Hermana Hannah Ingram: Week 69 A Good Catch Phrase December 5, 2016

I hope you're all Iluminando el Mundo! (serious Spanglish going on) #lighttheworld

A good catch-phrase (and I say that tentatively, we are by no means salesmen) for lesson 2, The Plan of Salvation, is:

"Have you ever wondered where you came from, why you are here, and where you are going after this life??"

Your average Peruvian: "...No."

Before when they would answer no with a passive shrug and a blank stare I would think, "What?! You've never wondered?!" Thankfully Elder Meier once shed a little light on the subject. In psychology you learn about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. It's the little triangle ranging 5 levels of human needs. Starting at the bottom with Physiological, food, water, shelter, etc. Then to things like safety, love, esteem, and finally Self-actualization. In other words, Peruvians get so stuck on what they are going to cook for lunch that day (physiological) that they never quite reach the top. It makes a lot of sense if you think about it. (:

Hermana Sepulveda is leaving! :( Next Monday I will receive a new companion, who will most likely be my last. Change is always nerve wracking!

Antonio was baptized!!

The Hernandez Family!

This week was the greatest. Antonio was baptized! We sat down with Juli and Jesus and started talking about how they needed to get married. At first, Jesus started naming of all of his requirements; a big party, his whole extended family present, money for a honeymoon, etc. Things were not looking to good. We just sat there and taught them about the importance of baptism and how blessed they would be. From there we let the Spirit work in them for a time and then finally, handed Jesus a calendar and said, "Ok Jesus, when do you want to get married?" He pointed to a day, "the 10th of December." We kind of just laughed until we saw the seriousness in his eyes. A truck load of Happy-stress poured into my body. YAY HE FINALLY WANTS TO GET MARRIED! Then... oh profanities... we have less than one week to try and pull off a marriage in a country with the most complicated marriage processes.... AAHHH Not to mention we need money... Praying for miracles over here! (:

Zona Talara

A new little sister from Arizona arrived to the field a couple of weeks ago. She is fluent in American sign language and has absolutely zero background with Spanish. Not too long ago she was asking me how I survived my training without anyone to talk to in English. It looked like tears were beginning to well up in her eyes as she told me of an experience visiting a woman who was pouring her heart out to them. Hermana Pinkard wanted so badly to understand and help this woman but could do nothing as the language barrier was too giant of an obstacle. She said, "I feel useless, I'm not helping anyone." Goodness I know the feeling all too well! It feels like just yesterday I was going through a situation virtually identical to hers. I tried my best to give her some words of wisdom as I related my own experience. It actually turned out to be one of the coolest moments looking at her and seeing myself a little over a year ago. I felt like I could see very clearly how far I have really come and knowing the potential this little Hermana has. She is like a flower just waiting to bloom! Whom the Lord calls he qualifies. Soon enough she won't be merely surviving, she will be thriving.

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Ingram