Hermana Hannah Ingram: Week 56 A Week of Infermedades September 5, 2016

Lobitos

Week 2 in Talara

Fun fact: with the way that the "r" is pronounced in Spanish it actually sounds more like Talada than Talara.

In response to last week. Thanks to well prepared hermanas that had been in Talara previously we had emergency shower water. It lasted until our water turned back on.

As an hermana leader we frequently check up on how our hermanas are doing. Lately 1 companionship has been sick. My companion told them it was because they weren't eating healthy or exercising. They called us one night and said "We wanted to start our diet and buy veggies but then we got robbed and are out of money" when my comp hung up she looked at me and said, "Everything is out to get you when you re on a diet." Amen!

So occasionally I log onto this email feeling extra unmotivated to write a weekly email. These are usually the reasons why: 1) It wasn't the most ideal week 2) Internet is bad 3) I'm not getting along with my companion 4) I am sick

Well the good news is, we get to cancel out reason number 3! Hermana Martinez is the greatest!

Week 2 was a week of enfermedades! (sicknesses) First I got strep throat. I've had strep throat so many times that when I saw the white spots on my throat I thought "Okay somebody needs to give me a shot of penicillin..." How miraculous it was when the area mission doctor showed up to Talara the very next day! I've been on antibiotics for 5 days now. Yesterday I was having some really weird viral symptoms and had shortness of breath, exhaustion, headaches, chills, etc. I told the member we would be eating with that I was really sick and couldn't eat a lot. She said, "Ok I will just make you a little soup and nothing else." Well "de todos maneras" I was still served the montaña de arroz and chicken along with a big bowl of soup. What part of sick and no appetite don't you understand... Luckily I was nicer than that and started eating anyway. Then I felt my stomach start to clench and ran out the front door in the middle of the meal. I started doing the pre-vomit cough but shoved the upcoming food back down to my stomach. That was when the lady really got the idea and let me take the rest of the food home.

Note: Peruvians are very helpful people! Almost too helpful. If you ask a stranger for directions they will literally drop everything they are doing and walk with you to your destination. The problem is that even when they have no idea either they will still walk aimlessly for you and then tell you "this is the place" when in reality it's on the other side of town. When I told people I was sick they literally tried doing everything to help me. They made me put on winter coats, they gave me like 600 different pills (which had I taken them all I would probably be in clinica Teresa right now in a coma) all fans were turned off, I wasn't allowed to drink cold beverages, and worst of all... They said I needed to eat rice. That is when I put my foot down folks. NO ARROZ!!

I love these people and that is one thing I would want to apply from this culture. Be more helpful. Be willing to drop anything and go to someone in their time of need. But on the other hand I would also want to say "well, I have no idea where that park is but maybe the other guy does..."

Toni is our awesome investigator! He is 16 yrs old and just moved here from Lima. The kid has had a rough adolescence. He told us a story of when he went out with his friends and the only thing he remembers is waking up to someone dragging him to an ambulance. He overdosed on hard drugs. While Toni drifted in and out of consciousness the only thing he can clearly remember is hearing a voice clearly tell him to stop what he was doing or he would ruin his entire life. Toni wants to get baptized but doesn't feel worthy for God or His love right now. That's a lie! Only Satan in his misery would want any of us to feel like we aren't loved or wanted by our Heavenly Father! When I look at him during our lessons I feel like Heavenly Father lends me his eyes for a moment. I feel like I can see through His eyes and see all of His love for Toni. I feel that it's Gods way of helping me bear a very sincere testimony that God does indeed love him. More than he can possibly imagine! I know that rings true for everyone. God loves each and every one of us! He knows everything that we don't want anyone else to know about us and loves us still. Pretty amazing. God's love is without a doubt the driving force behind missionary work.
During our lesson hermano Rosalez (who has also had a very rough background) said, "Hermana Ingram, where did you come from?" "The United States" "Hermana Martinez where did you come from?" "Ica" "see Toni? God loves you so much he sent you two missionaries from far away places to help you in this very moment, I know they are here for a reason"

Well I had really awesome pics this week from the beach! But go Peruvian Internet... no me deja enviarlos.... all of you with Google Fiber I hope you stop what you're doing and start counting your blessings! (*photos added a week later)

Con mucho amor
Hermana Ingram