August 31~ ¿Que Andan?

Hey everyone! Another week down in the mission! 

This week was pretty sweet, we went to a place called Kotosh last Pday that consists of a place where some ancient American Indians lived, there aren't any ruins but there is this one spot where you can stand on, and your voice just echoes super loud. I guess in the ancient times to call like a "meeting" together as a tribe, they stood on this certain rock and their voices echoed throughout the valley. It is pretty weird because just whispering on this spot your voice echoes, but when you stand off, nothing!  Pretty trippy, I have a pic of me below standing on it yelling!

A cool experience I had this week-well I mean everyday something happens- but the highlight experience willing to share this week is about an investigator we have named R. He was a reference from a lady in our ward. He is 45 and is divorced and has gone though a ton of problems. We invited him to be baptized about 2 weeks ago, but last Saturday night (the night before going to church) for the first time he got a super bad hernia and had to get surgery, so that topped off everything!  Yesterday we visited him and he told us the whole time he was in the hospital, he was thinking about getting baptized. It turns out the patient next to him who was also recovering was a member of the church! Sweet! So he was able to hear a ton about the Church and everything! It was awesome though because last night we were able to testify to him that we have challenges in this life to make us better, and to bring us closer to Our Heavenly Father. I know if we have the perspective that this life is an opportunity to be tested and to grow every day. We will look at our challenges and weaknesses as opportunities to become more like our Savior Jesus Christ. Here is a video we showed to our investigator R. as well, it is awesome! Go watch it! Click here. 

I love you all! Have a great week! 

Elder Baca

August 24~ S U D A M E R I C A

Here's some pics of Y.'s baptism, and a pic with my comp Elder Angel, and some of our converts

Recent converts V.(left) and M.(right) 

Que tal mis causas,

Whats up everyone?  I lied. This past week was the fastest week I have had on my mission! It was a crazy week! This past week was the most lessons we've have taught in one week in my entire mission! It was insane, but it is the most rewarding experience. "Y." (23) got baptized last Saturday despite all the opposicion from her fam and friends. It was a sweet baptismal service, but there is always some crazy party going on outside while we have a baptism service. The last baptism I had there was no party... but some crazy lady walked into the baptismal service during the closing prayer and started saying super weird stuff. hahahaa oh Peru. 

Funny experience, as missionaries everyone knows us, especially the drug addicts and the crazy drunks that sleep in the street, and everyone wants our help.  On Wednesday, I was walking through the "hill" part of our area and some old guy starts screaming "Elders come help me!". So we went to help the old man, and we went up to the 4th story of a building where he lived. So he looks at me with a rope and tells me, "I want you to tie this rope around your body and jump off the 4th story and into the 3rd story window and unlock the door because I left my key inside, and I will tie the other end of the rope around my body and everything will be good, I can hold you up (says the 5 foot Peruvian man that is about 75 years old and weighs about 115). So, I did it.

Nah, are you kidding me. I felt bad because I was thinking about it until I realized I would fall 4 stories and land on some really sharp fence spikes, and not only would I die, but the old man would get launched a solid 2 miles in the air and fall to his death as well. I am grateful for the gift of common sense, and the old man learned a great lesson about patience, because eventually the landlord came and unlocked his door a couple hours later. 

Well, something I learned this week is that when my Heavenly Father lets me know something, and expects me to do it, it really motivates me to do it, and to be diligent and tenacious in completing the task. I mean every night as a missionary we plan for the next day, and the Lord really lets us know what we should do. So the next day when we get up and are getting ready to go run around in the streets of Huanuco Peru, we are able to help as many people as we can with life's issues and problems, and really give them the solution to life's problems- the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I always remind myself that My Heavenly Father wants me to be here as a missionary. He wants me to help his children be happy and to return to him, and I am so very grateful for that responsibility I have.  I love you all, I know each one of you have goals and aspirations, but I know without a doubt our Heavenly Father has a purpose for each one of us and that is to become like our Savior Jesus Christ, and I know God gives us the strength and power to do that. 

~Elder Baca

August 17~ Time Flies. Rocks Fall.

Hey everyone! 
Wow, I cant believe it is Monday already! My comp and I worked liked maqinas (machines) this past week! That is always the best feeling! We had like 32 lessons this past week! I was dying yesterday I felt like I was in the last 100m of a 400m race or something! But I have to say, this was the fastest week of my mission!  

We have a baptism this week! Her name is Y., she was an investigator from the sister missionaries but they passed her over to us to teach when they left the area a month ago. She is awesome! She has had a ton of challenges in her life and is really looking forward to her baptism! 

 I forgot to tell you all! Last week while I was in Huancayo (7 hour drive via taxi), I was putting all my stuff in the trunk of the taxi outside the mission office and I heard this loud sound (I first thought it was ice falling from the roof) but it wasn't ice, it was a pile of rocks falling from the sky!! (There was a building under construction by the mission office). So a rock just went straight through the back windshield of the car, and a dozen rocks just fell all around me.  I didn't get hit at all!! Spiritual (and physical) protection. Here's a pic to recap the experience! Nah but I am way grateful the Lord protects his missionaries!

Something I have learned this past week is about the importance of goals! Goals reflect our desires. Don't ever change the goal...just change the plan to reach it! Do it!! 

I love you guys! Thanks for your support and prayers!  Have a great week! 

Elder Baca

The taxi

A pic from another missionary mom-Elder Baca and Elder Heron.

 Look at the cool scripture case Elder Heron was able to make with an old crank sewing machine. He made it the colors of the Peru flag!

August 8~ #Lunes

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great week! 

This past week was awesome, but super busy! We had our zone leaders training in Huancayo on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then our Multi-Zone conference on Friday which was awesome! We had a baptism Saturday as well,  V. Aguilar! He's 13 and a sweet kid. He loves listening to Wiz Khalifa and Tyga which is very strange here hahaha, but we we're working with his family of 6.  His dad leaves every 2 weeks to work, so it was hard for them to progress together but V. was able to get baptized. 

We are teaching a less active family, the Hitler family. The members name is Adolf Hitler in Spanish (Adolfo Hitler), crazy right? But despite the crazy name they are a sweet family that really feel far away from God, and want to come back. 

Something I learned this week as I was studying for an investigator that is having some problems with overcoming a drinking addiction, is that faith really is everything. Faith is confidence, but more than anything faith is action. Having Faith in Christ means having a firm conviction that He is your Savior, trusting him, obeying him, relying on him, following him and loving Him. Faith really means believing in something that you cant see, but something you can feel. I am so grateful for the experiences I am having here in the mission. I know without a doubt our faith in Jesus Christ grows through experiences. Experiences that we choose to have, or experiences that happen to us. The opportunities we have in this life really our for our benefit. Every trial, challenge, problem, happiness, sadness, whatever it may be or whatever happens, I know without a doubt we can rely on our Savior Jesus Christ because He loves us and knows us perfectly, and can help us change everyday, but only if we have faith in Him.

I love you all, look for opportunities everyday to strengthen your faith in the Savior!

Love, Elder Baca 

This is V.!