April 18~ Birthday and Baptism

EGGED!! Peruvian birthday tradition.

Birthday cake

Baptism of P. Monte

Hey Everyone! 

This week was awesome for me! I could really feel God's hand working in my life and the lives of others. Many times I feel like we lose focus on what really matters. That is what I have seen this past week. We lose focus on things that really matter, like God, and our families. I have seen too many families become destroyed by becoming too involved in worldly things, or putting their focus on other things of less importance. I think just being parts of a sports team helps you become disciplined and hard working. The sports guys here in my mish are always obedient and work super hard, its honestly like getting up every morning on Game day here in the mish!  But THE best thing I have seen is how the Gospel and the Atonement of Jesus Christ can fix families, and can fix individual lives.  It personally has done that for me, and I have seen that in others. I honestly love my Savior with all my heart, thats something I have discovered here in the mission. I know God knows what is best for us as well so thats why we need to follow Him.

Wow, thats nuts, 3 more weeks. I don't know what happened, but looking forward to working super hard these last couple weeks! And okay thanks for the money!! Ill go blow it all today.. nah jk. But I love that message you sent me about Satan and the tools, Ill try to find it in Spanish to share with the Peruvian peeps. My pension treated me super nice, bought me a nice sweater, and threw some eggs at me! I finished the book Jesus the Christ this morning! Great book, learned a ton. Im starting the BOM again, want to finish it one more time before heading out. Well, love you guys. You are always in my prayers! I have a ton more pics but will have to show you all in a couple. 

PAZ!  LOVE ELDER BACA

April 11~ New Helmet

We received Ryan's FINAL RETURN itinerary on his birthday this week! 

My new bike helmet.

My pension got locked out of her house so we broke in

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great week! 

We had a great week this week! It was sweet seeing one of our investigators gain a testimony that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is a prophet. She was the lady that had SO many doubts about everything, about the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and if God really exists. The last lesson we had with her we asked her if she believed that these things were true now and she told us that she does. She says that God has told her though the Holy Ghost that they are true! It was amazing hearing that to be honest because she has been doubting and having problems for the past 3 months and now she is getting ready for her baptism within these next couple of weeks. 

We also have a baptism this week, this young man named P.  is getting baptized, hes so smart he TEACHES US THE LESSONS! Its crazy.

Well anyways Im going fishing today, should be sweet. Love you all! 

Elder Baca

Apr 4~ Coming Closer to God

Hey whats up everyone! Hope you all had a great week! Shout out to my mom! HAPPY BDAY! LOVE YOU!! 

Wow the conference was amazing! I learned a ton! The talk that got to me the most was by Elder Renlund who is one of the twelve apostles about THE GIVERS and THE RECEIVERS ("That I Might Draw All Men Unto Me"). I have seen that as we come closer to God and Jesus Christ, we have more desire to become like them. We dont have any more desires to cause them grief by the things we do. We change, and our relationship with God helps us understand so many things. Being here in the mish has honestly helped me come closer to my Father in Heaven and his Son Jesus Christ. I have come to the moment where I really have realized they have been there all along helping me out in my life. Its the best feeling knowing that! I am so grateful that there are Prophets and Apostoles in these days. Its helped me out a ton. 

Anyways love you all. Had some crazy experiences this past week. I'll tell you all in person when im talking about all the crazy stuff I have seen here hahaa!. Love you.

When was the last time you have seen a Guinea Pig in the middle of the street?

And heres an older pic from Cerro de Pasco (my last area)... idk what i was doing!?

Mar 27~ La Pascua!

Pics-Sunset in Huancayo, the CHURCH, and baptism! 

Hope you all had a great week! 

So here in Latin America, Easter is a week long celebration called Semana Santa. Crazy parties, a lot of drunks, but still a lot of people stop to think, Why do we celebrate Easter? It was awesome this week going around my area just talking to a lot of people about Jesus Christ and the importance of Him! We were able to help the people understand that one day, we will all rise again just like Jesus Christ, and also that we can be forgiven of our sins thanks to Him. I know He lives and loves us.

We have a couple investigators progressing for their baptisms in April! It was nice because 3 of them came to church yesterday and stayed the 3 hours!  The lady that had a lot of doubts that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago is doing really good now. I know the Spirit is working in her! 

