Bolivia, Equipetrol—Week 5

Dear Family and Friends,

So first of all, a HUGE sorry for last week. I was going to write about April Fool’s Day as though it actually happened, then write a p.s. at the end letting you know it was all a joke, but I forgot until after I’d logged off! It was a joke that Hermana Hussey and I played on the other Hermanas. No, we didn’t get robbed! I would appreciate some extra money, though . . . hehe! (of course we asked her how much money she needed to replace what was stolen). I’m so, so sorry! I really didn’t mean to worry you! When we got home, I remembered that I forgot to tell you it was a joke and I was worried all week about what you would do, but all is well! (I told her she was in BIG trouble for worrying everyone, but it was almost worth it to hear that she worried all week as well—April Fool’s backfire!)

It’s been a rough few weeks with me or my companion getting sick, but we are doing better. The week wasn’t too eventful. We did a lot of service because there aren’t too many people to teach right now, but it was fun. We had an Hermana Activity and I taught them how to make cinnamon rolls (see journal).

I hope you all have a great week!

Love you all!

xoxo Hermana Nelson

Journal Pages
Mario
Mario was set apart tonight and it was a very emotional time. Here, pretty much the whole ward comes to hear a new missionary bear their testimony, listen to a talk from the Stake President, then the missionary is set apart in front of everyone. Different, but cool. They are a really sweet family and it will be different without their son.

Foianini
They couldn’t find anything wrong with Hermana Hussey, so we won’t be going back to the hospital unless things get worse.

Leyla
We stopped by tonight to see how Hermana Leyla and her family are doing since Mario left. She gave us some ginger root and cloves to help our stomachs and we chatted for a bit. She’s really great and reminds me of Mom and my aunts. She always wants to cook for everyone, help everyone, and is truly like a mom to us. She calls us her “hijas” (daughters) and she’s just awesome. Their son wrote from the MTC today. It was sweet to see their happiness and feel the Spirit there as well.

Service
We did service today at the Vera’s home because my companion couldn’t walk too much.

Hermana Activity
I taught the Hermanas how to make cinnamon rolls. They were probably the best ones I’ve made so far on my mission. Quite delicious! We watched the General Women’s Meeting that we missed (it was on too late when it originally aired). We also had a talent show, but I just copped out and used the cinnamon rolls as my talent. We then had lunch at Casa del Camba. It’s a super pretty restaurant that is out of the city a little bit, right by the river, and serves all of the traditional foods of Santa Cruz. Afterwards, we went to Leslie’s and washed her clothes by hand. It was a super fun day.

Casa del Camba

Baptism/Visiting
We attended a baptism for the other Hermanas. It was fabulous! We walked a lot and tried to find people to teach, but it was a Saturday night, so we had no luck . . . so we visited the Bishop and his wife. They are awesome! We talked about the people we are visiting. He knows so much. We talked a lot about the needs of the ward and such. They told us their conversion story, how he became the Ward Mission Leader (his first calling), then 6 months later, Bishop! He’s been the Bishop ever since. Wow!

I’ve Felt Better
Sometimes health gets the best of us . . . not sure if I got a bug or what, but my stomach had the worst sharp pains I’ve ever felt, so we stayed home from church today. The ward brought us the Sacrament and we watched a lot of Church History movies. I love learning about the prophets, apostles, and the pioneers. It was a good day of spiritual uplift!