much in the mission. Something that I've really come to rely on. Yeah so after church we went and visited with Walter. He is the recent convert in the wheel chair. So I had a little bit of a head cold and congestion and have been sneezing . SO I sneezed and then he turned to me and told me that I was "delicate like a flower..." Nahhh, that was a little awkward. But then I told him "Noo, I'm tough as nails" Haha but in spanish. Then we had an appointment with a guy named Nilo. He works in his car. I'm not really sure what he does but he is always in his car. But he was sleeping when we went by so then we passed by about 20 mins later and he was awake so we just set an appointment to visit him later in the week. 

My shower head :(

Something shocking. Well two things...

The shower head and the frying pan. 

Both shocked me! You have to be careful with the shower heads cause they will shock you, and its not fun. Also the frying pan shocked me when i was trying to cook! I'm a little scared to touch things now... 

Also I had mac and cheese! Yuuum! I love mac and cheese. I was making it and I remembered how a hermana told me it tastes a little different here. So I added the cheese and was mixing it up and the cheese did smell different.. like pizza.. It was strange so then I tasted it and it tasted like pizza... And I was thinking man the cheese here sure is weird... but then I realized that i had accidentally bought pizza flavored mac and cheese... but it was yummy!

Yeah so that was my week in a nut shell. Looong days and short short weeks! Its hard sometimes, but I love it. I love this Gospel, and this opportunity I have to share it with the sweet peruvian people. This gospels true y'all! 

Love and miss everyone!
With Love from Lima

Hermana Scarlett

Las Brisas - Week 3

September 1, 2015

Well this week I had my first real not cold shower! Woot woot! I think all those times I was just too lazy to shower or wash my hair back home were preparing me for the mission. But yeah its not awful, I've just learned to shower really quickly... one arm at a time haha.

Monday is our P-Days so last Monday we went to Parque de Imaginaciones - It was kinda like a really old and small Discovery Place (in Charlotte). We went on this little ride that had animatronic (is that a word?) animals and dinosaurs. It was really quite terrifying. There was this giraffe and its neck would dip down and it was all wobbly and it had giant red eyes. Yeah it was a little freaky, but the dinosaurs were cool. I like DInosaurs. There was also the bed of nails thing, one of those orb lamps that static to your finger when you touch it. Oh and also there was a giant pregnant lady statue and an "aquarium": The aquarium was basically Petsmart fish and like an eel. Yeah it was an interesting place, but it was fun. Also we had KFC and Mcflurries cause we were more in the city so that was niiice. 

Las Hermanas

Tuesday: Everyday we really study for a good bit (Personal study, companionship study, language study, and we work out of the "your first 12 weeks" book) and then we have lunch at 1 with our pensionista. NOTE: a pensionista (i don't know how to spell it...) is not our maid! Hahah we pay her every month for lunch on week days and to wash our clothes once a week. She lives about half a mile away so we walk over there and eat with her and haul our clothes over there. But shes a cool lady and has adorable children and cooks yuumyuuumy food. Anyways Tuesday we had chifa for lunch (Chifa is like Peruvian Chinese food) then we went and visited one of our investigators. His name is Segundo and he is a little old adorable man with fluffy white hair. Also He has leukemia - but hes not suuuper sickly just a little week and has to be careful- so he hasn't been able to attend church but he is trying to because he is really interested in the Church. We also visited a new investigator, Nilo, he has a lot of questions- which is really good, but I can't really answer then cause I don't entirely understand them- but he has agreed to read the Libro de Mormon! SO well have to see where that goes with him. Stay tuned. Tuesday night we had our first English Class! We meet in the capillia (church) and we had 4 people show up. It was really fun, I can't really teach that much cause I don't know Spanish yet but I actually learned a lot of new things about Spanish! Yep so that was Tuesday

Wednesday- DAVID BEDNAR (One of the 12 Apostles)!!!!! Wow I love that guy so much, I just wanna give him a big ole squueze! He was hilarious and funny and so strong and spiritual at the same time, it was ammmazing. There were 3 missions there and the CCM missonaries so there was about 800 of us. I was sitting in the 4th row so that was cool. He didn't get up and talktalktalk, it was like a conversation format- really cool. He talked about how we are agents because we have agency. We have to power to act, not to be acted upon. He also talked about hearing things which were no said. Listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and teaching through the holy Ghost. It was really cool, I wish you could have been there. Also after he left I was just saying how this day could not possibly get any better when President Larson walked up to me with a package from home! (Thanks mom!) Some tears were shed. 

