Temple Pics!

We finished off this transfer with a super gratifying trip to the temple. We really are privileged that President Douglas is always (*not always, but often) allowing us to go and do endowment sessions. 

Our huge district in Chorillos consists of me and my companion, and El. Taysom and  his companion. 

And my other former companion, Hma, Jiminez, is in Chorillos right now with Hma. Turley! 

Warmer Egards

Thank you everyone for sending me the warmest regards every single week. It really does help me to know what everyone is up to when I have explanations to pictures. 

I just have to say, with all sincerity, when ya"ll forget to write me for some reason or another, whether it be business, bidness, or whatever, you do not have to apologize like a million times. It is not necessary. Really, I am just happy to read what is going on in your lives. Only if it is an emergency, (like the other week when I had no money), I need a response. 

But that could be resolved with just reading my emails and sending me a quick message like> I did this, sent this, have a good week! I will be supremely happy with that, trust me. 

Now with that being said, I hope everyone had a fantastic week! We were able to finish off this transfer going to the temple and doing an endowment session for ourselves! And of course, someone who lives in the Spirit World. It really is something amazing to be able to do, enter the temple. I feel like I am in heaven every single time I see the workers and other families doing sessions. I want to be a temple worker some day, it would be very difficult, but gorgeous. 

And then later, me and Hma. Ramirez finished training! She is officially my co companion from now on. We have this last transfer together, and then I am pretty sure she is going to head off to another area. And then I will train someone in this beach paradise, and then will probably get transferred somewhere else as well. And then I will probably serve in one other area before I finish my mission in September. Its nuts how fast the time passes. I am not trying to speed up my time here for any reason, but I just realized that the other day, what is going to eventually happen. 

I feel like it really was just the other day that I entered the CCM in La Molin, met Hma. Wilkins and Hafen, and experienced what a granadilla was. 

I still have so many goals, so many things I want to accomplish before I finish, but the other day I heard an Elder give his last testimony, and something he said helped me. He said"I still have a mountain of things to improve on, but I am certain that the reason we head home is because we have to at some point apply these things to our own home lives. Cuz really, the mission never really finishes. It isn't just the best 2 years (18 months), of your life, but the best 2 years(18 months) FOR your life. 

I know that this is a truth for all the people I have met here, whether they are just beginning, in the middle, have finished their missions, or are in whatever point of their lives. Our mission is to become like Christ, and that is a lifelong process. SO, be patient with yourself, work as hard as you can, use all your talents and strength to help others, and let God make up the rest. 

In other news, I am happy to hear that one of my cousins is out in the mission field, and I hope ya"ll can send her info so that I can write her! Also, EMILY CULP YOU GEMSTONE YOU! I did not realize that you had already come home!

I am super happy for you. 

Also, mama, yes, please be careful when you are biting nuts okay? President Douglas had to leave a multi zone early that other day because he had to basically get his mouth reconstructed by a Peruvian dentist. But now hi dentist is attending the church in Surco, so score 1 for him. 

Amy, I am happy that you could balance out the girl to guy ratio in yur shindigs, and I pleease don"t forget to tell embarrassing mission stories about me to your friends, ya? The other day I had my granny shoes fixed, because I am walking a mile in every day. 

Moroni 10:32, 33 Alma 29, D and C 110 and 6 

Oh yeah, for my birthday, since y'all are already asking about what to send*, 

I would just like 2 mini hymn books in English, and maybe Mormon Messages on DVD if you can swing it. Nothing else really! Ooh, twinkies and fruit roll ups would actually be super good. I am weak for the sweetz.

I love y'al! 

