Temple and Cookies

I went to the temple this week, and it was beautiful beyond belief. Me and Hma. Mendoza met up in San Juan where she is serving, and we got to see our converts from Chincha! Seriously, every single one that was baptized, Maria Torrealba, Juana And Diego, Dara, Fabiana and Hillary, and all of my other families were there! (Except for Emma, but I still got to see a picture of her.)

 It was one of the best experiences of my life. I literally felt like I was in heaven, because I found out that they were all staying worthy to enter the temple, and at least do their baptisms for their families. This must be how Heavenly Father must feel when every single one of his children dies and returns to him in the celestial kingdom. /Alma 40: 11&12) 

And I was even more motivated to return to my area and find people to teach with Hma. Guelet. We saw a huge mountain of investigators (well, 6) and less actives in church, and I know that was another present God gave us for working our butts off. Really, the mission is hard a lot of the time, because we walk all day, trying to find people who will receive us, plus we have to grow like 6 years in a year and a half, but the payoff is even more great. Its like Dickens says, " It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." I know that a lot of ya"ll are probably experiencing your worst of times right now, but just keep going, there is light at the end of the tunnel. (Mosiah 7:33& Ether 4:19) 


Keep on truckin! 
P.S. Thank you so much to the lovely ladies in the trailside ward for sending me my lil box of sunshine this week! I literally almost peed my pants to find those limon heads. 


And HAPPY ANNIVERSARY AND ENGAGEMENT, SEAN! 
You beautiful fox you, have a great day, and tell Ezekiel I willl be watching him very closely from Peru. 
Hma. Guelet sends her felicitaciones, a fellow Argentina to another. 


Hermana Bana Addington

Pretty much every other pic in here is explanatory, because the temple is beautiful. But the last 2 have stories; Our weekly planning session is called Plan Somos Uno (We are one) and Hma. Mendoza in her apartment in San Juan has Plan Somos Figuras, rules so she can lose weight before finishing her mission. (I think she is bodacious, but whatever.) But after reading this, I decided to eat a really good fattening Peruvian cookie;)

SOY SOLTERA

I have come across alot of emails from my family, friends, and other youngins that ask me why I decided to serve a mission. I really cannot describe it all at once, but I will begin to share what I learned. Alot of people have fear about serving, knowing if they have the guts to do it, or if they should stay in college or in their jobsand continue on until they feel ready. 


Everyone has different lives, different situations that they are dealing with, and have to take in account if they really could serve missions or not. But for me the decision to serve came from a mountain of experiences. I reas Mosiah 28;3, 1 cor. 13:11&12, and Alma 26.I went out and taught with the sister missionaries. I prayed every single day for an answer, I heard testionies in church. I read my patriarchal blessing, and I looked for ways I could serve. and then I realized that I had already made my decision, my want to help other people had exceeded my fear of not knowin the language, or finding my way around, or having a different companion every 3 or 4 months.   
The mission really is something that helps you grow, because you learn to become like the Savior, constantly putting others before yourself. But you do not have to have a badge to say you are a missionary. Christ never had a badge, but he had a heart, and soul. We do things every day in his name, and hope that other people will follow. 
 
Now is the time to do difficult and hard things. Now is the time to try to plan on things we never even thought we could handle before.You do hard things, you are a strong person, serving a mission or not. 
Sorry, do not have more time to be funnier, I have to leave, but I hope somebody reads this and likes it!
Hermana Addington

Btdubs, I am moving in with Hma. Guelet in Argentina after my mission, because she is a cooking muse. I am also going to personally make the pics of Elba, Stephanie (the one who won"t smile) and Fernanda (smallest one) my future screensavers. Geez, they are so cute and hyper. Fernanda"s shirt says "Soy soltera, y hago lo que quiero." (I am single, and I do what I want.) 
The cow I drew is a dancing fool. 

Do ya"ll remember that song that Marachi had to learn in Milam for the magnet show, De Colores? Good song. Me and Hma. Guelet did service this week, aka helping a mama distracting her kids with colors so that she could take a long deserved nap. I felt pretty sweaty, but I did a good deed. And drew a good cow, if I say so for myself. 

