Just Dodging Knives This Week....

         Hi. I’m Hermana Roper, and I love toilets that flush. Yep. I said it. What is happening to meeee?! This week Hermana Rios and I experienced what other people’s bathrooms around here are like. We were walking and both had to go sooo bad and were sooo far away from our room so we asked people to use their bathroom. I have never smelled something more bad in my life lol! I love America!

         This week was better though. Still hard, but better. That’s all that matters right? Haha it’s still really frustrating to not understand! This week Hermana Rios was really frustrated. Imagine her yelling and sharing her feelings and me occasionally nodding and smiling lol. Yep. Fun.

         I have lots of stories this week! I even wrote them down so I wouldn’t forget to tell you all :) Okay so we find this new investigator, Hermana Santos. We teach her how to pray and told her to observe Hermana Rios. Well she ends up repeating every line Hermana Rios says. It was so funny! Then in the lesson we ask her why she ttttthinks babies need to be baptized (she’s catholic) and she says, "Because breast feeding is a serious sin?" Say whaaaaat? Haha Preach My Gospel didn't prepare us for this! 

         What weird things did I eat this week, you may ask? Well chop off a fish’s head, cook it, and slap it on a plate and that was my lunch. Along with some shrimp rice that went on for milessss. I also had crab soup which wasn’t great either lol. I’ve probably eaten every part of a chicken as well... I just try to eat really fast so I have to suffer for a less amount of time ;) 

         This week I have found a new hatred for dogs and chickens as well. They’re mean! We always have rocks ready to throw at the dogs. The chickens just roam around houses. This week we had a chicken pecking at our feet. We’ll show you little pecking chicken, when we’re eating you for lunch tomorrow... For real though haha. 

         We also had a weird experience this week as well. We’re walking and this guy is just chucking knives! I don’t mean to scare you either haha but we took off running!! Gotta love Peru... It was quite the sight I’m sure. Run missionaries, run!!

         I also think I’ve seen it all... People vacuuming cement haha! Like what?? I just don’t understand.  It seems like just extra work to me ;)

         As for lessons this week.. We always have a lot. The people here are really welcoming! We had 10 new investigators this week! We had two baptisms for August, Hermana Maryori and Hermano Adolfo (the father of her kids haha), but Hermano Adolfo is a stinker. We gave him money for a moto to do us a favor and he ended up taking the money and buying beer! Hermana Maryori still has a date for August 10th though and is so excited. I really love her! 

         One reeeeeally awkward lesson this week: The crying lesson. So we go to teach two investigators and their mom just sits down with us and starts talking. Of course I have no idea what is being said, but before I know it she’s hysterically crying! After, I ask Hermana Rios why she was crying and she said her daughter (one of our investigators) beats her... Never would’ve guessed that! Ummm... Yeah. I love Spanish. 

         Okay well that’s about all the craziness I can think of haha. (have fun correcting all my mistakes. This keyboard is a beast) But I just hope every week gets better, cause at times it’s so discouraging! But I didn’t come here to fail. President Rowley said, "The Lord didn’t send you to Peru to fail. He knows you can do this." For me, it’s comforting to know I’m in the hard part. Before my mission and even in the MTC it was always, "These next few months will be hard" but now the hard months are here, and I know there has to be a light at the end. These next 16 months won’t last forever. I have these 16 months to work hard, and I’m sure when I look back I’ll just laugh at how big of a wimp I was haha. Yes, right now it’s hard, but I’m too stubborn to give in... You already know that ;) Every day is a new day! I love you all though. I’m amazed at the support I get. I don’t have time to respond to everyone today and I’m so so sorry! But keep writing because I read them all and they make my day :) Love you alll! Have a great week! I’ll be here in Peru dodging knives ;) haha! Kidding mom! Talk to you next week :)

Love,

Hermana Roper

aka the toilet lover