Time for a Change!

Dearest Family,

How are you?  I hope you are doing very well!  It is always a delight to hear from you!  Thank you for keeping me in touch with the family news through letters and emails. 

I am doing great!  Last night the forty missionaries who are currently in serving in the city of Cusco (including me) had the opportunity to travel to a city called Sicuani for a special program.  This program was called `De Nosotros, El Mayor.` In English, the name of this program is `The Greatest of Us All.` We missionaries traveled to Sicuani because we participated in the program.  We sang with a special choir made up of the church members from Cusco in the last song.  This program celebrates Jesus Christ.  It testifies that we worship Jesus Christ as our Savior.  In the program, there are about eight beautifully composed songs, which commemorate different aspects of Christ`s life such as his birth, the miracles he performed, and his resurrection.  While the choir sings the songs, a program of images and video clips about Jesus Christ is projected above the choir.

Singing in Sicuani and traveling to Sicuani was a magnificent experience.  The people of Sicuani are humble.  They treated us missionaries and the choir members like royalty as an expression of their gratitude.  They were grateful that we came to sing for them.  Most importantly, they were able to feel the Holy Ghost in their hearts.  I felt the Holy Ghost as well.  The Holy Ghost testified to all of us that God really loves us.  Because He loves us, He sent us a Savior who can save us from our sins and who can heal us from our pains. 

Traveling to Sicuani was magnificent because I got to see more of the `campo` around the city of Cusco.  In other words, I was able to see the farmland outside of Cusco.  The farmland is beautiful.  It is concentrated in the lowlands of huge valleys, but one can also see terraces with crops growing way-up on the hillsides.  Some of farming methods used today existed way back in the times of the Incas.

The photo I have attached shows my companion (Hermana Cuenca), me, and another companionship of sister missionaries in `De Nosotros, El Mayor.  In this photo, four different countries are represented.  We have a great time together.

Hermana Cuenca and I will not be together much longer.  The big news of the week is that I am going to have a change of area!  I have been serving for the last three months in an area of Cusco called Inti Raymi.  I do not know yet where I will go.  I could stay in Cusco but serve in a different part of the city, or I could change cities.  The Cusco mission includes cities as far away as a twelve hour drive by bus.  Naturally, I am a little nervous to change companions and to change the area where I serve because they are now within my `comfort zone.`  I am also grateful, though, for this opportunity to put my trust in the Lord.  I know that He has something special for me to learn from every companion and every area.  On the mission, I am really learning that I can do hard things.  I`m placed out of my comfort zone often, and so I can`t imagine that many things will intimidate after I finish my mission.

Remember that you are always in my prayers, and I am always thinking about you!

All my love,

Hermana Blunck II

January 17, 2010

Dearest Family,

It is wonderful to hear from you.  I never cease to be amazed that the news I hear from you is always positive.  There is no doubt Heavenly Father is pouring out the windows of heaven upon our family.

Hermana Cuenca and I were not blessed with the blessing of a baptism this week, but it was still an inspiring week.  We had family home evenings with members and non-members almost every night of the week.  I really loved one of our lessons because we prepared a creative lesson and we taught to the needs of the people present.  Teaching creatively and teaching to specific needs is always something that I desire to do more because it invites the Spirit.  For our lesson, Hna. Cuenca and I cut out feet prints.  In the family home evening, we placed them side by side like footsteps, but we eventually had the paths of the left and right feet diverge.  We asked one of the children to walk this path with diverging left and right feet prints.  The child observed, while laughing, that they could not do it after a while.  Hna. Cuenca and I explained that this example represents that we cannot neglect our spiritual goals in pursuit of temporal goals.  When we work to fulfill spiritual goals in addition to temporal goals, we can walk a comfortable straight line.  When we forget our spiritual goals in pursuit of the temporal, it is like we are walking two different paths with our right and left feet.

One of the other reasons why the week was inspiring was because Hna. Cuenca and I began receiving some references from our ward members.  Our efforts to serve the members and teach them are starting to bring forth fruit.  We are really excited because many of these references attended a performance of De Nosotros, El Mayor last night.  This program is a powerful testament of Jesus Christ.

Last night we missionaries also participated again in the performance of De Nosotros, El Mayor.  (The album in English is called The Greatest of Us All.  Kenneth Cope is the composer of the songs.  We sing Brother Cope`s songs of this album in Spanish for the program).  So many people came to the 7pm performance that we had another performance.  In total, we have participated in 5 performances of De Nosotros, El Mayor, and all of us missionaries and the choir are going to travel to Sicwayni next Sunday to give a performance there.  Sicwayni is about two hours away from Cusco.  This program has been a great missionary tool for Cusco.  Many people have been able to learn that we believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior.  Hna. Cuenca and I have not received any references from this event for our area, but other missionaries have received references, which is the purpose of the program.

This next Saturday we are going to have our first missionary work activity with the ward.  The activity is called El Ataque.  We are going to divide up the ward into areas and have companionships of ward members visit less-active members.  I think the activity could be a little more exciting, but it is a good start.  The assistants have done this activity in the past, so they want to do it here. 

