Another eventful week for Hermana Karratti

Yes, this has been yet another fun and very eventful week for Hermana Karate-Kid. First of all, my entire barrio (ward) calls me Hermanita Karate-Kid. So that's kinda fun. And I am finally starting to recognize members. That itself has been so helpful! 

Our Weekly Selfie
Hermana Espinoza and I do "Insanity" workouts every day!  Bleh!!

Secondly, this week has been a little bit of a struggle. I want to learn this language so badly, because I really don't like sitting in lessons where I only understand about 30% of what is being said. I even got yelled at by somone we were trying to teach. It wasn't anything too bad. Just a new investigator and I was struggling a little and trying to tell him something about the Plan of Salvation and I couldn't remember a few words, and he got frustrated and told me, "Why are you in my country and you can't speak my language?" Yes it was a little frustrating to say the least. But every day is getting better. 

Guess Who I Saw Last Week?
Elder Harrison Miller from back home.

I actually believe that God has a sense of humor, because after that certain lesson. My companion and I were running a little late for our next lesson with a less active member. So to be faster, we decided to take a moto-taxi. Which is a taxi, but a little smaller. It only can fit like 2-3 people and it's a little easier in the small roads here. Anyways, we asked the driver to take us to Calle 8. And he said okay. Then he drove, and drove, and drove. My companion started freaking out cause we had no idea where we were! She kept asking the driver, "Where are you going?" He would say, "Calle 8. Calle 8!" But we had no idea. I don't exactly know why... But I just started laughing so hard. Because we weren't in our area anymore. I knew that for sure. Finally Hna. Espinoza just said, "Okay! Our stop is right here." So we got out, and walked up to someone to ask where we were. He recoginized us as missionaries. And then he said, "Are you new missionaries to this mission? Because I haven't seen you two before" And we asked what mission he was talking about. We were in freaking Lima West Mission! We weren't even in our mission anymore! When he told me that, I literally almost fell to the floor laughing so hard. I couldn't stop laughing! I was just way too funny!! We took another moto-taxi back to our mission, and it was just a hilarious night. Exactly what I needed after our lesson. 

Moto-Taxi
This is what a Moto-Taxi looks like.  In case anyone was curious.

Other than that really fun experience, my week has been good. We are starting to have a few investigators, and one of our investigators speaks English! So it's really nice to talk to her and teach her. The only really hard part is that I don't know the lessons in English. That's hard to teach. But when I want to explain something better, I can do it in English and that's really nice! We also have another investigator, Jhon, yes spelled like that. And honestly, he reminds me of Dad, Uncle Kimo, and Uncle Ed all in one person! When we first met him it sorta freaked me out! 

I Got Pictures/Letters!  One Happy Missionary Here!

But really, it's been a great week! I love being a missionary, even though the language is tough. But I love it! I miss you all, and I hope everything is well for everyone!

Con mucho amor,

Herm'ANNA' Karratti

Preachin' in Perú

Another wonderful week in Perù!!!

Oh my oh my!

So many wonderful things and not so wonderful things have happened this week! For those who didn't know, I was transerfed right after I emailed last week. Literally right after! 

Anyways, now I'm with Hermana Espinoza from Honduras, and she speaks little to NO english! So we've been helping each other a lot. Because our Mission President wants all the native spanish speaking missionaries to learn English, while all the others try to learn spanish. So everyday we're helping and listening very closely to each other. I guess sometimes, that's not a good thing though... Because I accidently taught my companion the word "FETCH" and she says it all the time. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. Sorry Hermana!!

Hermana Espinoza and Me

Oh! Something super exciting is happening next month! Elder Dallin H. Oaks is visiting Perú and guess which Hermana was asked to play the piano for him in a special devotional he's having for all the missionaries? Yep! Hermana Karratti! Kinda nervous to play but really excited at the same time!

But as we've been contacting all this week, Hna. Espinoza and I are whistled at constantly, I quickly had to teach her that when a group of men whistle or cat call at us, it's not because they want to hear the gospel. We usually just ignore them and keep walking by. A little different, but this place is very different!

 

I SAW A MONKEY!!

My area is: Carabayllo My ward: Carabayllo My District: Carabayllo... Kinda funny, huh? Anyways, my ward is wonderful! And they love the missionaries. And it's a lot like the Polynesian culture. They feed you all the time! Many times this week, I've had 3-4 dinners. And they have HUGE portions. Bleh!

All in all, I love it in my new area. I wasn't too happy at the beginning because I really loved my last companions, but Hermana Espinoza is wonderful!

I got the package Mom!  THANK YOU!!

Hope this finds you all well and happy! Love you all! And I miss you tons!

Con mucho amor,

Herm'ANNA' Karratti

Preachin' in Perú

Happy Missionary Mom's Day

Because She's Happy!!

Hermana Karratti was only out of the CCM (Peru's Missionary Training Center) for 4 days when we were able to Skype for Mother's Day!! It was wonderful to visit with our missionary daughter face-to-face. We are so grateful for modern technology and for children who understand how it all works. We were able to have Dad in California and big brother Brandon in Orem and the rest of us here in St. George all online and chatting with our missionary at the same time. Couldn't have asked for a better Mother's Day gift!!

