Tuesday, March 11, 2014

First Week Out of the CCM

The last two weeks have been absolutely crazy!! I finally made it out of the CCM which was nice but I kinda wish I was back in there because it was so easy and I didn't have to worry about a thing and there were other gringos and I could speak English and, well lots of things. I'm not going to lie, the mission life is hard. It's actually super hard. Peru is crazy and all the people here are crazy. I haven't adjusted to the Peru world yet but hopefully I will soon. I just can't understand how these people live like they do. This past Thursday, Saturday and Sunday were rough because I've been tired and getting used to my new companion is difficult because he is way different than the gringos in the CCM. I really do like him but like any trainer or senior companion, he feels the need to boss me around all the time and that's hard to get used to. The weather has been really hot and the air is extremely smoggy. Due to the dirty air and the elevation and the climate, I've developed some sort of cold in my head and chest and lost my voice for like 3 days haha. But yesterday at church there was a lady visiting from Arizona (I think she is dating one of the older fellows in our ward) anyways, she gave me some vitamins and some cold medicine and I finally got my voice back. I can function and do pretty much everything I need to do. The food here is pretty good but I like mom's cooking better. We have a penchtinista (the sister who cooks for us) named Hermana Bety. She is a nice older lady that gives us lots of food and I appreciate that. She lives down by the river and we live up on the hill so we walk a good 3/4 mile to her house to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. She doesn't have much of a house honestly and at first it was scary to eat there, but I'm getting used to it. She has a dirt floor with a little table for us 4 missionaries and then out in back of her house about 15 feet away is the river, which of course is really really dirty and gross. Out back is where we do our dishes in tubs of water. Everything is really dirty but as of today, I've been holding up to it. Yesterday was super rough because it was fast Sunday and with being sick, I had no energy and was about to die so I wasn't in the most cheerful of moods. Plus it was hard to talk to people since I didn't have a voice but then the Bishop gave my companion and I a blessing and the rest of the day was great!
My companions name is Elder Lascano. He is from Equator and turned 18 in November. He has only been out 3 months, only about a month and a half longer than me, and he is training me. He is not the most mature Elder and it makes it difficult sometimes and less difficult other times. He knows a little english so that helps as well. There are 4 missionaries in our ward. Elder Martinez, Cuadra, Lascano, and I. Elder Lascano and I have one side of the canal and the other Elders have the other side. We climb hills of dirt and dog crap all day long. Our ward is called Pierola and we are in the Chosica stake. Our apartment is on a hill and a corner so it is really noisy all the time. They don't believe in mufflers in Peru and the honk their horns at every corner because they don't have stop signs. The first night was rough. My Spanish is coming along. I can pretty much understand everything if I pay attention. Speaking is a little slower but I can get my point across.
 Life is good. It's super enjoyable when we are working and talking to other people. Oh yeah! We taught 30 lessons this week. From Tuesday night to Sunday night!!! Crazy huh!! We have a few committed to baptism and have a ton of new investigators. Thanks for everything! I love you so so much! Be safe and keep working hard!!

No comments:

Post a Comment