New Area and Training a New Companion

Congrats Emily! and good work Scott. (Elder Ridge’s sister is expecting his first niece and he just found out)

A lot happened this week, yes I left the jungle, it was way sad, I was there 6 months, I love that place and the members there, but it was good to change, we flew out Wednesday at 10 and got to Lima at 12, it was a cool flight because the sky was clear and you passed over the Andes, they are huge. We arrived in Lima and its cold, like humid cold.

I went to the meeting for changes, I saw Elder Roldan and we were taking a little bit, it was good to see him. I am going to the area he left so he was telling me all about it. My area is La Pascana in Comas. It is pretty sweet and it’s big. The chapel is 2 stories, the members are pretty friendly, my room is way nice, it’s pretty ritzy for Lima. My pensionista is way cool and cooks so good, I’m worried that I might get fat here.

(Elder Ridge has the privilege and responsibility of training a new missionary. They refer to trainers as Dads and the trainee as their son.)

My companion is Elder Zarate from Huancayo Peru, I think it is a little bit outside of Lima like 6 hours. ( It is east of Lima) He is a brand new missionary so I’m his dad. He is a nice humble guy, he is the only member in his family and is a convert of 2 years. His family doesn’t really support him, they didn’t want him to go on the mission, and because he left they are not going to support him when he gets back its very sad but he is awesome and he is learning fast.

I’m trying my best to teach everything so he can be a good missionary, sometimes I have to use my patience because he is learning and I’m used to companions that know a lot and we can work together normal but I’m teaching him a lot.

I got your package. I love the rice krispe treats and the pictures and the candy, it was a good package.

We have some investigators in the area. Right now we have the Bishop’s niece named Katty that we are going to baptized on the 15th of August. A young man named Joseph also for the 15th. Joseph’s is 12 years old and his dad is a member. Another young man named Juan Franko he is 12 also and should be baptized on the 15th. We also have a lady named Sandra who is scheduled for the 22nd. We also have a family, they have already been coming to church but were never baptized because they just live together so they are trying to get married and they said that their papers are almost done, so we are hoping to get them married and baptized. That would be awesome, a family of gold. I’m really hoping to have good success this change to start my companion started off with a good mission. We are trying to get 6 baptisms this month.

The other day we were in the street and this big black guy came up to me and yelled in my face what are you doing in my country you (BAD WORDS) in Spanish, I just walked around him and looked at my comp and said man I love this city, and he laughs. Aren’t mission great and full of all kinds of experiences.