Guys!

The mission has been going great. Elder Padilla and I have been killing it here in Robles. We have two baptismal dates for this week, and we have two more who want to get baptized but first we have to marry them, so this is interesting learning how to get people married because we have to do everything... so I hope we can get it done right. But it would be so awesome if from a year from now I could go to their sealing.

Today we had an awesome Christmas party at the mission home and sang some songs, ate some food, made some crafts, and just got to see some old friends from the CCM which was really special. Our President of the mission gave a really powerful testimony and made me motivated to work harder here in the work of the Lord.

Elder Padilla and I have been doing LOTS AND LOTS of walking. It just so happens in the places we walk, there are LOTS AND LOTS of vicious, scary looking dogs that love to chase us, so that has been terrifying lately. Some of these dogs are huge. Like literally they could be a horse. It is terrifying.

I am really loving the mission. It was a hard learning process at first, but now I have finished my capacitación and I am excited to keep working hard in the Lords work. Nothing is more important than what I am doing right now, so that is a little bit of pressure. But I have been really developing a lot of love for the people here, and actually worry about them so much and really want them to progress. It is sad when we can't find people who we think are good, but I know the Lord has everything planned out, we just have to do everything to figure out His plan for the people here.

This time of Christmas is really special. At first, I was sad that I am missing Christmas back home. But after this week and lots of prayer and scripture study, I realized that I am actually in the best place I could be for Christmas. Literally the Savior sacrificed so much, and maybe I am sacrificing a little bit being away from my family and friends, but I am gaining so many blessings from being here in Peru that I am really not sacrificing anything. I get to experience a love that I never really have felt before, and learning, in a better way, how to love as He loved. This time of Christmas is extremely special because it is the birth of literally the point in time that changed the fate of eternity. That is why this holiday is my favorite. Because we celebrate the most important time. The Birth of our Savior.

I love you guys so much!

Hola Familia!!!!!!!  Comó están?

This week has FLOWN BY. It has been a little crazy. We had a bunch of changes, and me and another Elder were put as companions for a little over a week to manage both of our areas, so we had to do a ton of walking from our two areas. It was crazy, but it was one of the most rewarding weeks because it feels like we worked pretty hard. It is crazy to see how fast the week went by when we actually focused and worked as hard as we could. Also, I am proud of myself because I can actually contribute in lessons and teach.  It feels so good to not just be a vegetable anymore and actually start teaching. It is beautiful to see so many people here listen to us and have their hearts touched. Nothing feels better than looking in the eyes of the people here and seeing them feel the spirit for the first time.

One miracle we saw was this one girl. She is from Venezuela, in the same situation as a lot of other people from there as well who are basically refugees, and the missionaries have talked with her a little bit, but not very much. One day when it was just me and my companion, she finds us and tells us that she has had a dream and she knows our church is true. That she received a priesthood blessing and could literally feel the power and that we have the power of the priesthood and just started saying how the church is true and that it was manifested to her in this dream. She was already talking to us that she wanted to get a calling and have a role in the church to help further the work. Me and my companion literally didn't know what to say and we just said alright lets get you baptized! It was crazy. What´s crazier is that it's actually pretty common for people here to have dreams like that. It makes sense because, as one Elder described to me, it is because they are descendants of the Lamanites who were descendants of Lehi. And what is Lehi known for? Having some crazy dreams. So it is pretty cool to see that it continues on!

I got my new companion today.  His name is Elder Padilla, and he is from Las Vegas! My first companion from the States, so I am so excited to get to work with him and kill it here in Robles 2 with him. I am so excited to get to continue being in the work of the Lord here in this ward.

People here have all been putting up their Christmas decorations, which feels so weird because it is like 80 degrees outside and it is Christmas. It feels like summer. Probably because it actually is summer here.

I have been learning so much and growing so much, and it feels amazing to see myself get to learn and grow. It is such a blessing to be here in the mission. It is NOT easy, but it definitely is worth it and feels so rewarding at the end of the day when we have given all that we can to serve the people here after each day.

I love and miss you guys! I hope all is well!

Family and Friends!

I hope you guys are getting into the Christmas spirit. It is sunny and hot here and does not feel like Christmas at all, but I am trying to adjust. Currently, two missionaries reassigned in the Esperanza district, and now me and my companion are in charge of two areas and it is HUGE. We didn't have any money this past week, so we had to do a lot of walking. It is really insane. Last night we walked all the way to Virgen de Soccorro in the night, which is actually really dangerous, but I didn't know and my companion didn't tell me until AFTER we got back that he was guarding the cell phone because he didn't want them to rob me if we did get into trouble.... so that was kinda interesting!  Hahaha!  I hope we have that divine protection, but I don't want to test how much divinity can protect us!

I have been reading a lot in Alma, and Alma 5 is a pretty intense self reflection chapter. Alma asks all these questions to the people and I have been trying to think about them myself. If I were to die at this moment, can I say I have walked blameless before God? I have been thinking a lot about all these questions Alma asks, and it is something we all have to think about. Are we sufficiently humble, or do we hold on to our pride because we think we are right or that we know better? Do we listen to the priesthood authorities and actually apply their direction into our lives, or do we not take what they have to say as important?

