Week 47: CONFERENCE= a trunky weekend...

Sad, but true. Watching conference this weekend was just full of feelings missing home and just feeling trunky [missionary close to going home] the whole time.

First of all, conference just makes me think about being back at home. Watching it in my PJs and with a blanket and some really yummy breakfast food, haha. But I will be honest and tell you that conf. as a missionary is 20x better. I don’t know why, but it just is. I look forward to it and I can’t wait for another 6 months to watch it again and hear amazing messages.

And secondly, the WHOLE SATURDAY SESSIONS WERE JUST PURE TALK ABOUT MARRIAGE, FAMILY, AND HAVING KIDS. It was... insightful, but awful at the same time. We were sitting in the high council room with other Sisters and Elders that were watching it in English and when the 3rd talk in a row started off talking about marriage, an Elder said "Well darn. I just want a wife. That’s it, I’m going home! The Prophet told me to do so." haha it was super funny :)
But yeah, it was pretty bad hearing all about family and marriage and all these cutesy stories about love and what not. But hey, I gained a lot of insight for my future, haha
And yes, I did get to watch conference all in English!!! Which was amazing bc I could actually focus and take good notes. It’s hard to watch it with Spanish translators. You can still hear the speaker talking in English in the background and naturally my brain tries to focus in on that, but the translator is taking in Spanish and my brain is trying to listen into that as well and it’s just a hard mess. It’s easy to understand, but hard to take good notes. But I’m just thankful for modern day technology that I was able to see it all in English.

My amazing Fam. Polanco are doing amazing!!! They send their love bc we talk about you all more than you would think. They told me this past week that they pray for you all for being so faithful to allow me to come here and serve a mission and so they pray that you all are blessed for my service in helping them. Patricia, the mom, said the closing prayer Sunday night in the lesson and she said those things in her prayer and I was crying. Seriously guys, I want you all to meet them. They are soo amazing and the little girl, Brissia is the cutest thing you would ever meet. Well, one day you all will be able to meet them, if not in this life, definitely in the next. They are to be baptized the 2nd, but we have soo much faith that it happens wayy before that bc they are that prepared.

But this is going to be the worst bc transfers are next week, and we are thinking that our area is going to be closed and just moved to being one area again. When Hna Frost and I got here 3 months ago, we opened it bc they split it. But now bc the other area has no work and we’re progressing, I’m pretty sure that they are going to just make it one big area again which means that there’s a huge chance that Hna. Frost and I are going to be changed and that we will be leaving the area completely. Its soo stressful living like this!! Eh, oh well. That’s just the missionary life. But next Monday, I’ll give y’all the detail on what happens with where I’m going and with who. Here’s hoping I stay with Hna. Frost.

And about letters or packages, nothing yet. Sorry! But they should be here soon, hopefully!!

It was soo amazing to see the pics and videos of the whole family and to see my handsome nephews!! Tell Kate I say hi and that I give all my love to her. Is there any way that she can get my email that we can try to communicate? But send all my love to them!!!

Pics are coming soon.
Love you all soo much!!!
Only like a month before I get to talk to y’all for Mother’s Day!!... Just thought I’d remind y’all in case you forgot or something like that... hehe

Hermana Perryman

Making ham and cheese sandwiches. our dinner like every night, haha

We had a tribal face painting night haha. We used a spa face mask thing and just had a lot of fun with it. Hey, anything to make the mission life fun at night, haha

We had a tribal face painting night haha. We used a spa face mask thing and just had a lot of fun with it. Hey, anything to make the mission life fun at night, haha

We had a tribal face painting night haha. We used a spa face mask thing and just had a lot of fun with it. Hey, anything to make the mission life fun at night, haha

That's part of the therapy that we have to do with Hna. Isabel. Trust me, I'm a professional.. haha

Meet Pablo and Camilla my 2 favorite kids from the ward. They crack me up!

CONF. WEEKEND gringo style, haha. Those glasses aren't mine. I'm just messing around with them.

We had a tribal face painting night haha. We used a spa face mask thing and just had a lot of fun with it. Hey, anything to make the mission life fun at night, haha

CONF. WEEKEND gringo style, haha.

These creepy bug things that we call "Harry Potter spiders". who knows what they are!? They're just creepy!

Week 45: One loooonnnnnggg week

Dang. I will just strait up tell y’all. It was one loonnnngggg week here. Not because we weren’t doing any work, trust me, we are swamped, but just because soo many things happened this week.

First off, EDUARDO GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!! Ahh, it was soo amazing and just soo awesome. Every time I have a baptism or go to one, I just can’t even describe my feelings right bc I’m just always soo happy to see that person open their door to salvation and to eternal life. And it’s even more wonderful when you’ve grown to love the person getting baptized.

