1-26-15 (Hmna Durfee)

So we finally have figured out whats wrong with us.  Drum roll please…..parasites.  0_o.  We went to the clinic finally and got some tests done then the doctor basically told us that he didn't know what was wrong with us.  #thirdworldprobs.  But luckily president just happened to be in town for interviews so we showed him our test results and he discovered we have parasites.  Whooooohooo.  I'm actually feeling a lot better now but my comp is still struggling.  Aight story time…

So we went to go visit this couple in the ward because we were trying to tract down an old investigator who was a reference from them. Well they had us sit down and start talking forever and the husband brings us out these cups of yogurt and a plate of crackers. (side note…yogurt is very liquidy here, they drink it as a drink.)  Ok continuing…so I took one sip of the yogurt and as a natural reflex almost completely spit it all out all over the place.  It was so rotten. Probly at least like 5 years rotten.  Ok idk actually, but it was disgusting, and we had an entire glass of it.  X_X.  My comp and I figured that if we eat all the crackers just maybe they wouldn't notice that we left the yogurt. That was a fat lie. The wife goes “hermanas there's yogurt too. Drink up. Drink up.” I wanted to die. Already being super stomach sick I think the LAST thing to help was some 5 year old yogurt.  We said prayers in our heads and were somehow able to get it all down. YUCK. The greater the sacrifice the greater the blessings right?? Bajajja

Saturday night Juana got baptized!!!  It was so perfect.  So many people form the ward showed up which was a miracle in and of itself. It was packed. She got up after to bear her testimony and the spirit was so strong.  She couldn’t stop saying how happy she was and how clean she felt.  She truly is converted and it was so beautiful to be a part of that conversion in her life. I was sitting there at the baptism thinking about how there is no other place I'd rather be on a Saturday night other than sitting there watching Juana enter the waters of baptism.  I love my mission and this work BEYOND WORDS!!!!!

Ok now I'm going to tell y'all about our investigator named Jesus who we just found last week.  I am already obsessed with this man. He was a reference form some recent converts in our ward. He is their uncle and has 64 years and is almost completely deaf. When we teach him we have to sit right up close to him and basically yell in his right ear.  It's actually very funny. I want ALL of you to meet him. He is the sweetest and cutest little thing. In the lessons the majority of the time we are either laughing so hard at something he said or fighting back tears because of how much faith this man has and how humble his is. In the first lesson we invited him to be baptized and when we said the date he just looked at us and said “Yes. Yes. Of course.  You guys say the date and I have to accept. You say the date and I will be there because whatever you say its from God and it's right.”  He's so dang perfect!!!  His first Sunday at church he went up and talked to stake president who made a surprise visit in our ward and Jesus told him “I have a book of Mormon now, and I am reading it everyday with lots of faith.”  He has a hard time hearing and even understanding what we teach, but he has more faith than almost every person I've ever met. He lives alone and goes to the park in the center of town everyday to shine shoes as his job.  For one shoe shine he gets 1 sole which is close to 30 cents and in total makes about 20 soles on a good day, a little over 6 dollars for working all day long. Yet when he talks about work he has the biggest smile on his face and says hes so grateful because it's enough for him to eat. This man has seriously stolen our hearts and I feel SOO honored and blessed to know him and learn from his example. Although we are the ones teaching him I know I am learning way more from him than he could ever learn from me. I love this work so much and am seriously the happiest I've ever been in my entire life. Eeeee. I love my Savior and Heavenly Father. I testify that they love us.  Each and every one of you matter so much to them and they are there for us whenever we may need them to heal up our broken hearts and lift our burdens.  I love you all so much and hope y'all have an amazing week!!

Con todo mi amor,

Hermana D

Line of the week:

Having a full on conversation in English with the first counselor in our bishopric…

My comp:  Wow. How on earth do you know so much English.

Hermano Salas: HBO duh.  Bajajajjajajjajaja