November 16, 2015

Hola hola!

Well, this week was another wild one. Sometimes there is just nothing to do but laugh because my experience here has just been so far from real life. Sometimes my comp and I seriously just laugh. Everyone is such a chambon but we just laugh it off. And the things we get involved in. Lives down here sometimes really play out like telenovelas. It´s crazy. 

It was a rainy week down here. It is starting to get bursts of really crazy heavy rain for a half hour every afternoon. This is the beginning of the rainiest time of the year so it is starting to pick up. December it apparently rains everyday pretty much straight through the month. I love the rain though. It is so calming and fresh and the people take pity on us and let us in. It always makes me want a hot chocolate and to cuddle up on our couch though haha. It was so insane, this week we were talking to some members outside of their house and we could feel the wind pick up and the sprinkles start to come down and we knew it was going to rain heavy. And then I looked down the street and I could literally see the storm coming down the street. It was the most unreal experience I have ever had. Normally you see the clouds come or whatever but I could see the wall of water coming down the street. Because when it rains it really is a wall of water. If you take even one step outside you will come out drenched. It´s utter insanity. But, this week we took advantage of it and taught lessons to people we got stranded under overhangs with. No escaping us!

-getting caught in the rain. The scariest part is the lightening. We woke up one night to the loudest lightening I have ever heard. It was actually kind of scary.

 This week I also had a work visit with the sister training leader Hna. Blackmore. It was so fun! I really love her a lot. I went to her area and got to see a little bit more of Iquitos. Her area has more of the houses on stilts. And we are actually entering the flood season so those houses will be flooded soon. I don´t really get it but they live there and their houses flood every year and they build a second floor and live up there until it dries in April and then return. But they live on a river basically for five months of every year and construct wood sidewalks through the streets like really long, janky bridges and take boats to their house. We will see, it should be coming soon.

We worked in the Panadería again this week and it was so fun. This week we helped them with their panetones. It´s basically fruit cake but it is the classic Peruvian Christmas food here. They told me that just like a meal isn´t a meal without rice - including breakfast - Christmas isn´t Christmas without panetón. They drink hot chocolate with it and it is actually really yummy. I had some paneton and hot cocoa for breakfast today actually. I´m into it.

-making alfojores in the panderia (and possibly consuming a few)

-Aguaje!! They LOVE this stuff here. This is the process of peeling the scales off. 

It's like really bitter mango. They go crazy for this stuff.

We had some really funny moments this week and we had a lot of fun. On Sunday we went to pick up an investigator for church and her little 10 year old brother answered the door, in only a speedo. My comp was shocked because she is really shy about seeing people in no clothes, like we do everyday, and we just busted out laughing. He was not even embarrased at all either. He kind of tried to hide himself with his door, but it was glass so it wasn´t doing much. Too good. He is also really fat so that added to the hilarity. We just tried to hold back laughter while he asked what we wanted. What a kid. 

I think it´s so funny the way people address other people here. We were talking to the landlady and someone came to buy bread from her and she said "si abuelita" and it was totally normal but I thought about it and she had just said "yes, little grandma, how can I help you" and it was all good. Or we went with a member and her boyfriend to the family history center and she was directing him where to go by saying "aquí gordito" which is like "here little fatty" and it was just another intimate moment in Perú. Everyone calls everyone gordito and gordita which would be incredibly offensive in the US. I think it´s just funny, especially because the member was pretty heavy and her boyfriend was stick thin. So it goes.

Man, everyone already has their christmas trees up and everything. It makes me so excited for Christmas! My first of two! I love you all and I am thinking about Thanksgiving this week. We are going to do a little dinner with the zone so that will be fun. I am so thankful for everything I have. If I have learned anything from the Peruvian people, it is gratitude. They don´t take anything for granted and they work to use everything they can get. I am so blessed in so many ways temporally, but I am blessed richly with the gospel. It covers everything. I am so grateful for the Atonement. We have been focusing on that as a zone and it has blessed my life. Everything depends on it. I am so grateful to my Savior for His sacrifice and I hope to show my gratitude by serving faithfully, dilligently, and obediently here. 

Love you!

