To The "Rescue"

Hey guys!!! This week was alright. I have been having a lot of stomach problems. I hate it so much, it makes being a missionary so freaking hard. We had zone conference on Friday in Huancayo. I got to see the guys that I was in the CCM with. There is one elder that I’m pretty close with, Elder Tolbert, that I was able to see. He is from Cache Valley and went to Mountain Crest—he knows Anthony, Jack, and all them. While I was at the office, I got a package!! It was the Halloween package. Thank you guys so much, it made me so happy. I haven’t eaten hardly any of the candy because of my stomach. I have been eating crackers and all kinds of voodoo drinks—probably some of which are illegal (at least they would be in the states). I hate eating like this though. I feel like a woman. This week I also got letters from the Hunters and Brooke! I love getting stuff from you guys.

I am really trying to be more descriptive in my letters because I cannot send voice recordings here in Pampas; they take too long to load. But I do have a recording of all the questions you guys asked last week and I have all these pictures and stuff of making wawas but I can’t send them. Dang it! I. It was fun making the wawas, they make sooo many!!!! No joke, and the day of the dead was hard because nobody wanted to listen, they all went to the cemetery and drank. It was fun though because we made the wawas with that less active family we are teaching.

Speaking of Pampas. It might be getting shut down this next transfer. It makes me sad but I think that it’s going to be closed. We are having zero progress here and it sucks so much. I read a book this last week. Yes! I, Will Durante, read a book. It’s called, The Missionaries Little Book of Inspirational Stories. It seriously has changed me. I am applying everything that I learned. You have no idea how amazing some of the stuff is. I can’t believe my first transfer is almost up!!! I am so happy.

So in our mission, especially here in Pampas the mission president really stresses helping less actives. This mission used to be the Lima East mission and their theme was that “we baptize weekly”, and that’s true they did, but they baptized a ton that wasn’t followed up with and they became less actives. haha. so here if we get a "rescue" it’s basically considered a baptism. We have to teach all the lessons to a less active and they have to have an interview with the branch president. It’s a lot of hard work but it’s what we have to do. We knock doors and schedule meetings with less actives or investigators, but I got to be totally honest, this area it hard, we schedule 8 meetings a day generally and MAYBE we have 1. It sucks! No one really knows what to do here about it either. It is really depressing; they haven’t had a baptism here in 6 months. It’s going to get shut down I know it. People are nice but just don’t care. The mission is so much different than what I thought it would be. We are teaching this one less active family and they are going to be “rescues” pretty soon I am sure. Today I am feeling a LITTLE better. I stayed in for a day because my stomach hurt so badly. It’s really hard to be a missionary while you are sick-haha. Being sick gives you more time to think and I have thought a lot about home, but I read a talk today from Jeffrey R. Holland that really helped me.

Nothing new has really happened, my Spanish is better and things are going well. It has been raining a lot lately and I love my rain coat. It is my best friend. It will be interesting to see where I will be in a transfer or two. This week I have had a lot of time to think about you guys because we have been slow and I haven’t felt good. I really appreciate everything you guys do and I can’t wait to see you guys again. Please be grateful for every single thing you have, including toilet paper! People carry it here in their purses and cars because when you need to go, you drop your pants and go. Haha. Yeah..... it’s hard to get used to. I wish the best for all of you and your efforts. I will talk to you guys again soon!!! I love you guys so much, please never forget it.