Christmas Finally Came!

Well the mission this week has been a great joy for me. Im anticipating that ill be transfered to a new area (ill find out later today if yes or not) and so i´ve been trying to enjoy my last week in SanCarlos as much as i could. I had my happy 15 month mark and me and my companion worked hard, but also were able to celebrate well the week long. We first made hot chocolate and had a good long chat about everything. The pday last week, we went to the central market and bought matching cheeta pants that we wore and took pictures with! The small but sweet joys of life no?

The next day we went to a small resturant next to the church that is owned by less actives. We contacted the owner, ordered a meal (for my happy month) and then were able to make an appointment to talk with the owner this next week that comes. I hope it all works out and we can rekindle the spirit in his heart.

El Piconcito

Thursdaday was awesome becuase we had lunch with the bishop, and he went and found A&W rootbeer and we had rootbeer floats. They were sooo good and Elder Ushi never had tired it before so it was fun to share it with him. he brough his worms or suri again so we were able to try it for a 2nd time. Also... a suprise came and i got a huge package in the mail. After 5 months in travel... finally my christmas package came and it was soo fun to open it and have a mini christmas experience. My companion and i divided the gifts into two piles and took turns opening the gifts up. I explained the joke we have in our family about how everything is a flashlight and my companion was playing along. it was soooooooooo cool to get all the cool stuff, and then be able to share it with the people we visit. I was passing out a piece of beef jerkey to all the people we visit and then the memebers of our ward council. Some liked it, some not... but it was a first expeirence for a lot of them!

I finally got my Christmas box!

Trying Jerky for the first time

Sharing Beef Jerkey with the Zegarra Family (Anni, Dianna, and Sofía)

Root beer Floats!

Trying out Root Bear Floats

Members of our ward counsel

We tried to show a little love to some of the less actives or recent converts that were attending church through means of heart attacking and it was fun to try and sick everything up and then try and run away with out being detected. The week ended on a high note with an old investigador attending church. her name is Maivey and she is a single mother a little boy that has 6 years. Were hoping to work with her to be bapitized with her goal of May. Well see what happens!

We had to attack his car, cause his door was open.

End result of heart attacking

Saying Goodbye to my "mother" the great, one and only Hermana Espinoza

District San Carlos: Elder Ushi, Hermana Bowers, Hermana Páez, Elder Vargas

Funny faces

La Hermana Alisia who always made every lunch by hand and with such affection!

My companion found this cock roach in her cup after the hot chocolate night

The Bishop's son Dillan "This is the life"

Thanks for everyone and your support!

Hermana Bowers

I love to decorate!

I miss my cat!

Check out the rainbow!

What can I say about this week. We had interview with the president, and that leaves me with one more interview in July before I return home. It was a good chance to talk to him for a little bit and Sister Ecrickson gave us REESES for having our apartment clean. I about cried and it was soooo good when i ate it later. This week my companion had her happy 11 month mark and so I ordered us pizza to celebrate. the actual date when she had her 11 months we didn't do anything because we were sick and had ward council so we got late home. So i made it up to her and ordered the pizza but it was SOOO late when it arrived! We asked at 9;15 and it got to our room at 11. We had given up hope, brushed our teeth and were in bed. Then BOOM BOOM BOOM we hear a knock on our door and it was the pizza woman. We step out blurry eyed and accept the pizza. I pay the price (everyone tells me it should have been free, but what would have Christ done?) and we have a little picnic on our floor eating the pizza until 11:30 at night. Ha ha.

Pizza at 11:30 pm

One of our recent converts, Rosita, had her 13th birthday and we helped out the mom (who isn't a member) in decorating the house when her daughter was at school. It was super fun, and made me realize how much I miss decorating! Crazy. It was cute to see everyone getting excited, and then we pass by later in the night to take some silly photos and see just how absolutely she glowed with happiness with her birthday party.