Hermana Fitzpatrick

November 9, 2015

Well, good news, kind of. We finally figured out what has been making me sick this whole time - turns out I have a parasite! I thought I was just adjusting becasue I started to be sick around the same time that I arrived but it looks like it was just a happy coincidence that I got the parasite and arrived at the same time. I am taking some pills to kill it ( I named it Parry the Parasite) and I am feeling SO much better. And I can finally enjoy the food! Which means now I need to start actually paying attention to what I eat.

-Clinic fun. The third try on the IV. Insanity, literally smiling through the searing pain. What a riot!

This week went by so fast, every week actually goes by so fast. We had a baptism this week (whoo!) and it was really nice. We have a lot of problems getting members to support converts and go to baptisms. This week we had a youth get baptized and we planned the baptism to coincide with seminary so all the youth had to attend. It worked! There were so many people there and it was really nice because his parents were there too and could feel the support, they are still investigating because they have to get married first. Here´s hoping they let the spirit they felt there motivate them for marriage! We have a massive the seventh of December so we are working to get them there. I want to see a massive so I hope they accept, and also their salvation and stuff depends on it.

-Little Remy got baptized! The pants we had were like two thousand sizes too big for him so we took a white paper clip and fixed that problem. Encontramos soluciones constantemente!

-The whole crowd at the baptism. Oh happy day!

We had changes last week and I am in the same area with the same companion. I am getting to know the area finally and the members here. I even gave a talk on Sunday! It was really scary and I actually feel like it went awful but I did it! And with changes we had a sister stay with us for a night because she was going to Moyobomba. There are four cities in the Mission - Iquitos, where I am, Pucallpa, Tarapoto, and Moyobomba. Iquitos is the hub with four zones and everyone eventually ends up somewhere in there. Pucallpa has two zones and has a mall and there is a little bit more money down there but it is hotter. Tarapoto and Moyobomba are the jungle jungle areas with each one with one zone. Moyobomba is the place that everyone wants to go though because it is cooler and cheaper and the people are a bit more educated I guess. I don´t know but the way they described it sounds like a luxury vacation compared to Iquitos. I´m glad I´m here though. Iquitos is a crazy place to be. A lot of times I think, man if they could see what is going on right now, who would´ve ever expected this, I didn´t. I´ve learned a lot of things already. But I´m a Punchanita till I die! Iquitos forever

-Dropping our little hijita for the day off at the airport. Reminded me of my first day coming in. 

Also saw scorpions on the sidewalk as we were leaving so all good things.

Oh, remember how I told you about Mormoncito and his antics. Well, this one takes the cake. My comp wanted to borrow a ball that he had and so his mom put it in a bag for us. Mormoncito was less than thrilled. He screamed and bit my comp. Then it seemed like he calmed down a little bit. She was holding the bag and we were talking to the sister when all of a sudden we look down and see that he has his pants down peeing on my comp´s feet! It was hilarious! We could not believe it. He is now Diablito to us.

Oh, also I forgot to tell you that in Iquitos there aren´t really signs or billboards with ads and stuff. Mostly people just accept payment for their houses to be painted by companies. There are houses all over the place that are all green and painted with the Kola Real mark. I think it´s so funny. And politicians campaign that way too. That´s why my name is all over the streets - because there was a political candidate with my name. 

I love you all so much. Thank you for all that you do for me. I´m keeping on keeping on down here.

Hermana Fitzpatrick

-My district at Quistococha a couple weeks ago!

October 26, 2015

Hello once again from the jungles of Perú! It was the craziest week I've had so far this week. We just did so many things. The time goes so fast, it seems like it was P Day just yesterday. 

We spent P Day in the city again. Sometimes I forget how awesome it is here until we are on the bus and I feel the breeze and I see the people and all the hustle and bustle that is Iquitos. It is really a sight to be seen. I also ate three ice creams that day so that didn't hurt either - they´re everywhere for one sol which is basically 30 cents. Who can resist that?

On Wednesdays in the morning we do service and this week we did service as a zone. We went to the area of the zone leaders and helped some of the members there. It was so fun! We built a boat! The Brother builds boats and sells them and we helped him make one. It was a giant canoe looking thing. I hammered in metal pieces on top of the tar so I´m basically your average Amazon woman now. I actually learned many things that day. The family lives in one of the houses on stilts so I got to climb up there and see how life is - very scenic, lovely view of the river. Then, the Hermana, who sells watermelon and yuca, had the other Hermanas and I help her weed her plants. Who knew they weeded with machetes? I did not. It was awesome. We should really implement that technique at home, much more effective than a shovel.

