Mary's first letter from Peru

 
 Okay Family and friends!

I will try to answer all of your emails, but I am only allowed to send one mass email to everyone. I am sooo glad I had the opportunity to speak with all of you on thursday!!
It is so crazy here, my companion is Hermana San Francisco, she is from Chile and does not speak english. It is not too cold, it's like fall weather here all the time. The rough part is that we dont have heat, or hot water, the toilet is broken, and we dont have lights. We have a pencionista who does our laundry and our cooking, and she rocks. I love her food! My comp and I get aloing, but I dont speak that well and she doesnt speak English, so its a little tricky. Sometimes I know what's happening, sometimes not. Sorry the keyboards are a little different and I dont have time to fix it!

There are tons of dogs here, and yesterday a dog came out of nowhere and bit me! We weren't sure if he had rabies, so I had to go to Hermana Marias house she is our pencionista, and she studied nursing. She got me all cleaned up. Awesome. Also, yesterday, we saw a drunk man in the street passed out cold. So cool. On New years, there were soooo many fireworks it was unreal! But we had to be inside but we could see some of them, it was more fireworks than I have ever seen! The entire city has HUGE fireworks andf everybody is lighting them off.
My comp has been out 13 months, she does most of the talking. I felt like I was going to pass out all the time the first few days because of the altitudew,but its better now. Except when we climb a hill. We are in a little ward, not branch, and my comp and I live in a room, and that room is in a house with non members. It's weird, it's like, we have to go through their house to get to our room. President Calderone is Peruvian and does not speak English. Apparently I am in a rich area, but I would have never guessed. People are great.
We taught a die hardcatholic lady and I love her. She hates the missionaries, and the last sisters dropped her, but I love her and we have a second appointment. The spirit was so strong, I love it. I want to contact everyone, but I dont know what to say yet but I try to say what I can. We are very high in the mountains.
Okay I have to go, i love you all! Sorry the grammer is nnot the best, I can't figure out this keyboard! I tried to answer all of your questions, but I just dont have time! It's so busy! love you all!

Mary's Christmas letter (last MTC letter)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!
 
so we had Elder Bednar come today and speak to us about the difference between a testimony and being converted unto Christ,. It was sooo awesome! I have like 4 pages of notes from it. He is so bold,  it was awesome. Anyways, I leave this wednesday for peru and i get to call home I believe when I am at the airport! Atleast thats what I have been told. So if you get a call, answer it! I will probably call home or Dad's cell. Either one. Dad is usually the best at answering his phone :) I cant wait to hear all about your Christmas!  How did maddie and Boston like it this year? Tell me all about it! I guess dont send anymore letters to the MTC,  I wont get them because I'll be gone obviously. Oh!!! the district loved the cookies and milk that you sent, we had a straight up Latino Christmas eve, with a pinata and all.  I LOVE THE CHRISTMAS PRESENTSS THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! the garments are awesome, i actually needed a few more. and the wax, that is money. Thank you so much! This Christmas has been different but definitely a good one. I feel lik eI have learned so much about  how to be more like the savior just from today.  I wanty to share my notes but i dont have neough time. maybe when I come home. II am trying to think of stories that i can tell you, but I am having trouble...  there is just not enough time! It is crazy. Oh last night we watched a christmas carol and it was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. I have not laughed that hardin a long time. 2000 missionaries who arent allowed to date, make the funniest comments during movies I love it. every kiss was like the biggest deal, all of the elders went crazy over it! hahah also when Tiny tim had his line " God bless us everyone" it skipped and everyone was so sad over it! and then of course at the end of the movie when he says it again, every clapped and went nuts. The things you find funny in the MTC are things that would SOOO not be funny in the real world.  I love it so much. I cant believe I am leaving wednesday! I am sooo not ready, but i guess it is going to happen. I still cant say the things i want to be able to say, but I guess that will have to come when I get out there. I cant wait to NOT have all the time. that will be so much better for me~! I like the food, but I am so glad i dont have to eat here for three months. 3 weeks is plenty long enough of processed food. not that its bad, its just that 3 weeks is long enough.
 
