September 28, 2015

Well Familia, I´m officially Jungle Jane now! I have been in Iquitos for six days now. I have been assigned to Zona Punchana in Área Clavero 1. It is right in the actual city of Iquitos. There are 8 zones in the mission, and 4 of them are in Iquitos itself. My companion is Hna. Colquehuanca from Puno, Peru down south. She is so little and cute, and calls me her hijita even though I´m practically twice her size. She has 11 months on the mission and has been in 9 areas with 10 companions which is super abnormal. She served a little bit in Tarapoto and Pullcalpa, which are the two reallyyy jungly zones. Elder Sheppard got sent to Pullcalpa I believe. 

Observations on Iquitos:

-It is not the tranquil jungle village I thought it would be. Quite the opposite. There is never a moment of silence. Everyone drives mototaxis (it is the most common form of employment here) and they pass by always. All our lessons are outside people´s houses and they speak quietly and with the noise my biggest challenge right now is hearing what they are saying. Also, music justs blasts. No one can afford walls or anything but corregated steel roofs, but they all have elite sound systems. The speakers are the jewel of the home. Sundays are the loudest day of the week and when we walk through the streets with music pounding and colorful houses and palm trees I feel like I am in a different world. 

-We live in a little apartment above a panadería just the two of us. It´s not bad. We sleep under our mosquito nets, which I actually like because I don´t use my sheets and my net feels like those princess veil things girls put over their beds. Plus, I´m on the bottom of our bunkbed so I get the fan all to myself at nights. Sweet, cool dreams indeed. 

-The people are so kind. They are a little more reserved and they totally have an accent but I love them. They also wear no clothes. Ever. Because of the heat. They also always call us Hermanitas. When they accept a commitment they go,¨Ya Hermanita¨ and then they don´t follow through. But we are working on that!

-Food is different. I don´t know why, because I had absolutely no problem with the food in Lima, but I have been sick all week. It´s been rough and unforgiving to be sick and sweaty 24/7 but I think I am coming out of it. It´s pretty basic rice and chicken, and lots of fish. River fish. Big hunks of fish with skin and bones still in. The second day our pensionista gave us just a cooked fish with fins and head and all. I had no idea where to even start. I ate it all. I thought I was going to vomit but I made it through. The portions are enormous too and I can´t eat it all! But I feel bad because my little companion eats two portions in the time it takes me to eat one and my pensionista told me she is worried that I am not eating, but such is life. The sisters here told me this is a mission where you gain weight so you have to be careful. I´m scared.

-I have used almost all of my First Aid kit- so glad I brought it! The second day I woke up with an enormous and angry red rash like bite the size of half my bum cheek. It´s still under observation. I also have yet to use my lotion. My skin care here is one part sweat and one part bug repellent (it´ll save your life!) The bugs here are relentless, but not unmaneagable. 

-My favorite thing is riding in mototaxis. They are so breezy and fun and quick. Lo máximo!

-No one can say my name. They don´t even try. They see it and smile and say they´re sorry and I forgive

-The ward is pretty big here, we usually have about 172 attend. This week we had 7 investigators, 4 less active, and 7 recent converts attend

-I also noticed the sun Momma when it woke me up at 6:00 am everyday. I thought I woke up late because it was so bright, but ya, it comes up at 6:00 (blazing) and sets at 6:00 pm with the most beatiful colors and clouds

-The heat is not that rough, I don´t even notice I am sweating but then my cothes are all damp at the end of the day. Mesh garms are a must have

-Finally felt the rain! It was a light pour though so nothing to note. The umbrella worked perfectly! And it fits in my bag's water bottle holder. Apparently we are headed into the rainy season (it goes from October to March is what I´ve heard) so we will be getting some downpour soon.

-My shoes have worked fabulously Momma, and the ladies we teach always compliment my tevas, both pairs. They always ask me where I bought them haha

It has been a good week. It was a lot more difficult to transition to being here than in the CCM. I´m getting to know everyone we are teaching and learning little by little. Everyday my knees are the filthiest part of me from kneeling in prayer so much, but I need that strength. I know that Heavenly Father hears our prayers and is aware of our needs, mine as well as the people here in Peru. I love Iquitos, it is a fickle and unforgiving mistress, but I love it. I don´t feel homesick, I don´t feel alone, but I don´t feel quite settled either. I am lucky to have such a loving companion who encourages and teaches me. I am getting the hang of things around here - learning everyone´s name and backstory and how things work. 

Mucho amor!

Hna. Fitzpatrick

PS- we will be watching General Conference in the Stake Center. So excited!

Also, I´m trying to figure out how to send photos but the internet is incredibly slow here so it will have to wait. Sorry! I really want to send some

PPS- Oh and I forgot to mention, apparently there is a political candidate with the name Jane so JANE is painted on literally ever street. I´m not kidding. Entire walls with my name on it. Big, little, colorful, black and white. Every time I see one I smile. It feels like my hidden identity, a person I used to be. 

Also the fruit here is awesome! Love it! So fresh and so many fruits I have never seen or heard of before. I love this treat they make called curichi.