As a missionary, I have been trying really hard to take all the direction the President has to give the missionaries, the Prophets and Apostles, and all. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, they have the keys to guide and direct us! They are literally given the authority to tell us the things we need to hear and do. The Bishop has the keys for the members of his ward, the Stake President for the stake, Area 70 for the area, and so forth all the way to the Prophet and Jesus Christ who is at the head of this church. Isn't it beautiful how the true church is a house of order? This doesn't mean the men are perfect, because no one is perfect, but it is beautiful to see the work of the Lord being hastened and organized in effective ways to maximize the aide for the people. I hope you guys can read this chapter and ask yourself the same questions Alma asks. Internalize it, ponder it, then act upon it!

I love you guys and miss you guys so much. You guys mean the world to me, and I love the support and strength I have from home to rely on. You guys are amazing, ustedes son la maximum.

Hola Familia,

We had a great week this week! We had two baptisms! One for a 17-year old called Lesly and the other for 24-year old Engelbert!  It was such an awesome experience to get to be there for their baptisms and to make their first covenant with God.  I got to play the piano for both services, that was a little nerve-racking considering I haven't practiced in forever. I also had to give a talk for the baptism of Lesly, which was a little nerve-racking because the President of our mission was there too, but he gave me a huge compliment and said I sounded like I have been here a year already. Which is really nice because there are still many things i don't understand or can't communicate.  Hahaha.

They were both two really beautiful services, and they are both amazing people. Engelbert even is wanting to serve a mission, so it is crazy to think about how we baptized him, and if he goes and serves a mission how many more lives he could change. It is so beautiful to see the work of the Lord working here in Peru. Especially among the Venezuelans, because there are so many of them coming here to Peru since the corruption over there. It is terrible to see, yet very humbling because they are looking for anything to grasp on for hope and feel the love from their Heavenly Father despite the terrible challenges they are going through. Engelbert was baptized by his uncle, which was so beautiful to see this family together as one striving to keep the commandments of the Lord. I really love this family.

We got to go to the Trujillo temple for my first time, as well as one of our converts first time this last Thursday! We went with Sebastian, who we baptized earlier in October, to do baptisms in the Trujillo Temple, and holy cow the temple here is the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen. It is so huge and quiet and reverent and just super sacred. It was such a powerful experience to be with someone who we baptized, then to witness him being baptized for people on the other side of the veil so desperately wanting to make the same covenant with God that we have made. It was so beautiful, and powerful. We only get to go to the temple 4 times in our mission just to go, but if we baptize we can go with our converts once to do baptisms, and for their endowments. Sebastian also wants to serve a mission, which is another miracle to baptize someone who wants to be a missionary.

We had an intercambio of our companions last Tuesday, and i was leading my area and it was humbling with how much I still need to work on.  Missionary work is tough, finding people to teach and then teaching them. On top of doing it in a different language and culture that is still surprising me every day. I have two more weeks with Elder Moncada, then I receive a new companion where I will have to teach him our area and the members and investigators, so hopefully I can remember everything and know the area well enough.

Remember the poor man that can´t walk and works on a moto? Well some punk stole his wheelchair. It made me so mad to hear this, I mean this poor guy has nothing and on top of that someone stole this man´s wheelchair. I hope we can get him a new one.

I hope you guys had a amazing Thanksgiving. We didn't do anything for it.  Most of the Elders didn't even know, which was kinda sad. But, I know the work here is super important and we need to bring as many people as we can back to our Heavenly Father.

Something we always teach is something called OLA, which is Orar, Leer, and Asistir.  A Capilla which means pray, read, and attend church. This is important for everyone to do. Once we have made covenants, we are not done. We have to endure to the end, which means always doing all we can to strive to have the spirit with us. Something that i have felt strongly lately is taking the sacrament. Every time we take the sacrament, it is as if we are baptized again. we are made clean through the atonement of Jesus Christ, when we do the simple things He asks of us, like pray, read, and take the sacrament. This is only for our benefit. For our happiness. For our joy. Why not do these simple things if the Lord promises us to make our burdens light, to comfort us in our afflictions, to deliver us out of bondage?  I was reading in the end of Mosiah, and the people were baptized by Alma, and then taken into bondage.  Because they covenanted with the Lord, and poured their hearts out to the Lord, the Lord remembered his promise and he delivered them. This is the promise if we just turn to Him. That is something I am always trying to learn.

I love and miss you guys so much. You guys are so amazing, and thanks so much for the support back home and your love! I love you guys.

This week we had one of our baptisms! It was nice to see one of our people get baptized. Funny story, I had to do the baptism last minute and I didn't have a change of clothes or anything, so I spent the rest of the evening in a soaking wet shirt and garments so that was interesting and embarrassing. We have two more baptisms coming up this week so that is exciting to see so many of our people getting baptized.

