Oct 27~Los Pitufos...and CHEWY Baca

Buenos Buenos Buenos Dias today! 

Hope every one is enjoying the daily life of an American Citizen! SO I want to talk a little about the culture this week I have adapted to. This past week on Saturday, they had an Peruvians Next TOP Dance Crew Competition..its so funny like everyone gets in their dance crews and does all this Peruvian dances all day in this huge stadium that's in my area! But all the dance groups were outside practicing and its just a lot of swirling with big colorful dresses! Also there's this Peruvian music I hear all day..its called Huano...more like whining but go listen to it and try to not get it stuck in your head! Yep so that's my Peruvian culture update.

Everything is going way good In my ward, I think I had the most amazing experience with the Spirit last night in one of my lessons!  SO we are teaching these two teenagers named TUPAC (yes Tupac, but he's Italian) and his sister, and also their mom. The thing is with their mom is that she thinks all the churches are the same, and she told us that before our lesson about Baptism, and the Holy Ghost. Honestly, I don't even remember what I really said, the Spirit was so strong, and all i know I said is exactly what she needed to hear. We taught her that as missionaries we aren't just trying to get more members in our church, but we are trying to bring people unto Christ through Baptism, Un baptismal verdedero con Poder y Authoridad, y en la manera de JesuCristo.  And even though Jesus Christ was perfect, He was baptized to keep the commandments of His Father. But she was talking about the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and how He even asked his Father to let this CUP pass from me...so that showed he had imperfections... SO when she said that, i replied with something like this ... I think it can apply to everyone, "Jesus Christ...He was perfect, perfect in every way imaginable, but when he was suffering and dying for everyone in this earth, suffering and bleeding through every pore for our sins, I know he was going through a pain we can't even imagine that  pain He felt was unbearable, but He did all this this because he loves us, He died for us because He loves us. And it is through Him we can Eternal Life, can be clean of every sin...but the question is..How can we accept this sacrifice?"  And she said, we can accept his sacrifice by following His example-which is exactly right...we need to follow His example, in every way and aspect of our lives, and as we fully follow Him we need to be baptized the same way he was. So my point in sharing this is not to just share what she said...but I want all of you to think, How can YOU accept the sacrifice Jesus Christ did for you...in your everyday lives? 

Want you all to know I know this church is true- this is the Church of Jesus Christ, if it wasn't true, I wouldn't be out here. Jesus Christ is the way, the Light, and the Life..and truly through him we can obtain wternal life, but through his sacrifice and Atonement he didn't eliminate our personal responsibility to accept this sacrifice everyday in our lives. I love you ALL! Remember this!! =) 

And everyone go see "Meet The Mormons"!
Love Elder Baca

My pensionista and the fam I live with...they call themselves LOS PITUFOS 

(the Smurfs)

con Chewy the parrot

And eating tacos...if you wanna laugh look at the guy in the background!

Oct 20~ Love Notes from Elder Tasker

Me and Elder H.

Whats Up Everyone!!

It's crazy how fast the weeks are going by now!! My new comp Elder H. and I are doing work!! We are finding so many people to teach and everything! So this week I dont really have any possesed stories or anything like that! Hahaha But I swear people have been praying for me to make my food get better, because ever since my new comp arrived, the food has been actually really good! (or I am just getting used to it idk) And since I'm on the topic of food, whenever I am eating and talking with the fam of the pension.. I always hear these little footsteps by the door..and guess who starts walking in the door because he wants food... CHEWY the Parrot.  And before I know it, I hear him climbing up my chair, and then he's directly behind my head asking for food!  I think it's the funniest thing! SO yah, I really hope everyone is doing good back in Los Estados Unidos!! Love you all and remember the Lord has given us the Gospel, honestly to BE HAPPY! So BE HAPPY! Love you all! Going to make some TACOS right now!!

OH! I forgot, but one of the Elders from my zone went to Lima this week for paper work, and guess who he saw at the temple! ELDER TASKER!! SO, I got a little love note from my cousin in Lima this week, pretty sweet! 

CHOW, 

Elder Baca

Padres!! Que tal Como estan ust! Espero que sepa que les amo mucho! Realamente! Siempre estoy orando para la familia y mis padres tambien! Mi compiii es bien chevere! Estamos viviendo las reglas de la mision con exactitud! Yea it hurts my brain a little to write in English! haha! I hope the fam is doing good! Tell me how the Meet the Mormons movie is! So crazy its already almost Halloween.  I feel like the mission is just going to fly by!  Hows Ewee's eye doing! From those pics they are getting HUGE!!! Holy!! Seriously! No seriously, I feel so comfortable and adjusted in the mission, the D is going away, and teaching is just my fave thing to do now! It's SO crazy how the mission can just change your outlook on life in a matter of months, really just want to thank you for everything you have done for me. (Uncles) Jim and Spence wrote me super long notes...  I love you both so much, families really are eternal and I'm so grateful I get to spend eternity with the Craziest Family in the World! BUT THE BEST! Love you both! Have a good week! 

