Wednesday, September 24, 2014

9-24-2014

Okay, I´m not going to do the same thing I did last week and make you figure out what to blog from what I sent you.... I guess here is the blog email-y thing? I´m not 100% sure how this will go.
 
First things first.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL SISTER KALI. I´m only like 6 days late, but.... I JUST LOVE HER. I'D BUY YOU SOME CRAZY  SOCKS IF I THOUGHT THEY´D ACTUALLY MAKE IT TO THE STATES.
 
Okay, now to the real stuff.... I debated telling my mom about this all week because everyone is like "Don't tell your mom bad things, she´ll worry!" But she raised my brothers and they're crazy, so at this point I don't think I could freak her out too much if I tried. This past Saturday we got to go proselyting (or as all the missionaries here call it proselytizing) and they switched up the companionships so that all of the principios (people who have been here for 2 weeks or less) were with avansados (people who have been here 4-6 weeks) or latinas. I got paired up with a latina who spoke very limited English, and I speak very limited Spanish, so communication was difficult to say the least. But latinas are SO CUTE and affectionate, and we became friends very quickly.... Anyway, we went out into the streets of Peru and honestly, it was pretty crazy to see. There were stray dogs everywhere, the roads were very rarely paved, and the women kiss you on the cheeks when they see you. It was such a cool experience. I got to testify a couple of times and we taught a lesson in someone's home (okay, maybe Hermana Obando taught a lesson and I sat around and tried to understand what everyone was saying). We were only out for an hour or two tops when a dog attacked Hermana Obando. It was the craziest thing ever because we were walking away from the dog arm in arm and the dog just ran up, bit her leg, and ran away.... Later, one of the members we were with was like "I´m so surprised the dog didn´t bite the North American." Honestly, I am too... Anyway, it was bleeding and Hermana Obando and I had to sit in the chapel the rest of the time... then she had to go to the clinic and get a rabies shot... Poor thing. But on the way to the chapel she started tearing up and said "I´m just afraid that this will deter me from serving in Chiclayo the best I can." Holy cow, she´s freaking tough. And she was just upset that we couldn´t get through our list of less actives. Seriously, SUCH a trooper. The next day we had a health class and the Medical Supervisor guy for like 5 countries (including Bolivia) down here was talking about dogs. I was way paranoid and so I asked him how often missionaries get bitten by dogs and he said "We actually had three in Bolivia last week!" Talk about scary.... But Hermana Obando got to leave the CCM on time along with a group of Latinas and a group of NorteAmericanas who had been here fro 6 weeks. We actually got a whole group of new missionaries over the past couple days which means I´m an intermedio (2-4 weeks)
 
Okay... Well... South America is cray. Onto less terrifying topics.
 
So the first counselor in our branch presidency is named Elder Hill and he is the most adorable little old guy I have EVER seen. He actually was the mission president in Bolivia for a while! Not my mission, but still way cool. He told me that he´s convinced that "Bolivians are as pure Lamanite as it can get." Gah. I just love Elder Hill. Anyway, we have a fountain in our courtyard and it´s way cool looking and I love it.... And the other day Elder Hill told me and my companion that it is literally 400 years old. When the church bought the property from the previous owners they requested that they keep the fountain. So they fixed it up, and slapped it right in the middle of the gorgeous courtyard in the MTC. Look up the Peru MTC on lds.org, you can see it! It´s older than my country!
 
Okay, funny story. I bought this way cute watch before I left and then definitely forgot to put it on the morning I left. So I go to buy a new one at the Metro (the giant, 3-story, Peruvian Walmart, basically). I ask the lady in the jewelry department if they have any watches and she just says "Here" and points down at a stack of like two men´s watches. So I bought a men´s watch, made some Elders (that I met that day, btw. Perks of being a sister missionary) take like 8 links out, and now I have this sweet-looking men´s watch. I'm seriously so attatched to it. I´ll send a picture when I leave the CCM (you can´t send pictures here).
 
Alright, I think that may be it for me this week. I love it here. Peru is great, the CCM is great... I feel like I´ve been here for two months, not two weeks, but that´s okay. It´s not even in a bad way, but I think about the fact that I arrived here two weeks ago at like 2 AM and that doesn´t even make any sense at all... But at the same time, I could stay here forever. Another 4 weeks does NOT feel like enough time.
 
