Isn't my dog cute?!

Well first off this is my official apology for this letter because this week just went by really fast and I don't really remember very much.

 So the spanish... good news is I basically understand the majority of everything- It's a big step, thank you Holy Ghost. Bad news is I realize that saying si to everything has gotten me into a bit of trouble. But thats why I have a companion who understands spanish and can correct me after I say that yeah in Utah we believe in fantasmas.... Psych. we really don't actually-

 

Learn something new everyday right? This week we did a lot of service! Yay! Love it! Also sometimes I forget that I am living in a third world country. and that lasts for like ten minutes because then we go and nail cardboard together to make walls for someone to help an hermana have a warmer house. There are definitely a lot of humbling moments here. Also I realize that Hna Rod and I are getting the shaft with our apartment. We moved some elders-.... out of a apartment that was already 3x the size of ours. As in one of the rooms was bigger than our whole apartment. Which is one room. But I mean they have a kitchen! And a sink inside their apartment!! Such Luxury! And we moved them into an apartment thats even bigger! With two bathrooms! Who even needs two bathrooms anyways? we have a shower curtain!

 
But we really recieved a lot of blessings. Like the uncle of one of our investigators read SIX chapters of the book of mormon and asked us all these questions about it. SIX! and we hadn't even been teaching him! Tender mercy of the lord right there. We are having a family home evening with them tonight which will be good. I am super pumped to see how it goes.

 We are back in business though this week so we'll be working hard. Cause we need to find some people to teach. Also looking at this picture reminds me how I regret bringing so much stuff with the color run on it. because how do you explain that in spanish? I dont know. But now Elder Perez and Riquelme are under the impression that I was a professional runner. Spoiler alert, I wasn't and now there is all this pressure on me to be in shape when we play futbol today. Curse spanish- One day I'll be able to stay out of these sticky situations that I find myself in. Like this week apparently I also told one elder that after the mission we date. Hey I didn't know what he was saying, my go-to answer is just always a smile and si. Well people have started taking advantage of that. I also have learned that prestome not sure on spelling there, but I agreed to give someone my camera, my scriptures, my eyes, my dinner.... the list goes on. Finally I figured out what it meant when everyone started trying to eat my food. You can imagine how that went down, you've seen kung fu panda. Aint't no one gonna take my fried banana.

 Also Sunday was the primary program. Ah Just a few fun differences being-- the dog trying to participate and the other kids trying to play the piano with the elder who was playing. Ah solid entertainment.... Girls I'm sure yours was great too! Wish I could have seen it!

 So yeah, with much love,

Hermana degn

 

 

 

72 days as a Missionary!

Well I think congragulations are in order. Thursday will be my 72nd day as a missionary!  I'm proud. It's the little things ya know? Speaking of the phrase "ya know" I adopted that into my everyday vocab here, sabe. I laugh every time because I sound like Johnny Depp in Pirates, 'Savvy'. My comp never gets it... obvi. But I think I am hilarious. This past week we celebrated the bithday of Elder Perez. It was vastly entertaining. We threw eggs and him, slammed his face in the cake.... Man quite the party- Ha it was hilarious- Also the cake......delish- Yet another reason why my wardrobe is rapidly shrinking- (sidenote I did expand it a little this week, I've started ironing with my hair straightner- It kinda works. The only problem is that now my orange shirt is about seven different shades. and still wrinkly) Back to the party. It was a surprise and super funny and our pensionista family is just the best. They are all so so awesome. So here is a picture of me, hna R, Elder Perez and Elder Riquelme. Also there's a picture of Elder Perez and Hna Lucy and her kids. So you can see who I spend the majority of my time with. We are a little family here. I love it.

 In other news last week we purchased a shower curtain. Man let me just tell you that the quality of my shower has drastically improved. Who knew that could make such a difference. Well it does. It is held up with tape so I kinda just feel like I am back in college.

 This week we got the clear to start working more. We are still on a bit of a modified sched. but it is much better! And after this week we should get the clear from the doctor to go back to normal------ fingers crossed!

 
We had a zone conference which was really awesome and I had my first interview with President Archibald which was nice. I really like him. He has challenged us to get one baptism a week. Yeah. So this week we are going to find people ready to get baptized! And we are dropping all of our currents investigators because they won't get baptized. So we've got work to do. Also yeah maybe I say all... well really we only have one. and we're letting him go. So I will update more on that next week.

 Also Hna Archibald came out and did splits with us. Yeah talk about the most nerve wracking afternoon of my life! I just kept praying that people would be home and we wouldn't get lost and that they would understand me. Well, it worked out okay. She is awesome and I really love her, and we found some new people to teach as well as taught a really awesome lesson. So all's well that end's well. Even though I about had a heart attack I was so stressed during the whole thing.