September 24, 2015

Dear Hermana Fitzpatrick Family:

We are pleased to inform you that we picked up your daughter today at the Lima, Peru MTC.  She is happy and ready to serve.

Elder Bennett Sheppard is in the middle of the back row.

September 15, 2015

¡Por fin!

I have more than two minutes to write which is nice! I have been loving the CCM. There are two groups here - the latinos who are here for two weeks, and the north americans who are here for 6 weeks. I ended up getting my companion switched the second day so I am now with Hna. Keeler from Arizona, but we are in the Latino group. We are the only americans there so it is 100% spanish. The gift of tongues is so real! I have been incredibly blessed with understanding and I get basically everything they say and I am having more trouble speaking, but it is coming along. We room with Latinas that don´t speak any Enlgish so all we speak is Spanish. In fact, I am co-ordinadora of the Latina group and when we had a meeting with the President´s wife and the North American sister leaders, I was able to translate for the two groups. As a leader I don´t actually do much, and I know that it is just in the CCM and it´s not "real" but I still am a little overwhelmed. I had to intervierw the hermanas in my rama to see how they were doing and they just went off and I was thinking "I want to help you but I just have no idea what you´re saying!" I also had to give a spiritual thought, play the hymns(because none of the Latinos know how), and prepare a talk for Sunday. Stressful to say the least. The latinas are the sweetest people ever though. They are like a little clique and I was nervous to be in the group but they have really taken me under their wing. They help me with my spanish and I teach them English phrases. They love "see you later!" They call me Hna. Apellido Chistoso because they can't say Fitzpatrick. They reallly struggle with it. They also say I look like someone named Gabriel from a series Shina or something like that so you will have to look that up and send me a picture. And in the city, we had to go immigration ( becasue in Peru they make you a legal resident instead of give you a passport) (also it was the craziest bus ride I have ever been on in my life!! So much honking, so few rules), they just stared at me and my blue eyes. I especially stick out in the picture of my district. I love my district! The Elders are all latinos and all converts and they have so much excitement to share the gospel. It is really inspiring. All of the latinos actually. They don´t have enough garments, they don´t have enough clothes sometimes but they have scriptures marked with their favorite ones and a love for the Lord and a desire to serve Him. I love them. The CCM is really nice, we live right above our classes and they have a nice soccer field and volleyball nets outside. They also have little fake houses where we teach our fake investigators (our teachers). I hate doing that because neither me nor my companion speak super great, and she is worse than I am. So lessons are rough, but we always have the Spirit there so it goes ok. We eat really good food. My favorite is every morning we have avena that´s like really milky cream of wheat and tuna, the fruit from cactus. My favorite fruit has been granadía. It´s the most alien thing I have seen in my life and I feel like I am eating the things that they shoot out of the guns in Lilo & Stich, but it's so good. Most of the other food is variations on chicken and rice, always rice, and potatoes. And all we drink is fruit juice. I am peeing 90% fruit juice at this point. Sorry this isn't very structured but I just have so many thoughts flowing right now. And I can't send photos yet sorry! And in the CCM you can only take photos on P Day so I don´t have that many right now. Today we went to the temple in Lima and it was beautiful! The last time I will go to the temple for a year and a half. Whenever anyone hears I´m going to Iquitos they go ohhh do you have an adventurous spirit, it´s hot there, and they eat weird stuff. Without fail those three things. I´m excited to finally be a real missionary because the CCM is a weird place. The people here for 6 weeks look like they are losing their minds. I can´t believe I am Hna. Fitzpatrick. It feels odd to say that but I love it. I am a representative of Christ. I feel so different here. I thought things would annoy me and I would maybe be a little annoyed here, and yes I am tired (so tired! had to get up at 5:00 today!) and yes I get frustrated with the language, but I have never been so happy in my life. I feel like one of those annoyingly positive people that loves everything to the point where it seems ridiculous. I love everything here. I love everthing about being a missionary. I love Peru. I already have such a love for the people. When we were walking on the street everyone smiled, the trucks passing by honked horns and people are just kind. I love it. But most of all I love my Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for this opportunity to show and share my love for Him with other people. I leave for Iquitos on Tuesday so I don´t know when I talk to you next. I love you all so much and miss you. I show people my little photo book all the time and they show me theirs, but everyone knows my family is the best. Sorry that was so long and twisted. I will try to make it more organized next time. Love you!

Next stop Iquitos!

Hna. Fitzparick

September 9, 2015

Familia!

I am emailing from the CCM in Lima. My flight was crazy. There was no one on my flight to atlanta so that was pretty lonely and no one asked if I was a missionary or anything. But in Atlanta, I met up with other elders and there were almost thirty missionaries on my flight. There was one other girl going to Iquitos! Our flight was long and we got in at midnight. It took forever to get to the CCM and we got to bed at 3:00 am and had to wake up at 7:00 am. I just got my plaque and met my companion, she is a little colombian and is very sweet but I don´t understand her. I will talk to you guys soon. Love you all! I have never been so confused and happy!

Hermana Fitzpatrick