Hermana Stone: Peru, Lima North Mission: Singing Loud and Proud

Familia!

I died laughing at the picture of AJ. He's got the Flynn Rider smolder down to a tee! This week was good. It's a little frustrating when we've been working hard and not being met with much success but I know that there are people prepared for Hermana Stone and Hermana Haro, we just need to find them. That's the problem with the people here in Peru. Almost everyone will listen to us at least once because we are sharing "the palabra" but have no desire to ACT. Most people are catholic by tradition but there are also a lot of dedicated Evangelistas. When we ask them to attend church with us, or pray, or read the pamphlets or the Book of Mormon it's a little bit of a struggle. It got me thinking a lot about the phrase "exercise your faith". We've all heard this a million times but I was thinking a lot about the word exercise. When we want to get stronger physically, we need to exercise. Not once, not twice, but every single day. When we exercise we start by warming up before getting into the harder things. While exercising, it takes endurance to push through the pain and hard times in order to grow stronger (physically). It's the same with growing stronger spiritually! We need to be working, DOING THINGS, every single day. Pushing through hard times in order to grow stronger. IT's not just believing in something, but working and enduring. I love the scripture in Mal. 3 that says y probadme ahora en esto, dice Jehová de los ejércitos, si no os abriré las ventanas de los cielos y derramaré sobre vosotros bendición hasta que sobreabunde." In this God is talking specifically about tithing, but it can apply to anything. God has promised us so many blessings and only asks us to try him through our obedience. See if he'll bless us like he says he will. I know one hundred percent that he'll fulfill his promises. Because I've tested him.

My Spanish is definitely getting better. I can understand the gist of almost everything. The other day it was really funny though because a woman was relating a story to us about her husband. I completely misunderstood her and thought she told us that her husband died and I started teaching about the plan of salvation and directing the entire lesson towards this problem. At the end while we were walking away, Hermana Haro asked me why I went into that lesson. Needless to say, I very much misunderstood her and her husband is very much alive. This always seems to happen to me.

We had a ward Noche de Hogar that was really fun and always with good food. We also were able to watch the Womens conference in the Stake Center and are looking forward to General Conference this weekend! Everything is in Spanish except for the hymns. I sang along loud and proud haha It's funny how different things make you excited as a missionary. I seriously was so pumped to go to the Womens conference and it made me regret never taking it seriously in the past. It also made me remember working at Kneaders the last two years during womens conference and all the Mormons coming for desserts afterwards. I always hated working that night! We were at the house of a convert last night for a "lunche" (I know my spelling is horrendous) which is like a mini dinner with tea (I LOVE TEA AND FEEL LIKE A PRINCESS EVERY MORNING WHILE DRINKING IT). And no worries, it is allowed. I teach the word of wisdom all the time! But this Hermana is crazy haha when she heard that Hermana Haro has a career technica in architecture she was trying to convince her to move to Peru after her mission because she can have a lot of plata or in other words, be really rich. She had crazy eyes and was dead set on helping Haro become rich and famous, with her help of course. Her son was also impressing us with magic tricks. Finally when we went back to our house there was a HUGE fiesta outside with a full band, lights, and everything. We literally were stepping over drunk men and women at our doorstep smoking and dancing and it didn't end till four in the morning but these are things of the mission. I am working hard, learning so much, and am really HAPPY (if you can't tell by my overuse of caps) I hope all is well. Love you to the moon and back! (I wish I could've seen the blood moon)

Hermana Stone