Adjusting to a new culture, language, and life as a missionary has been an experience. With all of the difficulties, I am grateful for the chance to be so close to Heavenly Father and to love His children. In return, He has blessed my companion and I with so many tender mercies! Our pensionista and her family has been one of them.
Our first week in Puno was hard, and one of our trials was eating all of the food that Mama Rosalia (our pensionista) put on our plates. No joke, each meal could have fed two or three people! It is a great thing that Peruanas know how to cook. . One day that same week, after eating until we wanted to puke, Hna Chipunavi and I decided that it would be fun to run up these massive steps that we climb to and from every meal. We totally regretted that decision real quick! The next week we decided to ask if we could just have hot chocolate and bread for dinner. Rosalia said yes. (Woo! As a side note, her family sells hot chocolate and bread in a hole in the wall tienda. They really know how to make some good hot chocolate! I am determined to get the recipe.)
Besides stuffing our faces, Mama Rosalia treats us like her daughters. Just the other day she gave us some of her jackets to wear because it is winter in Puno right now. She is so loving, and her kids are like our siblings. They like to help us out in our lessons with investigators, which has been a big blessing! I dont know how we will ever repay them for everything that they have done for me and Hermana.
As far as our investigators go, Mirian doesnt have a baptismal date yet. We found out some disappointing news last week that may keep her from being baptized, but we are still praying for her.
We extended two more invitations to baptism this week to our progressing investigators Victor and Maricela. Both are super sincere about learning and changing their lives in order to follow the Savior...out ot the two, Maricela is attending church every week with her boyfriend (a member), so she is progressing rapidly.
A funny story of this week was when Hermana, me, and a member went out to an appointment with a family in the ward. We had no idea where they lived, so our walk turned into a hike up several sets of huge, corroding, stone steps and mountain. It was quite the adventure! We laughed through it all, and laughed even harder when our appointment was cancelled. No one has ever regretted a good workout.
Needless to say, Peru feels like home. Those stone steps that lead to Mama Rosalia{s arent so hard to climb anymore. I love the people of Peru, and this love is only increasing with each week.
Thank you for all of the prays and support! Remember to help out your ward missionaries. It makes a world of a difference when an investigator hears to testimony of a member.
Love you all!
Hermana Arroyo
PS The babies here are the cutest! They melt my heart, as always. The baby in the second picture is Camila, whom Rosalia watches some days during the week. Have a good laugh.
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