Holy cow, where to start. So I have finally had my first full week at the CCM. I *love* love my district. I think I said before, there are 3 sets of Hermanas and 2 sets of Elders. We all get along SO well. The guys talk about Pokemon a lot, which is totally random, but I think they like that they can just be dumb without worrying about impressing girls anymore so I accept it. the Hermanas are very easy to get along with, we havent had any drama at all.
I sent a picture, so in the big group one theres my comp Hna Ransom, Hna Smith from Colorado, me, Hna Benyo from Wisconsin, one of our teachers Hna Dionicio, Hna Talbert from Indiana, and Hna Heiner from...Utah? I dont know, but I think I get along with her the best. Then the Elders are E' Geddes from Ogden, E' Price from Sacramento, E' Allan (district leader) from Northern California, and E' Largent from Oklahoma. Smith, Heiner, Geddes, and Price are going with me to Central.
So. Last week I sent a picture (sorry if you didnt get last weeks email, I forgot my address book, but moms posting my emails on a blog
asisterinperu.blogspot.com so check there) of some food, just stuff I found in Peru. One of the things was Inca Kola. Its made through the Coca Cola company and it is SO GOOD. Like I don{t know how, but its almost like bubble gum soda. Thats what it smells and kinda tastes like. Whicih normally I think would sound gross but I love it!
Also, let me tell you something. For all in the US, your life has been a lie. US churros are not real churros. I think maybe they pick up the style from MExico or something, which is cool, but once youve had a churro from a street vendor or even the CAFETERIA at the CCM, your life is just never the same. Idk how to describe it, Ill get a pic sometime. But its definitely like sopapilla type bread rolled around this waayyyy amazing cinnomon-y caramel sauce stuff inside it. With powdered sugar on it. And theyre hot and wonderful and will forever be the only good kind of churro in my life from now on. Just so you know, youre missing out.
As for my teachers, I have two right now but Ill be getting new ones very soon since im becoming a two-weeker. AKA I will have been here for two weeks. The teachers are really nice but they speak only Spanish. Which, youd think that would mean were expected to speak Spanish and only Spanish in the classsroom, but theyre actually really nice and they try to help with the little English they can if they dont understand, and also always let us have time to explain to each other so we stay on the same page. So it really feels like we progress as a class.
Basically every class is a Spanish class though, unless were watching a devotional, because everyone speaks only spanish so even when theyre teaching us how to be missionaries they teach us in Spanish. Slow spanish though so thats helpful. But it makes me really glad I had THE BEST MISSION PREP CLASS EVER before I came because I have a tendency to zone out when too much is going on for my head, so at least the lessons my brain skips out on, ive already kinda taken in mission prep this summer and in college. Its hard, but its crazy how much it makes a difference in the language.
The language. Im terrible. Im still pretty average compared to the class, my comp just so happens to be almost basically fluent, but *I* wish I knew more. Since English/Language has always kinda been my thing, it is SO frustrating when I have words to say or whatever and I have NO idea how to say them. Like it gets really frustrating. But the good part is you are absolutely never alone, everyone in the CCM is going through exactly what youre going through, and every day you remember its not going to be a bad mission, youre just having a bad day.
It also helps that when we have good days, theyre like REALLY GOOD days and the district has moments pretty much every day where we are like literally crying from laughing so hard at whatever were doing to make ourselves look like fools. Its wonderful.
One thing about Peru: elevation change. I didnt even know I could react to elevation the way I have, but basically if you move from the mountains to basically 0 feet above sea level, youre bound to get sick for at least a little while. I got giant ankles for some reason. It didnt hurt, but it was weird and it went away after like a day. Oh and I got dizzy wayyy too easy, like standing up from my chair just regular speed would do weird stuff.
Okay, heres something for ya: grenadines. Look em up. Theyre a way popular fruit here. You crack em open by slamming them on the table and then you just slurp up the seeds, kinda like a pomegranate but messier. I chew the seeds but a lot of people think thats gross.
OH AND THANKSGIVING. We celebrated it. They had a full-out buffet lunch for us (buffet is big, we normally only get one serving cuz they give us huge servings of everything) ...and there was ham and trukey and yams and all the works. They decorated and everything. Our district sat together like a family and we all waited til we all sat and said a family prayer for the food and then everyone said what they were grateful for before eating, and I told em it was like what we do at my house. It was so fun. Ive got a great district.
Saturday. I went proselyting with a Latina companion. It was firghtening. I barely spoke except to pray once and bare my testimony, not because Im afraid to speak up about the gospel but because I am so intimidated when Latinos here my Spanish. I mean here I am sitting here all white and theyre probably all just thinking "oh this is gonna be good". My comp was super understanding though and we talked to a couple people and taight a lesson to a guy who was really interested.
Oh by the way, I should explain. At the Peru CCM we go OUT into the real world every two weeks and proselyte to real people in the Lima Norte mission. Its so good for practice and getting to know things, but Im making it a goal to be more outgoing next time.
Oh, just so you know guys, Paul Walker died on Saturday. Hes the blonde guy from Fast and Furious. Just in case if you were wondering if I can keep up on the real world. K I better go.
Love you guys.
Hermana Reynolds :D
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