16 August 2010--Nos Vemos Jueves!!!!

Wow, it is hard to believe the time has finally come.  It is beginning to hit me that I am going to be home in 3 days, and I just can't believe it.  I don't need anything for the trip home, I actually started packing my stuff last night because I don't think there is going to be much time these last days.  Wow, I am way excited to get back home studying and running again.  I really can't wait to see you guys too, It is going to be awesome.  I'm kind of sad Steph and Allison aren't going to be there, but I will be seeing them soon so I am not to worried.  I'm just way excited to be with my family again.  I'm going to start thinking about what I can share for my talk on Sunday.  It is going to be weird giving a talk in English after 2 years of giving talks in Spanish, but we'll see how it goes.  I'm going to share some of the experiences I have had too.  I just can't believe that after two years I'm going to be with you guys in 3 days.  Its incredible!!

The work is going amazing as always.  The hardest thing for me is going to be having to leave all of the wonderful people here in Huancayo.  I just absolutely love our converts and the members here, and it is going to be like leaving a second family.  Its going to be awesome because we have a baptism this Tuesday right before I head home.  I don't know if you guys remember Marilù and her family, but they were baptized about 2 months ago.  Well out of the 7 in their family 4 were baptized, and their other daughter of 15 years always says that she is Catholic and that she feel fine in her church.  The other night we watched the video "Together Forever" with her, and she completely changed and said, "Hnos, I want to be baptized."  It was amazing, after 4 months teaching this family and she finally felt the spirit, and she couldn't be more excited to be baptized.  This family is seriously one of my favorite families in the world.  Last night we went to visit them, and thier daughter Sarah of 7 years was balling saying that she wanted me to baptize her.  I am so sad because she is going to be 8 years old this Sunday.  She has been telling me to tear up my ticket so I won't go yet.  I promised them that I am going to call Sunday for her birthday and baptism though.  I told them that I am going to come next summer to visit them, so we need to do a family trip or something.  The hna Marilù really wants to meet you guys.  We were with the familia Portacarrero yesterday too, and we need to be here for their sealing next year, so it all should work out pretty good  I just want you guys to know the people here.   They are seriously so amazing, since the first visit they treat you like you are a member of their family.  I am going to miss Peru so much.  I guess it is just time for the next step in my life.  It is just so hard to let the mission go  There is really nothing better than bring the gospel to people that need it so much.  This is the good life!!

 

Well can't wait to see you guys, and have some fun for a few days.  The thing that helps me feel better about leaving the mission is being with the family again.  Thanks for all of your love and support, and I guess this is the last e-mail of my mission.  OHHHHHHH YEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!  Love you all!!!

 

Love,

 

Elder Lee

 

There is a picture of the familia Portacarrero too. 

10 August 2010--Yo amo Peru!

Wow, I'm kind of in shock right now realizing that I only have 8 days left!!  We have been in trainings since yesterday morning with Presidente Leyva, and I am just realizing that I am going to miss the mission so much.  We are learning a lot of new things that are going to help missionary work here in the mission a ton.  I just am happy that I have another week to be practicing a few of these things.  The time has really passed so quickly lately I can not believe it.  There are just so many people that I absolutely love here in Peru, it is really going to be hard to leave them.  Its all good though, I guess thats just how the mission is. 

 

This last week was absolutely amazing though.  Saturday we had 4 baptisms.  The Portocarrero family, and Yuriko.  It was really an amazing baptismal service, and they all shared very powerful testimonies.  Aldo, Gloria, and Junior took us out to eat "Pollo a la brasa" ,chicken with french fries, after the baptism and they were just so happy for their baptism.  This family is one of the best families I have taught in the mission.  We really have had an amazing experience with them.  The first time we taught them instead of teaching the first lesson we decided to watch a little movie, "Together Forever", and I swear the whole family was crying they were so happy.  They were in church the next day, and they have been completely faithful since.  It was just so great to see them baptized Saturday.  They are already planning for the temple next year, and I would really love to come down on vacation to see them sealed in the temple.  They are just an awesome family.  Yuriko is the neise of our pensionista, and she is awesome too.  Her whole family are Catholics and they weren't really supportive of her decision, but she knows that this church is true, and decided to be baptized anyway.  She really has a ton of faith, and she even told us she wants to be a missionary.  I don't know if she is going to make it to that though, the young man who baptized her is a return missionary, and I think there might be something going on there :) 

 

We did a fast as a zone to try to reach our goals this month of August, and we recieved so many blessings.  An investigator that we had left because he wasn't progressing well came to the baptism, and just told us that he was ready to be baptized!!  Wow, we were so happy, and he said he wants me to be his 'Padrino'.  We are going to be preparing him, and hopefully he can be baptized in this next week before I take off.  We'll see what happens. 