Other than that our week was normal. Just teaching preaching, and trying to get people to come to church. This week was... another let down. The people that we committed to come... didn't. We passed by their houses, called them... and nothing. So last night we went to visit them and see what happened. Were trying to keep things positive but its been week after week of the same that were admittedly getting frustrated. But there is always hope for this next week and we hope to start it off well. We even fasted this Saturday for our investigator, and it was exactly when everyone wanted to buy us food that night. but we were strong and said no no no and were able to complete our fast! It´ll do good I know! Well next week are transfers so well see where I end up going (either staying here or going to a new area). I hope that everyone is in good health and I wish you all the very best!

Pday we had no net to play volley ball so we got creative and used a hose. 

General Conference Weekend!

Excited for General Conference

Waiting for Conference to begin!

Happy Easter to all or as they say here Feliz Semana Santa o Feliz Pascua! Here is a weekend long of time to be with family, festivities and different misas. The culture is predominately catholic here, so there were lots of movies about Jesus on the TV Friday and Saturday, people in the streets with their palm fronds in processions singing, and even people doing reenactments in the streets of the last supper, and then of the betrayal of Jesus. I didn't have my camera to snap a pictures, but it was the first time I saw the plays and it was interesting! Viernes Santo were treated to a chifa or a Chinese restaurant by a member and it was good! (though my hearts still set on Panda Express on the states). Saturday we were super happy and excited to be able to hear and see conference. We didn't have any investigators in the Saturday sessions, but Sunday was awesome to have 5 different people listening and experiencing conference for the first time. 

Montez Family

Earlier in the week, Tuesday, we had a little ward activity in which we watched the new videos of the bible about the atonement of Jesus Christ and were able to have some of our new converts come. It was a great opportunity to remember a little bit about the importance of the season and then be able to play games afterwards.

Wednesday, my companion whipped out her talents and a member bought all the ingredients and she made Tacos. I did not realize how much this Californian Girl missed Mexican food, until my taste buds came into contact with the heavenly bundle of taco supremeness that my companion made. I just about cried. ah ha ha.

Sarita from Collique

The most exciting thing this week was having our five investigators in the church these week. one is the mother of a recent convert that we absolutely love and her son in the mission in Argentina. Shes been investigating the church for a while but hasn't felt the confidence or spiritual umph you could say to be baptized, and I hope that the conference helped her feel the spirit and awaken the desire to make a covenant with her heavenly father. Another joy was to have a young married couple with their newly born baby come to church and enjoy the second Sunday session. We have hopes for them to progress and it was the first time that they have attended a religious meeting in our church, and they said they liked it! So were hoping that they´ll get a testimony of the book of Mormon soon and accept to be baptized. There was another surprise as well. A member gave us a reference of a old investigator, we passed by, but he wasn't home. So we left a pamphlet and a note. Lo and behold, he shows up the the morning session of conference with the note, and later today we have an appointment with him, so were keeping our fingers crossed that maybe this time he´ll accept to be baptized.

I hope for everyone that it was a fun Easter season and that we can always apply the sacrifice of Jesus that this week represents in our lives.

Lunch with the zone

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Bowers

Yunsa! --Peru's Easter Celebration

Well I´m short on time due to some school matters but I hope you enjoy the fotos of the yunsa! This week is the semana Santa or the holy week to commemorate Easter. Were going to do a special activity Wednesday to celebrate Jesus and his resurrection, and the people here have various forms to be able to celebrate. A Yunsa is when they put up a tree full of prizes, it could be balloons, shirts, plastic chairs, food, and then they all dance around the tree and take turns whacking at it with an ax. The person who cuts the tree has to pay for the new tree next year. Its a gran pinata of sorts ha ha. This week, once again, we didn't have investigators in the chapel. Its interesting because were doing all our part, so were trying to stay positive and see what the lord is trying to teach us. Enjoy general conference and I hope that all is well wherever it is that you read this letter!!!!!

Eating Breakfast with the zone

Love,
Hermana Bowers