#43

First of all, didn't get to watch the Women's Conference session. And that bummed me out biiiig time because I LOVE Women's Conference, but it's not that huge of a thing here so.. our district president kind of forgot about it so when I got to the chapel, there was nothing and.. yeah it was sad. Because we also had two investigators with us to see it but alas, there was nothing. But I just downloaded it onto my flash drive and I'm gonna have a great time tonight listening to it. I hope. And I hope that the general conference is enough of a big thing here so that the President doesn't forget that either.... I think I'll be good though. I'm pretty sure I'll see it. I just can't believe that it's already almost April! Because, Like I just watched October Conference! Gahhhh passes so fast. 

 

Well this week I ate some bad Choclo (That is corn on the cob.) and got reaaaalllly sick Tuesday night. Natalie once termed it as "Double dragon fire" and you can ask her what that means but that's what I was going through. My stomach hurrrrttt soooo bad and I couldn't sleep and then all day Wednesday I was confined to bed because I basically had nothing in my body and it was awful. And to be in my room all day stresses me out. I hate being sick for that reason because I can't leave and work. And then I feel even worse while I'm already sick because I feel like I'm not fulfilling my duty as a missionary and I hate that feeling and then I think it makes me even more sick. It's an awful cycle. But this week I learned a lot about patience. I didn't go out Wednesday or Thursday. And Thursday our Hermana Capacitadoras came to do divisions with us and that made me feel bad too because, even in divisions, I couldn't leave. But Something they asked us to study for our training was about patience. So Thursday morning while I was dying in my bed, I read about patience. I remember it said something like patience is the power to accept the things we can't control. And in my mind, I thought, Patience is accepting our imperfections. And I reflected on that a little bit. Like my body isn't perfect. I know one day it will be, but it's not right now. And I have to accept that. And I thought about the other imperfections that I have that sometimes just drive me crazy. Like how I can't roll my r's in Spanish and because of that some people can't understand me, but I can't control that. Or how sometimes our appointments fall through. Can't control that. There are soooo many things that I can't control, but I allow myself to get all worked up about them anyways. And where does that get me? Stressed out and sick in bed. We neeeeed to have patience with ourselves and in our situations because if we don't, it can be physically and spiritually debilitating. And that's when Satan takes the upper hand. When we feel like these things that we can't control are controlling us. So that's what I learned this week. Patience has aaaaallllways been my fight. I remember when I was little, dad was always talking to me about patience. And it's something that I am still working at. It's one of my many imperfections. And I have to patient with that too. So it's a cycle. A good cycle. A cycle we need. 

  

And also in these past days, I learned about compassion. It's hard for me when I can't leave the house. Whether it be for my own health, or that of my companion. Like when my comp is sick, gosh I try sooo hard to be understanding, but in the back of my mind it's like "No! I want to leave! I feel fine! I need to work!" And it also stresses me out. And sometimes I lose my patience with her and the fact that her health isn't perfect either. It's something that I really don't like about myself, like getting angry if she doesn't feel well. But my comp gave me a great example of charity and compassion. One morning I was awake and just staring at the ceiling and my comp was at her desk studying and she got up to go to the bathroom or something and usually when we slide our chairs, it makes a horrible scratching sound and it's just really loud and terrible. But I watched as she soooo carefully stood up, picked up her chair, then set it down oh so gently as to not make a single sound because she thought that I was sleeping. Then she literally walked on her tip toes to the door, opened it the slowest she could (it seriously lasted like 40 seconds) and then closed it without making a single sound. Just for me. Her whole process of getting up, opening the door and closing it, was prolonged by like 2 minutes just too make sure that she didn't wake me up. Even though I was already awake. Obviously she didn't know,but it really just touched me. And then that whole day, she did whatever she could to help me. My appreciation for her and her patience with me and my situation was magnified ten fold and in those moments, it was really like I was with the Savior. In the scriptures, it talks about having his image engraven in your countenance or something like that, but that really happened with her. Hermana Conde is such an example to me and I honestly love her with all my heart. She has given me a new resolve to be more patient and more Christ like.

 

As for the rest of the week, it was good. We found some new people to teach, we've been having a lot of success in that lately, and it makes me feel like my time is worthwhile. What else could I want? 

Well I've got to go now but I'm going to attach a few pictures. 

Hermana Rust

PS I'm all healed now. Not sick anymore. But seriously, that choclo did a number on me. Hooooorrrrrible! 

*Viewer's Discretion advised*

Two p-days ago, we killed, peeled, and ate cuyes. Or guinea pigs. It was really gross and really sad and guinea pig isn't even that good but I'm in Peru so I have to eat it and so I did. 

This is them already dead and already pealed. 

And that's cute little us atop  Llantuyhuanca. Talavera is BEAUTIFUL!