Dearest Family,

If you can believe it, six weeks have passed since I last wrote you
saying that I`d arrived in a city called Urubamba.  Last night we
received news whether or not we would have changes.  My companion and
I are both going to stay in Urubamba for at least another six weeks.
I am please because we have some couples that will finally be getting
married and baptized.  We are so blessed to have a Father in Heaven who
perfectly understands our hearts.

This week we should have a couple getting married and baptized.  It
is the greatest blessing in the world to have the help of the
Shellenbergs.  They understand the paperwork process, and this
wedding wouldn´t be possible without them.  This couple that is going
to marry and baptized is the couple that came to church one Sunday on
their own accord.  This couple has been great missionaries for us.
They keep bringing more of their friends and family to church with
them.  Yesterday was pretty miraculous.  We had ten investigators in
church, thanks mostly to this family.  My companion and I have also
been fasting, so I believe Heavenly Father is blessing us.  The key
now is to help these ten amazing people enter the waters of baptism.

My companion and I are hiking around these days in rubber boots like
the boots we used for our pigs.  I know we look goofy, but its better
than scraping the barro, or mud, off of my shoes everyday.  We also
make a great fashion statement in our green camping ponchos.
Sometimes I ask myself if I am really serving a mission.  I never
imagined myself doing this.

Is Janeece really coming this week?  I didn`t realize that she was
coming so early in March!  Enjoy your time, Janeece.  I am so excited
for you!!!!!  Before we know it, all of this family will be
Peruvianized.

Thank you for your prayers the last few weeks.  I felt your prayers,
and I`m feeling a little better.
Please remember that I think of each one of you everyday.
Love,
Hermana Blunck II

Happy Valentine's Day!

Dearest Family,

Happy Valentine`s Day to all of you!  Today feels like another normal day in the mission, but I am enjoying remembering the years when Dad brought home flowers for both Mom and me.

This week we had lots of trips to Cusco.  We traveled to Cusco for interviews and a multi-zone conference.  Even though we were away from our area quite a bit this week, we were able see some of our investigators make progress and we met some promising contacts.  For example, Hna. Villegas and I hopped in a bus on Friday, and contrary to how it normally is, the bus was practically empty.  There was only one man in the bus and his daughter was accompanying him.  Here`s the cool part of the story.  As soon as we entered the bus, the man started talking to us!  This almost never happens. Immediately, he also started to share with us how he is unhappy with the Catholic religion.  He does not like the drinking and fiestas.  This man has two daughters whom he adores.  We shared a little bit about the plan of salvation with this man and talked about the possibilities for his family.  Hna. Villegas and I have an appointment for this Tuesday to teach the man in his home.  I am trying to have a lot of faith right now.  Because this man is so golden, I`m kinda scared to teach him.  I`m trying to remember that God only works according to our faith.  In addition, I`m trying to remember that if I have the Spirit while I teach, God will make up for all my weaknesses.

Here`s another inspiring story from the week.  Yesterday, a family attended all of our church meetings simply because they felt they should come to our church.  I was confused for a long time because I could not figure which member had invited the family or which companionship of elders had brought the family to church.  I was confused because nobody had brought them.  The father had dreamed that he needed to change and that his family needed to come to the LDS church.  I`m trying to have lots of faith for this family too.  I`m trying to have the attitude that this family will enter the temple shortly.  I honestly feel scared, but I know that God will only work according to my confidence in Him.

  

In the photo of the pathway lined with rocks, I am in a town called Ollantaytambo.  Ollantaytambo is even more amazing than Urubamba.  It`s sits in a valley and on all the hillsides are Inca ruins.  I`d recommend looking up this town in google.  Hna. Villegas and I are really happy because President Calderon recently changed the rules for our rama.  There are four companionships in Urubamba and he recently said that we can work wherever we want in the rama.  Initially, each companionship had their area and Ollantaytambo was not part of the area of Hna. Villegas and I.

The photo of the baptism is from Feb. 6^th.  The senior couple in Urubamba, the Schellenbergs, helped this couple to marry, and they were baptized afterwards.

In the photo of my companions and I with instruments, Hna. Villegas and I are in our pension.  Our pensionista and her husband play Peruvian instruments for performances.  Their music is beautiful.  The elders in the picture are my district leader and his new greeny companion.

 Remember that I love each one of you!!!!!!!!!  Please give my dear nephews and neice great big hugs!!!!!  Remember that "trials are not the end, just bends in the path!"

 

 

All my love,

 

Hermana Blunck II

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