Hermana Stanley Answers Some Questions

1.      What’s the best thing about being a missionary?

I think the best part about being a missionary is a hard question because there are so many good things! It’s fun to be able to forget yourself, worry about others, see how the gospel makes them happy, testify to people that obeying the commandments will better their lives, serve your companion, and see the progress you’re making personally too! If you work at it, everything is fun in the mission!

2.      What are some differences you notice in clothing in your area?

in clothing?

Like how do the people dress differently? I don’t know. Its winter now so more coats and sweaters I guess, ha-ha.

3.      What has been your favorite P-Day Activity so far?

One time we got all of the hnas from the zone together and we made comida peruana (Peruvian food) and a cake. It was so fun!! 

4.      What do you like about your companion?

My comp is honestly the bomb-dot-com. She’s really patient, funny, she likes to have fun and work hard. She finds ways to show her love for the people. She’s humble. She’s the best.

5.      What is the worst thing you have had to eat?

I think the fish stuffed tomato, (which we get every here and there) has got to be one of the harder things. I can eat tomatoes or fish, but together that’s hard. There was a little old lady in Maipú too who always had dog hair in her food. Also mate. You can ask grandpa what mate is. It’s kind of like tea, with a whole bunch of herbs. I was not impressed- it’s like drinking weeds with hot water. Maybe I’ll try it again some time

6.      Do you do a lot of service in your area?  What service projects have you done?

We actually don’t do a lot of service projects in my area. We are always trying to plan things but they fall through. Actually just this week Hna Marques and I were saying that no one ever lets us help with anything like heavy bags or anything because they see us just like little girls, ha-ha. But yesterday we were with a lady who has a five month old baby, and she was saying that she feels really overwhelmed because her husband expects the whole house to be perfect when he gets home from work, and she’s got enough to do with the baby. So right then and there my comp and I got up and cleaned her kitchen :) it felt good.

7.      Now that it’s cold have you gotten to wear your striped blazer?

I have worn it a few times! I always mean to take a pic and I never remember! But I wear it to church or baptisms or conferences and stuff! I always get lots of compliments. 

8.      When was the last time you saw an answer to prayer?

Well, I’ll be honest, this last week was a really hard week for me. I don’t know, I was just a little sad and discouraged, a little bit bored. I don’t know a lot of things. I think on like Tuesday or Wednesday I just couldn’t anymore, so I went into the bathroom and started to pray. I just asked Heavenly Father to calm me down, and help me feel like everything would be alright. So we were outside walking and I was still trying not to cry. I looked at the mountains (which are GORGEOUS now that they have snow) and I thought about how mountains in order to grow have to go through some hard stuff. The conflict is what makes them big. It reminded me that even though things are hard, it’ll be okay. And then I felt Heavenly Father telling me that He was aware of me, and that I would be blessed if I just kept going. And little by little I felt better. I feel good now! I don’t know why I was so sad at the beginning of the week.

9.      How are your clothes holding up?  How are your feet?

My clothes are dying ha-ha. Also, I brought a lot of summer stuff, not so much winter, so I’ve had to buy and find a lot of stuff. My feet are good. I bought some winter shoes that are just short black boots. They work great. the ones I brought would be better for more rain, but we’ve had a pretty dry winter so far. 

10.     Are you still doing your singing class?

Singing classes finished. I don’t know if president will want me to start again, or if he will have me wait until I get into my next sector. Because no matter what, in five weeks I’m gonn have cambios. 

11.     How often do you do laundry?  Where do you do it?

I do laundry maybe every week and a half or two weeks. We have washer in the house and we have a big rack where we hang the clothes to dry. In the winter its terrible. They have to hang like ten years for it to dry. 

12.     What is the weirdest thing that has happened to you on your mission?

I gotta think about that one. I’ll get it next week.

13.     Have you started dreaming in Spanish yet?

I can’t remember the last time I dreamed in only English. I usually dream in them both or just Spanish

14.     What’s the scariest thing that’s happened to you so far?

Hna marques and I were walking in our sector the other day, and our sector is really safe, but it’s also close to a pretty dangerous part, where the elders work. Every once in a while the druggies work their way up to us. So two druggies started talking to us and Hna Marques and I took a step back, them a step forward, and they were telling us that they want to change their lives because they’re bad people (that’s a classic, it’s hard for us because we always want to believe that they’re serious and that we can help them but when they’re high, there’s nothing we can do). So one of them was starting to get pretty riled up and yelling and all that. They said they were headed to go to do some illegal stuff. I pretended to answer the phone and said someone needed us urgently so we had to go. We went and had a visit pretty close by there, and about 60 seconds after we left, the cops came and took them down pretty hard. But that never happens, it wasn’t normal.