FIRE!!

Hey guys!!! Well this week was pretty normal again, sorry. This next Sunday is stake conference for us and the stake presidency and our mission president are coming! It is going to be crazy I am sure! There is an area seventy that has been saying to close down Pampas, but the stake president doesn’t think so yet. It should be interesting to see what he thinks when he sees me running the CD player we have for music. See mom, I never had to take piano!!

A couple of weeks ago we switched pensionista’s. It is not Hermana Luisa anymore. She is moving to Huancayo I think. My new pensionista is the lady I baptized, Hermana Albina! She is really nice and things are going fine.

This is the "Golden Forest" that we hiked to last week.

This last week there was a huuuuuge fire next door to our house. Someone’s house was on fire! We didn’t see it start because it was when we came home after the day. Of course there is no fire department so we started throwing water on it. Lots of buckets of water! The fire burned down the house (which was a little shack thing). It was nuts! Babies crying and everything. Thankfully it all worked out okay.

So lately we have been visiting this less active lady and her son. Her son is a major drunk and he treats his mom like crap. I chewed him out the other night when we had a meeting with them and he was high and drunk, but everything turned out well. Since then, we have had 2 more meetings with him and he has changed so much. Seriously I have been praying he will want to change and he does! He says he wants to help other people and a bunch of stuff like that. It is so crazy the changes people have when they start living the gospel seriously. It is so nice to see. It’s so much better for his mom as well. Tonight we are going to have a family home evening with them!

I got the Christmas package! I gave my companion his stocking. He looooooved that stocking guys. Seriously! They don’t do those in Bolivia, so I explained it to him. He said he is keeping it and taking it home. Don’t worry I am sharing my other things too.

It’s interesting watching the kids notice me on the streets. They look at me like I am some evil person haha. They are like amazed. I like scaring all the kids here, it is what gets me through the day—and yeah, I am definitely bigger than most down here. The poverty and schooling is kind of like Guatemala. They go to these little schools that are like huts, but it is okay and they seem happy. It’s really sad to think about the life these kids have had and are going to have.

I miss you all more than you can imagine. Especially during this holiday. I am going to miss sledding and eating waffles and strawberries….I am here for a reason and I know you guys are being blessed because of it, and you guys are beyond worth it! Things are going well here. I love and miss you guys so much. I am so proud of my awesome family. I pray for you all in your callings and activities.  I know how hard it is. Thanks for all the great advice. Love you!

Elder Durante