After we were back in our sector we were supposed to have a Family home evening with a family, but it turned out to be a surprise party! Haha it was a little awkward (the party wasn't for us) Every one was cheering (after we waited 10 mins for the person to show up) and the music was cranked and everyone was dancing and we were just standing there like awkward little missionaries. Then we got them to turn off the music for a minute and shared a message and then left. Haha but they sent us home with lots of food. 

Thursday- Wednesday we really only have form 2-4:30 for appointments because we study all morning and then by 5pm we are in the institute building doing Historia Familia (working in the family history center). Yeah so not much happened thursday- well for lunch we had lentils and rice. It was good. Everything we eat is with rice. Yum. 

A lovely smoggy day in Lima.....

Friday: We visited with Elisa and Miguel. Miguel is a less active member and Elisa is his mom and an investigator (he is like 50 and she is probably 70) They are reeealy pretty poor. I don't think either of them work so I'm not sure exactly how they live. He is a little strange. I think he has ADHD or something along those lines cause he is alll over the place! We were trying to start the lesson and he kept talking about the movie Die Hard and asking who was in the movie.. I have no Idea, I think Bruce Willis? Anyways he was stuck on that for a while and then he said I was some actress named Sandra stone (??). We finally made it through the hymn and then he was like wait wait its my turn to sing a song! I have never wanted to laugh so hard in my life, but I didn't, no way. He sang some operaish song and he would use his whole body and when he would hit a long note he would do this shoulder shimmy thing and then he would wiggle his hand in front of his mouth for vibrato(?) I literally pinched myself so I wouldn't laugh. BUt the lesson was good with Elisa. She wants to be baptized but she also has some problems with her legs recently so she hasn't been able to go to church. We also visited a less active family. It was a Mom- Beatrice, and Her daughter- Emily. And Guess What! She lived in North Carolina for 15 years! She doesn't speak English, but she worked as a nurse at UNC! Small world, huh? Anyways she was at church Sunday and she brought her novio (boyfriend, he is not a member) And we are going to have a family home evening with them this week! Also we made arroz con leche in our room that night- sooo goood!

Saturday- Saturday was pretty hard cause it was like a holiday here. They were celebrating some Santo this week so everyone was at fiestas. We visited with Segundo again- he hit a milestone. He is pretty shy and never wants to pray out loud during the lessons but today he did! Yay, he's sweet. I just wanna hug him. Also we visited with Kat(h)y (our pensionista) she is also a recent convert, and read with her. And then we just walked for forever. Yeah there were a ton of fiestas that night. And alot of people out in the street drinking. They party hard here. 

LOMO SALTADO - YUMMY!!!!

Sunday: Church is hard sunday cause I really have for focus for 3 hours to understand what people are saying. But the end of church my brain is frrriiied. Also A homeless crazy lady showed up at the capilla. A couple people told us to stay away from her cause she was a little peligroso (dangerous). We went into our meeting and they shut to doors and some Hermanos helped her. After that we went and had Lunch with some members- LOMO SALTADO!! So gooood. and sopa de zapallo. All the food here is soo good! When we left there were some people on a street corner and they were all smiling and jabbering away and one of them held out his hand to shake mine and so i shook it, but then he didn't let go! SO I kinda jerked it out and then we walked away.. He was drunnnk! I thought he was just a happy peruvian guy (well I guess he was) but yeah i need to learn to differentiate between drunk spanish and regular spanish- it all sounds the same to me.   We visited with another less active family. It was a mom and her daughter Christina. They are so sweet and the want us to come back and have a FHE with the rest of their family this week. They are the cutest and niiicest! We also visited with Gianni- he is a less active member also. He is craaaazy! He is 33 and skinny and a little bit taller than me. And he can talk your ear off! But he is cool. He is the one that speaks english. Just the way he talks is so funny- he says the darndest things. And he gave us some pastries from the restaurant he works at. I'm seriously gonna get fat here. No Bueno. 