FOR THE LOVE OF CAMOTE

This is going to be a very short letter, because the man in this internet place does not like me and Hma. Guelet. Grr..Ernesto.
But anyway, I hope everyone has had an amazing week , what with Halloween ending and getting ready for Thanksgiving. I have had alot of fun visiting the temple, with my fellow colleagues, we actually had a session of our own. And we are preparing 2 people to be baptized in December! One, named Jesus, might be more prepared than the other, named Junior. I think its just his name, and the fact that he knows President Morocho. He really is super funny and direct. He told us that he would do everything possible to be baptized, even bear his testimony in the crazy sacramant meeting, and kiss the head of every irreverent baby there.
And I received my package from ya"ll! POR FIN! Thank you for all the goodies, letters, and the love. My package should be on its way soon, I promise.
I read a super good talk by Elder Holland in the Liahona about mental disorders, and it really halped on of my less actives. Its called Like a Broken Glass. Also, read Moises chap. 1 for inspiration this week, cuz its really good. Also, Mosiah 24.
Thats all I got, here comes Ernesto. I will scribe more next week i PROMISE! i LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YA"ll, and your beautiful faces!
Hma. Addington
P.S. I almost dies reading that political joke Amy. Fresh tears running down my face And also thank you for reminding me of the Ted and Eric video. Hot dogs. >


Dangit, I forgot that Elder Wright escaped in that picture of me and Hma. Guelet in front of the temple. Whatever, I will crop him out eventually. Th other one is the lovely Hma. Cortez and Mendoza (my last compie) who are both finishing their missions like, soon. I told Hma. Cortez to head to Bruges, because she goes to BYU and has NOT had their goodness yet. It is a crime, a good ol pregunta #4 on the baptismal interview sheet, if ya"ll RMs out there know what Im talkin bout! Jeez I need to go get some fresh air.

A few pics of me outside the white house,( haha fooled you, its the temple, which is soo much better!) , where I found my lovely Hma. Byrd from the CCM, serving in Lima Central right now! Its the 2nd smallest mission, next to temple square. But the appetites of the missionaries there are HUGE. Seriously, they ate like 4 plates of good ol rice in the temple cafeteria. And just me and my zone, a bunch of little boys. My favorite is Elder Cayetano, the lil missionary talking (cannot miss him). Elder Couch, (Californian blonde), looks strangely like Dad. Its weird. And the rest are just lil boys. But they are so pure. Bless their hearts.

A Very Merry Birthday to You, Momma!

First off, I wanna thank my mama for giving birth to me and always remembering to feed me regularly so that I would not die., Also, for putting up with all of my half and full baked schemes for 20 years. (Including all the recipes I created in our various kitchens.) And for always motvating me and helping me to be better everyday. Mama, you really are one classy lady, and hope to someday have a shred of your beauty, your charm, and your intelligence in rearranging rooms, because I could really use that right now in my lil"Peruvian apartment.
You are really much of the motivation I had to serve a mission, because you began listening to the missionaries on your own. You had no idea what a temple was or how to fast, or what the heck a patricharchal blessing was, but you had enough faith to keep learning, keep living your standards. And now, you have a mountain of stories to tell, and a family that loves you more than life. Thank you so much for what you do for me, mama. I think abou you everyday, and although I cannot give you a hug personally, I hope this letter does. I hope that you feel the love I have for you, because it is gran" spankin huge.
You are just like the mothers of the Stripling warriors in Alma, who taught their children how to be exactly obedient, so that they could defend their families and save their homes. In a small sense I feel that way, in the mission. When I am obedient, I think about how much you love me, and how much Heavenly Father loves me, and that motivates me to keep being obedient, and humble. Its not easy. I still have a mountain of things that are hard for me personally to overcome, and things I still have not accomplished here. (More baptisms and converts in the tample for one), but I know that I have been converted to be more obedient, and to rely more in God than anyone else. Because people are weenies, and cannot be trusted for anything! (Seems like Ron Swanson would have said that.)
Thank you. I love you.
Your daughter,
Han Perkins
P.S. A package that I sent with Peruvian goodies is a comin your way! Por fin!
P.S.S. Thank you Amy so much for sending me my package! I ate the mangoes in like 5 minutes. I WANT MORE. But I can find them here in the mercade for like 20 soles.( 5 greenbacks.)
I wish I could write more, but like they say in Spanish, LA hora quiere matarme! (The hour wants to kill me.)
Cuidense mucho!

