Mar 30~ Huanuco

Hey everyone! Hope everyone had a great week! I got transferred here to Huanuco, Peru (HUAN uh co). The best weather in the world (idk but everyone says that)! I am here in a zone called Huallaga as zone leader now, with my comp Elder Garcia! He's from Tijuana, but went to high school in San Ysidro, San Diego! Hes super sick!! Knows perfect English and Spanish!!! Hes awesome! So we get along way good! Huanuco is way awesome! It is about a hour away from the jungle, so the weather is way nice! The city is pretty big, and it is pretty modernized. My area isn't that big, but the room I live in is huge! I have my own bathroom so its pretty sweet! My pension is awesome she makes me cold smooties everyday so ya! Yea, but we have some good investigators and I will have more updates next week. Love you all! Happy bday to my mom!!

My lds mail was down for like 30 mins! But next week ill have more time  love you!

Love Elder Baca

Mom!

Just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday! Im so eternally grateful you are my mom and helped me so much to get out here in the mission. I never could even imagine my life without you and dad and without the Gospel as well! I love the mission so much, so thanks for everything you did pre-mission to prepare me and help me!! Just wanted to tell you I love you so much, and hope you have a fantastic Bday! Ill be thinking about you! Thanks for everything you do, and more than anything for being my mom that's loved me since day 1, no matter what! Love you! Families can be together forever, and I'm so happy to know that. Tell everyone I said whats up and love them!! LOVE YOU MOM!! HAPPY BDAY!!!!!! Love you! Elder Ryan Baca! 

Mar 23~ Bautismos y Hamster

Me, L. in the middle, and my comp

F. and J. in the middle

Cuy! (Guinea pig)  First time eating it!  It was super good!!!

Hey Everyone! Hope you all had a great week!

L. (18) got baptized Saturday night! I had the awesome opportunity of baptizing her, and wow was it an amazing experience! After she got baptized, she bore her testimony and it was so strong!! She told us she was so confused, so confused, but thanks to the answer she got from God, she knew without a doubt that this was the true church!  It was the best feeling helping her come unto Christ, by being baptized!

Also, F. (22) and J. (22) got baptized yesterday afternoon, and their baptismal service was amazing as well! My companion baptized F., and I had the opportunity to baptize J.! Their testimonies also were so strong, and the significance of baptism for them is something so special.

F. told us before he started talking the missionary lessons, he was going down the wrong path, had drinking problems, but started praying to God and building his relationship with Him!  And as he listened to us and kept on praying, he knew without a doubt that this was the right path. He's the most awesome guy and is super humble.

J., her life was always good. She got good grades, had a good life in the Cathloic church, had a loving mom that meant everything to her. But then 2 years ago her mom passed away, and now she lives alone with her 15 year old brother. She distanced herself from God, and her life got super hard! It was the most amazing experience being able to teach her the things she needed to do to come closer to God and Jesus Christ, and about the Plan of Salvation as well. So after her baptism she was just bawling, she felt so much peace and happiness. 

Well, this week was awesome for me. I know without a doubt this Gospel changes lives, and is true. I know we have a loving Father In Heaven, that wants to have a relationship with us, and wants us to be happy. It is such an amazing experience to be here as a missionary for 2 years, seeing these miracles happen in peoples lives! 

Love you all!  

Elder Baca

Hey Mother!! How are you doing!? My week was awesome seriously! I love the mission! I don't want it to end!!! Time is flying now!!!!! HOW FUNNY!! It was my fisrt time eating Cuy!!! It was super good! I ate a gerbal leg! hahahahaha and the details of the baptism are in the group email! So awesome! Changes are tomorrow, so idk if I'm leaving or stayingggggg! 

Wow, Spring Break already!? that was a year ago yall went to San Fran!? Wow!!! Hope you guys have fun!

So something to study as the fam is Alma 55-60 (no me recuerdo!) about the Stripling Warriors! But look for keys on how NONE OF THEM DIED!! It wasn't like it was some magically force field that protected them, it was what they did before the battle, and during it.  Read with that question!  

Things I need are a new belt, some socks, and like a Pday shirt !! That'd be sweet! But besides that I'm good!  And cant believe these guys are already coming home! Wow! Crazy seriosuly! 

Well, I hope you guys have a great week! Love you all!!!

Mar 16~ Montanas

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great week! Me and my comp are working hard! We have 3 baptisms for this week, Leslie (on Saturday), then F. and J. (the boyfriend/girlfriend)!  SO I'm super excited about that! 

I went to Huaytapallana again! The huge snow glacier about 2 hrs away from Huancayo.  It was way fun, but tiring!  Peru is so pretty!  Hope you all have a great week! 

