Guess who's staying in Puno

"Purse and I trapped!!"

HAPPY PERU INDIPENDANCE DAY!!!!!!

PS transfers are today and Im staying in PUNO!!! but Hermana Purse is leaving me! So sad! But so hyappy to be working in Huayna Capac for at least 6 more weeks

   Yeah its been a non stop party for Peru here for the past three days and today is supposed to just get worse. Also everyone is getting married because July and August are like the "lucky" months to get married so there was a HUGE party outside our house until 5:30 in the morning- the earplugs are coming in handy!

  Well this week I sadly dont have much spiritual things, but I do have lots of fun stories! Hermana Purse and I were comps again and oh wow. So we are all sick- the whole zone I kid you not. We are all so sick with colds and coughs and we cant get better in this cold and in cold houses!  But its fun to suffer together ;) Anyways, Hermana Purse and I taught a lesson and after I felt like passing out and so we went to the capilla to grab some water and sit down for a little and then when we came out of the bathroom... we found ourselves trapped in the capilla!! all doors and gates locked!!! We just started busting out laughing SO hard. So we went and said a prayer and prayed that someone would come by the capilla. Well we sat in there for a good two hours and nothing had happened and we were mission appointments! Well we finally found a spot in the church where someone on the outside could see us and we could communicate through the gate. Well no one wanted to stop and help the two greengas.. Then we found one man and he let us use his phone and we called the hermana leaders. So emberassing but SO funny!!! We finally got out after HOURS and I guess the bishop had just gotten locked in there until 3 in the morning- so we arent the only ones!

 Next, me and Hna. Beckstead were walking to an appointment and we were walking past the military base and as we walked by the watch tower, she smiled at the man inside and then we heard this super loud gun cock!! Needless to say, we just started booking it. We almost got shot for smiling! Imagine that. But we are unharmmed so it gets to be a funny story.

  Well next, we were walking up this street next to one of the parties -in broad daylight too- and this drunk man started walking towards us just yelling stuff like "hermanitas lindas!" well this happens all the time and we can always just walk right by them because they are so unstable. Well not this one! He started charging after us! So we started running! Then he gave up and so we started walking again and then he ran after us again! Then I stayed behind as he chased my comp and so I started crossing the street, then he saw me and started running after me! I had to BOOK it! Oh my I was laughing so hard. I literally had to run so fast to get away from a gross drunk man! Well all the people that saw were also loving it, just laughing so hard. Oh man. It was hilarious!

  Besides that, this week was pretty slow and a little disappointing. Saturday was going to be the baptism of Elmer and Eber, but they went to their cousins wedding, but they promised to be at church yesterday, well they never came and so we went by the house last night and found Elmer a little not himself.. there was obviously some partying at the wedding. But he was still saying things like "I want to serve a mission, get baptized, and be married in the temple!" It was so strange. I didnt even notice at first that he was tipsy so I was joking around with him saying that I had a transfer to Puerto and he got so sad and grabbed my arm and started begging me not to go. Thats when things got a little weird. Then he was saying "Im just so happy to see you, you are my angel" Yeah not the Elmer we know. I mean hes always friendly, but he knows the boundaries. I was SO sad!! He knows better! Satan is the worst. He knows he is going to be an awesome member in the church. But I know we can help him. He wants this! I love the Luque family so much. Im not going to let Satan win them over! I wish so badly you could all meet them. They are like my best friends. Our lessons are very spiritual, but SO fun. So please continue to pray for them, put their names in the temple, and even fast for them if youre looking for a reason to fast this sunday. Together, we can make this happen.

   Something I learned this week and that President talked about is attitude. We dont have control about a lot of things that happen, but one thing we do have control over is our attitude. It can be hard, but life is so much better when we CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY: The hard things seem a little easier, time goes by a little faster, and life is a lot better. Besides what happened this week, I just chose to be happy. It really makes a difference. So choose to be happy this week!

I love you all!!!

Hermana Hunter

"happy Peru day!!"

Adventures continue

Hi everyone!

  Well just a fun fact- we were in Juli on Saturday which basically is in Bolivia and super close to Chile. Its so crazy when I realize things like this and I think- oh wait... thats right, Im living in PERU!!! It still amazes me and I am so grateful to be in a place that is helping me grow and to realize how blessed we really are. Also, we were sitting on the beach of Lake Titikaka and all of a sudden it started SNOWING!!! Oh my- we all just freaked. Then we have been having thunder and rain storms! Its sooo weird to think you all are in Summer while I am freezing my toosh off. It was ZERO degrees the other night when we were walking around! Oh my, it has made some things a little crazy thats for sure! Also because people make it an excuse to bail on our citas tambien, they wont even come to church because "Its too cold and Im scared" Gotta love it.

