Half Way!

We have some investigators that are just great. they are all really new, we just barely finished lesson one, but they have the Book of Mormon and they just seem to be eating it right up! There are quite a few, I'll write each of them.

Sonia- a 37 year old single girl who so desperately needs the gospel to understand Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and their grand role in our lives. 

America and Jorge- a cute couple in their 50's with 2 sons, 16 and 14. America is evangelist (is that right in english) and Jorge, well I don't know, but they have 3 pet birds that just hang out in the house and fly around.  They are trained to poop in their "room" though, so it's pretty sweet. They also have a turtle named Lucas.

Maria Manay- a 60 year old catholic school principal who feels that the catholic church is missing truths in many ways and wants to find the truth. 

Guillermo- a 60 year old man who's married, but his wife isn't AS interested.  He has to measure fish to make sure people aren't catching the ones that are too small. It's pretty cool. I know all about the size restrictions. He is REALLY smart though and loves to read. He reminds me of Paka with all his random history facts. He comes to church at like 7:50 every week and reads the hymns and participates and it is AWESOME. 

The Monja family is amazing. They have 4 kids, 2 girls and 2 boys and the dad is stake president. They have references for us every week. So amazing! The daughter, Ana Paula, accompanied us this week and was telling us a little about their family. Eduardo, the 17 year old, and oldest, is getting ready to leave for his mission in December and Ana Paula said sometimes the family will just cry thinking about him leaving and they just love each other and the gospel so much. It reminds me of home. :) Remember when I prayed and I said something about the family and started crying and stuff one night at dinner? ya... I miss you guys.

So I have been out 9 months! Well, Wednesday will be 9 months!  I know that MY mission is MY mission. It has all happened how it is supposed to and God has taught me so much with each companion, each investigator, member, lesson, meeting and just anything. I know that God listens to my prayers. I have cried to the Lord for help many times and I know that that is when He listens most. He loves me and is ALWAYS there for me. I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God. If we didn't have this book the Church wouldn't be anything special. I am so grateful for the fullness of the gospel in my life and for the spiritual, mental, emotional growth I have experienced so far and I am looking forward to the next 9 months!

Whoa, exactly 9 months from today I will be at home. Whoa. 

Well, enjoy general conference! I can't wait to hear what the Prophet and Apostles have to say to us. 

Happy Easter!

Hermana Pilling

Pretty Awesome Week

A little about my new area:

My pensionista:  her name is Yovanni and she cooks so well! She's been a pensionista for 10 years so she's got it down. All for sisters too. She gives little portions and everything is healthy and I have learned to like onions and tomatoes just plain. That is called a salad here. So weird. She is also so funny and so loving!

Our room: it is massive! Our bunkbed squeaks like crazy and that is annoying. I am on the top bunk. We are on the 2nd floor which is nice- no cockroaches :) In the mornings we go running in the park for 1/2 hour. It's the best. 

My companion: she is honestly so great. She is chill like Lyssa steed, super chill. And always has the most adventurous ideas. For example, she wants to become left handed so she's started by eating with her left hand always. Just so random and awesome. She's so so great and I love her. I am learning so much from her and I am so grateful for her. I haven't even thought once about the fact that I am not with a Latina, it doesn't bother me. I have so much fun and I am so happy and I know I need to be with her. :) 

The area: super rich. Wow. For peruvians at least hahaha. It was one of the first wards in Peru and quite a few of the members have been here for a long time. The attendance is good and everything but it is hard to find people willing to listen because they are rich AND catholic. Worst combo. hahaha. Since Christmas, the sisters have had some complications here with sicknesses and emergency changes and such as so we are basically starting over.  Hermana Waite and I are having lots of success! We are definitely seeing miracles in some lives of the investigators. It's such a blessing. The bugs love me! And this week it has rained a lot so the bugs are even worse. They don't just itch but they STING. So I called Hermana Williams and she looked at them and said because I know I have sensitive skin, it could be for that reason so we bought a cream, which is  STEROID. But it totally works and I feel much better... until the next morning when I wake up with 5 more at least. They just LOVE me. What can I say, I have sweet blood?

So in our district meeting I got a package from Tyler! What a surprise! But it didn't have an address or anything... so I opened it, and it was a package he sent with the companion he had from Chiclayo and it got to the office in AUGUST. Right when I got here from the MTC.  The elders are just classic elders and "they forgot" or something. Dumbies. But hey, I got it :) hahaha

Today we went to a shoemaker in our ward and he's going to make us some sandals and he's going to make me my scripture cases :) I am so so so so excited!

