9-2-2008 E-MAIL

AREA: LIMA, PERU
COMPANION: ELDER ALLEN


Hey everybody, so they moved us out of the CCM and I've been pretty bummed
about that, but most of us are in the same zone so we are all together right
now and we get to have p day together as well, but elder puglisi is in
another zone by himself wich really sucks. I'm comps with elder allen, and
we are combined with two lima este elders, elder dodds from cedar city and
elder ruiz from.... Santa Cruz, so he's telling us all this amazing stuff
about bolivia. We are in Santa Anita... i really have no idea where that is
haha. This place is going to take some getting use to. It is a dirty dirty
place, and i keep getting over charged on the buses cuz im a gringo and
don't know any better. The busses are pretty hilarious though, they drive
them like they are mustangs. Also im having some problems with peruvian
food... i dont really think i should go into detail on that one.

 we got some news about bolivia, its not looking like a conspiracy to keep
us out and the church has a bunch of people talking with the prez this week
in la paz, so they said we could move out any day, the max is probably 6
more weeks in lima. but please just keep sending everything to peru.(I think
he means Bolivia)

 the really nice thing about lima is it has tons of US products... i
bought some new soap and mouthwash yesterday. and we went to Pizza Hut, wow
is all i have to say about that, im gonna lose a bunch of weight out here
but gain it right back cuz im gonna eat for like 4 straight weeks haha.

 I've figured out that the only way not to get homesick is not to stop
working. just being here is really messing up the lima este mission and we
have a lot of dead time to just sit around. Yesterday i was feeling really
sick and laying on the couch thinking, how am i going to be able to do this
for 2 years. and i was going to write today that i am very close to coming
home. But then that night we started working, all of our contacts fell
through, but it's 100 times better to be out trying. But then Heavenly
Father always rewards us for trying... Elder dodds told me, he and i are
going to find a new ingestagator and baptize them b4 i leave. Well we found
her last night. Her name is Jenifer, her friend is a member and gave
referals (btw, EVERYDAY! be thinking of people for elders to teach, they
work so much better than when we make contacts in the streets.) But anyways
Jenifer is golden, we taught the first lesson and she was all over it. We go
back wednesday.

we went to church on sunday, church here is so loud, on men. but its awesome
to see all the little kids and have wards that are yours. The people here
are so great they help us out soo much, we ususally get about 10 referrals
per sacrament meeting (we have 3 wards).

Ok so thats all i really have to say... i dont really know when im leaving
they aren't really telling us much cept that they are trying hard to solve
it, but they said it doesn't look too bad. But please pray for it always. I
can last in lima for a while.... but this city is ridiculous, i gotta get
out where theres isn't smog everyday.

 Crystal, congrats on the job and the beau... is he an RM? Kim... that is
so awesome! How far along are you? Valynn.. I cant believe the kids are
going back to school already. thats nuts.

ok well i have more time so ill just try to think of some stories till my
time is up. Yesterday me and elder dodds were walking around and i saw like
three kids running and laughing... then i see one kid behind them chasing
them with... a piece of broken glass the size of his head.. then he just
chucks it at the kids but it totally missed, i just had to start laughing
and say this place is so nuts. I had a crazy homeless guy on the bus one
day, he was rapping/singing/ beat boxing in the front of the bus. Normally
I'd feel bad, but he was also really mean and he spit on somebody b4 he got
off.
I've only been out in the field for like 6 full days but i already feel
like i understand spanish soooooo much more, i really like studying it on my
own out of the manuals.

 So the best way to get pics home is just on a burnt cd, we can burn them
at any of the internet cafes for like one sol(33 cents). So I'll try and
send a cd home b4 i leave. Also im really glad you sent me those disposable cameras mom, cuz they
tell us not to bring out cameras everyday cuz they'll probably get stolen,
so i take the other one which has like 30 pics on it, so next time something
really ridiculous happens i can take a pic of it.

Oh and about that whole robbing thing, i haven't met any elders who've
been robbed, but everyone says u just have to keep a low profile, not have a
flashy watch stuff ,or pull out a bunch of money and run.But it also does
help that I'm waaaaay bigger than most people here,so that probably deters
some people too. The good thing is they don't know I'd just start crying..
drop all my stuff and run. Ha Ha

 Oh crystal i forgot to ask... do you have a friend named Tyson Wall?
Elder ruiz was talking about him, he's from west Jordon..I looked at a
picture of him and he kinda looked familiar, and the name is familiar
too.idk,just let me know, cuz that would be really funny. 

ok gotta go love you all, I'll email again next monday