Yeah so this week was great- I wrote a lot and that wasn't even the half of it!
I am reading the Scriptures- really really reading- the scriptures for the first time and I am getting so much out of it. I'm getting giddy like a little kid Christmas eve because the dates at the chapter headings are getting smaller and smaller. (I'm at 6 B.C!) Y'all the scriptures are great. Everyone should really read them every day. Its impossible to read them and not know that they are true, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God- and it compliments the Bible so perfectly!

K I'm short on time! Love you guys and I love this Gospel and I looove Peru! !
With Love from Lima 

Hermana Linares, the caveman and I

Hermana Sara Scarlett

At Parque de Imaginaciones

Pregnant lady at the parque

Hermana Linares' english study - had to correct last one :)

Las Brisas - Week 2

My week :)

Tuesday: My trainer, Hna. Linares hit her 9 month mark! Whoop Whoop! Yeah not much really happened Monday, we walked a lot. Elizabeth had her baptism interview. She is the sweetest little lady ever. 

Wednesday: Wednesdays we have our District meetings and did lots of teaching practice. It was good but also a little hard because I am the only one who isn't fluent in Spanish in the district, but everyone is helpful and encouraging so that's good.

Thursday: Not much teaching because we had historia familiar (family history) and weekly planning. But it was a good day We did go and visit one man and it was not too good. He was upset because we haven't been visiting him every single day. He is a recent convert and we have finished teaching him.  He's very stubborn and refused to listen to us when we said that we have other people we have to visit. It was not good - he just wanted me to come back without Hna Linares. Not good. We ended leaving. But we saw him at church Sunday so that was good. 

Friday: We had a training for the mission and I saw all my friends from my CCM district! It was great to hear how their first weeks were and how they are doing. 

Also ELDER BEDNAR IS COMING TO THE MISSION!! WOOT WOOT! and on top of that we had McDonalds! I never thought I'd be so happy to see McDonalds in my life! In our sector there is not food places except little panadarias (bakeries) and markets. But in other areas there is McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC, and a few others. But nada (nothing) where I am. Lots of rice. But I like rice. Also I like onions! SURPRISE! They are good. We made some guacamole with lots of onions and its goood. Also salad here is onions and some type of dressing. But its good. 

We taught a few less actives this day and were accompanied by a Young Woman - her name is Ximena and she is the sweetest. Also there were tons of fiestas that night. It was a little crazy in the streets.

Saturday: MY FIRST BAPTISM! Her name is Elizabeth, and as previously stated, she is the sweetest little lady ever! I started teaching her about halfway through the lessons so she is kinda my first half baptism, but its all the same! There were a handful of members there and missionaries. After the baptism she bore her testimony and it was so tender. She has a son that is 19 that is also going to be baptized soon. So exciting!

Sunday: Sunday morning was difficult for me cause my brain we just fried and it was early, but it got better. Elizabeth was confirmed and she just had the biggest smile on her face. Tooo tender. She also wrote me the sweetest note ever. She is a precious little soul. Also the sun was out Sunday! Tender mercy- I needed a little sunshine in my soul that day. 

That afternoon we went and invited a member and her less active husband. That was an interesting experience.  So in the homes the only ventilation comes from the widows and in this home they were all shut- and they had a dog, and this dog was grosss and farted the entiiiire timme! I thought I was gonna pukkke.  They told us about her nephew (I think it was her nephew) and about how he was crazy and while her husband was sleeping he tried to kill him with a knife! He showed us all the scares on his arm and about how he can't use his hand anymore because of that.  We asked if he was somewhere getting treatment and then she was like nahh he in the other room..... what... Haha it was an intereating visit. 

Also the food this week was onnn point! My pensionista is a fabulos cook- but we mostly have arroz con pollo, but its delish. Also Ahi de guillina (ithink thats how you spell it) delish! On the weekends we have lunch with members and we had Lomo saltado- soooo goooooddd yumyumyum and then we had some kind of ravioli with another memeber- Muy rico tambien.

Last night we had a Noche de Hogar with Elizabeth and made Papa a la huancaina- Food here is just too goood. I'm gonna come back as una gordita (a little fat lady)! 

