Blue Sky

Well the past week was pretty boring. Nothin changed. Just a bunch of sitting around in a classroom but that's alright. I am able to teach a lesson without using a script so that's just amazing.The thing that is killing me is sitting around all day in our desks. UGHHH.

So last Wednesday we went to the temple and that was great.

Lima Temple Photo Shoot

We had Chinese for lunch and it was Yumm.  We also got a new Hermana in our district and she's super tall.

Our District, tallest to shortest

Thursday was just same old same old.  Just a bunch of class and Spanish.

Friday was pretty much the same. So there was a huge skit that the Latinos did and they were teaching a fake investigator and our roommate Elder Leon was in it and the person asked who the first prophet of the church was and he said Jose Smik and everyone just started dying. He dead thought it was Smik and not Smith.

Elders Woolf, Ruiz, Pinto and Leon

Elders Ruiz, Pinto and Leon

On Saturday there was a group of Americans that were touring the CCM, and we all wanted to go say hi to them but Hermano Soto wouldn't let us.

Elder Woolf and me in front of the CCM.

Photo shoot at the CCM

dope tree

Sunday was super spiritual again and we all got new leadership assignments and I'm district leader and Elder Woolf is the Zone leader so that's dope. They also randomly called on me to give a talk in Spanish so that was awesome, haha.

Yesterday all of the clouds went away and we actually saw the sky for the first time and it was so nice. I got to play basketball again so I was way happy about that ha ha.

I also traded a bunch of my ties and that was fun. Today there is no one here. All of the Latinos and older group left earlier this morning and so there is barely anyone here. A bunch of Americans come in tomorrow like 90 or something so that's gonna be cray.

¡Nos Vemos!

Inca Cola

Well this past week went a heck of a lot faster and things are starting to go way fast, so that is good.  The CCM is great, but I want to get out into the field and stuff. 

CCM

So last Wednesday for P-day, I took a lot of pictures and this Hermana in my district took a video on my camera and she destroyed the batteries so I changed them and then my camera wouldn't turn on and I thought my camera was broken but I just had bad batteries so thank goodness for that. We went to the temple and everything was in Spanish so that was awesome. We had hamburgers for dinner that night with a side of nice moist pappas fritas (french fries) and they were decent.

From the airport when I got here.

On Thursday, we had french toast for breakfast and it was pretty good.  Breakfast is pretty small so usually it's yogurt, eggs, toast, and a flippin pancake or something like that. We always put the Cocoa Puff cereal in the yogurt and it's way good. Elder Woolf and I were teaching our fake investigator, Monica, and Thursday was our last day. Our lessons were pretty good with her, and we almost got her baptized, lol.  We also have to memorize a TON of stuff in Spanish like the first vision, missionary purpose, Moroni 10 and all that good stuff, so that's going pretty great. We had wings for lunch and they were pretty great, and then we had lamb chops and rice for dinner and dry cake. 

soccer field

I don't know if I already said this but we get one hour of physical activity everyday. Usually we play soccer or volleyball and then run some laps and crank out some pull ups. 

the "gym"

The natives here are also super fun to talk to, and they are hilarious.  All of the them say my name "Chocklay" or chocolate, haha. We have two Latino roommates and they always make me laugh, Elder Ruiz and Elder Leon.  Also, Elder Broberg and Elder Fulcher are my other two roommates.

Elder Fulcher

Elder Broberg

On Friday, we got two "new" investigators; they're just our trainers, haha. We had to go to immigracions so that we would be official and stuff here, and when I was in the room while the guy was working on my papers, the world cup was on and I forgot that missionaries can't watch TV. So I was just watching Portugal vs. Spain, haha, but don't worry, I repented. 

Spanish is coming along pretty great. I am learning a ton of stuff and I can understand soo much already. Any of this wouldn't be possible without the gift of tongues so I'm very grateful for that gift.

Elder Dodds

Saturday, I finally got Inca kola.  I was so happy because I have been waiting a long time to have some and I finally got some.  Man I love that stuff.  Also, Peru played in the world cup that day and they lost so everyone was pretty sad. 

The group that is 3 weeks older than us went tracting and they went to this area that hadn't been contacted before and it was super super poor and muddy. They said it was part of the Lima East, so I can't wait to go out there and serve. 

Elder Lewis

Me an Elder Woolf taught Noah, who is Hermano Soto.  Haha, he is the best. Me and him are going to do a tie trade this week so that should be fun. 

Also it was Alec's bday on Saturday, so Happy Birthday, Alec!

Alec at Strawberry Reservoir for his 15th birthday

Sundays are the best days down here.  Sunday was super spiritual again and you can just feel the spirit all day, everyday. President Halley is such a great speaker, and he testifies with such strong conviction. Also they have two really good juices down here, their OJ and their lemonade, a freakin bomb. 

Monday was just Monday. Nothing too exciting to talk about.  I am a bit ahead of Elder Woolf in Spanish but that's alright.  Me and him are kind of opposites but we get along pretty good.  He's pretty darn quiet tho, I'll say that. Also the ice cream down here tastes sooooo weird.

