Antojos y caracoles

Well, This week was full of lots of learning once more. Went on splits with Hna. Thompson in her sector Tullumayo (still cusco) and LOVED every minute of it. I missed her and how level headed she is. She just gets it. I didn{t take a single picture, which is dumb. I will one day. 

Transfers are tomorrow, and only a couple people from our zone are leaving. SHEETS IS STAYING!!!! I am so happy about that. I will still get to send her love notes on a caterpillar. This means for the next 3 days, we will be shuttling people around again. YAYYY. good thiing there{s LOTS of chocolate ni this town. and ice cream on every corner. 

We had our Leadership meetnig with the president in his house this tuesday. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. also, i love his wife. They are so incredible. We were there with all the Zone leaders and other sister training leaders (4 in cusco, 2 in puno). I LOVE HIM SO MUCH! did I say that enough? nope. I love him. He is so inspired. After the meeting, I got to talk to him for a little bit and just get wisdom dropped all over the place. Then while hermana Enriquez was talking to him, I got to talk to Hna. Harbertson. She gave me life advice and just listened. I needed that. She is a great listener. 

I decided to start being more focused on helping the hermanas I{m in charge of instead of whining about my insignificant problems. About time, right? only 6 weeks later. 

Well, pray I won{t die this week. Our house is gong to have about 15 hermanas in it tomorrow and wednesday. i have to hide all my food and shampoo haha. It{s like college all over again. 

LOVE YOU ALL!

1-- All the Sister Training Leaders at the president{s house. Hna. Black (she{s in Puno), My companion, Hna. Huaman (also Puno), The mission president{s pensionista Vicky, Hna. Harbertson, me, Hna. Del Rio, Hna. Sheets

2-- There ya go, Dad. Finally a picture with my mission president. Does he not look like Steve Martin??

3-- Elder Hidalgo{s last district meeting. we ate cake. 

4-- Eating lunch at our pension. (it{s a member{s restaurant)

1-- I went on splits with Hna. Thompson, and the lights went out in the middle of their ward coorelation meeting. 

2-- I have been switching up the words from the Merry Christmas letters since New Years. It does wonders for my creativity. 

3-- 6 of my 8 planners. (MTC was boring and I didn{t make the first one). Grandpa was on the last one, and Val and Nessa are the stars of this transfer. Send me more pictures if you want to make the cover haha. 

4-- Acción poetica Cusco. They put poems on walls all over the city. I saw this one on my first day in this sector and felt so much better. it says "Breathe and keep going. It{s a bad day, not a bad life" and on the right it says "Only a Hero smiles when the heart cries."

1-- "Cusco. Bellybutton of the world" hahahhahahahahaha. I love this thing. 

2-- Dad, this is our ward council this week. just soak it in. Laugh. We have it after our sunday meetings, and everyone is dying of hunger, so our bishop gives us treats. this week, cake. It was noones birthday.... But I loved it. LOOK AT HIS FACE HAHAHAH! 

3-- dang teenagers..

4-- Speaking to a parrot. 

1-- This city. is my city. and I LOVE IT.

2-- "a poem is born in your eyes." I don{t really get it. but, that{s okay. it looks cool.

3-- This is our landlord Cesar and his son. They live upstairs. I like them. He just finished ETHER! We gave him a book of mormon less than a month ago. Get real. 

4-- I burned my choclo. but it was still good. 

5-- You are mine. Happy V-day

1-- Hna. Sheets creepin on my as I ironed my skirt... while wearing it. I didn{t want to take it off. 

2-- Happy V-day! 

3-- Sheets{ grandma sent a little caterpillar that skoots like a real caterpillar, and I send secret notes to her on post it notes. haha. so clever. 

4-- I LOVE CUSCO

Smelly Cat, what are they feeding you?

I have a cold and no voice.

I had 1 day in Cusco this week.

We spent a total of 24 hours on a cramped bus this week. 

I showered once because Andahuaylas has FREEZING showers.

I got bit by a flea.

