Claro P!

Hola Todos!

This week was great! There are many, many experiences on a mission, and I would say especially in Peru! The time has gone by super quick!! Especially when you look backwards! Forwards, it’s a little longer... But I have had a month in Peru nearly! The MTC I thought went by really fast... that was a lie... That was eternity! Haha!

Spanish is going great! Elder Mendez is beginning to correct me more, which sounds like I am doing worse, but I was so bad before, and now that I am doing alright, he is starting to correct! Because before he didn´t even want to try! I can actually make up sentences now, and make my way through conversations! Before It was kind of the same response every time... But I am catching on to some of the little phrases here! In Peru, everyone says Pues at the end of everything, especially when they are joking around! It has evolved to just saying Pe. So they are just trying to be Canadian! They also don´t say their s´s sometimes! So it sounds like they are 3 years olds! With como eta! Instead of como estas! Haha!

The food here is still awesome! I just don´t know why they give so much rice!! Every meal, I understand... But it is a mountain!! And they don´t even know what salt is here! But it is still super yummy! One weird thing... They put mayonnaise on everything! They love the stuff! It’s in a little Capri Sun container, and on every veggie platter, salad, rice, potato they offer mayonnaise! For breakfast, in the rolls, I get olives a lot, because gringos never eat olives! So they love to give them to me. They are different, and still have seeds in them! So I am eating a roll of seeds! I also get butter, lunch meat, cheese, eggs, rice, fried rice, and fried rice with onion (of course), sausage, and this morning it was a chicken burger with an egg! I have also had sweet potato, and avocado!

Our zone is fun! But apparently it isn´t! Haha! The other missionaries said that the zone is much more fun in other areas, it depends on leaders, and how everyone is doing in the mission. Our area is tough! But we do service together when we can, and that’s fun! The gringos... Wow... I have been gone a while... I totally say gringos now! Haha! Anyway! They have no clue what has happened in the United States! They thought that fidget spinners were a Peru thing! Ha! Anyway, those are probably way out of style now, I mean... I have been gone for 2 months!

We had our first baptism! Rosendo Muñoz Laulate! 9-9-17! In our mission, we do not baptize, only bring people to baptism, so I won´t physically baptize, only help people! Which is no problem! It is because there is a large number of inactive members, since they are attached to the missionaries. When the missionaries leave, the members leave! Which is not what we want. We don´t want their testimonies to be ours, we want them to have their own idea. But that day was really special with Rosendo. He has been taking lessons for a year, and he finally understood the importance of baptism. This helped me understand a little more as well, and I have learned a lot from teaching him!

We have had a really difficult week, because we always have our agendas full of people to visit, non members, references, contacts, but no one opened their doors! We are doing everything we can, and are going to focus on getting new people, since the people we are teaching now do not want to listen... But it´s all good! Because we are doing what we need to do, and it is up to the people to accept our message. We are not here to force people to be baptized, but gain a testimony, gain faith in God and Jesus Christ, and act on their faith.

Our investigators... No pasan nada! (Nothing happens) They are all too afraid to act on their feelings, and won´t even pray specifically for the Book of Mormon, or in some cases at all! Everyone is occupied, just like in the US right? We are trying and trying! We are doing a good job at finding inactives recently! That’s been great! Building faith is easier than starting from the bottom!

Elder Mendez and I sing all the time! The problem is, he wants to sing in English, and I want to sing in Spanish! He knows The Spirit of God really well, and I know half of Brightly Beams! But it’s funny! We sing on the streets, with investigators, with members, and of course in our room! It is a full party listening to MOTAB and random acapella groups! Haha!

I have learned so much from reading the scriptures, when I have time! There is always more to learn, and that has been something fun to experience! And all of this is for our investigators! I have been so blessed to have all of these amazing experiences, even if no one is listening!

Other events that happened! We bought a cake for my other grandma in Peru, Enit Cordova! She is the funniest!! She is from Brazil, and her family helps us out so much! We always have a place to eat, and to talk, and to find new people to teach! Also, we have a new elder leaving to Brazil! He was set apart last night, and he is going to be a great example, teacher, and friend to everyone! He went on splits with us a TON! And he is already so great! We are going to miss him!!

For service on Wed. we hauled sand up 3 flights of stairs in bags after our bucket pulley broke! Haha! But we moved a mini mountain! It was with our zone, and we had a blast!

After the sand service, we went on transfers with Elder Yamul from the Philippines! He was great, but his area was not! Then the president of the mission needed to speak with Elder Mendez, and we went on a different division with Elder Cruz from Honduras. We went to my area, taught, and then he needed to do interviews! The whole day was crazy! We went everywhere!

Anyway, thanks again for reading my letters! And if there are any questions! Shoot!

Hasta Luego!

Elder Ball