Monday, November 24, 2014

Hello wonderful Family.  They do not have a Thanksgiving here in Perú but we are going to Chili's for p day today to celebrate Thanksgiving so that is fun.  I don't really have anything to say in email today!!  Well I have a story to tell but I can't tell mom.  Haha don't worry mom.   

Saturday we went to the temple again!  It was with the whole ward well those who wanted to or could go.  We all piled and packed into one tiny, tiny bus.  It was cool but when we got there the temple was full.  And only one hermana from our ward I think got to go in.  It makes me appreciate having a million temples around our house in Utah a little bit more.  But ya, we got there and everyone was just on the temple grounds and eating and looking at the temple and taking pictures.  It was cool because even though we didn't get to go in the temple you could still feel the spirit on the temple grounds.  I love going to the temple but I heard they are closing the Lima temple for two years.  I don't know if it is just a rumor or what so if you could all research that I would love it. 

We have another baptism this week on Saturday if all goes well.  His name is ____ and he is still progressing just wonderful.  And we have two more people con fecha (with a date).  One for 20 of December and one for 4 of April.  Haha this guy wants to read practically all of the Book of Mormon before he is baptized.  I challenged him to baptism for 20 of December two weeks ago.  Then the last lesson this week I did it again and he said no I told you last time in April I will be baptized.  So I pulled out the calendar on our phone and said ok, will you be baptized April 4 then?  And he accepted.  So woo April 4. 

Oh I got robbed.  But he only took my pen.  And he took stuff from my companion.  And he didn't do anything.  If you would like details on the whole story you can talk to Blake because he has it.  But I am ok so don't worry.  If I am not allowed to tell you this stuff let me know hahahaha.  

I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving week!  Eat some turkey and some rolls for me.  I love you all.  

Monday, November 17, 2014

This was the hardest week of the mission.  We just didn't have that much success and citas fell.  First off, I had to talk in sacrament. I love talking.  Seriously I would not mind if they called on me every week to give a talk.  Bring it on.  But anyway it was on missionary work because what else do missionaries speak on.  And for it I just threw down a couple of bullet points that I wanted to talk about and went up there and BAM.  I talked.   For about 15 minutes.  I didn't even do the bullet points thing in English.  What in the world.  But it was cool.  I shared a couple of scriptures.  In Alma 4 and in Doctrine and Covenants and at the end I told the story of the dirty little Irish boy.  I feel like you could put that into any talk.  But the cooler thing is that I can tell the story in spanish.  Spanish is seriously so cool. 

Second of all.  Onnnn Friday I think it was.  EARTHQUAKE.  Earthquakes are cool.  I had felt little ones here but this one was big I heard.  I heard it was 7 on the richter scale or however you say it.  We were at the church and I was sitting outside in a chair.  We were talking and bam my seat just started rocking, it felt cool.  But the cooler story.  We were there because we had to take the keys to the church there because other missionaries in our district had an interview for baptism and so he was in his interview and told our district leader that he hadn't received an answer yet on whether or not the church is true or not but he has faith and he feels it so he wanted to be baptized.  Our district leader told him I know you will receive an answer.  you are going to receive an answer today and BAM the earthquake started.  And... He took that for his answer.  It is so cool.  that was his answer.  God sent an earthquake and received his answer.  It was awesome to hear.  

I am jealous of the pork tacos.  Literally me and the Elders in my district talk about Pork burritos from cafe rio almost every day haha.  The investigator that we have at the end of November is named ____.  He is about 20 years old and he is the one that asked us what he had to do to be Mormon.  So he pretty much accepts everything and all that.  We just need him to start fulfilling all his commitments.  He is awesome and the other week when we had the special musical number in sacrament he sang with us.  He wants to do everything and participate in everything.  So we just have to prepare him and teach him.  He is really cool.  

Another cool thing...  Quechua.  It is the language of the Incans.  Yesterday we were at this guys house for lunch because it was his birthday.  And it is the guy that loves me - that called me one direction and now he just calls me his twin.  His is in his thirties but ya, he loves me and his whole family especially his mom.  His mom was just talking about how fast I learned Spanish and how good I talk with the other missionaries.  So that made me feel good but then after that she was like ya, you are going to learn Quechua because she speaks it.  So that is cool.  I am going to learn Quechua.  They have Quechua Books of Mormon at the temple so I am going to buy one.  Anyway, I know how to sing happy birthday in Quechua so that is a good start. 

I hope you all have a great week.  I love you all!!

Monday, November 10, 2014

Ok, first thing first. I sang a solo in sacrament meeting.  It was a solo of one line but still I was singing alone in ward conference.  For ward conference we had to do a special musical number the missionaries and we sang Joseph Smith's First Prayer to the tune of Come Thou Fount and we sang Come Thou Fount and it was awesome.  And I had to start us out by singing alone but it was cool.  Definitely different because I always just mess around when I sing.  But hey, Elder Baker, your next American Peruvian idol.  

