7/03
a spanish mission is like learnung to breath with a burlap sack over your head, but I really am loveing it,in a not sleeping because of barking stray dongs sort of way.
It's the first day on in the feild, the president let us have our p-day today insted of monday,so that's fun. My trainer is (Elder P). Honestly he looks alot like me, but he is not going bald and he has more of a belly than I do, but if I were a lattain American, he is what I would look like. Peruvian pizza tastes like okay ameican pizza, but for the next 2 years I am going to be eating rice, chicken, and poatoes. I don't speek spanish yet, infact I really have a long way to go. I know that the gift of toungs is real, but that it takes faith, faith takes action and that means that I just have to keep going untill I come home. =D but no Most people say you are usually okay by moth 3. I hope to understand much more by next week, I really did jump in feet first, but I am not worried because God and my trainer know what they are doing.
My trainer tells me alot that I am very happy, I hope to keep that up. We are opening up a new area, and because I not only not speak shanish, I also am a brand spankin new missionary. So I think he might feel a little over welmed but he is a champ.
on a diferent note 90% of m words on this screen have the red" incorect" line underneth them, and so I don't know if I am just very bad at spelling or I am writein english words on a spanish computer. My English spelling has gotten worse, I feel like I don't speak any language any more. I really am doing fantastic, and I can't wait to get into the swing of things. I love you so very much, have an amazing week. Love Elder Roos
7/08
Peru is a dirty, smoggy, beautiful place, spanish is putting up a fight but it is coming. I know that god handpicked my companion because he drives me nuts! haha, anyway he use to be a Zone LEader and now I think he is stuggleing to be a trainer. but I am getting the swing of things. I do have internet, we go to a internet café with the weirdest keyboards. so sorry this message is ruff, we went shopping oday , and it is funny how much conterfit stuff they have here, they have kindof taken everything they like about the USA and massproduced it.
It feels like I have been here for a very long time, but I really have only been out for 3 weeks. My area is called Villa Maria, and it's kind of the New Jersy to the New York that is Lima. Everything is bilt around and on top of the many mountains that stickout of the ground, o there are alot of hills. The pople here are kind, but at the same time kindof closed off. We have a total of 11 investigators and gain more everyday. The hardest part is finding the people at home. they don't really keep comitments, but something tells me that's the mission. We have one invesigator named Rosa, she is the sister inlaw to the ward mission president, so she is ready, she is going to be baptized on the 4th of August, and she is atending church. Her faith is so strong, and I'm glad I had the opurtinity to beone of her missionaries. The ward is amazing, and really is the reason why we are here, the ward was doing so well, they needed to open a new area..and here we are! I really don't know what we would do without the members, they are so willing and ready to work, they help so much during lessions. When you have a gringo who doesn't really speek spanish and some guy from Bolivia,it helps to have someone from perú there to help. The food here is fantasic, The 3 basic food groups are Chicken, rice, and potatoes, but what theese people can do with those 3 things is incredible! I love my Companion, it is hard some times because we are diferent is oh so many ways, but I'm geting the hang of this mission thing. =)
7/22
This week went by very quickly, we are not haveing as much sucess as we would like, but the work is going well. I learn so much every day. Spanish is comeing, I got to be companions with another gringo Elder Aaron for one day, and it was fantastic, he put all my worries to rest, and game me some tips and advice that has helped alot. It turns out that not undertanding your trainer is a regulan thing, and it sounds like i9t has been alot worse for diferrent people. Don't get me wrong, I love my Copanion, and I know he is trying, so all is well.
So in other news, I'm going to answer a few questions now, and I hope you enjoy them. First off I get around by mostly walking, our area is in a big clump of hills so everyone is clumped together, in fact it is verry common for more than one family to live in one big house, so we walk but a big thing are theese tiny little moto taxie things, they are motercycles that have been tricked out so they can carry up to 3 people, and everyone has one, they help from getting to place to place, but they don't move fast enough to be street worthy, so they are only used to get around on area.
they are very inexpencive, but we only use them when we are in a hurry.
For Breakfast, we fend for our self, in our make-shift kitchen, but for the other two meals we pay a member to cook for us. The food here is amazing! all they eat is chicken, rice, and potatos, but what they can do with theese things is amazing!
We can nolonger play soccer or basketball because tomany missionaries have been sent home. So instead we play Ultamate Frisbie.. a game that perúvians can not play, because they don't know how to throw or catch, all their sports skill is in there feet.
P-day is nomal, but today we get to go to the central of Lima...I don't know what that means but every one is super pumped..so bring it on!
7/29
So really quick, The sentral of Lima is... think of Down Town D.C. with less cool monuments, less interesting history, and a lot of Peruvian flags. Basicly it is a tourist trap. We went to a museum about how the cathloics use to brutily torcher torture..i don't know, inflicked a lot of pain, for people to repent of their sins, another exsample of why Cathoics are crazy, and the church is true. Other than that we just bought stuff. I didn't buy much.
I am geting use to the "I'm Cathoic and I'm going to listen to you but not really" look. Most of the mebers here are ither converts or no more that 2 to max 3 generations, and the mix is diferent everywhere. But everything is fine and dandy, We have a baptism on saturday, so that's awsome! Love you all stay with god. Elder Roos.
