Sunday, May 19, 2013

Hanta Qullami‏

Hellooooooooooooo,

So I guess that title is Quechua for ''I love you''. I'm really not sure on the spelling, but now you know.

This last week was so awesome of course apart from being able to skype yesterday and so I'll do my best to get it all down. 
 
On Monday, we went to the beach and that was pretty cool. This time of year it is completely deserted and looked like a ghost town. The funniest part was when we passed by a store and an elder saw Dr. Pepper. All the gringos freaked out and then we found out that there was Mountain Dew too. I was laughing because I thought about Charlie on his mission. I was more than happy to find out that she had a Snickers and enjoyed every second of the 5 that it took me to eat it!

I almost flooded the church which could have been pretty bad. We were just trying to empty the baptismal font and next thing I know this room in the church was being filled with water. We turned on a pump to get it out, or so I thought. Then we went upstairs and I got to play the piano for a little which was awesome. The power went out so we went to see what happened and saw that there actually was more water in that room and it had reached the motor and shorted the power in the whole building. That was actually pretty bad. There were two members there and we got it all worked out. We turned the sprinklers on outside to get rid of the water and one of them was spraying in the wrong direction. I thought about all the times I got to fix our sprinklers with Dad. We would think we'd solved the problem and then there was another. They told me not to touch it, but I did and it sprayed all over me when the top popped off. I fixed that though and they were all laughing at me. I said ''I just want to serve'' and they all laughed even more.

So, I think I'm in that part of the mission where everyone says it all just changes and they are happy to be here. People told me it would take about 9 months and they were right. I wake up now and am happy to be a missionary. I want to work and talk with the people. Then the best part is getting home every night and just feeling like death because we're so tired. I love being with Elder Figallo and love this area. This is what I thought the mission would be like, but it's even better.

We had some cool lessons this week with one guy that lived in the US for 13 years and spoke English to me out of no where. We have been teaching his wife (or I don't know what to call it when they aren't married but live together). She's super cool and he's actually pretty cool too. So he knows a bunch about the Church and was asking all sorts of questions. As we said a prayer and then searched for scriptures ONLY IN THE BIBLE about the premortal existance it was super cool, and there are a bunch. The Spirit was there and next thing you know we were drinking Ecco together and just having a grand old time. His name is José and I really hope we can help him learn and grow.

We also got to talk to some Isrealites this week and that was pretty sad. It was a less active member and his absolutely, completely, totally confused sister who is an Isrealite (I don't know if that religion exists in the US). So she was using the LDS version of the scriptures and was preaching all sorts of false doctrine. Then she would turn to the Jehovah's Witness bible and I had no idea what was going on. She was taking her ideas from all over the place. I know she wanted to do what was right, but it was really sad to see her and is sad to see all the people who are just so confused. She started off with good principles and then distorted them until they were so confusing. She really knows the Bible though and has totally corrupted her brother. He says he knows the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true and that Joseph Smith restored the Church. He quotes from the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants and says he knows they are true. And then he goes on to say that the Church is of God, but His chosen people are the Isrealites. The women all walk around with their hair covered and all sorts of things. It's just really sad and more than ever I KNOW the importance of having a prophet to lead and guide us.

The coolest thing about church was an analogy that someone said about how the Church and life is like a treadmill. When we think we have reached what we need to we can't stop, because if we stop the thing goes backwards and takes us with it. It was a great reminder to me to keep moving forward always.

Also, an investigator wrote my name Elder Whiskey yesterday and that was super funny.

Talking to all you guys yesterday was more than words can describe. I have even more desires than ever to be a better missionary. It was funny to end the skype and then just jump back into Spanish and talk about what we need to do here to help the investigators and the ward. It just felt so normal -- I LOVE MY MISSION!!!!!!

A couple good scriptures are Helaman 5:50-52 about how the word changes people. Then we have Helaman 6:7-17 and it was pretty hard to read about them prospering because I knew they were just going to fall. A good reminder that we all have trials for a reason (Helaman 12:3). Helaman 10:2-11 was awesome about the priesthood sealing power. And then of course Helaman 13:12-14 about how we are saved by the righteous, it made me think about Alma the Younger. And to top it all off Helaman 7:7-9, it made me think about how even the prophets wanted to live in a different time. We are given what we need though and I am learning to be so happy with it.

I'll talk to you all soon and hope you have the greatest week ever. Make sure to enjoy the amazing weather. Thanks for being my family and friends I love you all so much.
Do it neatly Wheatley, (and everyone else too), love your more than happy best friend in Perú,
Elder Aaron Wheatley

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