Last P Day after I emailed you was actually a lot better than I thought. I really thought i was going to cry all day or breakdown or something, but we went straight outside to do physical activity and played for like 2 hours so it was fine. I was really grateful because I seriously missed you guys so much.
Wednesday was harder, I think I had time to think and it was a little harder. But it go better, smiley face. One of the girls in our district and going to our mission got transferred to the other district in our zone on Monday and it was soooo hard. I had gotten really close with her, we were kinda going back and forth and laughing all the time. And she is really sad. She had to move because the other district lost like 2 people last week and it was seriously so hard for everyone. Just too close to home. We have some pretty hilarious district times and I think I am super irreverent, but it keeps me going. Our first Spanish lesson was on Wednesday and it was super difficult and humbling, but really good in an eye opening kind of way.
Thursday mostly we just had class like every other day. It is just like 16 straight hours of Spanish which is sort of difficult. We started responding supermegawow instead of bien because the only question the Latinos and the Americans can have with each other is como estay and estoy bien is the response. So now it is supermegawow CCM wide. I also said santa vaca like holy cow and our teacher laughed for like 10 straight minutes. I think they think we are hilariously retarded.
Sister Bott and I figured out this week that were were both at Davis High when we heard about the age change. Probably at exactly the same time. Isn't that insane? She was there for basketball. And we are pretty sure we have probably met at a party or the preexistence or something because we are really familiar with each other.
Wednesday when I was struggling with homesickness, I had a super strong witness that the shocking strength I feel when dealing with that is due to my incredible family and your prayers and your faith, and I am so overwhelmed with love and gratitude for you, pretty much all the time, haha.
Friday during personal study in the morning a huge mongous spider descended near our feet, and we have been scarred for life. Never again will we sit at that table. We also had companion inventory that night and it was so good and brought us really close together. I am amazed at how close I have gotten to people her so quickly. I really feel like my companion is one of my best friends, and we can talk about anything. I am so grateful for that. Our whole CCM is like that, especially English speakers because it is just a comforting connection.
Saturday was our day for proselyting. I was terrified and the morning of classes flew by and before I knew it I was sitting in the auditorium with my Latina splits companion, and we were planning our goals and retrieving our pamphlets. Then we were on a bus to the Lima North Mission. It was so sad. It smelled like fish the whole time we were driving and then it took forever because of traffic. It just kept becoming a poorer and poorer area. Then our bus which had me, and Sisters Bond, Bott, and Rush plus our new companions on it stopped at a chapel and Sister Bott and Sister Rush got out with their companions. I seriously felt pretty scared because I didn't know what to do and my companion didn't speak much English, and my real companion was gone. We kept driving down dirt roads for 25 more minutes and got dropped off at a different chapel. I walked out with my companion and we met a member lady and off we went to visit less actives. At first we struggled because we were all kinda lost and the addresses are kinda sketchy because they are organized weird. Then we got to some houses and they weren't there. Then we talked to some member which was amazingly comforting and spiritual. Then we headed for the mountain.
Ya know those pictures of the mountain shanty house things? That was were I went. We walked up a steep dirt hill and then 287 stairs, yes I counted. to a lady who was a less active member. I didn't really understand a ton, but I got that she couldn't come ofter because she is a seamstress and obviously super poor. Then my comp asked me to say a closing prayer and I was prompted super strongly to ask if we could kneel. So we did. We knelt in the dirt outside her hut and I prayed. I know that she did not need to humble herself before the Lord by kneeling in prayer, but that prompting was for me and was for everyone staring at the slightly sunburned afro gringa to see that I was not above them. The mood changed and we were able to hand our pamphlets and teach and testify to six people on our way back to the chapel. It was the poorest place I have ever seen.
The dogs are everywhere and genetically messed up. I get stared at. The children are adorable, but it was so hard. After that I just sat and cried in the chapel. My feet were dusty, I was exhausted in every way after only three hours. I had been smashed in the face with the Spirit and I had seen the saddest things ever. It was so humbling and so spiritual. My mission is in a slightly nice area and I am so grateful. I can't cry like that every day, hahaha.
Sunday was good, hard, because the advance district is leaving so the intermediate district sang "God Be With You Til We Meet Again" in Spanish. And two Elders who are really close lost it because they are so close and so scared. It was a pretty emotional and amazing meeting. All of our classes were really good too. It is nice to share sooooo many things with all of these people in the same situations. Hermana Shreve in my district had asked for a blessing that night, and the two Elders in our District (Lewis and Halverson) gave it and it was so powerful. Two eighteen year-old Elders bursting with the Spirit even though they are afraid. It was a huge testament to me of the Spirit and God's help and love for His missionaries.
Monday I had to go to a different Interpol place, and it was like three hours long. I don't know what happened because I don't speak Spanish so I just fingerprinted things and signed things. I could totally have sold myself into slavery, but I probably didn't. So don't worry Mom, hahaha.
We have had amazing Latina roommates and they left early, early this morning. It was one of the hardest things of my entire life, well since being here. We helped them out at 2:30 in the morning and said goodbye and bawled and screamed, "Hurrah for Israel". It was amazing, but hard.
P-day was fun today! Our zone is the intermediate zone now. Which is terrifying because we know nothing. So we had p-day out by ourselves and it is a miracle we navigated it all. One of the busses we caught (Dad they are exactly like the Philippines including the driving) hit a taxi. That was sort of awkward. No one was injured like at all. Just a weird, random experience, haha
I love you all seriously so much. Thank you for your prayers and your faith. I feel it so strongly. I hope mine is strong enough to help and comfort you. Please have an amazing week!! Alma 36!!! I love you so much! God be with you til we meet again.
Love,
Hermana Bailey
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