 

Huancayo has seriously been the best area that I have been in, and I'm going to miss it a ton.  Its been the best working here with Elder Hurtado and all of the Elders and hermanas in the zone, and its going to be hard leaving them, but I guess thats just how it goes. 

 

Thanks for the e'mail mom, I think I might need to buy a few cloths when I get back, but other than that I should be good to go.  I'm so excited to see you guys soon, and am so happy to here all of the success everyone has been having.  Its going to be great, and when I get home we all need to go eat at Chukarama or something like that.  Its going to be sweet to chill with BJ again too.  Love you guys, and can't wait to see everyone!! 

 

Love,

 

Elder Lee

 

The pictures are of the baptism of Aldo, Gloria, Jr, and Yuriko.  Making Leche Asada, and a zone activity we did last Monday

 

Wow you are not going to believe it, but since they operated me we have had two more missionaries that have been operated here in Huancayo with apendicitis!!  Elder Marsden in our zone just got operated Sunday.  I don't know whats going on, but President jokingly told me that i am contagous or something.  Pretty cracy, but everyone is good to go.

2 August 2010--Nestor y Haydee se Bautizaron!!

Wow, sounds like things have been going pretty crazy at home.  It is great to hear that everything is turning out ok with the house in Tooele.  That is awesome that there is finally a family that is going to buy it.  I hope everything goes well with that bank appraisal and everything.  I'll be praying for you guys.  Sounds like everyone is still working hard though, and enjoying themselves.  Thanks for the updates on everything.  Wow, it is hard to believe that I only have just over two weeks left.  The time is just flying, but there is still so much work to do!! Ahhh its crazy!

 

This week was awesome.  We finally had the baptisms of Nestor and Haydee, and it was a really spiritual experience.  It was so great to hear their testimonies after their baptism, and hear how much the gospel has blessed their family.  The goal now is the temple to be sealed as a family.  They are such an awesome family.  They were so happy to be married finally, and then their baptisms just made them all that much happier.  It was a great experience.  We have another family that is going to be baptized this Saturday.  Their names are Aldo, Gloria, and Jr. They are just great, and they are literally counting the days until their baptism.  Everytime we go to their house their son Jr. tells us how many days are left until his baptism.  

This family is really amazing, and they were only a contact in the street.  Its funny because every time we go to their house, they have already read the pamphlet for the next lesson, and they practically teach it to us.  Aldo had to travel to Lima this week, and he is going to pass by the temple to buy some stuff from the distribution center.  Wow, they are awesome.  We also have the neise of our pensionista that is going to be baptized this Saturday too, and she is just excited as ever.  Her family aren't really in support of her decision to be baptized, but she knows its true, and there is nothing stopping her.  It is great to see the faith she has in the Lord.  The Lord has really blessed us with a ton of amazing families that are being baptized, and we just couldn't be happier.  The only thing that makes me sad is the people that we are finding these days we are challenging them for baptism for the end of August, and I'm not going to be here.  We are really having more success than I have had in the whole mission.  We are just loving life. 

I wrote an e-mail to the office to send the intinerary again.  I think they sent it to the wrong address, but I'm going to get home at the Salt Lake airport at like 3 in the afternoon I think.  I don't have it with me right now, but they should send it.  If not I will make sure I have it next Monday.  You guys don't know how excited I am to see you again.  Only a few more weeks!!  Thanks for everything, love you more than you know!!

 

Love, 

Elder Lee

26 July 2010--Lo Maximo!! Happy Birthday Jen!!

Yo J-flee, whats kickin home slice!!  J-pride!!! Yeah, Yeah!  Jen, hope you had an awesome b-day.  Wow, I think you are 14 now, no?  Thats crazy, how fast time has flown.  Your old!!  Ha ha have a good b-day!!  A big b-day hug and kiss from your big bro!!