-The area we had our service project in

-weeding with machetes!

 I will say this about that day - it was the most infernal heat I have ever experienced. It was roughly a bajillon degrees and I was sweating from every pore. I had to wear my boots and I didn´t know it was possible for my ankles to sweat like that. I took my boots off after and my socks were soaking wet and my feet were wrinkled from the water. Just awful. I also didn´t know I sweat from my upper lip, but that is a thing here. People´s faces are always wet but I have never really sweated there, but wowzers I did on Wednesday. I just cannot express enough how sweaty I was, how sweaty we all were. I also had a cold this week, super bizarre to sniffle and cough when it´s 100 outside, and I couldn´t tell if what was dripping down my face was sweat or boogies. It was incredible. We went home and reshowered because hello, nobody needed to be subjected to that.

I also learned on Wednesday how to make a cake at my pension. We just started throwing things in a huge bowl and I was thinking where is the whisk or mixer? Turns out I was the mixer, more specifically my hand. They just kept telling me to wait until it was all one feeling. I mixed it all up, and this was directly after service without washing my hand with more than sanitizer (sorry Mom) but I will sadly admit I have done grosser things here. Such is life in the jungle. I ate that cake with no reservations and it was delicious. Also, for vanilla cake we added a whole bottle of coca cola. I was doubtful, but it really made it taste good! Yum, cake.

 -Mixing up that cake with my pensionista Mariela :)

-Eating said cake with yummy banana smoothie

Then, this week I went to Lima! On Wednesday we left and Thursday we came back. It was so nice! We stayed in this seriously luxurious hotel (with warm showers!) and were waited on hand and foot. It was a dream. We went to Immigrations in the morning and collected our residency cards, so I am now an official Peruvian! Then we went to the temple! It was such an unexpected treat to do a session. I love the temple so much and there is just no other place where we can feel as close to Heavenly Father as we can there. I felt rejuvinated. We also got to go to the temple store which was a huge blessing becuase I had been needing a hymnal (the chapels here don´t have any, and I don´t know any of the words) and I also got a book for the simplified version of the hymns so I can play better in sacrament. I also got to see my friend from the CCM who is in Pucallpa, where Elder Sheppard is. So, turns out Pucallpa is way more developed and modern than Iquitos, they have the Peruvian equivalent of Walmart and Target, and a mall, and good internet. There is a lot more money in Pucallpa I guess. Lux life. Hna. Vasquez said that Elder Sheppard is doing well and that he is always excited to serve and that he doesn´t speak very well yet but he really tries and the people like him. Oh and we had pizza! It was so yummy! Papa John´s, my favorite! It was the best thing I have eaten in weeks I wanted to cry I was so happy. 

I am learning to trust more. Everything depends on trust and faith in the Lord. We don´t progress without it because we don´t truly want to progress without it. It´s hard sometimes. A lot of times we ask people to give up work to attend church every week. It´s hard to think that things will just work out if we do our part, but they will. I see it all the time with the things we do. Sometimes we meet people in the strangest way but it´s all part of the Lord´s plan and His timing. We just have to trust, and work. 

I love you all. Hope you are all well

Hna. Fitzpatrick

October 19, 2015

Hola hola coca cola! 

I'm back! I try to write down what I want to write you throughout the week and I forgot my paper at home so I'm sorry if this is a little rambly this week, but here goes:

It was a rainy week. I love the rain. It cools everything off and we just walk through it and get soaking and it's all good. I love the smell right after it rains and everything is fresh. I love the chill. I actually even feel a little cold sometimes which is incredible. The Iquiteños get really cold when it rains, and all our citas fall through too. They refuse to do anything but sleep when it rains which is a little frustrating, but I would 100% do the same if I had a choice. I always think of Mom when I see them napping. They have these awesome rocking chairs that are like steel with elastic so that they are comfy and fresco. They ALL use those chairs. They are super comfy. 