SHermana Addington

Worldly Paradise and Spiritual Paradise

The Yellow Brick Road

We love you. Sister Addington, look for ways to build those you serve with. See the positive in everyone and build upon the positives. Give worthy compliments more frequently. You will feel the Spirit strongly as you do. Your heart will fill with more love. We love you!This was the latest message from my amazing mission president, President Douglas. He always sends out messages to the sisters every Monday. He is always trying to help us feel like we can do anything, building our confidence, but also correcting us when he knows we could do better. The longer Ive been in the mission, the more I have grown to love his counsel and help, like a father gives to all his daughters. I feel like he reflects my Dad a lot. (Dad smile because I just gave you a public compliment) President Douglas finishes his mission in June, and then comes another one from the U.S. I will miss him tremendously, and finishing out the first 3 moths of my mission will be weird without him, but I am positive that the next president will be great as well. 
Thank you for listening to my money hungry cry and helping me out! I was so stressed out last week about expenses, but everything turned out to be fine. Turns out the rescued member Fidencio, (cute old man in photos), we brought to the temple was a real gentleman. He paid for our travel, breakfast, and lunch when we came home. Also, Helen, the other rescued member who came to do baptisms, helped as well. We had our Famila History coordinator Elena with us, Sandra to take care of Helens baby Yovanna (only the cutest baby in Peru), and also Fidencios less active son and nonmember neighbor! It was quite the hoot being there with all of em. We also caught up with Hma. Zambrano and her comp. Hma. Jara from Family History. 
The best part was entering the temple to see Fidencio and Helen do baptisms for each others great grandparents and deceased cousins. Although they are not related, they could help each other in a way that no other ordinance in the world can. It was a sight to see Fidencio and Helen baptize about 14 times, especially because Fidencio didn't think he would be strong enough. He is a complete beast, he lived through South American depressions for crying out loud! 
But anyway, it really was a great day. It made me want to do my own family history, at least fill my lil book, Mi Familia. Dad, please give me birth dates, locations, and death dates of my great grandparents, and great great grandparents! I know you can find em! 
The rest of the week went well. We work with the mission secretaries, so they always run favors for us. They are super funny and normal, but motivate me to get off my butt and work harder. It really does help. Now whenever I feel discouraged or stressed, I just work. It makes me happier. I never realized that when I read my mission call, but it is super true. If I can see people in the temple, I am happy, and know that my work has paid off. But I need to keep doing more. 
That is the goal everyone should strive for. ALWAYS be worthy to enter the temple, help others enter. Do work for people that cannot realize it for themselves. 
I love you all, hope you have a good week, and keep smiling and eating good food! 
Alma 26, Alma 7: 19, 23, And Alma 29
Shmermana Addington 

Keepin It Real Cheap in Chorillos, with the Summer Blues

This week, I felt the need to go swimming, like REAL BAD. Even more than when I began the mission, because now its summer time, I am in a place right next to the ocean, and me and Hma. Ramirez see people heading off the beach like everyday when we go out proselyting. 

But, I am a missionary, I have the solemn responsibility to keep chill. And that it what I I will do. If I take a cold shower, I imagine I am in the water anyway. 

So, a little bit more about this place, so that I can paint ya"ll a picture. Its called Barranco, in the area Chorillos outside of Lima. Our area covers 1/2 touristy apartments, bars, restaurants, gyms, a vacationers paradise. The other half are actual houses and neighborhoods with families and whatnot. That is where we usually spend our time, because tourists...well.. they"re tourists.  live in the Bishop"s house,the first floor, but only use 1/2 of his kitchen and 1 room. It is amazingly small for two people, but the last missionaries were in a trio. Even worse. But, being in this room motivates me to organize more, be more like mama! The bishop and his family have their house on the third floor, but his daughters Romina and Isabella are constantly running up and down the stairs, so their gorgeous presence is almost always manifested. The bishop, Obispo Negrette, is this really tall,intimidating man, who secretly has a soft side for the missionaries. His wife, Marisol, is like this light skinned beauty who is always sharing chocolate with us.
We have a mission leader named Hma. Ricardo, this 50 or so black man (morenito), that is super intelligent and funny, and his skinny best friend Hmo.Grau is like his helper. He is really sweet and has a laugh like a cartoon character. Lets see, there is another super missionary joven named Namiko, who always is giving references, and is beautiful.
There are so many other members of this huge mission family I have, but I only have time to share a few right now. I hope ya"ll can imagine that, when I send pictures these names will make more sense. 

