Started off Running!

October 28, 2013

Hello fam!
Wow! What a week. So my companion and I started off the week running. We found two new families to teach! But at the beginning of the week,  I was a little bummed that we weren't going to have a baptism for this month. It would've have been my first month without a baptism in my mission. We had problems with one of our investigators named Victor. Victor has received the missionaries on and off for about 8 years. All of his family are members except him and his and his girlfriend (the mother of their three kids). We've been working with him for about the whole time I've been in Pucallpa. The problem was that we couldn't find his paperwork to get him married and of course we don´t baptize people who are living with their girlfriends or boyfriends. Our Zone Leaders knew about our situation and told us they would do some work and find a solution. So when we were teaching another investigator Friday night, our cell phone rang. I walked out to the front porch and answered the phone… It was my Zone Leader Elder ...... “Sister Price! I have some good news…” (But in Spanish of course) “You and sister .....  are going to have a marriage and a baptism tomorrow!” Tears started to well up in my eyes and I think I screamed a little bit! FINALLY this family could be united in marriage and Hno. Victor could FINALLY enter into the waters of baptism.  YAY! We weren't planning on a wedding or a baptism so everything was a little crazy and we had to throw together a baptism, but it all worked out. It was a beautiful day with a marriage and baptism. Then yesterday we had a family home evening with a bunch of people from the ward in their house.  I wanted to send pics but my computer isn't working! Only in the jungle.
Something else that has been going on this week is the members from the Ward are going to the temple this weekend. Mom, you asked me to send you a little info for your lesson this week. We have two families who are going to the temple for the first time this weekend. Let me tell you a little bit of what these people have to do in order to go to the temple in Lima. They have to take a 20 hour bus ride to Lima. It costs them about 80 soles ($30) and for most people here 80 soles is a stretch. The road to Lima is SUPER crazy with all sorts of bumps and crazy turns. They don´t make any stops and they have to pack their own food. Every time I think about it, puts a lump in my throat. When I was at home and wanted to attend the temple I would just hop into my heated or air conditioned car and drive a whopping 6 minutes to the temple. I cannot testify enough of how blessed we are to live in Utah and have so many temples so close. I wish I could write more but I don´t have much time for the internet today, but just tell the sisters in the Ward to take advantage of the temples so close to you. It is such a sacrifice for these people to attend the temple and sometimes takes years to prepare to attend. I love this gospel so much and I know that temples are houses of the Lord and I miss the the peace and revelation that can come from the temple.
Love, Hermana Price.

PS Thanks everyone for your letters :)

A 20-Second Choice

October 21, 2013

Hey fam!!!

So I don`t have much time to write: So my week was a little interesting. First of all, you know about that rash that a lot of the North American kids get when they come here to the jungle? Well…… It broke out all over my neck and lips like there`s no tomorrow! All week my lips have been white and swollen. It itches SO bad it´s the worst thing ever. So I asked this lady in my ward what I should do to make it better and she gave me this cream that has helped a little, but that was one crazy thing that happened this week. Then our baptism that we had planned fell through. Her name is Claudia and her cousin is a member, but her parents aren't, and her mom said no. She doesn't want her child to get baptized. That was really hard for us because we haven`t had one baptism all this month. And just when you think the disappointment and the sadness was over…. NOPE our only hope for a baptism this month was Victor but he didn't attend church this week so we can´t baptize him. L We have to wait until next month for Nov. 2nd. I was sitting in sacrament this week thinking about my investigators and everything and I felt super sad and disappointed because none of them attended church. I think while in the mission we get a little taste of how our Heavenly Father feels about us when we don´t obey basic commandments. Then I realized when we have disappointments in life we or moments like I had in church this week when you feel like nothing is going right, you have 20 seconds. Twenty seconds to be sad and disappointed. Then when that 20 seconds is over you have a choice. You get to choose what you are going to do about it. Are you going to let the sadness and disappointment continue, or are you going to do something about it and work harder to change the negative into a positive? This mission is still the hardest thing I´ve done, but I wouldn't have it any other way because I`m growing and learning about myself and my about relationship with my Heavenly Father. I am so thankful that we have experiences in life when we get to learn and grow and stretch ourselves. I love you all so much and I´m so blessed to have you in my life. I cannot testify enough about how blessed we are to live in Utah where the church is established and going strong. Thank you for all your prayers and love. J

Until Next week… Your, Hermana Price. J

Hugs and Kisses!!!!!!  

Having Faith that Things Will Get Better

Monday, October 14, 2013

Hola fam!!!!!

How is everyone doing?? I´m missing you all like crazy. This week has been great. J I LOVE MY NEW COMP! Her name is Hna. Montoya from Bolivia and she is the cutest Little thing ever. She is very sweet and always has a smile on her face. It´s been a Little difficult getting to know her because she is pretty shy but I just keep asking her questions about her and Little by Little i´m finding out more. Of course I asked her about her family and everything and she has 8 brothers and 1 sister!!! What a house full. J But her parents and most of her family are inactive, then I found out that her family hasn't written her the whole time she has been out on her mission. I could tell she was just brushing it off to like it didn't matter to her but her eyes started to water. I got a big lump in my throat. 

But anyways this week has been okay. Our numbers aren't where they should be and my district leader wasn't every happy with me this week but I know we´re going to do better. We FINALLY had a meeting with our leaders in our Ward this week and we´re constantly making changes to work better with the Ward so we have a ton of faith that things will get better.

Little animal story: So my companion is SUPER scared of all types of bugs and animals. She screams every time she sees those Little lizards that are here in Peru. But the other day we were walking down the trail and she stopped and froze up. Then she pointed to a Little tree on the side of the trail and asked why it was shaking (it was shaking pretty violently). I walked over to the tree to see what it was. It was a monkey!!!!! :D I LOVE it when we run into Monkeys! She wouldn't go near it and I wanted to hold it but I didn't want to risk the chance of being bitten. Haha

Love you all, Thank you so much for all your love and support. J I´m still loving my mission and all the experiences here. I´m learning so much. HUGS AND KISSES!

Con mucho amor, Hermana Price. J

PS DAD HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I started reading the New Testament and I LOVE IT! Want to have study dates with me when I get home?:)