HAPPY CHRISTMAS HARRY
MONDAY: A crazy day. Highlight of the day was the mission Christmas party complete with pinatas and burritos. When in Peru, do as the Mexicans. But the burrito was dang good. Mexican food doesn’t exist here, who knew? I always assumed all Latin American food was basically the same. I was wrong. It was fun. Nice to be together and talk about why the mission is so great and then go home and get back to work.
TUESDAY: Half the zone came to our sector to contact, which means that everyone got a chance to see how rough this sector is (which is really rough). This sector really is a mind game. Understanding that it’s different from the others and that success doesn’t come the same. But not using that as an excuse not to work as hard. Nor getting too down on yourself when you’ve done all that you can and don’t seem to see the results. You gotta be tough.
We helped a women clean her walls. I’ve been promoted :)
WEDNESDAY: Pretty normal day, nothing too notable. J. wasn’t wearing a shirt, so I’m slightly scared from that. (He’s a 70-year old fairly chubby man.) He was telling us how we need to be careful this time of year because there’s a lot of parties and drinking and dead people. Merry Christmas. Welcome to Lima :)
THURSDAY: We started the day all normal then had to go (the whole zone) to another area to contact which we did for 4 hours which is a really long time to be wandering in some other sector but we were able to talk to some people and send some references to the hermanas there.
We went to the bishop’s house for dinner which was refreshingly good. They say that Peru has some of the best food in South America. Whoever started that rumor obviously never lived in Peru. At first impression, it seems pretty good and then it’s really less good. Luckily for me, I have a whole year to learn how to love it :). But the bishop’s wife is a good cook so it was all great.
Then we went to the C’s for a second dinner which was even better except that I was stuffed. The C’s have lived in Utah for the past many years and are only here for work for a few years so they speak English and everything. She made us non-Peruvian Christmas dinner. It’s the best thing I’ve eaten in Peru.
We had permission to stay out til 12:30 which is not as fun as it sounds. I wanted to go to bed at 10:30 like normal. My body isn’t built for the night crawler life anymore. But it was fun. We got to stay up to watch the fireworks at midnight. Tradition here is fireworks at midnight on Christmas Eve which of course lasted until early in the morning. But we couldn’t really distinguish between fireworks and the gun shots. It was the best Christmas Eve I could have asked for in Peru away from my family :).
FRIDAY: A merry Feliz Navidad. We had permission to sleep in until 7:30 wooho! Merry Christmas. We were so exhausted. We rolled out of bed and put our dresses on over our pajamas and studied and then crawled back into bed until noon. We went over to the C’s to skype my favorite people which was sufficiently trunky.
Miss you guys. We really didn’t do anything else for Christmas after that. We visited our friend D. who tried to kill us. We’re not allowed to eat pork and she gave us each a pig which we then had to smuggle into Hermana Bird’s bag.
SATURDAY: Exhausting! We planned our whole day extensively and did not enter a single house. I tell you the mission is destroying my body. I hurt in places I didn’t know existed. I lay down at night and every part of me cracks. It’s crazy though. Even when I think there’s no way I can take another step, somehow my legs just move on their own. And when all else fails, at least the hope of killer calves keeps me going.
SUNDAY: Played the piano in Sacrament meeting. Went really well until Joy to the World, which I guess was a little complicated for the crowd and they got a bit confused. We had a very uncomfortable lunch. We’ll leave it at that.
I got bit by a dog. Unfortunately it didn’t draw any blood so it doesn’t really count, but still. I’m a real missionary now!
We visited P., one of the elder’s less active member who they can’t visit cause she’s a woman, she’s great though. And at night, sometimes we watch our investigator sell drugs from our seventh story window. So that’s exciting. And that’s about all.
It’s been some slow weeks lately, as I’m sure you can all tell especially now that everyone is flying south for vacation, but I’m happy and doing well.
I miss you all and hope you had a fabulous Christmas and a spectacular New Year!
I’d like to wish a very Happy Birthday to James (last week) and my old man Robert (this week). Don’t eat too much cake without me.
Sending my love,
Hermana Anderson
If you have any questions, feel free to send them and I’d just be thrilled to answer them.
This week I will be ponderizing Revelations 21: 3-4. I love this scripture. It is amazing to think that one day we will have the opportunity to dwell in the presence of God free from pains. It’s kinda crazy exciting to me. But we’ve got to not let our wants for today overshadow our eternal wants. What’s going to help us reach this? And what things are of true importance/value today?