Also tender mercies from scripture study: I looove reading the BoM. My first day in the field I was reading in Alma 1:31-38 when Alma began his mission and had the perfect little mission prayer. That helped me so much. Tender mercies. Then today I got the the story of the 2000 stripling warriors. There are so many great examples and role models in the BoM. I couldn't help think about all Almas, and Helamans, and Moroni's! And all my Strippling warrior cousins and family and friends that are just such perfect examples for me! I love you all and you are always in my prayers! 

With Love from Lima! - Hermana Scarlett

Las Brisas - Week 1

With Hermana Linares, my trainer =)

Before I forget, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EMAILS!!!  I have very limited time on the computer to write emails so I can't return/respond everyone's emails but please know how much I love getting them and hearing from y'all. Thank you so much!

The coast in the middle of winter!

Well I'm here en el campo (the field)! I'm in an area on the coast called Las Brisas. Its really called a sector and it is pretty tiny. Also its a pretty humble area... well in places. My first week has been great which kinda freaks me out a bit because it is supposed to be really hard (no?) Maybe I am still in shock, who knows. My trainer is Hermana Linares. She is from Columbia and speaks only a bit of English, but I love her so much and she is helping me to learn so much Spanish and about this Gospel. This week we visited lots of people and it was a little hard the first couple days because I did not know the people, not because I did not know the language cause I know that will come with much time and muuuch prayer. But I have really gotten to know some of the people and they are all so loving and welcoming! Yesterday was my first day in the barrio (ward or local congregation) and I loved it! So many people there reminded me of the people in the barrio at home! 

View outside our window

Our little kitchen

I was a little shocked my first couple days because everything was just sooo so different. My apartment is very very basic. It could probably fit inside my bedroom at home. But its fun and it gets the job done. Also two steps away is the apartment of some other Hermanas and they are so fun and they make yummy food so that's good. The area I am in is pretty nice in some areas- nice to Peru's standards, it pretty basic living to the USA - and some areas are very poor. But all the people are so lovely. Also its a little hard being a gringa (american) here cause latino men are always whistling at me and cat calling and saying things, its awkward. 

Graffiti on building in our area

My district is pretty cool, I don't really know them that well yet but I'm sure I will have so much fun with them. It was really hard leaving my first district in the CCM because they were like family cause we saw each other 24-7. I don't think I will have that same relationship with my other districts, but I hope I do because they really impacted me for the best. Friends forever! 

We have an Institute building in our area - this is where bible and doctrine classes are taught to members and others who enroll.  In the building there is a Family History Center open to the public.  There are computers and other resources available to people who are working on their genealogy.  Part of working in our area is working in the FHC one evening a week helping whoever comes in with their own family history research - wish I'd paid more attention to Mom and Grandma when they worked on ours.Anyway, I'm excited to learn about it now and work on the Scarlett line of my family history!

Oh, I love President Larson and his wife so much! They are so are kind and loving. We are their first batch of missionaries here so they are gonna love us super much and us them! They arrived in Lima the first part of July and will serve here for three years.

From a member who's also a chef :)

Food - I think I have eaten more rice this week than I ever had in my entire life combined. I now understand why lunch is the big meal of the day. Its because they really don't eat other meals. They just eat it all at once during lunch. Seriously so much rice, chicken, and papas (potatoes). But good thing I like to eat and good thing this is a walking mission or else I will come home faaaat, I still may. Fingers crossed I won't!

Haha also funny story. A young man in the barrio proposed to me during a Family Home Evening. It was really funny - he got down on one knee and took off his ring and pointed at it and then pointed at me. Haha I said "Nunca (Never)!" Haha - but its kinda a joke, he does that with all the gringas. Also we have a pretty cool handshake. 

So my fisrt week has been pretty great! I'm so excited to be here and be with these lovely little Peruvian people and share this perfect gospel! Miss you all bunches!

-With love from Lima, 

Hermana Scarlett

The other hermanas and us at the coast.

I love Hermana Linares!!

Arrived in the Mission!

