I sincerely apologize 5-26-14

My poor mothers (my mother Kiersten and my mother Hermana Moody) both wrote to me this week asking WHAT I WAS DOING IN ECUADOR!

Well, I was illegal for a little while and we needed to flee from the country. Just a simple visa issue. So you can all stop calling the mission offices. Elder Fallas is going to reprimand me for my absentmindedness.

HOWEVER.

Ecuador is the bee's knees.

This week has been pretty good. We are working hard and have 2 fechas and several possibles! My companion and I both received priesthood blessings on Tuesday from our Zone Leaders and, as we have put our faith in that authority and the guided words of our leaders, we have been strengthened very much. I even caught a cold again (yes, my voice is like the cryptkeeper once more) but I have had no problem going out to work every day. So cool! We have seen miracles this week!

I just remembered something out of the blue the other day. When President came to our zone meeting a week and a half ago, he used fashion (specifically, how to properly wear a vest) to explain the principles of humility, obedience, and our relationship with God as it pertains to doing His work and His will. 

SO MUCH REVELATION POURED INTO MY SOUL.

I was not called to la Misión Perú Lima Oeste. I was called to President and Sister Archibald. 

Also, I am going to share an allegory invented by the genius Elder Crouch (one of the gringos who went with us to Ecuador - he started his mission in Puente during my last transfer there and is still there doing awesome things!). He taught us, as we sat in the boiling heat of the airport late at night in Tumbes, that Papa Murphy's pizza exemplifies the American Dream. "You can buy the pizza on Saturday, keep it in the fridge overnight, cook it on Sunday, and then you keep the Sabbath Day holy AND have fresh-baked pizza!" He further explained that this was that glorious dream had by Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Elder Crouch is a lot like my brother Billy.

Alright, folks. This week, say your prayers and make good choices.

Read the Book of Mormon! It is a true book!

De Perú con tanto amor,

Hermana Hewitt

P.S. Quote of the Week goes to Elder Larsen, talking about his basketball team and how excellent they were despite their abundance of white people: "We didn't even have any bruthas!"

Left the country…WHY?

Email #1:
Sorry I didn't write on Monday...they called me last week to let me know I would be leaving the country. 

This was the first of SEVEN emails, six of which contained pictures… and very little text because she was in a hurry.  My first question, "Ummm… why did you leave the country?! And my second question, "Where did you go??"

I missed it the first time I looked at this picture, but check out what the other Hermana is holding…(It's an egg if you didn't figure it out…)  Anyone who knows Lex knows that look she has on her face.  If you don't know all her facial expressions, here is some "mom translation":  Her expression is saying, "That's right.  This is happening!"

Forget birthday spankings… in Peru they have birthday "eggings!"

Email #2:

Saw my daughter the other day in a conference.

Reconnecting with Hermana Jaramillo

Also, this is our district! Except for Elder Alvarez, our DL, just got an emergency transfer to Ventanilla. So his companion, Elder Montesino, is now our DL and he is with Elder Morales.

Still wondering why she left the country and where she went?  Me too! Stay tuned!

Email #3:

Oh yeah, so we went to Ecuador on Monday. Normál. Bought Dunkin' Donuts in the airport. I thought Elder Larsen was going to cry! 

Hahaha and the second is a photo in the plane. It was a good flight.

One question answered!  Check! "Oh, ok… you went to Ecuador on Monday… and that's normal… ok, got it… ummm, why?"

Email #4:

We spent most of the afternoon and evening in the city of Tumbes, the northernmost city in Perú. it is the COOLEST little pueblo EVER! They had all these amazing sculptures and cultural stuff. It honestly is like a lifelong party. It was like a mix of New York and Washington, D.C. and probably villages in Africa and some place in Italy. That's how it was in my mind.

Wow… that is a really cool looking place… and, yes, I can see how you got New York... and D.C…. and little African villages...and Italy out of that! ;-)

But, wait… does this have something to do with your trip to Ecuador?  Was this Monday or Tuesday… or last week??

Ok… let's see here… I've haven't seen pictures of these Hermanas prior to the Dunkin Donuts in the airport picture.  They were in that one, which means they must have gone to Ecuador too.  The Peru Lima West Mission does not include the northern-most city of Tumbes, but it is right next to Ecuador… so the Sherlock Holmes in me says that you went to Ecuador so you could go to Tumbes! Uhhhh… WHY??

(By the way Ma, I think I am just going to send you pictures instead of a full update this week because I dont have a whole lot of time. So if you like you can put my captions up with the photos. :)

OH, THANK YOU, BLESSED ANGEL DAUGHTER! I would love to substitute the captions you sent with the photos for the update since both I'm sure would make equal sense and convey to your blog readers exactly what you have been up to the past week! :-0

Email #5

Here is a giant (I mean, GIANT) statue of the resurrected Christ. That was such a nice change of scenery. So often here it's a really uncomfortable depiction of His crucifixion. Therefore, us missionaries were so so so happy to see the hope in this piece of artwork. It's made of millions of little tiny glass tiles!

Wow!  That is really cool!  I want to visit Tumbes!

Also, some of us gringos went and found milkshakes. Those are Hermanas Olsen, Jones, and Morgan, and Elders Larsen and Crouch. 

Of course… milkshakes… just keeping in line with the favorite American junk food theme of the impromptu trip to Ecuador / Tumbes / WHY?