Also, in my scripture study one day this week I studied in Alma 32. I have always thought this is the chapter about the seed, and it is but, there is more to it than that!

In verses 1-16 it talks about being poor in heart and being humble. On Sunday a member talked about how many people think only the poor financially can be humble. But that is a lie. And it is!  In verses 21-27, it talks about how faith is not a perfect knowledge, because it is not that at all.  Verses 28-36 talk about "faith is like a little seed."  And verses 37-43 talk about how the seed grows to be a tree but it requires faith, patience, and diligence. I think that is the greatest blessing about a mission is that I planted my little seed of faith, my little testimony, but with the environment and lifestyle of the mission, I have been able to cultivate that seed with patience and diligence.  It has grown and it is now a young tree.  I hope one day it will be a tall strong tree, but who knows. :) 

So that is my week. Pretty awesome hey?

I love you all so much. 

Read your scriptures. 

Say your prayers. 

Keep the faith. 

Hermana Pilling

Second Area

THE NEWS OF MY MISSION.....

MY FIRST CHANGES IN THE PERU CHICLAYO MISSION...

HAVE TAKEN ME....

ABOUT 10 MINUTES AWAY....

to San Felipe with Hermana Waite. I have another North American Companion. She's from Arizona. She's 20, she has been here for 11 months. She reminds me a lot of Alyssa Sheen, super chill and super sweet and I just always laugh. At her. hahaha But we have fun. She was in my old zone for 3 transfers with me so we are friends, more or less.

Monday night I said good bye. My pensionista's daughter wasn't in town so she didn't do a goodbye party thing and I only had 2 hours to literally say bye to the whole ward, which is impossible. So I didn't. hahaha I only visited a couple and it was sad. I didn't cry until we finished saying bye to the first family and they turned and shut the door. They were all crying too. But I just realized I may never be on that street again. How sad is that? Really sad. hahaha But everyone had really nice things to say about my influence, testimony, smile, personality, and how I have helped them. It was nice. President said, "You are a great missionary and have done a montón of good in 9 de octubre... time to take your talents elsewhere!!"

So, it is WAY HOTTER HERE. I don't know why. There isn't much shade and I just have been getting burned and it literally looks like I have wet hair all day because I do because of the sweat. I am just nasty. Also, the bugs just love me. My legs have completely been attacked, it's awful! They hurt though. So Hermana Williams has me using stuff for infection and it is working. Apparently it's common because of the gross water here.

I love my pensionista so much. She's so great. She cooks really well and doesn't give us a mountain of food, which I like a lot.  The Ward/area is a really rich area but also has poor parts, but like the RICHHHH parts...it's craziness. I will explain in a hand written letter.

To explain the pday thing, we can't leave our zone for pdays.  We can't do zone activities, and so basically that doesn't leave us with anything. So pdays are super chill. There is even less to do in this new zone so we will see. We can hang with Sister Williams though, so we will probably do that... at least some times. Like today, we came so Hermana Waite could finish her skirt she started and I just asked sister Williams a bunch of questions. I am so happy to be in her Ward. I hope I can keep a good relationship going with her, she's fantastic.

Sister Williams (mission mom) and Sister Waite sewing on p-day

Well, I love you guys so much and I hope everything is just FANTASTIC.

When I was studying the atonement this week, Sister Waite said that Brad Wilcox said, "We all believe in Christ but do we really believe Him?" He was referring to the atonement and its power and how we should believe him when he says we are forgiven and stuff like that. It's good. I love the gospel.

I also love the mission, and my companion. Who knows why I don't have a latina companion yet. But I do know we need each other.

I love you :)

Hermana Pilling

Pensionista's birthday!

Sister Waite and some weird fruit.

The view of Chiclayo from President and Sister William's home.

Photos

Narcissa

Antonio and Graciela

Ana Teresa

Oh how we love to see Clair laugh!

She's been saving this from her dad.
Not quite sure why she decided it was 
finally time to eat it.  

Last Week in My Home Ward

It literally feels like I just got my mission call and I am leaving my home ward. But I just have changes is all. 

This week was possibly the best week I have had in all my 7 months here. I don't even know why for sure. My companion and I have only had more and more unity and more and more success. Out of all of our appointments this week, I think only 5 fell through, maybe less. I don't even know, but it was such a good week. I felt the spirt so strong in every lesson and I was just so grateful to be a missionary! 

