365 in 🇵🇪

 Today marks a year since I got to Perú. I will always remember my very first day here. Exactly one year ago today. I met my companion, we got in a van and drove 3 hours out into the foothills, dropped off our bags, ate the most delicious food I had eaten in a while, and went out to teach. We had a family home evening our very first night in a little shack next to a river on the outskirts of the city. Within 24 hours I had gone from air conditioning cars and paved roads to hot, walking and dirt. I was so uncomfortable, I felt so far from home and was so scared. I understood maybe 3 words from that family home evening. I kinda just sat there and smiled. But I felt the spirit as we sang hymns and read the scriptures with that humble family. The only thing I was usefully for was eating 5 bowls of popcorn that the cute old grandma was cooking on the fire. Looking back, that very first night was the night that I fell in love with perú and these people. I wish I could go back and be a fly on my backpack during those first few hours here knowing what I know now, having gone through what I have gone through, and having grown how I have grown. Sometimes it still doesn't feel real that I live here. I am so thankful for this place. It has for sure been the craziest, awesomest, hardest, most rewarding, happiest year of my life. 

The family that me and Elder Cutipa were teaching in my old area whose wedding we went to was baptized this week. I wasn't able to attend, but am super excited for them. It is the first husband and wife I have seen get baptized during my time here. It is crazy to see how sometimes we don't see the fruits of our labors until weeks or months after. 

The rest of the familia Chambergo was also baptized yesterday here in our area. One of the coolest baptisms I have ever been apart of. They are the most humble people I have ever met. Their family is going through so many hardships money wise right now, but were still able to take saturday off for the baptism. They are seriously probably the coolest family I have met here. Since the kids are older than 18 they will have to wait a year to get sealed to their parents, but the ward is super involved with the family and super giddy to help them reach that goal. 

Seeing a whole family get baptized in an old area and half of a family get baptized in this area has had me thinking about temples and how we can really help our converts to continue progressing. The temple is obviously a huge part of this. Yesterday there started to be rumors going around that the church has bought the land for the Chiclayo temple this week. It hasn't been confirmed by the church, but they will probably come out and anounce it in the next few weeks. The temple here will absolutely change missionary work and the church here in Chiclayo. I am kind of jelous of the missionaries that will get to serve here with a temple literally 5 minutes away from any corner of the city. But, it is a privilege to be able to be apart of the groundwork leading up to it. And as I have seen this week, the Lord is definately preparing people and families to be endowed with power. 

I stepped on a mouse in the middle of the night while getting some water. Theres so many mice in this house we can kill them without even trying 

I'm pretty sure Chirimoya was the fruit on the tree of life

We saw an old man pooping in the middle of the sidewalk

My health seems to be about the same. It's a fun game, every day I get to wake up and see what body part will hurt today! Meh. It is a little bit discouraging but it was a good week. Man, I love these people so much. 

Shoutout President nelson on the 100 bomb. We are so blessed to have a prophet in our days to guide us and receive revelation on our behalf. 

 Alma 7: 13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

 14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness. 

Some pics from this week and from my first night in peru 🇵🇪