Email #6:

So, it was raining HARD as we waited for our flight in the nighttime and we had to stay there in the consuming heat for an extra hour. The elders got a little restless. I am honestly sorry there are so many pictures of Elder Larsen, but he tends to be the leader of the mischief. 

Nice legs, Elders! Ok… so you went to Ecuador so you could go to Tumbes and you flew back all in one very long day?  Got it!  Ummm… why?

And, we did eventually return. Here's my companion and I with our zone leaders the next day (I was running on about five hours of sleep there...as a missionary, that is the equivalent of thirty-six hours without a wink). We all accidentally wore something pink. They gave us priesthood blessings and I was reminded of how grateful I am that we have this power restored to the earth once again, and how honored I am to know so many worthy priesthood holders. 

A big "Amen" on the gratitude for the Priesthood sentiment!

Glad you made it back, Sis…. wish I knew why you went …

Email #7:

(After a few quick lines in response to the personal email I sent this week, we get another clue!)

This Monday I should be on at the normal time. I am now legal. I love you!

Hermana Hewitt

She's now legal? Hmmm… I wonder if she had to leave the country and come back in because her tourist visa had expired?  Or maybe she had to go to Ecuador to get her permanent visa to replace the temporary tourist visa?  Don't they have offices for that in Peru? It could be equally plausible that she went to Ecuador because her mission president just adores all those Caucasian kids and thought they deserved a field trip!  Oh, another clue!  All the missionaries that went to Ecuador are white!  That means… hmmm…. ;-)

Happy Mother's Day 5-12-14

Sorry this is late! But I felt I should probably let all of the wonderful women in my life that I LOVE THEM!

Good mothers shape good lives and a better world. I am so grateful for a wonderful mom, stepmom, aunts, grandmothers, teachers, leaders, and friends who have taught me to be a virtuous and Christlike person. I got to talk with my wonderful mommy yesterday and what a joy that was!

Always remember to thank your mother, or the mother figures that you have, for all they do for you.

I have to insert my little note here… this Mother's Day was absolutely the best Mother's Day EVER! I have been so richly blessed with such incredible children and felt entirely spoiled by their love yesterday, with Lexi's missionary Skype call being the highlight! Love you guys!

Because I am a missionary and I do not like to sin, I am going to ask my mother to find Mr. T's Mothers Day Rap and post it here. Thanks, James Shepard, for the reference about a year and a half ago.

Having trouble attaching the link… go figure… I'm not exactly tecno-proficient! Sorry, all… google it… it's funny!

Love you all! Oh yeah hahaha and mazamorra morada really is a Peruvian dessert. It's a thick, translucent pudding made of boiled purple corn. Better with ground cinnamon. GOOD STUFF. And it's sweet, like all of you.

See post from April 21, 2014… yes, she actually called us all her "purple porridge" because we are her "sweet things!"  ;-)

Not the mazamorras moradas, but another Peruvian num num…

This is a dish that the High Priests Quorum spent the whole day cooking in an underground oven. It's called Pachamanca and I LOVE IT.

HERMANA HEWITT

P.S. Quote of the Week goes to Elder Lewis. He was about to go and perform his first baptism and the other elders were telling him he had to take everything out of his pockets, including his plaque and everything. His district leader, Elder Gubler, went on a roll, "...no cell phones, no pens, no pencils, no agenda, no necklaces, no rings, no toe rings...YOU CAN'T EVEN WEAR TOE RINGS ON THE MISSION..." and Elder Lewis just looked at him blankly and responded, "Well, what about my belly ring? If nobody is going to see it anyway, do I still have to take it out?"

We giggled. He kept a straight face and walked away to go perform an ordinance. It was like James Bond walking away from an explosion.

Cinco de Mayo 5-5-14

Well, I officially have 10 months on the mission and 20 years of life!

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for helping me out with that. You are so good to me.

This week was cool! Hard and not as fruitful as I would have liked, but I learned a lot. I would just like to remind you all that the Book of Mormon changes lives, that your ward councils should be focused on ordinances, that I still have eight months left on the mission, and that I am going to use it!

I really don't have a lot to say today. Haha we were all a little concerned when a quite active member of our ward bore her testimony of the living prophet Gordon B. Hinckley yesterday...but other than that Perú continues to be good old Perú.

 Oh yes and my darling companion made me breakfast today and put balloons on the wall.

Birthday decorations from  Hermana Pinto!

Luis turned 25 on the 2nd! And our ward loves him so we all sang and he left with a cake. He was embarrassed. BUT happy. :)

Oh! Good moment yesterday afternoon. We were leaving an appointment to go home and do our studies when my companion told me it always makes her giggle when we walk by young couples and the girl grabs her boyfriend like he's going to fly away with the wind or the gringa. Half the time I don't even notice it anymore! But we began to discuss why it is that the poor girls get so nervous about this big old white person who just happens to be a very chaste missionary. Do they not see my long skirts and walking shoes? Anyway, we passed by a park and just as I was about to change the topic, all these guys taking a break from their game of fútbol started to whistle and murmur about the pretty missionaries. AWK-WARD. So that made me feel kind of ridiculous. But we passed by and I cooled off a little.

Approximately 45 seconds later, some other guy on the street yells, "GRINGA!" and in perfect succession escaped from my mouth, "AY," and a dog started barking in the window above us.

So when you're frustrated, just say "GRINGA! AY! WOOF WOOF!"

Hermana Hewitt