The photo I have attached is from last night`s performance of De Nosotros, El Mayor.  Hna. Cuenca and I are with our district leader who is from Guatemala.

Please let me know what I can do for you!

All my love,

Hermana Blunck II

January 11, 2011

Dearest Family,

I know I`ve said it before, but I really think today has been the best preparation day ever so far.  I received the Christmas package from Oregon and a package from Mom and Dad.  I have not opened the packages yet, but I am super excited.  I don`t dare open the packages with all the elders around because they`ll rob me of everything.  I also received lots of letters today.  Thank you so much for all you doing to support me.  I cannot explain my gratitude adequately.

Hermana Cuenca and I had an interesting experience yesterday.  We got to see ourselves from an outsider`s perspective.  To go to a choir practice for `De Nosotros, El Mayor,` Hna. Cuenca and I hopped in a combi.  There were not seats available for us initially, and so we stood in the bus.  As I looked around while standing, I noticed a North American with blonde hair.  Immediately, I felt interested to talk to this girl.  To my happiness, a seat quickly opened up next to this girl.  I asked the girl if she spoke English and, much to my surprise, to said, `We`re missionaries too.`  This girl was traveling with a Latina girl, like Hna. Cuenca and I travel as companions, but I had not noticed the American`s companion because neither of them had plaques.  The Latina companion appeared like the normal Peruvians in the bus.

Hna. Cuenca and I proceeded to ask the American missionary and her companion all sorts of questions.  I expected the missionaries to explain that their mission was for two to three months.  I was completely wrong.  Their mission is for twenty seven months!  They are missionaries for the Nazarene church.  The American spent three months studying Spanish.  The Latina and the American will be companions for the entire twenty seven months.  They will spend all of their time in one area.

The missionaries explained that their goal is solely to help people come closer to God through the Bible.  They are not trying to get people to change their religions.  They hinted that their work is challenging because they said `practically everyone tells us `I`m Catholic` and shuts the door.`  Learning about the facts of these girls´respective missions and their feelings was fascinating for me.  Talking to these missionaries strengthened my faith in my calling.  As missionaries for the LDS church, we have every blessing in the world to help us succeed and grow.  We have Preach My Gospel.  We have district and zone leaders.  We have the priesthood.  We have the opportunity to serve in many different areas with various companions.  With every new area and new companion, we learn new things.  Some of the greatest blessings on the mission include the gift of tongues, the guidance of the Holy Ghost, and our own testimonies.  In addition, we have the message of the restoration and the promise in the Book of Mormon that every person we teach can receive their own testimony from God.

This week was challenging for my companion.  We lost four people with baptismal dates.  This hit my companion really hard.  Heavenly Father is buoying me right now.  I actually feel excited about the work, and I feel a greater love for the mission even though our work had challenges last week.  On the whole, every week and every month I love the work more.  I`m learning something new every week.  Hna. Cuenca and I have determined, for example, how we are going to approach our area.  In our area, we need to find the people that are already married.  The couples just don`t get married, even when they have testimonies.  Although the married couples are challenging to find, I know there are some in our area and Heavenly Father can help us find them.

I have attached a picture of Hna. Cuenca and I in our room.   I`m going to try to be better about sending pictures.

I pray for each one of you.  I am proud of everyone one of you.  I can see how the gospel blesses our family in every moment.

All my love,

Hermana Blunck II

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 Here are a few pictures of me in Cusco.  I especially love the families we are able to teach.

 This is my new companion.  She loves the gospel and is a really hard worker.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.!

I hope your hearts have been filled with joy in this special time of year.  My heart has been filled with joy as I've thought about my Savior and His great sacrifice for the world.  I have felt happiness, real happiness, as I've taught the people of Cusco that the church of Jesus Christ is on the earth .  It has been a joy to teach my brothers and sisters that God loves us, His children, so much that He has established His church on the earth in this day. 

I thought you might enjoy some pictures because I know pictures speak more than words. 

Many of you have asked how is my Spanish coming.  The good news is that I participated in a dinner last night with three Peruvians, one Chilean, and one Guatamalteco.  I was the only native English speaker.  I would say that I understood 85% of the converstation. And don't worry, I talked a lot too.  All the missionaries at the dinner were really interested in talking to me about driving.  I was the only one who could drive.  In South America, there is lots of traffic congestion so it makes it very difficult for people to learn to drive here. 

I love that I have the opportunity to speak Spanish and learn about a culture different that mine.  For example, yesterday I got to experience a Peruvian New Years.  The New Year is much bigger than Christmas.  To celebrate the New Year, practically every Peruvian buys fireworks to set off.  The whole sky comes alive at 12pm sharp.  Last night it was incredible.  I have never seen such a firework show in my life.  The fireworks are awesome because they fly up into the sky and explode. I live up on a hillside so the whole sky was lit up as we looked across the valley below us.   

Love Hermana Blunck