Monday, April 27, 2009

Catch Up Post

I have been negligent to get this out for 3 weeks now. This is a long post so please read all the way to the bottom. Elder Ridge is having a great time serving the Lord in Peru and especially in the Jungle of Iquitos.

April 27th

Last week for p-day Elder Roca and I went to the houses that are floating, and they have bridges in between the houses. It was so awesome but it was a humbling experience seeing the way they live.

We didn’t have the two baptisms that were planned, Jorge got sick and Rosario didn’t want to make time for it. She says she is so busy but wants to do it; Jorge will be baptized next week.

Yesterday in church only 15 people showed up because Saturday night it rained so hard that every house flooded. We helped some families get water out of their houses Sunday afternoon, we used brooms and dust pans, the whole time I was thinking man this would be easier with a wet dry vac, and they don’t have vacuums here.

The other day we were knocking doors and we found this lady that raises parrots and macaws that are huge, she didn’t want anything to do with the church but she asked me if I wanted to take pictures with her birds so I have some sweet pictures with those, the jungle is awesome.

My health is good, well right now it is good, I didn’t tell you guys but I was sick for two weeks and lost a lot of weight but right now I’m fine, everything is good with the comp he is a good guy and we get along.

April 20st

The ward is awesome, the members are really nice to us, some of them are way funny however, there are a ton of inactive. Average Church attendance at church is only around 50 people. They are really nice and humble. Our Ward Mission Leader helps us, he is leaving for a mission in May to Columbia.

A typical P-day we usually we go to the internet place to write in the morning then after we play soccer or go to that zoo or for example today is free day so me and my companion are going to get some stuff done, my pictures, his pictures, visit some of the river stuff that we have wanted to do.

Well, we had Anita’s baptism it was way good. Roca baptized her, and she was confirmed on Sunday. This week we have Rosario’s baptism and Jorge baptism. Rosario didn’t get baptized but she wants to on the 23rd which is a Thursday so we will do that for her, Anita will be baptized this Saturday I’m excited for that, we have this kid Jorge and Enrique, their parents went inactive and came back so we have to baptize them, we had a family come to church Sunday but they are living together so we are going to get them excited to get married and then baptize them hopefully.

April 13th

So my Easter Sunday lunch consisted of this. I go to the member’s house and we sit down, we are talking having fun, then the sister brings out the soup, she gives me the soup and I look in the soup and see a big white ball that looked like white ground beef. I’m thinking to myself wow this should be fun, you’re not suppose to ask what it is before you eat but I was like what the heck I can take it, so I asked sister, “what is in the soup, is it meat? it looks good.” She says oh elder it is so good you’re going to love it, it very healthy, ok but what is it, its blah blah she said a weird name I haven’t heard of, I said what’s that, well its cow brains, I said mmmm can’t wait to eat and dug right in, trying to get the thought off my mind that I was chewing on a cow brain, so now I have basically eaten every part of the chicken and every part of the cow, man I could go for mimis apple pie right now ha-ha, that was my Easter lunch.

The other day we were walking down the street and I look in a window and I see this tucan sitting in a house, I was like look Roca a tucan lets go contact that person, so we went and I have some cool photos of a toucan on my arm just chilling there.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

A Boxer, Mosquito Net and a Hungry ATM

March 30th


First of all my new companion is awesome. We get a long and he is humble. Before the mission he was a boxer so he is big. We have the same time in the mission, I lead the area and meetings and lessons cause he doesn’t know anybody but he reports to our district leader and stuff, we are pretty even. That’s what I wanted this change was some one that I could be equal this change, we already have learned a lot together, this change is going to be good. Elder Layton is sitting next to me and we are telling stories and stuff, he is so funny, I haven’t seen Elder Hyde yet but I have talked to Elder Roldan, he is doing well.

I have not been sick yet here in Iquitos. We do sleep in mosquito nets and they are hot, it’s like a hot box. President is coming Tuesday so hopefully then I will get my package.


April 6th

Well, yes the ATM machine ate my card, I couldn’t believe it, the whole time I was thinking, Dads going to kill me haha, natural reaction. Yes I got the package that you sent, its awesome, thank you so much, I love the shirt and the candy, everything got here just fine including the chocolate.

Yes,I heard the they are sending Elder Cheesman back to Bolivia and couple others that I know. I am happy for them to go back so they can start helping the church there.

We got to go to every session of conference, my favorite talk was Jeffrey R Holland too, it was a amazing. I remember when the announced Larry Gibson (our Stake President has been called in the General Young Men’s Presidency) but I didn’t know it was him, I didn’t but two and two together. I saw Tim Wright singing like always.(A friend from our California Ward sings in the Tabernacle Choir)

Everything down here is good. Our investigators are good, we have found new people to teach that will get baptized, Willer’s brother wants to get baptized now so we are going to teach his brother and his mom, we have a couple of 10 year olds that parents fell away and came back to the church and want them to get baptized. Anita is way good, she is processing and attending church she attended conference and she liked it.