Week 16: El Niño que Vivio* (*The Boy Who Lived)
Pensamientos Espirituales* (*Spiritual Thoughts) for this week: “Keep loving. Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever.” Holland, Abril 2016 Conference
Last P-day, we discovered we had LOTS of pasaje* (*travel money) left over (spent monthly), so we decided to do more than one fun thing because we had the resources! After internet and lunch of rocoto relleno and flan, we went to Cantarizu to see the Virgencita* (*Blessed Virgin), a little shrine the people put up to the Virgin Mary over waters they claim are healing waters. The waters actually smelled like something had died there, but it was really pretty and cool- the clearest natural water I’ve seen here so far! Despues* (*Then), we took a combi* (*bus) to Chontabamba and took pictures and raced 100 m dashes on a mini dirt track they had! Era chevere* (*It was cool). :) After getting back, we walked around looking for a lesson to no avail. A dog started attacking Alva, so we did another 100 m sprint to get away- she started running, so I did too. A little bit surprising, but we were okay- sin* (*no) bites or scratches! Bendiciones* (*Blessings). :) Despues, we went to Andrea, an investigator, and helped her with her English homework and shared 1 Nefi 21 with her. After, we were walking back to pension for cena* (*dinner) and were followed for a little bit, but he ended up going away right before we reached the pension. A little bit of a scary afternoon, but a fantastic day- complete with finding and eating shaped Trix cereal. :)
Martes* (*Tuesday) began with a reunion de distrito* (*a district meeting) here in Oxa! We had a capacitacion* (*training) on Caridad*(*Charity) and discussed our investigators. After lunch, we had a feeling to go further up Av. San Martin than we had ever gone before, so we went on this little Pasaje Hassinger to contact. We kept feeling like we had to go further up the road without knowing why- and a white guy passed us on a motorcycle and said, “Hey, God bless you guys!” We were bien asustadas* (*surprised)- perfect English and a perfect accent with slang?! An AMERICAN. He ended up coming back down the road a bit later and we talked to him- a South Dakota native on an Evangelical mission here, ex-military and all! He was super cool and incredible nice and understanding of our religion, telling us to keep it up and keep sharing the message of Christ.:) We were bien animadas* (*Cheered up and animated)! Alva had a dream before I got here- she gets a lot of personal revelation in dreams- that she was with a white tall companion (me) and we found an English-speaking American family just like that- talking a bit and later finding them and teaching them. We kept walking and she told me she knew it was the guy from the dream! :) It was a really cool experience. :) Then we taught a nuevo* (*new contact), Liz, about the love of God before going to Vanessa, a less active, and teaching her about Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail. Then we had a noche de hogar* (*Family Home Evening) with Familia Arrieta and talked about Monson’s talk “Choices” from last general conference! Despues, we went to Hedvit and Rita and taught them about Lot’s wife and no mirando atras* (*not looking back). It was a really cool day, and we felt incredibly guided.:)
Miercoles!* (*Wednesday!) After chevere* (*great) studies (and the realization that it’s June), we went to our investigador de oro* (*golden investigator) Jose! We’ve been having troubles finding members to come with us this past week, but this cita* (*appointment) we had three members with us! :) We taught about the power of prayer in receiving a confirmation of truth, and he said that everything we had told him so far just made sense! :) After lunch, we went and taught Yisela, a menos active* (*less active), about Lot’s wife and no mirando atras. Despues, we went to Rosa A., a menos activo, and taught her about Uchtdorf’s talk from last general conference. Despues, we had a noche de hogar at Jocelyn’s and shared the story of Sadrac, Mesac, and Abed-nego* (*Sadrach, Meshach and Abednego) and the fiery furnace (complete with dibujos* (*drawings) by Alva)!:) Era lo maximo* (*it was the best). Then, we went to Celeste, a recent rescue, and taught her about the 10 Commandments and why we don’t worship saints or Mary. There was a cool festival today- the Aniversario de Biosfera* (*Anniversary of the Biosphere)- but, of course, we didn’t bring our cameras out with us today. La vida* (*Life).
