Week 86

LETTER FROM JORDAN - WEEK 86 (1/25/16)

Well there's a lot to write about in such a little amount of time!

So I finally got a camera again, so we're going to have some pretty cool pictures in these emails again.

My Christmas package finally arrived! But it looks like I only got half of everything and I hope that the rest is going to be coming soon.

I was super happy opening this package and thinking about everyone in my family. The green/blue tie is amazing and I loved the pin and keychain a lot! Thank you all so much and Merry late Christmas! haha

I also got a few more letters to add to the collection. I love reading these!

So I also had said that Elder Smith, mijito, had come up to the same zone with me one transfer later, and it is really interesting to stay close by one of my past companions.

Also, to try out the new camera, I was able to take some cool pictures of the area.

Also, in our area, there are a whole bunch of mosquitos so one night sleeping with the window open because of the heat, this happened:

Thank goodness my parents sent me with anti-itch cream and bug repellant, so this is never going to happen again.

Well in all of the pictures, I wasn't able to get one with my companion and I, but we did have a surprise visit by President Marler and Hermana Marler so they got a picture of us in our district meeting:

Elder Chacon is the one directly above me on the left with the blue tie.
Also Hermana Marler went specifically in the district meeting class that I taught and really helped all of our district with our lesson.

Well sorry for being a little short of words today, but I guess the pictures make up for it in part. haha
One other announcement is that President and Hermana Marler are finishing up their 3rd year in the mission which means it's almost time for a President change! The new President will be President William Marble and Sister Sandy Marble:

They will be serving starting the 1st of July, so I will already be home by then. They are from Woodland, California and are really looking forward to their missionary service.

Well that's all the time I have, until next week!

Elder Terry

Week 85

LETTER FROM JORDAN - WEEK 85 (1/18/16)

Well that was a very interesting week here in San Pedro starting off this new transfer.

So my new companion is Elder Chacón and he is from Chile, Peru's biggest rival. He is from the southern part of Chile in a town called Valdivia where it's pretty cold. He is 18 years old, a convert of 3 years, and he has about 8 months in the mission. He has only been in one area so far which was in Trujillo in a part called Porvenir which is the super dangerous part of Trujillo. He mentioned that everything is so nice and calm here in San Pedro compared to Trujillo. Next week I will attach a photo, because I was finally able to buy a new camara today.

It was kind of a difficult week after only being here 6 weeks and now having to direct the area, but we have found some new people to teach and we helped some others go to church for the first time in a while, which I guess was a successful week.

Another weird thing about the transfers was that more than half of the missionaries in the zone changed to different areas, including one of the zone leaders and the two other district leaders. And the weirdest part was that my hijo, Elder Smith, came up to the zone too, so I get to see him more than once a week.

Well, that's about it until the next week! (here is a picture that Sister Marler took of me last week)

Elder Terry

Week 84

LETTER FROM JORDAN - WEEK 84 (1/11/16)

Not that I'm thinking of being home, but it looks like now in week 84 I only have 20 weeks left of the mission! Boy that has gone by fast!

Well this was a nice week. On Tuesday we had a multi-zone with just our zone, because we are kind of separated from the other areas, where President and Sister Marler came up with the assistants to give us a training. They talked about preaching repentance and what repentance means, and they focused on starting of this new year on the right foot.

We also had our zone training that we have every month on Thursday where we learn from our local zone leaders and our sister training leaders about the vision that President has for us for this month. So as you can tell we learned a lot!

Well another transfer has gone by, and it looks like there are more changes! My companion, Elder Alles, is heading over to Chocope, my first area! Coming here to be my companion is Elder Chacón. I don't really know him yet, but I'm really looking forward to this next transfer.

Well sorry that my time is a little short, but I wish you all a good week!

Elder Terry

Week 83 (New Year)

LETTER FROM JORDAN - WEEK 83 (1/4/16)

Happy New Year!!!

Well this has been a pretty amazing first week here in the mission. Again, I am still without a camara for pictures, but I planning on buying one today, so until next week for the pictures.

These past few weeks have been a little more difficult for proselyting, because of the fiestas and drinking, but we have definitely seen many miracles this week, especially with a few new families that we have found and how many of them were able to go to church this week. Our sacrament meeting turned out really well and the Spirit was strong with all of the testimonies that were given at church.

Also recently, there has been a new focus from our mission president for all of the wards and branches in our mission. He has put a focus on helping establish our wards in stead of just helping them grow. We do this by strengthening the members that we have by helping them go to the temple, magnify their callings, etc. We've realized that the Lord isn't going to give us as many as his choice sons and daughters until we have a ward or branch where they can stay strongly. Here in the San Pedro de Lloc Branch is exactly what we need. We have about 450 baptized members in the directory, but only with a church attendence of about 80. So this is one of the big focuses that we have here as missionaries now, not just baptizing, but strengthening and establishing the branch.

Well as a new year begins, goals are set and plans are made to become a better missionary, and a better person. One of the big goals that I placed is to write in my journal every day for the rest of the mission, something that I've been slacking off on a little bit.

Well I am looking forward to another great week in the mission, and I hope you all start of your 2016 well.

Elder Terry