Well I have another few minutes so i am trying to think of things you all would want to know. I realized last night that i am ebeneezer scrooge because all of my companions all got eachother, and me presents, and I being the least thoughtful got no presents for anyone. I felt like scrooge!!! I am working on being a better person in that aspect.  anuyway I am going to go but i love you ALL to death.  Cant wait to see yuo all in a year and half.
 
MERRRY CHRISTMAS AGAIN!!!! LOVE YOU SO MUCH MOM AND DAD AND RACHEL AND CHRIS AND MADDIE AND BOSTON, AND DAVID AND AMBER AND ANYONE ELSE WHO READS THIS!!!!!

Mary's 3rd letter from the MTC

Hey momma!

my district loved the cookies, they said it was like a party in their
mouths. a few of them had never tasted anything like it and went crazy for
them! The spanish stuff is helping for sure, but it is hard to get the
language down. out of everything that is what is the most frustrating. I
still feel like i am in the wrong class, but hey. this is how it goes. :)

funny story. so sundays here are interesting. everyone has to write a talk,
and then they randomly call someone to speak. Everybody is telling me I am
golden, that there is no way i'll speak because they had all been here for
6 weeks and not been called. All of my roommates all wrote full two pages
worth word for word for their talk, and I had 4 basic points and one
scripture because I had spent most of my time preparing the lesson that I
had to teach that day also in spanish. anyway, who did they call to speak?
of course, the solo sister in the advanced district. i am pretty sure there
is a huge target on my face and everybody loves to pick me to see why I am
the special white blonde hermana who spends all her time with the natives.
I couldnt help but just laugh the rest of the day because Heavenly Father
must have some reason behind making me a target, I just havent figured it
out yet.

I love you all! oh also, I'll try to buy Destin some ear muffs and send
them to you to send to him. also, I would like jill's address, dani's
address, and I would andrew's address. My p-day is on thursday, but this is
my last one because I leave wednesday.

flight plans : we have to be at the travel office at 4 am on wednesday the
28th, the plane leaves at 7 am, and we are flying to Atlanta, and then
straight to Lima, and then we'll probably get on a plane to cusco, but it
doesnt say anything in our travel plans about anything after Lima. so we'll
find out. :) I have to go! love you!

2nd letter from the MTC

Hey!


Okay so this week has been much better over the last few days. I have
gotten to know my hermana companions and I really get along with them so
that is going great. My district is fantastic, and sometimes I have to
laugh because it's so funny to see myself surrounded by Latino Elders, it's
a lot like have body guards all the time. I very much love all of them and
they are all so patient with me.

So apparently in the TRC - you are normally with members and just share a
spiritual thought, but my entire district is teaching an investigator from
california and she does not speak english at all. It was amazing because as
I sat and listened to her story, I just felt an overwhelming love for her.
I couldnt say much but I said the closing prayer and in the prayer asked
Heavenly Father to bless her family and her and started crying because it
was so strong. and then after the prayer I told her that heavenly loves her
and her family very much and he wants to bless them. that was the first
lesson we had with her and then yesterday one of the elders burst into
tears telling her he knew family's can be together forever. Very sweet.
Anyway, it was just very different from the role play we do in class to say
the least. I am not very good at those, I get so nervous because I know my
teacher is like, evaluating me plus I get so confused on the conjugations,
I can't seem to seperate them. Oh well, it's only been a week, and
apparently despite my efforts, the lord wants me in the field in 2 weeks.
So, I guess that's where I'll be. :)

I leave the MTC on the 28th, and will be here on christmas. we are supposed
to have an awesome devotional, but they wont tell us who is speaking! I
love the MTC choir, it is a blast and a half. all the solo sisters that I
have talked with all feel like we are best friends because we understand
eachother. Every single one of them told me " it gets better after a  week,
I stopped crying after the first week" and its true. I am feeling much
better about everything, and I very very much loved all of your letters,
please keep sending them. I'll write a more detailed letter for you Momma.
:) I love you all! I am out of time!!!