Sister Pugmire #10

Dear Family,

I`m happy to hear you had a good Thanksgiving. I thought about you all Thursday and Friday. I never use my mission money to buy snacks because I know that they are sacred. I have two exceptions- when I bought peanut butter at the metro - the sales people had no idea what I was talking about and led me to refridgerated section where butter is- and on thanksgiving. I bought a little treat for my companion and I. turns out that was very unnecessary. We taught a women in her store and after the lesson gave us candy and a soda because she felt the spirit so strongly. then we had a meeting with the mission leader for our stake. he took us to a bakery and bought us both a mini pie. I was so sick of sweets that day! I think that my sugar tolerance has lowered.

I had my first meeting with the Hermana Fernandez this last Friday. We have a meeting every week to discuss the needs and health of the missionaries. She asked me to make a few notes in the computer file for one of the elders having a operation this week. For the most part my job as the nurse is to give medical advise to missioaries when they call with a problem, talk to the area doctor when we need to and help with health classes for the missionaries - like during orientation. I live with our pinchanesta who does our cooking and part of our laundry. we hand wash our garments ourselves and hang them on the line to dry. which means that they smell like smoke. our pinchanesta uses a washing machine which she feels up with a hose.

every day we get up exercise and study and head out to prosylt. we knock on a lot of doors. we have a few families to teach but aren't making alot of progress. I'll abmit we're not the most sucessful in our zone but we do work hard and I do love the people we teach. We teach an elderly gentlemen every Saturday who knows the Book of Mormon is true but doesn[t want to be baptized. lots of times people of a problem with us not worshopping the Virgin Mary. and everyone is Catholic.

I still don't know what[s going on but I'm trying to learn the language. Sunday night we tracted into a young man who learned english by watching movies. I got to be the primary speaker! He didn'[t believe God could be perfect because he knowingly created the devil. I think he was more interested in practicing English than learning the gospel but I was still happy to be actively involved in the lession.

I still love everyone and America. The people of Peru are wonderful people. Someday I hope to understand their jokes. The family we live with is always laughing about somthing I don't understand.

Congrates to Vasa on your football game, and I wish I could have heard Romans talk in church. I'm sur it was very helpful.

Con Amor,

Hermana Pugmire

Sister Pugmire #9

dear family,

First of all I would like to give a shut out to Cool Katie- your last DearElder came exactly when I needed it and said things I REALLY needed to hear so thank you.

also I`m writing a day late because I was in Lima on P day! I flew out Sunday night with other elders who needed cards to be in the country. Monday was a long day of waiting in lines but it was interesting and fun to talk to the elders from my district in the CCM and see how they are doing now. And it was so nice to speak in english! and understand other people.

I really hope Cheryl is feeling better, know that you are in my prayers. How is Aunt Terri`s arm doing? I was really glad to hear from Grandma and know that she is doing better.

Congratulations to Dane on his blessing. Somebody really ought to send me a picture of him.

And Happy Thanksgiving!! Obiviously we don`t celebrate it here don`t I`ll be singing songs of gratitude in my heart all day.

Week 2 of really being in my mission is going great. still don`t know what`s going on but I`ll trying to learn.

my companion and I live with our Penchanista. She does all the cooking for us and it all tastes great. They alot of rice and potatoes. I love it but I miss fruits and veggies. Especailly the kinds we`re not allowed to eat. I understand why so many gain wieght on mission. I feel like Hna Silva (our penichinsta) is trying to make a model of Mt Misti (a volcano here) on my plate. I'm always saying ´menos, menos, menos'.

Elders still call me all the time about their health problems who don`t speak english. Sometimes I`m able to help and sometimes i just ask them to call Hermana Fernàndez.

my ward can`t sing worth beans and I love them all for it. There is a sweet elderly lady with the sweetest, loudest, monotone voice I have ever heard who sits in the front row.

