22 June 2009--3 Bautismos en Pichanaki!

Well we had three more baptisms this weekend. Elder Barba and Villanueva had 2 and Elder Maldonado and I had another. We baptized a girl named Jenny, and she was really excited about her baptism. She really doesn’t have much help from her mom and step dad, but she is really excited to continue in this góspel so we are really happy for her. We had a bunch of people in church yesterday, we had about 7 investigators, and Carlos and Willy were there. We are preparing them for baptism for next Saturday, and they are just great. They both are about 25, and I guess they both weren’t the best of people, but they really want to repent and turn their lives around. Its awesome because they want us to come and teach them like every day, and we give them a chapter in the Book of Mormon and they always have it read. Usually marked up with a bunch of questions too. Its great to see them progressing so well.
We also have another couple that need to get married, and we talked to the Mayor of Satelite a Little part of Pichanaki, and he said he can do the wedding for cheap. They are Wilmer and Maritza and they really want to be baptized with their kids too, we just have to help them follow all of the commandments first starting with the Law of Chastity. We also have another couple that need to get married, and the husband came to church Sunday. I guess they have had a few problems in the home, but we are helping them to see how much the góspel can bless their lives. So the work is really going awesome.
Today I got the other three Elders to go running with me, but we ran a mountain. Two of them died about half way up, but Elder Barba was able to make it. He ran in high school so he is a lot of fun to run with. We ran to the cross, and it was awesome. I just love the time we have in the morning to excercise. Its great being able to run, and my companion even comes on the days he is tired and just sits on the park bench while I run around the park. Its great. Its still as hot as ever, and it just about kills my companion. I love the heat though. If he doesn’t have his umbrella he is usually complaining quite a bit, but we are doing some good work. Its hard to believe that we have changes in 2 weeks, and I really want to have one more change in Pichanaki. We have these awesome investigators, and I am just going to miss everyone so much.
So everything is really going great. They are having a big festival of coffee these next few days. Everyone has a coffee field here in Pichanaki. I guess it is one of the leading coffee producers in Peru, and is what Pichanaki is know for. So these few days will be pretty interesting.
Well just want you all to know that I love you, and thanks for all you do for me. Love getting all of the letters, and can’t wait to hear more from everyone. Nos Vemos, Chow!

15 June 2009--Hey Guys!!!

Everything went so awesome this week here in Pichanaki. We had fast Sunday last week, and I saw the blessings all week from the fast. Right now we have three investigators with a baptismal date for this month, and they are all progressing really well. We have a girl named Jenny that is going to be baptized next Sunday, and then we have Carlos and Julio. Two brothers one is like 30 and the other is probably 25, and they are awesome. Julio came to the baptism last week, and Carlos actually was in church, and brought his friend Willy. We had 7 investigators in Sacrament Meeting. It was awesome. We also have a couple named Wilmer and Maritza. They have three kids, and they have been to the last 2 activities on Fridays and came to church for the first time Sunday! They really enjoy being in the church, and being with the members. They had a few problems before, but I am just so excited they are turning things around. The problema is they aren’t married so that is our first goal, and then we are going to move on to baptism. They want to get baptized though, so we’ll be working hard. So the work is just going awesome. We also have a sister named Julianna Jara that really is like an experienced member of the church. She is always at the activities with her daughter, and I can tell she knows that its true, but she doesn’t feel ready to accept a baptismal date yet. I know she will though, we are going to be working and praying hard for her, because she really will be an amazing member of the church. She actually got up in the class, and said the closing prayer Sunday. It was awesome. We just have a ton that are progressing really well right now, we just have to help them progress for their baptisms.
So last week we visited one of the native communities about 40 minutes outside of Pichanaki called Pampamichi. The natives let us dress up in their traditional clothing, and told us a Little about how they do things there. It was pretty cool, they go and hunt with these huge bow and arrows, and they just live off the land, its pretty cool. They had a soccer field there too, so we played a Little soccer after and it was a lot of fun. I’m still getting a good run in every morning. Hno Luis called on Thursday at 5 in the morning, and said Elder Lee Im downstairs lets go run! It was awesome. It reminded me of waking up at 4:45 with Dad when he had to go to work. I was telling Hno Luis about it too, and he thought it was awesome. He and his family are really the best, Im going to miss them a ton when I leave. If you guys come pick me up, they are definitely a family we are going to have to visit. Oh and Thursday we had the hardest rain I think I have seen in my life. We were teaching a lesson, and Heard a Little thunder and it started raining hard, so hard that the dirt road outside our apartment was completely full of wáter within about ten minutes, that was the most rain I have seen in such a short amount of time. Luis was worried about his family though so we ended up running in the rain for about a mile before we could catch a moto to his house. We were soaked, but it was awesome. I-m really loving the work, and I couldn-t be happier. This is really the best decisión I have ever made. Andrew keep preparing for the misión buddy. You are going to love It!
Love You guys, and I love hearing from Everyone!
Love Elder Lee

