Week 14 Letter: Another week come and gone

Welp, that’s right. Another week has come and gone here in Izamal.

Anyways, this week was normal. Nothing really big happened, or exciting. Manuel, our one progressing investigator, is no longer progressing bc he didn’t come to church on Sunday bc he had work. It really sucked, but we are going to work with him really hard this week bc hes potente.

Sunday was stressful. So the assistants called us Saturday night and told us that they were coming to our area Sunday and of course we were sort of freaking out cause well... they are the assistants. So we wanted everything to go as planned bc we had a pretty good day planned with activities with members with our investigators. And we were expecting like 3 of our investigators in the church. So Sunday morning comes and we get a call from a family who we were supposed to have a family home evening with that night with 2 of our investigators. They called to say they can’t come to church AND they can’t do the FHE that night. So that was our first problem that we ran into. And then the mom of that family was supposed to pick up one of our investigators with her car and bring her to the church, but she had to work, so she couldn't do that, but she said that she had a friend that was a taxi driver that could go pick up our investigator and take her to the church. Well our investigator, Armey, never showed up at church bc I guess the taxi driver couldn’t find her house or something like that. She said that the taxi never came to pick her up and then, on our way to church, we stopped by our other investigator, Lucy, to see if she remembered to come to church, AND SHE WASN'T THERE AT HER HOUSE. It was frustrating and really discouraging. But then, something happened that really strengthened my testimony of prayer. So while the sacrament was being passed I was praying to my Heavenly Father and expressing how disappointed and discouraged I felt about not having anyone attend church bc I felt like we had worked really, really hard this week on our investigators. And I look outside to the entrance of the church gate, and guess who is walking in?? LUCY!! She finally came to church!! I was soo happy! We have been teaching her for about a month. And two weeks ago, she was supposed to leave for Cancun for a month for vacation and my comp and I, when she told us that 2 weeks ago. We were devastated bc being away for a whole month from the missionaries is like a life time. So we prayed to Heavenly Father and just asked that some way, we would be able to keep teaching Lucy, bc we KNOW she needs the gospel in her life. and so for 2 weeks now, she’s been trying to go to Cancun, but every single time she plans to go, something always happens that makes her have to stay here in Izamal. And that’s not a coincidence. So our goal for her now, is to accept a baptism date and hopefully we can get her baptized by the end of this transfer! 

So yeah, that’s about it with what happened this week. And I’m out of time, so I’ll end this letter. And you guys are going to be so mad, but i can’t send pics this week. Sorry!! I will definitely send a bunch next week, I promise!!

Love you all and I’ll write and send pics next week. I’ve run out of time!! The internet here is so slow... sorry!! Love you all! Thanks for all the prayers and thoughts!!

Hermana Perryman

Week 13 Letter: I'M SO HAPPY!

So to start off, I was not transferred out of Izamal (thank goodness cause I don’t want to ever leave this area), which I figured was going to happen bc I’m still finishing up my training with Hermana. Smith. I seriously love it here and it’s so pretty and I prefer it wayyy more than the city. 

Anyways, I have some amazing news!!! WE FINALLY HAVE ONE PROGRESSING INVESTIGATOR!!!!! Can we all just take a moment to appreciate this wonderful fact? After 7 weeks of not having ANYONE progress, to walk into the church building and see one of our investigators sitting in a pew, I practically cried. My comp and I decided to do a special fast this past sat night and Sunday afternoon for our investigators cause we knew that we could not do this work alone, so we fasted for them and asked for Gods power and love to work in their lives.  And what do you know? We have this investigator come to church!! We have had a hard time with him bc we just couldn’t get through to him. He has a really bad drinking problem that has destroyed his family and he’s hit rock bottom and just doesn’t know where to go from now. And then BAM that’s when we come and tell him about Cristo and the atonement. So as of now, he is our baptism goal for this transfer and we are hoping to get him baptized in 2 weeks. so through this experience, I have come to feel the happiness this work gives me. I was soo happy when I saw him in church that I was speechless for a while and I remembered a scripture that talks about the happiness that God and Christ has for each one of us if we just do what is asked of us and work our hardest. So assignment this week: read Helaman 12 and apply this chapter in your life. 

Other than that, nothing really else happened this week.

