Week Full of a Lot of FIRSTS!

¡Hola everyone!

How is everyone this week? I hope everyone had a great week, and you're all happy! First of all, I want you to know that this is my last P-Day here in the CCM! Yay!! Next P-Day I will be traveling to my mission so I won't be able to write you all sadly... Sorry!  But, after this week, my P-Day's will be on Mondays. Anyways, it's really weird to think that this is my last P-Day here in the CCM. Don't get me wrong, I love the CCM, but I am so excited to finally be in my mission doing what I am supposed to be doing! I cannot wait for that! I will be sad however to say goodbye to my zone. We have all grown very close in the past 5 weeks and I am sad that I will have to say goodbye to them. But it's okay, a lot of them go to BYU anyways, so I'll be able to see them after.

Last P-Day with my Group

First funny thing, I have been told I look like Mandy Moore, more times this week than I know how to count. So basically, you all know a movie star... Just to let you know!

So, this week was different than the other weeks that we've had here. Since we're avanzados, we've been helping all the new missionaries here get adjusted to the CCM. It's weird having them ask me questions, but I feel super cool when I know the answers! The other day one of the new Elders (we call him Captain America. He is apparently a competitive body builder and says that everyone calls him Captain America since that's who he looks like. He told us all to call him Captain America.), so Elder Captain America, asked me to ask one of the Latino Elders a question, and I felt super awesome when I was able to actually ask the question and everything! Seriously, I felt like a million bucks! I'm starting to understand this language!! (Thanks for the prayers in my behalf, they're really helping out!!)

The Avancados
Translation: The Advanced or those getting ready to leave the CCM

So, this week has been a lot of firsts for me. I am now past my FIRST month on a mission, I gave my FIRST talk in church completely in español, I felt my FIRST earthquake, and I paid for the bathroom for the FIRST time.

Yesterday, I had the fun opportunity to talk in church. How they run the talks here, is that weekly we are given a topic to write our talks about, and on Sunday after the sacrament, whoever is conducting stands at the pulpit and says, "This week we'll be listening to..." Usually they have 2 Hermanas and 2 Elders speak, so yesterday when he started reading off the names. He said one other Hermana, and Hermana Hoskins. I kinda giggled cause I thought my companion would have to speak and not me. But, to no avail, he then continued and said another Hermanas name, and he completed with saying, "...for our last speaker we will hear from Hermana Karratti." My companion quickly turned to me and started giggling at me. It was quite funny. So, when it was my turn I went up and gave a talk completely in Spanish! GO ME!

Anyways, on Saturday we my district had a great experience. A stake here in Lima brought their youth and primary age kids to the CCM for a tour and so they could talk to the missionaries. We were able to talk with the youth, share our testimonies and learn a lot about them. And during a break in between classes my district went outside and all the primary kids came walking by. It was like a parade! "¡MISIONERAS!" All the little niñas were giving us kisses on our cheek, and the little niños were shaking our hands. It was so adorable!! I felt like a Disney Princess or something at Disneyland. Then afterwards, all the leaders wanted us to take pictures with them. So, we did! It was so much fun! I felt like their hero or something and they were all telling me I was so tall, and beautiful, and I just felt like a million bucks! Talking about being tall... I feel like a GIANT here! The tallest Peruvian I have met here is about 5´5, if that tall. I honestly feel like I am some huge giant next to all of them. And I'm not even the tallest out of my district.

Group of Little Niños

Other than that fun experience, I also had another not so fun but weird experience. I had to pay for my first bathroom this week! Isn't that interesting? In Perú, the water system isn't the greatest, and the bathroom is a very special place, to put it into nice terms. Anyways, to use a restroom, you must pay like 2 soles (which is about .72 in USD) and then you are able to use it. Kinda a weird experience, but one worth writing about!

Last interesting experience this week was I felt my first earthquake. I don't know how big it was or where it was, but it was about 11:30 at night and our beds started shaking for about 5-10 seconds. Of course everyone woke up, and my companion looked up at me (I'm on the top bunk) and she was like, "Did you feel that? I think we just felt an earthquake!" All the latinas started freaking out, and it took a long time to get them to calm down and go back to bed. The next morning the missionaries all talked about it, and we had all felt the earthquake. So I can now say that I have felt my first earthquake! Woo!

I Love These Girls!!
Hermana Hunsaker and Hermana Olivas (the one who is being held),
they are the 2 I have come the closest with while being here at the MTC.

Anyways, I can't wait for next week when I will actually be in my mission!! This Saturday I will again be proselyting in my mission and then I'll be back there in 2 days after that to offically be a missionary there! I honestly cannot wait!

Well, I love you all and I miss you all terribly! Hope to hear from ALL of you soon! (Hint hint... write me!) You're all in my prayers. Hope you have a great week!

Con amor,

Herm'ANNA' Karratti

Preachin' in Perú