Week #33 - Cajamarca

A special message from our President:

¨Tengo gran alegría en compartirles que cada uno de nuestros amados misioneros tendrá la oportunidad única de tomar la mano de un apóstol de Dios. El día sábado, 16 de junio, el Élder Gary E. Stevenson, del Quórum de los Doce, estará en la capilla Primavera para una conferencia de misión y otras reuniones. Será acompañado por el Élder Carlos A. Godoy de los Setenta, el presidente de Área.¨

If you couldn´t understand that Spanish lingo, in two Saturdays, the 16th of June, all of us missionaries have the chance to shake the hand of Elder Gary A. Stevenson, an Apostle of God! I´m so excited and beyond blesses to have this opportunity. It´s so interesting that even having lived in the United States all my life, I´ve never been in the same room with an Apostle, but know after travelling over seas, I have the marvelous chance to do so! God truly has a sense of humor.

This week we worked super hard to find new people to teach. Some of the most prepared people we´ve been able to meet, we’ve ended up meeting at the very last minute of the day, which truly shows that exact obedience brings miracles. We need to work hard and endure to the end of our lives in keeping the commandments and bringing others unto Christ to truly taste the pure joy and pure happiness that comes from living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This Saturday, Jolita Zambrano Chilón will be baptized, a 10-year old girl from a less active family that we´ve been able to reactivate. They´ve attended church 4 times in a row now, and have truly found peace and joy in coming back. We are super excited for all the blessings they are going to receive to have another member of the church in their family. 

My companion told me this week: ¨I have nightmares that you´ll leave me and get called to another area…”no quiero que me deje!¨She practically cried after the first 6 weeks together, because our leader told us we had changes as a joke, but we really didn´t!! She almost chucked the phone across the room haha. I´ve never felt so loved by someone who´s only known me for a few months who´s lived a life so different from me. We had interviews with President this past week and I told him how difficult it is sometimes to be the junior companion when my leader companion is super new to my area and I feel like I´m leading the whole way. He paused and said, wait, but you are the leader companion! Somehow our zone leader messed up a few months ago when he told us our changes, and told my companion that she would be leader companion because she has a little bit more time than me! haha... It´s been a super good experience though, because I´ve truly learned that leadership isn´t position, it´s behavior. 

Well... this past week I was messing with my camera... first mistake. And I accidently deleted all of my photos.... whoops.... it was pretty sad, but I got over it a lot quicker than before the mission when I´d lose pictures on my phone. Luckily I´ve sent most of my pics to my family along the way, and they’ve got most of them. Keep them safe mom and dad!! haha... Also, I went to get my hair cut by a member in our ward since my hair was way too long and was dying.... maybe that was another mistake?? haha... when we saw that she practically uses fabric scissors to cut hair, we got super nervous. I got even more nervous when she decided to put my hair in a super high, super tight pony tail (as if I was a unicorn) and proceeded to chop my hair. I didn´t really have time to say anything, but then she decided to cut other parts and I pretty much have a little bit of side bangs and I´m not a huge fan. My hair is still long, but she wanted to give me layers to add volume.... let´s just say I´ll be taking tons of vitamins without fail so that my hair will grow super fast these next 9 or so months haha. and will be using my headbands and Bobbi pins. ;)

This week was full of fun stuff, but I know that God is aware of us every step of the way. Keep up your prayers and keep reading your scriptures, not only because it´s a commandments, but because it´s how we show our love and commitment to God.

Love you all!!

-- 

Hermana Doney