August 5th-31st

My Week

Well here in Pimentel we cook our dinners and breakfasts, so it means two things, I rarely have time to write to you after I send reports, update filters, cook, eat, and clean. It also means I get to cook whatever I want however I want! Let’s just say I used all my money for the month to buy bread, eggs, milk, and syrup, so I’m eating French toast every day!! Monday, we did not do much, just went to Chiclayo and played soccer with the assistance for like 4 hours! Tuesday, we had council of leaders and president invited me to that, which was great I got to see Elder Tituana. Usually it’s just zone leaders who attend this meeting, so it was really nice to have the opportunity to tag along. Wednesday we had district meeting which was all right... I did not think we were going to have it because of the council of leaders but we did, and it was the two districts together and I was not super prepared. But like dad taught me, just bring treats and they will never remember if the lesson was good or bad, so I shared my candy. Thursday was interviews with president and that was really nice, I asked him what his expectations are for me. I do not know if he has been preparing for that question or not, but when I asked him he was locked and loaded and laid the hammer down! Long story short he is disappointment in my Spanish, he said he wants me to have the same level of success as I do work, to achieve that I need to master the language, and to not take 2 years to do so. He gave me other ways to be more successful. Today was an all right day, because we have been going to Chiclayo every day this week, we have not taught many people in the morning hours or studied. I’m really trying to better my language, I put away my English scriptures and I’m only using Spanish materials along with studying grammar when I can. I love you good night

Ago 10, 2019

What an amazing day! Today we had the great opportunity to teach the family Espinoza. It’s a mom with 4 kids and the heart of the family is her son victor who is 18. Today we asked him if he believes Jose smith is a prophet of God, and without hesitation said oh I know he’s a prophet! And the mom said the same! So she, Victor, and they are getting baptized this 24 of Augusto! I have such a love for his family and their desire to get baptized! I love you and good night! 

Ago 12, 2019

Well sweet and sour sauce. We got up today, killed the cockroaches because our room is full of them, cleaned the room and went to play soccer. We played long and hard! It felt so good to play after so long in Jayanca cooped up in that area. We came back to Pimentel and ate lasagna with Cuchy, she makes lasagna from scratch and it takes her about 2.5 days to make it! We had a big ole brownie pan full of the world’s best lasagna! And we ate soooooo much of it! Almost all! Then I called my family! Which was great? But the sour part, WE did not focus back in on the work after we played hard so we had no contacts, no invites, and no commitments, a family home evening that went really long and got back to our room 7 minutes late. Which is really late! So I kind of feel like I need to do some serious repenting tonight. But overall today was a good day! I love you and good night

Ago 13, 2019

Well today was an awesome day, we had district council and it went really well. Afterwards we started an interchange with the zone leaders and now I’m with Elder Vargas same name as my companion only it has a G. he is Amazing!! Every lesson we had we would leave feeling like gods! We also had THEE FUNNIEST LESSON OF MY LIFE! We taught an investigator the law of chastity, and we told him he had to stop certain actions with his GF. And he looked up at the sky and threw up his arms and yelled the body is weak!! And the things he was saying were so bad, but how he said it was so funny! I love you good night!

Ago 14, 2019

Today was an absolutely amazing day! We woke up and went and played football with the assistance, secretaries, and the other district leaders at the offices as our workout in the morning. It was also the birthday of the secretary so as a custom here in Peru we cracked eggs on his face... on 3 different occasions! we then ended the Intercambio and came to the area and had some amazing lessons! And we have not eaten nearly all of the food we bought for the first pay day (every 15 days we get paid to buy food) so we are eating like kings tonight! I love you good night.

Ago 15, 2019

What a great day, my pench made French fries and gave us Tampico, which is an amazing juice. We did not have a lot of lessons, but we did find a lot of new people. Today we went really far out into the desert to look for a family, found them, but did not want anything to do with us... so we went back to Pimentel. But we got to see a new side of Peru! I love you good night

Ago 16, 2019

Today was a really good day; we had many lessons and had a lot of success finding new GOOD people who are ready to hear the gospel. I start asking people why when they say no, no, no, we are Catholics. It is quite funny to see their faces when they do not know why they are Catholics. We gave about 10 blessings of health and one in English. The one in Spanish was for a guy named mark and he’s from California and knows no Spanish. I love you good night

