Week 52: TWENTY.
*Click HERE to listen to this week's short recorded message from Karissa.
Pensamiento Espiritual* (*Spiritual Thought): His Grace is Sufficient - talk by Brad Wilcox
P-day! After Internet, we had ensayos* (*rehearsals) in President Silva's house preparing our special musical number for Elder Montoya! :) Then we headed to the centro* (*center) to take out money and pick up my birthday package from the office! :) I opened it and wow. So much thanks to each and every one of you for your letters and love. :) I felt so much love and support. :) We cleaned lots and readied the room for the other hermana lideres* (*sister leaders) to stay before going out to proselyte! :) We visited Paula, investigator, and taught her about the Word of Wisdom and then went to a Noche de Hogar* (*Family Home Evening) with our new investigators, Jeny, Kiana, and Lucero, and taught them about the First Vision. :)
Consejo de Lideres* (*Leader Conference)! :) We received tons of capacitaciones* (*trainings) on obediencia* (*obedience) and aclarando las reglas* (*clarifying the rules). But I'd like to share my favorite part. Presidente Silva talked about DyC 88* (*Doctrine & Covenants 88) and how we must be obedient to celestial laws here on Earth to be able to support celestial glory despues* (*later); that we ourselves will choose where we feel comfortable and go there, depending on who we've become here on Earth. :) I really loved it. It made me think. :) But they gave out pollo broaster* (*chicken broaster) that I can't eat for lunch, so I ate cereal. #sickprobs We then had a capacitacion de todas las hermanas* (*training with all the sisters) in Huancayo on dress and grooming, where they threw me a mini birthday celebration with a cake and it was fantastic! :) We finished up the day with member visits to gain confianza* (*confidence) and references. :) Good day. :)
Today, I officially hit two decades! :) Twenty. Que locura* (*what madness). My comp threw me a surprise Star Wars 7 themed party (I LOVE HER, she's the greatest Young Padawan.) and I opened up gifts and cards from home! :) We contacted, ate causa, I studied my favorite discurso*(*speech) of all time (see link in Pensamiento Espiritual* (*Spiritual Thought))- all brilliantly executed. :) We visited our investigators Jeny, Kiana, and Lucero, and explained La Restauracion* (*The Restoration)! They’re so great. :) Luego* (*Then), we had a noche de hogar* (*Family Home Evening) with Hno. Lyn* (*Brother Lyn)! :D They bought me a tres leches cake, smashed my face in it, and broke eggs on my head with flour; o sea* (*that is), the perfect Peruvian-style birthday. Absolutely brilliant. :D
Jueves* (*Thursday), we visited the hnas* (*sisters) in Chupaca before I went to Jauja for divisions* (*divisions) with Hna Lescano! Jauja's beautiful- mas campo* (*more countryside), super tranquilo* (*very quiet), with lots of old buildings and great people. :) Disfrute muchisimo* (*I enjoyed it very much)!
On Friday, we journeyed back to Tambo and finished divisions and had zero citas fijas* (*scheduled appointments), so we decided to contact and contacted up a STORM por todos lados* (*everywhere), finding some great people! :) We walked past a blue house and I felt that we should knock- out came a woman named Nancy who had listened to elders before and asked us to please come back! It's the small victories. :)
Saturday was Top Chef Tambo because we cooked SO MUCH. We started with zone conference and then made bread with some less actives who live close (Judith and Jose Luis!) I made a tantawawa* (*so much), a tiburon* (*a shark), and una tortuga* (*a tortoise). :) Luego* (*Then), we visited our investigator Paula and taught her about fe y arrepentimiento* (*faith and repentance) and I taught a bit of guitarra en la capilla* (*guitar in the chapel). :) We went to Clelia, investigator, and learned how to make churros with her and her daughter Xiara, then ran back to the bakery and made pizza and picked up our pan* (*bread). :) Super chevere, pero* (*super cool). :)
Domingo* (*Sunday), I played piano en la capilla* (*in the chapel)! Tambo has an actual piano (however untuned) instead of a keyboard, so count me pleased. :) We had 6 investigators show up! PROGRESS. :) A joven* (*a young man), Leonardo, from guitar class brought his dad to church! :D We visited his family after lunch- Aroldo, Leonardo, Mary, CLaudia, and Aleeph! We got to know them and talked about familias eternas* (*eternal families). :) They're the tender mercy of the week. So much looking with no success, but Sunday reaped its rewards. :) We then went to Obispo Willy's for his birthday and helped make pizza and pancakes to celebrate. :)
"In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something." - Oaks
"Jesus doesn't make up the difference. Jesus makes all the difference." - Wilcox
Wow. How time flies. This week I officially hit a YEAR in Peru. He amado cada instante y se que aun no termino, y voy a seguir esforzandome hasta el ultimo minuto. :) Les quiero agradecer por todo el amor y apoyo que he podido sentir durante este corto tiempo. GRACIAS* (*I have loved every moment and I know that I am not yet finished and I will continue to strive until the last minute. I want to thank you all for the love and support I have felt during this short time. THANK YOU). :)
Con amor y mis oraciones para siempre jamas* (*With my love and prayers forever and ever),
Hermana Schmid
(*Translations made by Karissa’s mom using google translate)