We had a lesson with Paula, the 70 year old widow who I also just LOVE and she accepted a fecha to be baptized the 4th of april! Unfortunately I will not be here. Afterwards Hermana McCally said, how sad are you that you won't be here? And I said I honestly am not sad, I know that I have said something by the spirit to bring her to this point and I know that you will be here to help her make it to that date and I am very happy to have gotten to know her. I honestly am just SO GRATEFUL. 

Being so busy only made the week fly by even faster. But seriously, it FLEW. All of a sudden it was Sunday morning and I was at church.  Then at 7:00 we got the call about changes and I am leaving and I cried and here we are! 

In my 7 months in the field, because it's nearly exactly 7 months, I have learned: 

-the importance of using the scriptures in the lessons 

-the importance of the spirit in everything I do as a missionary

-spanish

-how to teach a lesson

-how to listen to the spirit to ask inspired questions

-it's possible to have fun on the mission

-Peru is smelly and dusty but absolutely the best

-I love old people

-I love the gospel

-I love the Lord

-prayer is the easiest way to feel the Savior's love when we feel alone

-I would die if I didn't have a companion

-every companionship is inspired

-President Williams and his wife are the bomb dot com

-I am blond

-the Book of Mormon is probably the coolest story ever

-I love my family 

-lots of people love and pray for me every day

-a smile can make ALL the difference

-I don't like a meal called "arroz con pollo" which is chicken with rice, but it's green and I don't like it. 

-THE MISSION IS THE BEST. 

Well, tomorrow I will find out who my companion will be. I will find out where I am going, which means I will find out if I am staying in this mission or going to the other one (which is sad and scary). Tonight I am saying bye to my beloved families here in 9 de Octubre and I am preparing myself little by little. Also, I feel very calm and peaceful. The church is true. 

Love

Hermana Pilling

I Stand as a Witness

Okay so I don't have time, but also nothing really happened this week so that's okay. 

This week our 2 less actives, Narcissa and Lucho, they aren't related, 2 separate families, told us how much they love us and are grateful for our patience and diligence to help them remember their testimonies.  It was great because I have been feeling like I haven't done anything and they just said that I did do something! :0 So, awesome! 

Then on Saturday, a member in our ward has a grand-daughter, Stephany, who got her mission call! She always accompanies us, and we went to watch her open it. I remember the day I opened mine like it was yesterday, but it was 13 months ago! She is going to Bolivia La Paz and she is so nervous. She's really awesome though.  I consider her one of my best friends :) 

Sunday was such a spiritual day for me. We sang I Stand All Amazed for the sacrament hymn and I was crying the whole time just full of the spirit, thinking about what Christ did for me. Then Ana Teresa bore her testimony. This hermana has been like a mom to me. She is so amazing and calls me her little princess.  She bore her testimony and it was just so powerful.  I am so grateful that I stand with MILLIONS of members as a witness of the truthfulness of the gospel. Then Lucho, our cute little less active, got up and bore his testimony. As soon as he stood I started crying. The gospel has worked such a mighty change in his heart. His testimony of Christ was so powerful and he has so much faith and he is just fantastic. Then we ended by singing We Thank Thee O God For A Prophet and that was just so great. I can't sing that song without tearing up. I love our prophet and the fact that God has given us one. I was just an emotional wreck! hahaha It was a very good Sunday for me. 

Okay now about my studies this week:

We studied charity, knowledge, and patience. 

Charity: Matthew 22:36-39   Matthew 19:16-26  Moroni 7:45-48   I am convinced that Charity is key to being happy in this life. 

Knowledge: D&C88:118     D&C 131:6   I love learning and I love learning in the mission. It's just basically the best ever. 

Patience:  Alma 32:41-43    Romans 5:3-5    Romans 8:24-25    The biggest part that stood out to me was just thinking about the patience that Christ had, the patience God has for me and my weaknesses, and the patience I should have for other people and for myself. 

Also, in "Our Search for Happiness" on page 114 it says, 

"Knowing and living the gospel of Jesus Christ affects every major decision you make and alters the course of your life because it opens your eyes to new perspectives and insights - especially with regards to your eternal potential - while filling your heart with new feelings and your mind with new understanding. But this takes place ONLY WHEN YOU REALLY SINCERELY BELIEVE in Jesus Christ and His Gospel." 

I just love this and really thinking about my conversion and how the gospel has changed me and how it has changed the lives of my converts and the less actives here in 9 de octubre. The Gospel is true. Christ lives and He loves YOU. 

So this is probably my last week in 9 de octubre unless I don't have transfers.... well only God knows. 

Love you all! 

Hermana Pilling

40 Cent ice-cream!

Classic Scooter seen with 1-5 people on them.

My district