Semana 66 in Moyobamba (April 27th, 2015)

I would like to start this weekly letter with the news that I HAVE PIOJOS.  I let you figure out the translation of that word based on the following context:  I noticed for the last few days that my head was a bit itchier than normal. And on Saturday about 10 minutes before going out to work in the afternoon I had my companion check my head and told me the news that no girl wants to hear: PIOJOS.  So I screamed a little bit but I mean we had an appointment right then so we went and taught the lesson as I was frantically itching my head and after the lesson Telma, our investigator decided to take a look.  So there I sat, as my investigator and my companion sat there rumagging and combing through my hair pulling out 5, 10, 15, 20 gigantic black piojos and I just sat there crying a little bit. It was kind of one of those ''only in Peru'' moments.  Actually fun fact, in Iquitos the people eat piojos!! Words fail to describe the shock the first time I witnessed someone sitting on the street pulling piojos out of their husbands head and putting them in their mouth (No worries, they don't do that in Moyobamba, I asked Hna Telma if she was gonna eat them and she looked at me funny).  It was traumatizing to say the least.  I bought like 5 little envelopes of piojo shampoo and for the last three days during language study my companion has spent over an hour picking out slews of little eggs...I think were up to about 130 on the piojo egg count.  I'd like to finish this story quoting Yzma from Emperor's new groove when I say ''I HATE THE JUNGLE!!!!''.  Someone needs to send me a GIF of that.

Anyway moving on, on monday we challenged the famous MORRO DE CALZADA that towers over Moyobamba. I was pretty excited and it was a good climb. See photos attached.  Actually the climb itself wasn't so bad, it was the descent that hurt me from the fact that I fell like 7 times and my legs were covered in bruises...not much has changed for me as far as the coordination department goes.

I forgot to mention this to you guys but the coolest thing happened.  The other week my companion saw a couple on the street and went to contact them. It was already 9 and we were headed back to the house.  But she stopped and talked to them and they were super cool and told us that they were new here in Moyo, they were from Iquitos and had visited the church there about a year ago. I was like ''Oh no way!'' and they told us that two hermanitas visited them, one a 'gordita' from Ilo, Peru and a north american more or less like me. And that's when I was like ¨HOLD UP¨ I had a gordita companion from Ilo in Iquitos and I am north american and realized that this was MY investigator family from over a year ago in Colinas, Iquitos!! Rubi and Rafael!!! How did I not recognize or remember!!?? So crazy. Being a missionary is nuts, so much divine intervention.  So yeah, long story short got reunited with my old investigator family this week and they are progressing and determined to change.  Unfortunately only their kids came to church this week due to work complications but we have faith that there parents will join us next week.

Anyway, that's all for this week.

Love,

 Hermana Benyo 

Photos

12.  Zone photo at the top. Please note the blood pouring down Elder Foote's face...he got in a fight with a tree on the way up and decided to leave the blood there for photo's sake. Oh yeah, and he won the fight.

13.  The other day during language study Hermana Tituaña asked me what ''Grande Tiempo Prisa'' means. I told her I have no idea that makes no sense when I realized that she was directly translating the name of her favorite band Big Time Rush. I hope at least one person thinks this is as funny as I do. Who knew Big Time Rush had fans in Ecuador? Or in general, really.

 El Morro de Calzada

 Approaching the Morro

Climbing up

Our jungle mountain paradise

Our jungle mountain paradise

Cliff on the way up

View from the top!!

Us in front of the cross at the top.  All of the missionaries sign it every time we go up.

Zone photo at the top. Please note the blood pouring down Elder Foote's face...he got in a fight with a tree on the way up and decided to leave the blood there for photo's sake. Oh yeah, and he won the fight.

he other day during language study Hermana Tituaña asked me what ''Grande Tiempo Prisa'' means. I told her I have no idea that makes no sense when I realized that she was directly translating the name of her favorite band Big Time Rush. I hope at least one person thinks this is as funny as I do. Who knew Big Time Rush had fans in Ecuador? Or in general, really.