Oh dad, do I have something funny to tell you. so Saturday we were eating with member family, the one I was telling you guys about before who helps me speak Spanish. Anyways, we were talking about chili (they eat literally EVERYTHING here with chili) and he told us how one time they made tortillas out of just chili. And we asked him if they were spicy. And he was like, no... Not really. Just when they made you go to the bathroom. That’s when they are spicy. Dad, I was dying crying laughing at his comment. And I thought of you and thought you would like that little joke.

Anyways, don’t really know what else to write you guys bc nothing else really happened. 

Spanish is coming along just fine. I just have to have patience and try my hardest. 

Pics are coming soon. Love you all and pray everything is going perfect back home. Keep updating me on everything!

Hermana Perryman

This week i had to go to the immigration office here in Merida to finish up my paper work to be a citizen here in Mexico. So yeah, that was fun. Nothing really interesting there. And this was a park that was by the building that's called Parque de las Americas meaning the Park of the Americas. It was really cool and fancy and pretty. So yeah.

Mom, this one is for you. Looks like a monster doesn't he? His name is Delightsome and he lives in the walls of our home. He doesn't bother us at all but we finally got a pic of him! He's huge and fat, inst he?

Selfie with me and Hermana Smith with some pretty flowers some little girls picked for us.

Week 12 Letter: One transfer down!

Yeah, that’s right. I've officially been here and survived Mexico for a full 6 weeks. But seriously, how has a whole transfer already gone by?! At times I feel like time is moving so painstakingly slow, but then at times like now, I realize that is already agosto.

But anyways, I don’t have much to report on for this week. Not a lot happened. We ended this transfer with... no baptisms and not even one progressing investigator. For 6 weeks, we have had NO ONE progress. It’s been awful, but we've made it a goal this transfer to have at least one baptism and 5 progressing investigators. We set our goal, prayed about it, told Heavenly Father what we have in mind, and now it’s all about faith and trust at this point and just getting to work. So hopefully in 6 weeks I can write you all and tell you about my first baptism.

Let’s see, this week, we climbed the pyramids again (pics to come) and watched the sunrise. This time, we climbed up a different side of the same pyramid and found this little path on the top that lead to ANOTHER pyramid that is built ON TOP of the one we just climbed. So logically we climbed that one too. It was so amazingly beautiful and honestly really spiritual experience. I sat there imagining all the Nephites gathered around the temple right after their world had been shaken up side down from all the natural destruction. And hearing a voice coming from the heavens and looking up and finally after 3 times recognizing the voice of Heavenly Father and then watching in grand amazement at their Savior, Jesus Christ, descended from the heavens. I sat there and I could picture it all happening right there where I was sitting. And I could see Christ calling to Nephi and conferring the Priesthood Authority on him to baptize the people. And Christ blessing everyone. It really was a great experience. Now whether or not Izamal is exactly where Christ came and visited the Nephites, I don’t know. But it’s way cool to imagine that it was.

So yeah, and then we were over at a members house yesterday for lunch and it was one of their sons bday and so they told us that they had cake for desert and I was way excited bc... well it’s cake. Who wouldn't be? So they take it out of the fridge and they are explaining what kind of cake it is and I thought I caught the word cheese, but I was like, nah, that doesn't sound right. So I ask my comp what they were saying and she told me that the cake they have is a cheese cake. Like literally, a shredded cheese cake. Not cream cheese where that would sort of be acceptable. But when they took the top off the cake, the whole top of the cake was sprinkled in shredded cheese. And then when they served me a piece, the cake had layers of shredded cheese. It was the WEIRDEST desert ever. Like who thinks to make a cake with shredded cheese?? I of course at it, bc that’s what you have to do when food is placed in front of you. But let me tell ya, cheese and cake... they just don’t mix. Don’t try this at home, kids. you’ll save yourself from a stomach ache.

Oh, and one last thing, I had a cold this past week. Like a legit runny nose, sneezing, sore throat cold. Can we please talk about how that’s even possible to get in 100 degree weather?? I just didn't understand it at all, but the people here explained to me that I was sick bc of the heat. .....yeah, okay. I doesn't make any sense to me at all, but I guess it’s possible to get a COLD from the HEAT. So yeah, that was interesting.

And yeah, that was my week. Sounds like y’all are having a lot of fun with school starting already. Boy did summer go fast, or what?!

Oh, and what’s this whole thing with seminary being at the high school AND starting at 6:25?? Yeah, you kids still in seminary, y’all better be countin your blessins, and countin dem real hard. cause y’all have it good. ESPECIALLY bc you have Sister Larson as a teacher. You guys are going to love her as your teacher bc she’s amazing at like everything.

