I love you so much. I love to read your weekly emails and see how everyone is doing. It makes me feel so close to you:) and makes me laugh and cry all at once. Ahaha. I will try to do this day by day thing:)
Monday: I got 9 letters that have been waiting for me. I think 5 were from Grandma. It literally made my life and saved my life. Thank you so so so much. I love you with all my heart. Also Wyatt, Mom and Dad thank you for the letters. I treasure them. I usually get mail on Mondays or Tuesdays, just FYI. Thank you again, really. Pass the word along to Grandma Judy and tell her I am glad she is healthy and well.
Tuesday: We arrived at our apartment in the afternoon to find we had no bathroom water. Luckily we still had water in the kitchen so we could haul water to flush the toilet. It was hilarious. Also we are super blessed because there are sisters pretty close to us, which is really rare. We just walked to their house to shower in the mornings. It was really a blessing. Also, it made me appreciate our bathroom. It is pretty big and really nice compared to theirs. Random toilet facts about Peru: they flush the opposite way-like the water swirls the other way. And also they have perfumed toilet paper here-which I don't know how to feel about.......
Wednesday: Tender mercy of the day was that in one of our lessons the neighbors were blasting Celine Dion and I loved it. Also I wanted to mention how cool I think the new Work of Salvation Program is. It really focuses on rescuing less actives. I that it is so cool, and so cool to call it a rescue.. It really is so important. Also, the quote "Catch the Wave of Missionary Work" is really cool here because wave in Spanish is ola. And orar, leer and asistir are pray, read and attend so it is really cool. Just sayin'.
Thursday: Homesickness hit me like a brick wall. It is always sort of there, but it just crippled me. Then when we went to shower at the other sisters house, they really helped me. It was a blessing. Then we had service in the Elder's area and it was really fun to just be with everybody and help people. We sanded a bunch of walls in their pencionista's house. It also made me grateful I am an hermana...our apartments are like night and day. I feel bad for them. That afternoon I helped in three lessons. The first was rough, the second was way rough, and the third was great. Hahaha. Don't ask me why. Spanish is temperamental. Also that night we were talking to Hermano Miguel (the amazing convert) and I told him to look up "What Does the Fox Say". He laughed so hard he cried. So, yay for the internet :). Also I sent letters on Thursday....so watch for those. I want to see if they get there before I send more important ones....
Friday: Well apparently if a dog is sick here, the people hang a lime around its neck and it supposedly heals it. Random Peru Fact. Dad should offer that as a service. Also, OUR WATER TURNED BACK ON this day so that is good. Hermana Saenz was a little sick so we stayed in a few hours in the afternoon. Then we went back out. We were in a lesson and she gave us a warm jello drink. Apparently that is common. I don't know how to feel about it. Bleh. Then the Jehovahs Witnesses knocked on the door so we answered and it was hilarious. The lady whose house we were in almost died laughing. You should have seen their faces. We had a meeting with the Mission Leader who is Miguel's dad. So I was talking to him and he was trying to pronounce Harry Potter names and it was not going well. At all. Hahaha.
Saturday: Surprise......WE HAD A BAPTISM! Little Fiorella, an 11 year-old girl with a less active mom who is slowly being rescued. It was great:) Except the musical number fell through because it was ward temple night for the first time in a long time. So guess who sang? Us! Mom, you would be so proud. We sang "Come Thou Fount" in Spanish and English and I sang by myself for parts of it. Are you shocked? I am. Hahaha. It was a really beautiful service. It was super spiritual despite the low attendance.
Sunday: We were late to church because we were waiting for an investigator and then we sat in the back. Church is a lot more....noisy in South America. But it was hilarious. We had lunch with a member and then we taught a recent rescue. I took the lead and talked about the importance of receiving endowments. It was really good! Spanish wise and spiritual wise. It put me on a high :) I just want to speak Spanish so I can be effective. That is all. hahaha. But I seriously love being with the members or in lessons, just working hard. It makes everything else worth it.
I realize this is scattered. I have faith I will get better at this, hahaha. I just want you to know how much I love you. How can I help you? What are you struggling with? I am struggling with feeling homesick, but just in the sense I want to be there protecting you, which is quite ridiculous. Hahaha. I love you all so much!
Hermana Lauren Bailey
Lauren with President and Sister Douglas
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