August 13, 2012

¿Que dice? Cada día aprendemos algo nuevo que parece tan sencillo y clave. Me sorprende cada vez. No hay nada como un misión. This week we had several days of really hot, and then several days of rain and really cold. I felt like i was in Utah. My comp thinks the weather has gone crazy. He's lived by the sea his whole life, and it's always a warm climate there, with a ton of fresh fish. Apparently they don't eat a lot of tortillas there. And apparently they eat everything here, even if in Peru it would normally be dog food. I still think the food is pretty good. And some things are really good. Pastel Azteca, pan dulce, tacos de suadero, tacos dorados, the list goes on. Thank heavens (literally) that we have time in the morning to excercise. We've been teaching a family that is so ready to get baptized, they just have to work through their money problems. They all have said, yes i want to be baptized, and expect to this saturday. The only problem is the wife just got taken to jail for debts she hadn't paid, and the kids now have to work instead of school. It's a different world here. Half the people make about 40 dollars a week, and yet they live happily. It's something i am definitely learning from. Money doesn't mean happiness. It does help to not worry, but the key to a happy life (and marriage from what we've seen here) is the gospel. There is no book or therapist that can do the same. It's really cool to see how it has changed lives. This week Elder Alonso of the seventy came to talk to us (half the mission one day, the other half another). It was really cool, he's really loving, respectful, and has a really strong testimony and has absolutely no fear of sharing it. I learned a ton. One of my favorite things he said was that, `a lot of people think the gospel is a list of things to do. It isn't. The gospel is a list of blessing to recieve`. He also spoke to us in the mtc, so i've heard him a lot. There's a lot to be learned from the leaders God gives us. We still do a lot of knocking doors, but the members are starting to trust us, and it is making a big difference. I'm excited to start baptizing. President also showed up at church this week to talk to the members and came to gospel principles with our investigators. It was really cool. He definitely got the members excited about missionary work, and the investigators about baptism. One even committed to him in that moment to be baptized, more than we had managed in two weeks. Life has been pretty good to us. Espero que todos esten bien. ¡Cuidense mucho! Love Elder West

 I forgot to mention that we actually heard a bit about the olympics this week. Mexico won in soccer (the only event i've heard about here), and they people went a bit crazy. First time in a very long time. It was cool to be here in the excitement. ANd we saw about 20 seconds of the closing ceremonies while waiting for a member in their house. It was cool, i'm excited to watch the winter olympics in two years. I love how everyone can enjoy it together rather than hate each other for the team they cheer for.