I have had such busy days, it is hard to keep track of everything that is happening. So much happens and each week feels like a whole month! I hope Thanksgiving is fun.  I am so sad I am missing Thanksgiving. It is weird how much is happening at home without me there and present. I hope it is all going well.

Today we visited some ancient ruins, which was cool, but honestly it was a little boring because there wasn't much to it. We got some cool pictures though.

I got the best package ever, the Christmas package from mom! I set up the tree on my desk and the flags and everything. I can't wait to call you guys and hear your voices and see your faces. I literally cannot wait. I am counting down the days till Christmas. It is a very special time.

I got a terrible haircut today.  I couldn't communicate what I wanted and it is way out of code, so that is super frustrating. I was actually really mad because this haircut looks stupid. I wish I knew Spanish fluently. The language is a challenge, and I know more than at first, but man there are still things that are impossible.

I hope all is going well at home. I look forward so much to reading emails! I love and miss you guys so much.

Oh one more story.

My companion got sick this week and he was really not feeling well. So we went back to the cuarto early at 4 in the afternoon and he went straight to sleep, and I had some time to write in my journal, study the scriptures, eat dinner, and this evening to myself was literally the best evening I have had this whole time. I even went to bed early at 10. It was a super nice break and I thoroughly enjoyed my time alone somewhat while my companion was snoozing in the bed. It was nice. Then we went right back to work the next day as usual.  Haha

Another Story,

I have learned how to eat and drink food I don't like. I have seen so many weird things. Chicken intestines, chicken feet, chicken blood, octopus, chicha (which is like this corn drink), and much more. They really use every single part of the chicken here. I was so peeved when I drank all the chicken blood and all the chica and my companion keeps serving me more and telling them I want more even though he knows I don't like it, eye roll emoji. Also there is this nasty thing called acituna - nicknamed here gringo killer - and they know white people don't like them. And for some reason it seems like I am eating this thing every meal. It literally tastes like I am eating straight vinegar. It is not pleasant. I did eat octopus today and actually it wasn't bad. I kinda liked it. The rest of the chicken stuff is a no go. Sometimes I put my foot down and say sorry I'm full I can't eat more, and sometimes I have to suck it up and consume it in my body. Drinks are a little bit easier because I just chug it and try not to taste it. I learned that if I just drink it really fast, I don't really taste it. Food is harder. Also, I really don't like fish. There is so much fish here and so many bones in the fish that I choke on.

I. Really. Don't. Like. Fish.

But yeah, the food here is so different and I am trying to stick with my mayo rice because that stuff is the bomb compared to chicken intestines...... but yeah buen provecho.

Hey!  So I have been doing lots of walking, lots and lots and lots of walking. We have been talking with so many people and teaching so much. We have three baptismal dates lined up this month already. It is awesome to see people making changes in their lives and, even though I can only poorly communicate, I can communicate well enough that I don´t feel completely useless!  Hahaha! 

I am still trying to get use to the culture here, it is SO different from everything I was used too. Everything is different here. The smell, the place, the people, the culture, everything. The one thing that has not changed is the Gospel.  It is a nice reminder that Heavenly Father is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

We moved into our new apartment and it is super nice, except it is super noisy. We are on the side of a busy road, so all I hear is cars honking, loud music, motos, everything so I am learning to block out noise when I sleep. Everyone plays their music here, like they blast it from their houses, cars, shops.  It is interesting how much they love their loud music and sound systems.  Hahaha!  But I guess I am guilty because I did the same thing every morning getting ready for school.

People here are already setting up their Christmas decorations. It makes me so sad I am not home to set up the Christmas decorations, but hopefully I can have peace that I am doing the Lord's work and even though we are away for the holidays, we can be in each others hearts.

My Spanish is still improving slowly, but  I get super excited when the people here tell me that I have improved a lot from when they first met me. So that makes me really excited and motivated to hear compliments like that.

These next two weeks I am going to be doing intercambios with other missionaries since my companion is the district leader, so it should be fun to be able to go to a different area for 24 hours. Honestly, it is kinda hard for me because I don't really want to leave my area, because I want to stay focused on the people we are teaching and I don't want to miss the lessons, but I can't get everything I want.

I am not sure what day is Thanksgiving, but I know it is coming up soon. Make sure you guys are being thankful for things! For me, it has been difficult to find things to be thankful for. There is so much to complain about. I have practiced in my prayers giving things I am grateful for, and I found when I tried to focus on the positive things, the negative things kinda get drowned out because you are not focusing on the bad things. I have been practicing thanking God for the challenges and troubles I have, because I know He does not give us challenges if it was not to make us better people. Ether 12:7 makes this clear! That if we humble ourselves before God, He will show us our weaknesses and make us strong! I have been learning, still am learning how to be humbled. I feel a little bit ridiculous sometimes when I feel upset, and then we go and teach someone who has it much worse than I do.  Then I just feel sad because all I want to do is help them.