We went to Quistococha this week with our district for P Day. It is this wildlife park thing about 45 minutes by bus from our zone. It was so fun! The bus is insane. You just hop on and they don't have any doors or windows. Then you sit if there are enough seats, but most likely stand and they BLAST music and you rock up and down the dirt streets until you get where you're going. People hop on to sell stuff and people bring their enormous packages of fruit, eggs, chickens, wood, etc. and just dump it wherever. It is a riot. Quistococha was a really cool, super jungly beach. We saw pink dolphins, monkeys, pumas (¡que pumas!), and a bunch of other animals. It was fun to just hang out and see the touristy stuff. The river was unreal beautiful. I wish I could send pics but I lent my camera to a girl in the ward for the YW/YM dance they had and she erased all of my pictures! We are working on recovering them haha

Food this week: We tried salchipapas! SO yummy. And greasy. French fries with hot dogs and mayo and tomatoes and cabbage. And I had it with Inca Kola so it was true Peruvian food through and through. We also had tacos yesterday. I think they did it to make me feel more at home and it worked! It was almost like home. It was so nice to have tortillas again. 

Yesterday we had a training meeting with four stakes in Iquitos and the Area 70 for the area. I really liked him, his name was Elder Lozano. He was really direct and used D y C to teach us that when it came to the wards we needed to ¨Get our houses in order¨. It was really direct and I felt like I could work harder. It was great. It was also fun to see all the elders and hermanas around.

I am also feeling so much better! Finally! It only took a month but I think I am adjusting to the food and water here.

Crazy things that happened this week:

- another man tried to kiss me, but this time he was really offended when I wouldn't kiss him even though I explained that I couldn't as a missionary and he refused to give me a goodbye handshake. Oh well

- they add ¨ita¨ and ¨ito¨ to everything and sometimes it really confuses me as to what the original word was. This week one lady was talking about these little bugs that had infested her family and her daughter´s ¨vaginitas¨ and I was trying to figure out what she was saying and what that word was and then I got it, and I thought ¨AH! Nope, I do not need to hear any more of this¨

-a family in the ward has a little two year old boy that we call Mormoncito and he was in one of our lessons hanging around without his mom and he was going insane! He was acting like a literal demon. He was hanging from the hammock, throwing water bottles at us, biting us, chewing screws(!), and hitting us with huge wooden sticks. It was a war zone in there. Exhausting. I felt so bad for his mother

-the mom of one of the families we are teaching is traveling and sent back some tortoises to her family. They are enormous and alive and we were like what are you going to do with them? Eat them, they said, we are going to eat them. Ahhh

It is watermelon season so we eat a LOT of that. Everyone offers us watermelon. It's really yummy but it gets messy and they have so many seeds. I never know what to do with them. But, blessings

I'm feeling a lot more comfortable. And guess what, I am the ward pianist now. It is an electric keyboard, the building doesn't have hymnals, and I only know how to play the upper hand, but it is a blessing. The Lord prepares us for different things, and He has a perfect knowledge of what is going to happen, even when we don't know. We found some families this week that are really interested. They have been prepared to at least accept our visits, we are hoping they are prepared to accept. 

I'm glad you got my letter! Hope you liked the corazones. I love you all! Hope you have a great week!

Hna. Fitz

PS I'M GOING TO LIMA THIS WEEK. I AM REALLY EXCITED 

-Selfie with Karol because she is leaving this week :

( and also my pensionista Hna. Mariela! She is the best)

October 12, 2015

¡Hola Familia!

First of all, huge news this week - we got a shower!!! It is so beautiful! Our zone leaders installed it for us and now we have even streams of water everyday! We said like five prayers of thanks that day, and I couldn't help but play with it. It is so luxurious, I feel like a princess every time I use it. Water is still cold, but it is like jumping in the deep end everyday and then you're good. #blessings

We also had a baptism this week! Little Paolita was baptized and it was really special. We even did a little musical number for her! I don't know her too well but I was really happy for her.

-Paolita's baptism! I promise I'm not hunching more I was just really cramped in this photo. 

I hope your back stretches work. You will have to send them to me.