So to describe my most stressful day ever that I’ve had in all my time here in the mission. It all happened Saturday evening. So as missionaries we have Ward Mission Leaders to help us with all the work that needs to be done with missionaries and the ward and all that good stuff. So ours, well, he works with us, so-so. But as Ward Mission Leader, he’s to help us with preparing the baptism for investigators. So it was Thursday when we talked to him and asked him if everything was ready and prepared for Eduardo’s baptism and if he needed us to do anything and he told us no, that he has it all under control. Right. So Saturday rolls around, the day of Eduardo’s baptism and at 4 pm we had to leave to go to the Stake Center for a Relief Society activity but that’s only like half an hour away by bus. So we go there and it starts like 45 mins late. So we only got to stay for a little bit of it and we decided to head out early to get to the church building early for the baptism. So we catch a bus back home, but a little while into the journey, the bus turns where it’s not supposed to and we quickly figure out that we took the wrong one, oops!! So we had to hop off of that one and walk like 5 blocks back to the main road and had to wait for another 5 mins for the right one to pass. We finally get back into our area and we go looking for white pants that a member was going to lend to us bc our ward has no baptism clothing. And we get to the member’s house and no one is answering and we are kind of freaking out because uh... we kind of need white clothes for him. So we call the Elders that are in our ward as well and we just borrow some from one of them. So we thought we were good there.
We get to the church building a half an hour early AND NO ONE IS THERE!! Well the family of Eduardo is, but no members or Priesthood or anyone from the Bishopric. So we quickly go grab the keys, run inside to check the baptism room, AND ITS A MESS. The floor was all dirty with trash and chairs are everywhere. Then we go to the baptism font, and you will not believe it. IT WAS STILL FULL FROM THE LAST BAPTISM THE ELDERS HAD 2 WEEKS AGO. Oh let me tell you. We were not happy Sister Missionaries. So we are kind of freaking out bc the baptism is supposed to start in half an hr and NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING had been prepared. So we were running around like mad women trying to figure out how to drain the font, then fill it back up and yeah. I don’t have time to give y’all the rest of the details that happened that night, but when I get home, it’ll definitely be one of the first stories I tell y’all. bc a lot more happened that night. If you just sit and think about every little detail that could go wrong in a baptism, it happened. I’ll just say that I may or may not have gone home that night afterwards and cried. But hey, the one thing that does count is Eduardo got baptized and the rest of his family are following in like 2 weeks, so I’m just super happy for that.

Anyways, another funny thing that happened to me was we were walking yesterday to a member’s house when all of a sudden a car pulls up besides us and all I see is a hand fly out the passenger window and next thing ya know, we get hit in the face with a hand full of... gum. Yup. It was a drive by gum throw. Weird right? Yeah, they had chucked a handful of gum at Hna. Frosty and I and not going to lie, it kind of hurt. We got smacked in the face with it. But hey, it’s all about those mission experiences, right?

Oh, and I just got finished getting a haircut!!! Yup, I cut it bc 1, it’s getting hot outside 2, it hasn’t been cut in over a year and 3, I want it to be somewhat healthy when I get home. So I’m letting it grow out these next 7 months. But I’ll send pics here soon of how short it is.

A lot more happened this week, but I don’t really have the time to write it all, but just like a promised, pics are coming soon!!! haha sorry mom for last week...

Anyways, I love you all soo much and thanks for the prayers and support I feel every day. You all rock!!

Love,
Hna. Perryman

So I totally held a snake. It felt soo weird!! Dad, you'd be so proud of me! haha I thought of you the whole time and how much you hate them.

 

So these 2 Americans found us walking and turns out they are members. One lives here in Mérida and the other is her friend that's visiting. They were super cool and it was fun just to talk with other Americans haha

A member gave us watermelon and I died it was soo good!

Blurry, but that's basically my whole zone on our way to a mtg about autosuficiencia. sorry. I forgot what that is in English.

HAIRCUT!!

HAIRCUT!!

HAIRCUT!!

Selfie stick. Did y'all know these exist? They're pretty sweet.

Mishies!

Week 44: How to get a cold in 100 degree weather...