We only have 1 with a baptismal date right now. named Roberto, but he is the best. The other day, two missionaries knocked on his door and he received them, cuz he"s an investigator and didn't know the thing about zone rules and whatnot. We told them that he technically belongs to our ward, so it wasn't necessary to receive lessons from them. And then he said, "But they could be lost, because they are immigrants."Ahh, I wanted to die laughing. 

I found out that Jesus Machacha just went to the temple with my old companion. This made me happier than anything, just to know that they are helping the converts to stay strong and progress. 

That is why everyone needs to work hard to be able to attend the temple, and receive the blessings that God has promised you! It pays off, trust me! 

My dad"s birthday is this week, and I just wanted to wish him a happy birthday early, because I love him more than all of you! 

Nah, I just won"t have the chance Thursday. 

Happy birthday Dad! I love you, and hope that your day will be free of stress and expense, and full of good food and time to sleep! 

With big fat love, 

Hermana Addington

Mosiah 2:41, 2 Nephi 33: 3, 4, 7

Mariposas de amor

Dear world,
Right now there is a song going on in this internet called "Mariposas de Amor". Its...interesting to say the least. I think I am going to take dance classes when I get home, so that I can finally learn to dance to these songs.

Any who, not seeing any new emails in my inbox but from Gran and Gramps, I am assuming that everyone is okay. I heard that Amy is finally in Latvia! Somebody give her a big European kiss for me through email, because I have no idea if any of these messages have been getting to her inbox. I am so proud of her for deciding to serve, she really is gonna learn a lot.

This week was  a little bit more normal, I"m getting to know the area a little bit better, avoiding all the deliciously expensive tourist traps, and seeing gringos everywhere. Its kinda funny, but I am almost embarrassed to see them in public now, although I know that I secretly am one of them.

(Secretly) We met a super cool investigator this week in the street! This guy named Roberto, walked up to us and asked us for a folleto (pamphlet). He told us he has a friend who was baptized and then moved far away, and lost contact with the church after that happened. And after 2 lessons in a members house, he's attended church and accepted a baptismal date for February. It really was hard for me at first believe he was sincere, and not just a creepy stranger that I had met in the past. It is always important to be safe, and I am not undermining the importance of always teaching in a member's house, but sometimes you have to listen to the spirit a little bit more to decide what to do.

Hma. Ramirez helped me to realize that we have to be more open to all people, because God is always putting them in our path. We are also teaching a less active named Luis Alberto, who is a blind physical therapist. He is so cool, and although left church because of his work life, he really wants to return back, and listens to his audio scriptures everyday. We are going to begin teaching him with videos too, and send him texts with his reading assignments, so that he can listen to them later. Its teaching of the future, people.

Also, we are making a mountain of plans to bring people to the temple, and do baptisms for the dead! These are things I never thought I would be able to do in my mission, but our President is super inspired, and wants us to cover the whole plate. Finding, teaching, baptizing, and temple working.

Which is why I hope that y'all have taken my advice, (my exhortation, in fancy English) and talked to your non member and less active friends, and invited them to church! Seriously, just do it, invite them to the house, and especially if they are less active, watch a vid with them about the temple. It helps them so much, and you are all being missionaries.

Me and my hija (Hma. Ramirez) are waiting for y'all to take initiative and share!
If you do it, I will give you cookies! (when I get back)
Love y'all have a great week!
Hermana Banana Addington

 

 

I Guess I Haven't Found My Land Legs Yet...

Amy, your message was perfect, I am out at sea, Thank You! 

Here are some pics of me and my hija (daughter= out running in the morning. I cannot believe I am doing this! 

And also the baptism we had for a lil 9 yr. old super intellegent kid named Adriano. He gave part of his testimony in English! Yup, hello future Elder Christofferson.