sweating in the jungle. ew

1&2-- I just realized you couldn´t see batman in that picture. These ones are better.

Dearest people in my life. This week was a good one. We had 0 for all of our numbers this week. EVERY number haha. But, as I learned in my first transfer, as long as we are helping the other hermanas, it doesn´t matter what our numbers are. 

Quillabamba (key-uh-bomb-uh) was as hot as ever. I got to work with Hna. Ugarte, Irvine, and Rasmussen. It was so nice to speak english for a little bit. (i´m the only gringo in the house. 5 latinas) I love those girls so much, and I learned so much from them. The mission is hard, especially the first couple transfers, and I´m glad I got to be there to help. 

We also get to go to the doctor a lot for a girl that has bronchitis or soemthing. They still dont´know what it is, so we´ll be going more this week. We know that hospital way too well. 

I´ve been studying the bible like a mad woman lately. I started in Ephesians last  sunday, and I read all the way to the end of revelations. I skipped around a lot because it doesn´t really matter what order you read it in. I found so many scriptures for the work of salvation. Motivation for less actives, missionaries, families that have problems. I am learning a lot about how to respect people God has called. I have been having a really hard time with that, but God continues to teach me more every day. I love him for that. 

I love my mission, and I´m sorry I don´t tell you guys more stories. I feel like so much happens, and pday is always so rushed. SORRY. 

I´ll try to write a better email next week.

Love, Hermana Allred

1-- Hna Ugarte and I

2-- my lovely companion. I love her so much. 

3-- Hna. Irvine working out with a batman figurine as motivation.

1-- Hermana Rasmussen and I (the new one, not my MTC companion) they look alike, no?

2-- all the hermanas in Quillabamba branch

3-- my sweet companion and hna. Rasmussen

4-- the terminal in Quillabamba. this is how we roll on back to Cusco

1-- My sweetheart batman OBSESSED Hna. Irvine. We are in the same group (we both go home in October)

2-- Birthday dinner with Sister Morales at CHILI´S!!!

3-- Playin skip bo with my comp. We got stuck with 4 1´s for a good 10 mintues. Have I mentioned that I love her SO much?

4-- leftover NY steak and potatoes and skip bo. First steak in a year. I LOVE CUSCO

1-- Addict

2-- Del Rio and a bunch of other hermanas came to go to Machu Picchu, and Del Rio was telling one of her classic stories to everyone haha. I missed her lil mexican face. 

3-- Hna. Quezada´s cinderella shoes. haha. 

I go a fishing

a year ago yesterday, I went through the temple. That was one of my favorite days of my life. I have been having reoccuring dreams that I get to the temple, they give me my clothes, but they don´t let me go inside. It is so frustrating. I get so emotional when I think about going, and I won´t get to for another 7 months. That´s hard, but I guess dreams of just being in the lobby will have to do for now.

I really miss the temple. WE ARE SO LUCKY to have a million so close. Take advantage of it. When will the new provo one be done? I want to go there.

I got bit by a spider in Quillabamba this week. I thought it was a mosquito until my leg swelled up and hurt like heck. I put some cortizone cream on it, and now it´s gone down. I should really remember to put bug spray on. Luckily we´re going to be in Cusco this week, so I will have a break from getting eaten alive. 

Transfers are next monday. I´m really trying to be excited. I need to stock up on ice cream.

I´m a week away from hitting 11 months. GET REAL. I just got here. I´m constantly surprised by how fast it all goes by. 

I keep getting emails from the missionaries in the states saying things like "we have iPads, iPhones, air conditioned cars, facebook, and blah blah TECHNOLOGY" and I´m just sitting here in my boots covered in mud thinking "there´s a zone leader who got a new brick phone and it has a CAMERA. 2 megapixels baby." yeah... we still live in the stone age here.wbut personally, I really like it. I don´t have to worry about losing anything or having the temptation of playing solitaire all day on my iPad. I just have, you know. my planner and scriptures. It´s really nice to be technology free. usually.

John 21:3 "¨(our district leader) saith unto them, I go a fishing (and all the district) said unto him, we also go with thee..." 

We´re going fishing today for Pday. I´m a lil excited, to say the least. Even though I´ve been fishing probably 25 times, and have NEVER caught anything. Except that one time uncle Hal baited the hook, cast the line, and let me reel it in. And, you know, church carnivals in the cultural hal. Just watch. Mission blessings will come, and I WILL catch a fish. 

