Hey guys!!!!

I now have 52 weeks in the mission. That is crazy, just 52 more weeks to go basically.  That is so scary but exciting at the same time.

This week was pretty relaxed, everyone is celebrating the independencia de Peru, so it is pretty vacant now. My companion and i got a delicioso pollo a la brasa last Friday to eat at night, however that stuff destroys you in the morning so that wasn't fun. We also had a noche misional, where we brought my friend Andrew who recently got baptized, and we also left with many jovenes preparing to leave on the mission!!  It was a pretty chill week, but it feels so weird to think that I am at the halfway mark.  I have so much more to learn.

I got a new camera this week so I have been playing around with it and it is pretty dope.  It has been super cold here, so it has been hard to find people out in the streets because of how chilly it is.  It also is super cold in our room so I am always trying to cuddle under my blanket.  However once I got under the blanket, it is super hard to not fall asleep when we are studying so that is a challenge! Haha.

I love and miss you guys!!!  Hope all is going well!!!

HEY!!!

This week was a longgggg week, however, it was a good one. We had lots of family home evenings with families in the ward, which has been lots of fun. However I am dying because I get so much food now in addition to our pensionista, who gives us so much food.

We have been visiting a few kids that are partial member families, that are super young. About 9 or 10 years old, and I have to say, it is a little bit of a challenge teaching children because I know how to explain the gospel to someone who understands, but learning to explain it simply, has been great practice for me in my personal studies and in my companionship studies. I know I definitely didn't understand very much when I was that age, but I know if we learn the basic principles when we are young, it can help us in the long journey of life and prevent many challenges that could happen later. I know I am super grateful that I at least had the direction that helped me avoid situations that could have been harmful. I know the Lord was taking care of me, and hopefully I can do the same for His children here and help them get on the right path.

We also have Juan Mendoza, who we recently put a fecha for him this week. It has been a challenge because this man has challenges to hear and talk, so we have been writing down all the questions and things important to explain and help him understand. He is only 19, but I have lots of faith in him because he has come such a long way in changing  many things in his life to live the commandments. Because he has challenges with literally EVERY ONE. But he completely changed and I hope everything comes out well.

I had to give a talk in sacrament meeting yesterday. I was so nervous, not that I was going to talk in front of people but that I didn't prepare what I usually do when I give talks. I just made a rough list of bullet points and went up there and it was scary but calming. I actually liked it because the spirit was strong in the room. I love the ward here so much.  I wanted to know who were members when they were kids and who were converts, and the majority of the room were all converts. The work of the Lord has grown so much, and it is such an honor to be in the middle of it. The faith they have here is remarkable. They know there is a Padre Celestial who loves them, and that if they keep the commandments they will be alright. I have learned so much from the examples that I have here.

I came thinking I would be able to teach many here, but I think the Lord told me that I really came here to be taught. Taught the lessons of the basic gospel, which is to have faith, repent, make covenants, and endure to the end. Everything we need to understand comes back to the principles and ordenanzas of the gospel. Isn't it amazing? We don't need to get hung up on other topics or the science behind everything. If we follow his gospel, we will have exaltation.

Today we went to eat at a Chinese buffet, it was pretty good. We also played soccer, but a Venezuelan family that lives below us had a football and I was able to borrow it and I made everyone play the real game of american football.  It was so relaxing to get to play some good old american football.

I love you guys!!!! Hope everything goes well this week!!

Hey!!!!!

So this week has been super weird. There is an elder who is having a difficult time, so this week I have been on a week interchange with another gringo elder from Texas!  It has been super weird because I am used to Latinos, and this week things have been a lot different. However, the work goes on and I am making sure we are working our tails off to teach the people faith in Jesucristo and repentance!

We have a fecha for Hermana Flor Varas!!!!  She is un poco dura, however we talked with her family from Utah of all places and they are also helping her get motivated for her baptism. She has read almost to Jacob in the Book of Mormon, which is awesome!!!  I am super excited for her, and hopefully she can keep feeling the spirit as she makes these changes in her life.  She's about 50 years old, but she is like a teenager in the body of a grandma, so she is super funny.  We also have our friend Raul, who has been coming to church every Sunday for 10 years and even contributes in the classes and everything, but todavia quiere bautizarse.  We are trying to be his friends and ganar su confianza, but I feel like it might be his time now.

