25 May 2009--CAMBIOS!!!

Well we are sitting here in La Merced waiting for the changes. I’m not going to lie, I think I’m ready for a change. Everything here in Pichanaki is really going well though. We had 4 more baptisms in Pichanaki this weekend. Two in our area and another 2 in the area de Elder Gutierrez. We baptized Joselyn and Gloria. Joselyn is the daughter of Soledad that was baptized in march. Practically all of the family is getting baptized. It is awesome! It just makes me so happy to see when we have baptisms, but then they are faithful in the church after. There are a lot of people here that our inactive, and it just makes you so happy to see a family or a convert stay strong every week in the church. Like the familia Salazar. They are a family that works all day long, but hno walter told his boss that he couldn’t work Sundays, and they are faithful every week. I just love that family. There are so many people that I just love here in Pichanaki. It is going to be hard to leave if I do.
Everything is going great though, I love the new branch President, and he is willing to help a ton. I really think he is going to help this branch change into a ward. We also found a few great new families that really want to change, and that I think will progress really well. A lot of them need to get married though. There are a lot of people here that just live together and never get married. Either just because they don’t have the money to do it, or just don’t want to put the time in. We have massive weddings though, that are a lot cheaper, and they don’t need so many documents either. We’ll be working hard with them to.
Well we are going to play some soccer today finally. It has been a while since we played and I’m ready for it. I got out running today too, everybody in the room never wants to run anymore so I’ve just been jump roping, but I got Elder Gutierrez to sit in the park while I ran, and I feel so much better. I really need to start running everyday again. I think it just brings me happiness 
Well put me down for at least one change more in Pichanaki!!!!! Hey and I’m still with Elder Maldonado for one more change. Holy cow its going to be fun, I guess the Lord has more for me to learn here. Oh yeah, La Bonita Pichanaki!!!! Hey love you all, love hearing from everyone. Talk to you all next week!! Chow
Elder Lee

18 May 2009--Hola, ?Que ta?

Hola!!
How is everyone doing back in Utah? It sounds like Dad had an awesome trip to Colorado Springs, sounds like things are going good with the job. Steph and Andrew are getting ready for their jobs at seven peaks too. That is going to be a lot of fun, you guys are going to love it. I can’t wait till I get to swim again, I love swimming! Allison is headed off to Nevada already. Good luck Allison, that is going to be a lot of fun too. Mom, I’m so glad to hear that you almost have summer vacation, how great it will be for you to have a Little time to rest. You got to love summer vacation! Jen the profesional cellist. Sounds like everyone is enjoying all of your concerts and plays. Keep up the good work, I can’t wait to hear you play. Oh and could you guys send pictures of the family, everyone asks to see my family, but all of my pictures got erased from my camera, so you guys should send me a few to show everyone. Thanks 
Well the work here in Pichanaki is going great. We are working like crazy to help our investigators continue progressing. We have 3 people that are preparing for baptism this Saturday, it kills me sometimes though because sometimes people get a Little disanimated and then we have to get them excited again. Satan really works hard when it gets close to the day of baptism, but with the Lords help everything always turns out just fine. We already have changes next week, and I don’t know what I want. I realized that I will have half my misión in Pichanaki, 4 and a half months. I can’t believe how fast the time has passed. We’ll see what happens with the changes next week.
Oh yesterday I had an awesome experience in priesthood meeting. One of my favorite people here in Pichanaki Luis Pastor has been preparing to recieve the Melchizedec Priesthood. Well he recieved it yesterday, and he asked me to do the confirmation. It was my first time giving the Melchizedec Priesthood, but I just followed the spirit, and it just put in my mouth the words I needed to bless him. I just couldn’t have been happier to have the opportunity to give him that priesthood, and it really just made my day. He is the one that would work out with me every morning at 5:30. It was just awesome, and he and his family are really going to be my friends forever, just like a ton of people here. If I leave this change there are going to be a ton of people that I am going to miss a ton We’ll see what happens though.
Hey thanks to everyone for all of the letters. I’m sorry if it takes me a while to return letters, but I’m going to try harder. Oh and Doug thanks for all the letters don’t worry I’m getting all of them. Thanks to everyone for writing, love hearing from you guys!!
Love, Elder Lee

