Peru Perniciousness!

I am still really stoked about getting into BYU! Thank you all for your help. I really do appreciate it! We had a fun Pday again on Monday. We played capture the flag again with water balloons at the church. That night though we did not have one single lesson. We went to teach the Jorge family, but they were really rowdy, so we helped them bring up water out of this well type thing by the street to their house about five blocks away.

Santiago, our investigator, came with us to Palca to visit Guadalupe, a less active 15-year-old girl. She is doing great! She's really excited to come back. She's working on her Personal Progress and we're helping her out with that. Later that evening, we went and helped Santiago chop wood for his stove and then taught him a lesson with our elders quorum president. We received the transfer information and we (Tarma district) then gathered in the chapel to do the printing and announcing of the changes. Afterwards, I went and coordinated the changes with the others zone leaders.

The changes went well on Wednesday. We were basically in the terminal from 8 AM to 2:30 PM. Elder Peterson stayed with us that night because he had to go the next day to Lima for migrations. We went to play soccer at the church but the Jorge family showed up really late so we didn't get a chance to play BUT something really cool happened. I felt that we should show them around the church before we left and so we did. When we came to the chapel where we have our sacrament, they were all amazed! The mom even said that she had dreamed of a place just like this but didn't know where it was, but this was her dream. It was awesome! They said they will be attending church on Sunday.

On Thursday we went to the restaurant "Hot and Tender" with President Durman, his wife and kids, and the sisters. It was a good time. We received news that there was a landslide on the route to Lima and Elder Peterson was stranded, but he found a car to Huancayo and made it back safely. There were some other missionaries that were on a bus that were also affected by it, but they got in a taxi made it all the way into Lima. I can't believe there are so many crazy things that happen here in Peru! We also received a call that night that a family in Mantarana burned there house down! So on instead of weekly planning, we're going to be able to go and help that family clean all of that up.

 Photos of Tarma

Friday we went to Palca with Santiago and taught Guadalupe. That it went really well. We then did two baptismal interviews and they both passed so El Milagro will be having two baptisms. We also received news that Elder Peterson has been stuck on that bus without food for a day. I thought that he had made it to Huancayo but Elders Moss and Solorzano went on a rescue trip to find him. They found him but the weather was getting really bad so they paid for a car to take them all the way to Lima. All of the flights are full so they aren't coming back til Monday. That's Peru for you! Giant landslides, bad weather but things are going well! Happy 18 months to me in the mission today! Time is flying by.

Saturday President came and did interviews with a few people here in the zone. Lately he's really been putting an emphasis on people being worthy, which is really cool. He's really an inspired guy and knows exactly where and how to help each of us.

Sunday was good day. It was Hermana Holland's birthday, so we had a little get together after our branch council meeting. We visited the Villegas family and they're doing okay. They would like us to visit them more, which we probably should, but we're trying to help the members to take on the role of fellowshipping them. They are new members and need some support to help them stay strong.

CONGRATS TO NIKENNA for winning state in basketball!! I love you all!