Aaron's Mission to Peru: I Love to See the Temple

Oh yeah!!!!!!!!!!

This week was absolutely amazing and I'm gonna be honest, this next week is starting out so awesome hearing from so many of you. I love you all so much and am grateful for even the little notes you send me. You missionaries out there serving, just keep it up, you are all such a strength to me.

So the best part of the week was definitely going to the temple. I ask for your forgiveness to those of you that can't go to the temple while on your mission. I know sometimes it's hard for me to hear that other people get to do cool things on their mission and I feel like my mission stinks sometimes, but I really do know that God called me here for a reason. I guess the greatest thing that helps me is knowing that we will all be able to be together soon (very soon) and go to the temple together. It was special this week, but doesn't even compare at all with going with my brothers and the rest of my family. Just keep doing the best you can, you are all in my prayers.

It started off way cool because we woke up at 5:00 and I was super proud of myself for waking up earlier than I really needed to, but I wanted to be on time. Usually I just sleep as long as I can so that was awesome. We got to the house of the Santiago family and waited with them. Their daughter works for a travel company that the Church sometimes uses and had reserved the transportation. It was so awesome because I walked outside and saw an honest to goodness MINI-VAN. I really had accepted the fact that I wasn't going to ever get in one of those in Perú and then my dreams came true. It also had air conditioning (which no car here has) and I felt like I was in heaven on my way to heaven, that was cool.

The temple was so peaceful. It actually turns out that we got there late so we spent a bunch of time out in the gardens and I just loved those couple of hours. It just felt so nice and that's why I love the temple so much. It was so special inside, all that happened, especially the sealing. I just felt so peaceful. Maybe I didn't feel overwhelmed by the Spirit, but I love that simple and pure, peace and joy that God gives to us in His House. It was so amazing. I'm so looking forward to feeling that feeling with more frequency at home.

Oh yeah, not so cool story. Some stupid teenage kids have decided that it's fun to just light up their dubbies (marijuana) on the corner not too far from where we live. Other cool fact, we live in Vipol (which stands for vivienda policía, or where the police are supposed to live). No one really cares and they were out smoking at like 5:30 the other day. Also, our neighbors were drinking like 2 days straight this week and that's actually not too uncommon, from Friday night until Sunday night or even Monday morning. Sometimes I just feel so bad for them.

We had a cool family night and made pretty much Norwegian Pancakes and I missed eating up at Nomi and Papa´s so much. They were delicious, but it's just not the same. I wanted to eat like 20 of them with Matthew and all the other cousins. Shout out to all the cousins: Megan, Maren, Jillian, Charlie, Mariah, Hillary, Aannaliisa, Katherine, Matthew, Joseph, Jamasen, Brianna, Mitchell, Hyrum, Lizzie, and Elijah. I guess you all know what I'm gonna be wanting when I get home. Have tons of fun together.

A lady that got baptized a couple months ago named Lucy has moved to Cajamarca (it's in the mountains) and is going to live there this whole year. It was cool though because she came for the weekend and I'm gonna see her again today. She's going to church there and is so awesome. She's the lady that I had cold feet to baptize and look at her now, so so awesome.

I was just sitting there waiting for the bus this week and the feeling of heat from the cars and the pollution in Lima, mixed with the smell of who-know's what, with the noise of everything, and the crazy lights going all around me made me think about how much I love Lima and how much I'm gonna miss it. The mission has definitely made such a huge turn from how gross I thought Lima was at the beginning. I guess we adapt to our surroundings.

We met some really cool people this week. We talked to couple and they told us that they were going to get separated the next day. It turns out that they are married (which pretty much never happens here in Lima) and so we were praying that we could help them. We left The Family:A Proclamation to the World and yesterday we passed by and they decided to stay together for their kids. They had liked what it had said and felt it was best for their kids and society.

Another really cool investigator is Angelo and his WIFE (also married, such a miracle) Giovana. He's a super crazy guy and we didn't make it on time to the lesson so we found him drinking a beer outside. He said he was hot so he bought it. Well, it was only one so he was still doing alright listening to us. When I saw his wife and she said he was her husband I said ''What a pity''. He just started laughing and said that she puts up with him a lot. He had a Book of Mormon and is super cool. He has actually lived in New York and says that he visited Utah so that was pretty cool. He is alright at English and begged my forgiveness before he dropped a bomb (swear word) the other day. They're both super cool and his wife is really really interested. He thanked God in his prayer and then said that He is just going to have to deal with him because He created him this way. That was funny and I'm super excited to keep teaching them. He makes me laugh so much every time we pass by.

Frank and Katherin showed up to church out of the nothing yesterday and their family is sealed together. They are going to move to our area and say that they want to get baptized. They haven't gone to church in about 8 years so we're gonna help them.

Heavenly Father is blessing us with so many amazing miracles this week and I know if we keep working our hardest that He is going to continue to bless us.

I love the mission so much and am so grateful for this time. I miss you all so much, but am happy that I can help so many other people come unto Christ.

2 Nephi 9:54 was a great scripture I read this week. I am loving reading and really studying every day.

I love you all more than I could ever describe. Thanks for helping me all along the way and for your patience with me.

Have the best week ever and know you are all constantly in my prayers.

Love your ever learning and improving best friend forever,

Elder Aaron Micah Wheatley