I had a powerful moment this week. There is a member in the ward who is an old man and he can't walk. He can't use his legs at all. He lives in the poorest part of our area, and when we went to visit him, I was shocked at how he lived. He has a bed and a dirt floor with a TV made in like the 70s with just a bunch of old worn down junk surrounding this tiny little hut. All he wants is people to talk too, and I honestly had to hold back tears sharing a message with him because he reminded me so much of Grandpa McGreer. He acted the same way, said the same sort of things, and it broke my heart to see his situation. And even though he can't use his legs, he still hops on a moto to go to work as a taxi driver, driving around other people because if he can't work he can't get food or medicine or anything. I shared Enos 1:27 with him, which was a powerful scripture that I read in my personal study, and he just, in tears, thanked me for giving up two years of my life for service for the Lord and helping people like him. I was really humbled by this experience and I could feel Grandpa McGreer next to me, comforting me in the words I should say to this man. Honestly, it was a really powerful experience for me. Whether Grandpa was actually there I don't know, but he reminded me so much of him and I just felt so much empathy for him.

I hope all is well and you guys are doing good. I miss you guys so much and remember to always read your scriptures and say your prayers. I have so much love for you guys and I miss you all so much.

So this week was one of the better weeks! We had some difficulties finding a new room for us, but we are moving into a way better room today and it is way awesome compared to the other rooms I stayed in. Hopefully we can move without breaking anything.

It is weird to think that I have been here for a little over three months. Time went by so slow. It is starting to speed up. I can talk somewhat in Spanish. I still am handicapped, but I can communicate the lessons and understand the general topic of what people are talking about. I am developing lots and lots of patience. With myself, with the language. It is hard to have patience, but I am learning.

We spend lots of time walking. Lots and lots and lots of walking. This place is nothing but sand. It is all brown! I saw some pictures of Cajamarca, and man it is green over there. I am really hoping the Lord needs me in Cajamarca some time because it looks gorgeous. I am learning to love the area. If I am honest, I was not liking this place at first. It was rough. It didn't look pretty, it smelled weird, I couldn't understand or communicate. But it is true what they say - over time it does get better. I do like the people, and maybe the place isn't that pretty, but that is okay! I am starting to enjoy it because I am doing the Lord's work. He has placed lessons and challenges in front of me for me to learn and to grow. If I can learn to love this, I can learn to love anything! There is so much about life to be grateful for. We focus on the bad a lot, and at least for me, I didn't focus on the good very much. I don't think I will get to celebrate Thanksgiving here, which I am sad about, but I have so much to continue to learn and the Lord will bless me when I constantly rededicate myself to him.

So, find things to be grateful for! Especially in the people around you. If you see something bad about someone, find three good things about them! Because usually people have more good than bad. Unless you are just a terrible person. Then I am sorry. Find the good things in the area around you. Life feels like it sucks and life was meant to suck. We couldn't be happy if we didn't know sadness.  But there is so much to be happy for. I know it! Cry out and shout 'The Lord is my strength and my song!'  2 Nephi 22 was the scripture I read this week that made me so happy. And it is true. It was an MCO song I realized, but it is so true.

I love and miss you guys. I hope everything is going well. Have love for each other. Know that I am here, learning to love, and I have so much love for my home, and for the Lord, and for Peru. I hope what I say helps. Love y'all!

I made it to P-day, thankfully. I got the first package from you guys and it meant the world to me. It made me so happy I can't even express it. I am learning and growing here, so that is good. It is taking time, but I am slowly progressing my Spanish and definitely relying on the Lord for a lot of this.

We are moving our apartment this week, so that should be interesting. I don't really want to move because it sounds like a lot of work and time we don't really have, but we have too because we can't stay in the apartment we have now.

I am trying to think what happened this week, but really it was just a lot of walking. Lots and lots of walking. Lots of contacting and meeting new people. I don't know if there is really anything too exciting other than the package that I received.

I am learning how to rely on prayer and the scriptures. I have my ups and downs here. It is a process to learn how to love it. Some days I don't feel like I can do it. But I ask the Lord to help me get through it and to learn and to grow and the day is still long, but I have the confidence that the Lord is with me and I can do it. It is interesting how it works. I will have moments where I want to throw in the towel then I pray and I am ready to convert all of Peru. Lets do it!

I did not get attacked by any more dogs. I learned to carry a rock in my hand when we pass dogs, and they will run away if you act like you are gonna throw it. If they don't run away, then I throw it. Hope that isn't against the rules or anything but I don't want that to happen again.  That was terrifying! By the way, the dog lived so I don't need a rabies shot. Thank goodness.

I hope all is well back home. Peru is not home. But it is something I am learning to love and appreciate little by little. It is awesome to see the faces of the people here when they hear our message. Either they want nothing to do with us, don't care very much about religion, or they are super attentive and listen to everything. It is cool to see.  I hope I can communicate a little better soon.

I love and miss you guys. I hope all is well and here are some pictures from this week!

Hey guys!

