Sara's first three letters from the Peru MTC

6/20/2013

I am in Peru safe and sound :) I am loving it. The flights were great especially because of the little package I got to open! Thank you all so so so much for your notes and pictures! (especially Kate for the bracelet!). All my luggage is here and I feel like I have everything I need (thanks Mom!). I hope you all know how much I love you and am grateful for all your support. I am blessed with such a wonderful family!

My companion is from Tuscan AZ. She is also going to Cochabamba and is such a joy to be around. I already have a great love for her as I try to serve her and help her feel comfortable here. The living arrangements are basically like a glorified Helaman Halls ha-ha. Six girls to a room with a tiny closet :) it's fun.

Today we are going to meet with the Mission President and stuff so that will be cool, then tomorrow the real MTC life begins (we got to sleep in until 8:30 today which was much needed because we didn't get to bed until after 3:00am!). I love being a missionary so much, especially having the name tag on me! It makes it real. It is cool to have my focus on being a representative of Christ 100% of the time (which it should have been already, but I definitely wasn't good at that). This gospel is true. It is so cool to see so many other young people here with me (70 SISTERS!! The biggest group of sisters here ever)!

I must go, time definitely flies when trying to type an email ha-ha. But don't forget that I love you all! You are seriously the best family in the world. I love this work and can't wait to get started!

Love,
Hermana Gardiner

6/25/2013

Hola Familila!

Tuesday's are my p-day. This is the first time there has ever been more Americans in the Peru MTC than Latinos. So many American hermanas. It's awesome! I absolutely love being here. The spirit here is amazing. It is super intense though. Like holy cow. Haha. We had to teach our first progressing investigator last night... Eh. It was muy mal.

The food is so so so good. It's basically really yummy flavorful rice, meat, potatoes, and tons of veggies (especially cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower which I am cherishing because I won’t be eating that in Bolivia). There are also really weird and really good desserts. Also, I've been eating eggs every day for breakfast. You'd be proud of me momma!

My days usually consist of waking up at six, getting ready, eating breakfast, studying, class, more class, lunch, personal study, physical activity, more studying, class, dinner, more class, daily planning, getting ready for bed, and sleeping. Holla. It is so great. I love it!! Having a schedule is fun. It's sometimes frustrating though because I don't feel like I have enough time to do everything I need to do and study all I need to study. My favorite part of the day is physical activity! It is so fun to run around and remind myself I have a body that can move.

My teachers are great here at the CCM. They know enough English to communicate with us, but they primarily talk in Spanish. My district consists of 8 hermanas and 4 elders. Five of us hermanas are going to Cochabamba so that is fun! Our district is the only district out of all the new districts that have p-day today, everyone else’s is on Thursday. I'm glad mine was today because I was so excited to email you! In class we have learned how to introduce ourselves, pray, and bear a simple testimony. Its frustrating por que they have not taught us any grammar or and expect us to be able to teach lessons in Spanish already! Our lesson last night was seriously so bad. Our investigator Francisio FELL ASLEEP on us. So bad. It was interesting, but a good learning experience. We have to teach him again tonight, so hopefully that goes better! It is interesting because every companionship in my district has one companion that is semi competent in Spanish except Hna. Adams and I. And out of our companionship I have the most experience, which you all know is basically nothing. Heavenly Father definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone and making me work hard and more than I ever have before. I had a cool experience last night though, on Sunday I picked a Crist like attribute to work on this week. I picked patience. When I knelt down to pray last night I instantly felt the Spirit whisper to me that I need to be patient with God and myself when it comes to learning the language. I will defintinitely be needing patience in this process. I just want to teach and speak perfectly right now!! It will come through and I will work for it! I wouldn't be able to do this without Jesus Christ and a loving Heavenly Father. I have already learned how important it is to rely on the Lord and I'm sure I'll have many more opportunities where that becomes even more clear to me.

I absolutely love Sundays here at the CCM! Sunday was so awesome! I hope you all saw the missionary broadcast! How cool was it that they showed Lima Peru on the screen! I started crying. I can't believe I am a missionary especially being trained in Lima. So awesome. Such a blessing and wonderful experience. You guys are great examples of loving everyone around you and I think you all have great work to do as member missionaries. You guys are the best!

For p-day we went to the temple which was so great and went to a Wal-Mart type store and got some Peruvian treats! It was so great. I love being outside the walls of the CCM. We get to go contacting on the streets on Saturday! I am so excited!

I love this work so much. It is the BEST.

Yo se que al inglesia es verdadera! Yo se que Jesu Crist es mi Salvitor. Yo se que Thomas S. Monson es la profeta y el Libro de Mormon es la palbara de Dios! En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.

Don't judge me for that testimony, I am in a hurry and couldn't check if it is right haha.
Love,
Hermana Sara Gardiner

7/2/2013

Well the coolest thing that happened this week was that Elder Christofferson came to the CCM!!!!!! The 100th stake in Peru was made this weekend so Elder Chirstofferson came to be a part of the festivities. We had been told that he would probably be too busy to visit us, but he came on Friday! It was so awesome. The rarely have apostles visit here so it was a big deal. He was eating in the cafeteria while we had our physical activity time. We were playing volleyball close to there and as I was about to serve he stepped out to say hello to us! Luckily I got the ball across and I didn't embarrass myself too much in front of him ha-ha. He joked around for a second. What a great man. He shared great thoughts with us and did a question and answer session as well (Hna. Hill even asked a question!). We got to shake his hand and say hello. It was great.

Another cool thing was on Sunday when we watched an old devotional from February at the Provo MTC and I saw Marissa Anderson in the choir singing! I almost cried I was so excited ha-ha.

Basically yesterday was my favorite day at the CCM yet. Our lesson with our new progressing investigator was really lead by the Spirit, it was awesome. Yesterday was also the first day that I really felt like myself ha-ha. I just felt so so good. My personal study was fantastic. I played soccer and didn't make a fool of myself so that was fantastic. It was over all just a really great day.

The Spanish is coming along slowly but surely. It is a fun yet frustrating process. I love the language though and can't wait to get out in the field!