Dearest Family,

It was wonderful to hear from you.  There is never a dull moment in life.

I´ll do my best to recap some of the highlights of the past week.  One
of the biggest highlights was having the opportunity to proselyte for
a full day last Saturday.  We drove two and a half hours away to a
city called Huaral.  There, Hna. Haggard and I proselyted and looked
for ten inactive members with our teacher.  It was a great experience.
We were not able to find most of the inactive members on our list,
but we did find one person.  This person´s name is John.  He is about
18 years old, and he and his father are inactive.  We we first started
talking to John, his facial expressions indicated that he was not
thrilled to listen to us.  After my companion brought up the subjects
of serving a mission and entering the temple, John´s facial
expressions completed changed.  It was amazing to see.  John felt the
spirit at the end of the lesson, and he quickly agreed to attend
church last Sunday.  Hna. Haggard and I have an appointment to teach
him again this Saturday.  We are going back, and I pray that he will
remember how he felt last Saturday so he will have a desire to receive
our message.  It was an incredible experience to teach a real person.
I cannot wait to enter the field next Tuesday.

Here´s one more story about last Saturday.  We made a contact with a
woman sitting in a mototaxi.  At first she was not very interested,
but she become interested when my teacher invited her to read Alma 40
to learn about where her child is, who has died.  We walked by this
mototaxi about 45 minutes after making the contact, and the woman was
still sitting in the mototaxi.  To our delight, we saw her reading
from the Book of Mormon with a friend!  I think this picture of a
woman sitting in a mototaxi reading a Book of Mormon will stay in my
mind forever.

Another highlight of the past week was seeing Mom and Monday.  It was
amazing because I had felt on Monday morning a deep yearning to see
Mom.  I was thrilled on Monday afternoon when a missionary told me
that Mom was sitting outside the caferia.  It is like Mom read my mind
and heart.  Last week was a little challenging, but that is okay.  In
one devotional Elder Holland gave to missionaries, which we recently
watched, he said some profound remarks.  He said that missions, of
necessity, must be hard so that missionaries can be worthy to wear a
nametag with the name of Jesus Christ on it.  He said that
missionaries must take a least a few steps in the Garden of Gethsemane
so they can appreciate Jesus Christ.  Please, do not get me wrong!!!
I did not share these remarks because I am feeling sad.  I simply
shared these remarks because I believe they are very profound.

Hna. Haggard and I continue to get along great.  It will be hard to
leave her, but I also know that it is what I need to do.  I can´t wait
to be speaking Spanish all the time.  On Monday, we had an English
fast where my whole district spoke only Spanish the whole day.  I
loved it and wanted to say ´Why don´t we do this all the time?!¨´

Last week, Hna. Haggard and I had a meeting with the CCM president.
We wanted to know how we felt about our instruction here.  We were
positive because we have loved our experience here, and we also shared
a few ideas about how it could be better.  It was a little difficult
for me because I have the hardest time talking openly when I fear I
could hurt someone, but I am glad we did it.  It was a very good
learning experience for me.  I honestly cannot believe how much I am
learning as a missionary.  I am learning about myself, the world, the
Spirit, other people, and news ways of thinking.  It is so funny
because I thought I had life and the gospel figured out pretty well
before I became a missionary.
Thank you for all of your love and support!


Love,

Hermana Blunck II

Dearest Family,

Last Saturday was the greatest day ever because I received a stack of
about12 dearelder.com letters.  Thank you for taking the time to write
me every week.  Thank you Sister Lazott for sending me all of those
general conference recaps.  They are inspiring.
On Sunday, our branch president shared his testimony and
he said he was a tough investigator.  I can picture him being a
challenging investigator because he is also an intimidating man.  I
also know, however, that this man has never deviated from the gospel.
He has been a faithful member and a leader in the church since the day
he became a member.  Thanks be to those missionaries that lovingly
taught this man.