I didn´t take many pictures.

I had a cold sore. 

Hna. Del Rio had to give up her guitar because we aren´t allowed to have them.

I am almost out of ice cream.

But I still have chicken nuggets, and I feel good. 

This week was full of stories and feelings that can´t be explained adequately in an email. I had a hard month, and a great last 2 days. My outlook on my whole mission has changed drastically. I am learning to not compare my mission to anyone elses. I am where I am for something specific, and I am starting to appreciate that. Even though I don´t really have investigators, and I don´t see hardly any little kids, I am happy here. After 5 long weeks of not understanding my purpose, I finally am happy. 

Miracle of the week:

We had the hardest time just getting on the dang bus to Abancay. We stopped there on the way to Andahuaylas. We forgot the tickets in the house, and couldn´t get on the bus without our Passports. Which are always in the mission office... 10 minutes away from the terminal. I never have my ID with me, and I was annoyed that we couldn´t just get on the bus, but the elders in the office saved us with 30 seconds to spare. On the way home from Andahuaylas, we got stopped by the police. They checked every single passenger´s ID thoroughly. I have no idea what or who they were looking for, but through what I THOUGHT was an inconvenience, actually saved me from a potentially very complicated and scary situation. I had my passport, and I wasn´t asked any questions. God was watching out for me.

I know I don´t say as much as you all would like in these emails, and I´ll try to remember to include some of the other stuff too.

To answer a few questions,

My companion is great. Always happy 24/7. I have never seen her mad or frustrated. Sometimes that´s hard for me because I´m so mellow, and I don´t talk until 10 AM, but she´s teaching me so many important things, and I love her for that. She´s from Guayaquil, Ecuador, and she goes home in August. She loves to sing while we walk, and loves music. not the same kind as me, but she loves music. She doesn´t like playing soccer (SCORE) and loves walking through stores without buying things (SCORE once again). She is so giving, and shares her tuna when I run out. We get along, and I like that. 

I still don´t have a picture with my mission president, but he looks a whole lot like Steve Martin. Like... exactly. He is the most incredible man I have ever met. We got to Abancay just before they ended their zone conference with the President. We caught the tail end where Pres. Harbertson talked about life after the mission. Ya know... marriage and stuff. Way to trunk us out president. haha. 

BUT He talked about his wife and how much he loves her and is grateful for her in his life and other really sweet things. When everyone else had left, he told me his wife has heard this talk about 12 times, and has never understood what he said about her. He asked me to translate it for her, and walked away. After I translated, she told me. "You wanna know how you pick him?" I was expecting something super long and complicated, but she just said "Pick someone who loves the Lord more than anything else, and everything else will work out. He will love your kids, he will work hard to take care of your family, he will be a good leader, and he will love you like the daughter of God you are." I just looked at her and said "I have never thought of it so simply." She is so wise. I have so many memories with her that I will carry into the rest of my life. I feel like I am in this mission specifically to know them. Don´t worry, I´m not trunky ahha. But I sure am trying to use all the things I experience here to change me into the person I need to be. 

I am going to love my family so much. 

I love the ones that already exist so much, and can´t wait to see pictures of baby Hixson in the coming weeks. 

I love you all more than words can say. Thank you for being my constant support.

Love, Hermana Allred.

p.s. Camille Rasmussen, I just barely got your dear elder, and you go into the MTC next week, so that doesn´t leave me with much time to give you advice haha. But just make sure you have a good long raincoat, a really warm down coat, and waterproof shoes. It rains a lot, and it´s cold here. But also, it´s hot in Puerto Maldonado and Quillabamba, so bring light weight clothes too. I´ll see you in Cusco in 7 weeks! Can´t wait to meet you.

1-- the view from my window the other night. 

2-- my bed when we travel. I really really like my bed at home. and hot showers. we are spoiled in Cusco. 

3-- We had just woken up, so ignore the faces. But, I GOT TO SPEND THE NIGHT AT ROUTSON´S HOUSE! I missed her and I love her. 

