Week 36...Out of order April 25, 2016

Dayanna's baptism!

My last week in Miguel Grau... I love that place so much and all of the people there! It was a good last week, we were able to teach a lot of lessons but best of all baptize little Dayanna! That same night there was a big earthquake up in Ecuador that reached all the way to Piura. When we walked to our room everyone was in the streets super freaked out! Leaving Miguel Grau made me realize that if you don't love the people, you don't love your mission! It was a sweet moment saying goodbye to everyone and realizing how many people I have made relationships with.
Saturday night Elder Beidleman called us with transfers. When he said my new companion would be Hermana Sandison I almost started crying I was so happy. I couldn't pin point an exact reason why but Hermana Sandison is my very best friend!

Leaving Miguel Grau was bitter (leaving the people) sweet (going to Hna Sandison)

The wall of Miguel Graus sister missionaries...I had 4 different companions in the same area!

Saying goodbye to Hermana Bertha and her family

The YSL's threw me a surprise farewell (:

Hermana Aida is the funniest, most selfless, patient, kind Peruvian I know.

Me: "Oh wow...that soup looks, ummm delicious?" Aida: "That's the soup for the dogs" *huge sigh of relief*

When little Ian got baptized, I got to speak at his baptism!

Hermana Marilyn is full of little one liners in English and she makes me laugh so hard! (Hna Aida's daughter)

After a hard day's work! (notice lipstick on my cheek from a woman kissing me 15 min before in a lesson)

Just a few quick alterations with...the stapler... (before the baptism)

After church meetings

Hermano Raul, our mission leader!

In the city! (talented Hermana Aida made me that dress)

I love Hermana Bobbio!

Week 37 This week changed my life!!! April 25, 2016

This week changed my life!!!

I'm sitting here in the  Internet cafe hyperventilating a little about how much I want to tell everyone every little detail of my miraculous week! Hna Sandison is really helping me calm down and take it one day at a time. One of the negatives about emailing home is that not all of the millions of words in the world would be sufficient enough to explain my feelings. But we just keep on keeping on! So I will do my very best, with the very little time that I have. 

My Soul Sister!

First off it cannot be said too much how much I love my companion. She is my very best friend! Right when we got together on transfer day we were so excited! We both knew how much we were going to grow both individually and spiritually together.
Hna Sandison "We are going to learn so much from each other!"
Me: "Everything EXCEPT patience, no mas paciencia para mi." 

What a relief.
#1 on the list of Ingram Sandison adventures: Saving Negra
In Angamos we are living the high life... Well not really but we like to think of it that way. Each street in our area has a 24 hr street security guard. Our's is named Jorge. Jorge is a very lonely man and his family consists of Negra the dog. We noticed that Negra was not looking so good, in fact, everywhere she went she left a trail of blood. It was tearing apart my heart strings each time I saw her suffering. So one day Hermana Armanda (member) came to work with us. We told her about Negra and immediately she was concerned. So we lead her to Hermano Jorge and the first thing Armanda said to him was, "We are here to help your dog go to the spirit world" I could not keep myself from laughing. Hermano Jorge looked at her completely mortified and just wagged his finger back and forth. I imagine his thoughts were something like "these crazy Mormon ladies." Long story short he let us take Negra to the vet. We saved Negra!! (she had a massive infected hole in her neck that made Hna Sandison dry heave) It cost us about a couple of toes and fingers to get her all better. But while at the vet, we met Ana!

Casually taking dogs off the street to the vet

#2 on the list of Ingram Sandison adventures: relearning English
While at the vet a blond haired, blue eyed lady came in with her beautiful baby. We only had to ask her her name before she said "Do you want to come visit me?" *Please read in a strong German accent* Turns out, Ana lives in the big ultra private gated compound that missionaries are not allowed inside. BONUS! So we grabbed Hermana Rasmussen (the mission home is in our area) with her perfect English and spunky personality and went to teach this family. Immediately when we walked into her house it was a dream. I was mesmerized, after seeing so many dirt floors and extreme poverty, it was a total shock. Parade of Home status. So we got to know this family. Constantine is a farmer. What he does is buy sweet potatoes from Peru and then ships them to Germany. Germany is crazy for sweet potatoes right now, they are only sold in ultra fancy restaurants because of their rarity. Ana is the sweetest and friendliest German I know! (also the only German i know..he..he..) Sadly... they are super anti Peru. I mean I guess you can't blame them coming from such a beautiful country to a little bit of an eye sore. Also they have had really bad experiences with dishonest money greedy businessmen. But hey.. they haven't met Hermana Aida (: She would change their minds about Peruvians in no time. Also they cant stand the Catholic Church. I'm not generalizing, but at least here, the catholic church is a little corrupt. It was so awesome! We taught them about Joseph Smith and HOLY COW I CAN'T TEACH MISSIONARY LESSONS IN ENGLISH. You see, I learned how to be a missionary in Spanish... not English... But they are going to pray and find out if its true. More than anything right now they need friends. So pres and hna Rasmussen will be stepping up to that plate. It's a lonely white person world in Peru.

Hermana Rasmussen came with us to teach the German family! Constantine, Ana and their adorable baby Amelia. Their house is a dream, it totally awakened my love for houses and design.

#3 on the list of Ingram Sandison adventures: Opening our eyes
Our area is made up of 2 different worlds. The richest of the rich, and the poorest of the poor. One day we went to the invasions (land that the gov gives freely to poor people) where the houses are shacks. We taught some awesome lessons over there then crossed through the little bamboo fence to a new development. They were like great and spacious buildings. We went looking  for Yaco....the elders old investigator before we took over their area. When we walked into his living space (A glorified hotel room) I was shocked by just the tiny little row of bamboo that separates these worlds. Yaco is a 28 year old buff guy. His career is setting up events for famous people, singers, models, actors, etc. It was the weirdest lesson I have ever taught. Later while hna sandison and I talked about it we pinpointed two specific things. He is completely socially normal. He is a listener. The majority of Peruvians talk and talk and talk. Yaco asked us each to tell our conversion story and that is so unlike every other lesson I have ever had. He wants to change his life around but he doesn't want to change his career. We will see what happens...

The week was amazing but my highlight was spending time with bro and sis Mitchell... Hna Mitchell's parents. They have spent 5 years travelling with the prophet. We were able to hear story after story of amazing experiences with the prophet and it was truly inspiring. I wish I could share them all! I love how human President Monson is. We asked bro Mitchell if he ever felt like the prophet could see into his soul and all of his imperfections. He said it's just the opposite, he couldn't care less. He loves you for who you are, Just like Christ.

Hanging out with brother and sister Mitchell!! So fun! Makes me think about having my own parents come and pick me up from the mish.

Geraldine our investigator came to church yesterday, She cried and thanked us for being persistent with her. She knows that Heavenly Father sent us to her to help her change her life. What a sweet tender mercy. This week was a miracle for me, we worked so hard and our numbers were incredible. I never felt an ounce of stress, it was like we were whistling and laughing through it all. I love my area, I love my comp, and I love my mission. But most of all I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and I love this gospel!

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Ingram

Charlottes Webb did not end up saving Wilbur...:(

Guess who got their first hair cut in 8 months? I had to reemphasize that I just wanted a straight line...Peruvians are really into a deep V cut right now...which really just translates to a latin mullet. Yikes!

We named him Fluffy