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.!

July 27~ The Mission Life

Que tal ? como están causas?

Whats up everyone! Wow, I am so tired but this week was awesome! I have never been this tired in my life but I am loving the mission!  This week was awesome! L. got baptized last Saturday and it was amazing! In his testimony he said, "I got baptized because I want to have an eternal family and want to be with my loved ones that have already passed away". It was awesome being able to baptize him. He was, without a doubt, prepared by the Lord a long time before I met him when he came up to me on the street one night.

 And it was super funny, a kid from the ward that turned 8 on Sat. also got baptized. So afterwards, he had his birthday party right after the baptism, which involved some clown that looked like he was high on something dancing around and saying weird stuff in a high pitched voice, but anyways... after the baptism an elder in my zone broke out with chicken pox and a high grade fever. So we had to go to some sketch hospital for the rest of the night!!  Fun days in the mission field seriously! 

We are expecting a couple more baptisms this month!  V. will get baptized in a week, and we are also teaching an ex-drug dealer form another country that kidnapped people and had police charges for years, but he has been attending church for a year now, and doesn't have any more charges and is super-repented now. So he will get baptized in a couple weeks!

Well, all I can say is I hope you all have a great week, the Gospel changes lives and allows us to have eternal families. I know that without a doubt!  Love you all and hope you have a great week. 

Love,

Elder Baca

I love you guys so much!! If you  could find another short sleeve white shirt that'd be awesome! I am down to 2 that fit me actaully! Thanks! Love you guys! The shoes dont have to be expensive or nice, just need some that'll last be until May! Love you, thanks mom, until next week! Tell everyone I love them and that I said Congrats to ANDERS! YAY!

 Elder Angel (comp.) and I on the way to hospital in a moto taxi

July 20~ Conversos!

Wow!! This week was super stressful, but realy rewarding! I was able to baptize M. (17 years old) this past Saturday, after SO much opposition from Satan!! But it was the most rewarding experience, to see him so happy to be baptized, and confirmed.  The bishopric also gave him the Priesthood yesterday! So, I went and did divisions with M. all day yesterday, and he is looking forward to baptizing one of our investigators this Saturday!

We are expecting 2 more baptisms this week!! L., and V.!  L. is awesome! He's 30, and his future wife, K. (who he was living with) is a member of the church already! They are planing on getting married in a couple months! We had an amazing lesson with them! K., (L's gf) really wants to have an eternal family but is scared she wont be able to have kids because of her age, and when she told us this she started bawling! But my companion and I made her a promise if she lives the Law of Chastity, and they do everything to keep the Commadments, and if they wait to have kids until they are married, that the Lord will give them children. It was amazing promising them these blessings. Afterwards, I felt really impressed to share a scripture I love in Doctrine and Covenants, "I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise".  So they committed to live the Law of Chastity, and to first do all the things the Lord asks of them such as having faith, repenting, keeping the commandments, being baptized,etc. It was amazing seeing the hope and the faith Kelli had in the promise and for the action she is taking to come back to church, and for her fiance to be baptized this Saturday! 

There have been many moments in my life when I have been happy, but I honestly have never been this happy in my life to be here in the mission, to be serving the Savior, and to be an Instrument in Gods hands to help his children be happy and return to him! 

Love you all,

Elder Baca

THEN

Elder Morales (from Argentina) has changed my life.

Some of his catch phrases he says in English:

"Its crazy man"

Your life is farts

Together!

Teamwork!

I will sweep the room

And his classic Micheal Jackson face!

July 13~ Los Milagros

This week was awesome! 

We had our Missionary Leader Council in Huancayo on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Friday I had Interviews with my Mission President! President H. is awesome. My comp and I got to go eat lunch with him and his wife after all the interviews were over, and the conversations we have are hilarious. I bet you all didn't know that Coca Cola actually used Cocaine leaves back in the back in their soda? Anyways my President is awesome, and helps me out a ton! 

We had a miracle this week! M, our investigator that we have been teaching for the past 5 months, his parents FINALLY gave him permission to be baptized!!  With my past two companions we have been praying and fasting a ton, and finally we sent a member over to his house to talk to his parents.The member told us his dad was screaming at him at first but finally calmed down and listened, and then M's parents came to the conclusion that he can get baptized!!  Seriously, I was so excited, and I know without a doubt Heavenly Father answers prayers and fasts, but according to our faith! So M. is getting baptized this Saturday, and hopefully he will be in the mission field this time next year! He's really excited about serving a mission, he comes with us to appointments all day long!!   I love this work!

Love you all!

Elder Baca

relativefinder.org. 

Mom you've got to check this (link) out it's sweet, you can see who you are related to. We made a group in the mission and I'm like 9th and 12th cousins of some elders, and it shows HOW you are related! Sweet huh 

Hey mom! This week was really good even though I wasn't in my area that much. The mission is awesome, I have been reflecting on that a ton, I'm in that point where I really don't want to go home, it is just amazing seeing the changes within other people and realizing I am changing at the same time! So grateful for this time I have, and sorry for not sending pics! I will get better at that! Thanks for all the prayers and support and tell everyone I love them!  btw my ankle is still messed up, the bone formed back like a ball! Talked to Pres, and he's like ya there's not much you can do! It takes like 4 months to get it normal, no it doesnt really hurt but itll just be weak for awhile!