Sancuros

Hey Everyone.

First, I got a few letters the other day that im not sure i will have time to repond so this is the fastest way. thank you everyone that sent letters. (Krysta Thompson, and Elisa Logan, Matt Leach, and others) just to let everyone know the fastest way to send me something is through dearElder.com, its free. The second is through a normal letter. and last is pouch mail. I found out it takes about a month for something to get here from the united states through pouch mail. Better just to send somehting via DearElder.com

Second. If you would like to see where I am right now, my area is called latina, it is in the city chiclayo, its kind of the suburbs. you can type: Jose Leonardo Ortiz, Lambayeque-Chiclayo to see it in GoogleEarth. I have a huge parque and a Municipalidad close to my apartement.

This week it rained a few times so thats been nice, it doesnt rain often here, mostly just overcast. But because its warming up the Sancuros or Mosquitos are starting to come out. Saturday night I got bit 11 times on my left hand alone by the same bug I suppose. Kind of irritating but its alright. Have to find a way to hide from the bugs at night.

We had intercambios with the zone leaders this week. it was great. I learned a lot and got to enjoy the life of the Zone Leader (haha its a lot busier than normal missionary work - glad im just a missionary without leadership assignment) What was really nice though was I helped my Zone leader Poner un Fecha or invite someone to baptism, and they accepted haha, my zone leader likes to joke and tell everyone if it wasnt for me they wouldnt have a baptism to perform. Nice to have zone leaders who are uplifting and edifying even if i didnt really do anything.

we got a distrurbing note from the office this week thougth. The office elders sent back one of our baptism records with a note on the back that said that it wasnt valid. "read moroni 8" it said. it turns out the record we turned in said that a girl we baptized only was 7 years old and the others elders were joking around saying that we had several baptisms in our area and 1 catholic baptism because we baptized "a baby". haha my companion was really worried we had commited apostasía. we ended up asking the parents and it turns out the year they told us the wrong year and she really was 8 years old. haha what a releif! it would be kind of embarrasing if we had to baptize her again.

Speaking of baptisms. we had another baptism this weekend. it was amazing. we have been teaching a young man (19) named jordy. Jordy is a really nice guy who is really interesting. He works with computers and dresses like a skaterkid. I remember the first time we taught him I was suprised he showed up to the lesson He just didnt seem like the type of person who would be interested in the gospel. Shame on me for judging.

Jordy has had a really intersting life. I wont go into detail everything he has gone through, but he has really turned his life around. I have been so blessed to witness this kind of change in someone. I remember the 4th or 5th lesson we had with jordy, we showed up the house and he just looked different. At first i thought he had cut his hair or somthing, but I watched him a bit longer and i realized he was dressed the exact same, something just looked new about him something bright. and I remember being hit by the realization that he had been repenting, and had received forgiveness. just the lesson before we had taught him about repentance and a few of the commandmants. He really had changed and turned his life around.

I just want to let everyone know the process of repentance is real. there is no-one who is reading this who has commited a sin they cannot repent of.

k a small tidbit about what i love about peru. Before the mission i had a pair of blue converse that i loved to dance with, and here everyone, everyday, for almost every ocasion wears converse of some sort, but the most popular is blue converse like the ones i had. haha the BEST!

Im loving Peru, the people the food, the work.

The mission really is the first 2 years of the best years of life.

Always turn outward, and keep smiling (I am :D )

El Elder Bunker