Oct. 5, 2009
Hi family!

OK NOW I'm really in Peru. This place is so crazy! I'm in the most southern part of the city of Lima. It's called Pachacamac. It is also pretty much the poorest place in Lima. There are a few paved streets but they are riddled with pot holes. Everything else is dirt. Pretty much the only cars are buses, moto taxis and regular taxis. The people sure are poor but they are awesome! I have found the cure for my obsessiveness... it's here. There is so much trash everywhere. People just kinda pile it up wherever and then people come pick it up and haul it away every once in a while. My companions name is Elder Saavedra, he's from Bolivia. We get along pretty well but he has troubles getting up in the morning. Sorry about my miss spellings... I'm typing with one hand and this keyboard isn't the best.
We are teaching some people and its awesome! Elder Saavedra has been here before but that was over a year ago. So we are going around trying to get to know everyone again and find out who is active and who isn't. We have a couple of new investigators that we are working with. I Think that by this time next week we´ll have some baptisms lined up! We had a baptismal interview with a girl yesterday whose whole family are not members. Her dad is catholic and doesn't want her to be baptized but she does so we need to try to get that figured out this week.

My Spanish is coming along. I'm trying to not get discouraged. It's hard but I can get it done! Ok, so mom might not want to read this part! My companion and I were walking through the little bit rougher side of town and apparently this guy said lets rob this gringo and take his camera. But then one of the guys he was with said no because I guess he has known some of the elders in the past. So that was good. I didn't feel like getting robbed this week.! Don't worry! I'm being careful!

So tomorrow we leave to go see the doctor again to get my stitches taken out. I saw it last week and I have about 20. Hopefully I can get you a pic and send it to you. I'm going to have a pretty good scar to remind me to be patient for the rest of my life!

Oh I want to tell you about my house! We live above a restaurant that the hermana we live with owns. Then she and her husband live above us. Every building in Peru is made with cement and rebar. That's it. If people have money they have tile in their houses, if not it's all cement. There is no such thing as carpet except in the president's house but he lives next to a golf course so that doesn't count ha. Well any way it's cold here right now its really only like 60 or so but with 90% humidity its pretty cold. And then we only have cold water and boy its cold. The morning shower is not something I like.

Conference! Wasn't it sweet!! I got to listen to a lot of it in English and I'm glad I did because it was awesome. Elder Holland was great!! If you didn't hear that talk read it or go online and watch it!!

I hope that all of you are doing ok after this last week. I'm hanging in there, I hope that you are too. Grandma, I love you so much! I can't express that enough. Aunt P thanks for the pics, I got them on Monday when I really needed them.

I love you family! My testimony is growing so much. This the hardest thing I have ever done and I'm really only a week in, but I can make it. I know that our Savior lives and will help us through every single one of our trials. Stand tall in low places.

Love, Elder B