I hope everyone is doing well. I miss everyone so much. Love in the family is very important. I don't think I knew what love was until I was separated from those who I loved the most.

Peru is Peru. I got mauled by a dog and this dog was huge. Like some people thought it was funny, but I was terrified. I have a softball sized bruise on my leg. I was about to kill this thing, but I honestly don't know who would have won the fight. I have to make sure the dog is still alive, because if it dies, then I risk getting rabies - which means I'll have to find the jerk that tried to kill me!

I am learning and developing skills that are hard to come by. The spirit is very much a language we have to learn. In a way, I am actually learning two languages. I can't speak well in Spanish if I don't pray or read my scriptures, and I can't make it through the day if I don't have the spirit or can't speak Spanish. There is a dangerous area in our mission that we don't usually go to at night, but we had to be there and almost got robbed by our taxi driver. My companion knows the danger signs since he is Peruvian and quickly told the driver to let us out and that we were missionaries preaching the word of God. People here are kind of God fearing, so they don't really want to touch you if you claim you are a messenger of God. It is kind of interesting. But I could feel the spirit telling us to be careful. And the spirit was guiding us in this area we were in, and if our investigator didn't answer the door and come with us, we very well could have gotten robbed because there were some people who were scouting us out. I didn't know it because I am a little oblivious, but my companion did notice and acted.

I am slowly learning more and more. The process is painful. I do miss home, and I wish I could go back to my childhood sometimes. But we can't slow down time, and we sometimes can't change our circumstances, even if we want to. We have to learn to make the most of our situation and adapt. Cherish what we have and continue to make experiences we can cherish forever. I love my family. I love my friends. I love my home and man Texas is amazing. Being a missionary is hard work and I am learning to work hard, like I never have worked before. I am a missionary 24-7. I wake up early everyday, work hard and serve, and go to bed to start the day all over again. The gospel is what motivates me. Family is the central plan of God, and I feel that every time we teach. I wouldn't be here without my family. God gives us family to be happy, to have joy, to learn, grow, and to learn how to work together.

I hope all is well and support from home means so much. Keep being awesome. Also, don't hesitate to send me loads of packages because man it is the most exciting thing in the world!

Finally, the Prophet came to Peru!!!  He gave an awesome devotional to the missionaries, and he spoke to the people of Peru! Not only did he speak to the people of Peru, but he spoke to them in SPANISH. The Prophet spoke Spanish! It was so awesome! I learned a lot about the prophet in his trip to Peru, like that he receives revelation and direction for the church every single day. And man, it must be a hard job to be a prophet. It was so awesome to hear from him and the messages he had to say. You can find a summary of his visit here, or here.  And finally, here.

Okay, so I have a new area in the Robles ward. I like this place a little bit better than Indoamerica. I have no sense of direction. Usually I can figure out where I am and how to get back to the apartment, but then I quickly get lost. Everything looks the same and I am always so disoriented. It is really hard. Also, thanks for getting rid of the rooster and replacing it with a turkey.  I love hearing that thing gobble every twenty seconds. Can't wait till they kill it for Christmas.  Also, if you can kill the dog that barks in the middle of the night, that would be nice too. People here eat cat, so they might as well eat dog. I won't eat it though.  Hahaha

I am trying to think of new things to say, but am still adjusting to it here. Conference was awesome and we watched the Sunday session yesterday so I learned a lot from what the prophets had to say. They really focused on the challenges of life and adversity and it helped a lot to hear those messages.

We don't have water in our apartment, and I never thought how important water actually is. We need it to flush, to shower, to drink;  when you take that away it just stinks. Poop sits in the toilet and my hair looks so gross when I don't shower.  Apparently Trujillo won't have water for twelve days.... wish me luck.

We played soccer today for P-day, and man I really stink. I need to get into shape. My companion stops at every cake shop here and gets a cake, then makes me pay for it. Like what the heck man?

We had a cool experience with this girl named Eldi, who has cancer. She said she had this dream of her Dad and Jesus telling her to come, and she said 'no' and was given more time to change the things she needs to change in her life. When we showed up and told her about the first vision, she started crying and just telling us how grateful she is for knocking on her door and being people that listen to her and invite her to our church.

Hopefully I can learn Spanish better. Pray for me that I can understand and speak better, because man, learning a language is rough.

Love you guys.

Okay, so Peru is tough!  Let me tell ya. People usually say things that go right over my head. However, in my first area I have had two baptisms which is awesome!

This place is not America, it is sure hard to realize that I am actually in another country with a completely different way of doing things. People get super offended when you don't finish your food, which is SUPER hard for me when the food is hard to eat. I don't know how much rice I can take. Some meals I spread mayo all over my rice just to make it go down easier. That is also what people here do, which I thought was gross at first but now it is like the best thing ever.

Dogs fight all the time and I didn't know cats could be so loud.  If you ever want to make bets on dogfights, where you won't go to jail, just come to Peru!  Haha.  Also, if someone could please kill the rooster right outside my window that loves to wake me up at five in the morning, every morning, that would be great....

