January 18, 2016

Ok ok ok, 

This might be a little longer letter than usual because I have so many stories from this week. It was a CRAZY week and I am exhausted. So many crazy/funny things happened. You might not see them as such but I laughed so that´s what matters. 

In food news first, this week I ate a hard boiled turtle egg. It was vomitrocious and I will not repeat that experience but I ate it and I even ate it with a cooked banana like a real Peruvian. This week we also had a lunch appointment with a family for the first time. It was really fun and special and we ate sancin - a chaufa with every type of meat and everything else you can imagine. They are HUGE servings. Seven of us ate two servings and that was with a generous portion - Peruvians do not skimp on the portions. I was so full of meat and rice and Inca Kola I thought I was going to throw up. Thankfully I did not, I just said thank you and left. Also, the son of the family got back from Buenos Aires Sur Mission 6 months ago. ¡Hola Greg! 

- eating sancin with the member family. So fun! and so filling!

 OK, now to the stories. Well, we have an investigator who is going to be baptized this Saturday and we visited him and he told us that he had seen on the news that a 14 year old girl had gone missing in a city nearby. He was really worried about her and prayed for her safety. Then, he said that he had a dream, that I was pregnant! He told his mom the dream and she said that to dream someone was pregnant meant that good news was on the way. The next day, the girl was found safe and sound in the jungle! So, just causing miracles out here no worries!

Next, we have a little 4 year old girl who lives next door who yells ¨Hello!¨ at me. Every. Day. We live on the second floor and one night I was talking to my companion and I heard ¨Hello!¨ in her little voice. I kept talking but in the back of my mind was thinking, ¨That´s so odd. How can she see me from all the way up here?¨ I didn´t really think about it too much but I looked out the window and just saw her little face looking at me! It scared me so I screamed and my companion, who couldn´t see out the window, heard me scream and screamed even louder. But, turns out that the little girl has a balcony that connects to our balcony and she was just standing on her side of the balcony. Freaky none the less. Now when she sees us she says ¨Hello!¨ and then follows it up with ¨I really scared you didn´t I?¨ Yes, Diana, you really did.

Now to our really crazy day - Saturday. It was supposed to be relaxing with our baptism and lunch date, but it was so stressful. So, in the morning we left like normal to get the chapel ready for the baptism. It was going to be in the afternoon so we had to get the font filling. We got the keys and went to fill the font, but it was already full of filthy water when we got there. So we drained it and hopped in the font barefoot to clean it with some detergent. We ran out so we went to the store to get some more. As we were leaving I didn´t want to leave the door open, so I closed it, not knowing that it would lock it. With all our stuff, our cellphone, our bags, and most importantly, the keys, inside. We went to a sister´s house that usually has the keys thinking she could help us out, but she told us there was only one key! We didn´t know what to do so we called Bishop who came and called the stake president who told us the other key was with another bishop in the stake who didn´t answer his phone. So, we decided we would have to do the only other logical thing - go fishing for the keys through the open window. We put some sticks together with the belt of my dress and found some wire to make a hook. It took a long time and lots of stress but we got the keys!! It was a success.

- the rescue team!

Then, we had the final interview of our investigator in the chapel. We finished all the cleaning and morning madness just in time for the elders to arrive but our investigator was nowhere to be found! We called and called but he didn´t answer. So, we ran to his house and picked him up. Then, when we got to the chapel he told us he had decided not to be baptized that day. We were so sad but we told him to go into his interview and then we could talk more after. We were so scared, but he came out of his interview completely normal and ready to be baptized! I don´t know what that elder did but it worked!  Then we had his baptism and it was awesome. The young men have really rallied and become his friends and have been a great strength for him. It was gratifying to have worked so hard against the adversary and see a little triumph for Heavenly Father. I was exhausted but happy.

- Alvaro! The little stinker almost escaped us!

 That was my week. It was pretty crazy and I´m drained but I am happy. I feel happier and happier every day. This is the last week of changes and I think my time is coming to a close here in Clavero but we will see next week. 

I love you all and I will talk to you soon!

Hermana Fitzpatrick