 

keepin it tight

October 27:
Hola Family and friends accross the world! ( Or maybe just family and friends in the U.S. I have no idea how many people are actually reading this anyway.)
Well, this week was alot better healthwise, meaning that I wasn"t bitten by any dogs and or suffered from diahreea. *I am pretty sure I mispelled diahreea.Whatever, I blame the Espanol keyboard.) And this means that me and Guelet could have an exchange with the girls in San Juan! Although Hma,. Guelet is still new here in L.A., she lead the area with a breeze, (literally an ocean breeze because we are 20 minutes away from the ocean but cannot see the beach.)And I stayed with the sisters in Institute. They are missionaries in charge of all the fam. history work in the south mission right now, and work with institute. Their job is really like working in an office, because although they have lessons with converts about the temple and family history, they also have to travel all over and call like a bajillion people for references. But they can visit the temple 2 times a week with all the recent converts, so they really are blessed. I loved bein with them for a day because I got to see how they work, and got to help new members make plans to attend the temple, but it gave me a craving to see my own investigators, converts, and less actives again. To motivate them to do everything they can to go to the temple. Really, those blessing are there for everyone of them now, and I love living in this day and time for that. That is why it is so importanat for me right now to learn more about my fmaily history, and because all of us need to do the same. Just think about all the time they have been waiting so that we couls become members to do theiur baptisms and confirmations, their endowments, and most of all, sealings. It really is something I love, and want all o my family (everyone reading this right now is my family), to experience. So, get in tough with your ward family history consultors! I am sure they have time to help you, and they know alot more than many missionaries do. And go to the temple! You will be so happy when you hear the words of the phophets in the next general conference, and think, "Dang, I helped to do my part."
2Nefi 12, and Mosiah 2: 5 and 6 talk about this alot. It really is beautiful.
I am so proud of the work that everyone is doing at home and at school, at work, and in the mission field. I know I do not always have time to give thanks to everyone, or talk to everyone personally, but I will always be praying for you and sending messages personally for birthdays, and before leaving for missions. (I am talkin to you, Amy Laura ;)
I love you all so much! Keep on truckin!
Hermana Addington
P.S. I saw a pic of Brittan and her husband in a Liahona article for August 2013. It was really funny, and I loved it. Good for you Brit and Dillon! Cannot wait to hear about your lil family soon!  


These are pics of me and my ladies: Me and Hma,. Guelet decorating a sign for President Morocho"s (stake pres.) b day, and me eating heart shaped alfajores, and my intercambio (exchange) with the girls at Institute, Hma.Nielsen from Nevada and Hma. Guzman from Argentina (what is it with me an these Argentines these days?)

The Fun We Had at the Temple

Are we having fun yet?( Quote from Party Down, I have no idea if anyone watched that show, but it was worth a shot.)



Well dudes and dudettes, I hope everyone is having fun at home, going through school and getting ready for Halloween. I really would like to celebrate Halloween here, but all of the houses that have lil convenient stores require that you pay for your candy. What a schtick, heh?



This week was full of a lot of ups and downs, but mostly ups. Me and Hermana Jiminez had the privilege of bringing Hma. Kelly and Hmo. Javier to the temple to do their baptisms, and Mauricion,Hmo. Segundo, and a new investigator to take a little tour of the grounds.






Although we couldn't"t enter with Javier and Kelly,me, Hma. Jiminez and Nielsen, (who is now working in Institute), really had a great time helping Mauricio and Segundo and Angel, our taxi driver get acquainted. Angel was just driving us to La Molina, and Hma. Jiminez began to talk with him about the Book of Mormon and his family. We invited him to just see the gardens, but then he stayed with us to watch a video, and then read a little from the Book of Mormon, and then see more of the stores, and ended up having lunch with us. He just loved everything. And I realized that if Hma. Jiminez had not begun to talk with him, he would have never known about any of this. Mauricio, who had been having a difficult time in church since his baptism, would have never had a change to share his testimony with him. And we would have never met the Elders in our ward who are really going to teach him and help him change his life.







This is my message for ya"ll this week. Keep in contact with the impressions from the Holy Ghost. There are more than you think. And watch the womens conference this week, especially the talk from Elder Utchdorf!



Love ya"ll like honey bunches of oats.Hermana Addington