Monday, January 26, 2015

Wild Week in Huanuco!

The really crazy story this week is about the churches getting robbed lately! So, we were having a meeting with Hermano Edwin, our mission leader, and Elder John and Elder Torres were in the chapel doing a baptismal interview for our district leader, who also has a baptism on Saturday. Well, Elder John noticed there was something weird or different in the ceiling, so he and Elder Torres went up there with a little flashlight. They were looking around and didn't see anything and then they looked over by the steeple. There was this guy up in the steeple just watching! So they acted like they didn't see him and then they came down and called the police. I guess the guy came in during an activity on Wednesday and he spent the night up there. I don't know how he gets in the ceiling, but he does. The police came and they went up there to get him and then the guy broke through the roof and fell down. Elder Torres grabbed the guy and then the police grabbed him. The police were slapping him around and asking him who he was with and everything. He kept claiming that he was alone. He was this really skinny guy all tatted up. He had a backpack up there with toilet paper and all kinds of stuff, but we caught him! Now the roof is all broken and some other things are broken in the church but we'll fix that. It was fricking nuts! I mean nuts! …Wait! There’s more… They let the guy out of jail!! So now, all the gringo missionaries are done for! Just know that I love you guys—haha.


On Monday, after I wrote you guys, we had a zone Pday. We played water balloon soccer at an indoor facility, so that was fun. On Tuesday we did divisions with my district leader, Elder Chapeton. It went really well. We have these new investigators, Tonya and Marcos and their daughter, Christine. They have been going to the MMM church but they're awesome and things are going good. Thursday we had service with the bishop's mom—we moved a bunch of earth from her house. It sucked, it was really hard. Oh, Christian is staying here now. Haha. So we are going to basically start all over with him, but that will be good. I am sure he will be baptized.



Wednesday and Thursday we had lessons with Gabriela and Mariana and also talked to them about their baptismal interviews. On Friday we took Gabriela and Mariana to their baptismal interviews, when we got there they were crying and fighting. It was pretty crazy. So I said a prayer that they would apologize and have the interviews and that's exactly what happened. It really amazes me on how hard Satan works when you're trying to do good things. Seriously, every time we've had a baptism, something bad happens beforehand, like today we had trouble getting baptismal clothes and it was way frantic until the last minute. After arriving to the church, I was a little worried about Mariana in her interview because she was having a little trouble remembering some of the answers, so I said another prayer and she passed with flying colors. They both did really well. That was another answer to my prayers. It was really cool. I am very grateful for that. On Saturday the baptismal service wasn't perfect but it was nice. Their parents were there to support them and it was all good. One thing about the kids here in Peru is that they have this fear of water, I really don't know why it is (I think they are scared because they watch freaky church movies where priests drown little babies). It's kind of sad. Mariana and Gabriela both left the font crying when they were done because of the water. After that, they had to bear their testimonies and I really didn't think they were going to, so I said another prayer, without doubting, and I asked that they would be able to do so and, once again, I received an answer to my prayer. Seriously guys, I hope you guys do that—ask in faith with no doubt, just like Joseph Smith. In my patriarchal blessing it says that if I exercise faith it'll reach nigh unto heaven. That's really what I'm focusing on doing right now. Really asking for things and searching, believing with all my heart, not doubting. When doubt enters, I just shut it out. Anyways, things went well, I baptized Gabriela and Elder Caro baptized Mariana.  It was cool to see them get confirmed in church. They are so happy. Love you guys!



Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Christian?

Monday after I wrote you guys, I had some nice stomach for dinner which was pretty nasty; but, that's what we do here. This week we taught some great lessons, menos activos, and some other investigators. We actually found two new investigators, they are two sisters and their names are Gabriela and Mariana. Gabriela has 12 years and Mariana has 10 years and they both accepted baptism dates, which is awesome! They're going to be baptized January 24th. We gave them permission slips to get signed by their parents for the girls to be baptized and they signed them and we picked them up. We are also going to start teaching their brother who wants to receive the lessons, so that's cool.

My new pensionista, Hermana Violeta

Christian, the other investigator that we have, is doing great. We found out early in the week that he was leaving to Lima to live. So we called our zone leaders to see if we could baptize him this Saturday because he really wants us to baptize him. They asked if he's had all of the lessons, and we're missing a couple of the lessons but we are going to finish all those up. He has the assistance at church that he needs and he's going to be baptized this Saturday, if we can get all of his lessons and his interview done. So that's really, really exciting! He's really such a good kid. Well, a day or two later, we went to visit Christian with our ward mission leader and he didn't show up. So that sucked! Then we went the next day to meet with him again and he didn't show up. Oh man, I just had to take a deep breath and hope for better tomorrow's. Christian's baptism on the 24th is not going to happen obviously. I feel sad for him, he's a really, really nice kid and I don't even know where he was when he didn't show up those two times. I'm sure it's hard for him right now but I hope for the best for him in Lima. So.....yesterday we saw Christian! He came to church and it looks like he might not be moving to Lima. We’ll see what happens.

Service was good this week. We did the same service that we did last week; we went and dug out this guy’s house. It was good. I worked hard and didn't get fried from the sun.