My Spanish is improving, slowly, but improving. I can read the scriptures and usually get the gist of what is happening. Sometimes we will be teaching a lesson and I can teach a principle and I have no clue where those words came from.  It is a huge testament that when the spirit needs to communicate something, He will communicate it, because I wasn't going to say those things.

I am transferring today and going to an area called Robles. It is really weird that I am changing companions three weeks in, but apparently the new companion I am going to have was an assistant to the mission president and like a baptizing legend, so I hope I have a Ricciardi moment here!  Hahaha

Editors note:  Elder Ricciardi was an Italian missionary in England in 1994.  He worked very hard and set a strong example to other missionaries.  Essentially, a former missionary wrote a long letter detailing all the many ways he learned from Elder Ricciardi and it set the standard for super strong mission work.  The letter is a simple google search away.

Peruvians have been going insane because they voted for Peru's new president and politics is a super hot topic to some people.  The rest of the world does not like Donald Trump and when they see an American, like me, they make sure to tell me they don't like him.

We had another baptism this week!  He is an 18-year old we have been teaching and was baptized by his friend!

Conference was awesome! It was a little crowded here because we had a bunch of American Elders packed in this ridiculously tiny room huddled over a computer screen, but everyone was so giddy about conference. I was giddy about conference. I never thought I would be so excited for conference. It was like the coolest thing since sliced bread. Oh man, I miss sliced bread.

The support from home helps and motivates me so much to be a better Elder. The mission is hard but it is improving and I am starting to get the hang of this. I love and miss all you guys. I restarted the Book of Mormon and was reading about the stories of Nephi and how his brothers were just the biggest jerks to him. In one of the verses Nephi says that he won't murmur about his afflictions. He praised the Lord with all the energy of his heart. That opened my eyes that yeah, there are a lot of challenges and things to complain about, but if we want it to get better, you gotta praise the Lord!

Mom note:  Spencer made mention in his email to me that in his ward they do not have an organ or a piano for sacrament meetings.  He also mentioned that the congregation sings very differently than they do at home, and he has a hard time recognizing which hymn they are singing since it is in Spanish but also at times, he was not sure they knew the music to the hymns.  Spencer and his companion were asked to sing a hymn in sacrament meeting which made him nervous as he has never thought of himself as a singer.  He did sing, and all in Spanish, with his companion.  Several sisters thanked them so much for singing and were very touched by the spirit that they felt.  Can't wait to hear it when he gets home in a couple of years!

A lot has happened and I miss you guys so much. The field is nothing like the MTC and I certainly don't feel safe. Even this computer I am on right now is sketchy.

But first, rewind to the CCM (Lima MTC).

My maestro that I gained favor with Snickers and Twix.

And some pics with me and my homies.

I arrived in Trujillo.

President and Sister Marble

And my companion Elder Contreras

I don't even know my address or where I am at.... this place is nothing like what I thought it was going to be. This place is actually really hard for me. My companion doesn't know any English and I am the only white person here. It actually feels super lonely and I never thought how lonely it would feel to not be able to communicate. Everything is dirty and trash. Everyone´s house is literally a dirt floor. I have been chased by so many dogs and almost hit by motos many times. I can't run when a moto is coming at me because if I do it might swerve the wrong way and hit me and it is so hard to resist running when a moto is coming at you full speed. I understood that when my companion told me not to run out of the way.

I have also been yelled at many times by drunk Peruvians.  Jokes on them because I don't understand a word they say. I thought I would be at least near other missionaries in the same situation, but they split it up by areas and we don't see each other. I can't describe just how 3rd world this is. It looks nothing like the pictures.

Our apartment is a rooftop with a plastic roof. I also have been having terrible diarrhea. I am trying to stay happy and positive, but not gonna lie, this is really hard. I am super homesick. Everyday here is another realization that America really is the best country ever. I do love the people and my companion I just wish I could communicate with them.

My spiritual thought this week is to love one another.  I have been surprised and shocked at the conditions in which some people live, but it's noticeable and better when there's love.

¡Hola!

So it has been a crazy week. I have learned so much Spanish and I cannot wait. It is my last week here at the CCM and I am super excited and also super nervous to go to my mission. I know little Spanish, but I don't know if I am ready to go full on. I do know a lot and I haven't said an English prayer in a while.

We went proselyting last Sabado! It was awesome! So we hopped on this bus, and went about 45 minutes out in Lima, and it was very humbling. Honestly, I was taken aback at how people live here. It was dirt everywhere, everything worn down, but it is just normal for them. Houses stacked on top of each other, these weird motor bike taxi things almost running you over.... Also the church building was kinda cool. It is like super run down everywhere, then in the center of it is the church building which is three stories tall with the chapel at the very top. It was so different but so exciting. I got to invite people to come to church and hand out pass along cards!