Well I probably won`t be sending out many snail mail letter because it`s become very expensive to do so here but I still think about everyone and love you all. I do miss you something fierce and love the `'home of the brave' more and more each day but I also love peru and the people here. and that helps.

love,

Hermana Pugmire

Sister Pugmire #8

I am finally in the mission!!! The night we arrived President and Sister franadez were at the airport with the mission nurse!!! Sister anderson trained me for a couple of days then I recieved a new companion (Hna Torrealva) and the cellphone for the mission nurse and was sent on my way. As the mission nurse I do a lot of diagnosising. elders call me with their problems and I tell them what to do. Having the cellphone is a big responsilblity. only district leaders, zone leaders and the nurse get one. Needless to say I feel overwhelmed. right now I mostly tell leaders to call hermana fernandez because I don`t understand them. they all speak spanish!!! saturday night I got a call from an american elder who I was able to advise ( i was so nervous that I called the area doctor too). It felt so good to do something and feel useful!!! I feel like a bump on a log most of the time.
My companion is from Lima Peru, entonces, I don`t understand her. She learning english and I'm learning espoñal! Pre. Franañdez promised me I would be fluent in esponal in 6 months. I choose to believe him because it makes me feel.
tracking is really boring but I was warned of that. Last night when I was ready to call it quits a women let us in!! it was so great. She wanted to know why children suffer on the earth. I shared Alma 12 (i think, when the children and mothers are burned) straight out of Preach my gospel. But for the most part I just sat their and smiled or laughed when everyone else did.
I was so happy to here about Vasa`s amazing touchdown and that Roman made the time!! congratualtions. I love hearing about the missionary work going on at home and to be honest I wish I was there. I feel so home sick!!! I once thought that I could be something of a wanderer but now I just want to honorable complete my mission and never venture past that white vinyl fence that seperates my sancutary from the rest of the world
and I heard about the election- bumper.
Mariana, this dating situation is pretty exciting!!!!
Jill, I`m sure the customs looked great
Curtis is going to Cusco!!!!!!!! No way, that is so cool, tell him to look for my group picture at the MTC, and ask the cardons if they rememebr me (that one nurse). Crazy, crazy
well I`ve got more to say but no time.
I´m working on thinking of others more and working hard so I don`t feel home sick. I love you all so much and boy do I miss you.
con amor
Hermana Pugmire

Sister Pugmire #7

Family,

this is my last week in the MTC!!!!!! I fly out Monday afternoon for Arequipa. It´s crazy to think I´ll be in my mission soon. Some one told me that the last week of your time in the MTC reflects your last few months of the mission so I want to spend my week working hard.

I hope every one is well, especially with the flight problmes. How´s Grandma Lorriane doing? YOu are all in my prayers and I think about you often. But I try to keep thoughts of home to a minimum because I need to focus on the work.

Today was the best P day ever. My companion and I had a goal of handing out a pamphlet. We have this goal every p day but we never do it. We sat down in a coffee shop in the grocery store and talked to a college student named Grabriela. We taught her the 1st and 2nd lesson, gave her our phamlets and got her contact info, it was our first real contact on our onw!!! when we go out prosyleting on saturdays we make contacts but we always have a latin companion so we don´t do a whole lot of talking. This was different

Speaking of saturdays, this saturday in campoy was great. we went into a few houses and taught some lessons. I didn´t say very much because I was pretty well lost during most of the lessons. One door we knocked on the man just let us in without us saying a word or even getting a chance to. When we got in he told us he had been taught by missionaries before, liked their message and wanted to hear more. he was´t intersted in joining becuase he´s catholic. That´s what everyone says and everyone is catholic. he talked to me the whole time even though I was the only one who couldn´t understand. he said that I reminded him of the missionaires who taught him before because I´m white. We also tracted into a lot of inactive members.

every night Hermana Santa Cruz tells us a story before we go to bed. it´s pretty fun. She makes us actors in her stories and gives us lines to repeat and little actions to perfoms. and we always sing a song that one of the elders translated to spanish called ÿou can dance if you want to¨. Its very silly and very fun.

every day my companion and I have a goal of getting a reference, which of course is always fact (except for today). one day on of your teachers gave us a contact of one of the adminstraters and said that if we went to his office he would act like an investagator and let us teach him. So we did, but he wasn´t home. Instead President Cardon (president of the MTC) came up to us and we taught him! we plan on having the 2nd lesson soon.

So the new white hermanas seem very nice but we don´t talk to them very much cause we don´t see them a whole lot. They´re not in our district. I´m happy to report they are not taller than me. I am still the tallest female in these parts.

