first of all, i bought almond milk, nectarines, mozzarella cheese, and granola to replenish my snack supply - there is NO junk food in my apartment!!!!!
peruvian watermelons taste like pure summertime
...in december. it's awesome.
also this week, we challenged the couple we've been teaching, roger and leidi, to set a marriage date!!! [couples who are living together must be married before they can be baptized.] they accepted and are so amazing. we had to turn around and go back because i'd left my umbrella, and we saw them hugging in the doorway. they were so happy to be taking this important step!! but these people. they won't come to church!!!! so we still have a long way to go, but i know we can help them see the value of baptism and (eventually) being sealed in the temple as an eternal family.
this monster was outside one of our less actives' houses
and the saddest thing EVER happened: a series of events led us to yurico's old house (she's the one who's had four different baptism dates), and she happened to be there. she'd been avoiding us all week after not coming to church (again), and the last we heard was that she was super excited about her baptism date. but, she saw us and said "i know i've been avoiding you guys this week and i'm sorry, but i'm not going to be able to meet with you anymore. i don't want to lie to god...or to you - i'm just not ready." i was devastated. she was SO CLOSE!!!! she was reading and praying and everything. we bore our testimonies to her that we knew the church was true and that we were there to help her, but yurico had already made up her mind. so i said (and these words killed me) "we always pass by your house, and you can always come back to church on sundays...is there anything else at all we can do for you?" and she said "no." we each gave her a hug, and i realized that might be the last time i ever see her, so i held on extra tight.
IT RAINED THIS WEEK!
and we had to walk on huaral street - the worst ever when it rains.
but, it was fun. :)
so, i learned this week that everything has its timing (and timing is everything). i take comfort in the fact that someday yurico is going to commit to baptism - because she knows the church is true! she KNOWS. now just isn't her time (which is heartbreaking), but we're trusting her to the Lord.
my christmas lights are finally up!!!!
on a lighter note, we played "big booty" at district meeting to help teach the latinos numbers in english!!!! it was hilarious, and we had so much fun!!! also, yisseña tried to give me chocolate covered crackers on sunday, and i was like "YISSEÑA, I'M FASTING." (she always gives me these crackers - she knows my weakness!) anyway, she got super serious and real close to my face and said "...then save them for LATER." i don't know why, but it was the funniest thing ever and i was dying! i love our members. :)
remember how much i love all of you!
hermana wood
More from this week's message to Hermana Wood's mom:
hi, mommy. :) yes i got to watch the first presidency christmas devotional, and it FINALLY felt like christmastime!! to sing those songs in english and see salt lake looking so gorgeous, as always - ahhh! :) and, i'd love copies of those talks!! uchtdorf's was incredible. it made me cry when he talked about the man in the wheelchair. so humbling!! it made me want to never complain again!!! it also gave me a lot of comfort to know that we were all singing the last verse of "silent night" together at the end, all across the world. :)
and yes, i'm so happy i'm not taking finals, haha. i'm studying just as hard here, though. so basically...doing the same thing. just with no exams. :) also, this week i had a work visit with hermana jackson (her last one, she goes home on WEDNESDAY!), and after we taught our first lesson she put her hand on my shoulder and said "sister, i am so impressed!!" she says i've improved a ton since our last work visit a couple of months ago, and she was just beaming at me! it was only because i took her challenge to "self train" (to compensate for what i hadn't been taught). but, i was so shocked to hear that - i was like "really??" :) i guess looking back, i have come a long way. so that made me feel super happy. :)
also, i got a priesthood blessing last night. i know i only have one more week in this cambio [transfer period], but i feel like it's going to be hard. so, i had gutierrez (our district leader) give me a blessing and two other elders joined in, as well. he blessed me to be able to feel god's love, told me i was strong, and said i'd do many marvelous things on my mission. i was like, "i will?" super cool. the power of the priesthood is so real - even before he started talking, just having those three pairs of hands on my head was an incredible experience!!!
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