Hey guys! This week was busy.

We had two divisions one in Huancayo and one in Huancavelica. I would have better pictures but my companion is super sick today and forgot her camera. Also happy Independence Day everyone! Last year my companion was Bolivian so we didn't celebrate but this year we kind of did. The Elders pension invited us over to make hamburgers. She even printed out American flags and put them in the window. It was so sweet of her.

The flags in the windows are from our fourth of July celebration.

Concepcion is a HUGE fiesta right now.. Every time I think that Peru has taken parties to the next level I am always impressed again. I thought it with Santiago, Purple month, Christmas, Carnival, and with the Negritos. This week of July 2nd to the 11th they are celebrating like three big festivals. One is the anniversary of the city of Concepcion,  the second one is the anniversary of the war that took place here against chile and they are also having a celebration of anise bread. That one's a little random.

This statue is in the plaza always. It's of the war from Chile.

Just so you guys get a taste of what its like here this morning while I was studying there were thirty bands passing through our block and in the plaza. It was so loud I couldn't hear my own thoughts. I guess today all of the bands are just from other parts of Peru but later in the week there will be some coming from other countries like Colombia and Mexico. We have seen thousands of people in costumes all week, wherever you are you smell beer, one of the days there were dances of little ones and another day there was all the adults dancing, multitudes of people. There is a huge market too. We always have a market but this one is a lot bigger and has a bunch of breads made into different things like turtles and dolls and things. They had some motocross thing going up by the giant virgin statue up on the hill. To be honest I didn't even know that Peruvians did motocross. Oh yea and the day of the anniversary of the war there was a huge reenaction of the war in the plaza, costumes and fire and the whole works. I guess Peruvians know how to be festive. With all the parties we haven't gone uninvited. We were invited to join in with the dancing even though we weren't dressed up or anything. This man even grabbed my hand after we said we couldn't and tried to dance with me. When we were in Hualuas the men on the combi also invited us to go to another party.

The city is Huancavelica

One of my favorite moments of this week was when we were contacting in one of the little villages. We started talking to some little kids and this little girl asked me Why are you white? I was like well there's this thing called genetics but it mostly has to do with that my parents were white. She seemed to be satisfied. Most of the kids out there have never seen white people before.

This picture was on our stake bulletin board and I thought it was funny. It says if your girlfriend says she is going to be ready in five minutes take a seat and read your Book of Mormon.

One of our jobs as missionaries is to boldly call people to repentance. There are lots of inactive members in our area and I feel like we have to do it often. This week I had a cool experience when relating the example of keeping covenants to a woman who always promises us she will go to church and never does. We talked about the converts of Ammon who had promised to never again take up arms. They were in a time of war where their friends were suffering and dying because they were defending these converts. They almost did but Helaman talked them out of it because he was scared they would loose their souls. We talked about how even though people were dying it wasn't okay to break covenants. 

Sometimes we will feel like the option to keep covenants won't have the best consequences. I personally don't think that sending Helaman (who to my knowledge has no military background) to be in charge of 2000 young men with weapons was the best option either. But the lord provided a way. They were protected and kept their souls. To those of us who have made covenants with God we must keep them. If we have broken them we must repent. The Lord has promised us that as many times as we repent with real intent we will be forgiven. Moroni 6:8) Let us be a covenant keeping people. 

I hope you all have a great week! 

Hermana Rhoten 1