11 May 2009--Loved the Call!!!

Holy cow you don’t even know how great it was to talk to you guys yesterday. Just like at Christmas it makes me happy the rest of the day just to have that 40 minutes to talk to you guys. I just couldn’t stop smiling. Thank you guys for making me so happy!! Well yesterday church was a little bit of a bummer because there were only like 60 people there, and there are usually about 100. I think everyone traveled for mothers day though. So I’m not too worried about it. We had 4 of our investigators in sacrament meeting, and they are really progressing well. We are hoping for at least 3 baptisms next week. We’ll be praying and working hard to help them gain a testimony so they can make this covenant of baptism. We’ll see how everything turns out.
Well we’re going to see another different snake today, I guess the other one died! It should be pretty fun, we’ll see… We only have 2 more weeks until changes. Elder Gutierrez has been here in Pichanaki for 7 months so I think he is going to leave, and I have like 4 months now so it might be me too. I don’t know though we’ll see what happens. I don’t know if President will want to leave Elder Maldonado here though. He isn’t too responsible. He is my senior companion and all but it seems like I have to be on him a lot to follow the rules, and to work hard. I do the area book every night, and its just a little rougher than my first 2 companions. The good thing is we do get along, and we are always putting goals so our companionship can work more effectively, its just funny because I have to do most everything. Its ok though, every companion is a learning experience. I went running again today for the first time in like a week. I dragged Elder Gutierrez out of his bed to run with me. I ran it in 13.24, 9 seconds off my record. I think I should break it again this week, I just need to be running every day.
Well everything is really going awesome here, and I couldn’t be happier. Everyday I’m trying to improve the missionary and person I am. The church is true, and we are so lucky to be a part of it. Families are forever, and it makes me so happy!! Thanks for everything, I can’t wait to get all of the dear elders and stuff today!! Love you all tons!!
Elder Lee

4 May 2009--Hey fam, how is everyone doing?

Things in Pichanaki are going great. We’re working hard, and we have a few investigators progressing really well. We have set a goal of 5 baptisms for this month of May so we’ll see what happens, and we hope to possibly have more. With the Lords help anything is possible, we just have to put our faith in him and we will have success. It reminds me of the story of Nefi son of Helaman in the Book of Mormon, he worked so hard in the Lords work that the Lord promised him whatever he needed would come to pass. It made me think of how if we are putting everything we have into the work we will have success no matter what.
I think my companion is actually changing too. He is actually are district leader and in district meeting he taught about obedience, and was saying how he needed to work on it more than anyone else, and he wasn’t going to waste anymore time. It made me so happy to hear it, and it has been easier to be more efficient in the work. Well we had a little birthday party type thing today. The members here are all so awesome, they really go all out whenever there is a a birthday in the ward. We got up at 5 to sing happy birthday to the hna Rosa. It was great, and they always have cake so I’m loving it. So everything is really going better, and I really couldn’t be happier to be here in Pichanaki. I really hope I get to stay for at least 1 more change because I don’t know if I’ll get to serve in the jungle after my time here in Pichanaki, and I love everything about it.
We are actually in La Merced today so I’m going to send some pictures of the most recent baptisms. The Familia Salazar, Soledad and Benjamina, Hna Mary Santa, and Tanya and Maria Rojas. We really have a ton of recent converts, and it makes me so happy to see how excited they are in the church. At times the people get baptized and go inactive, and it is terrible to see that. It is so true when President Hinckley said that everyone needs a friend, a calling, and to be nourished by the good word. When they have those three things they really love being at church.
Well just want you guys to know that I love you, and that I know that I’m in the right place serving the Lord here in Peru. I know that when we have faith and put our trust in the Lord anything is possible. Thanks for everything. Look forward to hearing from everyone soon. Oh and I have my pre-call today!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t know what time but I’m going to call for like 3 minutes!!!! Oh Yeah!!!!! Can’t wait to talk to you all!! Chow!!!
Elder Lee