This week was just awesome like last week.  Friday we finally had Victor Tecona's baptism.  It was great because we have been teaching him since I got to Huancayo, and it was good to see him finally be baptized.  His baptism was at 7 at night and we called the ward secretary to fill the baptismal font and heat up the water. The problem was he was getting everything ready for the ward temple trip, and never made it to heat up the water.  So I ended up having to baptize him in ice water!  Wow it was way cold, but once I started to say the prayer I really didn't feel cold at all.  Usually when we get out of the water we feel cold, but it was the exact opposite.  The water was so cold when I got out it actually felt hot, it was pretty funny.  Sunday we had the baptisms of Mercedez and her daughter Fabiola.  They were way excited, and it went really well.  We were going to have the baptism at night, but they called us and told us we would be traveling to Lima Sunday after church for the zone leader confrence.  So we did the baptism right after the church meeting, and then booked it to the bus, Cruz del Sur, and we were off to Lima again.  We actually just got out of the zone leader council, and it went really well.  The last month practically all of the zones in the mission are going to meet their goals!  We had a training last change about putting more faith and the commitment to reach our goals and it has really worked for the whole mission.  This month we lost 50 missionaries to the lima north mission, but we are still going to have the same number of baptisms with 50 missionaries less.  Everyone is really excited.  It looks like there are going to be a few changes in the mission with zone confrences, and training all of the leaders in the mission.  It is going to be interesting, and I'm just sad I'm not going to be here to experience the changes  Everyone has been giving me a pretty hard time because I only have like 3 weeks left in the mission.  I am really going to miss the mission though.  Elder Hurtado and I have the goal of baptizing 30 people before I go home.  We have 14 right now, only 16 more to go, and I have 3 weeks.  We'll see how much the Lord blesses us these last 2 weeks.  In these next two weeks we have 7 with baptismal dates, and they are all so excited.  We have Gloria, Aldo, and Jr. who are an amazing family that we contacted 2 weeks ago, and they are so excited to be baptized.  They have already seen so many changes in their lives, and the gospel is already blessing their family a ton.  I love this family, and they are going to be baptized the 7th of August.  We also have Nestor and Haydee that are going to be baptized the 31st because the hna Haydee had drank coffee.  She was so sad to postpone her baptism, but I'm sure the Lord is just showing her the importance of repentance, and I'm sure she will never drink coffee again.  

I can't remember if I already told you the changes, but I'm staying in Huancayo!!!  I seriously couldn't be happier to finish up here in this ward.  I really think it is my favorite ward that I have had in the mission.  We only lost 2 missionaries from the zone, and we are really excited to keep working hard to reach our goals.  I really can't believe how much the Lord has blessed us the last change.  It is hard to count all of the blessings, and I just don't know how I can re-pay the Lord.  Well I guess its just going to be giving it my all to the very end, even though there isn't much time left.  

I'm feeling better and better every day running, and I'm looking forward to the stansbury triathlon when I get back.  Did you already sign me up for it dad?  I hope so, I am feeling pretty good, and I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do.  Thanks for the e-mails and the dear elders.  Steph really enjoyed your letter, and tell Sam Mitchell thanks for the letter too, and good luck in the mission.  I'll be writing from home.  Tell Cam thanks for the letter too, and I'm really sorry I haven't written anyone.  Oh and thanks Grandma and Grandpa, really enjoy the weekly dear elders.  Love you all, and thanks for all you do for me.  Have a great week!!

 

Love, 

 

