August 25~ Crazy Stuff and Just Pray

Buenos Dias Familia y Amigos!! 

    Okay so first off I would just like to share all the crazy, funny stories I have had this week. So first off, my companion and I are teaching this lady (about 45) and she has a little baby...so this is never a good sign when they are holding the baby and it's fussing while we are teaching.  To make a long story short,  I am teaching a principle and everything is going good and then she lifts up her shirt and starts breastfeeding her child while I am teaching...without covering up, and I am trying so hard not to laugh and to concentrate on the lesson for about 10 mins ..and trying so hard not to laugh and my companion also... but I just lost it!  Luckily, there was some crazy music playing, so me and my companion said that we were laughing at the music and apologized and she was laughing with us. Okay so the next day, we are walking down the street and I walk by this grass field (it was in public)  (about 50X50 ft), and I look over and see a man (relieving himself), a woman squatting down using the bathroom, too, at the same time...and then a dog walks up and decides to go at the same time as the man and the woman. SO ya... stuff like this makes the days just go by fast!! haha 
     But anyways sorry, now for the spiritual and important stuff!  We have such an amazing new investigatorame! She was Catholic and right now is studying to be a dentist!  She's the type of investigator that just every commitment we invite her to do, she does (like praying, reading the BOM, etc) and she really trusts in God with everything. She's been reading the Book of Mormon and we have been teaching her a ton! SO, a lesson this week- I asked her if she believed the things we were teaching her were true, and she said yes, and I asked, "How do you know?" and she got all teary and said, "Because I feel it."  So I just want you all to know, God answers prayers, one of my favorite scriptures James 1:5, if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. Everything we teach, testify, and believe, and everything we share with other people (whether they be hard core Catholic, or don't have a relation with God) ..we invite them to do this. PRAY. A person can find out for themselves if it is true, and all they have to do is ask God, with faith, a sincere heart, and with REAL intent and I know God will answer. 

Love you all, have a great week!! I'm going hiking to TORO TORO after email today, it's a hill where you can see all of Huancayo! Have a good week!
~Elder Baca

Ryan's response if they felt the 6.9 earthquake about 180 miles south of Huancayo yesterday:
I think I was in a taxi when the earthquake happened, the people here (in Huancayo) didn't feel it that much.

Aug 18~English is a Weird Language

Eating oreo cake ice cream

Hey Everyone! 

Hope everyone is doing good!! This week was a good week filled with spiritual experiences, lessons, more dogs, and more D... I think it's just the food.  But first off I just want everyone to know that Huancayo got a Starbucks...I can't go into it because it's in a mall but a StarbuckS! hahah crazy!!  This week definitely on the mission I can see how God works...!  How God works in people's lives and in my life as well!  It truly is amazing!  Everyday I'm out here I just realize how amazing this gospel truly is!!  It's a church of constant (individual) change..and a church of constant becoming better!! And that's why I truly do love what I am doing! Sorry this weeks letter is short.  Nothing really exciting happened but we have new investigators that are progressing.  

Well, to finish my letter let me just tell you English is probably the weirdest language...I'm trying to teach my companion English phrases..and haha  it's pretty hard!  Miss you guys but I am working hard trust me!! It's so nice to have everyone's support!! I love you guys so much!!! And ya, my English is starting to go down the drain... making the transition from English to Spanish! 

My hour was so quick.  I had to do a bunch of stuff for training!  I love you!! Send my email to my big group email! And to Dane, too! He emailed me! Love you so much! I'll write more next week.

Love you all! Have a good week!! 

Elder Baca

Aug 11~ Example of Friends

('Baca'= cow in Espanol)

Familia y Amigos!! 

