Growing in Characato

Hola Familia,

Hey everybody, it feels like it was just Monday yesterday, but once
again I'm here writing you all. I'm a tiny bit shorter on time this
week becuase I got two full length emails this week from mom. That's
okay though, I'd rather have more time to read than to write emails.
Thanks for all the updates in your lives and in the sports world. It
makes me happy to hear from all of you. Even if it's a little about
your week and some positive thoughts.

This week was really good. Pretty stressful, but really good. First of
all, we had two baptisms. That was such a blessing for my companion
and me. We weren't even planning on getting those two baptisms until
Tuesday. On Tuesday we decided to focus on those two people and
becuase of our faith, Heavenly Father blessed us with time to teach
them. The two people were a nine year old boy named Bryan, and a
sixteen year old girl named Delia. Both baptisms were a little
stressful to organize becuase everybody here in Peru are so relaxed
and not very organized. But they eventually got done. We baptized
Bryan on Friday. We went to the planned chapel, but they didn't have
water in the font. So we went to the Stake Center but it was locked.
So then we called the Assistants and they said there was another
baptismal service where the Mission President was going to baptize the
investigator. So we went there and President Fernandez baptized Bryan
too. It was pretty special, but we had to leave early for the
interview of Delia. Delia is a really good investigator. We've known
her for almost the three months that we've been here but her Dad was a
little against us. But we were able to get his permission to teach her
and baptize her this week. It was a special event, but she just wanted
us (the missionaries) and her friend there, nobody else. It was a
little different to have a baptismal service with just six people, but
then I thought of the early church members who only had six people in
the entire church. It's amazing to see the growth of the church in the
world.

All of that happened on Friday and Saturday. Then yesterday we did
something pretty special that I learned a lot from. The Stake
President came over to our house yesterday afternoon with some Stake
members and we all went on splits with the members. I went with a
returned missionary and we went tracting and teaching. We only taught
one lesson in the hour and a half that we did the splits but it was
good for me. I pretty much was able to do everything, I talked to
people, set up appointments, and even taught a lesson. Pretty much it
was all by myself. I felt blessed in that moment that I was able to
talk to people and get through that time without my companion. I know
the Lord will bless us and strengthen us if we put our trust in him. I
prepared a fifteen minute talk for sacrament meeting, but didn't end
up giving it becuase we had testimony meeting instead. But my talk was
about the 2000 stripling warriors in Alma. Chapters 56 and 57 talk all
about how they put their confidence in the Lord and how they were all
saved from dying. I absolutely love the Book of Mormon. I just want to
read church material all day long. I joke with Elder Ruggiero that
we're going to come back to Utah and buy all the books from the
Distribution Center and Deseret Book and become church nerds. It's
pretty interesting how much my priorities and interests have changed
here in the mission. I don't really want to watch tv and movies but
want to be focused on a church calling, home teaching, and studying
the scriptures and the Sunday school material.

Also, I hate to say it, but Mom, you were absolutely right. I turned
into you in the mission. I'm always sweeping, picking up other
people's stuff, washing dishes, and taking out the trash. It's like
I'm these Elders' mom. But I would go insane if our house was a mess,
so I just deal with it.

Thanks again for the Sports updates. It's a little sad to hear the
Jazz aren't going to make the playoffs this year but I think that next
year they should be more experienced and united as a team, so that's
good to hear. That's cool that BYU got to the sweet sixteen too. I
heard that none of the Number 1 Seeds made it to the Final Four
either, that's interesting. Can't wait for baseball to get heated up
either.

Just for your information, I didn't recieve any package this week, but
it's not just me, it's the whole zone. The mission office has been
slacking a little bit on their package delivering responsibilities. I
hope this week I get one. Oh, and I did not get transferred either.
I'm going to be in Characato for a least another six weeks with my
same companions. We are going to take some cool pictures this week so
I'll probably burn a CD next week. We weren't able to take the pics
last week becuase we set up a cool Family Home Evening. We did the
Iron Rod activity with blind folds and string. It was fun and our
investigators appreciated it.

I want to tell you all that I absolutely love my mission. Even though
it's hard sometimes, that's how we learn the most. I love my companion
too and want to visit him in his home town later on. I hope we can all
learn a lot this week from General Conference. I am SO STOKED to hear
the prophets and apostles this week. I know that we can learn a lot
from them.

Lots of thoughts and love,

Elder Child