Hi! From a Mountain Top: #21 It's a small world after all....

So I had two cool "It's a small world" moments this week.

The first is for Grandma Skousen! Grandma, I met someone that knows you! Our stake president! His name is Presidente Soto and he's only 32 years old (and he's already been in the stake presidency for 7 years! how crazy is that?!) and he served in Cochabamba 10 ish years ago and I told him "Hey my grandparents served in Cochabamba 10 ish years ago!" and he was all like "Oh cool what's their name"! And I said "Skousen" and he paused for a moment and then said "Oh did they work in the temple" And I was like "Heck yeah they did!" And it was this cool little reunion and all joyous and it was a good time.

The second was today actually. You see, my companion is going home this next Sunday so today, for her last Pday, we went to Juliaca, which is an hour away from Puno. Its kinda really dirty and loud and smells kinda funky, but it's near and dear to Hermana Gonzalez's heart all the same. So we went to go say goodbye to some families with whom Hermana Gonzalez served. And one of these families is Familia Rivas. And while we were there, the Hermana (I don't remember her name) asked where I was from. I just say Vegas because who doesn't know Vegas. And then she tells me that there was an Elder here that was from Vegas who liked to cook and dance and who had already gone home some years earlier. She said Elder McCan. I was like yeah have no idea who that is. So she offered to show me a picture. I just thought there's no way that I could know this elder, Vegas is huuuuge. But I took the picture all the same and when I saw it, low and behold I knew who it was! It was Grant Mecham! I had no idea that he served here in Cusco! I mean I knew about Kade and Alyssa Ramos, but holy hannah montana this mission has gotten a lot of moapa valleyites! But yeah I told them he was from my stake and the hermano (I don't know his name either...) started crying and just asked me to tell Grant how much this Hermano loved him and that Grant was very close to his heart. He started crying and it was all very sweet. But sadly I don't have any contact with Elder Mecham, so if facebook, or mom, could do your magic and get that message to him. I also have a picture with the two that I will send right now. But yeah it was kinda cool.

This is the Rivas Family that knows Grant Mecham!

As for this week, I'm sorry I really have nothing to report. It was kinda slow. Oh wait, Julio is back in business! We decided to actually give him his teaching record so he would know that we actually do have things to teach him and stuff, because

before it was really hard to teach him because boy is he a chatterbox! But now we've got it going and he's going to pick the things from the record that he wants to learn first and we'll just go from there. He's a real cool guy and we know he's going to get baptized, just not sure when yet.... But yeah that was a fun time.

Well I've gotta be heading out now. We've got to go visit some more families here in Juliaca. But I love you aaaallll! Ask the missionaries how you can help! Go on visits with them! Members in lessons make alllll the difference! Thanks for the love and support and prayers and examples you are to me!

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Rust

PS. I have a new drunk man story. But this one wasn't fun. Usually they're all romantic and just want to marry me, so like they're not scary. But yeah this week I had a run in with an angry one and he punched me in the chest. Like not super hard, but the air got a little knocked out of me. But I guess it was nice not to have a proposal for once. This one shook things up a little bit.

This is Haley. She's the cousin of Ruth. I sent a picture of Ruth last week. She's getting ready to dance the Waka Waka. It's a dance about bulls. That's all I know.