One thing that gave me a huge headache though.  There was this small truck filled with fruit going through the neighborhood and they were saying things through this freakishly loud speaker.  It hurt my head so bad. All I hear is this dude screaming into this thing FRESA FRESA FRESA which is strawberry, because he was trying to get people to buy his strawberries, and it was funny but difficult to talk.  Hahaha.  Also, one thing that was gross is if you gotta go, you go wherever you are at.  I saw two different grown men just stop and pee right in front of us and that was kinda gross.

It was so awesome to see how nice people were though. Everyone we talked to were so nice to us and very patient with me since I didn't know very much Spanish. We also took a picture with some guy running for office, so Idk if that was supposed to happen or not, but I went with it because the missionaries we were with did it... So if I am on the paper here in Peru, I hope I don't get in trouble... It did make me super excited to get to my mission in Trujillo. I cannot wait! It is weird to think that I have been here over a month. It went by so darn fast. Time needs to slow down a little bit. I'm gonna be so sad to say goodbye to my friends here, but I am so excited to further the work of the Lord because this isn't about me, it is about Him. So lets do this!

I have been reading a lot about 3rd Nephi and when Christ came to the Americas. It is truly amazing that we have the Book of Mormon, another testament of Christ and Him extending His love to all people of this Earth. 3rd Nephi 9 & 11 hit me really hard, that Christ appeared to the Nephites and proclaimed the truth of His gospel and that He is the light and life of this world. He suffered for us and has the marks in His hands and His side to prove it.

I love you guys! Don't be afraid to email me and let me hear from ya!

Another week down!  I have learned so much Spanish and it is awesome!  I can talk, read, and listen to Spanish fairly well, at least for now. The teachers don't talk in English and it honestly kinda shocks me sometimes when they talk all in Spanish and I don't even really realize that we are in a different language. We had the new Elders come in and they don't know any Spanish and it was weird to hear a prayer in English for the first time in a while. I am now one of the older people here and we have a week and a half left here at the CCM, which is so exciting. I cannot believe that soon I will be in the field, I am so excited. I only have one more p-day and then the next p-day will be in Trujillo!  I cannot wait.

I am known as someone here who asks really deep, thought provoking questions, which is super funny because now when someone has a hard question about doctrine, they say they have a ´McGreer´ question.  Haha!  It's okay because I learn so much and the Lord wants us to ask questions because how else are we going to learn if we don't have a question?  We can't receive an answer without first asking the question. And sometimes it isn't going to always make sense and that is where faith comes in. It might not make sense, but you lead with faith anyway and soon things will be made clear unto you. I know, and can promise, that when we lead with faith, it will all be okay.

Listen to priesthood leaders. I know I can always talk to the Mission President or Branch President here and they will always help me and tell me what I need to hear to continue to grow and develop as a missionary. I hope someday I can help others the way they have helped me.

There is an Elder here, in my district, who has amazing handwriting. It isn't even fair.  I am having him help me with my handwriting, and I have to say I am actually kinda proud of myself with the way I have been writing in my journal lately. I hope my kids can read it and see how I have grown just by seeing my handwriting change from crap to Declaration of Independence type handwriting!  Hahahaha, just kidding - it isn't that good yet.

I have learned a lot about Christ-like attributes. That has been the theme in my mind lately. Christ was perfect in everything and all He asks is us to follow His example, learning from our mistakes. He paid the price for our mistakes.  All He wants is for us to change and become better.
1 Peter 2:20-21 helped me a lot. Especially when you break it down and really understand what is being said. Look up the scripture for yourself, but it says to be buffeted for you faults, and that was a question I had was what the heck does that mean to bear with patience and be buffeted for your faults. The answer I found helped me out. When you buff something, what do you do? You shine it. Think of a car getting buffed. It is dirty and you buff it out one spot at a time. That is what we need to do with ourselves. Buff out our faults, mistakes, and imperfections. Its a long, grueling process especially if you are in the Texas sun, outside, when you would rather be swimming than buffing your car, but Christ asks us to follow his steps and when we are done we can get in our beautiful car that is air conditioned and it'll be way worth the work we put into it. Don't know if that made any sense, I wish I had more time to make sure it was clear. Read the scripture!

Hey!

So this week was exciting!

My companion left a bag at the airport, so when we went to talk to the administration here about it they said we had to take a taxi back to the airport to get his bag. The car ride was like a 5-hour round trip and I don't think I can express how scary drivers are here and it is completely different in a small Toyota Camry than the big buses we were on before. Well our taxi driver didn't know a lick on English, so we really had to stretch our Spanish because we don't have phones and we weren't sure what we were doing when we left. We made it to the airport and our taxi driver said to meet him at the spot where he parked when we were done.  We had to navigate the airport to find where we were supposed to go. This airport is so different than other airports and the American companies and stuff are super hidden and impossible to find, so it took us like an hour to figure out "Okay, this is what we are supposed to do."

