8/12/2013 Pictures!

What a view, right?? 

our other abuela!! 

pleading with our area to listen(: 

moquegua peru!! 

more alpacaaaaassss(: 

CUY!! Yummm(: 

(: 

the hill in the background is our area,

one giant hill of love!!(: 

Family eating cuy!

8/12/2013 Email

From: Camille Weller [mailto:camille.weller@myldsmail.net]
Sent: Monday, August 12, 2013 9:54 AM
To: Melissa Wheatley
Subject: another week in the greatest work!!!(:

 

monday, just a normal but amazing as usual p day!! love my "weekends"(:

tuesday we had district reuinion, then we visited a family that we´ve been teaching for a while but they havent really progressed. we talked to them for a bit and then for the first time i realized how much i love this family... and how sad i am that they wont accept this message and the blessings that come from it. At the end of the leson i felt the spirit so strong but i didnt know what to say, all i knew was that i needed to say something, so i opened my mouth and the words just flowed. i told them how much we love and care about them but that they basically werent doing their part and that if they wont accept the help we are offering them as representatives of jesus christ that we cant keep visiting them. i invited them again to read the book of mormon and pry and that we hoped to see them at church. it was one of the hardest things ive had to do but one of the most powerful experiences because i truly felt the spirit working through me. i know that we need to focus on the people who are ready to accept this message but its still hard to let go of the hope of people that you have learned to love.

wednesday. we had training with the zone leaders because they just got back from a conference in arequipa and they also brought good news that we can now listen to music everyday and it can be any kind of music thats from the church(feel free to send my cds(:) instead of only pdays and only motab, needless to say we were all pretty excited about that(:

thursday we had weekly planning and then went out to find new people to teach and seriously came back with nothing. we were both a little discouraged but that night we had a noche misional with the ward and watched the restoration video and also sang a special number, and the spirit was so strong. my testimony of the gospel was once again reasured. no amount of bad days here will be able to take away the testimony i have(:

fridaywas another day of pretty much nothing.. sometimes we have days we just have to get through and keep a good attitude(;

saturday, we decided we were going to talk to evveerryyoonnnee in hopes of finding people to teach and it went really good! we met some really good people and are excited to work with them! i am so blessed to have my companion, despite all the things that fell through this week she never lost her positive attitude, we are always laughing and yeah, i just love life(: we eat a lot of food... i hope that we find more investigators who live at the top of the hill so i dont get fat haha

sunday, we had church and then we got permision to go out of our area to eat cuy or guinney pig with the family we live with! it was so much fun, we rode in their car which is exactly like grandma and granpas.. it even smells the same! haha and i actually loved the food!! who am i?? anyways im just happy and am loving life here. i hope all is well and that everyone is happy!! (;

D&c 1:18-23, 6:36

love you all!!!!

Hermana weller!!!(:

08/05/2013 Pics!

Hermana Herrera 

Our Zone! 

Las Hermanas! 

Our Desks! 

the bedroom, bunkbeds on the left!

8/5/13 Email

From: Camille Weller [mailto:camille.weller@myldsmail.net]
Sent: Monday, August 05, 2013 10:53 AM
To: Melissa Wheatley
Subject: mi familia para siempre(;

 

this week was so great!!!!! i love my new companion she is so fun and outgoing and we just get along sooo good!!! i dont think ive ever been this happy in my life! we have fun but we work hard and are obedient, the perfect combination!! Shes from ecuador and is 23, shes the only child and has 15 months in her mission! we are going to have so much fun together and im so excited to work with her here in moquegua!

monday we wrote home, put all her stuff away, and then played soccer with the zone, its always so much fun to play with everyone and they all have this joke that no matter where the ball is or where i am they all yell "hermana weller!!" haha i love it.

tuesday we had district meeting and we have a new district but i love it! we also had a baptism, hermano edson, the brother of hermana sandra, my first convert, it was so cool! he wanted to be baptized so bad but was going to leave wednesday for a month long trip for work so we arranged it so he could be baptized tuesday and he was so happy! i have loved watching the gospel change this families lifes! he is so much more happy now! oohhh and i finally got my credit card back so that also made this day super great! haha Did i mention my companion knows english? its super helpfull because i can ask her how to say things in spanish, i love it!

