I hope you get all these pictures all right! I'm excited that I had a chance to send them. Today was great. In the morning we went to the temple, and we had to change rooms when we got back. For lunch we had Pizza Hut, and it was the best pizza I have ever had in my life. Not that it actually tasted better, but today was the first day since I got here that we didn't eat rice. Then we went on the tour. First we went downtown and saw the old city wall, the capitol buildings, and old churches. Then we went to the National stadium, and I bought a jersey 18 soles, or $6. We had to barter, and I got mine for a little cheaper than the elders. I should have asked for lower because she accepted my offer right away. Maybe it's lower quality or something. Then we went to see another established section of the city where we visited an olive grove. Then we went the beach! The best part there was that I bought an ice cream sandwich for 3.5 soles. It was expensive, but so worth it. I hope you enjoy the pictures. I'll think up the things that I want you to send me. Thanks for writing me back. Love, Sarah

Lima

CCM Lima

The MTC

Dear Family,

Thaks for writing to me early! Tell Casie that I am excited for her. I hope that still is going well. It's a really good sign that she is reading the Book of Mormon. In Provo, Sheri Dew spoke once, and she showed a picture of one of those signs in front of churches where they change the messages, and it said ´Don´t read the Book of Mormon, That's how they get you.' Thank you to that church for testifying of the power of the Book of Mormon.

I had a great week. Friday night the other sister that was supposed to come to Peru with us came. She had to stay in Provo because she had some sort of tumor on her leg, but they took care of it. I am so thankful that I am healthy, and I am thankful for the Lord's hand in my healing. We are in a trio now, and it is hard. I think tomorrow when the new people come, she will be companions with the one new North American sister.

Saturday was good. We had companionship exchanges so we could have Latina companions. Mine was Hermana Castro, a really sweet sister from Buenos Aires. We got up early and drove to our place. My group went to Miraflores, Santa Cruz, which is a really wealthy touristy spot in South Lima. The other group went to Ventanilla, which was totally the opposite. Anyway, I loved the area. It was on the beach, so I finally got to to see the ocean here. There were high cliffs down to the beach, and then the sea. Apparently it is always cloudy there. We went with members to visit the menos activos, but we really didn't have much success. We couldn't find the address of three of them, one died five years ago, two wouldn't let us in to talk, and such. After lunch we were discouraged, but we finished looking for our members, then did street contacts. That was hard, but good practice. Before we left one of the members with us asked if we would like to visit her tio and tia who lived in the area who weren't members. We decided to and it was great. We taught a lesson about the Book of Mormon, and a little about baptism and the importance of it. We read 3 Nephi 11 with her, and she accepted an appointment to have the missionaries come back. The member referral kept shaking her head, because she didn't think we would be able to do it, but we did it. I am so grateful to my companion for her help with the language, and she did the greater part of the teaching. The investigator spoke English, but I taught in Spanish because it is her native lanugage. The gift of tongues is real. I still wasn't able to say everything I wanted, but my mind was clear, and I could speak and understand so much better. That one lesson made up for the morning of disappointments.

Love you lots, Sarah

Letter from Sarah via pouch mail

Dear Family,

Buen Provecho! We just had lunch, and I ate so much food. I ate pan, arroz, frijoles, pollo frito, ensalada, y pastel all in generous servings. They are going to have to roll me up the ramp and out the gate when I go to my mission.

Last night, we had a little testimony meeting with the Latina hermanas as two of them were preparing to receive their endowments. It was really nice even though I couldn't say everything I wanted. Even though some of the hermanas come from different backgrounds, they all expressed the same testimony of the importance and sacredness of the temple.

My classes are good. The teachers speak super slow and simple because now I'm with people who hadn't heard a word of Spanish before their mission. Yesterday when we practiced with the Latinos, we commited them to baptism. I can tell we are learning Spanish with El Don de Lenguas. I was able to understand almost all of the devotional last night. I can't always understand the hermanas when they are talking about random things because I don't know their words as much as I know church words.

I feel like I just told you all this because we just had email time before lunch. I'm sorry it is repetitious. I did forget to tell you this, though--you're not supposed to send me packages because customs fees and taxes are so expensive. It's better to put money in my account. I'm dying for real sugar, though--oatmeal creme pies, snickers, peanut butter cup ice cream--to die for!

I have great news though, my elbow pits have never been sweaty. In fact, I don't sweat much at all unless we're have actividad fisica.

If I can buy an SD card, I want to send mine home so you can have the pictures, so I'll see what I can do.

Amor y besos,

Sarah

Dear family,

Thanks for your emails and letters. I got both the card and the other letter, and I think I am the only Northamerican who has gotten any mail here.

First I'll answer your questions. The laundry facilities are fine except that the Latina hermanas are always using them to wash one thing at a time. There are four washers and four dryers, plus the CCM has a laundry facility where you can change out sheets and towels. I haven´t met the mission president yet, but we see the MTC president almost every day. President Groberg-He is from Idaho Falls and knows Scoresbys, in fact he told me I came from a good family. He is the brother of John Groberg from The Eye of the Storm and Other side of Heaven.

Today we got to go to the temple again, and it was good. I am doing really well at understanding things in Spanish. Today the workers were worried about my dress being too short, so they provided me with a size 2XL dress, which was plenty big seeing that in Provo they told me I should get a small or extra small.

Last Saturday jovenes from the stake came and we practiced teaching them. It was fine except that they were trying to ask really hard questions to stump us. It was a little annoying because we were just trying to speak so they could understand. Also this past week we got to go on a little walk outside just to see a little of the outside world.

