Cuerpo malogrado

 Pretty average week here, not much to say honestly. I'll try to think of what happened. 

My knee problems have decided to come back even worse than they were before 😐 obviously it is hard physically, but mentally it is an absolute beatdown as well. It just feels kinda helpless living in peru walking around all day when it hurts to walk. I thought the problems were working themselves out, but I guess I'm back to square one. 

Pretty sure I have a UTI as well right now, currently in the hospital getting that checked. I'm trying to decide if I am going to get back from my mission and have an invincible inmune system or if I'm going to feel like a 95 year old the rest of my life... 

Theres a crazy dude we met that thinks he's Jesus. He told me if I beat him in pingpong he would let us teach him. He was convinced that ping pong doesnt exist in the united states. We played and I rinsed him 21-0. He listened to us but still thinks he's Jesus. Win some you loose some. 

My companion mixes lotion, sunscreen, cologne, and rubbing alcohol together to make hair gel. Still not convinced about that one. Pretty funny

We found a family this week that is absolutely elect. I am almost 100 percent sure they will get baptized. They live 1 block outside of our area so we won't be the ones teaching them, but I am so hyped to finally see a family that wants to learn. 

Ate 2 chicken hearts, rice, and some pinaple juice for lunch yesterday

Our toilet leaks water all night so theres always a huge puddle in the morning. Theres also a gap in the window that leads to outside so the mosquitos come in and lay their eggs in the puddle of poop water. Gonna put some tape over the window and some super glue on the toilet today and we should be good to go 👍

We saw a ton of miracles this week. It seems like every day something seems to fall into place, someone seems to call us, we see someone in the street, etc etc etc. The Lords hand is so prevelent in this work. 

I finished the BOM in spanish this week. First time I've read it front to back in spanish. It's a true Book written for our times. There's no way that Joseph could have fabricated it. 

Welcome Mrs. Malan (my high school ceramics teacher) to my email list. Was in her class 3 times and still not sure how to center my clay on the wheel 💯 (still got an A every time)

Figured I'd throw some pics of tall person in peru problems in here. Pretty funny I think. Also a cool hat and a funny bilboard with some chiclayo slang (gafo) 

🇵🇪

 I was reading the missionary commission this week and there was a line that really stood out to me. "Yo soy llamado de Dios. Mi autoridad es mayor que la de los reyes de la tierra" I am called of God. My athority is greater than that of the kings of the earth... I thought that was pretty cool. 

Theres a kid in the ward that is preparing for his mission. He's 17 and he moved here from the middle of jungle 5 years ago, learned spanish, was baptized and is a firm member since. He works 25 hours a week outside of school to save for his mission. He makes 300 soles a months. Do the math on that. 100 hours a week and he makes 300 soles a month. 3 soles an hour is what he makes. Thats litterally 75 cents an hour in US dolars. His parents abandoned him a few years ago so he lives with his uncle. He still finds time to come to lessons with us every single day almost. He is such a stud. People like him inspire me. He's been saving for years for his mission. Such an absolute stud. These are the people that I will never forget that have changed my perspective. 

Some venezuelans made fun of my spanish this week 😐 "Tú no haba bie el epaño" thanks. I've realized how peruvian my spanish is. What does que hubo pue chamo even mean? Épale, chamo, na guará! What are you even saying? Smh my head. Lucky enough not even my companions understand them, so that makes me feel a little better. 

We had zone conference this week and it went incredibly well. The topic we presented was "are you all in? It was a good opportunity to reflect on my personal commitment and dedication to the Lord. I think I said last week how I had dengue. Well aparently an offset symptom is a bad rash. The morning of zone conference I woke up with a narely rash all over my face and my cheeks and eyes all swollen. I looked and felt like walking death. Once again, highly don't recomend dengue. 

The work is good (not really but we're working harder than I ever have), passionfruit mango yogurt is still good, perú is still home to me, book of Mormon is truer than ever, and Joseph Smith was the Prophet. 

