One wonder down, 6 to go

1-- I didn`t know what to do with my arms. 

2-- ´Murica. thanks Elder Bentson for providing the flag

3-- our whole group

Oh darling family and friends. I do believe I live in the greatest mission in the world. I HAVE MACHU PICCHU IN MY MISSION! and they let us go there before we go home. It was hands down the most amazing thing I`ve ever seen. Obviously... it`s a wonder of the world. pictures don`t do it justice, and words can`t describe it. I`m so exhausted and can`t remember what even happened this week, but just know I`m working harder than ever and I`m trying to make every last second count.

I`ve learned so much this week. First, God loves me so much. Dieter F. Uchdorf is an inspired man of God, and when I watched the Women`s conference on a little computer screen in the Stake Presidency`s office, I cried. I felt God`s love for me. UNCONDITIONAL love that just keeps coming no matter how often I close him off. 

And that is why I am here. I feel the love God has for every person I teach the minute I walk into their homes. Even the ones that treat us like trash. I see them for what they could be, not what they are in that moment. 

I feel the importance of temples more than ever this week. Luckily I will get to go to lots of temples very soon. I cannot wait. This past year and a half has turned me into more of the person God wants me to be. Nothing and NO ONE will ever make me doubt my testimony. 

I know for certain that God lives. Jesus lives. Joseph Smith was the means of bringing Christ`s church back to this earth. The priesthood is REAL and it changes everything. Without it, we have nothing.

I am so grateful for every moment of my mission. For every one of you. For my dear mission president. 

Thank you thank you thank you

Hermana Allred

1-- Hna. Wahlen and I escaped from the group to meditate for a minute. Not joking.

2-- sorry so many pictures are of the back of my head. I like the view better than my face. 

3-- there`s a rock that supposedly has "special energies". bull. I felt nothing. 

1-- Hna. Wahlen is a dancer too. We get each other.

2-- we had to sneak to a quiet part of the mountain to take this picture. apparently jumping isn`t allowed at Machu Picchu. oops.

3-- and another

4-- we are the 2 best friends that anyone could meet. 

1-- The sisters of our group. AKA the best group to ever go to MAchu Picchu

2-- STank facin it when my Zone Leader tries to ruin my pictures.

3-- lazy llama on the lawn

2-- We were trying to make a video of me in my obnoxious accent that comes from various different accents, but it was accidentally a picture. One day you`ll see the video.

3-- ridin` the train

4-- in the lil pueblo of Machu Picchu. A 20 minute bus ride away from the ruins

marca la quinoa

I am still loving my mission. My companion is the best thing that has happened to me. We get along so well, and I never have to tell her to be obedient or work hard. She is such a blessing. Transfers are in 2 weeks, and I´m nervous that president will snatch me away from her. I really hope not.

I forgot most of what happened this week, but a couple random moments:

1-- We were in a lesson with a lady that has an autistic daughter, and she was going through all my stuff in my backpack. She got to the tiny pocket, and what does she whip out? TAMPONS!!! her mom just looked at them and said "oh look, you found her... what are those?" hahahhahaha.... no one here uses them. I was on splits with Hna. Hansen at the time, and we were DYING laughing. 

2-- Emily´s Grandma died this week, and we went over to give them some stuffed animals and UNO (thanks mom!). They were all sad cuz here, they mourn the death for like a week straight and just stare at the picture of the person. it´s depressing. So we played UNO with all the kids. We distracted them for as long as we could. 

3-- All of my companions have told me I talk in my sleep. Sometimes in English, others in Spanish. This week it was spanish haha. I also will wake up without a sweater on sometimes. This week I woke up with a DIFFERENT sweater on, and I didn´t know how it happened. I guess I´m a heavy sleeper. 

I have had so many moments this week where I feel so much love for the people here, and my heart feels like it´s going to burst. My mission has been so good to me. I´ve gone through more than I would have EVER chosen to go through, but it has refined me, and I feel so much closer to the person I need to be for my future.

This last little bit of my mission has been hard in regards to not thinking about family, but luckily it only happens at night when I´m trying to sleep. All of my dreams have been about being at home... I HATE THAT because I honestly don´t want to leave. It´s just hard to think about leaving all these people and experiences behind. I´ll be sad to leave, but I´m excited to start the rest of my life. 

Love, Hermana Allred

1-- me and the chinito

2-- ward family night.

3-- we went on splits this week. got to eat with hna. vickie. LOVE HER

4-- it´s election time. there´s propoganda all over the place

1-- look at that baby. He kills me.

2-- puno puno puno

soooo I went to lima, for visa stuff again, and I just barely got back to cusco, so I will be writing my real email tomorrow sometime :) love you all.


This week was nuts again. I don`t remember what happened before Saturday. We went to Juli to have our multi Zone conference by Lake Titicaca. It was freezing, but one of the most memorable days of my mission. We made different stops by the beach, and they were teaching about Jesus`s life. It felt like we were by the sea of Galilee and were walking where Jesus walked. It was really incredible. As always, Hna. Harbertson gave an amazing talk. I respect her so much.

We went to Lima for the last time, and I am now a legal resident. WHOOO! But... I lost the ID while I was going through the airport. good news is, the mission secrectary wasn`t even mad at me. I`m still legal. We didn`t get to go to the temple this time, which was a bummer, but it was fun to be In Ttio for a little bit to talk to Hna. Llacsa. 

I am really enjoying the work. I love my companion, and it`s incredible to see what can happen by just saying sorry and forgetting about harsh words that were said in the past. I am learning more every single day. 

Transfers are on Tuesday, and I`ll know if I`m staying or not on Monday. I`ll work hard no matter where I am. In Puno, Puerto, or Quillabamba, no matter what, I`ll give my all until the very last day. I know I`m not perfect, but I`m trying to be better every day, and I like what I`m becoming. This Gospel is everything to me. I wouldn`t change a thing about my mission.

