Okay I want to start off by talking about the candy here. Everything is the same... but not, if that makes sense. They have this candy called Chin Chin and it CASI tastes like M&M´s. They're so good and so cute. There's also these cookies called Gretel and if you dip them in peanut butter (which is hard to come by) it CASI tastes like a Reeses Cup. I love it though. Everyday is an adventure of course. The other night the power went out and I think I just about wet my pants, HA. It was so scary. So much thunder and rain. It was fun though and I am quickly getting used to it because it rains every night and every day. And that ain't no joke.

 

Okay now that I've talked about some unimportant things, my week :)

This week we had intercambios with the sister leaders so I got to spend a whole day with a Latina...Which was AMAZING because I speak way too much english for living in Peru... Sorry Hermana Tuft if you read this in five months from your home computer ;) The other day we found two older ladies all in the same hour at seperate times who only spoke Quechua. So, that was sort of difficult but we helped them home and set up times to have some members from the ward who spoke the language to come with us. TOMORROW!

 

What else? One day we had been really tired from walking all day and sat down for a while. A woman came up to us and asked us about our church so we gave her a pass along card with the times for church. She was so sweet. On Sunday, SHE CAME! She also brought her friend. They answered so many questions and even signed up to be in the ward talent show!! WHAT?! Is this real life? Do things like this really happen! They are so spunky and I just have so much faith that they will accept the gospel. I mean.. they already fit it! We also had that Quechua lady I talked about earlier come to church... soooo church was great! I am so excited for this week and all of the new people we get to teach! We have to do it in 2 days though... cuz we're going to Cusco for three days. I have some more paper work blehhhh I JUST LOVE PUNO SO MUCH!!!

 

OH ONE MORE THING! shout out to my friend Savannah from BYUI who lived a couple doors down from me, I love her, and guess what?! SHE IS JOINING ME IN CUSCO HOLY GUACAMOLE. Man God loves her cuz the Cusco mission is the best. And, God loves the people for sending such a beautiful amazing girl here to them!

I know this church is true and I am so blessed to be here. Missionaries change peoples lives but I really think that these people are changing my life. I love you all.

 

-Hermana Wattles

Every Day is a Beautiful One

This week was a GREAT ONE! I was thinking a couple of days ago... who knew I could be so happy without a cell phone, a computer, a warm shower, toilets that flush toilet paper, and PANTS? Cuz I don't get any of those things. But you know what? I am so happy!

This week we had a baptism. It was amazing. Gleny was so excited to be baptized and she felt in her heart that the church was true. The amazing thing was that at the end, she shared her testimony and she said that before she didn't know. She wasn't competely sure what she believed but that it felt right. Then she said that once she left the water, she KNEW! She said that the minute she left the water of the baptismal font, she knew it was true and she had a testimony. I cried of course. She is so amazing.

There are so many people in this world that don't know. It is so sad because our message of the gospel is a message of true happiness. It CHANGES lives. Seeing the joy on peoples faces and hearing them testify that Christ lives, drives me to continue sharing this sweet message. I like to think about what the gospel means to me. Then, I think about what my friends, family, and neighbors mean to me. I want them to have this same happiness. I know this is the truth con todo de my corazon. JesuCristo Vive y El morio para nuestros pecados. Por medio de El, nosotros podemos volver y vivir con nuestro padre celestial y nuestros familias por eternidad.

I love you guys so much. Keep smiling! The Lord is on our side!

 

-Hermana Wattles

 

¡Ay!

Okay, so this week has been so amazing! So much can happen in one week and it is absolutely crazy! I live here in Puno about five minutes from Lake Titicaca and I sort of live on a mountain so everyday we have to climb up like five sets of stairs to get to appointments and then we find out that the appointment fell through. I guess it's good exercise. But the view is amazing! I really love it here so much! The people are so sweet and patient with my terrible Spanish, hahaha. They also feed us a lot... like a lot! It's okay though because I am getting used to it! Our pension makes really good food and they are so sweet to me! Their daughter also reminds me of Nicole! Tender Mercies!!!