wednesday and thursday we visited a lot of members and worked on getting references, the only bad thing about that is that almost every house or person we visited gave us food and drinks... haha we both thought we were going to die... i love inca cola but not that much... haha

Friday we had a really good lesson with a brother of a recent convert, and i realized im speaking spanish... good! i can speak spanish haha but i also realized its a lot better when i have the spirit with me! i know that im able to do all things here because my heavenly father is helping me. that night we taught english classes, meanwhile the other ward was having a kareoke night haha it was interesting to listen to them try to sing songs in english... i bet i sound worse in spanish! haha

saturday we had to go to the dentist because hna herrera broke her tooth during breakfast.. haha and it wasnt as sketchy as i thought it would be! it was actually a lot like the dentists at home! anyways we´ll have to go back a couple more times to get it all taken care of but it all turned out okay!  we met with an awesome family that the wife had been recieving lessons from missionaries a long time ago but then lost contact when they moved here, she knows pretty much everything and told us she wants to be a member, her husband will take a little more time but im excited about there cute little family! that night we were walking home and saw a group of boys that were breakdancing! i was so excited and it was so cool to watch them. its funny to me how the smallest things here bring me so much happiness!!

sunday was pretty normal, church studying, meetings, but that night we had icecream with the family and talked for a bit, they all told me how much they are going to miss me when i leave and how i have to come back and visit them. i seriously love them so much, they are such a blessing in my life here and i will be forever greatful for their love and support! I watched the emma smith movie that night too and i love a quote that they say in it....

"Strength isnt something you have, its something that god helps you find." i love that. i know that i am weak, and without the help of god i wouldnt be able to make it through each day. i know that this church is true, i love this gospel and i love sharing it with the people here in peru. i know that nothing is more important than the work im doing right now and i couldnt be happier to do it!!! a year and a half is such a short amount of time compared to everything that my heavenly father has given me!! Thank you for all your support, letters and prayers!!! love you all!!!! (;

 

Hermana Weller!! 

7/29/13 Pics!!

Baptism of German! 

Everyone at the Baptism 

One last picture of our Zone before Cambios!!

(minus the other hermanas!)

7/29/13 Email

From: Camille Weller [mailto:camille.weller@myldsmail.net]
Sent: Monday, July 29, 2013 10:43 AM
To: Melissa Wheatley
Subject: 4 months!!!!!!

 

Where does the time go? i swear just yesterday i was packing and getting ready to leave, and now ive been gone for 4 months. the more i focus on the work here the faster the time goes by, but the more i dont want this experience to end. i love it here more and more each day and my testimony of this gospel is stronger and stronger everyday. I know this church is true with all my heart and i know that it can truly change lives, i know our savior loves us and will help us with whatever we need! With that said my week was crazy but good! so here it is (:

Tuesday  i got home from lima, it was super cute because the whole family we live with was waiting for me and the two little boys ran up to me and hugged me, they missed their greengita(;  it was good to be "home" (: 

Wednesday we got back to the normal rutine, except i got to email home which was nice. Basically i just did my best to get back into missionary mode and be focussed after my mini vacation. (:

Thursday we had weekly planning and i asked one of the elders for a blessing, he gave me it infront of the whole zone which was a little wierd but cool at the same time. Everything he said was exactly what i needed to hear, especially that i need to just take my mission one day at a time and love every minute of it. i decided i love blessings because its like heavenly father is talking to you directly.. in actual words, and i want to work on having this experience everday with pray. The family bought 4 ducks that are living on our roof for now... but i know what will eventually happen with them :( haha

Friday we met with hno German and he told us he wanted to be baptized saturday so we got that all planned for him. This day was awesome, i woke up with a good attitude and just focussed on that day. life and missions are so much easier when we just take it one day at a time and step by step. That night i taught english classes which was harder than i thought haha but it was super fun and were going to have them every friday night!