To switch gears...last Wednesday we went on a short tour of Lima.  It
was wonderful.  Hna. Haggard did some shopping, and I handed out lots
of pass along cards.  I was very encouraged because it was not as
scary as I thought it would be.  The people of Peru are genuinely
nice.  On our tour, we stopped at the coast and saw lots of surfers
(yes, there is great surfing here in Lima).  We also stopped in
downtown Lima.  I had never been there with Mom and Dad, so I loved
seeing it.  There are lots of beautiful buildings dating back to the
1500´s.  Hna. Haggard and I went inside one old church that has
catacombs underneath it.  The catacombs were pretty crazy, but I
actually loved the rooms of the church more than the catacombs.  One
of the rooms is a library.  It has books that the Spaniards brought in
during the 1500´s.  Some of the books of huge.  I just love seeing
such history.  I have a big appreciation for old churches ever since
going to Israel.  They funny part of the experience is the Hna.
Haggard and I went a Spanish speaking tour because we had little time.
We had the best time acting like we understood everything our guide
was saying.

The Latino missionaries here call me Snow White.  It´s fun.  I am not
sure to take their remarks that my skin is very white as a compliment
or an insult =D.

Feel free to email me next week, but send dearelder.com letters to the
Cusco mission.


Love,

Hermana Blunck II

I only have three weeks left until I finish my training and fly to
Cusco.  Is that unimagineable?  My companion from Chile left yesterday
for her mission after three weeks of training.  My new companion is
Hermana Haggard, who I have known and loved since I entered the Provo
MTC.  There are not enough Latino sisters for us to have Latino
companions.  Our goal is to talk to each other in Spanish all the time
so we do not lose the Spanish vocabulary we have recently learned.  It
was not too hard for me to say goodbye to my companion.  I think this
is Heavenly Father´s way of assuring me that I am doing the right
thing, and I need to keep moving forward with faith.

Last Sunday, I halfway sang a duet with Hermana Haggard.  Aren´t you
proud of me?  I say halfway because when we stood in front of the CCM
audience, nothing came out of my mouth.  All I could do was shake, and
my shaking became really bad when I looked over and saw Hermana
Haggard shaking horribly too.  At least something came out of her
mouth.  The reason why we were singing a duet is because our district
volunteered us to sing the first verse of I Know That My Redeemer
Lives by ouselves.  They joined with us for the final verses.  I have
lots of opportunities to sing as a missionary.  It is good for me
because I have never done choir before.

Hermana Haggard and I were felt very grateful and humbled on Monday.
We taught a lesson in Spanish to our teacher who was pretending to be
an investigator about the priesthood.  There Spirit was there, even if
it was a pretend lesson.  We felt humbled because only three weeks ago
we felt stressed about having to get to know someone in Spanish for
ten minutes.  Now we are teaching 20 minutes lessons in Spanish and
sometimes on topics that we never studied intently.

Here are some thoughts I have had recently about faith--
As we have faith in Jesus Christ, specifically in the reality of His
atonement, He comes to us.
Christ may not comes to us physically, but he does manifest himself
through the Holy Ghost, who works wonders and miracles in our lives.
-2 Nephi 26:13
In the words of Elder Bednar, ´The Savior said he would come to His
apostles.  Let me suggest that one fo the ways whereby the Savior
comes to each of us is through His abundant tender mercies.¨
I used to feel sad that the people in the scritpures literally saw the
Savior and I had not.  What I am learning is that I can see the Savior
in my life everyday through the wonders of the the Holy Ghost and the
tender mercies I experience.

Thank you for your love and support!  I saw Mom and Dad yesterday when
they picked up a few missionaries who were entering their mission.
Mom and Dad look great.  They are in the jungle today and come back
tomorrow.

It is my preparation day again.  The best way to describe how time passes on a mission is 'A day feels like a month, but a month feels like a day.'  I have been on my mission over a month now, which I can hardly believe!  The good news is that I got my first nap in today.  It was very needed and rejuvenating.  I know I am really becoming a missionary because I am now waking up before my alarm goes off, which is around 6am.  After a year and a half, I don´t think I will be able to sleep in very late =D.

 

My Spanish is coming along.  I know I say this every week, but I do not know how else to describe it.  My Spanish is usually its clearest when I teach because Heavenly Father is blessing me.  Last Wednesday, for example, I was feeling pretty tired when I began my practice teaching appointment, but Spanish somehow came out of my mouth.  After the lesson, a Spanish elder actually explained that his 'boca was abierta.'  This means his mouth was open as my companion and I talked.  I love rereading my notes from the blessings I received in the months preceeding Sept. 1 because I can already see how they are being fulfilled.  I was blessed in three different blessings to be able to learn Spanish quickly so that I could 'understand the people I serve and form some eternal relationships.'  I am grateful to be experiencing the fulfillment of these blessings.

 

Here is my favorite experience of the week.  I was outside studying, and I felt prompted to talk to the gardner working close to me.  I talked with him for a while, and then he opened up a gave me some amazing advice.  He said, 'Don't tell the people of Cusco that you want to share a message about God because they believe they don't need anything more.  Tell them the truth.  Tell them that you have a message that will help them be better spouses, students, and parents.  Tell them you have a message that can lead them to be with their family forever.'  This man's advice was perfect.  

 

My companion and I still get along very well.  She will be leaving on Tuesday for the mission field.  She told me that she does not have any fear about entering the mission field, but she does have fear about getting a new companion.  I can understand where she is coming from.  Next Tuesday night, Hna. Haggard and I will be the only North American sister missionaries here because the Latinos will be gone and so will the other American sister missionaries.  New sister missionaries will come next Wednesday, and I will get a new companion then.  I learned today that next Wednesday the CCM takes us on a tour or Lima.  I am very excited because the only place we usually go on preparation days is the temple and a local grocery store.  I hope that we can go to the olive tree park near Mom and Dad's apartment when we have our tour of Lima.

 

This week I had the lucky opportunity is participating in a Jillian Michaels type of workout.  I went out the play fútbol on Monday for exercise time, and there was a man in the field rounding everyone up.  He put all the missionaries who had exercise time at that moment through a rigorous workout.  He had us running sprints, doing burpies, weaving through cones, doing tricep dips, etc.  It was hilarious.  I could not stop laughing.  I could not breathe either, but it was hilarious to hear some of the missionaries moaning and to hear a coach type of figure cracking down on everyone.  It turns out that the CCM had invited this man to come, and he will come twice a week from now on.  I am still sore from the workout, but it felt so good to exercise really hard.  Sometimes I feel my body craving an intense workout.

 

Aren't you proud of my for playing f'utbol with all the elders?  Mom and Dad helped me realize that the elders wouldn't expect me to be good anyway, so it would not matter if I made a full of myself.  Maybe I will be good at soccer by the time I return to the U.S.  My announcement is that I headed the ball yesterday.  I also made a goal last week =D.

 

I look forward to hearing from you!

Love,

 

Hermana Lynette Blunck

 

Back Home...in Peru!

 I am in Peru again, and I am thrilled to be here.  It is so reassuring to be close
to Mom and Dad.  Last night, I was sweetly surprised by Mom and Dad.
They met me at the Lima airport.  The MTC president gave them
permission to meet me there.  Talk about a fun reunion.  I feel
humbled that they came because it is a long drive for them to and from
the airport.  They got home very late last night.  Mom and Dad were
able to meet some of their Lima North missionaries in the airport.  I
believe the missionaries were pretty surprised to see their mission
president when they arrived in Peru.  I am sorry that I did not call
everyone yesterday.  Our layovers were not very long.  My companion is
from Chile.  I know that I have much to learn from her.  She talked to
me this morning and I feel like I understood 5% of what she said.  I
am excited for my Spanish to improve rapidly while I am here.  There
are 5 American sisters in the CCM and 14 Latino sisters.  My preparation day
is next Wednesday, so send emails before then if you want me to respond. 
Emails will be the best way to communicate with me.

Here is my address for letters:
(It is a little different than what I e-mailed you a few weeks ago)
Hermana Lynette Blunck--Peru Cusco Mision
Av. Melgarejo 159
Urb. Campo Verde
La Molina, Lima, Peru