Week 37 - Primavera

LETTER FROM JORDAN - WEEK 37 (2/16/15)

Well that was a great week! Made it through a Friday the 13th and a Valentine's day without a scratch. haha.

Well that was my first week in the best area of the mission!

So let me start out with some information about our area:

So we really have the best zone in the whole mission, the zone with the temple!!! Our zone includes 18 missionaries (9 areas with 5 companionships of Elders, and 4 of Sisters) and covers all of Primavera out to the beach and temple in Huanchaco. So with the temple dedication in about 5 months, I think I'm going to be in the same zone when it gets dedicated!

Now about our district. Our district has my companion as district leader, me, and four sister missionaries. Our areas are Primavera I, II, and III and we are all part of the Primavera ward. Our ward is actually the center of the zone and the stake center which means, our church is HUGE:

Entrance and spire

Backside view

Inside the Chapel

So our ward is the church building where we have the general authorities speak and also where the mission president does a lot of his meetings, so it's kind of awesome.
Our ward has about 200 people going each week (204 yesterday) which is like the exact opposite of what I've been in up until this point. I don't really have an official calling, except that I played piano during sacrament meeting yesterday.


Now with my area. We are in Primavera I, which includes the neighborhoods Mochica and Mochica Alta. I live and eat in a members house, which will probably be the nicest house I will ever live in on the mission.

Street view

Our dining table and family room

Our room (middle) with the bathroom (right) and kitchen (left)

The family that we live in is great and they have 2 kids, Alvaro (8), and Fernandito (3). I could definitely get used to living like this for a little bit.

It is so weird to be back in the city. Before the boundaries used to be the edge of the city, and now it's all divided by streets. Our area is actually a good amount smaller than my old area, but there's always work do be done.

I still haven't seen the temple recently, but we are allowed to visit it if we take an investigator with us, which is our plan!

It is very interesting to see the differences between the 2 areas that I have been in. I feel like here it is a little more difficult to find people that are willing to listen to our message, but the people that do are more intelligent and progress faster. I am very blessed to be in such a wonderful mission with a President that loves and cares for his missionaries. I was really nervous before leaving and got a little sick, but once I was got into my new area, I have felt way better and am ready to keep on serving the Lord.

Well I don't have time to write even the hundredth part of what has come to pass this week and those things are written on my other plates. But thanks for everyone that has supported me in serving the Lord and I will talk back soon!

Elder Terry

Week 36

LETTER FROM JORDAN - WEEK 36 (2/9/15)

Well there's a lot to write about for this week, so here we go.

Well the week started out with my companion in Lima for the last time. While he was there, I stayed back with an Elder in Paiján, Elder Allen and we got to proselyte in both of our areas until Tuesday. Elder Cuevas finally got his ID card that I got during the CCM, so no more Lima for him!


Friday was a super interesting day. So after our studies we had planned a "service" to cook with a member in our branch, and the food of choice, cuy! (Guinea pig). We got to do the whole process: we killed them, defurred them, cooked them, and ate them! (I didn't include pictures because they are pretty gruesome). And this is how it turned out:

I didn't have the guts to kill them, but I did eat it!

Then later that day, we had planned a noche de fogata (campfire activity) where we cook some stuff on a fire and have a lesson and games. We invited everyone, and we had more people than we had a church this week. It turned into a farewell activity where we ate fried chicken with french fries (what they think is my favorite meal) and had a great time!

The past few days, I've been working super hard writing farewell cards to all of the members because.... I'M GOING!

Last night we got the call with all of the transfers for this change..

And I'm going..

to..

PRIMAVERA, TRUJILLO!!! WOOOO!!

So I'm going to an area called Primavera I in the Primavera zone with a companion whose name is Elder Passey from the US. My area will be in the main city of Trujillo, and I imagine pretty close to where the temple is! I don't know too much other than that, and that Hermana Mason, from my district right now, is going to Primavera II so we are probably going to be in the same district again.

Well I am super excited now for everything, preparing all my stuff, writing cards for members and missionaries, and preparing for my new area! So wish me luck for this week, that it all turns out well!

Elder Terry

Week 35

LETTER FROM JORDAN - WEEK 35 (2/2/15)

Let's see, I started my mission back on June 3rd, so that would mean tomorrow I finish 8 MONTHS!!! Which would mean I've already done 1/3rd of my mission!!! It's really amazing to see how fast this time has gone, and I'm sure the rest will pass before I know it!

So 8 months have past, and I'm still in my first area... The area presidency has had a change where they have told mission presidents to keep the missionaries in their areas a little longer so they can be around all of their converts. It has been really great in this area and I am definitely going to miss it along with the people. President Marler has already told me that it's about time for a change, so I'm probably going to be changing areas next week! By the next email, I will know where I'll be heading!

After spending 3 changes (4.5 months) with the same companion, I feel like we have been able to work through all of the contentions and have become a great and efficient companionship. And I feel like I have learned way more from this companionship than I will ever learn from the mission, but we will see.

Our district, which includes us with 4 other missionaries in Ascope, had a baptism last Saturday! Although we didn't have any, the Elders and the Sisters in Ascope had 2 baptisms each, a total of 4 souls brought closer to Christ. They had also invited President Marler to go to the baptism, and he went! It was great because he doesn't visit our zone too often, and it was nice to see his effort and love that he has to all of the missionaries in the mission.

We are in the heat of summer (just like august), but we have been getting a good amount of rain, which is super weird for my area.

Well things are going great, everyone is excited for the temple, and the work keeps progressing, so I'll just leave the email with this: (Elder Johnson)

Elder Terry

Week 34

LETTER FROM JORDAN - WEEK 34 (1/26/15)

Well this week was jam packed, so let's see if I can get to it all!