Como Estan?? I hope every had a good week!!  First off,  I just want everyone to know I got the classic Jesus Sheep picture this week..was pretty stoked about that.  Bringing the lost sheep to the Shepherd!  Every missionary has one but the timing needs to be perfect haha! Oh, and I had some mint chocolate chip ice cream as well!!  So this week we had the primest investigator.  We invited her to baptism!! She called the Church office and wanted missionaries to come to her house because she said that her religion didn't know God...and she knew ours knew God very well!.  She said the example of her Mormon friends really impacted her! SO always remember your example really makes an impact! On  Sunday I gave a talk in church...10 min talks in English were pretty hard and with the help of my dearest mother, I could do it...but man 10 mins in Spanish!!  Whooh!  I talked about the importance of member missionary work..through love, charity, service and example first.  It went really good!! Ya but besides that, nothing really happened. Just working hard out here everyday in Peru!  I always start my day off by lifting my cement weights and 20 mins in the bathroom!!! Got to prepare to fight the packs of dogs everyday and to serve the Lord!!  hahaha  I couldn't be more happy!! Hope everyone has a good week.  Love you all!!! 

Elder Baca 

August 4~Bautismos!

Bautismos!

Buenos Dias Familia y Amigos! 

So this past week was filled with more drunk guys, and all day and night partying here in Peru!! Hahah Everyone here dresses up and gets like a marching band together and just dance around the streets to Peruvin Music! Hahah but the most important event  this past week we baptized our 3 investigators! C., G., and X.!  None of them are members. This was such an amazing experience I can't even put it into words!  I am so excited for these 2 years because it is a continual process of learning, serving, teaching, finding, talking, listening to people with their problems with love, crazy people that cuss you out in Spanish, talking to the most humble people, being dead tired, crazy dogs everywhere and just all these crazy things all day every day, and leaving home for 2 years ... but we do this because we know the message that we have changes peoples lives, and it is the best feeling ever to be there for people that really need God and their Savior Jesus Christ, and to be able to help people come to them and feel their love...it is the best thing ever! 
Thank you to everyone that's been such an amazing example to me! Love you all! Have a good week!! 

Elder Baca

To mom:
MAMA! I got your package last Tuesday! Thank you so much for everything! I got to baptize the little boy and it was the best thing ever! My companion is from Ecuador and I love him. He's the best trainer and speaks no English but its helped me a ton because of that. That Inka lady is the best to send packages through! I love that dog tazer its the best thing hahah! I sleep like a rock here and am healthy...a ton of 'D' but the food is a ton of like pollo arroz and pappas. Love you madre ! have a good week!  BESOS!  And I don't even notice the altitude!!!! Also my weights I work out with are a pole with cements blocks!! hahaha ya!! 

July 28~ Week 2 in Huancayo

This little puppy died two days later after I took this pic...got hit by a car :(

Translated: "What does the town need..."

Week 2 In Huancayo!

My companion and I have 3 baptisms this Saturday and I am super excited! This past week in Peru was called Santiago, and today is their Independecnce Day. SO for the stories.. this week there was a bunch of drunk people all over the street.. one of them kissed my hand, and another came up and shook my hand and wouldn't let go so I pushed him off me and started walking away, and then he reached into his coat pocket and I legit thought he was pulling out a gun so me and my companion in Spanish started yelling "Tranquillo!" (Chill) and it ended up just being a phone... man, did my heart skip a beat! Got bit by a dog this week but luckily I was wearing a sweater..and almost came close a 2nd time but my comp chucked his scripture case at one of them and I started like kicking at the other one! hahaha  So anyways those were some of my stories for this week!  