-Everyone taking photos at the baptism lol I think this took longer than the actual program

This week in food: we had some interesting meats this week. There were these little balls of meat and I asked if I could eat everything because usually there are bones and they said yes. So I popped it in my mouth and it had a huge pop! They were unaffected and casually mentioned that it was just a little bit of cartilage. No biggie. Popped and crunched my way through that meal. We also had some meat that I thought were just beef strips but then I wanted to vomit when I chewed it. Turns out it was chicken giblets and the heart. Yummy. But there was a holiday on Thursday so my pensionista had a pollada, a little pop up restaurant thing where they bbq chicken. We got some of the chicken and it was so good!! Holiday was crazy though because everyone was drunk. Such is the life.

Crazy things that happened this week:

- it rained SO HARD yesterday out of the blue. We were walking and then bam! Gushing water. Luckily a lady took pity on us and we went inside and taught her a lesson.

- we see a lot of children peeing in the streets. We saw one kid who was walking in the rain with one side of his shorts pulled up haciendo el pipi as he was walking! I saw the stream shooting out! Insanity

- a man almost kissed me yesterday! We do one kiss on the cheek for the ladies, but just handshakes for the men. He was a little drunk and he had my hand and then was like "Just a little besito" and started moving in! My hand was trapped and I was just trying to dodge and then he went to kiss my hand and my companion just shot her hand in and said "No Hermano". It was a close call to say the least

It was a good week. It was a hard week. I felt a little homesick, but I am getting the hang of things around here. I am even starting to contribute in lessons and do contacts. They still laugh at me and my Spanish, but it is all ok. I am ok with it. I know I will get it eventually. I know the Lord is aware of me. I feel it every time I see my name on the street and think of how conscious of me and the people here He is. I feel it when I get frustrated and hymns pop into my mind with the words I need to hear. I feel it when I am sick and He strengthens me. I feel it when I finish off another fish! I feel it when I see people keep commitments and reap the blessings.

It is a new mission rule that we have to bear our testimonies every Fast Sunday so I did it! I made it through and I actually think I did a pretty good job. I was so nervous

I feel so different here. It's not just the country, it's not just the plaque, it's me. I'm different. I feel good with change here. I'm changing, the people we teach are changing. Sometimes that change comes slowly and sometimes it comes fast, but if we are diligent in following the Lord it always comes.

Here are some little sayings. I don't know if they are Peruvian, but they are what we say here:

-ok - listo

-very - bien, bastante

-cool - chevere, bacan

-what? - ¿como ya?

-pisses me off - ¡Me saca la piedra!

And my personal favorite...

-What the heck! - ¡Que pumas!

I love you all and think of you frequently. Happy birthday to Greg! Ancianito! I hope you have a great b-day and take a break to enjoy it.

Much love,

Hna. Fitzpatrick

ps. send me photos! I want to see what's going on

pps. Michael write me! I better see an email from you next week or I will pray that you grow so tall that none of your suits fit

-P Day at the stadium. Really fun day and we got to meet the missionaries from the four zones in Iquitos. It felt like the factions in Divergent uniting. Nice to finally speak English too!

-Hna. Colquehuanca's first time trying M&Ms. They were a hit. We found them in this random store because they don't have american candies or really anything here. It's weird. 

I want her to try the peanut ones but we'll have to look for them

October 5, 2015

Hola Familia!

Well this week flew by. And this week I hit my first month mark. Who can believe that? I can’t. We taught a lot of lessons this week but my companion is having some health issues so we spent a lot of time at the clinic too. I will tell you that I do not trust the doctors here. She had crazy eyeliner and prescribed like four different pills for some sort of mouth infection. I will be avoiding going there at all costs. Now we have to see a blood specialist because there is something wrong with my companion’s blood. I don’t know. I just accompany.

We had two baptisms planned for this week, but one of the investigators got in a fight with his girlfriend before conference and so didn’t attend. It wouldv’e been his third attendance so now he can’t be baptized this week unfortunately, but we are hoping soon. I don’t really feel like they are my investigators though because I don’t know them, and I barely understand what they say to my companion and what she says to them.

Last P-Day we went into the city center – it’s like a ten minute motomoto ride from our pension. I didn’t realize how not city our area is until I saw the city. It’s bustling in there and it’s bizarre because there are actual stores, but most of all because the river is right there. We saw the Amazon!  It was big and beautiful and the houses are on stilts around it and we saw a monkey running around some little shops. It was awesome! It was weird to go back to our humble little area after that. But I much prefer our area with the kids running around in the streets, and everyone hanging out outside of their houses. Life moves slower here.