I don´t know if I´ve mentioned it before but Granadias are the best fruit ever. I love them and I hope there is somewhere in the US where you can buy them and enjoy this beautiful part of Peru.

I love everyone so much. And I really miss you but don´t want to see any of you we for a while.

con amor,

Hermana Pugmire

ps happy dia de brujas!!!!

Sister Pugmire #6

dear family,

in the last letter from Mom and email from dad they asked if I was getting any of their emails and letters. I found this very puzzling because I thought that I had been thanking everyone for all this in my emails. I´m starting to think that you don´t get my emails! i hope you do because this half hour of writng to you and reading emails is very stressful for me and i would hate to think that my high blood pressure is all for naught.

speaking of which grandma Lorriane is in my prayers. I hope you recover completely quickly.

Congratulations againg to grandpa Pug and Martha. Its crazy to think that there is so much going on at home.

Once again- Mom I get all your letters and I am so grateful for them. I got the birthday card you sent. I also got the letter from Annie with all the pictures of the kids. I love getting pictures, especially of my nephews and neices.

So think week we got a new group of Latinos. This is the group that i´ll be leaving the ccm (mtc) with! entonces, I´ll be leaving the ccm in about 2 weeks!! and I still don´t know spanish. but thats fine

the weekend of general confrenece we had the AMA come and give us medical advice, after the meeting i told him that I´m soppused to be the nurse for my mission. he told me a little about what I´ll be doing and said that I´ll pretty much be the doctor for my area. he said he wishes every mission had a nurse so it sounds like I´ll be able to help a little in mission by using my nursing degree.

My companion started a new game here, that doesn´t have a name. her old district used to play it. here´s how it works:

if you make eye contact with some one you try to be the first person to get your hand to your mouth and make a swooshing noise like you´re shooting a dart. if you get the other person first they have to freeze until someone says ´¨antidote¨¨. its very popular here and kinda frightening because you don´t know who´s playing so your afraid to make eye contact with anyone. I like it

we´re supposed to get 2 new northamerican hermanas tomorrow. I´m kinda bumped to not be one of the only 2 northamerican hermanas, but excited to have them come too. I hope none of them are taller then me because right now I´m the tallest female here. I haven´t seen any females in peru that are taller then me.

Our instructors here are so amazing and so patient with us. did I mention that we are now in the ´´advanced´´ class? yea, that´s crazy because I still feel like I don´t know anything, and am losing knowldge that I thought I had by the minute.

Today I found peanut butter in the store. It was pretty exciting but I didn´t buy any because we´re not supposed to bring food back to the ccm. everyone does anyways but its a rule and I need those blesing. its just good to know in the future I can buy peanut butter.

one Sunday we watched a talk by elder Hollland. It was so great!! I wish you could find it on the church website. it was about how if you come home and go bakc to the person you were before the mission you wasted 2 years. it was so great and I definetly don´t want to come home not changed for the better.

this week we´re going prosylting in Campoy. Our teacher served his mission there and told us some pretty crazy good stories so I´m exctied.

I love you all and miss you very much. THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR LETTERS AND PRAYERS!!! I didn´t realize until now how wonderful they are.

Love,

Hermana Pugmire

Sister Pugmire #5

Family

first of all I miss you all very much, but I´m very happy to do so. My companion doesn´t have a ny home sickness and I think I feel worse for her.

P.s. my companion is wonderful. we get along very well. She´s very easy going and easy to laugh hut she is also very dedicated and wants to be obedient. She has such a strong testimony. Hermana Ali is a blessing to me.

Last Saturday I went prosylting for the first time. we went to a town called Chosika. I was paired with Hermana Cruz because my companion and I don´t speak english. It was such a wonderful experience. I didn´t talk very much but I felt the spirit very strongly. I don´t think I´ve ever had such a strong desire to share the gospel because I care so much for people I´ve never met. we went to a restruarant where they served us salad. which I KNEW we weren´t supposed to eat beucase it´s impossible to completely clean the lettuce. I warned everyone and then I ate the lettuce becuase I didn´t want to waste food. Never again.

I then drink a coke for the very first time in my life because I´d heard mission president´s wives tell me that it kills the bacteria and very thing alse in your system. Thats why you shouldn´t drink that kind of stuff.

