There Is Good In Every Day :)

Hola Familia! 

         Best part of the week: Hermano Juan. GOLDEN. One of our members here introduced him to us and we had our first lesson with him on Thursday. He is SO prepared! He told us he had a dream.... In this dream God told him he needed to join a church, but didn’t tell him which church. When he told us this, I wanted to just scream, "I know which church!! Pick me! PICK ME!" but we calmly said... "Well, we’re here to help" haha. Anyway, we taught him Thursday and last night he accepted a baptism date of September 28th! He is so ready and prepared. Members are KEY! 

         This week was good though. We had interviews with President Rowley and wow! What an inspired man! I needed his help. One thing he taught us is how key the Book of Mormon is. He had us tell him all the problems we have with our areas such as, no member help or contention in our wards, and then he told us that the Book of Mormon is the solution to every single problem. If members are reading the Book of Mormon, they will want to do all they can to help. If members are reading the Book of Mormon, they won’t want to have contention with others because they want to be like Christ. He is SO right. All of the problems we have can be fixed with the Book of Mormon. No doubt about it! 

         My interview was also much needed. It’s crazy how much difference just 15 minutes can make!  At times I feel like I’m making no progress here, and some days I wonder how I’m supposed to do this, but he helped me realize how much progress I’ve made. He said he can see such a change in my confidence in what I can do with the Lord. It’s always hard to see changes in ourselves, so having him tell me that he can see progress in me helped so much. Also, seeing the new missionaries arriving in the mission makes me feel better too ;) haha... But really. It does. Little by little :)

         So after interviews President Rowley says, "Hermanas, is it okay if Hermana Rowley and I accompany you tonight to your lessons?" UHHHH. Wait. Is this a joke? The President never goes out with the Hermanas! You could say we were a bit freaked out.... So we raced back to La Cruz and started tracking down all our investigators and confirming appointments haha. They were all there! It was a miracle... For real.

         First we went and taught Hermano Victor, the one with the fear of the Book of Mormon. I know President Rowley was inspired to come and teach with us because it helped Victor SO much! Pretty much President Rowley flat out said, "We have trials with or without the Book of Mormon. That’s life. I have trials and I read it every single day. The question is how are you going to prepare for those trials?" YES. Thank you President Rowley! We have told him this a million times, but he finally agreed to read! MIRACLE! 

         After Victor, he talked with Hermano Adolfo as well and we thought everything was just dandy... Until last night. He’s drinking again. We had set daily goals with him so that little by little he could quit and then went to teach him last night and Maryuri said he has been out drinking for the past two days. Aweeesome. I do feel bad for him. It’s an awful addiction, but he needs to put forth some effort too. We can have all the desires in the world to change, but until we do something about it, we’re never going to change. 

         Another family that I just love with all of my heart is the Romero family! I just feel such a closeness to them! They are so great. They couldn’t attend church this week, but have such desires to learn. We plan on challenging them to baptism this week :) 

         Little Carla and her sister Nuri also have my heart. I think I’m gonna take Nuri home with me. Cutest thing ever! We also have a goal of getting them to accept baptism this week. It’s not really a question of them accepting, but their parents. Their mom’s a member, but we’re not sure with the dad. We’ll have to see this week :) 

         This Sunday we also had a Stake Conference thing. BEST THING EVER! It was in a real church, with a microphone, and people were QUIET. Say whaaaaat?! Miracle again! It was a broadcast and we had Sister Reeves, David A. Bednar, and Richard G. Scott talk to us. Don’t ask me exactly what they said cause it was all in Spanish haha. Richard G. Scott is quite the Spanish speaker! Elder Bednar just spoke English with a translator. BUT! I understood a little bit! Improvement right?! I’m excited for General Conference here in a few weeks. Crazy to think that a year ago a mission was the last thing on my mind eh? Haha now I’m here preachin my little heart out in Peru! Life is pure craziness.

         I don’t even have that many crazy stories this week. How sad! Or maybe I’m just getting used to the embarrassing moments? One thing that’s totally a bugger here is that I swear everyone thinks I’m dumb lol. We’re eating with a member and his wife and he asks me how many people live in Utah and I was just like, “I’m not really sure.” Then his wife, Zoila, says to everyone, "Oh she can’t count either!" Umm... I’m actually kinda smart in English. I promise! Lol! Oh man it’s so frustrating to have all these thoughts in my head and not be able to talk! It’s times like those when I just want to give up and say, "Welp. I almost learned Spanish." But I cant! I’m going to speak Spanish one day so take that Hermana Zoila! Haha 

         As for the language, I actually understand quite a lot. The problem is that I can’t get my words out. I understand what’s going on, have things to say, but just cant. So frustrating! But I’d rather be like this then not be able to understand either haha. Little by little :) 

         Oh! Story time. We’re having Noche de Hermanamiento (I have no idea what this is in English) and we decide to play a game at the end. So the game is that one person has a glass of water and names a room or place. Then everyone in the circle has to say one thing in that room.  If you can’t, then water gets dumped on you. Well he’s going around to each person and I’m just panicking more and more because I don’t know Spanish haha. He gets to me and of course I had no words in my head. I didn’t even know what was happening! He then goes on to straight up dump the glass of water on my head! At this point I was so confused haha. Like why did I just get a glass of water dumped on my head?! (probably cause I’m a gringa huh?) But yep I had no idea what was happening and didn’t know what happened until after we left and Hermana Rios explained everything. That’s usually how things work.... I just nod my head and smile and then when we leave she explains it to me lol. Oh boy. Espanol. 

         It was a great week though :) I feel so much closer every day to being where I want to be. There’s so much I need to improve on, but there’s also so much I’ve learned too. That’s my goal is to always remember how far I’ve come and not to focus on how far I have to go. Sometimes it’s hard to see the good when I’m getting water dumped on my head and everyone’s laughing at me, or when I can’t understand a single word, but there is good in EVERY day. The good moments definitely outweigh the bad and I am SO blessed :) It might just be learning one new word, or being able to find a scripture that helps one person, but there is good in every day. We just have to find it :) 

         I hope you have a grrrrrreat week! Love you SO much! Tell that stinker of a brother Happy Birthday for me Thursday! Can’t believe he’ll be 17! He’s lucked out this year... I can’t put up any embarrassing baby pictures on facebook. Que triste :( Pero, Ill be thinking of him :) Love you all so much! Thank you for everything! :)

Love,

Hermana Roper