What's up party people

Week 14

Hola que tal todos!? 

(Hey everyone hows it goin?)

Well thats another week in the books. 

This week I am having my first two baptisms!! If you remember me talking about the Alferez family a few weeks ago, they have committed to follow Christ and enter the waters of baptism! I`ll have pictures next week!! Im STOKED. 

Our mission President announced he`s coming to Puno last week, but we`re not sure when. So in a panic we cleaned our entire house out in fear of him coming and seeing our house. Woooo good times.

So lately I`ve been really into collecting Peru coins. Like the USA quarters, there are special coins you can find. So Elder Fawcett (The other white guy I live with) and I have been going crazy. We`ve been asking people to trade coins on the street, and then start a contact, we ask our investigators to see their coins, (Probably not the best idea, but its ok because everyone leaves happy after the coin swap) we also ask our ward members. It`s intense. Elder Fawcett and I are having a race. I`m losing right now. But I`ll catch up. 

The weather is nuts. One day it rains like nothing else on this planet and the next day its blazing hot. I dont get it. 

We play futbol every Pday and Im getting gooooood. Today my team went undefeated. Whats up. 

My fam sent me a package and I got american candy. Hehehe. Yay. 

In all honesty this week was kinda slow. Im praying for an exciting one Next week! 

The Lord`s hand is very clear here. We can see it everyday. I love this gopsel and Im so happy to be a representative of the one who gave it to us. Jesus Christ lives. He is very much alive and guides his church today, not only the leaders but everyone in it. Especially the wonderful people here in Peru.

I love you all so much!! You are my strength when I need it! Keep being coooool. 

Con todo el amor del mundo,

It's really really rainy

Week 13

Howdy ya´ll I hope everything is crackalackin like never before in the states with Hilarry and Donald. People are obssessed with them here and I can´t understand why. I´ve had people try and lecture me about my own country. 

So it´s been raining quite a bit. Last night we had quite the storm while my comp and I were walking to an appointment we had on the other side of our sector. We´re walking and it started to sprinkle, and then in started to drizzle, and then... It was like heaven was taking a shower. Holy crap. Within minutes the streets flooded, my shoes were flooded, and I was sopping wet. It was amazing. I love the rain. Lightning is also a very prominent thing here. And the thunder is very loud. Very loud...

List of weird things I ate this week:

- Chicken feet (again)

- Tongue

- A deep fried fish. (head and all) 

As many of you know, I am a drummer, and since being gone, I haven´t been able to play the drums for about 3 months now. Well this week the drought ended and I found a drum kit to play. And oh my goodness how I have missed it. 

This week was an interesting one that´s for sure, but what week isn´t interesting here? The people we teach are humble, some houses we enter are basically mud, with not a lot inside. Others are just humble, and the families are too. People are nice, people are rude, people accept our message and a lot of the time they don´t. If I could sum up this mission so far, it´s learning. Not a day goes by where I´m not challenged in some way. And not a day goes by without some kind of experience.  I´ve seen so many amazing things here.  One of the amazing things I´ve seen, though, is how people change. People have changed their lives to follow Jesus Christ here. Not because of me. Not because Im white. Not because they don´t have anything better to do. Because they love the Savior. Because they have realized he´s been there all along.   If you haven´t realized this yet, please do. Please just take the time to look around and see Him. He´s in every thing you do. He loves you. And he´s waiting to embrace you with open arms and welcome hands. 

I love you all and I pray for you. Keep living and breathing and loving(: 

General Conference, YES! (October 3, 2016)

Week 12

Hey everyone!!! Another week has passed and here I am in this run down Internet cafe writing all of my favorite Americans. How is everyone?? 

This weekend was like Christmas with a thing we call General Conference. I  got to watch all but one session in English and it was amazing. Elder Holland roasted all the home teachers. and Elder Bednar gave an awe inspiring talk. I loved all the talks to be honest.

We had a white people room to watch conference in, and we loaded up on the snacks. It was incredible. We had all sorts of cheap Peruvian snacks and a room to ourselves. What a great two days. 

This week like all the others has a been a learning week. My patience is being tested like crazy. It makes me wonder how God feels with us. lol. You all have a been a wonderful strength to me so thank you. 

This week was also full of miracles. or amazing people that I like to call miracles. They are our investigators. I´ll tell you a bit about them. 

William(17):

What a great kid. 17 years old, lives on his own with his brothers, he studies at the local university and also works a full-time job. He has the strongest testimony and has received some pretty rad revelations. He had a dream that he saw a light. and in the light he saw the Book of Mormon, when he woke up, he looked on his bed and there was his Book of Mormon. He knew right then it was true. He wants to be baptized so bad, but has hard time finding time for it. Right now his baptismal date is Oct. 29.

Yeni(37) and Sandro(11):

Yeni and Sandro Alfarez, I told you a little bit about them last week. Theyre incredible people. They attented General Conference at our chapel and they also really want to get baptized. Their baptismal date is Oct. 22

Flor(18): 

Flor es un gran joven!!! She has a strong desire to learn the gospel. She´s taken the missionary discussions before and hasn´t felt a whole lot. This time around she says it´s different. She feels the spirit, and she can feel that this church really is true. Her baptismal date is Oct. 22. 

We have met some amazing people. Some of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life. Their faith here is incredible. They deal with a lot of things that would make us question the purpose of life. and I love them all so very much.

I´ll just share a quote that I read this week and that I have grown to love. 

¨The best thing about living a Christ-centered life, however, is how it makes you feel. It´s hard to have a negative attitude about things if and when your life is focused on the Prince of Peace¨ -M. Russell Ballard. (Our Search for Happiness.) 

Is that not so true? I have found that out here, if you´re thoughts are not focused on the Savior, your life will be harder than it needs to be. I love that so much. And I know that it´s true. 

I love you all dearly and I miss you all. You´re incredible children of God and don´t ever forget that.