Yo whats hip-hop happening ya’ll!?!? (August 10, 2016)

Week 4

This week… Well. The same as all the rest. Food is the same, the walls are the same, the people are the same. It’s amazingly fun though. The only thing different from that was that we actually went out will missionaries in the field and did real proselyting. So that was cool. Lol.  

The first time proselyting. What an experience that was. We were in the Lima East mission and there were about 45 missionaries going out to do splits all over the mission. It just so happened that I got to go to one the poorest parts of the city, and if any of you know what a South American Capital city is like, then you know what I’m talking about. The streets are kind of paved, the ground covered in dust. People’s houses aren’t exactly 100% intact. It’s a humbling sight. My companion was Elder Pizarro who was a native of Vina Del Mar in Chile! (I’ve been there.) He didn’t speak English but luckily I know just enough spanish to have a conversation. Anyways, We spent the entire day knocking doors and making contacts with people. When we left the CCM in the morning they gave us all 1 Libro de Mormón (Book of Mormon) to hand out to someone. I went all day and I hadn’t even thought about handing it out. Everyone we talked to was Catholic. It was kind of weird. ANYWAYS. The last house we got to we waited for probably 3 minutes for someone to come out, Elder Pizarro wasn’t taking no as an answer since they were obviously home. Eventually a man named Claudio answered the door. Claudio is Catholic. He knows a ton about the Bible, well at least he knows the concept of it. It was hard to get a word in because he just wanted to preach to us. Elder Pizarro was patient about it, but I was annoyed. Then I heard something almost audibly yell at me, “Give that man a Book of Mormon.” So I reached in my bag pulled out that Libro de Mormón, and in my broken Spanish I told him what it was, I told him that if he read it and accepted the message, he could live with his family forever. Kind of astonished, Claudio took the book, promised to read it, and set up an appointment with Elder Pizarro to be taught the first discussion. After we left the doorstep Elder Pizarro put his arm around my shoulder, looked at me and said, “Cusco is very lucky.”  What an experience that was. Missions aren’t about sight seeing, missions aren’t about having an excuse not to go to college for 2 years. Missions are service. Missions are about saving souls. I love it here.

Most of the time its basically just a big Mormon party with testimonies and teaching. We keep it real here at the CCM.

So many things happen that I wish I had time to write about, but I simply just don’t. Just keep in mind I love you all so very much! You’re in my prayers and thoughts! Peace ya’ll. 

Week 3 (August 3, 2016)

HI EVERYONE!!! How’s everyone doing? I hope  you’re good(:
Ya know I wish I could say that I had an experience that has changed
my life forever this week. But. Not really. Every day is the same.
Lol. We’re learning Spanish little by little. It’s definitely a work
in progress. But it’s fun(:

My friend Elder Sanchez left yesterday for the field and now I’m sad.
He was my favorite. Along with all the American Elders who welcomed us
to the CCM! It’s weird to think I’ve been here for three weeks. It
feels like three days because every week is just one big day. We go to
the temple every single week here in Lima. It’s amazing. It’s all in
Spanish though. Soooooooo it’s a bit interesting(: What’s super cool
though is that the only days that its ever sunny here is on Sunday for
church, and P-day when we go to the temple. It’s sunny right now.
Kinda cool right? Heavenly Father looks out for His missionaries with
a little sunshine now and then!

The mountains here are 2x as big as the one’s you look at every day. I promise.
Everyday during our language study session we talk about all the weird
grammatical things in Spanish. And this past week we’ve been studying
Indirect and Direct object Pronouns. So.. stupid right? No. We’ve been
arguing about it for like a week straight and we just can’t get it.
Spanish is so fun(:

Volley ball. The sport that will  tear friendships apart, or it will
make you hate everything, OR you will absolutely love your life
because it’s different than futbol. That’s what it is to me anyways.
We play volleyball now instead of soccer, mostly because we got sick
of playing it every single day. It’s intense stuff. We have
tournaments of two on two beach volleyball. And let me tell ya, my
calves are really feeling that volleyball burn. I love it.

The rice is clogging me.

Now for a spiritual thought.
On Sunday we talked about faith. All day long! And we learned some
amazing things. (Alma 32:26-43.)  Faith isn’t a noun, it’s not a
passive belief that we hope will someday grow into huge knowledge.
It’s a seed. Like we learn in primary. Faith is a verb. It’s an action
that if executed correctly, Heavenly Father sends us miracles. So how
do we utilize it? Get up. And act on what we feel. Like I talked about
last week, if we’re living righteously we can have the spirit to guide
us. You never really know in the moment that you’re having a spiritual
prompting.

So what am I saying? Just live.
Not only just live, but live the gospel. What an incredible blessing
it is to have the restored gospel here on this earth. Holy cow. I
know, and I promise you that if you live right and you get up and move
and not be idle.  You’re going to see amazing things happen to you.
And you’re gonna be blessed beyond belief. HAVE FAITH for things to
come.

“Don’t you give up, Don’t you quit.
You keep walking, You keep trying.
There IS help and happiness ahead.
It will be alright in the end.
Trust is God, and believe in good things to come.”
-Elder Holland.

I know this gospel is true. I can never deny it. I love and miss you
all dearly. Keep moving forward. God is good(: