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