Week 42: It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas... Chilca round 2!
Pensamientos Espirituale* (*Spiritual Thoughts): Alma 44:4
P-day de Distrito! We all went to La Libertad and made anticuchos de corazones de res for lunch, and I ate my trusty fruit salad. Normal. :) Luego* (*Then), we went with Hna Martin and Hna Dymock to the artesan's house in el centro de Huancayo* (*in the center of Hyancayo)! :D It was super fun, even though it was dumping rain! We had a noche de hogar* (*Family Home Evening) with Familia Rios, miembros* (*The Rios Family, members), with our investigator Bertha on la obediencia* (*obedience) to finish up the day. :)
On Tuesday, we had the last district meeting of the transfer, each of us giving a training on an attribute of Christ! I was assigned to talk about virtue. :) Since Hna Martin and Elder Ayala from our district finish this transfer, we celebrated with the Peruvian tradition of egging and flouring! :D Hilarious. After lunch, we contacted like crazy before visiting our investigator Mirella and explaining the Introduccion del Libro de Mormon* (*Introduction of the Book of Mormon)! :) Luego, we went to Elizabeth, less active, and talked about trials and weaknesses. :) Para terminar el dia* (*For the end of the day), we visited our investigadora* (*investigator) Eddy and explained el proceso del arrepentimiento* (*the process of repentance)! Chevere dia* (*fabulous day). :)
Wednesday! We helped our investigator Eddy prep a presentation for her son's school's anniversary in the morning! :) After lunch, we visited Severina, less active, and talked about the importance of faith before going to our new investigator, Rosemary! We found her contacting a few days ago, and today she told us that a few years ago, she was going to church in El Tambo... for THREE YEARS! Little miracles. And to think we just found her knocking doors. :) She's AMAZING. We talked about the Book of Mormon and oracion* (*prayer). Luego, we visited our investigadora Rubi and explained el Evangelio de Jesucristo* (*The Gospel of Jesus Christ) before contacting. :)
Well, Thursday was the start of December (WHAT?!) and el Dia de Servicio Mundial* (*The World Service Day), so our district went to La Libertad in the morning to clean and serve an investigator of the Libertad hermanas! :) After lunch, our citas* (*appointments) fell through, so we contacted and visited Karol, who is preparing for a mission, and helped her learn the Restoration! :) We then went to our less active Elizabeth and her son, Mario, investigator, and I ended up doing mas servicio* (*more service), helping her oldest son Erick with his algebra homework! :D We then contacted and visited our investigadora Maria and talked about the influence that parents have on their children. :)
Viernes* (*Friday)! Today, they told us that we´re going to be alone in Chilca... they´re closing the area for the elders! ¿¡Que cosa?!* (*WHAT?!) So we have been left solitas* (*alone) with a HUGE area. Que estres* (*What stress). In the morning, we had weekly planning yet again! After lunch, we contacted before doing member divisions! I went with Hna Samy and we did lots of walking and contacting before going to Familia Yacqua, less actives, and talking about la fe* (*faith)! :) I also got to play guitar there! So that was a blessing. :) We met back up with my comp and our citas fell through, so we contacted un poco mas* (*a little more). :)
On Saturday, we spent the morning contacting! After lunch, today was the MOST STRESSFUL DAY ever. We went with the elders so they could show us their investigators and then we had correlacion* (*correlation meeting). There's so much work to do here- the doble* (*double)- and the area is GIGANTIC. I got really stressed out and just couldn't do anything. We sat down to relax for a bit and all I wanted to do was be done. I said a prayer, and a voice came to my head that said, don't give up (no te das por vencida), that you are strong enough. :) There came my second wind. I will not give up. I will rise to this challenge together with my compañera* (*companion) and accept the Lord's will. :) De alli* (*thence), we visited AnaJulia, converso* (*convert), and talked about faith before going to our investigators Mirella and her husband Gabriel and explaining the Restoration! They're so great. They want to change their lives and come unto Christ. They're definitely a blessing... also found through contacting. :) Finding work pays off!
Domingo* (*Sunday)! After church (where 9 of our investigators came!!!), consejo* (*advice), and almuerzo* (*lunch), we contacted before going to our investigator Rosemary and explaining La Restauracion* (*The Restoration)! :) Luego, we went to Elizabeth, less active, and explained Adam and Eve and why the Fall was essential. :) We then went to Luz Maria, less active, and talked about perseverando hasta el fin* (*enduring to the end)! We then had a noche de hogar* (*family home evening) farewell to the elders in Barrio Chilca and watched a part of the First Presidency Christmas Devotional! :D There, in the noche de hogar, we received the cambios* (*transfers)... WE'RE STAYING TOGETHER ANOTHER TRANSFER HERE IN CHILCA! :D I´m super happy about that. We have lots of work to do here in Chilca, but we're ready to give it our all. Caballero, no mas* (*Gentlemen, no more). :)
This week, I was thinking a bit about how our individual characteristics can be used for good and for bad. For example, I've always been ambitious; but I've always been afraid of that characteristic. Reading Shakespeare's stories such as Hamlet and MacBeth and seeing examples in movies, TV, and other books about how ambition is corruptive, I never wanted to use this trait that I possess. However, this week I read a talk from conference called Ambitious for Christ. It showed me the positive side of ambition; how I can use this trait to edify the kingdom of God and work diligently to serve Him! :) This helped me to understand a bit better the law of consecration. All of our unique talents and characteristics were given to us for this purpose, to glorify God and His work. We just need to learn how we can utilize them in the service of our God. :)
Con amor y mis oraciones para siempre jamas* (*With love and my prayers forever and ever),
Hermana Schmid
(*Translations made by Karissa’s mom using google translate)
