Alpaca, dogs and snail drool

Hola. 

Man just giving it straight this week, was hard. I’m happy and excited to start a new week. You know? You have the good and then you have the bad. Luckily there is far more good then there is rough!

The Best-

So I have not had any personal money since I left the states in January- which has been really hard- it wasn’t bad in the ccm  (Training center) because there wasn’t much I needed and if I did I just borrowed some money and we figured it all out.  But here it has been really hard and I have been praying like crazy that my card would work- Hna J couldn’t get any either and it has just been a little pain, actually a big one. But I prayed like crazy because I really needed money and in the last 6 weeks we have seriously visited a million banks. Then we were just about to give it up and head home when I said a prayer and said one more- and it worked! Now I know this seems like the littlest thing but it was a little miracle. It's the little things here just get me. I love it. 

Ok another story with prayer- so we were out with a member family trying to find someone to teach because all of our appointments fell through, and we thought of this one family so we went and their nephew explained they weren’t home. We were like "shoot." Then I just said a prayer- but it was not just a quick little prayer you know- it was one of those just in your mind but really from the heart. We really needed help knowing what to do- and I just felt really really strongly there was a family waiting for us and I didn’t know who but I knew we needed to find them- and there was kind of an urgency to it- it was a interesting- different feeling then I’m used to. 

Then I said amen and literally opened my eyes and saw the family we had just tried to visit walk up the walkway.  I really think there is something here with this family. They are from Peru and gold. It's one who needs a lot of help and a lot of the doctrine is new to them- but we have had two lessons with them and they have been gold. The last one was about personal revelation and prophets and we showed a video about the first presidency baring testimony and President Monson bearing testimony of Christ. Power! Then the mom said that this was a new concept to her- the idea of prophets today and how it was a little crazy. But we showed another little Mormon message about service and helping each other from Pres. Monson- it is so good and she just explained that she knew what he was saying is true. 

 

Then we had an FHE (Family Home Evening) with the familia Zapata (seriously the best family ever. Man, I love them) and a Menos Activo and her investigator granddaughter. Soooo good. We watched the John Tanner video and then I kind of led out and I was speaking Spanish and the spirit was there and it was sooo good. Then we played some games and we were all a laughing and oh man, I loved it so much. 

Ok, the other sweet stuff. 

Oh, so we are in a lesson and it was with this older couple that is so funny. He is hilarious- he would be friends with Grandpa Ball. - But he also is definitely the Chilean Nicolas Cage. Ha-ha but we are just chatting and he randomly stands up and grabs a measuring tape and has me stand up because ¨I’m just sooo tall¨. Then they went off about how dark and tall I am. So funny.

Oh, so we were knocking doors and we knocked on this one door. We were talking to this little old woman and she had no teeth and is so tiny and has little crazy hair.  We are just chatting and all of a sudden this cat jumps up on her shoulders and its pretty much as big as she is and it turns and it only has 1 eye and it is so creepy. It just added to the whole thing- so I get the giggles and just about lose it. So funny. 

Also today I bought the Chilean secret that they all swear by- its a lotion for you face and it is supposably made from snail drool. I got it from this little stand on the street.  So if I get nasty stuff all over my face we will know it was snail drool. 

Also. I played with an alpaca. That was fun. It makes me miss Peru with you all. I think about that trip sooo much- wish you were here exploring with me. 

Update on the ankle and allergies. Doing much better. Woohooo! My foot is still a bit stiff but its all good and not bad. So about the allergies, lets just say I'm getting excited for the package of meds. Nothing terrible but I’m just a little bit dying. There are just 12837489127348912734087231874 billion dogs everywhere. Sick little nasties. 

Oh man, what a week. There are the times you have got to either laugh it off or cry it off- you know. And luckily I’m learning to laugh it off. The Spanish is hard- its so hard. But I understand a little bit more everyday- even if it’s just a new word in the scriptures or something little that is so good.

Man I love you guys like crazy. Keep praying and keep happy. 

Xoxoxo

Hna Ball.