So to start off, this keyboard sucks. I have to press the keys super hard in order to type. But Puerto Maldonado is the best! It is 10 hours in bus from Cusco and we have to travel by bus over night, so that was fun last week/I didn't sleep at all. I usually would say that I HATE cold showers, but it's nice here in the heat, well after about 3 minutes when you get used to the water. The other thing I have decided is that I support shaving... shaving your legs and your armpits. If you are a girl, do it! Sometimes, I'm a little grossed out. The next thing, is I don't want to hear anyone complain about how hairy their arms are. Until you have armhairs that are literally 3 inches long, don't complain. Hahaha My next question is, Can dogs lose their voice? I sure do hope so because the other night, seriously from about 2am until 6:30, I didn't sleep because the dog outside was barking literally that entire time. I don't know how that is possible to bark constantly for that long. PS, we don't have windows, we have screens, so there is nothing to block out the noise. Another fun thing about Puerto is that I have seen like 10 cars. We travel by motokar (little carts pulled by a motorcycle). The other day, I saw one that was completely pimped out. I wish I would have taken a picture. It had underglow and stickers ALL over and it had a stereo inside. Pretty funny. I learned something new also. I learned how to sweep a dirt floor. It never occurred to me before that you would sweep the dirt off of your dirt floor, but they do it! Also, there are like a billion fruits here that I have never had in my entire life. I love araza, but someone told me they sometimes have bugs inside, so I may stop eating them. Carambola is yummy along with mumey and granadia. Granadia... google it! It's like fish eyes inside... SUPER gross looking, but yummy.
Well, now to the real stuff. We work lots! We teach tons and we are always doing something. It's hard to figure out what not to do because everything is important. But sad story for the week. We have been working with a girl named Ruth. She was going to get baptized this Saturday. All we needed was her mom's permission. We went to talk with the mom and she initially said no because her daughter likes to decide things on a whim (kind of made me think of myself when she was talking) and the mom didn't want her getting baptized because it hasn't been long and went on and on for like 15 minutes. I felt the need to bear my testimony that we were here for Ruth. Not to ask the mom permission because we wanted this, but because her daughter wanted this. Well after the mom putting the daughter down for a while and saying all of these things, she asked Ruth if she wanted to be baptized. So of course, the little girl (she's 12) was afraid to tell her mom yes. So she said no. Well, the cool thing about Ruth, is we've talked with her since and we're practicing with her how she can talk to her mom and be strong and she is still attending church things. She still has the desire to be baptized is what she told us.
Next, we like to work with the members. Hna Elisabeth (she's middle 30s) she came with us to teach Hermalinda and her sobrina (I can't remember what that is... sister in law or something like that haha) But the sobrina's name is Melanie. Neither of them are married, but they both have a kid and are living with their partners. We were talking to them about the importance of marriage and Hermalinda was saying she wasn't sure she wanted to marry her partner. Well, then Hna Elisabeth bore her testimony. It couldn't have been more perfect. She was baptized with her family a year ago. Her husband is awesome! What we found out was that he was always drunk before all of this and she bore her simple testimony that she knows the gospel changes lives. She was saying that it took time, it wasn't like the next day she woke up and her husband never drank again, but that little by little, he changed and they are SUCH a happy family now. It was awesome.
Exciting news!!! We had a baptism Friday! Her name is Damari. I honestly didn't get to teach her much, so I don't have a lot to say, but she was beaming when she arrived at her baptism and was so excited. She said she couldn't wait to be clean! She is darling.
Lastly, Fransisco is a 45 year old man who is going to be baptized August 18th! His mom is like 84 and is an old investigator and so we went to visit her and he was there and he's on fire. He came to church and came to the baptism and is so ready for this! Every time we go by to visit him, He's sitting outside with chairs ready for us to teach him! It's awesome!!!!!
Thursday, I wasn't in my area. My companion went to Cusco for training and I stayed here with the other 2 sisters, Creek and Swartz. We had a blast. It's nice being with Americans. Love the latins, but it's just different. I learned lots on how to teach better with them and we laughed a lot. It was a nice break.
Also, anyone who served in Cordoba, do you remember Elder Gilbert? I don't really remember him much, just the name. But there was an elder here who is best friends with him. His name is E. Christensen. Small world.
Also, thanks Gunnar for talking to people you know! So many of them have come up to me and said hi! It is nice to know that I have so much support at home and when I find connections with people, it's a little peace in my heart to remind me how much I'm loved.
I wrote letters to everyone who has written me. However, mail is on strike and I cannot send them yet. But you can always send me emails! I will write back when I can,. but don't forget to write your address so I can send your letter. My address is on FB and there is a link to my blog there too. Here's my email carly.lang@myldsmail.net
Well, I love you all. I hope you are all doing well at home.
Love,
Hermana Carly Jo Lang
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