But hey, I love you all! Have a great week!
-Hermana Hall

Thursday, September 18, 2014

MOM. MOM MOM MOM.
 
Yeah, I have my name tag! I got my name tag in the afternoon last Wednesday.
 
I did have my carry on searched in security... so for the past couple weeks I've been living without facewash and using tiny toothpaste tubes... Good thing I have 1005 of those. OKAY THE CRAZIEST THING HAPPENED. In SLC I met another missionary going to Santa Cruz. He was initally going to go to the Mexico MTC, but he was switched to the Columbia MTC... It was the craziest thing. Who the heck knows what happened with all that. No one went all the way to Peru with me, but I met up with a TON of missionaries in Atlanta. The others from SLC had a later flight for some reason. I slept super well on all of the flights which is a good thing because I came into the Lima MTC at like 2 AM, so....
 
My last American meal was Panda Express and it was delicious. I did get to exchange some money.
 
My companion´s name is Hermana Wight (sounds like White, spelled like Wright) and she reminds me a ton of Madeleine. She´s a little ballerina farmgirl from Washington. I love her to death.
 
P-Day is Wednesday, as I´m sure you know at this point. I was expecting it to be earlier or I would have written you more last week! My sleep schedule is on track, but 6:00 is earlyyyy. I haven't had any problems falling asleep at 10:30 though...
 
SPANISH IS SO. HARD. I FORGOT HOW HARD SPANISH IS. WHEN WILL I KNOW THIS BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE, MOM? I CAN'T WAIT 6 MONTHS.
 
Okay, so I am going to weigh 250 lbs by the time I leave Peru. The biggest rule here is to eat all of the food on your plate and can we just say that your daughter is a trooper. SO MUCH PLAIN RICE. SEND SOY SAUCE. But... other than the tons and tons of rice, the food is AMAZING. Peruvian food is delicious, I'm going to miss it when I have to eat crappy Bolivian food. The ice cream is the best thing I've ever eaten and passionfruit juice changed my life.
 
It's winter here which means it's a little cool in the mornings, but other than that the weather is beautiful. 70-75 degree weather all of the time. Your daughter is becoming a pro at beach volleyball... my arms look like they have acne, but they're just tiny bruises from volleyball. Lima in the winter is called "Lima the grey" by the natives. Super misty....
 
Picturing you working on your RS lesson warms my little South American heart. If you want to know what my days are like, picture me eating a ton of rice and sitting in classes all day. Me and my companion teach our first lesson in Spanish to our teacher today. I don't feel ready, but we'll see how it goes. I know how to pray and testify, and the latinas say I roll my R's really well, so at least I've got that going for me. WELL I love you and miss you. Tell the family I say hi and that I love them! The MTC is my favorite, the pictures really didn't do it justice. One of the most beautiful places I've ever been, for sure.
 
Also I got to go to Lima (the city! Libertad!) today and that was wonderful.
 
Things I forgot
 
1. The necklaces the boys gave me.
2. MY CUTE WATCH. I HAD TO BUY A BOY WATCH IN PERU TODAY.
3. My patriarchal blessing. I need you to send it to me, if possible.
 
SO MUCH LOVE IN MY HEART. HALL LOVE FOREVERRRRR
 
-Hermana Hall
 
 
 
I

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Hola from Peru

Hola madre! Okay, it's been a crazy couple of days. The MTC wasn't expecting me. There must have been some sort of miscommunication between travel and the Peru MTC. We arrived at like 2 AM and the guy was handing out lists (mind you no one speaks English. It's absolutely crazy.) and there wasn't one for me. No room key, which meant borrowing an extra pair of sheets (I couldn't unlock my closet to get to mine) and no pillow. I just kind of crashed in a spare bed. But today they got me all sorted out. I still don't have a name tag, which makes me sad, but I have a companion and I have keys! KEYS!! :) I'm the only person in my district going out of Peru. It's a weird situation for sure.
 
Sorry I can't write more, but they just wanted enough to let our parents know we're okay. And I'm way better than okay, I'm a missionary! I am unreasonably happy considering how crazy things have been.
 
I LOVE YOU. Tell everyone I say hi and that I'm happy.
 
-Hermana Hall (!!!!!!!! :D)

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

9/9/14 She's off!

Kaitee left for the MTC in Lima Peru this morning.  I hope they are ready for her!  I will post updates as soon as we hear anything.                            (mom)