That one time I tracted near Machu Picchu

Well, once again, it was a travel week. This time to Valle Sagrado Zone. there are 4 hermanas there in 2 different sectors (45 minutes apart). It was nuts and full of trying to solve problems, but I felt good.

Hermana Hansen and I are such good friends and we got to talk all day. It´s nice to have someone listen to me and not expect anything. Ever since I came to Cusco, it has felt like we have no one to turn to (other than God obviously) when we are having a hard time. that´s OUR job. we are the listeners and problem solvers. I felt like that a little in the MTC when I had this calling, but not as amplified. Don´t worry, I´m fine, I just miss having someone in charge of me telling me what to do haha. 

We had Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday to work in our sector, and man... it´s really hard to get people to progress in 3 days each week. We are leaving at 7:30 tomorrow morning for Andahuaylas (on duh why lass) and we´ll be there until late friday night. It´s an 8 hour bus ride. remember how I get car sick on the way to walmart? well, prayers and pills will play a big part in this trip. sleeping too. 

My letters are so boring now. I have so much to say, and so much happens, but I just forget it all. I should start writing things down. 

OH! Val, Hna. Garrett, Chelsea Garrett, and Nessa, I got the letters and candy! I dunno if you sent a USB with music, but there wasn´t one when I got it. I ate all the candy already... Good thing it´s impossible for me to get fat. 

Today we have to pick up 2 hermanas who have to get set apart by our mission president before heading out to their missions. They are going to sleep in our apartment tonight, and we´ll ship them out tomorrow morning before we leave. 

This is my life now. I like it, but I miss working in my sector all day every day. It´s very different, and rewarding in different ways. I´m happy. 

Love, Hermana Allred

1-- My companion, and Hermana Olivarez (I went on splits with her this week in Ollantaytambo. Her sector is the closest one to Machu Picchu. There aren´t any missionaries in the town of Machu Picchu)

2-- Ollantaytambo (oh yawn tie tom bow). Can you see the ruins? This town is adorable and full of die hard catholics and tourists. Hands down the hardest sector in the mission. There are 8 active members there and NO chapel. they have to take a 45 minute bus ride to Urubamba to go to church. 

3-- This would be Hno. Thompson. He makes shoes. (he reminds me of the book you are special) He´s senile and thinks the world is out to get him. We are patient with him. And we love him. 

4-- I was walking home from buying groceries for the next day, and who did I run into? Maribel Corimaya from SICUANI!!! She is a less active we had been working with for a long time, and I didn´t get the chance to say goodbye to her when I got transferred. I ran up to her and hugged her so tight. Might have cried a little too. I was sooo happy to see her. God really does give us tender mercies when we need them most. 

1-- Door. 

2-- Hermana Hansen and I. We got to be companions for a day in Urubamba. (she is the one I found on the sister missionary facebook page and we went to the temple a couple times together before we left) No one was home, so we had LOTS of time to catch up and just have fun. I really loved being her companion. it helps that her iPod was FULL of good music. We are so similar, it´s scary. 

3-- Urubamba Hermanas

4-- Pensionista in Ollantaytambo. CHOCLO and some kind of weird meat. I just didn´t ask what it was cuz I was scared it would be llama. 

1-- Made myself a journal out of a notebook, because THEY DO NOT SELL JOURNALS HERE. We searched forever. It´s almost impossible to find lined paper too. Everything is grid paper. 

2-- Brian Regan. That awkward seat in the back that faces the other cars. Don´t make eye contact ahhaa. Panais... 

3-- Hermanas in Ollantaytambo´s door. I WANT THIS APARTMENT! it is adorable. 

4-- Their apartment. I love the cobblestone. 

1-- Gemelas Rubias. 

2-- A lil tunnel in Ollantaytambo

3-- another cat lady companion... WHEN WILL IT END!? Maybe God is trying to teach me something... my husband is going to be a cat person. 

4-- Valle Sagrado (Urubamba)

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.