  Well two things, one I went on splits with Hermana Rasmussen who is our Hermana leader and all our citas bailed, but we had such a fun day together! I got a sneak peek into the life as sister leader. We had to run to the hospital for an hermana thats sick, calls from president, emergencies here and there... oh man it was crazy! I loved getting to see how things work and am so appreciative of the amazing leaders here who care so much! Hermana Rasmussen and I got to have an amzing talk about the atonement and how it works. I love when she said "Sometimes we go through life just wanting to do things on our own, but then we look back and ask our Father in Heaven- where were you? I needed you so badly! Well He was there the whole time- reaching out to us. There are so many times where He just wants to hold us and cuddle us, but we dont let Him! Sometimes we just need to turn to Him and let Him hold us."  We CANT do everything on our own. Thats why we have the atonement!!! so USE it!

  Also, just so you all know.. Elmer and Eber are doing great! We had an amazing lesson with them about the plan of salvation. At the end I invited them both to be baptized again, well the one that said yes was EBER! Hes the one we thought we were gonna have to work on! Elmer is the one that reads the Book of Mormon bastante! Its crazy! We were not expecting that! But it was the sweetest, when Eber said yes he just pleaded with his brother and told him "Elmer, I know you are going to get baptized and I know you will make an amazing leader in the church" Elmer just turned to me and looked me in the eye and said "Like you said Hermana Hunter, baptism is the first step to being clean and a better life filled with so much joy and love- but I just want to know more!" He reminds me so much of me! Not liking going into things blind- which is something I have had to learn to do. Put all your trust in the Lord and seguir adelante con fe. But I know he will get baptized, I have no worries! But please keep both of them in your prayers again this week! Eber also turned to his mom and started pleading with her just "Mom please, this is the right path- we have to do it together" Oh my- my heart melted. We were all in tears together just filled with the spirit. Eber is amazing and so filled with love for his family and wants to take this step together. I am so grateful for them! Then Eber asked to say the prayer and just pleaded with the father for his family then said "I know they will" I am amazed by his strength! Im telling you- I LOVE this family so much it hurts! We have transfers next week and I dont want to leave them! They give me SO much happiness and I feel so privleged to be their missionary. So as for now- we are preparing Eber for baptism next week and Im gonna work on Elmer tonight;) with.. HERMANA PURSE!!! yep- we are comps again this week! last week of our training and we are left to have another test! But I am so excited. I know that us two can get Elmer together tonight! but PLEASE PRAY FOR US! 

   I love you all. I know this church is true. I see the light in my investigators as they are living the gospel. I see the light dissappear when they are not. But when they are- they are just so happy. I love this gospel. I know its true. Live it.

   Love always,

Hermana Casadora

"Hermana Rasmussen and I went to work helping hermana constantina chop wood"

Oh my. Oh my.

"Coming to you from LAKE TITIKAKA!!"

OH MY!! I literally dont know what else to say.

   Ok so, first, as you all know, I have been having some health issues, well it actually got worse and I was having pains that were like charlie horses in my stomach and I still went out and went to work, but it was hard! I was told I had a pendisitis or intestinal inflamation... well we figured it out.. intestinal infection. yep! But Presidents wife has given me medication and I am doing a lot better so everyone knows!! Thank you for your concern and prayers!

 

 Something funny.. last night we were walking home and out of nowhere in the dark comes a creepy clown!!! Like what in the world?! tHEN IT STARTED HITCH HIKING!!! I was so scared and just told my companion to run. I turned around and he was coming closer just waving at me! Oh my.. sometimes Peru is SO random in the creepiest ways! It makes life so intersting here.. I love it.

   ANYWAYS, WOW. Oh my. Well two weeks ago we contacted a young 28 yr old man named Elber that has been to church before and then stopped coming and we invited him again and then just left. Well one day we were walking by and I felt strongly that we needed to go back. Knocked on the door, his younger 23 yr old brother Elmer answered and knew exactly who we were. We talked to him for a little and he was just SO nice to us. Like usually people here arent that nice to us so it was really exciting. Well we got a cita with him then left. We had our first lesson with them on Wednesday and WOW. So it was Elmer, Eber, their mom Gala, their cute 8 yr old niece, and then aunt and uncle that live somewhere far away, but anyway, we taught them the restoration and man Satan knows they are an awesome bunch.. Phones ringing, door being knocked 100000 times, then... the uncle.. satan has hold on him! He was saying all this stuff like Jesus Christ already suffered for us so we really dont have to do anything, only churches ask us to do things like keep the comandments, not God or Christ. LIES!!! He also talked about how its impossible for anyone to see God. Oh I wanted to just cry! I felt myself burning up, just burning with testimony wanting to tell this man everything I know, but I cant say it ALL in Spanish! So I just sat there and said everything I could. I told them that we know God is so powerful, Christ suffered and died for us, this is incredible! Why couldnt he appear to Joseph? Thats just too easy for Him! I told them that I too thought, this is just too incredible and that I had to kneel down in sincere prayer and just ask for confirmation of Joseph, the Book of Mormon and the Church, I felt weird doing it because I have grown up believing it, but I wanted to REALLY know. I got my answer, clear. THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER- DAY SAINTS IS TRUE!! So I shared that experience that I had with them and then we sat in silence and ended the lesson. It was SO cool! We had to fight to get the spirit back, but it came back!!! We then met with just Elmer, Eber and Gala the next day and just talked about all their questions. Oh my. Elmer has read books by prophhets, listens to talks on mormon channel, looks up temples on google earth and LOVES the Salt Lake temple, me too! Oh my. then they told us that their younger brother is on a mission! WHAT?! Their brother is the only member of his family and Im sure he has just been praying for this day. We invited Elmer and Eber to be baptized this month on the 26th and they are pretty sure that they have their answer.. YES! Also, Elmer yesterday kept quoting me on things I have said to them that have helped him SO much. It feels so good to know that I am helping make a difference in their lives.