The hill behind our house

We had our correlation meeting that we have every Friday night with our ward mission leader, Hermano Edwin, he is awesome! We started a fast and it was really, really good. I fasted for revelation for our area and that some less active people would come to church and for you guys and a couple other little things. Well, check this out! We had this family that never comes to church come today! It was such a big answer to our prayers. It was way, way awesome you have no idea! Their names are Eric and Anthony and they have a sister who is active but they never, ever come. We got like 5 of their family members to show up. So that was like a huge answer to our prayers.

My bed is the bottom left

Yesterday we moved rooms, so we are in our new room now. It's nice to finally get all unpacked. So I unpacked everything and I'm hoping not to move anytime soon. Everything is going well—this week flew by, I can't it's Pday again tomorrow. We are going to wake up, go play soccer and go to this one area to play water games, I think. It's a zone Pday, and I’m not sure what we're going to do. Later in the evening, we have a family home evening with some less actives and we are going to make American brownies that I bought in “metros”.  I love you guys and I'll talk to you later.


Monday, January 12, 2015

Will Ye Rob God?!

Hey guys!! Well this week flew by for me, I don’t know about you guys. Things are going really well. On Saturday we had interviews with the mission president. He is so awesome! Seriously. He is just such a nice guy. I know that I am in this mission because of him. We talked about revelation for a little bit and he told me a story about how he almost missed marrying his wife because he wasn’t listening to the spirit too well. Haha. He is awesome.

Elder Caro is doing pretty well. He is sick to his stomach right now. He leaves in 4 weeks to go home though so that is exciting. During my interview with President Henderson, I told him that I would keep Caro on track and help him finish with honor. President really liked that and thanked me for it. He said that he is appreciative of my work with all the companions that I have had.

We have 18 missionaries in our district (2 of them are sisters). I think we are going to play soccer again as usual for Pday. I think most of the 18 will come to play. We might go eat for lunch or something too. I haven’t really gone shopping yet, but I am sure I will find a little better stuff than in good ol’ Pampas.




So the other day our church was robbed! They broke in through the roof and stole like a TV and a bunch of little things. There are some crazy people here, haha, seriously. We are teaching 2 investigators named Briar and Christian. They are doing well. We put a baptism date for the 24th of January and Cristian accepted. Briar wants to learn a little bit more. So please pray for them. I have had a lot of chances to give blessings while I have been here. They are so fun. There was this one morning that we were getting ready, and we got a knock on our door from this less active saying that his dad’s head was really hurting him. So we ran over there (half ready) and I gave him the blessing. Yesterday I saw him at church and he came up to me and gave me a big hug and said “thank you”. It was really nice.

Speaking of church, yesterday I gave a talk in sacrament meeting! It’s a little scarier with 90 people but it went well. I feel like people understood me so that is good. I spoke about how to share the gospel with families. It went well and I was happy.

Huanuco Apartment
Huanuco (Amarilis) Church Building

Right now there are a lot of parties going on. There is a tradition here with these things called “negritos”. They are people dressed up in costumes and they do like a religious dance thing. It’s cool but there are a lot of drunken people and they are pretty mean but oh well.


It’s been pretty hot here and I am seriously getting so dark. I am glad that everything is going well for you guys back home. That is all I hope for. Seriously. You guys are all so amazing. Thanks for everything. You all need to read The Book of Mormon every day!! I didn’t do it back home and I wish I would have. Seriously. Don’t get me wrong, it kind of sucks when you start, but we need the help and protection we can receive when we read it. It took me about 30 times reading it consecutively to like it. So stick with it! Keep working hard and know that I love you all!

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Transferred! Huanuco Bound!

Hey guys!! I am glad you all had such a great New Year’s. Well, I got my wish and I am now opening an area in Huánuco! It is called “Amarilis 2”. Amarilis isn’t the city but more like the neighborhood/district that we work in. I am with Elder Caro. He is from Bolivia and he goes home after this transfer. He is pretty trunky. Haha. We live with our zone leaders, Elder John and Elder Torres (this is a different Elder Torres than my former companion). They are both really cool. They are Amarilis 1 and we are Amarilis 2, but we are in the same ward. Huánuco is freaking boiling hot. I got such bad sunburn when we went and did some service last Thursday. We went and dug out a lot for this guy’s house. It was so hot, I was dying! Our area is a giant hill. No joke! It’s on a mountain and I walk up and down hills the whole day. My legs hurt so bad, but I’m going to be ripped and tan in no time. Haha. Elder Fitzgerald is now a zone leader in Huancayo. They called us in the night and we left to our areas the next day. It was all kind of hectic but it worked out. Right now we are in the middle of switching apartments—some elders live in our zone and we live in theirs. They don’t really want to move because their place is bigger, but we are going to switch. It should be done by the 17th. 

Pampas crew
The new crew

I love our pensionista she is seriously so nice. She calls us her kids and we call her “momita”. She lives really close, like right down stairs. She cooks really well and gives us cold drinks!! Seriously!  People have fridges here and stuff. It’s awesome!!

Working here sure is different. It is a lot of contacting and meeting members. It’s cool though. We have a freaking chapel!! I love it! I went to church yesterday and did absolutely nothing!! It was amazing! We are in a stake and there are 4 of us in our area. There are a ton of people in Huánuco though. We had 92 people in attendance at church yesterday.

Well, I got to run. I love you guys and will talk to you next week!