 

This saturday is my first baptism!!! WOOHOO right?! Her name is Gleny and she is just so kind and loving and she is just so ready!! I am so excited for her and she is so excited as well. We taught her a lesson in the chapel and there was a party going on in the gym. During our lesson, the song wiggle wiggle and turn down for what come on... (not good songs but they don't know that) haha it was funny because I know what it means. She brought her sister to the lesson and at the end I asked her if she wanted to be baptized.. and I did it in spanish... Awesome right?! Ay, this is just the best! 

 

Yesterday we visited a member and her less active children and as we walked in, there was a pig with it's head chopped off and it was hanging from the ceiling! AWESOME! annnddd the guts were all over the ground and their pets were eating it, hahah. It was definitely something different.

 

This week has been amazing and I am absolutely so excited for Gleny's baptism! She's the best! The church is so true. The Holy Ghost is the leader here on this mission and I am so thankful for it because I could not do it alone! I love all of you so much!!

 

Peace out....

Hermana Wattles 

 

The stairs I climb everyday!

What in the world is Puno?!

So it´s day six out in the real mission.. (because the CCM was not the real mission) I arrived in Cusco on Tuesday. It is absolutely beautiful and perfect. Everything is so green and there are so many mountains and cute little homes. All of the homes here are made out of bricks and they build them SO tall. I got my trainer on Wednesday and we headed off to our new area, Puno. Puno is the town right on Lake Titicaca and it is about ten hours from Cusco. I´ve been having fun here and at times it is rough but if I complain now, something else will come and hit me and show me that this is nothing. haha. We´ve taught a couple people so far and I love it. I don't really understand anything in Spanish yet but when I teach and talk about the gospel, words seem to flood into my mind and it is honesty the coolest thing. My training is for twelve weeks so I will be here in Puno for at least twelve weeks. All of the people I have met here so far are so kind and patient with me... because I probably talk like a kindergartener... Oh well. I am not too worried because I know that it will come with time.

 

Oh my word!!! My first day here, I saw a Llama and I cried. I love Llamas!!!

My trainer only has sixish months left and she says that time goes by so fast. I´ve been here for two months.. actually not even ahha so I guess that means the beginning is slow and the end is fast. That´s kinda stinky because I want the time where I don't know spanish to go by fast and the end to go by slow.

 

Anyway, I love you all and I am just so happy here. They all take such good care of the missionaries and its the best! I know that the church is true. This week I told a man that if he read The Book of Mormon that his life would change. It is the truth. I know it and I wasn't afraid to promise it. This is the best thing that I could be doing with my time. I love the Lord and I love this place.

 

-Hermana Wattles

 



These little dogs kept following Emily and her companion around,
they named them Dumb and Dumber

Last week at the CCM

Wow I feel like I got here just yesterday! This is my last email from Lima and in six days I'm going to have to speak spanish all of the time which is scary to me but I know that I can do it! This week has been a really good one! For Valentines Day, they gave us boxes of chocolate and cupcakes with sprinkles on it! It was literally the cutest thing ever!

 

My companion and I only teach two more times in the CCM and then we both go off to Cusco! I can not wait!  This week I've learned so much about the spirit and how it works in my life. I feel it so strong and it is just so amazing! My district is the best and I love them so much! One night we were in such a crazy mood and all of the Elders switched suit jackets and it was the funniest thing ever because one of them is so tiny, and he switched with Elder Varner who plays football! He's actually from Vegas too!!!

 

I'm going to keep this so short because I don't have much time but I love all you guys so much. The few short weeks that I have been here so far have been the hardest but the best ever! I love the Lord and I love the gospel!

 

Read this scripture, it is so amazing, John 16:33! It's so similar to my favorite scripture in Proverbs 3:5-6 and I think that's why I love it so much!! I love you all!

 

-Hermana Wattles

¿Wazzzuppppp?