Yeah, I’ve been sick this whole week with such an annoying cold. Here they call it "gripa". That actually translates to "flu" in English, but here they just use it to describe any type of cold that you might have. It’s actually a running joke between Hna Frost and I that gripa can be anything. For example this is a conversation that might take place: "Oh, what happened to your leg? It’s bleeding and half of its missing." "Oh, it’s nothing, just gripa"....... Okay maybe that’s not that funny to you guys, but it’s always a crack up with Frosty.
But yeah, I’ve been sick this whole week and for some reason I just can’t get rid of it. It went from body aches and a sore throat to a really bad cough and my chest started to hurt really bad. Wanna hear something cool, Saturday night we were in English class in the church building and the Elders were there, who are also our Zone Leaders, and I asked them if I could get a blessing of health. Not even kidding you, right after that blessing, it’s like all of my chest pain that I was having was pulled out of my body. I have been really exhausted and so has Frosty bc I’ve been up all night just coughing and I couldn’t get a lot of sleep and neither could she. But right after that blessing I felt a 100x better and I’ve been able to sleep well these past 2 nights. I still kind of have a cough, but it’s not as bad as it has been. So That experience was definitely a testimony builder of the power of the Priesthood and that faith we need to heal. I’m just so grateful for that amazing power we have here on earth to affect miracles.

So we have 3 investigators all with date of baptism and are all progressing. It’s pretty amazing, not going to lie. They all came to church yesterday and we were soo happy to see them there. We are baptizing one of them this Saturday. His name is Eduardo. He is one amazing. He had a rough past with drinking but 4 yrs ago he finally had enough and gave it up for his family. Decided that he wanted to spend more time with them. Then he got a new job and lo and behold, his boss is a member. They started to get to know each other and then Eduardo had been the one to ask his boss if he can find some missionaries for him to start listening and knowing more about the church. The funny thing is, his little brother is a member and has been for about 25 yrs. His name is Walter. Now Walter is pretty cool and super strong in the gospel with 2 kids as RMs [return missionaries]. And has always tried to introduce the gospel to Eduardo and his family, but for 25 yrs, didn’t have success. Well, fast forward a bit and Eduardo decides he wants to do some investigating and get to know the Mormon church a bit more. Well, after 2 weeks of lessons, he decides he wants to get baptized. He is just soo prepared. And he’s almost done with the Book of Mormon for the first time. So where we come in is Eduardo had been listening to other Sisters from a different area bc that’s where he worked, but they can’t baptize him bc he doesn’t live in that area so they send him to us, bc he lives within our little area we have. So we met him, put his baptism date as Saturday and he’s super excited. The cool part is we started to meet with his daughter named Bricia. She’s 10 and like the cutest little girl ever and has the sweetest heart in the world. She wants to get baptized as well, but asked to wait until her mom is ready. But the thing was that for the past 2 weeks we had tried getting her to listen, but she didn’t want to. But one day we came over (randomly, we followed a prompting) and she answered the door and said I had been praying that you guys would pass by bc I want to apologize for being so cold and I want to start to listen. So she opened up and now wants to get baptized but is a little afraid. She wants to really feel like she’s ready and she just doesn’t quite feel like that yet. But we have hopes that she is going to be baptized on the 11th of April and that Eduardo will have the opportunity to baptize both her, Patricia and Bricia. ahhh!!! Every time I think of them I just want to cry, they are just soo amazing. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Eduardos brother that has been a member for 25 yrs gets to baptized him!!! It’s just a happily ever after for everyone :)

Oh, I got Aunt Linda’s Valentine/bday package on Friday!!!! Tell her that she is soo amazing and that I love her soo much and I don’t know how she does it but she always knows just what to send. Literally the Monday before we went on a special trip to Walmart and I decided to go looking for Goldfish bc for some reason I really wanted them and they don’t sell them here and one would think that they would be in Walmart, but NO! Ah, it was soo frustrating, but I thought oh well. And 4 days later, I get her package and what does it have... FREAKING GOLDFISH. I died of happiness. haha. No literally it was amazing and a testimony that Heavenly Father knows the desires of my heart... and stomach as well. haha

Well, that’s all I have to share from this week. I love you all soo much and I’ll send pics soon. Keep on trekking and sharing the gospel with everyone you know!!!

Hermana Perryman
(Hannah was unable to send pics this week)

Week 43: Just another week in Arobleda

Yeah, so we just had a normal week this week. We didn’t have the baptism that we thought we were going to have but that’s just bc Eduardo wants to be baptized with his daughter. We put a date with her, Bricia, and changed his to the 21st of March so they are for sure getting baptized then. And we are suupppeeerrrr excited for them. He is definitely a prepared one and should just be baptized already, but hey, that weekend will come fast. 

We had a ward missionary activity of a Noche de Talentos. Basically a ward talent show. It was soo much fun and we had a pretty good turn out with less actives and investigators. But the funny thing is, for some reason, the Relief Society and the Primary thought that it was a pioneer themed talent show so they all did some type of pioneer dance. It was super funny but turned out really well. And they did like their dance to the Cotton-Eye-Joe. It brought back sooo many memories from stake dances. Then I thought about Sam and how he is starting to go to dances and how I wish I was there to teach him all the line dances. Oh well, I’ll have time to go to some stake dances with him when I get home and totally embarrass him there! haha

And yeah, I know this is a really lame email this week, but nothing really happened. We are still living with the other Sisters and it’s soo much fun. We are living with Hna. Siufanua and her new companion Hna Pinguelo. She’s from Texas and is 22, so she feels like she’s older, but doesn’t look like it. She’s cute and we love having her around. 