Tuesday was amazing because I finally got to play basketball during physical activity because it was the Latinos P-day.  I'm pretty sure the hoops down here are not that wide but I'm like that tallest man here so I just dunk it on everyone.

Me ballin up

My favorite thing to eat during meal times are the rolls. Each meal, they have small little rolls that are so soft and moist and I eat so much of them. Mmmm,I hope I don't get fat, lol.

Money down here is dope. This is roughly $50.

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Well Flip Elder

DONDE ESTA CÓMO LE VA! How is everyone doing? Well it has officially been my first week at the CCM and it´s just great.  Flying here was pretty great.  For both flights I sat next to Elder Woolf who is my companion right now so that´s pretty sweet. 

Jackson and his companion, Elder Woolf

First flight was chill. I just tried to sleep but airplanes suck so i really couldn't.  Second Flight was chill except when we were about halfway through we flew through this crazy storm and the plane was shaking like crazy and there was lightning outside the window.  

Beautiful view from the plane.

We got to Lima at like 1 a.m. and we had to get our bags and get our schedules for the next day so we didn't go to bed until like 3:30 but they were nice enough to let us sleep in. When we were driving to the CCM the bus driver was asking for tips and people would give him a dollar and he kept asking for more. I just told him I didn't have any money lol. 

So instead of sprinklers down here, what they do is drive these huge water trucks around and spray the grass with these giant hoses at 3 a.m. There are also a ton of trash bags full of garbage laying around, not like a ton of it but it's noticeable. 

So on Wednesday, it was just orientation day. This week was probably the longest week of my life and I'm being serious.  It feels like I've already served a full time mission.  Wednesday was INSANELY long and it dragged on.  They gave us all haircuts except for one Elder and I was pretty mad but it´s aight because it takes two seconds to do my hair now. We just went around to a bunch of classes and we got all of our language books.  My companion is Elder Woolf like I said before and he's from Provo. We're both going to Lima este so that's pretty cool.  There are 6 elders that are white that are going to the east mission everyone else that is white and is new is going to the Araquipa mission.

The CCM here isn't very big.  There 's a little more than over 100 people here.  We see like everyone everyday. It's winter down here right now and I have only seen the sky once.  It is so humid like none of my towels will dry so it's annoying.  It's a good thing it doesn't rain down here or else it would have rained nonstop ever since I got here. It just mists; it's weird.  The food is actually pretty good for CCM food. They use a lot of eggs, rice, chicken, steak, bread, and fruit for every meal. Their rice is super good down here. I don't know what it is but American rice sucks. Also the toilets suck really bad. There is no power in them and almost every time someone uses them they overflow, haha. I'm also like the youngest Elder here besides Elder Dodds. Elder Dodds is this goofy Elder from Cedar City but I love him, haha. He's so funny. I'll send a picture of him one time.

Peru MTC

So on Thursday it was our first day in Spanish. Our trainers only speak to us in Spanish but it definitely helps. Hermana Juares and Hermano Soto are our trainers and they are just awesome.  Hermana Juares is a lot easier to understand but Hermono Soto is hilarious. I always mess with him haha.

Friday was the same as Thursday except it went faster. On Saturday, Elder Stevenson came down and we had a devotional. It was amazing! The most important thing he told us was to open our mouths and that we need to promise blessing when we invite others to do something.  Sunday was probably my favorite day. It was so relaxing and I felt the spirit very strongly. President Halley, who is our branch president gave an amazing lesson on how the Lord forgets our sins when we repent of them. We also watched a devotional that night with Elder Holland and that was one of the MOST powerful talks I have ever heard in my life. He talked about the importance of being a missionary and how he would give anything to be in our spots right now.

Monday was aight, just another day in the life. Yesterday ALL of the white missionaries that have a Lima mission went to Interpol to do visa stuff and while we were waiting in the lines, a ton of Venezuelans were there trying to come into Peru and Elder Dodds was just being super loud and trying to talk in Spanish to them and we were all laughing so hard.  I had a couple of pass along cards in Spanish that I gave to a couple of guys as I did my best to speak Spanish, haha.

Today we went to the temple and it was soo awesome.  The roads are super crazy down here like everyone cuts everyone off and you just honk when ever you want to. Hasta la vista.

Lima, Peru Temple

He Made It!!

Well I made it to Peru, so this is great! We didn't get back until like 3 a.m. and we all didn't go to sleep until like almost 4 but they let us sleep in until 8:30 so that was nice of them.  When we got there there were already two native missionaries that were asleep and we turned on the lights and were super loud and woke them up lol but they woke us up at like 6:30 so were even now.  When they woke us up one of the native elders looked at me and started speaking Spanish and I just smiled and went back to sleep haha.  I have some pictures to send but I'll do that later when I have more time.  Love you guys a lot and I can't wait to serve the Lord!

The Fam!

He's Off!

Arrived at the Lima Airport at midnight.