Happy Thanksgiving

Don't worry everyone, we have water now.

This week has been super interesting and sad and happy all at the same time. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I was with the sister leaders becuse my companion decided to abandon me and go to Lima to do paperwork so she could stay in the country.... so I was in a different area teaching different people. I really know that we are called to certain areas because I felt like I just couldn't help these people the way the other sisters could. I really missed the people I was working with. Wednesday night my companion finally got back!!!! 

Thursday was Thanksgiving. We live right next to the sister leaders (Hermana McReynolds and Hermana Goyzueta) who are both from America so we celebrated Thanksgiving with orange soda floats and oreas and pringles and 9:30 at night. What made it special was all gathering in a circle to say a prayer of gratitude before giving ourselves diabetes. I really know Heavenly Father listens and loves us.

Saturday morning Hermana McReynolds left us. She finished her mission and should be home on Wednesday. It's sad to see a missionary leave to go home but it's also so cool to see that they know that their mission here is over and that the next step is at home. We also had a baptism! Leoncia is a sister who's been waiting to be baptized for so long but couldn't because she wasn't married. Two weeks ago she got married and Saturday she got baptized! The elders in our ward were teaching a girl named Selva (her name means jungle, cool right) and she got baptized as well. It was an incredibly special experience and we hope to work with her husband so that they can go to the temple and really be an eternal family.

Sunday was a day of miracle and cake. First we had the primary program. I love listening to the kids sing songs that really testify of simple truths. Our recent convert also blessed the sacrament for the first time and a member that goes with us a lot received her mission call to Argentina. We were also given cake three times by the bishopbric and the primary and different times throughout the day... it was a good day.

Transfers are tomorrow, we'll find out who's going and who's staying. Because I'm training my companion still we'll more than likely stay together. I love this area and the members and my companion so that's what I'm praying for.

I love you all so much!!! Welcome to the Christmas season!!!!

Love, Hermana White

Bucket baths and coffee masks

This week has been quite the adventure. On Monday our zone did a scavenger hunt around Huanuco. Hermana Petersen and I got some pretty cool pictures including one with an entire possey of police men..... gringas get privileges :)

We then had a zone meeting at night so we didn't go out proselyting at all. The zone leaders really focused a lot on goal setting a goal acheiving. This is something that I really enjoy doing (now). Our time in the mission and during our whole life is so short. If we don't set goals for ourslves we won't be able to accomplish just about anything.

Tuesday morning we woke up to no water. The bottom floor (we live on the third floor) had water so we got a bucket and our trash can and went downstairs, filled them with water and then showered with cold, bucket water. We've done this all week besides saturday, somehow we had water on saturday. We also did divisions with the sister leaders so Hermana Petersen stayed in our area and I went to the sisters area to work. I definitely know why we're called to certain areas. It's very different teaching investigators that aren't yours.

Water Bucket Showers

Wednesday, my companion woke up with a rash and one of the sister leaders woke up sick. We had no signal so I went with the healthy sister leader at 7:30 in the morning to call the health secretary. After finally finding signal we went and bought medicine then we picked up our breakfast.... after bucket showering.... again we finally started the day at about 9. This week has just been crazy.

Water Bucker Line

Thursday, no one had water. There was a hose in a park outside of our room and a line of people waiting to get water. On the bottom floor there was a little water so we were up a little late filling up water buckets just in case. We also found out that Hermana Montero (the sister leaders third companion) was getting emergency transfered out, which was super sad. We said goodbye to her friday morning.

Friday, there is a sister in our ward who we recently reactivated.... her name's Gladis and she's crazy and I love her. Friday night we went to visit her and she told us that there is an old lady in the ward who is really, really sick so we said we'd go visit her with Gladis. Then, Gladis said she was going to cure her. She had a bottle of her friends breast milk in the fridge and she was going to rub it on the older lady's stomach. My companion and I about lost it and then Gladis said that she had a needle and was going to give her a shot! All my companion said was "Maybe we should call some priesthood." We got the elders to go over and give Theodosia (the older lady) a blessing. Then Gladis worked her breastmilk voodoo. Gladis is crazy but I love her.

Saturday the sister leaders (who are our neighbors) told us they had coffee in their room.... to put on your face so we made coffee masks.

Coffee Masks

Sunday was Sunday. Sundays are the best.

This morning my companion ditched me and went to Lima for three days to do paperwork for her Peruvian ID so I'll be in a trio until Wednesday.

I love you all!!!! Church is true

Love, Hermana White

Not Much To Write

I'm not really quite sure what to write this week due to the fact that I wrote about the multizone conference last week. So I figure that I'll just let you all know that my companion is hilarious and that we're having a blast and working hard. We love coming home at night feeling exhausted because it means that we worked hard.

It has been a little hard lately because one of my favorite times of the year is the holiday season. Especially Thanksgiving. I really love having everybody together to eat traditional Thankgiving food. It's been a little difficult being away from home but I also realize that I'm so blessed. If I didn't love you all I wouldn't miss you. I'm so grateful for each and every single one of you.

I love you all and hope your week goes fantastic!

Love Hermana White

Multizona

Well, I would just like to let you all know that la mitad de mi mision... ya se fue. Today I reach nine months here in Peru.... so I think I'll eat cake.

This week has been full of a lot of hard work and mud and miracles. It has rained almost every single day this week and a lot of our area is up in the hills (hence the mud). We've gone hiking just about every single day... in church shoes. We've felt pretty awesome.

The miracles? Where do they come from? They come from the hard work. We've been struggling in this area with investigators that can actually progress and helping people to do so because ALL of the new investigators that we've found over the past month have been unmarried women that are living with their boyfriend who doesn't want to get married. It's been rough but the other day we were hiking down a hill and we passed a girl. We felt prompted to contact her and then thought nothing of it but we had a date to go back and see her. Yesterday we went back to her house and she wasn't there but we found ourselves asking if we could come in and we found a family so prepared to receive the gospel... and they're married!!!! (we made sure like seven times). When we left we said a prayer of gratitude to our Heavenly Father for guiding us in our efforts here. I love the mission.

Oh, yesterday we didn't write because we had a multizone conference. Like half the mission was there so that was pretty cool. It's fun to see the other missionaries in the mission.

Also, we have added something new to our daily routine: we now rub shampoo on our legs because it works better than repelent. Thanks Peru!

I love you all and I hope you all look for the small, daily miracles that occur. Find something everyday to be grateful for this month!

Love,

Hermana Blanca

Quidditch

This week has been a blast. I am loving training but with Sister Petersen there is almost nothing that I have to do. She came in ready to work and ready to be obedient so I kindof just have to show her around the mission a little. One of the more difficult things for her is the Spanish but I have really witnessed the gift of tongues in her. She can get her point accross and in the lessons she can teach and understand with almost no problem. 

Last monday we played games in the chapel with our zone. We're not allowed to play soccer with the elders but one of the elders had us all bring a broom.... and we played quidditch. 

They're not the same thing. That was super fun. Also, I found out that I am not good at the game called Signs. Just so everybody knows.

Nothing super out of the blue happened this week. There was Halloween and a member gave us cupcakes but other than that we visited people like we normally do. 

It's really weird that it's November because the climate doesn't change here. Other than that... I love you all. The church is true no matter what. I love you all!!!!

Love, Hermana White