Below is the email received from Hermana Scarlett's Mission President and his wife:

Dear Scarlett Family,

We are delighted to report to you that your daughter, Sister Sara Scarlett, has arrived to begin her service in La Misión Perú Lima Central.  She looks great, is healthy, and is very excited to begin her service (see the enclosed picture). We are thrilled to receive her and we will take good care of her.  It was our privilege to share breakfast and lunch with her while she was being interviewed and trained in the mission office. 

Sister Scarlett has been assigned to the area of the mission called Las Brisas. She is in the Magdalena Zone.  Her companion is Sister Linares.  Please be assured that these assignments are not made randomly, but are a matter of serious pondering and prayer.

Sister Scarlett was introduced to many of our missionaries at a general meeting held in a local stake house that same afternoon.  There she met and was joined with her new companion and trainer, Sister Linares.

We thank you for the support that you give to your daughter during her mission.  Sister Scarlett will look forward to positive, uplifting letters from home.  

We will watch over your daughter during this time in which she will be serving the Lord in this important work.  We also know that your family will be blessed by her service.  

Con Cariño,

Presidente y Hermana Larson

Last Post from CCM - Week 5

Where in the World is Hermana Scarlett :)

Well this is my last week in the CCM! And in usual celebratory fashion, I got the flu! But the worst was just Saturday now I just have some sort of weird head cold. Its spreading like wildfire here. Too many friendly missionaries shaking hands. 

So this past week has been pretty much the same as every other week. Lots of rice and lots of studying. 

District Papa John;s Lunch!!

One of the CCM managers, Hno. Tello, He freakin loves our district (cause we are the best) and he is always coming to hangout with us and tell us stories about Peru (half of them he makes up). This past week he has been talking a lot about Papa Johns pizza, and he knows how much we love it! SO he put a bug in our ear that we could go on Pday if we asked Pres Gonzales.. so we did! And we went! And it was delicious! No one else really knows you can do that, how unfortunate.

 

Papa John's - I'm so HAPPY!!

We love Papa John's

Also we were supposed to be emailing at 8am, but Hno Tello switched that for our district cause he thinks were funny or something. It's nice to have a bit of power on your side. Also he has the keys that unlock the ice cream! 

Anyways not much else has happened. 

Next Tuesday I will be headed for the big city, The Lima Central Mission, and I'm so excited! It will be hard leaving the CCM though. 

Lima Central Missionaries leave for the field next week

Its funny cause people always say home is where your heart is and we are starting to catch each other referring to the CCM as home. But it hit me. This is home now!  My heart is in Lima and with all of the people in the CCM. My family is always in my heart but my heart is now in a city that I've really never seen and with people I've yet to meet. SO its going to be hard leaving the CCM, its like saying goodbye to family all over again. But I'm so excited to be going out into the field and meeting new people and learning more about this Gospel and this language as I teach and serve the wonderful little Peruvian people around me!

Oh and my tender mercy of the week: Last night we were watching a live devotional broadcast from Provo to like 6 other MTCs around the world and one of them was Brasil! SO we were singing "Called to Serve" and I was thinking about singing this with thousands of other missionaries all around the world and then it hit me - I was singing with Johnny! So tender, I think my heart just melted. 

Anyways that was my week. It honestly is really fun all the time. We're constantly on the verge of tears from laughing so much in our district. SO its really not as boring as my email make it sound!

 
Love and miss y'all! This Church is for reals y'all! Este Evangelio es mejor! (This gospel is the best!)  Lots of love from Lima!

Hermana Sara Scarlett
sara.scarlett@myldsmail.net

PS - I leave the CCM on Monday or Tuesday and many not be able to email again until the following Monday which will be my regular Pday.  

Our 4th of July Remembrance :)

Musings in my Notebook

More musings :)

Can you tell Papa John's was the highlight this week?!?!

CCM Breakfast - yum....

CCM - Week 4

We found fried chicken and french fries!!

SO this past week has been a bluuurrr. I really cant remember anything super significant happening before Saturday. Mostly just classes and teaching our progressing investigators. 