Herm’ANNA’ is finally in her mission!!

¡Hola mi familia!!

Okay, I know it's not my usual P-day, but on Monday we're doing a huge zone futbol game and so they are allowing us to write our families today. So I am finally out of the CCM! And I love my mission! My mission is known as the poorest mission out of all the Lima Missions but I believe it's the best! The people are amazing and I just love it here! Next week I'll send pictures, but I can't on this computer because there isn't any way for me to insert my card. Darn!! 

Anyways, the Perù Lima Norte Mision is known for it's DIRT, TRASH, and DOGS! There are barely any paved roads, so everything is dirt! At the end of the day, my legs are just black with dirt. Trash is also everywhere. It's not like America where there's a trash day every week, we're lucky if someone comes to get the trash once a month! And dogs, oh my goodness! There are dogs everywhere!! And the dogs here are so ugly!! Sad, but true! 

My first day in the field was Tuesday, and my first day here was different than any other missionary. Because every other missionary, their first day they went to the Mission Office, met the Mission Pres. and all the orientation. My first day was nothing like that. Since I came by myself, and I'm in between transfers, I went straight to a zone meeting, and then right out into the field. I was assigned to a trio. Hermana Day and Hermana Sanchez. They are both wonderful!! Hermana Day has been out 9 months, and she is from Salt Lake City. Hermana Sanchez has been out 6 months and she's from Mexico. (One hour away from Monterey, Dad!) They are the best trainers ever! We live in this little apartment above a member, and I just love it. 

My First 2 Comps
Hermana Day from Salt Lake City, Utah (right) and Hermana Sanchez from Mexico (center)
Our apartment is FREEZING during personal study, so we all had sweats and jackets under our skirts.

I will tell you more about everything when I talk to you guys TOMORROW!!! Oh my I cannot wait for that. 

Sorry this week was so short, I want to save some things to tell you tomorrow! Just know that I absolutely love my mission! I love the people, they are the best. And I am so grateful that I have the gospel in my life. It brings me the greatest joy in the world.

I love you all, and I hope this finds you well and happy. 

Con amor,
Herm'ANNA' Karratti

Preachin' in Perù

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

ONE MONTH DOWN!!!

Hola everyone!!

So how is everyone this wonderful day? How was everyone´s Easter Sunday? Easter Sunday here was beautiful. A little different, but beautiful. Rather than Easter being the beginning of Spring, it´s the beginning of fall here so it´s a little different that way, but really it was great! We had an Easter MTC devotional and we were able to listen to President Uchtdorf and he was amazing! He always has those little sayings that are just exactly what I need to here, "If you want to punch Satan in the face? Preach the gospel!" Isn´t that just so great? It was just what I needed. Kind of a funny little saying, but it´s true.

Anyways, so many awesome things have happened this week. My prayers have truly been answered and I can really feel the love of my Heavenly Father for me. So first off, we teach "investigators" everyday, and the investigators are just our teachers who act as investigators that they all taught on their missions. But anyways, this week my companion, Hermana Hoskins, and I taught an investigator "Gisel" and let me just tell you, our last lesson with him was the most amazing lesson I´ve ever been in! The spirit was so strong, and I was floating on cloud 9 after the lesson. Anyways, after the lesson my companion and I went outside to have a prayer to thank Heavenly Father for being with us during the lesson. And right as we finished our lesson, we had another teacher ask us if we would help him. We said yes, and then he asked us if we would teach a less-active family a lesson. And my companion asked, "A real family?" he told us, "Yes a real family!" So we went on to teach our lesson, and holy goodness! It was so awesome! I taught a real family... IN ESPAÑOL! Isn´t that so great? I was just so happy afterwards. But honestly that wasn't the end...

Our District with Hermana Loyaza
Today we were able to go through the Temple with one of our teachers, Hermana Loyaza!
She told all of us to tell our families Hello!  She's the greatest teacher ever!

The very next day, our morning teacher, Hermana Loyaza (who is honestly my favorite teacher), had a friend who hasn´t gone to church since she was a young teenager and she wanted us to teach her a little more about the gospel for practice. My entire district asked Hermana Loyaza if this was real or if she was just acting. And she told us, no this is real. I asked her to come, so please teach with the spirit. After she said that, I had the feeling that my companion and I should go first. So we did, and we walked down the hall to the other classroom where her friend would be. And we were just about to knock on the door and we looked at each other and my companion said, "Hermana Karratti, what are we even going to teach her?" I looked back at her and said, "I don´t know, but I have a feeling that we´ll be just fine. Let´s just get in there!" 