Anyways, my request as always, are pics. Don’t worry about actually taking them and then sending them to me. Just send me random pics. New, old, I don’t really care. I’ll take them all.
Love you all always and thanks for being the best parents and friends in the whole entire world!!! trust me, I know for sure now that I have it way good that I have you guys waiting for me back home.

Thanks, that all. Love you and pics are coming soon.

Hermana Perryman

This pic is of our neighbor herding goats into his HOUSE. Yeah, I know, I'm not in Indiana anymore.

Me sitting on the steps of the pyramid we climbed this week.

Selfie on the pyramid steps. No big deal or anything...

This is the path we found that led to the other pyramid on top of the pyramid we already climbed.

This is on top of the other pyramid we found. And this was a little hook we found.

My view of Izamal at sunrise. This pic just doesn't even do it justice. It was so beautiful.

Cool silhouette of me at sunrise on top of the pyramid

And another one...

This is our little iguana friend that we have. Literally these little creatures are EVERYWHERE. Mom, you would freak if you saw these things in person. They definitely fall under your "its a monster" category.

Week 11 Letter: Just one more week and its been a whole transfer!

Wow, can I first say what an amazing family I have. Seriously, mom and dad you are the absolute best ever. you guys look after me so well and I can feel your support and love all the way down here in Mexico.

So I’m first going to tell you what happened this week, and then I’ll answer your questions from your emails that you sent me this week.

So not much really happened this week. Let’s see. You know from my pics that I got to climb the pyramids this week. Me and my comp decided for our morning run to go to the closest pyramid and take some pics. It’s about a 5 min jog from our house and we climbed the make shift steps which was a really good leg workout. And we took some amazing pics as you all have seen. So yeah, that was fun.

Aber, we had interviews with the president this week and mine went well. It was all in Spanish, and I understood really well. My problem is actually being able to speak it. Like I can now understand what people are saying, but it’s when I have to talk that nothing comes out and I can’t even think of anything in English to say. It’s a problem, but something I’m learning to overcome. And praying for tons of help in. and it’s still a struggle for me to read the Book of Mormon in Spanish bc speaking and reading are two different things and then on top of that the Book of Mormon it like really proper language so it’s really different. Kinda like how it is in English with all the big old words. But I know that if I keep reading in Spanish that the language will come faster. That’s a promise given to all missionaries. That if we read the book of Mormon and preach my gospel in the mission language that we will be blessed even more with the gift of tongues. But yeah, interviews weren’t that big of a deal bc our mission president is really cool and not all that intimidating.

Let’s see, we have no progressing investigators even though we have 13 with a baptism date. It’s a really big struggle to get them to come to the church. bc in order for them to be progressing they have to keep their commitments (read, pray, etc.) go to the church for at least 5 weeks, and have a baptism date. And no one ever comes to the church. It’s a struggle. And the ONE investigator that we have that comes won’t accept a baptism date. So we are going to be working on her like a ton this week bc our district leader thinks she can be baptized this Saturday. Except we have this problem of no baptism font... but we will work that out. bc I know that Heavenly Father provides a way, esp. if it involves the salvation of a soul.

Then today we had a forever long multi zone conference in Merida and I got to see Hermana kite again! I was soo happy and we got to catch up on these past 3 weeks. And we talked about how before we know it it’ll be Christmas and we will get to talk to our families and then before we know it we will be companions (I hope) and then we will be hopping on the plane to go home. Seriously, I love her to death. She really is an amazing girl. And Heavenly Father has blessed me again in letting me sit and catch up with her.

So some cool news that I literally just found out. My comp, Hermana Smith, her dad knows Bishop Gibbons, I guess. His name is Jeffrey Smith and he lives in Gilbert, AZ. I guess he lived in Kenya, Africa for a while and knows the bishop. That’s pretty cool huh?

Anyways, everything is going good. I’ll let you know when I get your test package mom. Thanks for trying to send me something! Can’t wait for it. So today I got a letter from Richard!! It made me so excited, I almost started crying. He sent it to me with my MTC address, but they forwarded it to my mission home address and I just got it today. It was the best thing ever in the whole entire world to get a hand written letter.

So yeah, that’s all for this week. Love you all and can’t wait to hear from you all next week!

