Monday, December 28, 2009

Christmas in Peru

The best part of Christmas was being able to talk to many members of my family (I feel sad that I wasn`t able to talk with David, Jenn, Lily, Julian, Emerson, Lisa and Matt, and Bequis) and to find out how they are doing. On the 24th, we had a nice Christmas turkey dinner with the Balbodilla family. We noticed several dolls here in Peru, with some rather entertaining names...(“Intelligent Baby” or “Baby Thirsty” are some of my favorites).

This weekend was special as our friends Truario and Consuelo were baptized. This couple has faithfully attended church and paid their tithing for 6 months, but were waiting for their papers to arrive in order to get married. We stopped by before Christmas to see how they were doing and they told us that the papers had arrived and they had eloped! They didn`t even tell their children! Since nothing was stopping them, they decided to be baptized the day after Christmas. They are already preparing for the temple, in one year from now. If I am in the area, and if I am invited, I will be able to attend their sealing in 2010. There was such a special spirit in the room when they were baptized and confirmed. They join their children, who were already baptized. So special.

The only words I can use to describe this Sunday is “The Muppet Show.” It was a happy Sunday, and many of our investigators attended church. Here are some highlights:

1. Since church is between 11-2, we suggested to Ursula and her children (the little terrors) that they could bring some snacks to eat in between meetings. We wanted to burst out laughing when we saw the little year old boy, Amado, struggling to carry a bulging sack (a full out dinner with rice, eggs, bananas, and drinks) of their food. They arrived early to church and were in the main hallway, eating their picnic and drinking their manzanilla.

2. Our investigator Pablo came to church again. He arrived before we did, and was afraid, because he didn`t know anyone there. He ran away in tears. Some gracious members from the other ward ran after him and plead with him to come back. He came back and wanted to share his testimony (we told him to wait one week). I didn`t know that Pablo was a little tipsy until some more experienced missionaries told me. He was so excited to come, that even if I had known, I probably would have allowed him to come, too. I now know to do the “breath test.”

3. At the Ward Christmas party, Hna. Flores and I have to leave before the program is over, because we have to be back in our apartments before 9. Sis. Rojas ushers us into the kitchen to eat some paneton (fruitcake) and hot chocolate before we leave and leaves the room. We are in the kitchen, eating quickly (stuffing our faces), when a little girl, Daisy, opens the door and shouts, “Hermanas!!! Las chape!” (Hermanas! I caught you!). We stop and look at her, paralyzed (deer in the headlights). We had to chase after her and explain that we had asked for permission. We recommended to the Bishop that she have a calling as the Serenazgo (security) for the next ward function.


That's all for this week! Just be obedient. It makes life so much simpler for everyone. :)

Hna. Christensen

Monday, December 21, 2009

Pre-Christmas Thoughts and Experiences

Merry Christmas this week!

We have been teaching a lot of teenage girls the gospel. I know that it blesses families. Hna. Flores and I have 2 favorite commandments, the Law of Chastity (sexual purity before marriage and total fidelity after) and the Word of Wisdom (don’t consume alcohol, tobacco, and other addictive substances). We have observed SO MANY families here that would be immensely blessed if they lived these 2 commandments, regardless of their religious beliefs. I realized that it is so important for those pre-teen and teenaged girls to have the love of their parents, especially of their fathers. If they don`t get the attention from home, they look for the attention in other areas, on the street. I wish people would just live the commandments. It makes life so much simpler.

We had a humbling and beautiful moment when we met two war veterans, Pepe and Mario, sitting on a park bench. One man had lost his hand in the war, and the other had lost his leg. We were talking with them, and Pepe insisted on buying us a gaseosa (7 up) and some cake. He said, “You give all your time to help families and I want to thank you.” I told him, “No, we want to thank YOU for your sacrifice that you made to bless and protect the people of this country.¨ Their act of kindness was so humbling, Hna. Flores and I wanted to cry. Here we needed to thank them, and yet they were thanking us. I felt, this is the smallest part I will feel when I meet my Savior and thank Him for His sacrifice for me. I hope we can remember the Savior this Christmas time and always, so we will always have His Spirit with us.