Elder Lee

19 July 2010--5 Bautismos, un Matrimonio!! Yeah Yeah

This week was just as awesome as the last, if not better.  We have been working hard all week long, and it really paid off.  This Saturday we had 5 more baptisms!!  It was great.  We had Carlos and Victor, 2 brothers that have been attending church for quite some time.  We also had the hna Maria and her son Jhonny, which was a great experience with them.  The hna Maria Friday before her baptism Saturday had become a little disanimated and she didn't know if she wanted to be baptized.  So we shared our testimonies with her, and a few experiences, and we said we would talk with her more Saturday morning before the baptism.  It was great because when we arrived she and her son Jhonny were just as excited as ever for their baptism.  This happened just after we had started our fast.  It really is amazing the blessings the Lord gives us when we sacrifice a little.  Then we had another young man named Renzo that was baptized too.  It was just an amazing experience.  Everything just seems to go much better when we are fasting.  The other thing that was awesome this weeekend was the marriage of Nestor and Haydee.  They were going to get married last month, but there were some complications and they weren't able to do it.  Saturday morning they got married, and we have their baptism planned for next Sunday!!  They are such a great couple, and they really have recognized how much the gospel is really blessing their lives.  For next Sunday we also have a mother and daughter, Mercedez and Fabiola.  They are hilarious, everytime we ask the hna Mercedez if she is excited for her baptism she gives us two thumbs up, and says, "Yes! Yes!"  Its pretty hilarious.  We also have another brother named Victor Tecona that was going to be baptized when I first came to the area, but he has had some difficulties coming to church because he is in the military.  He heard I was leaving soon though, and he said that I had to baptize him before I left.  It was awesome.  The blessings this week were really uncountable.  We also have another investigator named Edith, that has been attending church we are just trying to excite her for her baptism.  So hopefully we can have like 6 more baptisms the next week!!!

 

Things in the ward are going awesome too.  I don't think I have had a ward down here in Peru so excited to help out in the work.  Everytime we see a ward member they are either giving us a reference or asking when they can go around and teach with us.  Its just amazing.  I really couldn't be happier here in the Lords work.  I absolutely love Huancayo!  What makes things even better is we are getting a good run in everyday too.  I challenged my companion to run with me everyday until I finish, and I think he is going to do it.  The good life. 

Its good to hear everything is going so well back home.  Its just sad that the summer is passing so fast, but I guess that is how it always is.  Keep up the good work, and thanks for everything you do for me.  Love You!!!

Elder Lee

The pictures are of the baptism, and in Nestor and Haydee's house that just got married. 

12 July 2010--Oooohhhhh Yeaaaahhhh!!

Wow, this week had to be one of the best weeks in my mission.  There were just so many good things that happened I just don't know where to start.  First I had my doctors appointment in Lima on Wednesday.  I went did a blood test, and when I saw the results everything looked normal.  I went into the doctor, who did a bunch of tests on me, and I just about jumped for joy when he told me I was healthier than su assistant!  The first thing I asked him was if I could do excercise again, and he said I could do all I wanted.  Wow, was I happy.  Elder Hurtado and I have the goal to go running everyday for the rest of my mission.  Its crazy running here though, because its such a high altlitude.  I think its like 3,500 Meters above sea level, but it is awesome for training because there isn't that much air.  Its great.  I can eat whatever I want now too, oh what a blessing.  I've been eating boiled chicken with rice and vegetables for like 2 months straight.  Its going to be nice to switch things up a little bit. 

       So as the week went on things just kept getting better.  We were a little low on new investigators because we have been doing a lot of divisions trying to animate the zone.  So Saturday Elder Hurtado and I were back together again, and we were just ready to give it our all for our area.  We decided to do a fast after lunch Saturday, and the blessings just started coming immediately.  We taught a new family that we contacted in the street, and they were just ready to hear the gospel.  We challenged them to assist with us to church Sunday, and they accepted immediately.  So Sunday mornimg we had to do divisions with two young men because we had so many investigators to pick up.  I ended up bringing two families, and Elder Hurtado 2 more.  By the end of Sacrament Meeting we had 16 investigators in the meeting.  I could not believe it, and everyone was just excited to be there!!  I think I'm going to be fasting every week for the rest of my mission!!  

        It was our turn to give talks in Sacrament meeting too.  My companion talked about Enduring to the End, and I talked about the importance of reading the Book of Mormon everyday.  We handed out a bunch of papers that the ward members could color as they read each chapter in the Book of Mormon, and everyone was just way excited.  So many members came up to us after the meeting giving us references I was just absolutely amazed.  Its amazing what happens when you gain the confidence of the ward members, everyone just gets excited about the work.  We seriously have tons of people coming up to us wanting to go around and teach.  I seriously can't believe it.  

