April 7, 2014

Hola familia:

Wellllll my week was interesting!....

We've been trying super hard to find families...and we haven't taught yet...but we found one!!!! We were walking by a guy pushing a super heavy cart by himself up a hill. My first thought was "man alone"...probably shouldn't do anything...but the impression to help him wouldn't leave me. So I asked him if we could help. A look of relief washed over his face and we began up Picaflores all the way to the Mercado. It was a long walk, and soon his son came to help push the cart. We talked about the Gospel and found out that this man has SEVEN kids. And he was totally willing to listen to us! He sells quinoa in the market, and he gave us some to drink for helping him, then we made an appointment for this coming week. I'm hoping that pays off, and I trust that the impression wasn't for nothing. 

Wednesday we had a service activity in Yungay. Remember when we went and helped in a chacra and it was super high in the mountains? Well we went to help the same family, in a different chacra, about double the distance. We climbed the mountain for a good hour, and man did I get my work out. The view was AMAZING though. It was a really fun activity, but we were beat up and dead tired by the time we came back home...we kept on working though!!! 

CONFERENCE. Wow. Wasn't that AH-MAZING?! I was so blessed to be able to go to Huaraz to watch the Saturday sessions in English. We had a total blast in the little Relief Society room. And there's a senior missionary couple in Huaraz, I didn't even know! They're the cutest people! I felt so blessed to be able to listen to conference in English on Saturday, and to goof off with the Elders. we have some really fun kids in our zone! My favorite talks were Mom's favorite talks. I love Elder Scott and Elder Holland's talks. I also loved  the talk about good communication and Elder Nelson talking about how we shouldn't separate our faith. I loved Elder Holland's comparison to how Christ reacted to persecution and rejection. It was something I really needed to learn from. On Sunday, we had to watch Conference in Caraz. Everything in Spanish. I was able to understand more or less in the morning, but I won't lie to you...it was really hard. It was more of a time for me to listen to the Spirit than to the actual talks themselves. Then in the afternoon, two minutes before Conference was about to start, the power went out in the entire city (it happens sometimes). So we weren't able to watch the first hour...it came on for two or three minutes then the power would flash out again. We were able to watch the second hour...but again it was really hard to understand....so I'm excited to review the talks this week in English. And if you guys could send me the Ensign AS SOON AS IT COMES OUT, that would be really cool...I want to read all of them too. 

Wow, I felt so blessed to watch conference. I also realized how much I have been blessed in my life. Listening to Conference in English and then in Spanish taught me a very important lesson on gratitude. The translators can't convey the conviction and the emotion that the speakers have. They don't always say EXACTLY what the apostle is saying either. These people never get to listen directly to the voices of the apostles (except for Elder Scott, he always translates his in Spanish before conference, isn't that cool?!). I just feel blessed to have grown up in the United States, where the Gospel is strong and makes sense, where the true order of things is, and where I can listen to the living prophet speak in my own language. It's such a blessing! Don't EVER take for granted the fact that you get to listen to the Lord's chosen servants in your OWN language. That we have had the church for generations in our family and in our country. Seriously, we have been richly blessed with the spiritual inheritance President Eyring talked about. I am so grateful for the Gospel in my life, and that I have a sure understanding of what that really means. I'm still learning more everyday, buy i am so grateful for the gospel background that I have been given.

I love you guys. I hope you have a wonderful week and stay safe in Yellowstone! Tell the C's that I love them and that they are in my prayers. If you could keep Elder A's family in your prayers as well that would be great, his cousin just passed away in a house fire. Sometimes I don't understand why hard things have to happen back at home when the mission is hard enough. But I know the Lord has a purpose in all things and LOVES His children. I love you each so much and think about you often. 

Les amo muchisisisisisisisisisisisisimo!!!!!!!

Hermana Carr  

ward activity-minute to win it!

District High School Musical Moment

some weird salamander in our room