It was so fun using Spanish, even if it only was "puedo hablar in ingles," waiting for someone to speak English. Well, my companion and I were separated because I couldn't go where they were going, and I felt super on edge, like, 'I am in Peru alone now, not knowing the language or what can happen next.' While I was waiting, I noticed that there were a lot of people crying.  All of a sudden I got super depressed and felt so bad for them. Little kids were crying, adults were crying, I was so confused and sad. I tried talking to one of the little kids and make friends with her but I think she was too sad and probably didn't understand my terrible Spanish. So while I was waiting for my companion, I decided to just say a prayer to myself for those around me and I had a big feeling of peace come over me and even though there wasn't anything I could really do it was still cool to feel that spirit.

Time for the happy part of this email! So we are at the airport and we knew there would be a bunch of stores, so we brought all our money.

Once Elder Ramsey finally came back, we went to the bathroom.... which was really just to the stores where I found Snickers and Twix bars. I bought 10 candy bars, which cost me 89 soles.... which was a HUGE ripoff but I wanted them SO bad. I think that is like $30.  IDK, you can do the math. I gave one to my favorite maestro to be a teacher's pet to him and sold one to another Elder for 10 soles and now I have to ration them out for the remainder of the CCM!  Hahaha. I am such a dork.

A scripture that really touched me this week was Alma 17. We all go through hard things and even if it doesn't feel like anyone is there or cares about us, our Father is still watching and loves us very much. Be patient and long-suffering in afflictions, be good examples for others, and the Lord will make us instruments in His hands. He wants to play us, but we have to be in tune if we want our music to be beautiful. He is the ultimate musician and even the oldest, rattiest piano can play beautiful hymns that bring love and peace into our hearts.

Another one that helped me even more, and I know it had helped others through their challenges, is Alma 26. I am weak. I do not deserve to do the Lord's work. I am a sinner and I don't know why I am even here sometimes.

       "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak, therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in His strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which I will praise his name forever."

I know that if it wasn't for Father, I couldn't do anything that would hold any weight. Our life here is such a small speck of time in eternity, yet decisions here can affect eternity. What type of person are we gonna be? We are all weak, and we are nothing. But through the strength of the Lord, we can be something. Even Elder Bednar, an apostle of the Lord, felt inadequate when called. Watch his 2004 (I think) conference talk.  I don't know if this has made any sense.  I am sorry.  Haha.  I know that since being here I have struggled with feelings of imperfection.  How am I called of the Lord to be here with all my flaws as a human being? This helped me a lot, and maybe it can help you too.

I know this church is true, I cannot deny it. I know without a doubt that Christ is our Savior, Heavenly Father is our Father, not only a God but our Father. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet and we must learn to walk in faith and stand for truth.

Hola Todos!

So this week was pretty good. Just another week of learning Spanish.  I am starting to think in Spanish, which is weird.  I have to memorize a bunch of things in Spanish, and know what they mean, so that is kinda hard. 

Also, Latinos suck at singing so that makes me feel better about my singing... but it is also all in Spanish so they probably think my pronunciation sucks or that I am not even saying it right!  Ha ha ha. 

I would kill for a big bacon burger right now!  So much rice, more rice, and a rice drink once in a while. 

I wish I had more time to write, but time is limited here. I have been playing a lot of soccer; so much soccer. My shins are killing me. I am scared I am gonna blow out my other knee so I kinda take it easy. They get intense here, more intense than I would like. 

The spirit here is so strong. I love the atmosphere and I feel so productive at the rate I have been learning Spanish. 

I am trying to recall things eventful that have happened but it is hard to fit a whole week into a single email. We wake up, pray, eat breakfast, (the breakfasts are usually terrible) study, companion study, have class, lunch, study, plan, sports, class, dinner, bed. That is basically  the schedule. Food that tasted terrible at first is starting to taste really good. It is gonna be weird eating American food in two years. They tried to give us a burger one day, but it was just sad. 

Their driving is ridiculous! They are literal maniacs. They have no care for bumping into each other, people on the street, laying on their horn for an hour, it is crazy. I didn’t think people could be so reckless in their driving. I was in the bus and he was weaving in and out of cars in a way I couldn’t even do back home. They are insanely dangerous drivers here. 

There are a ton of Venezuelans coming into Peru because of the terrible Venezuelan government.  When we went to get our visas, me and another missionary had to use the bathroom.  We got a little lost and it was kinda intimidating. Everyone was staring at us and we couldn’t speak the language other than asking where the bathroom was. Also, they throw their used toilet paper in the trash and not flushed down, so that is super nasty and the bathrooms are the most disgusting thing you’ll ever smell in your life. 

One day we will get to go out in Lima and preach\practice missionary stuff going on splits with missionaries in that mission.  A few weeks back there was a missionary who was robbed at gunpoint in the first 10 minutes. So that is a little scary for when our turn rolls around. They take us like an hour out of the city into these dirt towns and they said it is such a huge culture shock. Where we are living is like the fancy pants part of town which certainly does not feel like we are in a fancy place.... so I can only imagine what it is gonna be like! Ha ha. I am excited though.

I love you guys!!!  Keep reading your scriptures and saying your prayers.