Oh, and I hated every minute of it. I never want to drink anything like it again.

many of the elders who ate the lettuce have been throwing up and couldn´t go on the tour of Peru today. One elder even had to go to the hosiptal.

Again, I will never eat something I know it bad for me out of couresty. The church says don´t do it so I´m not going to do it.

The Lima tour was amazng. we went to a beautiful Monestry that was built in the 1600s. I was so amazed. i wish I could show you picutres but there´s no way to do that on these computers and we werent allowed to take pictures inside anyways. We went to the catacombes underneath as well and that was pretty awesmoe. then we went and bought soccor jerseys (well the elders did) and after that we saw the state building and where the arch bishop lives.

The Hermanas latina left yesterday so my companion and I are the only sister missionaries here. we miss the hermanas but thats life I guess.

I lost my toothbrush last week and have been using a paper towel to brush my teeth. Today Hermana Cardon (the Mission Presidents wife) informed me that she had toothbrushes I could take. So I did.

CONGRATLATIONS LARSENS!!!!!!!!!! I can´t wait to share this with my district.

I got the Browns and Lehua´s letter and the birthday card from mom and dad and co. I was very happy to get both. I love gettinh Mom´s letters each week.

I got my early ballot as well. My branch president came over the nect day and i was able to give it to home to send back with some of his friends who leave in the states. I feel very blessed to be able to vote on my mission.

I hope that I get more time in the field to write. I´m out now, please forgive the horrible grammer and confused thoughts. I so much more to say!!! oh well. If I forget I have an eternity to recall it.

Love,

Hermana Pugmire

P.S. I placed my first books of Mormon on saturday

Sister Pugmire #4

Dear Family,

I has been so long since I have emailed you! Atleast that´s the way I feel. Usaully we email on Wednesdays but the internet in Lima has been down for the past 2 days.

I would like to begin by saying that I haven´t read any of the emails sent to me because I´m on a timer and I want to tell you everything I can before I read your mail.

I would like to also tell that I got Mom´s letter on my birthday and it was the best birthday gift I have ever received!!!!

To begin:

My first couple of days here I was with to Latina companions- Hermanas Cruz and Castro. I loved following them around everywhere although I didn´t know what was going on. Orietation was a alittle tought to follow but i basically understood it.

We had our first branch meeting the first night. As I sat dummily pretending to understand my name was called as someone recieving a calling. I stood up and accpeted it but I didn´t have a clue what that calling was. I found out when they me the black binder that I was the cooridating sister (one of two) for a bunch of Latina Hermanas that I don´t understand.

A few nights ago the cooridating sister came into my room and explained that some of the hermanas were having a hard time getting along so we were going to have meeting. My first thoughts were that I was going to get any sleep that night. When we had the meeting I realized that it was a companship having troubles and I immediately remember that we weren´t supposed to try to advise them but just notify the branch president. So I sat there for a while listening to them pour out their feeling foreignly and said ¿oracion? as soon as I found a pause- aka I tried to end it as soon as possible. Pero, I still lost a good 30 mintues of sleep. I don´t think latinas need sleep, or atleast they don´t seem to think that they do.

Yesterday they surprised me with a cake at breakfast and sang happy birthday. They made me a really sweet card and a few of them shared peices of their candy with me for my birthday. It was very sweet of them.

Two days after I got here my companion Hermana Ali came. We knew eachother in the Prove MTC but she didn´t come to Peru with the rest of the group because she didn´t have her Visa yet. She´s alot of fun and I think we work pretty well together. We both love being around the other sisters and are pretty bummed that we can´t sit with them anymore at lunch because we need to sit with our own district. to build unity. On wednesday we went to the Lima Temple and the super market it was so beautiful and wonderful. I really appreciate all the chivlary here. They gave us their tray and tell us to go to the front of the line at lunch, give up seats on the bus for us, and do so many other things that make me want to act like a lady.

FYI- Mom please don't send me any packages in the MTC it´s super expensive and if you want to send a little then use the pouch mail, you can use USA stamps. the address is:

Lima Perú MTC

P.O. Box 30150

Salt Lake City, UT 84130

I wish I had time to write more about how interesting it is here and how much I love it but I´ve only got 5 minutes and I really want to read your mails Por Lo tanto- good bye.

I love so much,

Hermana Katy