Hola Guess What? I am opening a new area in Huanuco and I am training again.

Indira's farewell party- She left for her mission in Kitos Peru this week. I love her and she will be a great missionary. She helped us out a ton in my time in Huancayo.

Man I have tons to write about this week. You already got the news that I am training again, this time an American! And we are opening up a new area in Huanuco. We arrived yesterday after being in a van for about 8 hours. Huanuco is the most north city we have in the mission and we are closer to the jungle. It's not like being in the jungle but it is greener than Huancayo and very hot and humid and has palm trees. Its weird though because we are in a valley surrounded by mountains.

This was at a friend's house. Typical Peru.

I was like where in the world am I? I arrived and within the first fifteen minutes we got attacked by mosquitoes. I sent a picture of my leg before we could get to the repellent. Others got it worse than me, I was pretty lucky. As we were finding out where our pensionista lived it started to pour rain and I started to feel right at home like I was in Huancayo again. We got soaked and there were rivers of water running down the streets, it was actually kind of hard to cross. There is a lot more mud here than in Huancayo.

Welcome to Huanuco. My leg after 15 minutes of waiting for our suitcases. Looks like insect repellent is necessary.

My companion is great too! Her name is Hermana Krupp and she is from California but her dad is from Germany and her mom is Danish. Her and her brother were born in the U.S. She studied Spanish at school so her Spanish is pretty good but is still getting the hang of trying to explain things in Spanish but I know that she will pick it up really quickly. I will have to be careful because it is really tempting to speak in English a lot since I know that she speaks it. :) 

We got here yesterday and we found out that we have a place to live but they are finishing building it and it won't be done for a few days. So right now we are sleeping on the tile floor in the Huanuco central sisters apartment. I didn't mind it at all because even with the rain it was still about 80 degrees in our apartment at 10:30 last night when we were ready to go to bed and the tile floor was coldish. I slept fine without a blanket on top of me. Our room is really nice though and we will be doing great once it is finished. It is in the upstairs part of my pensionista's house. My pensionista is so awesome! She has wanted to give pension for a long time but wasn't allowed to because there had always been elders and she has a 16 year old daughter. She is so very excited that we are here and can't stop smiling. She treats us so good but gives us a ton of food. I am going to have to talk to her about that. 

They don't use taxis here. Everything is in motos. Putting our suitcases on to take us to the room. So funny.

Our ward will be shared with our zone leaders and since it will have four missionaries that shows me that it is a hard working ward. Everyone that I have met has proved my assumption correct. Every ward member we have met has given us at least 2 references and the ward has already given us a list of members ready to help us from the Relief Society and Young Women's. They are excited to have sisters.

This is the view from the window of the other sisters apartment

 

 I am really excited to be here but sweating hot as I am writing this. I was sad to leave my area in Huancayo. I will miss it and I heard that there were a lot of people crying at church when they heard that I had left. That's what happens when you are in an area for a long time. This week in Huancayo was successful but a little weird. We had three holidays in a row which can only mean one thing. Everyone is drunk. There were people passed out all over the streets. We had Halloween which was so fun! There were little kids everywhere all dressed up. We bought candy just to bribe them to take pictures with us. They are so cute. The next day was their Day of the Dead celebration. It's where they go visit the grave sites of their family to celebrate them. Really it's just more drinking. But they do make awesome bread and the favorite food of their family member and all get together. The next day was the Day of the Living. Haha. And really that day is just an excuse to not work and get over their hangovers. 

Other Halloween pics of some kids I know

On Halloween we bought candy just for the sake of bribing little kids to take pictures with us in their costumes. They are so cute! She was my favorite. Blanco nieve. Snow White.

One awesome highlight of this week was that we finally got Johnson to accept a date to be baptized! Hermana Soliz and I had taught him for so long and we dropped him for awhile because he always said he would be baptized but wouldn't accept a date. Hermana Alpaca and I prayed and prepared well so that we would be able to answer to his needs. And we did. I think I taught with more power and authority in that lesson than in any other lesson in my mission and he accepted for the 17th. I won't be there but I am excited about his decision to be baptized and I know he will make a great member.

I know that this is the work of the Lord and that he his helping us. I feel his spirit speaking though me as I teach. I know my Savior lives.

Have a great week!

Hermana Rhoten