For the Lord thy God is with thee: Week 69- A week of Adventures!!!

I found peach rings and bought them

Dear Friends and Family,

I don't even know where to start. There is WAY too much that has happened.

Part of being a sister leader means that we sometimes have to run errands. Last Monday was spent picking up and getting a girl to the different places she needed to be to get her temple recommend and set apart to be a missionary and such. She doesn't come from a stake, she's from a district and so she had to come to Cusco to be set apart by our mission president... so Pday was not so relaxing as we had planned. But it was really exciting because I knew her from Puerto Maldonado and she is going to Salta which is where my companion Hermana Saavedra is!!!

Pegasus in Andahuaylas

Tuesday, we were up early to go to Andahuaylas... I have officially traveled to my entire mission. Andahuaylas is about 9 hours in bus from Cusco and is inside of the departamento de Apurimac. It is a little warmer than Cusco and really green and pretty but there are bugs that bite. There are 4 sisters that are there and 3 of them are from the US so that was fun to be with them.

Hna Thompson, me and Hna Huaman

Anyways, in Talavera.... part of Andahuaylas, Hermana Thompson tells me she's sorry that I was going to be with her... I didn't really understand until we hiked up a freaking mountain to this little pueblito that is super cute. It was KILLER... it was like an hour hike to get there but we taught so many wonderful people! We even had someone teach with us and translate to Quetchua... I will tell you, it is SOOOOOOO different, the spirit was way more powerful in Quetchua and the crazy part is that we couldn't speak a word... All I know how to say is I love you in Quetchua and How are you and random phrases like that, but we actually understood what they were saying and didn't have to have the sister translate their questions into Spanish for us, we just responded in Spanish and then she translated it for them. Anyways, it was a really special day.

The view from Allantihuankha
(the mountain we climbed)

Allantihuankha

After 2 days in Andahuaylas, we returned back to Cusco.... SOOOOOOOOOOO fun. NOT!!!!!! The closed the road and so we got out and walked around for 3 hours and got bit by mosquitos and I swear, I have never had bites that itch so bad. Then they opened the road back up and we got back to Cusco safely.

Being stuck on the drive for 3 hours

Plunging the Baptismal font

So if you don't notice. One of the pictures below is me in a baptismal font with a plunger.... yes. This really happened. The other sisters had a baptism and asked us to help them clean the font because it was DISGUSTING!!!!!!!! Well... the water wouldn't drain... so one of the sisters said to try and plunge it... Sounds dumb, but it worked. I plunged out a black bag that was clogging it and we got the font sparkling clean. Anyways, new experience... plunging a baptismal font.

Machupicchu pueblo

Well, the hardest part of the week was with the Aguilar Family. We have been working SOOOOOOOOOOO hard with them and we go over Saturday night by a miracle because we had other plans. When we get there, you walk in and you could feel that everything was all wrong. Well, the parents sent the kids outside to go and play and then the mom starts to yell at her husband saying that she can't believe he had an affair and he sat there denying it the whole time. I was speechless. I didn't know what to say or do. But I just opened my mouth up. It is interesting. I have been promised that if I share my testimony of the Atonement that that blessing will be extended to many. So I talked about the power Christ really gives us. I told the husband that he needed to repent because if he didn't have an affair, he was guilty of flirting because you don't just assume someone has an affair out of nowhere and I told the wife that she HAD to forgive her husband. It was one of those moments where you really aren't talking, just the mouthpiece. They both sat silent. We then said that we would be there early the next morning to go to church together.

Hna Sheets and I

Machu Picchu

So Sunday morning we show up and they weren't planning on going to church... that's what we figured which is why we showed up early. We talked about their family and they decided that the 2 of them were going to come. We got to church and during the second hour, they talked to the Bishop. Afterwards they asked us if we could talk outside. We said of course. So when we went outside, we found out that they are moving, THIS WEEK to another ward so we won't really be able to visit them, just a little bit to help them get to know their new bishop and the other missionaries. Then they both started crying and thanked us so much for the words we had spoken the night before. For being there at that moment because the wife was ready to leave the house for good. She said I can't thank you enough for saving my family.

Machu Picchu

my name

my name tag

Saving a family. It struck me. Sometimes I miss my family so much, but you know what, I came on a mission to share the Atonement with other families and saving just one family is well worth the hardships. There is nothing more important than our families and we must fight for them.

Hna Sheets and I

Reading the Book of Mormon in Quetchua

US FLAG that we borrowed from some people

Well, the most exciting part was going to Machu Picchu today. I am beat, but I hope you enjoy the pictures!!! There is nothing to compare and the pictures don't do it justice, but if you ever get the chance to go, DO IT!!!!!!

Anyways, I hope you are all doing well at home! Write me and let me know. PS.... I have 90 days left. Super crazy. I cannot believe how time flies.

Love Always,

Hermana Lang