And yeah. Sending pics soon. I love you all soo much!!!!!! 

Keep up the hard work and stay warm. I miss the snow so much, just so y’all know. It’s getting hot here again. Bleh

Hermana Perryman

Ward activity. that awkward moment when they all thought it was pioneer themed... but wasn't. haha

We were preparing the food for after the activity.

I don't know why but I just love this pic of Hna. Frost and I. haha

The shirt we found today written with the Barbie print. That says barf. It was just so funny to us today.

Week 42: Breaking a poor guys heart...

Hey yall!!!! first off, I just wanted to give like a bazillion thank yous for the amazing videos that you sent to me dad!!! Especially the one at the farewell party that was held. It was soo crazy to see everyone and it felt really good to hear from them. Sounded like you all had a really fun time. It was a little hard though bc honestly I didn’t recognize some faces. And was that Becca in the video? I couldn’t see very well. But if it is, holy cow she has grown up sooo much!!!! 

So this week wasn’t all that exciting. Pretty slow but the good news is I finally ended my PT for my knee. Everything is good and it is feeling better and I guess I’ve corrected the way I walk, but honestly, I can’t tell a difference. But hey, if my knee is feeling better at least it wasn’t a waste of money. 

So we had transfers last night.... aaaannnnndddddd...... I’m still with Hna. Frost!!!! Yeah, we were pretty excited last night. We are really pumped to start this transfer off running and with a baptism this Saturday of an investigator named Eduardo. He was taught the past 2 months by a different set of Sisters but bc he lives in our area with his family, he’s technically ours. We had no idea that he existed until he showed up 2 Sundays ago with his daughter and told us that he wants to get baptized. He’s almost finished with the Book of Mormon for his first time and he’s only gone to church 2 (here in my ward in Arboleda) and he’s soo ready. He is definitely one of the prepared. So his goal is to get baptized this Saturday (bc honestly there is no point in just putting if off any longer. The dude is ready. We call them "miembros secos", "dry members" bc he’s basically a member but hasn’t been baptized yet) and we are teaching his 10 yr old daughter, Bricia, who wants to get baptized as well but we have her planned for the 21st so her dad can receive the Priesthood and baptize her. Dang, I’m getin all teary-eyed just typing about it!! Their story is just soo beautiful. The mom and other son don’t really want to listen to us. They are pretty much indifferent to us, but Eduardo has told us that he has faith and is praying for his wife and son to open up to us soon so that he can be sealed to them in a year. That’s his main goal and I just cry every time he talks about his future plans with his family. 

And yeah, the other SUPER AWKWARD thing that happened to me this week was Friday night. We were in the kitchen making Aroz con Leche (rice with milk. its suuuppppeeeerrrr good. Can’t wait to cook it all for you guys when I get home) for the Relief Society and this member walks in. He leaves for his mission in Tampico, Mexico tomorrow. He was one of the Ward Mission Leaders Assistant and helped us out a lot with visits. But anyways the point to this story is he handed me a letter but I didn’t think anything of it bc I was talking to someone else and didn’t pay much attention to what was going on. So when we get home later that night I ask Hna Frost if she had gotten one as well bc I figured, ya know, he’s leaving and is probably giving goodbye letters to everyone. Well, she didn’t get one and we opened it and it was soo awkward. He confessed his love for me and all that yucky love stuff that is just soo awkward for a missionary to think about. Thankfully he leaves tomorrow bc if not, I would have been transferred for obvious reasons. But I kind of felt bad for the guy. But oh well, that was about the only exciting and dramatic thing that happed all this week. 

We STILL are living in the house with the other Sisters but now Hna Siufanua has a new companion named Hna Pinguela. I’ve meet her b4 at the Christmas party we had and she’s wayy cool. We are all super good friends and she’s from Texas so it’s going to be interesting to be living all of us gringas together, haha. But this week, for sure, will be moving out and into our new house. Yayy!! I’ll send pics of it next week. 

Sorry, this letter was super long, so I’ll close for now.

I love you all soo much and miss everyone, esp. my wonderful home ward and all my amazing leaders.

Enjoy the snow bc its getting freaking hot here. yuck!

Con mucho amor,

Hna Hannah Perryman

Hey here are some pics that are from Hna Siufanua's camera. They are just a bunch of random pics i think you all would enjoy