HOLAAAAAAAA. ¡I love you all!
I´m in Peru! So cool! Today is Miercoles pero we don´t get our first p-day until next miercoles, entonces.... they´re letting us email you right now!
So since we got off the phone yesterday, much happened. Our flight was delayed three times.... We were supposed to depart at 5:20, but didn´t end up leaving until 8:30 or so. Thus, we landed in Lima at about 2 am Lima time (which I believe is just one hour ahead of Utah time). We got to the CCM (MTC) and into our rooms by 4 am. Luckily they let us sleep in till 8 ish. (HA. funny sidenote. A native Spanish-speaking woman just made an announcement over an intercom that reaches all of the CCM and said "Elder Wheeler and Elder Harding, please come to the menstruation office. Please come to the menstruation office." I think she meant to say the administration office. jajaja) I'm still with mi compañeras from Provo, pero only for class. For everything else, they pair us with a native spanish-speaking companion. Mi native companion's name is Hermana Masquez (Ella es de Peru.). She is so sweet. This morning they tried to wake us up for breakfast but since our schedule was different we were like, "oh, it's okay, we get breakfast later" (en Español, of course) and a few minutes later they came back with apples and hot dogs for us. jajajajaja. The hot dog mi compañera gave me was half eaten. jaja. Anyway, I just adore all of the sisters here. They're all so excited to have us and they are patient with our Spanish. That was a major eye-opener. They literally know no English and said they don't care to learn. So. A blessing in disguise, I'd say.
The ciudad is very similar to what we saw in Mexico. We only drove through at night, pero it reminded me a lot of Central America. The buildings and houses and everything. Just wider street and a little more modernized. I can already feel the humidity. Hermana Ellis and I were saying it might just be in our heads, but we can already tell a difference in our skin and hair. Also, the sky during winter is covered in a mist/haze. You can't see the sky. And all the sisters are cold, but being from Utah, we are not. It's "raining," pero it kind of feels like walking under one of the fruit misters at the grocery store or something. You know what I'm saying?
The CCM is beautiful and surrounded by gates and a security guard. As we were driving through the city last night I was getting a little concerned. Then we drove passed a nice building and I was like "Oh, I wish we got to live there!" and then we pulled in. So. That's nice.
They gave us some paperwork last night that says families cannot send packages here because they´re very expensive. So be aware of that. What's new? Please write, I would love to hear from everyone. I have a feeling this is going to be a bigger adjustment than I thought. But I am so excited to be here and to get to have this experience. Apparently they were planning on getting 40 missionaries from the Provo MTC, but it only worked out for 16 of us. Somehow the whole Visa thing is working in my favor. I don't know why!
How soon does Sam go out into the field? Could I get his snail mail address please?
Also, I sealed that envelope yesterday with the letters to Dad, Mitch and Adam and put a stamp on it and addressed it and everything... then misplaced it. I'm hoping that some kind soul at the SLC airport discovered it and threw it in a mailbox. Sorry :(
Okay, I have to go. I love you!
-Hermana Norton