So, we knocked on the door... "Hola! Buenos Dias! Somos misioneras de La Iglesia de Jesucristo..." Anyways, she let us in and we started the lesson. It was the hardest start ever!! She just sat there with her arms folded and had this blank stare. It was so difficult. Like we had no idea how this lesson was going to unfold. Well, I decided to ask her why she didn´t go to church and she gave many excuses, like I don´t have transportation. I have work on Sundays, and a lot of others. And my companion was right on it. And she asked her to read a scripture out of D&C. D&C 20:75 and this is what it says, "It is expedient tha the church meet together often to partake of bread and wine in the rememberance of the Lord Jesus." 

Once she read it, I asked her how she felt about it, and she sat there silent for about 3 minutes. And then she started crying, and my companion and I looked at eachother and we were just like "Do you feel this?" The spirit was filling that entire room! Oh my goodness. Jessica (our investigator) started telling us that she didn´t feel worthy to be at church. Everyone there seems so perfect and she wasn´t even close to it. I cannot explain the feeling that came over me. I started crying, and I told her, that no one is perfect. I told her that there is only one perfect man who ever lived on the earth. And I showed a picture of Jesus Christ and she started crying even more. I told her how much Christ loves her, and he wants more than anything for her to turn to him. The lesson went on, and we shared our testimonies about the atonement and repentance. When we ended the lesson, she was smiling and we could feel the spirit so strongly in that lesson! I asked her if she would give the closing prayer, and at first she refused, but we told her that she could do it! She ended up saying the prayer, and during the prayer she said, "Thank you Heavenly Father for sending these 2 angels into my life." All of us were crying, and we after the prayer we all hugged and it was beautiful! I felt the spirit so strongly at that moment. We finally looked at how long we had been in there. We were in there teaching her for about an hour. We were teaching a lesson in Spanish for an hour! How neat is that?? I can´t explain the feeling that I was feeling afterwards. But it was truly amazing.

Elder Pawn-Kalilikane and I
He is from Molokai'i and he knows a certain Elder who served in Hawaii.
Elder Karratti came to his house for dinner!!

So, all in all, this week was amazing! We went proselyting in my mission on Saturday!  I have officially been to my mission! And, I cannot wait to be serving there in 2 weeks! 2 more weeks and I'll be in my mission! 1 month down, and 17 more to go. Wow!! Anyways, while we were in my mission, I was taught a lot about my mission.  My mission is one of the poorest missions in all the Lima missions.  The houses that we went in were literally cement floors, cement walls, with a metal sheet as their roof.  It was so humbling to know how much I have at home, and people here seriously have nothing, and they are so happy! How is that possible?

Well, this week was amazing and I cannot wait for more weeks like this.  I love being a missionary, it's the greatest calling in the entire world!  Since I have been here for 1 month, my group is now the advancados here, or in other words, we're the big man on campus. Oh joy!

I Love My District!!

My companion and I are trying to really learn our Spanish even more. For the past week we have been trying to learn 50 new words per day, and it´s a struggle but we have been able to do it! Spanish is coming! Yay!!!

I love you all, and I know that without a doubt in my mind that this church is true. It´s the one and only true church on the earth today. Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers! He has answered mine this week and I´m so happy that he did. I miss you all, and you are all in my prayers. 

I hope this email finds you all well, and you all know that I love you and miss you!

Con amor,

Herm'ANNA' Karratti

Preachin´ in Perú

Week 3 at the CCM

Hola my friends and family!

So much has happened this week and I can´t believe that I´m halfway through the MTC! And I´m offically not a "newbie" anymore! Yay for that!! The Spanish is coming along surprising well. I went from understanding about 9% of my class to undertsanding about 50% of it. I'm really happy about it. 

Our New Soccer Jersey's!

We've been teaching investigators (who are just other teachers) and I'm really surprised at how much I actually know! Exciting times for Hermana Karratti!!

Along with other exciting times. I am the music person here at the CCM, surprised? We had a huge fireside for the President of all international MTC's here at the CCM and I was in charge of all the music. The prelude, opening and closing, and special musical number. It was amazing! The President came up to me afterwards and he kept telling me how amazing it all sounded. I was so happy with the entire performance!

My Companion and I Shopping Today

So how is everyone? I miss you all like crazy but this time is really flying by so quickly! Also, please write your missionaries! Even though I can't send letters out... Sorry I've tried and I can't. But I can recieve them! Tell everyone to send their missionaries a letter! They mean the world to us! Emails are great, but I only have 1 hour.

I am loving it here, every day I wake up and am so happy that I'm here in Perú!

The Crowded Bus
Surprisingly, this one wasn't as crowded!

I can feel my Heavenly Fathers love every day and I couldn't be more lucky to be serving along with such wonderful sisters in my district. They are the best!

District Drawing
Hermana Davis in my District is an artist!
This picture doesn't show her full talent, but she's really amazing!
So, the other day she drew all of us on the chalk board.
Can you tell which one is me? 
(HINT: Karate Kick)

Also something so exciting is happening this week! We're going prozelyting... In the Lima Norte Mission! Isn't that great?

Captain America and Spider-Man

I'm so excited to go out and experience it all. I'll tell you all about it next week!

I love you all and I miss you!

Con amor,
Herm'ANNA' Karratti
Preachin' in Perú