Sometimes I just forget I am in Peru, and then it hits me and I am like, "Holy crap I am in Peru"

Dear family and friends of mine...

I am really sorry ahead of time because the aaaa on this stupid keyboard is possessed. So it may cause aproblems that I am too lazy to fix. But onward and upward!

Anyway. these last few days have been super insane but super good. I am learning so much and we are being forced to grow a ton because we don' t have a companion to just boss us aroaund and do everything their way. So we just run clumsily through life up and down the mountains of Alameda 2. ahahaha I think it is lovely. Although seriously my legs have never been this sore in my entire life and sometimes while I am sleeping they charly horse and I consider chopping them off  with a  spoon. But enough drama and whining about the literal mountain that is my area.

Well to start out our first week together in an area that is sort of dying due to the sickness of the last missionary here, Hermana Rush got deathly ill. Well, not deathly. But she puked on the floor and it was both sad and hilarious. Just because it was one of those things that only happens in Peru on a mission when you are 2 little 19 year-old girls. Then, we just went out every day and winged it.  Our teaching was and is a little choppy  just due to lack of the mastery of the language and experience and ateaching together. Buat after having a really long, difficult, jolting lesson on aFriday, we went to the house of a less active girl and taught her and her family and it was amazing. The spanish and the spirit were there and it just flowed. So then we felt a lot better about life.

One of the running problems we have had this week  is teaching investiagators or less actives that didn't or won't progress because someone in the ward has offended them... ait is kind of a big proablem  here. We have had a lot of really good and spiritual lessons explaining that salvation is personal and that while people aren't perfect, the gospel is. Only to have them tell us they will not come back to church. So that has been slightly discouraging. The ward is a tad dysfunctional.... like how there is only one counselor in the bishopric and the ward clerk is like a16. But we are working on it,  hahaha.

On Saturday we contacted this mamita who luckily spoke decent Spanish (they usually speak Quechua) and her niece. We taught them the whole first lesson and then ataught them how to pray.  They just weren't getting it and we literally explained for almost a half hour.  It was  a serious trial of patience ahahaha and I got bit by abouat a8 million bugs sitting in the grass in front oaf their house teaching. But it was worth it because even if they don't progres.  That little girl now knows how to pray whenever she feels that she is alone. And I count that as a win.

We also were teaching an  investigator that actually alives in our house.  One night and at one point Hermana Rush asked me how to say steps in Spanish.  I messed up and actually said pasas instead of pasos which is raisins.  So she taught the whole lesson on how baptism is only the first raisin and I know they understood and they didn't laugh or anything.  But when we were laying in bed that night I told her and we laughed so hard we almost died because we still can't believe he put the two youngest hermanas in the mission, who also are gringas and struggle, together.  I love it, ahahaha.

One of the most hilarious things I have ever seen is a daily occurrence here and I literally almost pee my pants. People just let their animals graze and herd them through the streets and such, including their horses. But they don't want the horses to run away.  So they tie their atwo front feet together and so when the horses want to move they do this weird hop thing.  It is literally the funniest, most comical thing ever.  I had to sit down in the street the first time that passed in front of us.

Also, yesterday, we decided to go explaoring for people up at this part that is in our area but has never been touched. It is called Yanama. So we got on a bus and first went on the most twisty turny edge of a clifff bus ride ever with about a50 mamitas with atheir bags and live chickens and so forth in a very crowded combi for about a half hour. Hilarity. Then we got off and it was literalaly like walkaing into another world. There was a little stream where everyone was washing their  clothes and adobe houses and literally everyone was a mamita. We just walked around in shock and ran from chickens and ginormous pigs that people just have tied out in front of their house and tried to contact.  We decided we are going to baptize everyone there and open a new ward in Yanama.  It was the most adventurous, beautaiful, thoaught provoking, hilarious day of my mission so far I think.  I love ayacucho.

I have been reading all of the histories of my ancestors today and it has been so fun and spiritual. I am so thankfu and proud for the pioneer heritage we have.  I love this gospel and I love the lord. I know that this work is true and that it is directed by the Llord. I love you all so danga much it is ridiculous and I hope you have the abest week ever. Remember who you are and how much  I love you! Because I do. Laike a laot.  Even if you are all praying that a llama spits on me. Jerks.

Te Amo!

Lauren