        Then things just kept getting better.  We had the baptism of Sheyla Sunday night, but she gave us a huge scare.  She said she would be at her house, but her boyfriend had taken her some place, and he didn't want her to get baptized.  We were really worried, and we got ahold of her, and were talking to her in the street for a good 15 minutes.  After sharing our testimonies with her she said that she was going to be baptized.  How much we suffered, but she came and was baptized just as happy as ever.  I have realized that sometimes things just don't come that easy in the Lords work, but you can never give up.  The Lord always wins, we can just never be disanimated.  I seriously don't think the Lord has blessed me this much in my whole life.  We have changes next week, and if they change me from this area I think I'm going to die.  I don't think I've felt this good in the whole mission.  My companion is the best that I have had, and it just seems like we are always on the same page.  This next week we have appointments about every 30 min.  I don't know how we are going to do it, but its going to be a good time :)  

         Well thanks for everything.  I really love you guys and all you do for me.  Thanks for always writing too.  There was a great suprise that Andrew wrote me too.  Love You!!!

 

Elder Lee 

 

Oh that is so awesome that Bro. Wall is bishop, he has really always been one of my favorite people.  I definitely want to go visit before I'm off to college. 

6 July 2010

Wow, sounds like the last week has been awesome.  I was thinking of what you guys were doing for the 4th, and it sounds like it was a blast.  Its definitely my favorite holiday.  Don't you guys worry next year I'll be in the 5k with you too.  Thats awesome that practically the whole family did the 5k.  Some pretty awesome times too.  Mom congratulations on your first 5k, now next year you just have to beat your time.  I am just way excited about hearing how well everything went.  Sounds like the fireworks were amazing too. 

This week was another awesome week in the Lords work.  We had the confirmations of Marilu and her family, and Miguel, and they are just as happy and excited as ever.  Marilu already has presented us one of her friends that already wants to be baptized.  Her testimony is already so strong, it is just great.  I seriously love their family.  We also took Miguel around proselyting with us, and we made him contact a few people.  It was awesome, he was really nervous to do it at first, but he actually even got us a new investigator.  We are just so happy with them.  I just can't believe how much the lord is blessing us right now.  We had an amazing fast sunday.  Carlos and Victor are two brothers that have been attending church for like 2 months, and they always have a ton of doubts.  This sunday we taught the Plan of Salvation, and instead of all of their doubts they accepted everything.  We couldn't believe it.  We challenged them for the 17th of July, and the accepted directly.  We were so happy, and we know it was a blessing from the fast.  We also have a family of three Maria, Jose, and Jhonny that we are teaching, and they are also excited to be baptized the 17th.  I just couldn't be happier with how everything is going right now.  The Lord is really blessing us.  Then in church Sunday they said there were more people than they had ever seen in sacrament meeting.  It was so full there were people standing in the back.  It was awesome, and all of the members were coming up to us giving us references!  We were so suprised.  I think we need to fast every week!!

Yesterday we had P-day with Hna Leyva and her daughters.  Presidente was supposed to come but he had to stay in Lima, so he didn't make it until the multizone conference at 5 pm.  We had an awesome P-day though.  We took a tour of the valley of Mantaro.  We went to a few places that had art stuff, a milk factory that had delicious cheese, a way old Catholic Cathedral, and then a place were the raise trout.  It was an awesome p-day, but the conference after was even better.  When Presidente Leyva was giving his training about becoming as Christ and our journey to achieve this.  I just felt the spirit so strong, and I felt that I don't want my time as a misionary to end so quickly.  I love the mission, and I just feel so happy right now.  I'm really going to miss Presidente and his family too.  We'll be in contact though, that is the good thing. 

Oh and they told me they already sent you my flight plans.  Have you gotten them.  I guess I'm going to be leaving at like 10pm the 18th and so I should be arriving sometime on the 19th.  At like 3 in the afternoon I think.  Wow, I just can't believe the time is coming up so fast.  Tim goes home in like 19 days too.  That is crazy.  I am way excited to be with everyone again though.  Its going to be a good time.  Well thanks for everything, and I'm excited to hear more next week.

Oh and I have a doctors appointment tomorrow, and I'm praying that he says I'm good to go with full excercise.  I think I might stick with the diet though.  My body really feels much better when I don't eat food with a lot of oil and fat.  It keeps me from having diarrea too, and thats always a good thing :)  Thanks for everything.  Nos Vemos

 

Elder Lee