Ago 17, 2019

Well I’m back I my groove and working well here in Pimentel, I have had two changes in areas here in the mission and each one kills me! I really grow to love the wards and he members here along with my converts in each area, and to leave hurts. 2 Sundays down and I’m learning more and more of the new ward here and the streets so I’m finally settling in and learning how to work here. Each area has different ways of working, for example in Jayanca there is a large population of JW so if you knock on the door, and they think I’m one of them, so they do not respond. So, we would talk to the people in the streets. Here is a little different as well, I learned it’s a big fishing community here on the ocean side, so I tell fish stories and make small talk with what I know. I love you good night

Ago 18, 2019

Well today was great, we went to church and victor and his mom and sister came with! It was awesome and afterwards we went to our room and ate a big lunch, I think I’m starting to get fat. Then went to a church open door thing where people come to the church and take a tour. We came back to our area and had one visit and completed our meeting with new investigators! They gave us rice milk, and afterwards a random guy gave us a ride to our room! He was a saint because we were really late a far from the room! I love you good night

Ago 19, 2019

well today was awesome, we cut our hair so now I look hot, played football and I had 3 goals, one of which was a left foot kick and the other was a header. So I’m practically ready for the South America world cup! But honestly today was a great day, we also bought food again and more OREOS! We got back to Pimentel and talked with the family which was great! We taught the family Maza, Espinoza, and Estrailita. Her boyfriend came along and has gotten to be good friends with Victor which was amazing! I don’t have much time. I love you good night

Ago 20, 2019

well I’m pretty sure there is a football jamboree with a seat saved for me right about this time of year.... though it’s weird to not be playing football right around this time I’m loving it here in Pimentel! Today we had an awesome day just about all the visits fell through and we also took a taxi to another town out of Pimentel, buuuut we did not have enough money to get back. So, we walked for 45 minutes in the cold, but me and my companion had a nice conversation. We then got back at 8ñ45 and with our faith we got into a home, shared a lesson, and got out by 9ñ15 just in time to get back to our room. But then we had an unplanned act of service and helped a woman with her bags, and she wants us to come back to share the message with her! Awesome day! I love you good night.

21 de Ago 2019

Well a weird day today, this morning all our visits fell through. So we studied and went to a lunch appointment with a member and it was amazing! I ate one of the hottest peppers in Peru and it was not too bad! I then had my first baptism interview, Hermana Sylvia is too cute! She works in Olmos which is close to Jayanca, so we talked about that, along with her new protein powder she sells, we are now like best friends. only down side is she fell on question 4, so I had to call president... she did pass her interview and when I asked, do you want Elder Varys to baptize you or E{ Diaz she said ME! well I told her no, one of the other missionaries who have been working with her have to baptize you. she then said no, I want you to baptize me... well looks like Friday I’m going back to Chiclayo to baptize her. she is 59 years old, so we must go to a church that has heated water. weird day today but I love you and good night.

22 de Ago 2019

Today was a good day, my companion is sick but we still managed to reach almost all of our goals! We are having a problem eating our food in just one hour, because the members are so friendly here we talk way to much! I love it! Had a woman who has 39 years flirting with me in a lesson today... it was a little funny. But as we were walking to that lesson, we passed by a really dangerous part of Pimentel. There was a guy out front of the street who looked sketchy, he said do no go down this street right now. It’s dangerous, that will be 20 cents. So, I gave him 1 sole, it was worth the advice. We also had a super-duper powerful lesson today and we taught about the prompting of the spirit and the blessings they bring. She was crying and excepted an invitation to baptism, her name is Cordi. I love you good night

23 de Ago 

Well today was a great day, we did not have many lessons, so we just went around contacting. My companion is sick, so I did almost all the talking. But at about 5 o’clock today we went into Chiclayo so I could baptize Hermana Sylvia. It was so great and because she is 59 years old, we went to the only church in Chiclayo that has heated water. It was the first time I have felt hot water in 10 months! Right now it’s so cold here, it’s about 55 degrees with a brisk ocean breeze! Almost enough to use a coat while proselyting. We then came back to the room to buy fried chicken! yeah, ba da ba ba baaa I’m lovin it! And I love you good night

