Light 'em up, up, up...

dearest loved ones

first of all FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!!

some fun peruvian new year traditions....

first, the few days before new years the streets are lined with yellow. they sell yello everything! mostly yellow underwear. yes. tons of it. everywhere you look. all over. it supposedly means good luck. and everyone wears yellow. its symbolic of a new year. cool. now what they do with the yellow underwear i dont like to imagine..... crazy burracho (drunk) peruvians on new years. always fun. and for this we had to go back to our room early new years eve and new years to avoid any danger. we saw a cop chase. that was exciting. some drunk driver went zooooming past way dangerously fast in a residential area and they looked like they were having a blast running from the cop car not far behind, also mur rapido!

also, as soon as it gets dark, people take out these dolls made of old clothes dirty things, and they are stuffed with old shoes, toys, garbage what ever, and then, they LIGHT THEM ON FIRE! so on everyside, just under a tree on the side walk, where ever, there are burning dolls. BIG dolls. almost like human size! because we went back early i didnt get a picture, but it was eery. like really wierd. int he morning we saw piles of ash everywhere, in place of where a lifelike doll used to be. its symbolic of burning the old and starting new.

at midnight, we obviously could not sleep cause of all the fire works, so we ran to the roof to watch all the fireworks go off. it was the most beautiful sight ive seen on my mission. good old run down peru, at night, with fireworks on every side. BEAUTIFUL! i wish i had a pic of this too. but it wouldnt do a justice.

let me explain the rain in the park picture. 

so we are at the stage where we are SEARCHING for investigators. searching high and low for those who are prepared. we dotn really have anyone progressing right now. and its kind of discouraging, but im doing my best not to let it get to me. just follow the spirit and be obedient and in the lords time he will put us both in the right place at the right time. but anyways, this particular day, we were knocking doors, searching for references, stole names from the area book and just walking all over. it was blazing hott in the morning and we were tired, then out of no where it RAINED!° not hard, but enought that it was muddy, and my shirt got soaked and we were cold. and i was wearing the wrong shoes so i was slipping everywhere. it was hard to walk and ill i wanted was to be INSIDE somewhere TEACHING! was that too much to ask!!!

what i learned this day, in a round about way was this.... you start in faith, and carry out in hope. and when nothing happens and your numbers are terrible, it doenst matter. cause you followed the spirit as best you could, and you worked hard. and that my friends, is missionary work. i am at peace with my failure. AND WHAT OTHER CHURCH OFFERS THAT! none. christ takes away the sting of death, pain, and even potential feelings of failure. numbers dont matter. people have their agency and becuase they used their agency to go and do something dumb instead of answering the door, it will be held against them one day. EVERYONE must have the chance to accept or reject the gospal. and if it means walking in the rain or the blazing hot and NOTHING then ill do it. its my purpose and its waht i live for.

one of themany lessons learned this week.

more about new years. its a chance to start fresh. this year, this 2014 is the year of my mission! the year that i will be in peru almost all year!! cool. so i will become even more peruvian. i will learn and adapt even more. 

just a few goals, 

• read 5 pages of the book of mormon every day (obviously) BUT i am reading in spanish. to help me understand better. so i can be a better trainer
• baptise 2 complete families
• eat cuy

• run four days a week even if its half a mile. 
• and become more sanctified. more dedicated to the lord. change MORE! i want to change so much so that when i go home i cant change back to who i was. i mean i wasnt bad before, but i want to be different and have a stronger spirit about me when i get home. stronger so that when i go back to college i wont be tempted, and i will continue to be a missionary and bloom where ever im planted.

that is my wish. my goals.

hope all is well in your individual lives. i love you all so much and your prayers are felt.

in other news, i had an interview with president this week and he asked me how i felt about training....

ill keep you posted....

hna gonzales with an s