August 25~ Crazy Stuff and Just Pray

Buenos Dias Familia y Amigos!! 

    Okay so first off I would just like to share all the crazy, funny stories I have had this week. So first off, my companion and I are teaching this lady (about 45) and she has a little baby...so this is never a good sign when they are holding the baby and it's fussing while we are teaching.  To make a long story short,  I am teaching a principle and everything is going good and then she lifts up her shirt and starts breastfeeding her child while I am teaching...without covering up, and I am trying so hard not to laugh and to concentrate on the lesson for about 10 mins ..and trying so hard not to laugh and my companion also... but I just lost it!  Luckily, there was some crazy music playing, so me and my companion said that we were laughing at the music and apologized and she was laughing with us. Okay so the next day, we are walking down the street and I walk by this grass field (it was in public)  (about 50X50 ft), and I look over and see a man (relieving himself), a woman squatting down using the bathroom, too, at the same time...and then a dog walks up and decides to go at the same time as the man and the woman. SO ya... stuff like this makes the days just go by fast!! haha 
     But anyways sorry, now for the spiritual and important stuff!  We have such an amazing new investigatorame! She was Catholic and right now is studying to be a dentist!  She's the type of investigator that just every commitment we invite her to do, she does (like praying, reading the BOM, etc) and she really trusts in God with everything. She's been reading the Book of Mormon and we have been teaching her a ton! SO, a lesson this week- I asked her if she believed the things we were teaching her were true, and she said yes, and I asked, "How do you know?" and she got all teary and said, "Because I feel it."  So I just want you all to know, God answers prayers, one of my favorite scriptures James 1:5, if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. Everything we teach, testify, and believe, and everything we share with other people (whether they be hard core Catholic, or don't have a relation with God) ..we invite them to do this. PRAY. A person can find out for themselves if it is true, and all they have to do is ask God, with faith, a sincere heart, and with REAL intent and I know God will answer. 

Love you all, have a great week!! I'm going hiking to TORO TORO after email today, it's a hill where you can see all of Huancayo! Have a good week!
~Elder Baca

Ryan's response if they felt the 6.9 earthquake about 180 miles south of Huancayo yesterday:
I think I was in a taxi when the earthquake happened, the people here (in Huancayo) didn't feel it that much.

Aug 18~English is a Weird Language

Eating oreo cake ice cream

Hey Everyone! 

Hope everyone is doing good!! This week was a good week filled with spiritual experiences, lessons, more dogs, and more D... I think it's just the food.  But first off I just want everyone to know that Huancayo got a Starbucks...I can't go into it because it's in a mall but a StarbuckS! hahah crazy!!  This week definitely on the mission I can see how God works...!  How God works in people's lives and in my life as well!  It truly is amazing!  Everyday I'm out here I just realize how amazing this gospel truly is!!  It's a church of constant (individual) change..and a church of constant becoming better!! And that's why I truly do love what I am doing! Sorry this weeks letter is short.  Nothing really exciting happened but we have new investigators that are progressing.  

Well, to finish my letter let me just tell you English is probably the weirdest language...I'm trying to teach my companion English phrases..and haha  it's pretty hard!  Miss you guys but I am working hard trust me!! It's so nice to have everyone's support!! I love you guys so much!!! And ya, my English is starting to go down the drain... making the transition from English to Spanish! 

My hour was so quick.  I had to do a bunch of stuff for training!  I love you!! Send my email to my big group email! And to Dane, too! He emailed me! Love you so much! I'll write more next week.

Love you all! Have a good week!! 

Elder Baca

Aug 11~ Example of Friends

('Baca'= cow in Espanol)

Familia y Amigos!! 

Como Estan?? I hope every had a good week!!  First off,  I just want everyone to know I got the classic Jesus Sheep picture this week..was pretty stoked about that.  Bringing the lost sheep to the Shepherd!  Every missionary has one but the timing needs to be perfect haha! Oh, and I had some mint chocolate chip ice cream as well!!  So this week we had the primest investigator.  We invited her to baptism!! She called the Church office and wanted missionaries to come to her house because she said that her religion didn't know God...and she knew ours knew God very well!.  She said the example of her Mormon friends really impacted her! SO always remember your example really makes an impact! On  Sunday I gave a talk in church...10 min talks in English were pretty hard and with the help of my dearest mother, I could do it...but man 10 mins in Spanish!!  Whooh!  I talked about the importance of member missionary work..through love, charity, service and example first.  It went really good!! Ya but besides that, nothing really happened. Just working hard out here everyday in Peru!  I always start my day off by lifting my cement weights and 20 mins in the bathroom!!! Got to prepare to fight the packs of dogs everyday and to serve the Lord!!  hahaha  I couldn't be more happy!! Hope everyone has a good week.  Love you all!!! 

Elder Baca 

August 4~Bautismos!

Bautismos!

Buenos Dias Familia y Amigos! 

So this past week was filled with more drunk guys, and all day and night partying here in Peru!! Hahah Everyone here dresses up and gets like a marching band together and just dance around the streets to Peruvin Music! Hahah but the most important event  this past week we baptized our 3 investigators! C., G., and X.!  None of them are members. This was such an amazing experience I can't even put it into words!  I am so excited for these 2 years because it is a continual process of learning, serving, teaching, finding, talking, listening to people with their problems with love, crazy people that cuss you out in Spanish, talking to the most humble people, being dead tired, crazy dogs everywhere and just all these crazy things all day every day, and leaving home for 2 years ... but we do this because we know the message that we have changes peoples lives, and it is the best feeling ever to be there for people that really need God and their Savior Jesus Christ, and to be able to help people come to them and feel their love...it is the best thing ever! 
Thank you to everyone that's been such an amazing example to me! Love you all! Have a good week!! 

Elder Baca

To mom:
MAMA! I got your package last Tuesday! Thank you so much for everything! I got to baptize the little boy and it was the best thing ever! My companion is from Ecuador and I love him. He's the best trainer and speaks no English but its helped me a ton because of that. That Inka lady is the best to send packages through! I love that dog tazer its the best thing hahah! I sleep like a rock here and am healthy...a ton of 'D' but the food is a ton of like pollo arroz and pappas. Love you madre ! have a good week!  BESOS!  And I don't even notice the altitude!!!! Also my weights I work out with are a pole with cements blocks!! hahaha ya!!