Happy Anniversary!!! What a fun trip to Jackson Hole! FYI you can still use dear elder here, takes 8 days. Dad would fit in great here because it's like an hermana rule that I brush my teeth about five times a day1. after waking up 2. after breakfast 3. after lunch 4. after dinner 5. before dinner. I have to take my toothbrush to class. yuck. This scripture in D&C 50: 40-41 about sums up my week: "Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me," This last week so many things hapened that it's hard to keep everything straight. It was the biggest seven days of culture shock in my life.
So to straighten things out: it's six sisters in a room (aka 3 companionships). In my room it's Hermanas BBB and our companions. Our district on the other hand is all North American. We all see eachother all the time. Thank heavens Hermanas B&B are still here because I don't know what I would do without them! Yes, part of Lima is in my mission, but I'm not sure how much since it's also split with Lima central and east..
All of the Elders buzz cuts are growing in, but not for long because every three weeks they trim them back down to a number 2...all the way around! They all have fuzzy heads and it's pretty funny how much some of them hate it.
Favorite spanish of the week has to be Hermana Brown saying "aorta" everytime she means to say "ahora." Other funny spanish moment is realizing how bad my spanish actually is. I feel like the longer I'm here, the worse my spanish gets. The other day I was saying the prayer to start planning with Hermana Pereyra. I said "in the name of jesus christ amen" unfolded my arms and looked at her, but she still had her head bowed. I tried to say it again, but I guess it still didn't get through so I got closer, pretended to fold my arms again, and said "amen." She got it. But honestly, sometimes I'll walk through something in spanish with her okaying different plans, and after a few minutes she says the exact same thing I just said to her like no one has talked about it before! I know that sometimes she says yes just because she wants to simplify.
Okay so Lima Temple! Every Wednesday we're divided into temple groups of 15-20. We meet at the front gate until security lets us out to wait for the "Banco" bus on the curb. It costs 1 sol round trip. The Lima temple is really small and only fits about 25 people in each room per session. The temple worker ladies in Lima are SO cute and small. When they measure you for a dress they practically have to stick their arms straight up in the air to make the dress reach your shoulders to check the length. All of us feel like giants. I braved it out and have officially done two sessions without headphones and just straight spanish. I was actually surprised how although I couldn't understand everything, I didn't get lost either.
I felt extra safe in the temple because there were no crazy drivers. Once we get off the dirty dirty bus we have to cross the streets amid little raspy honks and crazy drivers. I don't know how there's not a wreck every two seconds because everyone literally weaves in and out of the most congested scariest driving everywhere. I just close my eyes so I don't get sick.
Saturdays are awesome because we get to go out proselyting! I'm not going to lie...this was really really hard for me. The group I was with was sent to Santa Clara, a really poor area of Lima. When I got my call to Lima, I knew that it was a 3rd world country but had absolutely no idea what that meant really. CCM gave us a list of less'actives to go find with a member from the local ward and a door-knocking we went. It was so hard. Hermana Pereyra kept saying "hermana bowles, why aren't you talking?" Um...geez..I don't know...maybe it's the fact that I can't speak spanish and these people need clean clothes and food more than the gospel?!?!?! I've really learned this week that the gospel IS for everyone, if only to know that God loves them and they have more potential than where they're at. The Savior loves everyone, nothing else matters. I have to show hope.
Love Always, Hermana Bowles
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