I finished the Book of Mormon this week! And I want to share my favorite part of the Book of Mormon! It's about Faith, Hope, and Charity. Its in Moroni Chapter 7, I'll paraphrase the scriptures but I recommend looking them up!! SO-Faith and Hope are an anchor to our souls (Ether 12:4) and if we have faith and hope then we are always doing good works, but what is faith?  Faith is having a perfect HOPE IN things that we cant see but believe (Alma 32:21) ..and what should we have Hope in? We should have hope in Jesus Christ and the power of his Atonement and eternal LIFE! And why should we have hope and faith in Jesus Christ...because Christ said if we have faith in him, we can have power to do anything (Moroni 7:33)...  and remember we can always show our faith and hope through... charity, which is the pure love of Christ (Moroni 7:47) SO always remember to love everyone even though it may be hard and to always continue to have faith and hope in this life..and when life gets hard just always remember God does miracles when we have faith..and we receive no witness of it until after the trial of our faith (Ether 12)...Christ will always be there for us when times and trials happen in our lives...and our faith and hope is tested.. Remember in the words of Christ in John 14... I will not leave you comfortless.. I will come to you!  And to continually show your charity to everyone!! IT helps! I know what I am doing right now may be hard, and tough, but I know everyone is this entire world needs to have Hope and Faith in something, and that is why I love being a missionary because I can give them and help them obtain this faith and hope! I love you all and have a good week!!!! I have Peruvian music stuck in my head 24/7 (because it plays 24/7) because of Santiago!! The week to show their love for all of God's creations here in Peru! SO go listen to some American music for me! Love you all!

Love Elder Baca

July 22~ First Email from Huancayo

HUANCAYO

MY FIRST EMAIL IN THE FIELD! 

Wow, so I have so much to tell everyone! SO my first area is in Huancayo, it's called Nuevo Horizante!  And my first companion is Elder M.  from Ecuador! 

This first week has been crazy, and definitely the most humbling experience ever... and continues to be!  So my second day (*first full day) I had the opportunity to invite three kids to be baptized ages 8,10,12.. and they said yes! They are getting baptized on August 2nd and I'm super excited!  

Me and my companion have been doing work!  I just love talking to everyone about this gospel, it truly is the best thing ever!  I  love just being super outgoing even though I can't speak Spanish perfectly.  My Spanish is coming along really well though and I can understand and speak it better everyday!  I'm telling myself in 1 month I will be able to speak it SUPER well!  I have a ton of stories that I write in my journal everyday, so after 2 years I can share all of them!  But there's too much to tell haha!  Everything here is really poor, and the people are really humble and willing to learn about how their lives can be blessed through this Gospel! 

Me and my companion live on the 2nd floor of a member's house and she  cooks for us as well! The people of Huancayo are really humble, and I am excited to be here for the next 3 months or maybe more!  But there are wild dogs everywhere ..everywhere and a lot of homeless people as well! What I have noticed this past week is just how our message of hope, eternal families, and most importantly the love God and Jesus Christ have for us..really can change people's lives and more importantly..anyone's life.  And I know without a doubt the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has changed my life, and everything about it has!  I really hope everyone always counts their blessings; I wish I would have more when I was back in California because this is definitely the most humbling experience ever!  

Well I love you all!  And am always keeping my loved ones in my prayers! Hope you all have an amazing week! PERU is beautiful!

~Elder Baca

July 9~ Fourth of July in the CCM and Love is Power

Fourth of July!!

Elder D. who lives across the hall, going to Cusco in a couple weeks

Hey Everyone!! 

So nothing too eventful happened this week besides the Fourth of July!! Sorry but my English is already getting bad hahah! Anyways, they decked out the cafeteria with American stuff and served us American food!! So I can't believe I am leaving the CCM next Tuesday (July 15)!  I am so excited and I will email a week from Monday to let everyone know what is going on! Love everyone and thanks for all the support!!  It's crazy I have already been out for almost a month and a half! Remember, "Love is Power" .. .so always try to love everyone because you never know how much of an effect it can have on someone!  I'm SO excited to finally head out into the field and also a good luck to Elder Tasker who leaves for  the MTC in a week!  I get to go proselyting in his mission again one last time this Saturday before I take off!!  Have a good week everyone! I'll have more eventful stuff to write about in a couple weeks, don't worry!

Love

Elder Ryan Baca

HEy mom!! So I hope you haven't sent that package yet with bug spray because I just found it in my suitcase this week!!  It was hiding!! But can you call the bank and tell them I'm in Peru.  I'm almost out of cash!!  Yah, they are giving us these altitude pills to take before we leave (for Huancayo).  So I leave super early Tuesday morning (July 15) and I don't think I have a P-day until the following Monday!!  But I'm so excited!  I'll let you know how everything goes!!  Love you mom!