24 de Ago

Well today we went to Fonavi to teach and ask someone to make sure their sister goes to church tomorrow so the elders in her area can put fecha. She had 5 grand kids over, feeding the baby, dressing a cake and cooking lunch. We saw the need and my comp. said we can help dress the 3 layered cake, my companion me= worked in a bakery before the mission he’s a pro! And I went along with it and I dressed that cake LIKE A PRO! I taught a few of dad’s tricks powdered sugar and all to roll the dough. They were like oh wow he is a pro! I finished and said,” I have never dressed a cake in my life!” The craftsmanship was so fine even Nephi would have been impressed! 3 hours of service with the cake we did not have any study time today. We ate 5 meals today and I’m so full. I love you good night

25 de Ago

Well today was a good day; my companion is still sick, but we still managed to talk to a lot of people and invite them to be baptized. I do not have a lot of time, but I love you and good night!

26 de Ago 

What a great day, typical p day with futbol and 3 lessons that went really well. But i also want to give a little piece of advice, that here on the mission every aspect of this work has eternal significance. With that i ponder on how am i becoming, and preparing to be someone that can not only sustain but excel in a marriage and have a healthy relationship. i do find that the closer i get to the lord and the more my testimony grows, the more i grow aware of how important it is to find someone with that same level of faith and desire to be better. And the marriages that drift apart is often )and I’m no expert so this is not doctrine= is because the views or value of the testimony of one of the spouse has dwindled. Or never looked at that person with an eternal aspect with the POTENCIAL of what he or she can be. We often here of people searching for the PERFCT one, without looking for how we can be that perfect one. We all need to deepen and strengthen our attributes of Christ. There is no growth in the easy so we must always strive to look to do better when we can see, HAGALO or JUST DO IT! I know the church is true and i know each and every one of you can and will receive blessings by following the promptings of the spirit and obeying the old and newly revealed commandments of God. Do something good today, serve your vasinos and i love you with all of my heart, sleep tight!

27 de Augusto

Well today was great, we visited victor today and had two lessons with him! He is LO MAXIMO! They are doing so good in preparing to be baptized, he does not have all the lessons in so we are passing by his house twice a day right now. We killed it today in finding, teaching AND inviting people to complete promises! One pair of elders in my district have 9 people with a baptism date and i love it! They are so powerful! I love you god night

28 de Augusto

Today we had an intercombio so i was with Elder Diaz here in Pimentel. Not a ton happened today, we LOOKED for a reference by the beach, as missionaries we cannot go to the beach unless we have a reference. So I searched every record to see if anyone we had talked to, taught, or any reference nearby so we could swing by. well in other words WE WENT TO THE BEACH! We then repented and went back to work ha-ha. We taught a girl named Marci and she is amazing! First visit with here and she agreed to be baptized! i love you and good night

29 de Augusto

Well this morning was rough, NO ONE was home so we did a lot of walking. We then ended the intercombio with Victor’s interview, he passed so that was awesome. Then we went and again no one was home, so we did a lot of walking and talking in the streets. Then a car pulled up and it was a gringo and a Latino, turns out they were old companions back in the day here in Pimentel and they were doing a Peru tour together with their families! The gringo spoke an amazing Spanish! He asked where i was from and said Oregon, and his eyes lit up and said oh “chevre son unico!” which is like oh cool you are unique because everyone is from Utah. It was a good day today i love you good night

30 de Augusto

Well today was the multizone day so we went to Chiclayo and had that, president bought doughnuts and i don’t know if it’s because i have not eaten a doughnut in almost a year or what but it was SO FREAKING GOOD! Then he took all 134 missionaries out to lunch and we ate like kings! I got the opportunity to talk with E{ Tituana and i missed him so bad! We came back and not a ton of people were home, so yeah. I love you good night. 

31 de Augusto

Well we killed it today, we had the best day of visits, invites, and finding new people to talk to. More than anything, Victor got baptized today and it was amazing! But afterwards we made the goal that if we could not reach our goal of contacts-new instigators, we would not talk to our families on p-day, we would give away our Oreos, and give away our BBQ sauce. Along with give away our sodas that we received from our pench. Let’s just say it was a miracle we made it! We also did some serves for this lady, turns out she lives with a patriarch. Here in Peru they have patriarchs who live in a small city and it is ALL family, one missionary got the patriarch to like him down in Cusco and the patriarch had his family listen and follow the teachings of the missionaries-the Lord. The missionary had a ton of success because of it. Fingers crossed I can do the same, with all the help of the lord! I love you good night.