¡Feliz Pascua!

Since it was Easter, I missed you guys more than ever. Here they do not really do egg hunts and such, but I was lucky to be invited to a member´s house who had us search for eggs. A buscar huevos fue muy divertido! pero esta diferente sin mi familia. It was my companion's first time searching for eggs. But here are some photos of yesterday´s easter experience.

It is soooo funny how people mistaken me as a Latina. They would ask where I am from and then assume I am from Guatemala or something. I met this one sister last week and I said, "Hola, comó esta?" and she was like "Bien. Mucho gusto" Then she saw that I was speaking in English to one of the other sisters and she was like "usted sabe ingles?" (you know english?) and I said, "sí....yo hablo ingles". She said, "pero su español es perfecto!".....how on earth can you think my spanish is perfect from the simple frase of how are you in spanish? jajajajajajaja. I was flattered to be honest, but really my spanish is alright. It is improving a little more and more each day. But when days are long and my mind is shut off, I can not understand anything. Its funny how I can understand my companion, but when I talk with the people here, I can not understand them..she told me herself that she could not understand the people here the first time she came as well. It is normal to not understand....and that I am learning to accept. I am reminding myself that this is only my second or third week and that it is okay that I can not be completely fluent in the language. Its just like line by line and precept by precept. It takes time...lots of time and patience.

One night my companion and I were talking before bed and I was sharing with her about the story mom told me in Jack in the Box before I left Hawaii. The one that lolo shared with us. It so happens that my companion knows that story! She is the only person that I have met that knows it! The one about the two boys in the premortal existence! It made me so happy.

So we are going up a MOUNTAIN this THURSDAY. A MOUNTAIN. WALKING. No trufi to take us up......I am about to die (joking of course). The people that live up there speak quechua....entonces...we have a person to come with us and to translate for us. Its pretty cool! We walked past a woman a couple days ago and we asked how she was...then we realized she was speaking Quechua....so we were like okay..have a great day, we can not understand you sorry, chao! jajajaja.

I do not like PDAYS. It is trunky days for me. Homesickness suck, but the investigators that we teach make up all the difference. Yesterday our appointment with a member for lunch fell through, but thank goodness I have spam! I made spam for lunch with my companion and she loved it! It was just like home......I could have cried eating it. We also had eggs and bread, it was so ONO.

When we have extra time, my companion and I watch movies and eat icecream. Church movies of course. jajaja. I miss watching movies with you guys. But otherwise, we eat icecream everyday for "inspiración". Helado cada dia por inspiración" jajaja.

Many of the kids here ask me, "Usted es china?" Yes I am chinese....hahaha I was asked that three times yesterday. It was so precious. They would say, "Mira una china!" Look a chinese! Then they will tell me about the Korean dramas they love to watch.

We taught this guys this week and he is poco loco. He loves the bible. So much that he will not accept the Libro de Mormón. He will not look at it, read it, nor touch it. He would not even listen. He refuses to do anything with it. It is so sad. Teaching him was hard because he wanted to teach us more than we could teach him. He also went online and saw things about our church that were really bad and false. It broke my heart. But so it goes...

My companion and I were eating dinner one night and she totally scared me about McDonalds in Mexico. She told me that one guy in McDs was sitting by the statue of Ronald McDonald and said, "Siento cansado" and then the statue replies "Yo tambien"...and they caught it on camera! Ahhhhhh...that night she was laughing so hard at how I reacted. I am SOOOO GLAD there are not McDs here. I refuse to go to McDs with the Ronald Statue.

I taught about the tree of life to kids this week. It made me appreciate the Book of Mormon because it really contains the plan of salvation. Study that story! 1 Nefí 8,11,12. Study it as a family. You will love it.

I really felt the spirit when I realized that the gospel can really help you in your life. I look back and see how the church has raised me up to the person I am. Also you, too mom and dad. But those teachers, leaders, that we had in our youth, helped us and shaped us into the people we are.

We had an activity in one of the wards in our area and we were able to have a family to come, a family who are our investigators! It was a miracle.

We had training last week with all the missionaries in Cochabamba and they had all the greenies introduce themselves in front of everyone. When I did, presidente Dyer asked me to repeat where I was from three times....then everyone realized I said Hawaii...and they all yelled, Aloha. hahahaha.

We eat fry chicken and french fries everyday. I love it....like really I do. Its meant to be...for me to be here. Its MEANT TO BE. God is so good to me and my stomach.

There are so many dogs here.....its like in one area where there are actually more cows and dogs than there are people. Every house here has at least 3 dogs. If not 3, probably 10.

I started a trend. Buttons on your watch. Hermana Hansen´s watch broke so she sewed a button on it too and showed it to me. Oh and I have an ugly tan on my feet....from my flats. apparently all the sisters get it. I am gonna have to tan my feet when I get home.

Thank you for sending me pictures of the silly things at home. It makes me laugh. I showed the others of the photo of me and Kayla at the beach. They laughed so hard and asked me "When did you go to the beach?" and I said "I dont remember"....but it so happens that I am wearing that exact shirt right now so I said "probably not too long ago." hahahahaha

I am going to be a pro-jay walker here. I miss order of laws when it comes to driving. I miss driving!

But anyways, that is my week. Yo quiero decirles que les amo mucho. Cada dia tenemos milagros porque Dios esta con nosotros siempre. Esta Iglesia es muy bonita...la iglesia contiene la plenitud del Evangelio de Jesucristo...como el Libro de Mormón. I make two months this saturday....two months away from home!? It goes by so fast. Estoy muy agradecida que yo puedo servir mi salvador y mi Dios. El nos conoce perfectamente y personalmente. El nos quiere a sentir su amor por medio oraciones, su espíritu, estudio escritura y los convenios. Por favor oren siempre a nuestro padre celestial por ayuda y su espíritu. I think of you all often and well as my savior Jesus Christ.

I hope Jesse can go to Baptisms for the dead soon! That makes me so happy to know that you are all doing wonderful! And as for my dead fish...tofu.......its okay. I know he is in better hands. hahaha. but really though. Thank you for taking care of him.

I love you all soooooo much. Pray always as a family on your knees and also personally. Read the scriptures together! I promise you as a representative of Jesus Christ that He will pour upon you many blessings.

I love you.

Les amo mucho.

Until next time, hasta luego,

Hermana Santeco

xoxo

this boy is adorable. his name is jeremy and he is 4 yrs old. his mom is our investigator.