So this might be a short one because the weeks fly by now and I sort of forget what happens in the week! I´ve been here for a month and this month has gone by so fast! We´re "advancados" in the CCM and I feel like a big dog! Only 2 more weeks and then, Cusco here I come! This week has been amazing and also kinda weird! All of my lessons with my companion have been so great and we teach with the spirit which is just so amazing! Actually about 2 hours ago my companion and I gave out a Book of Mormon to a native on the street! He seemed very interested and he was very intrigued that the book had to do with Christ in the Americas! It´s crazy that the Book of Mormon took place in this area... I mean these people in Peru are descendents of the Lamanites! WHAT?! It´s amazing and also such a cool testimony builder! Spanish is coming along! I am able to talk to natives and not really have much of a problem. I am no where near fluent, but it will come. I´ve only been here for a month. :)

 

So, the greatest thing happened on Sunday! We got to watch a real movie... what?! We watched Meet the Mormons haha and it was awesome! I think I was the only Hermana who didn't cry! Oh and every once in a while our teacher, Hermana Coca lets us listen to youth songs on lds.org... its the best! Yesterday, I ate 6 granadias. I'll attatch a picture but they're these nasty looking fruits that help your digestion! I also eat lots of mangoes which is insane because I don't like mangoes but I love them here! I love running here which is weird because I hate running. I think I am just a totally different person here! I hope all of you are doing well! Write me! I love letters.

 

I just want all of you to know how much of a blessing a mission is. I love it more than anything and I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else! It´s the best day of my life EVERYDAY! I want to share one scripture with you its D&C 6:16. This scripture has helped me so much here and I love that God knows us and knows the wants and needs of our hearts! I love you all and have a good week! The church is so true! < 3

 

 -Hermana Wattles

Granadia

 



Hermanas

Llama Llama Llama

Week 3! So weird.. It feels like I've been here for years! haha chiste, anyways, after being here for three weeks I feel like I almost have the hang of things! (except spanish) We do so much I don't even remember what happened this morning. Today, we went to the temple and we shopped at tottus (the market) on P day. We walk a lot but that's good because I look at my fitness watch and I probably only walk like 4000 steps a day... at home i walked 10000.

 

I love my district! One of the elders is from Las Vegas! He went to Green Valley!  Last week an elder left that went to Centennial! Our district is always goofing around and we are probably the funnest group of missionaries! Yesterday we did the harry potter puppet pal youtube video!!! The food here is so good but sometimes when they label the meat as "carne" I wonder what kind of meat it is... whenever we get ice cream, you know it's going to be a good day! Me gusta helado! I've been eating lots of mangoes and granadias or however you spell it here because they are just so good!!! Oh and the best way to have a party in the CCM is to put sugar on your toast and on your popcorn! SO GOOD you guys should try it sometime!! We got new people this week and we call them the princess panties because its actually princepantes or something and no one can say it haha. Two nights ago, Hma Crowder pulled off my toe ring and it hurt so so so bad! There's a dead bug the size of my whole thumb pinned to our district board because one of the elders in my district caught it and thought it was cool. It's actually kinda gross.

 

Spanish is definitely coming along! I am probably the slowest in my district and sometimes it is kind of annoying but I see the progress. Today in the temple, I had to translate for one of the temple workers who didn't speak Spanish, weird right? I was so proud of myself! Physical activity is the best! We play futbol with the latinos and it is so fun! I started running laps and stuff like that! I love it! It's so fun here!! The hermanas I room with are hilarious and we just laugh and talk all the time but they are also some of the most spiritual girls I know! I love them! I am so blessed to be here in Peru and I just know it is where I am supposed to be! I know this church is true with all my heart and I know that Heavenly Father is watching over me. I mean this is his work! I love this gospel and I love these people! Yo se que la iglesia de jesucristo de los santos de los ultimos dias es verdadero. Yo se que Dios ama nosotros mucho! Yo amo ustedes mucho!

-Hermana Wattles

 

ps idk why my subject is llama llama llama

I JUST LOVE LLAMAS