Can I just say I might sizzle like an egg in the sun here. It. Is. HOT! HOT! HOT! I sweat like a monster!

Hello my peeps from home! 

First off I am so stoked to have a new nephew!!!!!!!! Welcome to the world baby Lukey!!!!!! I want to hold him but I will have to wait 6 months I guess. Jack Happy Birthday this week I love you!!!!!!! 32....anos 

Can I just say I might sizzle like an egg in the sun here. It. Is. HOT. Hot. Hot. I sweat like a monster. 

This last week was fabulous. We had a baptism on Valentine's Day >>>>>

Stephy was baptized! And it was the prettiest baptism I have ever been too. Her grandma decorated it all pretty. I will send a pic.

We had intercambios this last week. It happened to fall on my one year mark. Hermana Gozan came to my area! She is like the perfect missionary that I always wanted to be. I was so happy to spend the day with her. She started her mission in my same area, so our pencionista threw a little party for her and I. 

I have really come far in one year. I remember in the CCM. Hermana Kaeding asked me what a.m. and p.m. were in Spanish. I responded "it's probably buenos and dias!" such a dummy. I was reading through my journal the other day and found this quote that really helped me when I was going through a hard time in the mission. I got it from Ruby's email.

 "For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin--real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one." --souza

I am trying to treasure everyday I have. The mission goes by fast. I have always had the problem of always wanting the next step in life, but I am learning to seize the day. We only have one life. One opportunity. I am so grateful for this time I have to serve and grow. 

We are talking with everyone we see. Like I said and exceeded our goal this last week. We talked to 130 people! Whoop! And we are finding new investigatores by talking more. Maybe 1 out of the 10 we talk to are actually going to progress but everyone counts. Many people have never even heard of our church. The hard part about this place is literally EVERYONE and their dog are Catholic but by tradition. No one understands how it is possible to be baptized again. They all think it is a sin. Today we got on the Bus to go to Piura and a guy got on screaming the whole hour ride about the BiBle and God. Literally screaming. One passenger on the bus asked him to lower his voice. These people are a God believing people, but they have a hard time accepting the restoration. Joseph Smith. 

On the bus ride home there were no seats so they smashed us into the front of the bus. Haha I sat on the ground. I started chatting with the Bus driver Pedro about the gospel. But at the end of it all he asked me out to get some Juice. Ugh. Yeah so we darted for the seats in the back. 

We had a mini zone conference this last week and Pres Rowley came. He talked about how Nephi would not return to his house without the gold plates. He simply wouldn't do it, because God had commanded him to go get the plates. So how was he going to return home without the plates?! It's like in the mission. Each day we have a goal to talk to 20 people. If we don't complete it we go home late. We walk and stay our later until we have reached our goal. How can we return to our apartment each night without talking to 20 people? We are really stretching ourselves. We come home tired but satisfied with the work. 

I finished the Book of Mormon for the first time in Spanish! Finally! (it is longer in spanish) I love that book and I know it is true. I know it!  And if you don't know it read it. Read it before  you criticize it. It really brings me the most comfort when I am far from home.