 So back to business. I´m doing good! We are working more every day which is a big blessing because I am almost finished with Jesus the Christ. But hey, I've really learned a lot and during our ZC I sounded pretty smart when I threw out a few references. Until no one understood what I was actually saying ha- poco a poco. Also this week my hair miraculously was really straight for some reason (at least in the front) and Hna Cisneros asked me if I had straightened it- Well my response was "like i've got time on my hands". So when all else fails I just quote "That Thing You Do" and call it a day.

 Very good. -TB Player

 With a lot of love and affection and a tiny bit of exasperation (nah, kidding)

 Hermana Degn

 

When I first left the CCM my mission President took us to a beach (alas, this beach is not in my area!) and we watched them raise the Peruvian flag which was very cool.  He then talked to us about Cortez and his story of burning the boats so his men could not retreat.  He then talked to us about not retreating and going full on into the mission work.  It was so great and I am so happy to be serving in this area.  Here are a few pics of that day...

Two months down!!

Not that I'm counting down it just kinda blows my mind that I've been on my mission for two months. Sometimes the days drag on but then P-day comes and its like wow what even happened this week. I don't know. So updates on Hermana Rodriguez. We went back to the doctor and the good news is she doesn't need surgery. The bad news is that we are still on a bit of a modified schedule and can't do a lot of contacting because we aren't supposed to walk very far and all the jaxx for another two weeks so her knee can get better. Well its a bit maddening but its fine because after the trip to the hospital we went to the best burrito place ever. I had a burritto that was better than cafe rio and chipotle combined. Straight up it was soooo good. and huge. and I drank it with this bomb limade so that was awesome- And it was this cool hipster scene plus it even had a nice bathroom. (as in there was a toilet seat and toilet paper, so bascially on a bathroom scale of 7-eleven to barnes&noble it was a marriott, straight up) But to help you grasp just how good this burritto was the hospital is in the Lima Noth mission and it is in the Lima Sur mission and we still went there to eat-.And boy is it worth it. Also that drive! Turns out there is part of Lima that is pretty! It's right on the coast and there are some amazing waves! It was a great fieldtrip.Even though my seat in our car wasn't really connected to anything nor wear their seatbelts. Good news Lima is pretty, other news is I found out a way of driving that makes me sicker than just driving in the mountains.

 Well this week we also did exchanges. (I don't really know what there called to be honest) but I went with Hna. Banbroum, one of the sister leaders, to her area El Olividar.(sp?? no se) It was awesome! For reals like a vacation! She is from California so we got to speak english and we taught a bunch of lessons and I learned so much! It was awesome! One cool spiritual experience was when we taught a woman named Liset- We just talked to her on the street for a minute and then she invited us in. It was really cool teaching her because I felt like the spanish was pretty clear so that she could understand my testimony. It was a pretty cool feeling. We taught her about Joseph Smith which I love doing because it always brings the strongest spirit! Well Olividar is a nicer area than where I am but I hope I don't go there permanently any time soon because they don't have a pensionista AND they have to do their own laundry! Ah, it just sounds awful. This week we've had a change to our schedule and have a new rule that we aren't supposed to leave for breakfast. Well unforunately breakfast has taken a bit of a hit. No more fresh jiuces, avacados, fresh bread, eggs..excetera ect. I can't imagaine what would happen if we didn't have Hermana Lucy for our other meals. (actually I know what would happen. we would starve, but I would be skinny again sooooo, nah, not worth it) Because for reals I could proabably write a whole email just about food alone! It is SOOOOO good here. granted there is a lot of rice. but I don't really mind it. Also you will all be happy to know that I have gotten over my food touching. Like way over that- I am turning into a not so picky eater. Straight up . I've already eaten octupus. with tenticales on it. and I LIKED IT. Plus we eat this fish sometimes and the head is still attatched, and I eat it- and not just eat I have a new talent where I pick the bones clean. Its digusting. I put meat in my mouth and spit out the bones. I should put that on my dating resume when I get home because I find it impressive.

 So basically we are on a modified schedule until hermana R's leg gets better. or for two weeks. AHH! But todo bien, I am learning the art of patience....slowly. Ha see what I did there? But everything is going good. Life is good! We have some good appointments lined up for this week which I am really looking forward to! Thanks for the emails! I love you guys soooo much!

 all my love,

Hermana Degn

p.s. for family night tonight will you guys all write letters to hna rodriguez and mail them tomorrow!!! Please plese please! You guys can practice your spanish and a little english, but it would be awesome if she got mail too! A lot of it!