So I just got your email about registering for classes. I don't remember them doing it that late in the year, but that's good to know that I won't have to worry about it for a while. I'll try to figure out what would be the best thing to do as far as registering goes, because the classes that I have to register for aren't going to be that high in demand. But keep trying to figure out what to do, and it's good to know we've got a couple of weeks to get this figured out. I like your dream about me coming home. I don't think I'll cut my hair, but maybe. Actually, I found out I could sell my hair here, if I wanted, and I betcha I could probably sell it for more because it's naturally brown and not black like the majority of hair here. We'll see. Sounds like work is keeping you busy. Hopefully you're not too exhausted!
Oh! I got a letter from Pres Johnson today, but they had had it sent to Piura, back in January. You should tell them that my mission changed, and give them my new address, even though at this point I don't know that they could send me too much more mail, but it would be good to tell them. It was good though. And I got a little package from the Allens. Tell them thanks for me, k?! Oh, and say hi to Ammon for me. Because he comes home....tomorrow. Crazy!!!!
So this week has been just as crazy as last week. Last Monday, Hermana Captain wasn't feeling good at all. She had a lot of pain in her stomach. So they took her to the hospital, and she ended up staying there for 3 days. Which meant her companion got to sleep there in the hospital for 2 nights. Let me describe the hospital room a little bit. So you walk in, and the floor is tile. There is one bed, a little night stand, and 2 plastic lawn chairs. My companion (being so tall) takes up pretty much the entire bed. Which means my options are a plastic lawn chair or the tile floor. Well, I had my pillow with me, so I just layed down on the floor, and tried to sleep. Around 2 in the morning the zone leaders (who also were staying the night with us, but in the waiting room, just in case we needed anything) came in and asked me if I wanted a sheet. Well, it's better than nothing. The next night, I was a little bit smarter and brought a blanket to sleep on. The floor was still hard though. It goes without saying that I was very grateful to sleep in my own bed the next night. (A little Corner G and the Rub for ya there!)
While Hna Captain was in the hospital during the day, I had one of the laurels in the other ward be my companion, so at least I could go out and work, which was nice. Hna Captain is doing a lot better now, after IVs, shots, and everything. Turns out she had a parasite, or ghiardia (sp?) something like that. Oh the joys of being a missionary! I'm fine though, don't worry!
So other cool stories from this week...hm...well, I've found that the more time I have in my mission, the bolder I become. I just get so sick and tired sometimes of listening to the same stuff over and over and over again. So this week, we were visiting a member, and his son-in-law came in to visit. He's from a pentecostal church in Chiclayo, and very firm in his church. We had a good conversation though. He asked us when we were converted-"I don't know that I am totally converted yet," I said. That threw him for a loop :) Then we explained that conversion was an ongoing process, and then told him that yes, my family are members, so I was raised in the church, which was his real question. He told us he went to so many different churches, and they all talk about God so they must all be good. Well, yes, they are good, they talk about God. But why are there so many churches then? They all teach things slightly differently! And he even said that. But he said that God created all of the different churches, and he puts us in the church where he knows we'll do the most good. I asked him if he had any knowledge about our church. He said he had conversed some with his father-in-law. "Oh, so then you know that we claim to be the only true church on the face of the earth then, right?" He kind of stammered, smiled, and was like "there's where our doctrine is different." He then told us that there wasn't just one church that was true, that everyone who believed in Christ was part of the true church. He told us he belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ. His church just wasn't called that. Then no, you don't belong to the Church of Jesus Christ. You belong to the Pentecostal Church. It sounds kind of harsh, but it's true. It was a good conversation though. I love the Gospel because it is true. I loved Eld Callisters talk from conference. The Book of Mormon is either true, or it isn't. There is no in between. It's not just a good book, for what it claims to be. It's the word of God. It was a good conversation. I don't know if anything will come of it on his end, but I know conversations like that alway strengthen my own testimony. Maybe that's why the Lord allows us to have conversations and everything like that.
As far as our ward goes, we're still struggling to help the members. They need so much help but they won't really let us help them! And there are little bits of apostasy floating around too (like that girls who aren't married by the time they're 21 have to go on missions....) But, like we always tell our investigators/less actives, we don't go to church for the members. We go because we want to serve the Lord. We're not perfect. We're all trying to do better. Hna Captain and I did get the chance to use our elementary ed skills on Sunday, when they let the Primary out on time to go run around outside and play until the adults were done like 20 minutes later. Normally they run around, well, like children, without supervision. But we started playing games with them that we had learned in PE, simple, but effective, so they weren't punching each other. It was fun! Then we cleaned the chapel. I think all of this is teaching me, more than anything, how to serve in my callings when I get done with my mission, and I'm just a member again. I'm definitely learning a lot. On Sunday, we did spend pretty much the whole afternoon helping the YW Pres plan her New Beginnings. She's pregnant, still in the first trimester, and she's been kind of sick lately. This is where her counselors would help her, but they don't. So we turned into her counselors, and we helped her plan out her New Beginnings for next week. It actually made me feel better though, that we can help out our ward.
Well, I think I'm calling this a letter. It feels like I'm going through a lot, but I know the Lord is just helping me to prepare to be who I need to be. Thank you for all of your love and support. I know this Gospel is true with all of my heart! Have a wonderful week and I'll definitely write you on Monday!!!
Love,
Hermana Williams
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