Dear Family,

Thanks for you letters and support. I have been learning more and getting used to Huanuco. I'm going to answer your questions first.

The rules about internet are really strict, which is good. There are internet places on every street, where you pay to use the computers, but we go as a zone to a specific one that is run by a member. The ZLs check to make sure we are only sending and receiving from our designated family member, and we have exactly 45 minutes.

In my area we have the ward Amarilis, the branch San Cristobal, and the branch San Luis. They are all really small, but the strong members are great. They have like 5 callings and they support the missionaries a lot. There are a lot of inactives, and about everyday when we contact, we run into inactive members. None of the units have a full presidency or bishopric. In San Luis, the smallest, there were only 3 priesthood holders to bless and pass the sacrament.
The living arrangements are like this: we have a bedroom in the house of the stake president, but it's separate from the kitchen, living room, and bedrooms of the rest of the house. We have a bathroom that has a toilet and a shower (you can sit on the toilet and take a shower at the same time). There is a faucet out side the bathroom. I feel like I'm living a camping trip. Sometimes there is no electricity, sometimes no water, and I'm constantly dirty because it's really dusty. It's pretty primitive. During the day we hike around the mountains trying to get to the houses. The pensionista (wife of the stake pres.) cooks for us and does our laundry (by hand). During the week we do it ourselves if we need something washed. I don't really think the clothes get very clean though. For Liz (I hope you read this), I appreciate the toilet seat covers, but the toilets hardly ever have seats. Yesterday we used the bathroom in the chapel, and there was no toilet seat, no toilet paper, and no water.

I'm not sure what the altitude here is, but it is high. I haven't had any trouble adjusting though. I'm not sure what way is north, so I don't know what part we live in. It`s almost all on the sides of the mountains though. Ours is the more humble part of Huanuco. I've been trying to figure out what people do for a living. Some people have normal type jobs, but for the most part, I think people sell things, fruit, vegetables, candy, internet, whatever. A member that accompanied us one day last week sells maca, the stuff I did my research on.

I'm glad to hear that everything is good at home. Keep me updated on Casie. I'm excited for her. Mom, Here are my requests for the package: stamps (we can write letters, and they take them to the US to mail them, but I don't have any US stamps), cookies and or candy, especially de peanut butter, and my favorite deodorant, secret platinum protection solid asian pear. Also, I would like a few recipes. Maybe, a couple kinds of easy cookies, a roll recipe, and brownies. The family we live with always asks about what I know how to cook, but I need a recipe for most thing. I miss eating sweet stuff, although we had really good mango yesterday.

This week the baptism we had fell through because it turns out the couple isn't married. Most people here aren't, and you have to be really specific and say, are you legally married or living together. The church has an agreement where couples can get married for less money and less time, so that helps. We have two people who want to get baptized but can't because they aren't married, and their spouses don't want to get married.

This week we got a good reference of a family who wants to be happier, and we also contacted a family that seemed really interested. We teach a lot of kids because the kids here and the parents are really interested in what church the kids go to. We are helping a youth and 2 boys get ready for baptism in June.

We are teaching a 19 year old boy, who is really smart and interested and knows the Bible really well. It's nice to teach him because he is really sincere, but he asks hard questions, that I can't answer in Spanish yet. His family are members, but he lives with his godfather.

Today for p day we are going fishing with the district. I'm not sure where, but I'm excited to see more than my area.

I love you all,
Sarah