Hola from Peru!! Feliz Navidad!!!

         

 

Hola from Peru!!! Feliz Navidad!!!

 

So I am going to type really fast today because I want to send some pictures. So not much has happened in this past week, we didn't get the chance to go proselyting Saturday because the Latinos were too new to missionary work, so that was a bummer, but yesterday on Christmas Eve was a blast!!! We got up, and we went to the orphanage at like 9 in the manana, and it was really eye opening seeing the poverty that these people live in and it really made me think of how truly grateful I am for all of the things that I have been blessed with en mi vida. At the orphanage we didn't even get to work with the kids, who were really depressing, but we did get a lot of other stuff done, I was in the group working in the corn field. We picked up rocks, tilled the earth, and sorted through bad corn stocks, while a herd of goats ran around us! ha-ha it was great. I am very sore though, I have no idea how farmers do that all day every day!! Some of the other things that we helped with were filling sand bags to line the bank of the stream by the orphanage, we painted tables, fences playground sets, and we did all sorts of other cleaning and chores, such as feeding all of the animals. They are a self-sustaining facility so they have a ton of goats and sheep, all sorts of ducks, and chickens. They have a couple pigs, and they have about a billion guinea pigs (cuy) and some rabbits. Apparently all the Latinos love cuy because whenever we would pass them they would tell me ¨´muy rico´´ or in other words, very delicious!! I can't believe how run down some of the houses and buildings are here and how little the people have, but how happy they can still be.

By the corn field at the orphanage there is some old ruins that I got pictures of, they are so cool; you can decipher each house and the doors and windows. It's crazy how preserved things can still be.

The weather here has been perfect!!!!!! sunny but not to warm, it is quite humid though The effect of the food finally hit about me and half of my district these past few days, and let me tell you, it is not fun going to the bathroom so many times in a day.

So last night for Christmas Eve we watched a video in Spanish about Christ, and then we were able to watch the first presidency devo. in English. I love listening to the words of the prophet; you can tell that he truly is inspired from God. After we watched that they served us cookies, and hot chocolate along with panatone, which is kind of like fruit cake, the Latinos love it!! but only like two North Americans like it. I think it is the sickest thing ever!!! for dinner we have like a regular American dinner, but the food was ten times better than in the US. They have some pretty quality food here. But if you don't like rice then don't come here, we have rice, potatoes, soup, and meat for every meal, and hot dogs for breakfast even on some days. But all the food is so good that it doesn't matter how much of it you eat.

Today we have normal study time and everything this morning, but now we have free time for 4 hours, and then we basically watch movies, and stuff the rest of the night. I am so excited, it doesn't feel like Christmas, but it is like the best Christmas I have had because I am so focused on Christ and the true meaning of why we have this holiday.

Last night all of the Latinos stayed up until 1 in the morning screaming and running around, so no one could sleep, plus Latin America likes to do fireworks and it sounded like world war 3 here!!!! it was insane they were so loud and the noise was coming from all sorts of directions! so it was a pretty sleepless night.

I hope that you all are having a fantastic Christmas!! I would challenge all of you to sit down

Sometime today and forget all the hustle and bustle either as a family or as individuals, and to try and learn 5 new things about Christ to really remember why we are celebrating today.

I started reading Jesus the Christ and it is so amazing the things the Savior did for us!!!

Well I want to leave some time to send pictures, so I am going to go.

How is BJ doing! I haven't heard anything about him. Also tell Mallory that I was the same way about the food. But she just needs to eat it. Tell her to get a wrap from the wrap bar; those are what got me by in Provo. But she needs to eat to have energy to focus on her purpose. Also tell her to memorize the first vision if she hasn't yet, we use it so much in missionary work, it is great to know it by heart, and let me tell you memorizing it in Spanish is so nice to have!!!

Well I love all of you so much! I look forward to reading your emails next week, and to tell you about my experiences!

Only dos semanas mas until the field, its crazy how time flies!! I love you!!

Feliz Navidad!!

con mucho amor

Elder Goaslind!!!!!!!

PS tell my friends I won’t be able to write anymore until the field.