1st day in PERU!!!

This is just a copy of the email I sent to my family... enjoy!

Okay, so there has been a change of plans now so I can email you an actual letter this time. Well, let me explain really quickly whats going on (if my typing looks weird its because I cant really use real grammar because the keyboard is a little different here). When we got to the airport, it took FOREVER to get through all the lines and everything. They told us there would be people standing there holding signs with our names. We walked into the room and it was HUGE! People were standing with signs EVERYWHERE and it was so overwhelming to hear all this spanish! Jake said, I 'I was thinking this was going to be all easy and we would see the people with our names right away...I didnt know the whole country was going to be here!' Haha, it was true though...there were so many people! The woman that picked us up from the airport, her name is Martitza. She is beautiful! Shes a businesswoman and is very professional. Anyway, shes not a member but her daughter goes to BYU which is how Alberto knows her (I met her daughter a few months ago at school at a Peru party). She only has one extra room in her house, so we went to her fathers house to sleep for these two days... her dad doesnt speak ANY english!! Haha, Ill tell you a good story about that in a second. Anyway, we stayed there last night and then a driver with the other BYU kids came and picked us up this morning. Before they got there, they called and talked to the grandpa. He tried to explain everything to us, but we could not understand anything he was saying so we all just stood there shaking our heads and smiling. HAH! You shouldve seen it... it was pretty funny! We spent the whole day touring Lima and seeing everything. It was seriously beautiful! I am so obsessed with it here! I got a lot of sun though... my face is pretty burnt! All of the people here are SO nice! Im sure a lot of that has to do with the fact that I have blonde hair and Im an American...but still! They always come up and ask for pictures! Haha, our first encounter with that was this morning. We were waiting for some of the other girls to get there, and these two boys and a girl were watching EVERYTHING we did and were following us around. One of the boys (Nate) asked them if they wanted to take a picture with us and they all got so excited and came running over! Hahaha they were so cute! I fell in love with so many kids today!!! === Dont worry mom, Im not going to bring any home! Anyway, sorry this email is everywhere but I just have SO much to say! We pretty much just ran around the city all day but I just loved it. I cant understand ANYTHING they are saying, but its okay for two reasons... 1. All the boys and a few of the other girls are totally fluent and 2. Ive realized, you can connect with someone without words. These people just love smiles. They are just so friendly, I really cant explain it to you. Im already falling in love with them. Everyone here greets eachother with a kiss on the cheek...its so precious!!!!

After we toured some of the city, we went back to one of the houses that some of the boys are staying at. The moms name is Angela and she is a member. Her son Roman was with us all day. Hes a sweetheart and is going to BYU in the fall. Hes very nervous but I told him not to worry because he will definitely make lots of friends. ANd I told him he can come to my house for Sunday dinners next year whenever he wants! Anyway, they are a VERY nice family. We all hung out from like 4 until 6 in their house...everyone was really tired from the day, except for me! No one understood how I still had energy... I told them its because Im just SO happy to be here and Ill probably ever have an opportunity like this again! Anyway, they have a BEAUTIFUL house! It really is gorgeous! I wish I wouldve taken pictures! They have these two parrots who talk and I was so amused by them. I honestly sat there with them for like 20 minutes laughing so hard. Dont worry... I took videos of it! Haha! After we chilled for a bit, we had FHE with their family. We played a game where we had to search for hidden gems throughout the house (they were made of paper). On the back of each of them there was something written about the temple. We had to read it out loud and then bear our testimony of the temple. It was a really neat experience. After that, she fed us a really delicious dinner! The food here isnt too bad at all! (Although tomorrow Maritza is taking us to this seafood place down by the beach... Im too scared to say I dont like fish so Im going to try and gut through it!) After dinner we all just hung out, and then Jordan gave me my blessing. Jordan, Jake, and me are the only ones who either wanted to go to the temple or had recommends, so were going tomorrow. Maritzas dad lives kind of far from where Jordan and Jake are staying, so I came back to Maritzas house and Im staying here for the night. Ash, Sare, and Dani are all back at her dads house but Im here with her family so I have internet connection which is why I got to send you an actual email. Angela is going to come pick me up in the morning with Jordan and Jake and were all going to do baptisms. After that, shes going to take us 3 to Maritzas dads house and pick the other cheetahs up and then well all go to lunch by the beach. After lunch, were going to an Indian Market and then back to another members house for dinner. Later,were going to the disco to dance!!

I hope all of this made sense, I have so much more to say but I really need to go write everything in my journal before my head explodes from trying to remember it all! I dont want to forget anything! I love you all so much though and I miss you!!