Good week. Time is absolutely flying🤘

que lo que parce?

 Had transfers this week. They told us we didn't have transfers so we pulled up all chill. Pres then told us we would be training a new guy together. Trio 😐 but its cool. Elder Vivanco is the new guy. His situation is the exact same as Elder Cutipa. Only member in his family, convert, etc. The MTC called the morning of transfers and told president that he was a big problem there and causes a lot of problems. So thats what were deeling with... It seems like I've just been thrown in weird situation after weird situation lately. But that's been one of the biggest things I have learned on my mission, how to adapt and change. First day he told us to go prosylite without him because it was too early (10 am). I am not a fan of trios but it is definately a good chance to help the new guy start off his mission on the right foot. 

The museam last week was pretty awesome, peruvian culture is really cool. 

I often buy maracuya mango yorgurt by the liter and it usually lasts me about 1 hour 

I had dengue this week. Let me tell ya, dengue is not fun. It was really really bad. But I'm better now. Its a mosquito borne disease and I think I got it because we always have mosquitos in our house because our windows don't close. I was in bed for 2 days straight it felt like my bones were aching and my stomach was being stabbed from the inside. It was probably the worst my body has felt since I got my tonsils out. Highly do not recommend dengue 

The work continues. We found a really cool family from venezuela this week. They give me free mandarinas. 

We had a meeting with all of the new missionaries that just got here. President Giuria had everyone say what we do here in the Perú Chiclayo Mission. The list grew and grew and grew. We work hard, we're obediente, serve, love. After about 15 answers he said "we baptize". What a legend.  

Love yall 

Life's good 👍

Been a good week. Our pday is today because were going to a museam of ancient incan stuff today. Should be pretty cool. 

We have transfers tomorow, my comp and I are staying here together, super pumped about that. Should be a good transfer. 

Had an exchange with Elder Brewer. We've known each other since the Mtc. Absolute stud. 

I don't have much to say honestly, everything good here. I've seen a lot of changes in myself lately. 

This is the hardest area I have been in work wise. We contact in the street all day every day. It is starting to turn into a mental battle, but part of the fun of being a missionary is that if you just get out there and grind something crazy seems to happen every day. 

Chirimoya and pitahaya still top 2 fruits of all time 

Theres a family of recent converts that we visited on tuesday with the bishop. They are so poor. Their house was so incredibly humble. They told us how they work day to day and eat nothing but bread because they cant afford anything else. They have two babies and litterally live day to day. If they don't work they don't eat. Somehow they still are at church every sunday and are full tithe payers. It was super humblimg to hear their testimony about tithing. 

Anyways that's all I got. Life's good. 

Elder p

365

Great week. We had a baptism. I'll send pics next week. I spoke in sacrament yesterday. Yesterday and today are peruvian independance days. It is such a huge deal here. The people are so proud of their heritage. To start my talk I gave perú an absolutely enormous shoutout and said how I consider myself part peruvian because a part of my heart is here and forever will be, and thanked the people for letting me share this day with them. People litteraly started clapping. After the talk the hymn was the nacional anthem of perú (I'm pretty sure thats not allowed, but it was hype). 

I've been a missionary for a year! Crazy. It feels like yesterday. People said it would fly. Holy cow is it true, and Im sure this next year will go even faster