I love you all.

Hermana Allred  

1-- President and his wife. I love them.

2-- trying to keep warm on the snowy cliff by lake titicaca

3-- again

4-- first good jumping picture in my life. 

1-- Row row row your boat gently down the beach

2-- classic boat pic

3-- Hermana Harbertson and I... and some chicken sandwiches.

4-- Rass mi Bassmussen. Oh how I love her. 

1-- we are the dancers

2-- our cute lil district

3-- all the hermanas in our zone. it grows every transfer

4-- my long lost roommate hna. Llacsa. LOVE HER and loved talking to her in our old house. 

one day, I´ll be healthy again

Well, seres amados, once again, I´m sick.  but this time it was worse. way worse. I KNOW it wasn´t food this time, so I´m sure one of the adorable snot nosed kids gave me a bug. If they weren´t so adorable, I´d probably be more upset haha. While I was in the "I want to die" stage, a few thoughts rolled through my head like, "what if it´s a tapeworm!?" or "do you think if it´s something bad they would send me home??? NOOOOOOOOOO!!"

good news. it´s not that bad. I´m just dramatic, and assume the worst right away. I´m mostly okay now. I refuse to go to the doctor´s here, because they ALWAYS say "oh, you´re just stressed. take this pill and you´ll be fine." um... no, I´m pretty sure this is some kind of disease, so do something other than look in my ear and take my heartbeat, and diagnose me! 

ahem. anyways... 

Not much happened this week due to said sickness. The elders gave me a blessing, which is always my favorite. especially in spanish. The priesthood is so cool.

I slipped on some gravel and got a nasty cut, which also turned into a giant bruise. 

annndd that´s about it. hopefully more exciting news next week. 

love, herman a allred

1-- borrowed guitar playing in the pension

2-- Emily´s kitten fell asleep in my lap during the lesson. I still hate cats. but kittens are adorable.

3-- Denise´s baptism

4-- I got really sick.

1-- Juliaca, Bella Vista, and Puno Central hermanas. It was so fun to see everyone again.

2-- las locas back together. Two of my very favorite people. 

3-- this is what happens when we make our own dinners

4-- in our bathroom, we don´t have curtains. so the landlord put paper over the window. But it had a really good view of lake titicaca, so I ripped a hole in it. then hna. purse put toilet paper over it so we don´t have any peeping toms creeping on us. 

Because I´m happy

1-- and she´s clean! she had to do it twice cuz she had a bracelet on... i didn´t know that was a thing, but she got baptized twice.

2-- eating fruit goo for the 14th time in a row for dinner. I´m so happy we´re not eating with our dinner pension anymore. (mazamorra is the name of the fruit goo. it´s the worst.)

I am an incredible amount of happy this week. for many many reasons.

1-- Emily was baptized. It was the least stressful baptism of my mission. Even though they showed up an hour late(normal) and the speakers didn´t show up. A family is coming back to church! An entire family. It all started with Martin´s example. he is sharing the gospel again, and got to baptize his daughter.... He has a store on the corner, and we noticed that he stopped selling beer. He switched out his crystal beer table for a coca cola one. I can´t express all my love for this family. It´s just too full. His wife FINALLY came to church. We just met her this week. We are having a family night with them tonight.

2-- We found VANESSA!!! Remember her? Wel, we were supposed to go see another lady that lives in her house, but it was late and they live in the sketchy part of town, so we almost didn´t go. then hna. purse said "remember how you said that when we don´t want to do something, it means a miracle is about to happen? well, maybe we should go. Vanessa might be there." So we went, and she was there. and she is looking for answers. She wants it more this time. Time is what she needed. Good things will come, I know it. 

3-- My Bday package got here from down under. and it was perfect. I have the best friend in the world. 

4-- We have been SO sick ever since we got to Puno, largely due to our Breakfast/Dinner pension. (we have a different pension for lunch, and she is amazing). We decided to make our own food instead. MAC AND CHEESE! and real food, not just bread, hot chocolate, and fruit goo. 

5-- I feel like, as of late, I have been working more effectively because I am more focused. I had a lot of things distracting me back home, but I´ve mentally, and literally, cut myself off from those things, and things are going so much better. School, work, and the future can wait 4 more months. 

6-- I went to a dance concert. our stake YSA put it on, and it was so fun. I miss dancing so much and never want to give it up again. They were dances from all over the world. The bolivian ones were my favorite. 

7-- We are primary teachers for the 8-11 year olds. They are so reverent. It´s a joke really, that we´re teaching them. We´re in the Old Testament. Joshua and Gideon to be exact......... I had no idea who they were before we taught those lessons. We studied, but when we got in the lesson I was like "sooo... Gideon. He was a prophet. and he had an army who drank water out of a river. and then there were 300..... who wants to play simon(GIdeon) says??? (for 20 minutes)" YEah... I need to study the Old Testament more. 

8-- random 

my back has been hurting a lot. i miss the chiropractor. this is a conversation that happened.

me-- I need to marry a chiropractor.

hna. purse-- I need to marry a glassblower

me-- haha whaT? why? 

hna. purse-- have you ever seen blown glass? it´s so cool.

walking down a creepy street at night with lots of drunk guys.

me-- we look ugly on purpose. it´s a safety precaution. 

It´s been such a good week and I feel really good about these last months. I LOVE being here.  

1-- playing piano in the pension

2-- a lady in our ward who might have cancer. I love her... 

3-- dance concert

4-- Emily and Martin

1-- all the fam. all WERE less actives, but are coming back to church. 

2-- happiness. 

3-- waiting to go in. it was FREEZING that day. my lips almost fell off. 

4-- going in. I love this picture.