Saturday we had the baptism of German, POR FIN! haha He was super nervous and almost didnt go through with it because the water was so cole, but after about ten minutes of encouraging him he was baptized!! Then he got confirmed after that because he had to go on a trip that weekend but after that he bore his testimony and it was so cool. i think thats my favorite part, thier simple and new testimonies right after they are baptized, because they are always so real and powerful! That night a member took us out for pizza which was a super nice break from rice and chicken!! yayyy(: ohh also it was my 4 month mark that day.. where does the time go?

Sunday after church we found out that hermana purizaga was going to be changing areas and needed to be ready at 1 to leave. so we had less than two hours to pack all her stuff which was madness. but we did it. then we headed to the bus terminal and both cried the whole time. it was awful, it was so hard to say goodbye to her, she is so awesome and helped me so much. i dont think im going to like that part of the mission very much! then a member stayed with me until my new companion came, so we cleaned our room and then had a lesson, which i had to do all by myself!! scary!! but it went okay and he actually wants to be baptized this week so i guess it wasnt too bad! haha then at about 9 my new companion came(; She seems so cool and im so excited to get to know her more and work together, shes from ecuador and has been in her mission for 14 months, shes the only child in her family and yeah.. thats pretty much all i know haha Shes super up beat and positive and i think that we are going to get along great!! im excited!!

 

So this week was lo maximo(: i learned a ton and am just happy to be here and have this opportunity!! i hope that all of you are happy and enjoying life!! remember to take it one day at a time and just be happy! (: 

love you all!!!!!!

 

Hermana Weller(:

7/24/13 Pics!!

Luz

Having fun at the hotel!

In the bus 

Greengos! 

MkFlurries in the airport!! 

Pizza!! 

Missionaires at Luz baptism

7/24/13 Surprise Email!!!

From: Camille Weller [mailto:camille.weller@myldsmail.net]
Sent: Wednesday, July 24, 2013 12:02 PM
To: Melissa Wheatley
Subject: THE WEEKLY UPDATE(:

 

monday, all my aunts, granmps and grams and my mom all wrote me entonces... yo estaba feliz(; after internet time we played soccer with the zone and then we made cookies with our penchanista, they were okay but definetely not the best, but hey im in peru right? haha 

tuesday we had district reuinion and i brought some cookies for everyone, they all loved them, especially the other americans! 

wednesday we had a ton of appointments but most of them fell through so we walked around and contacted a ton, so at leaste i got my excercise for the year in. haha then we studied the book of mormon and watched a little clip of jeffry r hollands talk where he says  "for 173 years this book has been attacked...." im not sure what the rest says but look it up. i love it. haha and i realized how many experiences ive had since ive been here of the truthfullness of the book of mormon and how no matter how many times we receive an answer or confirmation that its true we can always better our testimony. Its so important to read the book of mormon and really put into practice its teachings. 

thursday we had weekly planning and then had a talent show that night that we put on as a ward activity to get investigators involved. it was so fun, kids danced and sang and so did the adults haha i loved it. we put on a funny skit where a little boy is getting chased by a monster and superman and iron man couldnt save him but the missionaries and the power of the book of mormon could haha it was fun. 

friday we had interviews with the new president, hes so funny and nice, it was good to finally get to know him a little better. then we went on divisions and hna diope came to our area and hna purizaga went to another so i had to lead us and basically be in charge the whole time but it was super good, and i finally felt confident in my spanish and such. We talked alot about how i can improve and she told me that i needed to just be myself. that if im not being true to who i am than im being fake and i wont be able to have the spirit with me. i realized i havent been acting like me and ever since i reallized that and have been working on it its been a million times better! 

saturday we had my third baptism, luz was baptized and it was awesome we´ve only been teaching her for about two weeks and she has such a desire to follow christ and do whats right. then they called me and told me i was going to lima on sunday for my peruvian id!