Love,
Hna. Christensen

Monday, December 14, 2009

Shout outs--and Life in Lima

I want to give a quick “shout out” to my brother, David, whose birthday is the 16th of December. Feliz cumpleanos, David! I love you! Also, happy wedding this month to my friends Raj and Suruchi. Congratulations! My college friends who are preparing for finals, or who have finals this week, good luck and study hard!

While most people recognize me as American, others think I am British, or German. One man, Pablo, started speaking German to me. I responded with the few phrases I learned from my sister Bequis and my friend Kari. “No espreka zi deutsch. Mein gleibte schvreste, Bequis, espreka zi deutsch. Ich liebe meine muter. Vilkommen en Peru.” (Translation: I don´t speak German. My lovely sister, Bequis, speaks German. I love my mother. Welcome to Peru). Yes, I actually said all of that. Turns out he lived in Germany for 11 years. He surprised (and delighted us) us by coming to church last week. He was embarrassed, because he wasn’t dressed in church clothes (he didn’t have any). I was so happy when our friend, John Carlos, befriended him and made him feel comfortable. We missionaries need members to look out for the new people at church and help them feel welcome. It’s a responsibility we all have. People don’t come back and won’t receive those blessings, if they don’t feel welcome.

I thought I would describe a little bit of Lima for you. It is a big city (8 million) with paved roads and public transportation (lots of big buses and smaller minivan style ones). There are lots of parks, too (we met the workers who maintain the parks. They are paid 16 soles a day, or less than 6 dollars, to maintain the parks. They walk an hour to work both ways under the hot sun, to save money. A bottle of water costs 1 sol, transportation costs 50 cents, etc). People love their music. We hear reggaeton, merengue, bachata, salsa, and Michael Jackson (yes, everyone here is addicted to Michael Jackson). It is common to see groups of children practicing their group dances. Both the boys and girls dance, the girls in their big, brightly colored skirts and their braids, and the boys in their pants and shirts. They all know the traditional folkloric dances, too. Every time I see them, I just stop and stare with delight. The USA is missing out on a lot of culture.

The kids all wear uniforms, except for those in university. It is not uncommon to see groups of people playing soccer (futbol) and volleyball. They just put up a big net in the street and start playing. Every once in a while we will see a procession of the Catholic church in the street. I loved hearing the faith of a Catholic woman we met who explained that the procession is a way to remind the people that they need to always remember the Savior and what He`s done for us. It’s not an advertisement, but a reminder to the community.

Many people here have cell phones, but there are pay phones on every block. Many people have their own shops out of their homes, where they sell snacks, phone cards, toilet paper, office supplies, and Inca Kola (the national soft drink). The difference is that everything is behind a big gate that is locked. You stand outside and tap on the gate, shouting, “SeÑora!” in a slightly whiny voice (I don’t exaggerate). We eat chicken and rice with potatoes almost every lunch time. I’ve never eaten so much meat in my life! There are street vendors everywhere, but we are not allowed to eat from them (this is a good rule...most people here have not taken a class on microbiology. I try to forget everything I learned in that class about sanitation and food being left out. I just pray fervently when I bless the food that the microbes have not reached a dangerous level). 

Life is good. Prayer is essential. Be kind to others.

Love, Hna. Christensen

Monday, December 7, 2009

Thanks and Thoughts on Faith, Hope, & Charity

I just wanted to send a quick thank you note for those who have written me. Even though it takes a while to receive and send letters, I just got letters from Crystal Baysa, Kezia Carter, Sonia Valdez, Jenay Weekly, Carmen Bowman, Kari Stolzenburg, Karen (my sister) and my Grandpa. Thank you ! I feel blessed to be able to be inspired by your letters and to feel your love, as well as to stay connected to you.

I’m grateful for the examples of faith here in Peru (as well as those back home in the States). I have noticed how the people here live their testimonies every day. For example, Hno. Castillos is a man in his seventies who only has one leg. He wakes up early to walk to church, slowly and with his crutches, I don´t know how far, every Sunday. He travels two hours (each way) every week to faithfully serve in the temple. There are families here that have barely enough to get by from day to day, from meal to meal, and yet they are so willing to give everything they have and to share with others what they have. And, that love or charity is a natural byproduct of faith and hope. It’s the feeling that you have when you walk down the street and you just want to hug everyone, or when someone says something that hurts your feelings but you forgive them and love them anyway. So, let us learn to love! If we don't have that love, we can pray for that love.

Love, Hna. Christensen