Monday, September 9, 2013

Missionary work is different here than in the states...

¡Holá! 

This week was straight up awesome! I´m so glad that everyone in the world wasnt lying to me when they said that things would get easier with time. This week was the tiniest bit easier than the last, and I´m going to take this small gap of happiness and run with it. We worked really hard this week to try and gain the confidence of the members. Which means talking more about my family and my life in the gospel than ever before! We also gave lots of service trying to let the people ¨know us by our love.¨ 

Missionary work is so different here than in the states. I read Kelsi´s and Christina´s emails (friends of Melissa's from our ward. One is in California and the other is in New York) sometimes and think ¨Wait, is this the same thing?!¨ But it´s good to be different sometimes. I can't really rely too much on the traditions and things I learned about how the Church functions because circumstances here are so different. But I´m growing leaps and bounds every week because I have to learn so much so fast. And I think that´s why I´m here. Perú is my place to learn and grow and help others learn and grow too.

We have our fingers and toes crossed that Hno. D will be baptized this 14th of Setiembre. He has a GF in our ward, and actually lives right next door to us. He has about 22 years (hahaha, that´s Spanish sentence construction for ya!). And he´s like the only investigator that actually completes his compromisos! It´s incredible! We´ll ask if he read 3 ne 27 like we told him to, and he´ll say ÿes and then tell us his thoughts on the chapter,  and I can barely believe it! An investigator that keeps his compromisos! Increíble! 

My companion and I are still learning that we grew up in different countires and therefore operate in way different ways. She´s a huggy, mother smothering type pf person, and I´m more of a ´I like to write in my journal on my bed by myself and not with you right next to me¨ type of person. She also shows love by telling me to do simple things, like put my jacket on. I seriously have to mentally process everything she says to me in her shoes, and realize that she´s not telling me to do every little thing because she thinks I´m a child, but more because this is how she ¨shows love¨. Haha, Kelsi- you´d just die of the irony of how much my companion wants to hug me! 

I sent ya´ll a fat letter with some pictures in it to prove that I still have all my arms and legs, much to the chagrin of these peruvian dogs.

Last P day we got permish to the plaza de almas, and it was awesome. Hopèfully pictures soon, when I get my cord. I saw so many white people, I was freaking out. And Hna Guararrdo kept saying ¨look! your cousin!¨or "look! Your grandpa!" I think I understand now why people react the way they do when they see me. 

I´ve been reading Jesus The Chirst and it is seriously awesome! I´m about  a third of the way through, and I´ve learned so much. I love all the big words, and the way that Talmage follows a specific pattern to set up and validate his arguments. I´ve come to understand more "deep doctrine" through this book than anything else! I love it, and cant wait to have time to study it more.

I love you all, and think of you oftten. Stay strong, stay safe, stay happy!

(Melissa got the package from the Leavitt reunion. Thanks Laura for heading this up and this is what she said when I asked her if she had received it "Yes, I did! And it was an awesome day, to receive two packages from home, one from Laura and one from my family, with the adaptors, that totally work." I also asked her if she had to pay fees for her packages and she replied "Nope, no fees. I only have to endure the jealous stares of everyone else in my Zone as I receive mountains of mail from my AWESOME family!")

Hna Leavitt

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