So it starts Tuesday morning where, during studies, I finished reading the Book of Mormon for the first time in another language! I had started reading back in August and read like 20 minutes every day we had studies, and I finally finished it on January 20, 2015.

Then the same morning, we had interviews with the mission president, where we got to see how we have been doing in our areas, show our area book to Sister Marler, and practice teaching the Sabbath Day to the president's assistants.

Directly after the interviews, we headed over to the pension in Ascope to prepare a surprise party for a sister missionary in our district, Hermana Mason. We had lunch with cake, soda, and other Peruvian pastries:

 And ended with a cake in the face:

Also during this week, my companion got a little sick with what we think was a parasite, and was confined to the room on Wednesday. So that day, I got to go out to proselyte with another member, which was great because it was one of the few times where I was "in charge" of who we went to visit.

Also on Friday, we did another interchange, where I stayed in Chocope with Elder Quispe, which was another opportunity of being the senior companion in my area.

Later that night, our branch's only full time missionary came back from serving in the Perú Arequipa Mission. Although there was no huge welcome party, it is great to have another return missionary in our branch.

Ok. Here comes the big announcement:

On Sunday we had a branch conference, where a few of the stake leaders came to make a few announcements. This day, we had the highest church attendance that I had ever seen in our branch, 43 people. We had a goal to hit 40 during this change and we did it! But wait, there's more! The big announcement of the conference was that we got a new Branch President! His name is Iván Salvatierra, and he actually lives in our area (unlike our past one). He had been branch president before, so he has enough experience to help improve our branch. Also, the return missionary was called as the branch secretary, 2 days after being home from his mission.

Well this was a great week for us here in Chocope, and the work will strongly press forward!

Elder Terry

Week 33

LETTER FROM JORDAN - WEEK 33 (1/19/15)

Another week down in the mission and this week marked 6 months of being in my first area, Chocope!

Well this week, we did another interchange. I went to Ascope again with Elder Quispe, and Elder Johnson went to Chocope with my companion. The interchange was great except for one thing. In their area, they play soccer every morning before breakfast with the young men in their ward to help strengthen their organization. So I was forced to get up at 4:50 in the morning just to go play soccer for about an hour. It was a lot of fun, but at night, I don't think I've ever been so tired or slept so well in my whole life.

ATENCIÓN ATENCIÓN ATENCIÓN ATENCIÓN ATENCIÓN ATENCIÓN
Announcement time!
So while I was in Ascope, someone showed me something that will change my life and the lives of every person in the surrounding area....
THE TEMPLE DEDICATION DATE!!!
So the Trujillo Temple, which was announced back in 2009, officially has the dates of the open house and dedication:
Open House: May 8 - May 30, excluding Sundays (10, 17, 24)
Cultural Celebration: Saturday June 20
Dedication: Sunday June 21, broadcasting to stake centers in the area at 9a, 12p, and 3p.
It's official, we get to have a temple dedicated during my mission, in my mission!


Also on Saturday, we had a huge primary activity, where we had about 10 kids, and with their parents, there were 22 people. Thats a pretty big number with a church attendance of about 30. It was great! We played telephone, guess that animal, ate a lot, shared a message, played musical chairs, and then everyone tried out my companion's horse mask:

 

Best. Activity. Ever.

Well we now got the temple coming in, and our mission president is trying to get us to help with the open house as tour guides or something. I'm super excited! Thanks for doing everything you do for me. The mission has shown me how great you guys really are and I didn't appreciate that too much before, but thanks.


The tiredness is never-ending but the work presses forward.

Well that's all I got for this week, and I will report back soon!


Elder Terry

Week 32

LETTER FROM JORDAN - WEEK 32 (1/12/15)

Another week gone by in the Peru Trujillo Mission!

Well this week we were able to get another Alma Rescatada! Luisana is 10 years old, and the older sister of Miguel who just got baptized. She was baptized just over a year ago, but became less active due to the lack of kids that were going to church. So now that we have started up the Primary program, and because we were working with Miguel, we got to rescue her and get her back active in the church.

On Saturday we also had an interchange as a district where we traded places with the Elders in Ascope. I went over to Ascope with Elder Johnson and we had a blast. I got to meet a few of his investigators, got to know wis area a little bit, and got attacked by a whole bunch of kids. It was a pretty good day.

On Sunday, I also found out that I got a package... I open it up and dump it out and this is what I see:

 Like 50 presents each individually wrapped. It took a while to open them up, but it was worth it to see all of the presents that our stake had prepared for the missionaries

It honestly completely lightened up my day and I want to thank everyone from the ward, including my family, that helped to prepare this wonderful package for me :)

And the work presses forward here in Chocope. Until next week!

Elder Terry

Week 31

LETTER FROM JORDAN - WEEK 31 (1/5/15)

Well, it's now been 7 months that I've been in Perú and things are going great!
There's not too much to report on, but here we go.

Well as you know, New Year's was this week and it was pretty cool. So Peruvians have a pretty cool tradition that they do on New Year's where they make like a doll/scarecrow thing. They stuff clothes with a whole bunch of straw and also hide small fireworks in it and then at midnight, they burn it all. Sadly, I don't have any pictures this time, but take my word that it's pretty cool.

Well there's not much else that went on this week event wise, but as a companionship, we are working super hard to strengthen our primary program. About a month ago, we wouldn't have any kids going to church due to the lack of supplies and other kids. So with the baptism that we just had, we've decided to go all out on our primary. Now, we have about 6 kids going every week, with a lot of activities for them.

Also, we had 7 people at church yesterday that aren't members, which was about 1/5th of who went in total yesterday, so I think it was a pretty successful week for our Branch.

Other than that, just an update on my finger:

The black part finally fell off, and the rest just needs to grow back and it's back to normal!

Welp, that's all I got for this week, so until the next!

Elder Terry