Sunday hermana luz was confirmed and i also talked in sacrament, i realized my spanish is okay i can talk and express myself, it may not be perfect but it works! then right after sacrament we went to the bus station and me and elder naramore headed to arequipa. then as soon as we got there we went to the airport and flew to lima. i talked to the people next to me on the plane.. in spanish.. the whole way, are you proud of me or what?? haha i was pretty stoked. then when we got to lima we stayed in the same hotel that i did when i first got here and i got to stay with two other american girls, there were 11 of us greengos in total and it was like a mini vacation or slumber party it was nice. (:

monday.. best day of my life i got to take a hot shower!!!! ahhhh it was heaven. then we went to imigrations, waited in lines all day and got our peruvian id things, then went back to the airport but our flight got cancelled til the next day.. needless to say we werent exactly sad about the fact that we got to take one more hot shower(: so we flew back on tuesday and then went back to our areas. As nice as it was to be away for a bit and to take a hot shower for the first time in months i missed my companion and our area and im glad to be back,

 Time to get back to work and to help these people in moquegua!!!

i love this work, i love peru and i know that this church is true and is the only way to have true and sincere happiness in this life!!

thank you for all your emails and support!! sorry if i dont write back soon, but theres a lot of work to be done here(:

 love you all so much!!!!!(:

hermana weller

7/22/13 Email from her companion/google translate

From: Miriam Purizaga 
Sent: Monday, July 22, 2013 10:09 AM
To: Melissa Wheatley
Subject: hola hermana hello sister melissa

  hola hermanita como esta que alegria poder escribirle. yo soy la hermana Purizaga.

sabe queria decirle que la hemana Weller  mi compañera no va a poder escribirle hoy pues viajo a Lima a recoger unos papeles que tiene que ver con la nacionalidad y su estadia aqui en Peru pero no se preocupe porque no ha ido sola sino con otros misioneros  y ellos estan bien y estan protegidos por el Señor.

hermana Melissa espero que se encuentre bien.

 aqui con la hermana Weller estamos trabajando muy duro ella es una gran misionera y se deja guiar por el espiritu en las lecciones realmente soy bendecida al tenerla a ella como compañera siempre quise tener una compañera norteamericana  y cuando ella llego lo reconoci como una bendicion.

Su hija es alegre y muy sociable los miembros le quieren  mucho y nuestra pensionista tambien, he podido ver que su hija tiene muchas buenas cualidades como representante de Jesucristo se que sera una gran bendicion para muchas personas.

yo le amo mucho a ella y en este tiempo le estoy ayudando en su español.

quiero que sepa hermana que ella esta bien y ahora ella es mi familia mi unica aqui con quien puedo contar en todo momento.

deseo hermana que esta semana el Señor todo poderoso le bendiga mucho y en todo momento pueda contar con el espiritu y escuchar los suaves susurros .

hermana recuerde que usted es una hija apreciada de nuestro Padre Celestial y el esta ahi siempre que usted recurra a el en oracion.

le amo hermanita muchas bendiciones para usted y toda su familia.

bueno ahora ud. tambien va a ser mi mama siii ya que su hija es mi hermana ahora y mi amiga

le amno mucho mamita.

besos y abrazos

 

GOOGLE TRANSLATE:

 

Subject: hello hello sister sister melissa

hello sister like this that joy to write. I am the sister Purizaga.
know heman wanted to say that my partner Weller will not be able to write today as I travel to Lima to pick up some papers that have to do with nationality and your stay here in Peru but not to worry because he has not gone alone but with other missionaries and they are good and are protected by the Lord.

sister Melissa I hope you are well.
Weller's sister here are working very hard she is a missionary and is guided by the spirit in the lessons really am blessed to have her as a companion always wanted to have an American partner and when she got recognized him as a blessing.
His daughter is cheerful and very sociable members love him very much and our boarder too, I could see that her daughter has many good qualities as a representative of Jesus Christ to be a great blessing for many people.

I love her a lot and at this time I am helping in Spanish.
sister want him to know that she is well and now she is my family my only here I can count on at all times.
sister wish that this week the Lord Almighty will bless you at all times to have the spirit and hear the soft whispers.
sister remember that you are a daughter of Heavenly Father appreciated and is there whenever you turn to him in prayer.

sister love him many blessings to you and your entire family.
good now ud. also going to be my mom yeah because his daughter is my sister and my friend now
amno him much mommy.
kisses and hugs