Week 26

So this week was super hard but then it ended on a really good note.

First I got news this week from our zone leaders of a new virus that mosquitoes are carrying (I think dad told me about this last week) basically you don't want to get this virus, not because it can kill you, but because all your future children will be mutants.  We thought my zone leader was joking when he told us, but he was dead serious.  So I´ve been using my repellent a lot more than I was before... let's just pray that the mosquitoes with this virus don't bite me, cause I don't want mutant children! haha  

(Message from her mom ... Bri doesn't always receive correct information.  She was also told that the US was at war with France.  Here is the church's official statement regarding the zika virus ...  http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/missionary-department-zika-virus )

So in Peru the month of February is Carnaval... which is just a month where everyone throws water balloons at each other.  It happens everyday at night, but its really bad Sunday nights.  It's actually super bad in Iquitos.  The missionaries there can't leave their house on Sunday nights. Luckily it's not that bad in Tarapoto, so we can still leave, we just have to be super careful. I was told that sometimes the water balloons don't always have water...it can be paint, mud, or sometimes "bodily fluids".  Luckily I haven't been hit with any water balloons yet, but Hermana Fink told me that she got hit by one filled with purple paint, and she's having trouble getting the paint out! haha.  So let's just hope that I don't get hit with a water balloon this week. 

So in terms of actual missionary work, this week was kind of rough because we weren't seeing progress in any of our investigators.  They all just kind of listen to us, but none of them actually want to know if the church is true. They just kind of accept us to accept us, not to change their life. It's super frustrating cause were like "we have the message of your salvation!!!" but they still don't want to do anything. We were super disappointed this week.. we didn't know what else we could do.. We were praying and praying and then this past weekend we fasted just to know what we needed to do better so that we could see some progress. Then this Sunday, four of our investigators came to church!!! Our pensionista, Mili and her kids, Esmila and Karen (her daughters), and CINDY!!

This week our service fell through so we asked our pensionista if she needed any help.  She told us to help her cook lunch ... she was making fish (as you can see in the picture) and we helped her by making the jello! :)

Cindy is the wife (well, partner I guess, they're not married) of a less active named Jhony. (in Peru they spell John, Jhon).  Anyways, Jhony is the son of the branch president, is a returned missionary, and is inactive.  We have been visiting them since I arrived in Tarapoto.  Jhony wants to get married and start coming back to church, but Cindy hasn't wanted anything. She just listens to us to be courteous and that's about it hahaha. A few weeks ago they started praying together as a family and Jhony has started trying to read the Book of Mormon with Cindy every so often.  This past week she told us that she has noticed a change in her life, that things were a lot more peaceful in her home...and then yesterday she came to church! When she walked in, I actually thought I was dreaming, I didn't actually believe it hahaha!  Now it seems she wants to start learning more about the church :) This week were going to try to set a date for their marriage so that Jhony can get a calling in church and really help support his wife. We're going to go visit them on Wednesday, I'll let you know what happens next week :)

So basically we struggled really hard this week and then Sunday we saw the blessings! :) 

Basically what I learned is that the harder it gets ... we just need to try a little bit harder, when we give a little bit more, that's when we receive the blessings :)

I hope everything is going well back home!!

Love you all!!
Hermana Gurney

(Oh yeah, I got basically all my packages today... I got some that were sent in November haha so thank you all who sent me stuff :) )