7.2 capybaras and chlorine

Monday October 14, 2025

I had a couple moments this week where I really wanted to just break some rules. 

Which is a terrible way to start an email. 

And just know I didn't act on those sinful thoughts. Thoughts like wow that swimming pool looks really fun and I wouldn't even be mad if I tripped somehow into the door of the ymca thing here and kept tripping until I fell into the pool. Also I really wanted a good grilled cheese sandwich for some reason. America is cool for their food. 

But hey I had really heart happy moments this week! I got to see hna LJ who's rocking it down in ilo as hermana lider and we did a little mini exchange which roooocked. And alsoooo hermana Sotomayor which is so fun cuz i havent seen her in so long and shes so silly i love her. And theennn later that week I saw mi hija hna de Hoyos who's absolutely killing it and I was like WOW milagros god knew I needed my favorite people this week. 

We did a lot of calls and a lot of random finding and to be honest I don't really remember that much of what happened this week other than a friend who accepted a baptismal date who ended up not living in our area not wanting To go to the ward where he actually lives but then not coming to our ward like he said but instead going to a ward in my old zone. 

Oh.kay. I said. Nos vemos en el mundo de los espíritus. 

Not really but that would've been funny. 

My comp is in her "I just got to peru so of course I need to take flicks" phase so there is a lot of pictures of me being lost 

Me trying to call a random person 

Me trying to figure out what the heck we are doing because why were these elderes teaching this guy for 6 months if he never even came to church. (Any of those apply to the photo above...it's a choose your own adventure caption kind of day.)

I found a purple house and I was very happy and my missionary tan line is going crazy. Peep the mosquito bites that are making me look leprosy, a member this week pulled me aside to make sure I was okay and had rep3llent. Yippee. 

That's me and my friend Mishell. Let me tell you about mishell. She came to watch general conference with us. We told her "come to conference with questions in your heart" and so she did. 

And she got her answers. 

And now everytime we have lessons she gives the closing prayer and says 

The Hermanas always tell me to come with questions 

And so I do

And you always answer them. 

We don't answer them. But He does. And I thought how often am I asking God questions and looking for those answers in my interactions every day? 

Because He answers me.

Just hasn't lit any bushes on fire for me yet or made me get swallowed up by a whale. 

But He loves me! 

AND He loves you. I know I say it every week but just in case you forgot in the span of 7 days because sometimes we forget the most important things for some reason. 

Like turning the water heater for the shower on in the morning. I think I lasted about 46 seconds before I had to call it a day and get out. 

The guy next to me in the photo is named Helaman and every time he sees me he says hermana Peter Parker and it's the highlight of my day.

Ya anyways. That's all. I miss you. But I love you and I love jesus and there's no better way to show him that than right here right now. 

Xoxox hna barker 

ps my comp hates birthdays >:/ also 10 months this week jsjsjsjsj

All the little kids here have these slap bracelet capybara. I want one so bad. The end.