We are moving rooms. Found a sick room with 2 bathrooms and a kitchen. The landlord is moving in so we had to get another room which is better! Its a close walk to the pension! I read like 150 pages this week from Jesus the Christ (793 pages). Ill finish it by the end of my mish!i  Its awesome, at first a little hard to understand but now its so good!  I have a feeling these next 6 weeks will fly by. Looking forward to working super hard! Anyways not to much to update. Everything is good. I am doing great, loving the mish!! Love u mama!!!!! 

Heres some pics of a baptism we had last week!! She's the daughter of a guy that was baptized a couple months ago. Love you all! 

Elder Baca

Mar 21~ OH Peru Peru Peru

Como estáis?  

Wow! Another week down here in the mission. Still is amazing doing the same thing every day. There are still crazy experiences that happen to me everyday.

This past week my comp and I were teaching this 18 year old kid about the mission, and the importance of doing so, and his angry dad came in screaming at us and threw us out of his house! In his anger he yelled at us " Why are you here counseling my son? WHY arent you guys home with your families!!?"...Well, to be honest we just left and didnt respond to anything, but it made me think... I know why I am here more than anything. I could be home right now studying at college or with my family, but I know I am suppose to be here because God wants me to be here. I have had that spiritual confirmation many times, and I know honestly that I am helping people to be more happy by giving them and teaching them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I left my family for 2 years to help other people be with theirs for the eternities. It makes me so happy doing that and I am looking forward to my last month and a half doing the same! 

Love you all! 

Elder Baca

March 14~ Soy Auki

WHATS UP MAN? hahaha (my latino comp has the habit of saying that to everyone now) 

Well another week flew by in the mission. What the heck is happening? 

We have pday on Thursday because its a multi zone! Wow, I cant believe its already spring break for that guy! Easters coming up soon right? And the older man with the addiction is awesome now! He hasnt gone out to drink, went to church, did his home teaching visits, and his family history this week as well! Amazing! We found a couple new people to teach but we are still struggling to find péople that will progress. 

Sometimes I honestly forget I am so far from home, and in a completely different culture (for example this week I saw a pig on the roof of a small house, no idea how it got up there...) but honestly I love it here in Peru. Its been the best thing that I have done in my life coming here. Talking with my companion, the living circumstances and other things make us to be humble as missionaries, but more than that I think I have learned to really rely on God, and not so much in myself. 

I know without a doubt that Heavenly Father lives and loves us.  And I know without a doubt, to come to know Him and his Son Jesus Christ and to honestly feel that they exist, we have to be willing to do what they want, more than what we want to do. If our will seems more appealing than what God wants us to do, we may never know that He exists. We will not be able to feel his presence in our lives. God never leaves us, but many times through our choices, we leave him. We put what we want first ...above what He wants us to do. The beautiful thing about the gospel and the Atonement of Jesus Christ is that we can "Reconcile ourselves with God".  We can submit ourselves to His will, repent, and become humble, and feel that He really is there. 

Thats something I learned this week from my mission president, but also from my own experiences, AND from the experiences I have seen in others. I love you all! Have a great week! I invite you all to do the same! 

Elder Baca

Heres a pic of the traintrack that runs through my area!! Thats how we get around!

Mar 7~ Mis ConPadres

Whats up everyone. Hope all is well.

Hey! its still raining really hard! It was a good week, went by really fast. Highlight of the week, was helping a really humble guy that has a super bad addiction to alcohol (goes out and drinks everyday for hours). He is a guy that got baptized about a year ago, but started drinking again.  All I have to say, is I will never forget these moments. Getting a hug from a 60 year old man, after teaching him about how Jesus Christ can help him overcome his addiction and how he can heal him spiritually, emocionally, and physically, is something that I will and can never forget. And then to see him at church yesterday, in his suit, smiling because he made the right decision to come to church after not coming for a while.. wow that as well really struck me. 

In Psalms 147:3 it says, "He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth their wounds." 

I can honestly testify of that. I have seen it in my own life, and the lives of others. Well. I love you guys a ton. Im going strong still! I mean if I finish my mission Going UP, Ill get home still Going UP! Thats the goal. Love you all!! Until next weeks adventures. 

ELder Baca