 

 Please keep the Luque family in your prayers this week. Especially Elmer and Eber. I am SO excited for them! I can not describe the happiness I feel when I am with them. I have an overwhelming amount of love for this family. They were exactly what I have been praying for, the motivation to keep going and to know we are making a difference here in Huayna Capac. The amount of happiness and love for these people and this work I have felt this week is amazing.

  

 I can honestly say I have never been so happy in my life! I love being a missionary!!!

  

 I am so happy to have the truth! I am seeing people change and families come together right before my eyes and it is miraculous. I love this Gospel and the joy it brings. Even Elmer said how he notices how happy us members are. Its because we have the truth! 

  

Oh ALSO, we had NINE investigators in church yesterday and three less actives! HAPPIEST WEEK!!! 

 

 Everyone, the church is true. The gospel changes lives. I have seen too many miracles and had too many confirmations to deny this, I will never deny it. The Church is true!

Love forever,

    Hermana Hunter

Grateful even when things go wrong

Hi!

   I hope everyone had an amazing fourth of July!!! The fourth had a whole new meaning for me this year. I guess you dont realize how truly blessed you are until you are thrown into the most humbling situation. Here we dont even have floors in our house and we walk around in dirt. I am so grateful to have been born in the US and the things I enjoy there. People here have told us that sometimes they wonder why they couldnt have been born in the US and speak english. Even speaking english has become an amazing blessing in my life!! On the fourth we dressed up in our red white and blue and sang american songs all day and we were feeling SO proud to be Americans! We got some funny looks, but thats ok!

  

Well this week started out super cool. This man named Rafael walked up to us while we were sitting in front of the capilla waiting for district meeting and told us that he has always wanted to visit this church. He has a nephew on a mission and he said that "This is the most organized church I have ever seen" well yeah... Its Gods church!! We were so excited and got to teach him the next day about the restoration. Well, we tried. He LOVES to talk. It took two hours to say what we had to say and get out. It was cool though, he is studying about the Presidents of the US and knows a lot!! He also said he has looked up BYU and is amazed with it! He talked about how police men have searched the living there and never found one drug, alcohol, or cigarettes there. He was so impressed and we left him a BOM and he was so excited to read it! Well later on this week we went to visit him again and found out he actually is out of our sector.. so now we have to give him to the Zone leaders. SO SAD!!! We know he is going to get baptized and it kills me! But hey, it is out of our hands and thats the way it is!

   

So update, on the fourth we went and had our last lesson with moises. We talked about the difference between faith and true faith. True faith is acting. He isnt acting and there isnt anything else we can do for him. He kept saying he has faith, but I told him straight up, well now you have to act on it. Then we told him when he wants to act on his faith, come to church, keep his committments, then we will come back and visit him. Then all of a sudden he told us that he hasnt gotten an answer about the church and that he has doubts about eternal marriage. The true him came out and it broke our hearts. Its sad to see someone so close and then Satan just takes over. But we keep praying and hoping things will change. Theres a reason he has had the dicussions for four years!

  

My companion and I decided this week that we think our job here is to help the less actives. We have much more success with them and feel the spirit a lot stronger. We even had NINE come to church yesterday!!! So amazing!!! We are also working with the elders really hard to help this ward. Peru, I LOVE IT, but they really need help with the way the church has to be run. Another thing all us greengos were grateful for. So we had an intense consejo and I stood up and said that It is our job as members to love and support one another. To leave church feeling better than when we came in. To love the less actives, and to befriend the investigators and make sure everyone has a positive experience at church. Church is where we go to find peace from this world and to feel loved, but we cant do that when we arent supporting one another, judging, spreading rumors, and sitting with our little clicks. LOVE ONE ANOTHER! Show Christlike love. There are too many less actives because they are not feeling loved at church. Search for service opportunities, HELP the missionaries! This is a great need everywhere.

  Ok last story- so the other day we were walking and I was getting ready to cross the street and took almost half a step and all of a sudden a car comes flying out of nowhere! I didnt even see the car, but felt this strong force pull me back and out of the way of the car. Well it wasnt my companion that pulled me back. She kept saying " you should be dead. we should be in the hospital" Well I was protected. I am so sure that it was one of those moments that I literally had a guardian angel with me. I felt so peaceful after while my comp was flipping! Yes it was scary, but it is so great to know that I really am being watched over and that I really do have a forcefield around me as I was promised. Dont worry, I will still be careful! But i know Heavenly Father is so aware of me and of ALL of us. Well I love you all!! Have an awesome week!!!  

love forever and ever,

     Hermana Hunter