I am super excited because Saturday we have a big activity where all the missionaries go out into Lima and proselyte. My zone is visiting menos activos in a city in the Lima Sur mission. My teacher said that it was an upperclass neighborhood so our experience would be a lot different than the other group's. We are going to have native companions so that we can communicate a little better. The President said it kind of ends up being a benchmark activity for the English speakers to see how they are doing. We practice teaching Latinos every day, so it won't be a total shock, and I think I'll be fine.

Also, on Tuesday the group of Latinos that came in with us is leaving, and the new missionaries don't come in until Thursday, so we have Marvilloso Miercoles, where the presdient and wife take us out into the city. We get to see some of the ruins and some of the sites in Lima and we get to buy stuff. Also we heard that the president buys us real pizza, so we are all looking forward to that.

I got to try octopus for the first time last week. I honestly thought it was chicken until after I had finished someone told me it wasn't. I wondered why they served it with tartar sauce.

I'm glad to hear everything is going well back home. I sent a letter last week, so let me know when you get it. I said it in the letter, but I'll tell you now the sad news: we are supposed to discourage you from sending packages because the custom fees and taxes are so expensive.

We had some great spiritual experiences this past week. Elder Nash, the area 70 gave a great devotional about bearing testimony and how it gives the investigator hope. Also, there were some miracles with a missionary here who is really sick. He was able to fly home the day after a big surgery with his dad and see his family, but he will probably pass away soon because of the disease. They are not releasing him because it is his wish to remain a missionary. I know the church is true, and I am excited to teach it to the people in Peru. I love you all.

Sarah

Dear Family,
I´m here in Peru safely. I didn't know that anyone called to tell you that I got here, but I did. The trip was long, and not many of us slept much. On the flight to Peru, I sat by a member, probably the only one on the plane other than the missionaries. On the other flight I sat by a guy who had been in Idaho, and we chatted about the church and missionary work. He told me it would be hard work, but it was good.

The bus ride from the airport to the CCM was wild. I loved seeing all the people and stores and the land. I kept waiting to see the nice part of the city, but I really couldn´t tell a difference. There are falling apart buildings everywhere. I guess they don't need roofs though. The CCM is a really nice building, esecially compared. It's much nicer than the MTC. They have a lot of workers, probably to give people work. I thought we were going to get in an accident a million times, but we never did. The drivers just drive with their horns. In two weeks all the missionaries get to go proselyting in the city, and that´s going to be really exciting.

The CCM is great. There are about 25 norteamericanos, and 60 latinos. My companion and I are the only North American sisters, and everyone is always really nice to us. My comps name is Hermana Lucas, and she is from Texas. She also went to BYU. We share a room with Latinas, and even though it's hard to communicate, we like them a lot. My Spanish is coming along. We practice giving lessons every day to the Latinos. It's hard but good practice to hear and talk. My Spanish is a lot better than a lot of the North American's. I can understand a lot when they talk slowly, especially if they are using church words. The food is good, but different. We always have rice, potatoes, bread, and a variation of chicken or carne. They give us so much food, and they expect you to eat it all. I didn't gain weight in Provo, but I probably will here. My favorite dessert is flan. I miss all the North American candy I'm so used to eating. The food here is not very sweet, but it is rich. We did get to have soft serve ice cream once, cinnamon flavor.

I've gotten sunburned almost every time I stepped outside. By the time I come home, I'll look like a Latina. It's really humid, and during the day it is hot. At night it cools down. There is air conditioning in all the buildings, and it works well.

We got to go to the temple today, and it was a sweet experience. We did it all in Spanish. There were quite a few Latinos who went for the first time. We did get to hear general conference in English. It was really good, plus we met all the senior missionaries serving in Lima who wanted to hear conference in English.

I have an address for here, but I don't have it with me. it takes three weeks to get a letter anyway. Dear Elder gets here faster, so maybe use that instead. We only have 30 minutes to read and write emails, so I'm sorry for the mistakes. Thanks for your love and support.

I'm going to love it here in Lima. I'm the only missionary in the CCM going to the Lima East mission. I learned that the CCM is actually in the mission. The mission is half in Lima, half out in the country. We had a health meeting with the area medical missionaries. We are never allowed to eat anywhere but in our pensions, the home of a person who cooks for us. The street vendors look good though.

Love you lots,
Sarah

Dear Family,
Today is my last day in the MTC. I'm so excited to go to Peru! I'm a little worried about the language, but I can usually understand Spanish, so that's good. I just might not be able to say anything back. I've spent the day getting ready to go. I am doing my laundry now, and I got my hair cut earlier today. I also went to the Provo temple for the last time. I am excited to go to the Peru temple. There is an elder in my district that is also going to the Peru MTC, so we're leaving our district of five to be a district of three. My poor companion isn't going to have a companion in her district. She will have to be escorted by elders everywhere.

In class we have had really good lessons about bautismo, spiritual laws, and other stuff. We have also reviewed Spanish grammar through past subjunctive, which is as far as we got in five years of spanish at MTV. I've been so blessed to be able to remember so much of what I have learned. It's been a blessing to be in a zone with Native/advanced Spanish speakers because I get to hear it so much more, and they help us intermediates with our bad grammar and pronunciation.
Our last TRC visit was great. We taught the first discussion to a family that had seen the Restoration video, and it went really well. Of course, the volunteers are always the most golden investigators, but it still went really well. My teaching has gotten a lot better through the past weeks. Hermana Briney and I are especially good at the first discussion.

I don't know anything about the Peru MTC, so I'll email or write whenever my P-day is. Thanks for everyone's love and support.
Love,
Sarah