This week we also had an awesome noche misional, where we played a cultural trivia game!!!  Our team got second place, but that is because the other team cheated with their phones so I am a little upset about that. We did find some great references from this activity, and got to talk to all the jovenes preparing for the mission to get them excited to leave with us and serve their own missions.

So I am getting to the point where I can talk pretty fluently in Spanish, however there are still some mistakes I make. I am now learning the words I SHOULD NOT say. It is kinda weird because things that are super offensive here, don't make any sense in English.  My last companion taught me a word that meant like dumb or foolish, and when we went into our consejo de barrio, I was explaining to an investigator and I wanted to say he`s a little slow to understand and a little dumb.  WELL I called this man something which translated means a drooler, like someone who drools, but it is a word super strong and everyone just started dying laughing and told me to never say that again.  I got so embarrassed because my last companion never told me it was bad!!  That has also happened to me a few other times with many other words which is unfortunate, but the good thing is now I am learning what I should say and not say. The problem is the Venezuelans say lots of words that for them are fine, but for Peruvians are super offensive. So when I am going between Peruvians and Venezuelans it is boggling my mind!  Hahahaha.

I love the mission so much!!!  I want to move here and rent myself out a little room and just stay. I don't want to leave. I am so happy to see lots of people progressing in the gospel, so much success here in the area, and to feel just so much love for everyone here. God  has really allowed me to see the potential in His children, and I have found such a great love for every single person I meet here in Jordàn. I hope you guys have a great week!!

Love,
Elder McGreer

Buenas tardes a todos!

Tuvimos un bautismo!!!!!!!!!  Se bautizo hermano Andrew Jesth Gomez Santos!! I am so excited for him and his family. He is 14 years old, but the first to get baptized. His family is from Venezuela, but I have more time here in Peru than they do, which is crazy to think about.  We had a surprise change this week and Elder Farfan left, and my new companion is Elder Cespedes from Bolivia!  He has 20 months in the mission, so he is experienced and we are working supèr hard.  This area of Jordàn has so much potential and I am so excited for what else lies in store. I am so happy for this family that we are working with. Just the other day we taught them how to have a noche de hogar, and it was so special. We shared a small message and played que pasaría si`, which is what would happen if.....and they were laughing so hard and just absolutely loved it. Hermano Manuel, the dad, is also listening to us and he was smiling and laughing. It honestly brings me so much happiness just to see how much this family loves one another. My heart literally melted when I saw Anyerli give a big hug to her brother Andrew after his baptism and the amount of love and support really touched me. I can't wait to see what the Lord has prepared for every person in the Familia Gomez Santos.

This week we also have been visiting the members and getting them excited about the gospel again and sharing it with their families and friends. Honestly, something that has touched me is the importance of family and having a strong foundation in the home. I have felt so much joy to see these families get strengthened, more joy than I have ever felt before. I am super grateful for my family and who they are, but developing the friendships and really showing a genuine love for the families here has made me feel an immense joy.

I love Peru so much. I love the gospel. Honestly, I never want to leave, I am going to stay here for a while. It doesn't feel like I've been gone 11 months, but time is going by so fast. I love the people here. Love you guys!!!!

Love,
Elder McGreer

Hey!!

So this week, we didn't have the baptisms that we wanted for Angerli and Andrew.  Sadly, there were some complications, and now we are waiting eagerly for the baptism of Andrew!!!  We are trying hard to help them, but we need to be patient and loving so hopefully soon they can all be ready to make more progress in the gospel.  ALSO I HEARD THE THE FAMILIA CHAVEZ FROM CHEPEN GOT BAPTIZED AND THERE ARE PICTURES!!!!   I am so happy for them!!!!   I was so sad that I couldn't stay there to see them get baptized but how awesome is it that this whole family got baptized?!?!?!?!?!?!?!    I feel so happy for them.