This past year has been so crazy. I have learned so much. I've been kept up through the night for weeks on end by diebities machines in the mtc, but also felt of the tangible spirit that dwells there. I have learned to live on my own for the first time in my life in a country super different than my own. I have been dumped into small towns in the andes mountains speaking 0 spanish, sicker than a dog, feeling so alone and desolated. I've spent my first Christmas, new years, and birthday away from home in a small little town in the middle of knowhere with nobody within an hour that speaks my language. Yet those will probably be my all time favorite christmas, new years, and birthdays. I've lived in the middle of the rainforest. I've stood on the muddy banks of offshoots of the amazon river, and chocked on the dust of big cities. I have met the poorest, and the happiest people ever. And realized that those two things usually corespond. Some days I've eaten cow anus and others the most delicious food ever. I have made lifelong friends. Some of them being companions that grew up in my town, and some in towns in the middle of nowhere Perú. I have got my butt absolutely kicked sometimes! Anyone who has read my emails has seen how down I have been at times. But I have learned and grown from every experience. I have been blessed to find a home away from home. But most importantly, I have come to know my Savior on a more personal, real level. I have come to have a true, simple testimony of prophets and the restoration. I have learned to feel and follow promptings of the spirit. I have seen the power of the preisthood. I have strenthened my testimony of the power of baptism and the importance of keeping commandments. 

It has been the best year of my life and I can't wait to do it again for 12 more months. 

Here are some pictures of some of my favorite memories over the past year. If I could send 100 I would.

 This week was great. We absolutely grinded and it was fun. I love my companion so much. He is hillarious. The weather continues to be absolutely perfect. I can wear pants to bed 

We met a super cool family whose son is a member and just returned from his mission in Santa Cruz Bolivia. He came back for a bit and then moved back there to marry someone from there. Anyways, the rest of the family is not members. They are super cool and are from the mountains so they are super nice. The people from the mountains are usually really humble and nice. They are really catholic, but a super awesome family.

I got another chess set (not sure why). This one is full size and the pieces are huge. It is Spanish (catholics) vs. Incans (lamanites). 

I don't usually share the big long stories but I figure I will start to. Here you go. Long one. 

I was buying some fruit at a fruit cart on Saturday. I bought 2 pears. I was pretty hungry and was heavily looking forward to my pears. I ate one, and then we started to share a message with the fruit cart guy. While we were sharing a guy came up and grabbed my arm. He looked at me and told me he was a member of our church. This is a pretty common occurrence because of how many inactive members there are here. We invited him to stake conference the next day or whatever and then as he was about to leave he grabbed my other pear from me. He kinda just stole it and dipped. I'll be honest I was kinda like come on man for real? Not mad but kinda just caught back. I was gonna devour that pear man. Afterwards me and Elder urias were kinda joking about it and laughing about it. The next day (sunday) he came to stake conference. Super cool! We decided we were going to find his house and stop buy in the evening. We are in the city here i dont see many of the little dirt huts that people lived in when I was serving out in the jungle. But when we found his house my heart broke. In the middle of a big city there was his little dirt hut. He has lived there for 50 years. It was the size of my bathroom at home. Dirt floors, adobe walls, tin roof. The poorest I have seen since I got to the city. It was dark and there was no lights. He said how he hasn't had lights for years because the city took his power box because he can't afford the bills. He hasn't had water for years either. My heart completely changed. Instead of seeing this guy as a pear theif and something to joke about I saw him for who he is. What he is going through. He is the happiest guy you could imagine. So incredibly happy. It touched my heart. He told me thanks. He said he hadn't eaten all day the day before but that he shared my pear with his wife for dinner. This experience changed my perspective. As we were leaving the house a motorcycle with two people came by on the street. It's a dirt street and they started to slide out and eventually crash. We decided to go to talk to them and help them. We went and checked on them or whatever. We didn't preach or anything, just checked on them. They seemed shocked to see us. We gave them a card with our number on it and started to walk away. As we left the lady said, hey are you mormons? We turned around and she said she's a "mormona" as well. With tears in her eyes she asked us if I could say a prayer for her. I said a short prayer, asking for their health and that they can feel of Christ's love. Looking up, both were crying. The husband (not a member) and the wife (inactive member) asked when we could come by and share something.  What a cool little 30 minutes of experience. I truly felt like an instrument in God's hands that day. 

Tomorow marks 1 year as a missionary. What an absolute ride. I wouldn't change it for the world. I am so grateful for my mission and everything it has done for me.  

Love you all! 

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