One thing I love about Iquitos are the clouds! Everyday they are the most beautiful, literally celestial clouds. Big and puffy and white, unless it’s sunset, when they turn into rainbow, cotten candy puffs. It takes my breath away every night. Or when it is raining and the clouds are big and angry and black. We had a couple days of heavy rain this week. We were in my pension eating and I thought the roof was going to collapse, but my companion and my pensionist told me it was nothing, that we will have a lot heavier rain. I’m scared. I don’t know how it gets heavier than that. But, they just live with it. The field by our house still had people playing football and the kids just splash in the puddles. When it rains, the entire sidewalk becomes a puddle. It is inevitable that you will get wet. I don’t mind it though. I like the rain a lot actually, it freshens the air. Oh, but sad news, my companion lost her rain jacket so I let her borrow mine and I used my sweater and umbrella and now my jacket has a huge hole in the side. I’m not sure what happened but I’m really sad about it. Hopefully we can fix it and it will still be waterproof. The only thing about the rain is no one wants to have lessons when it rains. It confuses me because they complain about the heat when it's hot and they won't let us in or won't go to church when it rains even though they have lived here their entire lives. Who knows.

I’m getting used to the food, and my pensionist is getting used to serving me half of what she normally serves. I don’t know how they eat so much here. The portions are incredible. She would serve us an entire plate of just white rice and then a soup and meat and a salad and a fruit juice. It’s absurd. I'm feeling a lot better. I'm trying not to drink the milk here anymore. I think that might have been what made me sick because it's not real milk here, I don't know what it is exactly. I never let my feet touch the ground here. As soon as the shoes come off, it's flip flops on. Even in the shower. Although, I wouldn't call it a shower. But we are very blessed.

How about conference??? It was awesome. I watched the Saturday sessions in english with some of the other missionaries, but the internet wasn’t working Sunday so I watched it in Spanish. I got most of it, I think. My favorite talk was Elder Holland’s, it made me miss you Mom. So grateful for the patience both you and Dad have shown with me. He always uses the most beautiful words, I really liked it. But, attendence at conference in the morning session was awesome. We met as a stake at the Stake Center and there were no seats left. I was expecting  the same for the Afternoon Session but we got there and there were maybe 100 people. We didn’t even fill all the pews. It was awful. I am learning how important weekly attendence is here. The Lord expects a day of our week and we need to renew our convenants. Exact obedience to that commandment is what brings happiness. It is frustrating when others don't recognize that. I liked the new apostles. We were so excited to find out who they would be. I don't remember who is who but I liked the third one that spoke the best I think. He just was simple but powerful. 

Oh and the drink you guys tried was definitely chicha morada! It's purple corn liqour and they put lemon juice and cinammon in there too. It's super yummy and popular, we have it almost every day. And they make a gelatin out of it. Whoo! It's either inca kola, chicha morada, some fruit I've never heard of, or anis tea. 

As far as Christmas package, I am really happy with whatever. Some little hand sanitizers that smell nice would be fun. We shake so many hands throughout the day, I go through that stuff like crazy. Also, the sisters here said packages usually get here within three weeks of sending so I wouldn't worry too much about it. I didn't know this but they don't want you to put Hermana on there either, just my full name. That's all :)

Today we are going to the Stadium with all four zones in Iquitos so I'm excited for that. I love you all! I hope all is well this week.

Oh and my favorite outfit so far has been my white Zara shirt with the red jersey skirt and my black tevas. Very airy and fresh.

Hna. Fitzpatrick

Pictures(!) hopefully these send, the internet here is honestly the worst:

-I'm Queen of the Amazon. The river in the city. So cool!

-Me and my companion with some of our investigators at the Stake Center for conference. Not sure why they didn't smile, they are normally really smiley but when the camera came out this happened.

-Our street view from our little balcony. And a motomoto! My favorite!

-And an old one of me and my CCM companion at the Lima Temple. Feels like ages ago

-My scripture cases for my Spanish scriptures, I bought them in Lima. 

The two temples in Peru! (soon to be three)

-The river!! So beautiful

-My name! It's seriously on every street!

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.