we are lost ALL THE TIME!!

Fam Bam,

I feel like almost every week for the past month something crazy has happened. So last Monday night at around 10, almost ready to go to bed, we get a call saying that we BOTH have transfers. They didn't say anything else. just that. Started freakinggggg out, felt sick to my stomach and everything. I had only been with my hija 3 weeks! I love Monay! Nooooooo. They said we had to be in terminal at 4 am. I was devastated. We begrudgingly start packing up all our crap, which took me forever cause I've bought you fam so much stuff here in Cuenca. haha. Anyways when I finished that, I used the last couple hours to write on the back of photos to leave with the members and my converts, etc. I didn't sleep at all.  We get to the terminal and they told us that Hna Martin and I were being transferred TOGETHER!!!! and that we were being sent to TARQUI!!!! (another sector here in Cuenca, but the other zone.) Not gonna lie, it was like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. It was still way sad to leave Monay but I'm still with my hija and I'm still in Cuenca!!!!! So all is well. 

It has been a CRAZY week to say the least. This sector is the exact opposite of Monay. Monay is country and Tarqui is CITY. We have the grand majority of centro in our sector and since we are both new, we both don't know the sector or streets or buses so we are lost ALL THE TIME!! and the hermanas left us with a bunch of investigators (which is awesome) but since we keep getting lost walking and lost on the buses, we keep having to take a taxi to visit these people and taxis in Cuenca are expensive so we have been blowing a lot of money.....but hopefully this week we will learn it better and take the bus more. 

So like I said, there's quite a few investigators so for now, for the sake of time I'll just tell you about the one who has a baptism date for Saturday! His name is Nicolas Arias. He is 16 years old and a super chill kid. He even wears Vans and at church Sunday he looked like dad had dressed him! Super nice suit coat, tie, etc. (hipsters exist in Cuenca!!! weird right?) Anyways, he's the neighbor kid of a family in the ward, whose son that he was friends with growing up is on a mission right now. He's way stoked on everything, and super smart, BUT his mom isn't the hugest fan of the idea so pray all goes well for his baptism Saturday!! I'll tell you about the others next week 

But Tarqui is a cool ward. Can you believe that the bishop is GRINGO!!! Obispo Foreman. Plus, there are like a few other gringo couples in the ward as well and a gringo family, the Smith family, who moved  here two months ago and are staying for around a year I think? They have 4 kids who are 8, 10 15 and 16. So it's cool to hangout with them.  The bishop fed us Sunday and we had a crockpot dinner of chicken, potatoes, and carrots. YUMMY. Also on Sunday, a 70 came to capacitate for ward council, which means we had to go cause we are part of ward councils. All of Cuenca went so we were able to see our Elder buddies from Monay and the bishop and all the other leaders from Monay as well!!! It was so sad but so great. 

One of the saddest parts about having transfers when we did is that we missed the talent show!!!!! that we had been planning for and practicing for for weeks!!!! Not gonna lie, still pretty upset about it, but they all said that it went well and that there will be videos on fbook. Look for it Mom!! The Elder's number would have been ten times better with us there but whatevs ;) haha. Well sorry this email has been sporadic and not well thought out but so much has happened!!! We had 8 investigators in church, so I know this sector has so much potential and I am so excited to get to work!! I definitely have been feeling way inadequate, but I'm just trying not to think about all that going on and pray to the Lord always that I will have the spirit with me to lead me and guide me so I can know what He wants me to do and say as I try to win over investigators and learn the ropes of Tarqui. 

Thanks so much for all the words of encouragement that you all send me every week. I am so very blessed to have such awesome people in my life. Can't BELIEVE what happened with Bay!! I'm gonna have to email him, but I am SO SO SO glad he is ok. Well I officially completed the first half of my mission! Still haven't taken my traditional pregger pics yet so I'll have to do that and get those to you next week. Love you all so much! Keep on rockin it in the good ol USA. (or for you mish peeps in whatever your respective country of residence currently is) AS my good friends and I used to always say Sophomore year when taking World History, peace. land. bread. lovessssss.

Besitos (I've taken to bays way of signing off),   Hermana Harper

It was so sad to leave Hna Maria, my mission mom!!! I saw her son at the training thing on Sunday and he told me that she cried when she found out I left. so sad :(

Some last Monay shots