8 June 2009--Ohhh Yeaahhh!!!

Hey sounds like everything is going awesome at home. Sounds like your all alone though, mom. So the kids went off to the trek this morning. They are going to have a blast. Allison is off in Nevada too, hope everything is going well for her down there. Mom, good luck in your class today. Don’t be too nervous I know that you are going to do awesome. Dad, sounds like everything is going great with the job, I’m praying for you guys everyday, and I know that you will make the right decisions, just follow the spirit in everything. That is awesome Karen and Nate are going to live over there for a little while, that is going to be a lot of fun. Hey and Ted got married, that is awesome can’t wait to meet her in a year! That’s crazy what is happening at the Mtc too. Everytime I think of the MTC it just brings me pure happiness. It is just one of the most spiritual places on earth, and so much food  I remember leaving the MTC, and I heard worldly music and it just about killed me. I didn’t want to hear any of that. It truly was such an amazing experience. Oh and tell Toby and Cam and everyone else that I have been getting there letters but I need everyones new addresses because they are sending a few of my letters back because the people aren’t at college anymore. But tell everyone hi for me, and I love you all.
Well things in Pichanaki are going great. It was actually a little chilly the other night, and I had to pull out my blanket for the first time in like 5 months here! It was actually kind of nice to have a little chilly weather. The work is going better too. We just had fast Sunday, and I absolutely love the opportunity to fast. It is amazing how the Lord blesses us everytime when we sacrifice just a little bit. My testimony of fasting and prayer is so huge now I really wish I could fast every week, but they only allow like 2 times a month I think. We had Jenny that is preparing to be baptized next week come to church, and she is excited as ever We also had a baptismal service yesterday, and we had a new investigator Julio who is about 40 come. He couldn’t make it to church so I was a little sad, but when we passed by for the baptism he ran inside and changed, and we took him to the baptism. He is about 40 or so, and he really wants to change his life around. We are going to be working really hard with him, and he is really excited to come to church and stuff after seeing the baptism. We are going to be preparing him for the 27th.
So the work is really going good here in Pichanaki, and I can only see things that are going to get better. I can see the Lord blesses us so much more when we put in our part and work as hard as we can, and he always takes care of the rest. Love you guys, and love hearing from everyone. Keep up the good work. Love you!!
Elder Lee

1 June 2009--Una buena semana

Hola Familia, Como estan todos!

Things are going great here in Pichanaki. We had 2 more baptisms last week here in Pichanaki in the are of Elder Villanueva and Elder Barba. One of the baptisms was a guy named Reuben who was one of the worst alcoholics posible, and was living in the street practically ready to die. One day Luis Pastor a recent convert of about 6 months that just recieved the Melchezidek priesthood picked him up, fed him, cut his hair helped him bathe, and literally saved his life. He hasn’t touched alcohol for over 2 months now, and he has completely repented. It was really special to see Luis have the opportunity to baptize him, and it just made me so happy to see how he completely repented of all of the terrible things he has done, and is starting over with a new life following Christ. We have known him for about 3 months, and it just made me over joyed to see him enter into the fold.
They have also been teaching a young man named Roy who is 17. He is great and has been asisting for about a month now. I have never even taught him just had know him in the church, and the activities, but when they asked who he wanted to baptize him he said Elder Lee. It suprised me a little bit, but I baptized him. Everybody is always joking with me saying that the people in the street just come up to me and say, /Gringo bautizame!/ Its not true, but they are always saying that everybody wants the Gringo to baptize them. It was pretty funny though.
Well I’m living Pichanaki, and I love the food more and more everyday. Mom, I am really going to eat everything you put in front of me when I get home. I’m a changad man  I just couldn’t be happier to be a missionary right now, and it just makes me sad that the time is passing so fast. I just want you all to know that my testimony has grown so much since I left for the misión, and it is really the best thing I have ever done. It really has increased so much my knowledge of the gospel, and my testimony of how following this gospel is the only thing that will bring true happiness in our lives, just share it with everyone. How important it is for all of us to let everyone know the beautiful gospel that we know. Thanks for being such an amazing family. I love you guys so much, and am always praying for you. Don’t worry about me, I just couldn’t be happier. Love you!! Chow!

Elder Lee