Peru

Peru
Machu Picchu

Monday, April 25, 2016

So this week was pretty good, we are still searching for that baptismal date for the 27th but I am sure we will get it, we already have someone in mind who is definitely prepared.

So today we got a new greenie in the district, Elder Daybell, is super cool though, graduated class of 2014 and did a year at SUU and then worked a year before leaving! He is in Yunguyo with Powell!

It is cool seeing all the people reporting to the mission when I am coming up on a year! :)


So I pretty much wrecked Dayron (son of the owner of our building) in chess, I have no clue how to play, think I just got lucky but somehow I ended up putting him in check mate, but its all skill! :)
He was pretty heated after, "HOW IS A GRINGO BEATING ME" lol


So this week 3rd hour of church was pretty interesting. So our Branch President is like 70 years old, you already know that, but apparently it was his "duty" to give the 3rd hour but didnt prepare anything. So literally he talked like 10 minutes about his family and then looked at his watch, was like..."ummmm....well, looks like we still have a little bit of time left, so....Elders, maybe you could teach us a few Hymns"? Me and my companion looked at each other, confused, like, whaaat? So he pulled out a hymnbook and started asking us page by page, "do you know this one", followed by the same answer "nope, nope , nope" (we don't know too many hymns)!  Eventually found one that we knew and we "sang" it, or pretty much just me and my companion sang while the others just blubbered lol.

For the rest of the week here are the key things that happened each day:

Monday: Nothing except we didnt have anything to eat for Dinner and we tried to go buy from a local store and they were all closed :(

Tuesday: Today we had 4 contacts and 4 references asked, and also 1 new investigator, we still haven't found the person to be baptized the 27th of May!

Wednesday: So today we went to the "campo". Had to hike like 45 minutes to visit a member, and we BARELY caught him before he was leaving his house! Sheesh that would have sucked, was super cold though, its supposed to get real cold here these coming weeks.

Thursday: Today was actually alright. We found a new less active! 16 year old kid that says he was baptized at 8 years old but stopped coming at 9. His parents dont really want anything to do with us but they are all for us teaching him!

Friday: So today my companion had a little stomach bug, got better though, but was pretty bad in the morning. We didnt do comp study but it was okay lol, its a legit excuse. We just visited members that day. SUPER COLD

Saturday: Normal day, I actually dont think anything cool happened.

Sunday: Is the adventure in church / 3rd hour sing-a-long.  Me and my companion are still laughing about that, just funny how different things can be here in a little branch haha. But im not complaining, at least we dont have to be the branch president lol, because that happens in some parts of the mission.


I love you too, gotta go, will take pics, excited to skype in LESS THAN 2 WEEKS

BYE LOVE YOU GUYS!

Monday, April 18, 2016

Staying in Juli for another Change

So this week was alright, and it turns out I did NOT get transferred in this change! Looks like I get 1 more change in Juli with Elder Bordon!

Bad news. I dont have my camera at the moment, but if Elder Powell sends me a picture that he took today i will be able to send 1.

So mom, I will try to do that this week, I will write in my journal a little something and send it!

This week we didn't have much success in contacting, we need to get better at that, it can just be SOOO boring. But we did find a few new investigators, and went to Puno for the zone meeting. Was cool!

The mission is going to have a "white night", all the mission is going to try to get a baptism on like May 27. The last day before the change ends. The WHOLE MISSION! And I think our zone is going to be having them all in Juli! In Juli Beach! We have a little beach with Lake Titicaca we are going to do it!

Sorry for short note and no pics -- will try and do better.

Love ya.

Connor

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Voting Day in Peru

So this week was alright.

Sunday was probably the most boring day of my life -- since it was election day in Peru and it was against the law to basically hold any sort of meeting.  So we couldn't go to church and couldn't teach any lessons! We did a tad of studying and slept lol.

Here is a video showing how bored I was! :)



We just worked "normally"this week (before elections) and it was actually sort of a dull week. Had 4 lessons with recent converts, 4 with less actives and only 1 new investigator. Changes are already next week, came SUPER fast.



P-day today was nothing special. Didn't have district meeting because we have zone meeting in Puno this Friday. We literally just have been relaxing today, went out to eat and came here lol!


My landlord has a cute little dog (not as great as Kobe of course) and it likes to spend time with us!



Landlord daughters thought I looked like the Joker from Batman -- so they got a little crazy with makeup!


I gotta go already, love you guys tons! Have a good week! Next week Ill know about changes!

-Connor

Monday, April 4, 2016

General Conference in Juli Peru

So this was a good week.

Only rough part for me was the conference was in Spanish :P. Definitely not the same for me. Although I understand it, is just very different.

We watched conference in the Juli branch building, in the morning session we had about 50 people there. Sadly in the afternoon session we had 4 people. My companion and I and other 2 elders.....So that was interesting.....

The other two elders that came were from Ilave.  Apparently their branch president didn't want to open the church or something so he just ordered everyone to go to to Juli to watch it!




Also we didn't get to watch the priesthood session yet. We went to the church when our ward mission leader was "going to open the church" and he didn't come (and turned of his cell phone), so that was cool. But will have to download it and watch it later :P

So here is my 9 month bill!



Giant party here in Juli this week.  Evidently for the anniversary / founding of the city.  It woke me up at 6 in the morning with music and it lasted until about midnight that same day!  Literally EVERYONE was urinating in the street......Men and women, boys and girls. So gross.

So this week was really really hard (work-wise) due to the parties, there was a TON of drunk people.

But this week we were able to find a new investigator who is a cousin of a member. He apparently already received all the lessons and wants to be baptized. All we gotta do is start teaching the lessons again and hopefully plan a date. I sure hope I stay here at least one more change to be able to be here for his baptism! I dont want another baptism missed because of changes like what happened in Cusco!

So this coming Sunday is elections here in Peru. What our leaders have told us is that we can't leave our houses really and can't be proselytizing.  Evidently it is a crime to have church activities on this election day.  So it is like a second p-day but on the sabbath day.....that is sorta cruddy lol. So we wont have church Sunday either :(

Gotta go! Will make videos!

love you guys!