Hermana Hannah Ingram: Week 52 One Year This Week! August 8, 2016

Puerto Pizarro

Guess who cumples one año this week!! I am still in denial... stay tuned, burning skirt pics will come next week.

Last P-day Hna "Espinhoweh" and I walked into a super fancy clothing store. Immediately it felt like a scene from Pretty Woman. The employee oh so wonderfully followed us around telling us all of the expensive prices. Then Espinhouse went over to the lotion and perfume shelves and began smelling all of them. All of a sudden I hear a gasp, turn around, and see Espinhouse's big eyes wide open and lotion exploded all over her face. The lady stood there fuming and I swear I saw an aura of flames. Thinking fast I hurried and cleaned off the bottle by rubbing it all over her arm, put it on the shelf, then grabbed my comp and booked it out of there... maybe it was just one of those "you had to be there" moments.

Comp pic!

I heard I was featured on Mormon Faces last week and I would just like to say that it's an honor to be a Z-list celebrity. I will leave this Internet cafe and happily walk my red carpet. (when I say red I really mean dog poop and cement.)

Friday night was ward mission night and us missionaries had nothing planned... so Elder Meier, one of my heroes used his creativity and came up with the best lesson and game. A BUNCH of people showed up! Including a member's uncle who in his younger glory days was a famous comical actor. He was 87 and hardly walking. For the game we sat everyone in a big circle and Elder Meier explained the song that was to be sung, "rock rock how i wonder, from one hand and to the other, is it fair, is it fair, to leave (name of person in the middle) standing there." But of course complaints were made as they can't even say the word "pop" or "need". So then it turned into "nah, nah, nah" Just imagine 40 of those annoying seagulls from Finding Nemo that say "mine" now change that to "nah", put them in a circle, give them a tune (98% are tone-deaf) THEN on top of that make them do hand actions with the objective of passing a little rock around without letting the person in the middle see, take my word for it.. it was hysterical. Then the 87 yr old comedian started yelling the song and each time the room erupted in laughter. He was reliving his glory days no doubt. In the end Elder Meier was even able to relate it back to the message, all the while us missionaries agreeing, "yep, the kids destined for med school."

With Hermana Stringham! (served here a year ago) and Elder Beidleman and Harris (going home tomorrow)

Yesterday at church was A-MAZ-ING! We heard some of the most amazing testimonies. Hermana Stringham came back to visit the mission with her dad. They both stood up at the pulpit as he testified and she translated. He talked about how his daughter wishes she could visit all of them and call them everyday but that she can't. "But she prays for you. She knows each and every one of you by name." It was so powerful and I couldn't help but think how awesome it would be to be given that opportunity. Tears came and they wouldn't stop, I loved it. Elder Beidleman stood up and shared his very last testimony as a full time missionary. He said something that really rang true. He quoted Holland by saying, "You are the miracle of this church, the members." I sat there and thought about it while looking around at all of the members surrounding me. The recent convert who brought her nonmember alcoholic husband to church for the very first time. The little 12 year old girl who comes to church alone and patiently waits for the day she will be able to be baptized. The woman who entered the sacrament meeting for the first time after losing her husband to a heart attack, having a firm testimony that she will indeed see him again. The old man who cares for and brings his adult mentally-ill son to sacrament each week to feel the spirit. The teenager who recently chose to painfully remove dear friends from his life who have started down a path of drugs and alcohol. They are the Miracles! Each and every one. I am inspired by them.

YAY ELDERS!!!

Saturday... oh Saturday... lunch with members.
We were looking forward to a light lunch after asking the relief society president to tell the sister not to prepare us any rice or noodles. All I remember is that Hna Spain was the first to walk into the eating area when she said, "Oh I want to die" in English. I had about the same desire too when I saw the absolute MOUNTAIN of noodles on our plates... more than the father and 16 yr old son. How thoughtful she was to give us each a package to ourselves. No doubt in my mind that was more than a days-worth of calories sitting on one plate. It's the times when I am drenched in my sweat from the stifling Peruvian heat while a perfectly functioning fan sits in the corner because if you turn it on "we will all die", all the while stuffing my face with carbohydrates until I can't walk let alone breath are the times I walk away thinking, "I hate Peru, I hate it." Luckily the Elders called us and faked an emergency so we made it out before going into a food coma.

A typical dead end street in Peru: 1. mototaxi, 2. kids playing soccer, 3. the virgin de guadalupe

We found and taught a wonderful woman named Monica who has a little more than rambunctious down syndrome boy. The only time he sat still and stopped screaming was at the beginning of the lesson while we sang "I know That my Redeemer Lives." The spirit was so strong and he was absolutely mesmerized. It reminded me of my cute aunt and her love for music! It's the simple moments like those when I think "I love Peru, I love it"

Love you all!
Con mucho amor,
Hermana Ingram