Hola familia y amigos!
We will watch General Conference next week, because this Sunday was election day, and it is a little dangerous to leave, so we were placed under House Arrest! In other words, the mission asked us to stay in our apartments. We took advantage of the time we had to update the Area Book, write letters, personal study, take a nap, etc. The time was appreciated but not enough for all that we wanted and needed to do! I remember a General Authority who basically said, “Don’t wait around for the magical time when you will have time to do everything that you wanted to do. It will never come.”
This week my companion Hna. Avalos and I have been battling a cold that leaves us drained, but we just pray for energy and carry around Halls cough drops and a whole roll of toilet paper. (I know it is a little melodramatic.) Faith without works is dead, however, so we also carry around lots of chocolate. (Sublime is the Peruvian version of Mr.Goodbar and the lifesaver source of energy here for me on the mission.)
This past week we welcomed our new little companion into the mission field, Hna. Yost. I honestly have never met someone as good as she is. She is so focused and organized and so cute. The other day she hugged us and told Hna. Avalos and me, “I am so sorry you are sick. What do you need? Do you need chocolate? I will take care of you and be your mom.” What a sweetheart. Hna. Avalos is so considerate, as well. She knows how to pay attention to people and give what they need. She focuses on the details. I am really blessed with my companions. They are wise, too, and know how to follow the Spirit. They are excellent missionaries. I found stickers of 3 little pigs, 2 white ones and a darker one all together and we joke around how they represent us!
The family of Amador and Rosa are progressing. They are praying and reading their scriptures and attending church. Every time we visit them, we see them working, whether washing loads of laundry by hand, hauling rock out of the mountain (helping their neighbors clear their land in order to build their houses), etc. These families are modern-day pioneers, in every sense of the word. We did a Family Home Evening in their home and committed the kids to help their parents around the house. Tonight we are going to verify who completed their objective.
There are a flight of stairs (maybe 1,000 stairs) that we climb every day to reach to the top and often we lend service. We haul water or groceries for people as we are climbing up the stairs. This past time I had a tender mercy, or mini miracle, for which I was grateful. I was helping haul this box of artificially-flavored fruit beverages when the thought occurred, “These are made out of glass. What happens if one of these broke?” Five seconds later, one of the bottles slides out of the box and breaks, soaking my shoe with its contents. But, the tender mercy is that I was not cut. The bottle broke right next to my foot but not on my foot, for which I was extremely grateful. I paid for the damaged merchandise and a neighbor noted the irony of the situation with the following comment, “You just paid in order to haul the stuff! Usually THEY pay YOU to haul the stuff.” Gracias for the observation. I thought it was funny, too.
Life is good!
Hermana Christensen
