Aaron's Mission to Peru: Be Not at Ease

Oh Yeah,

This week was super duper crazy. I'm just so happy to be back here emailing you all again. I can't believe how fast this last week has flown by. I have so much to tell you all. It hasn't been perfect, but hearing from you guys made me forget what little things were bothering me, that's pretty cool.

So my title comes from 2 Nephi 28:24. I wrote in my scriptures like a year ago that ''it's not supposed to be easy''. I mean for real, if life was easy it would be so boring and not even worth it. I know I'm gonna hit some trial patch and wish that it was easier, but I'm grateful for these moments where I feel more enlightened and can see that trials are for our good. I mean if we are at ease, we don't change, and we can't become more like God. It's kind of like it says in Doctrine and Covenants 58:27 about being ''anxiously engaged'', if we're at ease than we're probably not doing much of anything. So that was just awesome. We'll see how I do about putting it into practice in my own life.

We met some really cool people this week and have been super blessed. Our miracle of the week was definitely Milagros (which means miracles in Spanish). She's the daughter of a less active member, but her grandparents are active. She's gone to church on and off for pretty much her whole life and Sunday her grandpa came up to me and said that she wanted to go to the temple with the ward on the 20th. I told him that means she needs to be baptized this Saturday so we talked with her and then went by the house later to teach her and she's preparing to be baptized on Saturday. It's really cool to see that we have nothing to do with this, it all comes from Heavenly Father and we are just blessed to be instruments in His hands to do His work. I love being a missionary.

There was a cool taxi driver this week who's an Israelite (super weird religion where they just dress like people from the middle east and only use sandals, the girls wear the head dress stuff). So he tells me that he loves reading and bought the Book of Mormon once and read a bunch of it. I gave him a new copy and we'll see how that works out.

The other cool taxi driver of the week was definitely the guy that spoke German. Well, he didn't speak that well, not much better than me, but it was something. He said that he was studying German to move there so I tried my best to remember the little German things that I have learned throughout my life. It was fun to remember and I'm gonna need help from Dad and Seth and anyone else that wants to help me learn German when I get back home.

By far our coolest investigator has to be Briana. Yeah, I totally freaked out when she told me that was her name. She's super cool and is the niece of some awesome members. We're setting up a family night to teach all of her family. It's fun thinking about you Brianna when I talk about her.

I got some great letters this week and want to thank Aunt Kimber for the great words and way fun picture. I also don't know if I've thanked Uncle Lane in my letters before. I want to thank him for all the letters and especially this last one. He sent a great talk called ''Becoming a Consecrated Missionary'' (I think it's called that) by Elder Tad R. Callister. I was kind of afraid that it would trigger some perfectionism in me, but I've been doing really well. I just want to be better and give all that I have to God. I'm not at ease, but I do feel at peace.

We had a cool family home evening with the Mendocilla family where we watched the Mormon Message ''Look Not Behind Thee''. It was really special to go around and for everyone to say what they were feeling afterwards. Every time I would think of something to say the next person would say it and it was special to feel the Spirit there edifying all of us.

Fernando and Sonya are still cool, but never have time to meet with us. This month is super busy for them, but we're just going to keep helping them read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it is true.

I walked into a store the other day and saw on the TV the Olympics. That was super weird to see snow and I didn't even remember that the Olympics were going on. That definitely surprised me so tell me if something world changing happens.

This week more than ever I was grateful for the good ol' US of A and the law known as curfew. For real though, people here don't respect anything. There were some kids (I'm talking like 5 year old kids) screaming outside our window at like 11:30 at night the other day and tons of teenagers have been loud this week too. I mean, it's just a whole new world down here. Oh yeah, and then some other crazy people decide to start screaming at like 6 in the morning. Don't ask me why because I don't know.

I keep catching myself thinking that I actually might be able to live here, that it's not that bad. I didn't think I would ever actually get to that point, but garbage is just totally normal to me now and a house with a tree is like the most beautiful thing. We sure do adjust quickly and I'm sure those thoughts will flee from my mind faster than lightning when I get back home. It's just funny to think about and my companion laughs at me. And just so you know Elder Carrillo is so awesome. We are getting along great and it's so much fun to study and practice lessons with him in the morning.

I want to wish you all a HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!! Go ahead and give each other a kiss for me. I hope it's a great time for all of you.

I hope you all have the best week ever and know you are constantly in my prayers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love your happy and restless (not at ease) best friend forever,

Elder Aaron Micah Wheatley