I found my eternal companion!!!

…at least for the next 18 months!

I’m going to do the best I can to include as much as I can, but I need 400,000 hours to describe this past week. This has been the longest week of my life. Ever. It has been a rollercoaster. My goodness.

Day 1:

This day was super hard. We spent the whole day in orientation meetings and the day just kept going. I honestly thought it would never end. By the end I was exhausted and I’m not gonna lie, I was ready to get right back on that plane. We had interviews with our branch presidency and the first counselor, Elder Hansen (former police chief and self declared no funny business mission president) sat me down, took one look at me and said, "It's okay to be homesick." Clearly someone was looking out for me, and then the tears came. I’m not sure why, I mean I am. But I like could not control myself. (I’m only sharing this because there is a happy ending! Don’t worry!) And when I could respond, he just kept talking. He asked about my family, more tears, then my mission. He told me it has a record number of baptisms. He talked about how poor, poor, poor the people are. More tears. Then he said, "I know that you have a soft spirit and I know that YOU will bless the people of Lima." Maybe he just said that because clearly I was acting like a baby, but it helped, but pretty much I just kept crying until I fell asleep. Not my proudest moment, but hey, it happens! So yeah, the first day kinda sucked (excuse my language).

Getting my nametag was definitely the best part. It feels great to wear the name of my savior Jesus Christ on my heart!

Day 2:

We started classes. We usually spend a few hours doing gospel Spanish, then a few hours with grammar Spanish. I LOVE IT! The teachers speak in all Spanish (granted, its super slow), but I can understand it all. Pretty much I just sit there and listen while everyone else scrabbles to figure out what they’re saying. I definitely have more experience than most of the class. I’m glad Spanish isn’t my struggle. I love the language. I love the classes. I love my district (small group of missionaries she is with for 6 weeks)! Hopefully more on them later!

Day 3:

We spent the morning at immigrations, which means we got to leave prison! (I mean that in the best way possible of course) but sometimes it feels like that! The CCM (the Missionary Training Center in Peru is the CCM) is surrounded by 15 feet huge stonewalls so you can’t see out at all.

Physical activity is great! Who knew I was so good at volleyball! I think it might have something to do with the fact that Peruvians only go up to my armpit so I can almost touch the top of the net, but hey! I’m not complaining!

So there are 3 groups of North American missionaries (from the United States) and 1 group of Latinos (not from the United States). We are in different classes cause the Latinos are only here for 2 weeks. In the lunchroom the Latinos sit on one side and the North Americans sit on the other and elders and sisters can’t sit at the same tables.

One day Hermana Scarlett (her companion for the next 6 weeks) and I were sitting with some Latina Hermanas, who were trying to help us with Spanish, and I called them the B-word. Oops. Never speaking Spanish again. I don’t even remember what I was trying to say... proud moment though.

The food here is interesting. So many CAAAARBBBBS. Lunch and dinner is always something on rice with a potato then green beans and broccoli.

Yogurt for breakfast (the consistency of melted ice cream).

Remember how I said I wasn’t going to eat sweets while I’m here? Yeah guess how long that lasted? Day two they had churros and the rest is history. Best thing I’ve eaten in my life. So good.

We taught our first lesson to Sara (role playing investigator) today. It went really well - all in Spanish. Once you go to survival Spanish mode, it somehow just works!

Day 4:

HAPPY 4th of JULY!

The cafeteria was all decorated and we had hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken wings, French fries, watermelon, potato salad, apple pie (applesauce on cookies). Pretty funny!

Don’t remember much more about that day! Sorry

Running out of time!

Day 5:

Fast Sunday.

Church was great! It was definitely a refreshing day. We had a great fireside. Firesides and devos are great. They’re pretty much just motivational speeches for missionaries. It really gets ya going!

Day 6:

Was a little slow.

I keep learning that being happy is a choice and one you have to make often!

Taught our third lesson with Sara! It was greeeeat! She agreed to be baptized! It was such a great feeling! Even though I know it’s not real, it makes me so excited for the future!!!!

Day 7:

We woke up early to go to Interpol which took about 6 hours, just standing in line. But that’s a great opportunity to talk to people! It’s so great! The Peruvians are so, so, so friendly and love to talk to you and are happy to talk about the church and help with the Spanish. I usually get to be a translator, haha. I can do it if they speak reaaaallly slow.

We had a devotional (broadcasted from Provo from a few months back) pretty great!

Then we had a testimony meeting with our district, sooooo goooood. Love them.

Today:

Woke up early, went to the temple. That was great! (A little hard to stay awake, though) it was fun to listen in Spanish!

Then we did a little shopping. I had to resist the urge to buy everything.

If I have time, I’ll send more details.

My companion:

I was a little worried at first, not gonna lie. But she is honestly the greatest. I swear it was a match made in heaven. I love her. She reminds me a little of Sister Huffaker (a roommate from BYU who is serving a mission in Pittsburgh), so you can imagine, it’s great! We pretty much are laughing all day. We balance each other’s strengths out pretty well. I would not have been able to do it without her.

This has really been one of the best/worst/hardest/funnest/most spiritual weeks of my life. Before I left I really struggled because I felt like I was so unprepared and I was discouraged about a lot of things. But what I learned, and am learning every day, is that the Lord is preparing me in His own way. He has been preparing me to rely on Him and that is what I do. I can’t do this alone. I have never prayed so much in my life! But it’s been great! I am happy! I am so grateful to be doing what I am doing. There’s so much I want to share with you all! Next time!

I love this gospel! I am so grateful for it and for my Savior! And I keep going because there are people out there who need to hear this message. I know that it can change lives.

I love you all.

Thank you so much for your prayers. I can feel them. It makes such a difference. Honestly. I couldn’t do this alone.

¿que usa superman despues de tomar un bano?

(What does superman use after taking a shower?)

-super fume!

jajajajjajajaj

And finally some words of advice from Elder Holland

“Run until you can only walk, walk until you can only crawl, crawl until you can only KNEEL.”

Life here in Lima is great!

Love,

Hermana Anderson!

from the editor: Kate said she couldn't read any emails. We don't know if that means there was a technical problem or a time issue. She hasn't forgotten you. She did send LOTS of pictures which will be uploaded asap. Thanks for your support, love and prayers.