This week we were in Quillabamba, if I didn´t already clarify that, and now there are 3 companionships there, so we stayed a day longer. I hate the heat. I decided that officially this week. I HATE IT. I would ratherbe incoats and have nothing showing but my lil eyeballs than be in hot weather tracting. If I were in Hawaii on the beach, that´s different. But I was in a skirt, shirt, with a heavy backpack and not flip flops, walking all day trying to find someone who would let us in so they can go to heaven. It´s very different than chillin on the beach. I love the cold. 

Well, I am learning quite a bit about myself and studying more effectively than ever before. I don´t know why it took me so long to realize this church is true and it does nothing but bless the heck out of us. I just, I´m full of happy and the spirit and love. Thank you all for every single word you send my way. Every package full of little american things, and real letters in envelopes with stamps. I cherish every single one of them. 

And now, I go a fishing :) hahaha. I love applicable bible quotes. 

1-- A weird plant thing I found on a tree in Quillabamba. looks like the rumor weed on larry boy. haha. veggie tales.... those still are the images I have in my head when I read bible stories. 

2-- crossing the bridge

1-- looking down on the sketchy bridge

2-- my pervian coin collection. Our pensionista´s son sold me 6 yesterday. he had doubles of everything

Choclo con Queso

This week was a travel week. We left Cusco Tuesday after studies, got to Quillabamba that night, worked Wednesday and Thursday with the Hermanas there, then came back Friday and kept working in our sector… I{m exhausted, but happy. I didn't even throw up once! 

Quillabamba is about 6 hours away, and BOILING hot. I did not bring clothes for hot weather on my mission, so I was suffering. But, my skin was silky smooth when I left J One perk of being in the jungle for a few days. It was fun to get to know more missionaries and help them where I could. I still feel really inadequate. I learn so much from them when I’m supposed to be teaching/helping them haha.

This morning we went to Sacqui Huaman (no idea how to spell that… flipping Quechua) and Cristo Blanco. SO COOL. It was super early, and I don’t really function well in the morning, so everyone thought I was depressed. Nope. It just takes too much energy to talk before 10 AM. I am NOT a morning person. 

JACKIE ARROYO! (I hope you're reading this) I got your dear elder! You are going to come to the mission in May, and I'll still be one of the Sister Leaders in Cusco, so I get to meet you your first day. Send me your email so we can talk more. I will be writing a post about missionary advice that I{ve been collecting the past 9 months pretty soon, so don't you even worry. You won't make the same mistakes I did. Also, we have a list of all the Hermanas birthdays, and yours is soooon. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 

I love you all a million red m&ms. 

Love, Hermana Allred

1-- The roof of the Hnas house in Quillabamba

2-- again

3-- pollo a la braza because they don{t have a pensionista for dinner. not healthy, but I love it. 

4-- Less actives we taught in their radio station. so cool. 

1-- I{ve been wearing my boots most days in Cusco cuz it{s super cold and rainy, but in Quillabamba, I got to rock my clarks and oh. my. TAN LINE up the wazoo. In just 3 days. 

2-- Choclo con Queso. (Corn on the cob with cheese.) They sell it all over the place when we travel. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. The cheese plain tastes like feet, but with corn it{s great. 

3-- I woke up (one of 10 times on our 6 hour trip) and saw this out the window... look closely. What does it look like? THE SECOND COMING! Once my eyes adjusted I realized it was just snow, but man. You really never know when he{s going to come again. You might be on a bus in peru. 

4-- Distrito Santiago. 

1-- 3 sol pizza. Classic Ttio Hnas. dinner.

2-- Our district plus 2 more elders. this picture looks like something off the Hills haha.

3-- Saqsi Huaman or whatever it's called. lots of rocks (all the places we go to in Peru are giant rocks haha)

4-- Cristo Blanco

1-- Some guy trying to sell us an anonymous "herb". Yeah, no. 

2-- same guy telling us how pumas eat lil animals and doing the actions haha. i wish I could send you the video. 

3-- LLAMA. 

4-- View from one of the cathedrals. You can see my house from here! and the plaza.

1-- Hna. Gonzales. One of the Hnas. I went on splits with

2-- Hna. Gomez. Other hna. 

3-- Distrito Santiago :) The best.