Saturday was the day that we went proselyting and it was so crazy. I don't know if I can even begin to explain it to you. But I will try! So we were assigned to go proselyte in the Lima East mission, which is where the CCM is but the mission is huge. The area that we went to was soooo humble. We took these giant buses just for the missionaries to get to the capilla (chapel/church) where we would be proselyting. The area where the CCM is considered a pretty nice part of Lima but it still isn't anything like back home. to get to the area we we're going to we were driving on nothing but dirt roads for a while. There were pot holes everywhere and dogs running around and people all over in the street. Also in the hills are teeny tiny houses. We didn't get near them but we could see them from the roads. Its cool when you first look at it, but the area is so poor and humble. They carry their water all the way up to the hills and its just so humble. Its hard to explain. 

Peruvian Grocery Store

We finally get to the the capilla and were assigned to some hermanas. Hna Anderson and I were with an Hna from Canada (Sloan) who had been out for 9 months and an hermana that just left the CCM 10 days before. We did some street contacting for just a little bit of time and then we started knocking some doors. Ok, I'm going to say it again, this area was sosooo humble. People were living in little cardboard lean-to's. We went into a house to talk to a less active member and their house was literally just a  room carved into a stone wall. The area was called Chicalyo (i think that's how you spell it if you want to look it up). Its not the same as Chiclyao (the mission). Anyways we talked to a bunch of people and just got information for the elders in the area. We taught a few mini lessons and just bore our testimonies a lot and handed out a lot of pass along cards. It was definitely an eyeopener. But it was amazing because everyone we talked to was willing to listen to us and wanted to learn more. The people here are so receptive to the Gospel its amazing. Probably because it is so true and life changing and the Peruvian people are so sweet and humble. The perfect combination! Anyways I think I've learned that I will probably never be able to express everything I've seen and felt. SO hard so this is just gonna have to suffice for now!

African Pants in honor of Elder Dawson!

Sunday was great. Sundays are always great. They don't assign people to speak here, the branch pres just calls on 4 people every Sunday to speak, todo en espanol. Its pretty intense! Haha but its good because we all have to prepare talks in Spanish so it helps a lot with learning the language. So far I haven't had to speak (my talks are bomb though) now I just have to survive two more Sundays! Also Sundays we get to watch movies! My favorite so far has been Legacy. We got a kick outta that one. This Sunday we watched Meet The Mormons and 17 Miracles (did you know 17 was just a random number that they picked???) so great! Also Monday is when the groups ahead of us left for their missions so it is tradition on Sunday night to all get together (hermanas) in the dorm halls and sing hymns. Its super cool.

Also if I had not said it before, my district is so amazing. I would definitely be a mess if it wasn't for them. We are like a crazy family!

Yesterday was pretty cool. SO our progressing investigator was named Ana and when we are done teaching them our teachers (who play the investigators) tell us their stories. So this one was super special. Hna. Altamirano (our morning teacher) told us that Ana's story was her story, her middle name is Ana. She was playing herself when the missionaries came and taught her back in 2008. It was so tender. She told us that when we were teaching her that sometimes we would say exactly the same things the missionaries taught her before said. It was cool because sometime when we were teaching her she would just give us big hugs and tell us how much she appreciated what we said and we were like wow, OK, shes really playing the part of the investigator... but it was her the whole time! It was special.

There are cats everywhere!!!!!

Also cool thing that happened yesterday.  So its a thing for missionaries to hide things in the ceiling tiles for other missionaries to find. SO we looked up in our class room and found some stuff! First we found this crazy Santa wand thing and a note. It was from the district that left the day before we got there. The note said that the district that found the note was found worthy to carry on as District Siempre Navidad (Always Christmas). It was so crazy because not 30 mins before me and some other hermanas were talking about how badly we just wanted to sing some Christmas songs! IN the note it said that Christmas songs were to be sung! So crazy! Also we have Elder Noel in our district and the Elders call him Papa Noel! It was meant to be! So great!

OH I almost forgot! Yesterday and today is Peru Independence day! We got some food that was so delicious! Ahhh The food here is so good! Peruvians know how to eat! Our teachers got our district some little flags and we hung them all from the ceiling. There was fun to be had in the CCM that day.

 

SO really that about sums up my week! I'm learning more and more Spanish, its pretty hard but its also super fun and rewarding! Love you all and miss you tons! 

With Love from Lima,

Hermana Sara Scarlett

 

P.S. We can only take picture on Pdays so there is a lack of pictures showing exactly how cool Peru is, but here am I and my comp and the cutest temple ever!