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