This week was great! I have focused my Christmas time on feeling close to the Savior. Really Jesus Christ was the greatest gift ever given to the world.

My companion and I. I like this picture but we look kinda sweaty.

First off....FELIZ CUMPLEANOS to Marissa tomorrow. Or Happy Birthday. I hope that you have a fun day. Something funny about Peru is that when they sing to people on their birthdays they always sing Happy Birthday first in English and then they sing it in Spanish. I dont really know why. But its so funny to hear Latins try to sing Happy Birthday.

We went to teach this girl on like the 4th hill in, it was a long hike. She was a reference from a member and is so very sweet. This was the floor of her house made out of wood, it wobbled when we stepped on it. Below the floor lives a pig. We had to teach over the sound of their pig....

This week was great! I had a division with Hermana Soliz (my Bolivian trainer) at the beginning of the week which was so fun. I love her and feel like she helped me find a lot of ways that I can improve myself as a missionary. She said I had changed a lot. I was surprised at how our chemistry of our companionship still worked even though we hadn't taught together in so long. It seemed that teaching came back so naturally with her and we were able to read each other so well. It's something you can't really explain unless you have had it before. We found and taught some great people and in the process we were offered fruit cake 3 times. I don't know how Hermana Krupp lucked out in avoiding the fruit cake of the week. It's really not that bad. I don't mind it but they just offer us such large slices and we have to walk around in the heat so full when they offer it to us.

This is a pretty view of part of our area.

This is a bridge in our area. It wobbles when you walk on it too and is kinda scary because it is always really windy there. Cool though.

Also my companion got bit by a dog this week. It was so odd, all the dogs bark at us and get close to us but we just act like we will throw something at it and they stay where they are. This dog wasn't barking it just came up behind her and bit her. We cleaned it really well and it looks better but it still has a big bruise there. We have been watching the dog to make sure there aren't any changes and we found the owners. There are so many dogs here and they are just such a normal part of life but after it bit her we became really aware of all the dogs around us. We are always a little bit on edge and looking over our shoulder. Before we just crossed the street for drunk men but now we have been crossing the street for dogs too.

The elders of our zone. 

The sisters of the zone with our hats. 

Something fun that happened this week was that we were asked to do a Christmas skit with all the missionaries in our zone for a talent show that they were having in our stake. We practiced a lot for it this week. It was about a missionary who had a dream around Christmas time. In the dream he was training his companion with district videos (the missionary training videos) and my companion and I were acting out one of the videos. We started out talking in English and then the missionary got mad at us and told us he forgot to switch the video to Spanish. Then we finished our part in Spanish. Everyone laughed and thought it was funny. I was actually really nervous practicing for it because during the practices I kept using Spanish words when I was supposed to be speaking in all English. I had to breath and practice speaking in all English. The Spanish part I didn't have any problems with. 

Our whole zone after the show. Minus the Tingo Maria missionaries.

We had a guinea pig in our skit. I don't know who just has a guinea pig costume laying around the house but somehow they found one....haha

The elders messing around at the practice.

I have been studying a lot about Jesus Christ this week and his Atonement for Christmas time. It hasn't really felt like Christmas here yet. It's just too hot and so very different from how Christmas is at home. But I have focused my Christmas time on feeling close to the Savior. I have really learned a lot about him and who he is. I have really felt him.  I know that he lives. I know that he loves us. I have learned a lot about the Atonement and how it can help us in our lives. Really Jesus Christ was the greatest gift ever given to the world. 

Have a great week!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Rhoten