Hola, family and friends!
I am so happy. My new companion, Hna. Rodriguez (from Guatemala), and I are such good friends, and we only have had less than a week together. We are working hard (don't run faster than is needful...) and having fun doing it. We have scripture searches together and we pick key words (such as joy, charity, forgiveness, etc) and find scriptures that can help our investigators. I know that these scriptures won't only help our investigators right now, but also people that I visit teach in the future, my family, etc. The scriptures rock! I highly recommend them. We also do aerobics together, and the other day I taught her the only African dance I remember from my modern dance class. She learns quickly. We are going to be twins and make (or have made) matching outfits. The people laugh at us because I am significantly taller than her and we walk arm in arm down the street together. We appear to be the odd couple, but we don't care! She is so great.
We are also cooking for the time being, while our pensionista is in Pucallpa. I am officially Peruvian, as I made my first refresco from carambola, boiled bananas (a necessity at every meal), eggs, etc. We taught the Lopez Vasquez family how to make white chocolate popcorn (so good with peanuts and candy corn...it will change your life), and Delicia about dirt pudding (your chocolate pudding, crushed Oreos and gummy worms). The idea is that the chocolate recipes can help the family with their venta (their business) that they put out for Valentine's Day and for Mother's Day.
We helped with the Relief Society training on Visiting Teaching and are helping the supervisors with their action plans to help the sisters recognize the importance of visiting teaching. (See Barbara Thomson's talk in the last General Conference.) On Friday we walked around with brooms and told people, "We are here to sweep your patio!" After sweeping their patio, we made appointments to return and teach them the gospel. We will do the same with the YSA on Saturday to find new families to teach. Some thought we were part of the municipality and asked us to return more frequently! Funny.
Rosa and Jose's wedding is postponed until February, because the mayor was out of town. But, it should be in 2 weeks. Rosa is doing well and is progressing. We just found out that we will now be in 2 areas, Amazonas and Clavero. So, we won't sleep much. But life is good.
I love the gospel and I am sad thinking about leaving, so I won't think about leaving! I love the Lord's work and am so grateful for the opportunity to be a full-time missionary. It is the best!
Love,
Hna. Christensen
