"My heart still really aches for Pucallpa"

June 30, 2010 - Hey Celestial Family,
I am so super excited for everthing that is going on right now. I’m sorry that I had to leave you in suspense. I was busy doing Changes on Monday. You are never going to believe everything that is going on. It is all good. Sunday night, I flew into Lima and I stayed the night in the Offices, which was way fun to return back to where I lived for more than 7 months, now those Offices are of the West Mission!!! Monday were the Changes!!! I had to leave Pucallpa behind, but I will talk about that in a sec. I want to first start with my Change… I am here in Lima in the Zona called Comas! I am going to stay in the Peru Lima North Mission to finish my Mission. And guess what??? I’M A ZONE LEADER!!! I got moved up to Zone Leader, which is going to be so much fun. It is a lot more responsibility, but I am ready to take it on. President Pérez asked me in my interview last week if I was ready to take on new responsibilities. I told him that before, no, I wasn’t, but now, sí. He told me that I wasn’t going to be in the jungle, but that I was going to have a good companion. I love my Companion!!! His name is Elder Garnica and is from Tarija, Bolivia. He is so nice, a Little serious, but super funny, and we get along great!!! We want to have so much success in our Zone, in our Area, and just enjoy this Change. This Change starts today 30 June 2010 and ends 11 August 2010. And guess what? My companion is finishing this Change. He doesn’t want to get “trunky” at all so I have to help him out. No, not really. He’s not “trunky” and we are going to have a ton of success this Change. We are both Zone Leaders and with him having 23 Months and me having 20 now, we are going to have so much success…
I hit 20 Months! Can you believe it? Another month has come and gone. Oh, where does the time go. 4 Months in Pucallpa passed by like nothing.
I have to tell you guys something. On Saturday, we had a huge Ward Fiesta and we played games all day long and in the nighttime, the Ward and all of our friends threw us a going-away party… (Oh, by the way, Elder Padilla got sent to Iquitos, still as Junior Companion…) The Ward really loved us. On Sunday, the Bishopric asked my comp and I to bear our testimonies in Sacrament Meeting. He went first and then it was my turn to finish the meeting. I was totally fine bearing my testimony and sharing my love for them, but then I just had to look at Zoila Panaifo (the Mom of the Family that I baptized…) and she was in tears… (Flashback to Mission Farewell, Riverton Park Ward, 26 October 2008. I saw my Mom crying…) Totally embarassing, I burst into tears right then and there at the pulpit. By the end of the meeting, every Mom and girl, and even some of the men and good amigos were in tears… It was a great moment that I will never forget… Then in the nighttime…EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE, came to the airport to say goodbye to me… I recieved gifts and cards and hugs and handshakes and by the end of the two hours waiting in the airport to enter into security, I didn’t want to leave. They even made me sing one last time…in the airport. I of course broke out the Spanish/English High School Musical and then it was time to go through security. Hardest moment in my life… Everyone broke into tears again. I shook Zoila’s hand and gave Tedy a big hug and broke into tears… I was leaving behind a huge family in Pucallpa… I almost couldn’t stand leaving them behind… But it was time to go. I went through security and then had to wait about 15 minutes. When I left outside to walk to the staircase and climb into the plane, everyone was on the second floor looking out the glass windows waving and blowing kisses and I just kept waving my hand until the very last moment when I had to enter in the plane… I can honestly say that Pucallpa took my heart away. I cried all day Sunday finding it hard to believe that it came to an end… I left my heart in Pucallpa and I cannot wait to go back. (I know that I loved Iquitos, but I can now say that Pucallpa is by far the best place that I have been…) I have to come back. I’m sorry if this sounds like a cheesy story, but my heart still really aches for Pucallpa: the friends, the volleyball, the members, the converts, the fun experiences, and all of the amazing things that happened while I was there… I’ll be going back soon…
Well, I don’t know if you guys are in tears after that story, but my eyes are sure watery… But let’s get to some happy news. Mom, don’t worry about school, just get the grades and study good. You know the Church is true. Nobody can ever take your testimony away. It is what will give you Eternal Life with me, Dallis, Chase, and Dad... (okay, let’s not start crying again Colyn…) We are going to live together forever because of the right things that we are doing. I have no doubt that we are going to be an Eternal and Celestial Family. That thought gives me so much hope and motivation. I know it will happen…
I am enjoying really cold weather here in Lima. I went from shorts, sandals, sunglasses, sunscreen, sunshine, and rain in Pucallpa to two pairs of pajama pants, two pairs of socks, a shirt, a sweater, a scarf, a beanie, and gloves here in Lima. We don’t have air conditioning which means we don’t have heat either. I just snuggle up really good in the nighttime. The great thing is that I get to shower in hot wáter… Yes!!! And I have a really nice house that I live in… I have a flat area without big dusty hills. Yesterday, my comp and I bought Papa John’s Pizza to celebrate my 20 Months in the Mission. :) I have great members and we have good people to teach that I still don’t know, but that are preparing to get baptized… I am super excited to work here in Comas, Lima. Our Zone has seven companionships. All are Elders except for one, which is a Missionary Couple for Utah, Elder and Sister Nelson. She served a Mission in Uruguay a long time ago and knows Spanish, but her husband doesn’t. They are super nice and funny. We have four new Missionaries in the Zone. They entered in the Mission on Monday. Remember when I only had two days in the Mission. Oh, that was so long ago, and aren’t we happy to know that so much time has gone by. My goal is just to help these new and young Missionaries so that they can be even better than I am, which isn’t too hard, because I’m not the best Missionary:) I am so excited just to work and have a ton of success… Pray for me to be a good Zone Leader and to be able to receive the revelation I need to direct this Zone together with my companion Elder Garnica, with the accent on the “i”.
Family, I love you so much and I miss you even more. Just keep going strong because there’s not that much time left. Don’t worry about me. I am fine. Pres and Sis Pérez go home today I got to see them on Monday, but will not be seeing them anymore. Tomorrow is a huge meeting for all the Zone Leaders in the Mission and we are going to meet the new President. I am so excited and happy. I love you so much. Take care.
Love, Coco