The Craziest Thing I've Ever Done!

Hola familia!

I apologize in advance for this bad grammar.. This keyboard is alllll messed up! Haha! But yes I'M IN PERU!!! This is by far the craziest thing I’ve ever done lol. I won’t lie and say this week’s been all good.. It’s been the hardest, most stressful week of my life! But guess what? I’m still alive and great :) 

Hmm lets see.. Well after we landed in Lima I think we were all wondering what we just got ourselves into! It was CRAZY! We stayed the first night in a hotel in Lima and then took off the next day on a small plane to Piura. The mission president and his wife picked us up and we chilled at their house for the day (which was gorgeous) The next day we had training and met our new companions and after a 6 hour bus ride, here I am in La Cruz :) 

My companion’s name is Hermana Rios and she knows zero English. Talk about frustrating!! But it’s all good :) Thursday was my first actual day in the mission. I’ll never forget my first house we went to. I don’t know if I can even call them houses. I haven’t been in one place that has something other than a dirt floor. I’m always really grateful after a day visiting members.

Anyway, the first house was Hermana M. Me and her are now pretty tight... I mean, I’ve seen her bare chest at least 6 times now! During the first lesson her one year old goes walking over to her whining and I was just thinking, "Pleeeease don’t take it out pleeeease!" And whooop there it was. Right in my face. Awesome. I knew public breastfeeding was common in Peru, but really?? On my first lesson ever?? Kind of awkward, but at least I’m getting used to it now haha. But, I really do love her! She has such a desire to change, and has a lot of faith despite everything she’s faced. I don’t remember many names here because they’re pronounced weird, but hopefully by next week I will. 

So some things about Peru hmmm.. Well the driving here is NUTS. There’s no traffic laws. Everyone and their dog drives motos, which I’ll have to show you in a picture sometime. They’re pretty fun to drive in though :) The people here are sooo touchy. We greet people with hugs, which you know is weird for me cause I’m not touchy lol. We do have a pensionista, and we eat chicken and rice for every meal. No lie. They feed us a ton here. I usually only eat lunch because I’m never hungry after eating five inches deep of rice. I’ve learned to just not ask what I’m eating haha. 

So pretty much around here I’m a blonde freak of nature. When I walk by, people go inside their houses and get their family to come look at me lol. We were teaching a lesson outside a house and a girl walked by staring, left, and then came back with five more people who continued to stare at me. I see what you did there lady. Nice try! I get whistled at a lot, and my companion is really protective haha. But it’s definitely weird.

Oh! We were teaching                another  lesson outside and we were saying the prayer and little kids came up to me and started poking my eyes like they’ve never seen ‘em before. Yes children, I have eyeballs too just like you lol. Yep. I’m a freak. 

All I do here is bear my testimony in lessons. I’m starting to understand more, but it’s sooo hard to talk. I hope it gets better cause it’s so frustrating!! Can I just know Spanish already?? Por favor?

The one thing that keeps me going is getting out and working with the people. At times I just want to quit sooo bad and go back to my comfortable life, but then I get to see how bad people need this gospel and somehow I make it through. It’s seriously so hard though. Sometimes I wonder how I’m going to do this for 16 more months, but I need to give it my best shot :) I would regret it if I didn’t give it my best right now.  I know these people need me and I need them.

Today for pday we went to this place called Puerto Pizarro with the zone. The other elders speak English so it was probably the best thing ever in my life!  I’ll try to send pictures. We don’t have much time today to write. I have to go buy a backpack and food. Normal pdays I’ll only have an hour, so it sucks, but oh well. 

As for my living conditions I’ll send pictures. To you all it would seem terrible, but compared to the homes here it’s sooo nice. We have a bathroom (with a working shower), bedroom AND a kitchen. Shocking, I know haha. 

I better go now though :) I love you all and miss you so much it hurts, but ya know what? I get to be with you forever so I can suck it up right? Tell everyone thanks for the support and sorry if I don’t have time to write them all back this week. Talk you next week! 

Love, 

Hermana Roper