Love Chimee!!!!! Make E & E some pork burritos this week! hahah my only request!

Oct 13~ Como te Llama?

Muy Buenos Dias!!!! Como estan!! 

Hows everyone doing! Love hearing form you all! So this past week I finished my training *finally!! and I got a New GRINGO companion!! His name is Elder Hilton and he is from Holladay, Utah and has about 2 more weeks than me in the mission!  He went to Utah State last year and is a Music Major, violin Major, so that's pretty sweet! Walking around with him, literally all the people just stop and stare at us because he is about 6'4, and I am 6'2 and everyone has this look on their face like we have come to exterminate them or something. hahah It's so funny! But yea its going super good with him so far!  We are finding so many more families to teach, people to teach, and everything is just going great! 

So I watched conference this past weekend and dang was it amazing!! I hope everyone had the chance to watch it, and recibed answers to their personal challenges and prayers.  I loved Elder Bednar's talk and President Uchtdorf's. Seriously amazing! 

SO I hope everyone has a good week, Love you all! Im sending my story about the posessed lady! Oh and I got the coolest llama shirt this week.... "COMO TE LLAMA" (como te llamas?)

MOther!!!!!!!! How is everything going! First off just want to tell you I love you and always will!! Hope everything is going good at home! That's so crazy that they have a movie now about Mormons! (Meet the Mormons).  Everything is going good here in Peru!!  And new investigators! We found a couple families this week to work with and a 15 year old too, but its the just the first week we started working with them! But yea everything is going good! Ill have more time to write next week! SO proud you finished the BOM! Seriously is so amazing! Learned so many things from it! Remember prayer, morning and night and scripture study every day and FHE on Monday!!! SOrry for not always obeying this but now that I'm a missionary I know this will help every active family and continue ours as well!! I love you mom tell the fam I love them too!!! hahah love you!  Cuidadse!! Su espanol es bien bien bien mama!! 

Love you!

Elder Baca

Oct 6~ Why I'm Serving a Mission

What's up Everyone!!!

    So to start off my email, I would just like everyone to know my lil' bro Ethan is a Boss- he has 3 eyes right now!!!! Way to take it like a champ Ewee! I remember the same thing happened to one of the players on my team freshman year!! That is so nasty but so sick!!!!

Secondly, I just want everyone to know I legit saw a possessed woman this week! It's the craziest story, but dont feel like sharing it because I dont want to scare the kids, its something from a horror movie...everything that happened...but everything is good.  Maybe in 2 years I will show you all what I wrote in my journal!! 

So, I was really thinking this week why I am serving a mission, or why I decided to serve a mission... the motive that I had was I really wanted to share what I know with all my heart is true, but also to thank God for everything He has given me, my family, friends, this gospel, food, shelter, his Son Jesus Christ, a nice house, and all my blessings. But what I am noticing...is that God IS never in my debt, never in our debt...and I can never pay him back for everything He has given me. He is literally blessing me a 100xs more than I could ever imagine out here in the mission. Go read Matthew (19:29) it talks about it.  AND despite all the sickness, losing 30 lbs, all the doors getting slammed in my face, or getting cussed out....I can say I am so happy, and am seeing the blessings of the Lord in my life, more than I ever have. The eternal Blessing.  AS Elder Bednar said yesterday in Conference, the WHY, or the reason we want to share the Gospel, is because we have experienced the Sweet Soothing feeling that comes from living the Gospel, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ...And I can testify of this, bringing people and helping them Come unto Christ, to bring them to feel the same amazing feelings I have felt in this Gospel, is priceless. I love you all and I can truly say each and every one of you is a blessing in my life! Have a good week! 

Love,

Elder Baca       

*Matt 19:29  "And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." 

To Mom and Dad:
Yea mom, so I've been pretty sick...(detailed description but we won't post)...a new rule in the mish is that the pensions need to cook with filtered water so I hope that will help! MOM- love those quotes! AMazing! yah I get to watch Conference this Sat / Sunday...this past weekend was voting and its a country law you can't have public reunions on days of voting!  So I'm getting a new comp Wed , no se quien!!! But I love you guys, and was thinking of all the times you guys have received revelation for me, I am really so grateful, and I apologize for not always following what you have told me...definitely learning so much in the mission, can say that. But I love you both so much and pray for you both everyday and the fam! 

*Elder David A. Bednar's sermon from General Conference, click here.