Second, Jair got baptized!!  And second to second, Elder Apaza baptized him!!  It was awesome because people can only come back for baptisms if they are going to baptize the person!  so Jair chose Elder Apaza so he got to come back and I got to see him and it was great.  Jair's baptism was awesome.  What was even cooler is that after his interview, our district leader told me that he is super prepared and so that was good to hear.  It makes you so happy when you can help other people come closer to God.  

Third, on the way to church this week we were going to this ladies house to help her come to church because she can't walk and is really old.  Oh first, the night before we were at the church and the Bishop and other people were like hey she lives in your sector so you need to pass for her.  And I was like ya ok, wait, can she walk and they were all like, no.  So I was like does she have a wheelchair?  And they were all like no.  so I was like uh oh, but we just went and got a taxi to her house and got her in the car and drove to the church.  But when we were getting the taxi this lady starting yelling at me in the street about juice.  I am not kidding.  I don't know her but she came up to me and started yelling telling me how I need to drink my juice.  She was saying we can't because we don't have the money.  But you have the money so you have to drink your juice.  So I told her I will drink my juice and she left but I have to say, that was really strange.  

This week was kind of crazy.  On Monday Elder Vance got changed to a different sector.  But his companion was alone so he came with me and Elder Hernández and we were a trio.  And he is in his training so I was a trainer for those days so that was cool.   He was with us Tuesday and Wednesday then Thursday we got a call and another missionary had to go to the hospital so Elder Durfey was going to go with that missionary's companion.  It was crazy so we had to take him over there and we were all running back and forth.  Elder Durfey is from American Fork.  So I had an American companion finally even if it was only for two days. 

On Wednesday we got to go to the temple again.  It is so nice being able to go!!  So peaceful in crazy, busy, Lima.  Also, I am thinking of buying one of those Llama ties for every month in the mission but let me know what you think about that mom.  haha  

Other than that nothing super exciting happened this week.  We have another investigator that is progressing and his baptism is for the 29 of November.  He wants to be baptized and everything so, so far so good.  

That is really all that I have from this week.  Oh, and it is starting to get super hot here.  Like in the afternoon it is death.  But that is ok, I am going to get a good tan and then maybe I really will look latino.  Maybe then people will stop shouting "gringo gringo" every time we pass them in the streets haha.  

I love you family and hope all is going well.  Remember to read your scriptures and say your prayers.  

Monday, November 3, 2014

Well I will just start out this email by telling you about Italo´s baptismal interview.  So our district leader did the interview and he is awesome - he was just an AP.  Anyway, after about an hour or so, he calls me over and is whispering to me, hey we put a goal for 11 de January and my heart dropped a little bit but I was like ya, ok esta bien.  Then he tells me to congratulate him anyways and I was like oh, ya.  So I walk in and I am like ITALOOO and hug him and he is like 11 de January and I was like ya, it is going to come fast.  It will come really fast.  Then we are talking a little bit more and Elder Castro, our district leader, comes up to me and with the baptismal umm record?  Registro bautismal and he says you just need to put your name here and the date because you are going to baptize him this Saturday!  So I was like whatttt???  And I go and hug Italo and then I almost beat up our district leader because that was a mean joke.  Ok, I didn't really almost beat him up but ya.  It was all a joke, he passed and it was all good!!!  

So Saturday came and we are at the church, my companion and I to fill up the font and clean.  There was a fiesta the night before in the church and they didn't clean so that was rough.  And I had to plan the program and it was stressful and everything.  And the font takes forever to fill up, like 4 hours and still, freezing cold water.  But hey, it all worked out and everything.  But Italo shows up and I asked where his mom was and he told me in the house and I was like is she going to come and he said no.  And so I just started freaking out because his mom is so nice and I thought this would just break her heart.  And she can't come by herself because she is in the wheelchair.  Anyways, I see a mototaxi pull up in front of the church and it was her with her other son and she came and it all worked out and he got baptized and confirmed yesterday and it was just awesome!  

We also have a baptism scheduled for this Saturday so if that all goes well, then this Saturday we will have one too!!  So we are hoping for that.  

We get to go to the temple again this week on Wednesday!  I love going to the temple here.  This week, also I got to go to a wedding with my companion because his old investigators were getting married and so we went to that.  They are going to be baptized in a couple weeks and then hopefully they will work for a temple sealing.  I am grateful for the temple and the priesthood so that we can live with our families forever.  

Another fun thing this week, we had intercambios and I was with Elder Irving.  He has 2 weeks in Perú so he is brand new and is from Alpine.  So we got to go around for a day together.  That was fun because he doesn't speak Spanish but he isn't scared to talk to anybody.  So it was fun.  I can pretty much say everything I want to in Spanish now so it was not hard or scary, just fun.  

That is about it for this week.  Oh, I feel bad but we were in a little CHIFA restauraunt with all the missionaries for lunch one day and I looked up and saw that LeBron went off and Blake Griffin went off.  I felt bad afterwards and had to look away from the screen but ya, oh well hahaha GO HEAT!  

I love you all family!!!  Be safe have fun and work hard in everything.  Remember to say your prayers and read your scriptures.