Called to Serve: Peruvian Style: Dear Young Women

Dear Young Women,

First of all I want to thank you all so much for the service Project that you did to gather all of those clothes! I haven’t seen that many clothes in a long time. The day I received your package I called the young women`s president to ask her if she would like to do an activity with the young women and the clothes. She was over joyed and told me that that night the youth had an activity in seminary and that many of the girls were not going to go because they didn’t have any church clothes. We called all of the girls right away and that afternoon they all came to the church for the activity. I set all the clothes out on the benches with your pictures and your notes and let them all choose for themselves. The girls walked in and all of their eyes immediately lit up. They all started talking and trying on the dresses and they were all looking at your pictures and admiring how beautiful you all are J They were all trying to read your cards but none of them speak English so I was playing translator the whole time J A few minutes later, a few old women walked in and one of the members explained to me that these women also did not have any clothes to wear to church and that if there were extras they wanted to look. Luckily enough they each were able to find a skirt to wear and they left the church beaming. One thing you have to understand, the people here literally have nothing. I have to hike up mountains to little jungle villages every day to teach in little shack homes. I sit on dirt floors while they cook on little camp fires in their home. To receive a new dress from someone who lives in the United States was a dream come true. The girls were able to go to their activity and many of the girls came to church yesterday for the first time in a long time…. And they were all wearing your dresses. Thank you so much for your thought and your love for your fellow young women out in the jungles of Peru J I could feel how much heavenly father loves all of us. You are all wonderful young women and you make a difference in the lives of the people that you serve, even if they live miles away in the middle of the amazon rain forest J I love you all! Thank you, from the young women of the Branch Shilcayo!