En Jueves en la manana* (*On Thursday morning), we helped John, our vecino* (*neighbor), with prepping for his English final for universidad (UNDAC) before a fantastic lunch of lomo saltado! :) After almuerzo* (*lunch), we covered the entire area visiting everyone we know to no success. After a while, we visited Verenisse and talked to her for a while, sharing Uchtdorf’s talk from last conference and the power of personal revelation with her!:) Despues, we went to Katty, a less active, and taught her about albedrio y la caida de Adan y Eva* (*Will and the fall of Adam and Eve). Despues, we went to Shakira, a less active, and taught her about la educacion academica from FLJ* (*education from the Strength of Youth). Era chevere* (*very cool). :) Following this, we went to Angelica, a less active, and shared about Joseph Smith and Liberty Jail. Despues, we had Noche de Deportes* (*Sports Night), where we played volleyball! A woman named Geraldine (a member from Cerro de Pasco who is thinking about moving here and is really alone and afraid) came in and talked to us for a while. We said a prayer with her to comfort her and walked her to a restaurant. Sadly, she’s going back to Cerro- but it was fantastic to talk with her and help her. :)
Viernes* (*Friday)! After chevere studies and weekly planning en el campo* (*in the field), we visited Ayde, a less active, and taught her about the investidura del templo* (*temple endowment)! Era bacan* (*very neat). :) Despues, we visited Mariella, a recent convert, and talked to her about la musica y el baile de FLJ* (*Music and Dancing in the For the Strength of Youth) before going to Lydia, a less active, and teaching her about fe y debilidades de Eter 12* (*faith and weakness from Ether 12). Following this, we arriba* (*went) to a noche de hogar* (*Family Night) with Vanessa, a menos activo, and her four kids! We taught them about prayer and they told us jokes and tongue twisters, and I ended up discussing Harry Potter with her daughter for a while, and she showed me the Spanish copies of books 1-3 they had, The Philosopher’s Stone starting with Capitulo 1: El Nino que Vivio!* (*Chapter 1: The Boy who Lived!) :) It was incredibly fun and exciting to tell jokes and discuss my Harry Potter addiction. :) We finished the day off with Noche Misional* (*Mission night) about Enos. Bacan dia* (*wonderful day). :)
En Sabado* (*On Saturday), we began the day visiting Rosa C., a less active really close to rescue, and teaching her the Evangelio de Jesucristo* (*Gospel of Jesus Christ)! Despues, we went to Luz’s house and surprised her with a mini torta* (*cake) for her 19th birthday! She’s leaving for her mission at the start of August, so big birthday! :) We sang to her and smashed her face in the cake, de acuerdo* (*in accordance) with Peruvian custom. We drank coconut milk straight from coconuts and shared the cake. :) Despues de almuerzo* (*Then after lunch), we went to Jocelyn, a recent convert, and taught her and her daughter Adriana about the importance of comunicacion entre la familia* (*communication within the family)! Following this, we visited Geraldine, a converso reciente* (*recent convert), and taught her about the importance of orando, leyendo, y asistiendo (OLA)* (*praying, reading and attending) in having a relationship with Dios* (*God) before going to Carmen, a menos activo, and teaching her about nuestra vida aqui en la tierra y la proposito de ella* (*The purpose of life here on earth). Despues, we had Clase de Ingles* (*English Class), where we taught slang phrases because everyone always asks about them. :) A noche de hogar with Familia Martinez followed, and our investigator Peter having read the folleto* (*brochure) we left about the Plan of Salvacion!:) We talked about La Caida* (*The Fall), our vida* (*life) on earth and its purpose, and the Spirit World. :)
Domingo* (*Sunday) was a little bit weird- it was the segunda vuelta de elecciones* (*second round of elections) to choose the next president of Peru! We didn’t have church meetings, so we had normal estudios ese manana* (*studies this morning) and I studied Jesus the Christ. :) Despues, we visited Sylvia, a recent rescue, and taught her and her mother Teresa about the worth of souls before breaking our fast at lunch. Despues, we had the hardest time finding anyone en casa* (*at home), but we finally got to visit with Mara, a recent rescue, and taught her and her little enamorado de colegio* (*high school sweetheart) about the parable of the wise man and the foolish man before going to Grace, a less active, and teaching her about albedrio y responsabilidad del FLJ* (*will and responsibility from The Strength of Youth)! Then we went to Maruja, a recien rescatado, and taught her about faith and hope for better. When it got dark, we went back to our room for seguridad*(*safety) due to elections and played face cards and Phase 10. Chevere dia, aun cuando era un dia un poco raro* (*Great day, even when it was strange and a little rare). :)
Today, we’re planning on going to Villa Rica to celebrate Elder Butterfield’s (our district leader) birthday by going to a laguna tan chevere* (*lagoon very cool)! It’s raining fuerte* (*heavily), so hopefully it will still be a good time.:)
Con amor y mis oraciones para SIEMPRE* (*With love and prayers forever),
Hermana Schmid
(*Italic translations by Karissa’s mom using google translate)