This week we got our new president and got to know him and his family. President Hinostroza, with his wife and three kids!!!   It is kinda weird because he is a lot younger and his kids are super young. So it is like we got adopted into his family, but it is super exciting to see where the mission goes now. I am excited to work with him and learn and grow so much more!!!!

I love you guys and the mission is great. Thanks for the love and support you guys show for me. I know this gospel is true, and I know that we need to follow the principles and ordinances of the gospel as closely as we can. If we truly want to be happy, we would keep the commandments. Because we will be blessed en todas las cosas, tanto temporalmente y espiritualmente. Sé que este es la iglesia verdadera y tenemos que mostrar nuestro amor por Dios for our obediencia en las mandamientos de Dios.   Mosiah 2:41   Love you guys!!!!!!!!!!

Love,
Spence

This upcoming week is going to be an eventful week, where we get a new mission president! I am sad to say goodbye to President Marble, but it is intriguing for what the mission will turn into with our new President Hinostroza. We will get the chance to know him this Saturday, where we will see him and his family for the first time, which will be super cool!

We also have the baptisms of the Familia Gomez Santos this week, fingers crossed. Andrew and Angerli will get to take the step towards baptism and two weeks later we have planned for the older brother Daniel. It is super duper exciting, can't wait to see them get baptized. However it is super stressful because now we have lots to do. We have been teaching them all the things they need to understand for their entrevista as well as answering the MILLIONS of questions that they have. Which is super awesome because I love the questions.

Other than that, we have been working a lot with this family and a few other investigators we have. There is Hermano Raul, who as been coming to church  every Sunday for ten years, and is literally the most faithful person I know yet he has not yet gotten baptized. This man is super intelligent and knows lots of stuff, so we are a little in over our heads trying to help him, but he has expressed some desires to take these steps and his family so desperately wants to be sealed in the temple. So hopefully we can help him comprehend the importance of these ordinances.

I love you guys! Today I don't have very much time because my companion wanted to do other things so I am sorry this email maybe isn't the best. I miss you all and hope your are doing well!

Love y'all!

Spence

Holá familia y amigos!

So this week I had some AWESOME news.  I had two changes in Chepen, but I didn't baptize anyone and I felt super sad that I didn't get to see that success. However, we had three amazing families we were teaching and were progressing so beautifully.  I recently got a call from my old companion, Elder Sangerman, and he told me that the familia Chavez was getting baptized this Saturday! However there was a catch - the daughter, Elina, when they asked her who she would like to baptize her, said that she wanted me to baptize her!  I can´t travel to Chepen to do that but I felt so honored that they wanted me to be the one to do it. I got to tell Elder Sangerman and his companion some words of encouragement and support to relay to the familia, and hopefully that helped them with the decision. I love the familia Chavez so much, and was so happy to hear that they are going to be actual members of the Church of Jesus Christ.

President Marble is finishing his mission and the missionaries are all getting intrigued at what will happen when the new president arrives. He will be a Peruvian, President Hinostroza. It is crazy that I am almost at the year mark and that President Marble is going home.

We are super excited for a familia we are teaching here in Jordán, the familia Gomez Santos. They are a Venezuelan family, and Andrew (14) and Angerli (16) both have fechas for the 29th of this month. Fingers crossed that they can be prepared for this date, if you can have the family in your prayers that would mean a lot.

I had to buy new shoes today.  My old shoes were killing my feet.  Funny story, they were actually a fake brand of shoes.  We went to visit members and they told me that they looked like really nice shoes and they wanted to see them, so I took them off and they told me that they weren't real.  I told them that my feet have been killing me these days, with lots of blisters and callouses, and they explained to me that the shoes were basically crap.  So that stunk.  However, they gave me some nice stuff to take care of my feet so they aren't killing me so much, so that is nice.  Haha.  My companion, Elder Farfán, walks RIDICULOUSLY fast and I am sprinting to keep up with him. We are seeing lots of progress though, so that is exciting.

Hope you guys are all doing great!  Love you all!!