Hermana Perryman

Here are some pics of my wonderful zone. Yeah, were kinda a handful. It took us probably a good 15 mins to take this picture. It's like an awkward family photo...

Another zone picture.

I helped cook some fried something with some members. It was actually pretty good what we had. can't remember what it was called but it was only good bc it was fried in oil, which is what they do with EVERYTHING here. They go through oil like it's water.

So last Sunday, I told you dad the story of when we didn't really have any food so we called the Kus for some food bc they told us that whenever we wanted food they had us covered. So this is a pic of my happiness of such good food. Seriously I almost cried, it was so good. That's about as close to Americanized Mexican food I've had since being here.

So this is me one morning this week watching the sunrise ON TOP OF A FREAKING PYRAMID. Yeah, not going to lie, that was pretty legit. It's about a 5 min run from our house. So me and my comp decided to run there for morning exercise and we did some step workouts when we climbed it. How cool is it that I get to say that I do my morning exercises on a bazzilion year old pyramid??!!! I don't know how old it is, but its still the coolest thing ever!

Selfie on the pyramid at sunrise!

Yeah, I'm pretty cool. No big deal that I'm exploring Book of Mormon history at 6:30 in the morning.

Me from afar on the pyramid

I felt on top of the world climbing this thing

And just one more, I swear of me on the pyramid

Just a random pic of me during the run to show you guys that I'm practically living in a jungle here. Nocho Libre didn't prepare me at all for Mexico...

An investigator we are teaching have the cutest little chicks. They were soo adorable! Everyone here has animals.

This is a pic of me that my comp took when we were walking home from our long day. It was late and bc we have to drink like a gazzilion water bottles each day I had to go pee so bad and she was saying something that was making me laugh and I was trying so hard not to pee my pants. I had to stop for a second to make sure that i wasn't going to pee and she thought it was the funniest thing in the world. So she took a pic and this is the result. Yeah, we are pretty crazy.

Week 10 Letter

Dang! Yeah, that’s right. I've officially lived and survived to tell the tale of living in Mexico for a whole month. No big deal.

But seriously, this week was just another normal week. Nothing really exciting happened. I’m learning to understand everyone a lot better but I still freeze up when someone asks me a question directly and I always have to ask them to repeat it and say it slowly. But it’s a process. And my speaking skills are still horrible and I talk like a baby.

Quick funny story, we have this member in my ward Ivan who is a ward missionary and comes out with us all the time to visits. But he’s wanting to learn English and I’m of course learning Spanish so in the street when we are walking to appointments (which is always) we talk back and forth to each other, him in broken English and me in broken Spanish. I find it really funny bc we both speak horribly in the other language, but we have so much fun with it and he makes learning Spanish fun and less stressful.

I guess something new that we did this week was we organized a noche de hogar (fam. home evening) with the ward on Sat. night bc we are trying to get them to do more activities together as ward to get them to become more united. But anyways in the beginning the bishop’s wife (who is a little crazy) was like "we want to hear to speak Spanish! speak Spanish!" so they sat me down in front of everyone and they all asked me questions and I answered to the best of my ability but it was really good for me bc they were so nice to me about me not knowing to speak and they all helped me and kept encouraging me. So that was a good night. And we also played mafia and signs and then we went home. It was really simple, but a lot of fun. It also made me miss my home ward. To you all from the Noblesville ward who are reading this: I miss you all and just know that the Noblesville ward is the best ever! Help strengthen each other and love one another. Doing so, I can promise will bring the spirit of unification which is what a ward needs to be- unified.

And one last thing, then I’m done. We had divisions today with the sister trainer leaders and for the whole day on Friday I had a Mexican companion and I was freaking out Thurs. night and all Friday morning bc I didn't know how I was going to go a whole day with someone who doesn’t speak English (yeah, I know I’m spoiled to have an American trainer) and I was praying like crazy. And I can testify that Heavenly Father really does know your worries and concerns bc honestly that day went by so fast and I barely noticed that I hadn't spoke any English that whole day and I survived! So just know that when you need something just ask and Heavenly Father and he hears you and will help and aid you in all things.

Assignment of the week for you all: read 2 Nephi 4. It’s a really powerful chapter and you all need to apply it to your life cause it’s amazing. And yeah, that’s all.

Oh, accomplishment of the week: I finally figured out how to sleep on my stomach in my hammock!! I’m so proud of myself.

Love you all and have an amazing week!

Hermana Perryman

(no pictures this week)