Llamas and Lakers Forever

Love you all!:)

Elder Baca

Hey Mom!! Yea yesterday was great! L. is getting baptized this week, Saturday at 3!  SO im way happy! This week was honestly a blur! Everything is going by way fast! Seriously time is flying.  Working is the key! ANd hahahahaha I know my India pic!  I did it on purpose! My district meeting went really good last week.  If you want to know How and in what Way we should teach to menos activos, i suggest reading Alma 4-5! Its awesome! Hows the fam? Hows 'shaun doing? Cant believe it is that hot already wow!! Its hot here too! Next week we have changes! AHHH Idk! Its always sad getting changed and rough at first... Yep mother hope you have a splendid week! Love you so much!

Mar 9~ La Mision

Whats up everyone! Hope you are all doing good!

L. (our investigator) she told us the dream she had. It's actually not that confusing! So after praying last Saturday night, she had a dream she was dressed in white in front of a bautismal font with me, my companion, and one of the members! Cool huh? SO that was her answer! Shes getting baptized next Wednesday because her parents (who aren't members) are coming down to visit her!

This week my testimony in the Book of Mormon really grew. I've taken a new approach of how to study the scriptures! I love reading in detail and asking myself, why was this put in here? What steps did...(this person) do  to achieve this? And i just love reading the process of conversion in every Book of Mormon story there is, but more than anything i love reading with QUESTIONS. I promise you all if you study the Book of Mormon, asking the Why, What, How and When questions, or how can I apply this in my life? Or in my relationships with other people? In my callings? In studying? In really ANY thing. I promise you, you're mind will be enlightened by the Holy Ghost, and you will have a desire to apply all of these things in your life! This book was written for us! For these times! So read it!

Last Pday, we went to the Museum of Memories in Peru.  It was sweet learning about the history here in Huancayo, but more than anything about the terrorism that was going on 20-30 years ago! It was crazy and really made me grateful to be from the United States! 

Museo!

Mi districto!

(we weren't too sure why he was pointing to India...!?)

Well, I love you all! God loves you all! And knows you! DO things this week that will draw you closer to Him.

-Elder Baca

March 3~ Vi Una Columna de Luz!

Hey Everyone I hope you all had a great week! This week was amazing!

Saturday! I had the chance to baptize D.! The water was freeeeeeeezing so she didnt want to get in! She was super brave and finally got in, so I had to baptize her quick! But she came up from the water like gasping for air because it was so cold! It was still an amazing experience! She bore her testimony for like 10 mins after her baptism about being clean and the Gospel!

Also I would really love to share an awesome experience that one of my investigators had yesterday! So, we are teaching this 18 year old girl named L.!  She is super Catholic and this whole time we have been teaching her she has been praying to make a decision to either stay in the Catholic Church of join the Church of Jesus Christ and be baptized. So she has just been really confused and hadn't received an answer from God on what to do. She has read the Book of Mormon, has prayed to know if the church is true and this book ... and nothing. So Friday and saturday she told me she just felt so extremely confused and depressed on what to do, and felt more confused than ever. So Saturday she prayed before going to sleep one more time, to know if the church is true. So Saturday night, she told me, she had a very, weird, vivid dream that she didn't understand at all, and was even more confused when she woke up Sunday morning. So she came to church, and yesterday was fast and testimony meeting, and the testimony meeting we had was so powerful, all the members testimonies were so pure and powerful. After the testimony meeting, we confirmed D., and then the Sacrament Meeting ended. The Spirit was so strong and the whole time I was just praying that L. was feeling this. After Sacrament meeting ended, I looked over to L., and she was balling. She was crying so much and was hugging her aunt (a member), so I went up and talked to her! She just looked at me crying and told me, "I feel it! I know this is true!" And later on she told me she totally understands her dream now and she knows that this is what she needs to do!  And for the rest of church she was so extremely happy, and just telling everyone what happened in church, and she even got up in Relief Society (women's organization) and bore her testimony in front of everyone. She will be baptized the 14th of March, and she knows without a doubt now that this church is true, because she has received an answer from God through the Holy Ghost. 

I just want you all to know, that I know this church is true. I know  that Joseph Smith really saw God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ, and that this is His church. I know that God answers prayers in his own due time. But he always answers. I know God loves each and everyone of us, and knows us perfectly. I know all these things because I feel it, and have received a spirtual witness from God that I know this is all true. And especially when I see people like L., that receive answers to her prayers in such a strong powerful way it just builds my testimony that all of this is true!  Love you all!

Elder Baca

Hey mom!! Love you! Sorry im having some super issues with my computer! Amazing story huh! Every single prayer I have done for the past 4 days was about her! And me and my comp fasted for her and wow, seriously the biggest testimony builder ever.  We are going to a terrosist musuem!! Hey I gtg now! Im so sorry! I read all the emails! but everything i keep typing just erases! ANd its already been an hour! Im so sorry i feel so bad but to type the big email took like 45 mins because it kept erasing!! Love you guys so much always know that!