Happy Birthday Elder Arce!

My area of
Lima is very hilly :)

                                                                                                     
Dear Family,
Whoops, another weird keyboard moment haha.  Wow so much news in one letter. Congrats to Rachael on her call and Michael on being such a strong spiritual brother of mine. Congrats Kolby on being alive his junior year and for getting the job. If it´s Dallin’s old job there are definite perks haha. I sent mail home en mass for a bunch of people and if you could sort it out and send it places that would be spectacular.  Speaking of mail, president announced hermana leaders for the hermanças of several zones his week, they will train the hermanas in the other zones and basically coordinate with the president a little better. Also I can email whomever as of this week. I don´t know why it was such an up and down road, but it probably had a purpose, so that´s how it went. I can email everyone as long as I email president and then my family first.

Pollo a la brasa

This week was Elder Arce´s birthday and he received some money from his parents through Western Union so he got himself some new shoes and a shirt.  The tradition is very real. We egged him and then someone poured flour over his head. I have a pair of pants that I messed up ironing that are burned a little that I plan to wear on my birthday this year. I have pictures of him and I, him covered in egg that I might be able to send next week.  The bishop took us to Norky´s that night and we ate pollo a la brasa, then a member gave us masumoro tooç.  Basically there are benefits to having a companion with a birthday in the field. Additionally, a family ordered pizza for us, Papa Johns. It was sooo good. We watched them put on a parable play for their kids (this was an extended family in one house) and then left for home. They live on the other side of the street from us and make pinatas for a living. The husband is always willing to accompany us to lessons, and they’re a big help to the work.  

My apartment in Lima

This week we focused on asking for references at our lunch appointments and now I have a testimony of that. One sister, the hermana Canto has a son that just received his mission call to Ecuador. When we asked if she had anyone for us to teach, she about jumped out of her chair because she knew who she wanted to share with us.  We plan on visiting the reference tomorrow.  The other example of us asking for a reference was the bishops brother in law. We asked him for a reference after a lunch appointment and he kind of hemmed and hawed a bit. Then he told us that all of his friends or neighbors are family that are members or are people that ride in his taxi, so they live well away and he doesn’t have their info. That was really sad, and it reminded me of when missionaries would ask us for references after dinner. It was so disappointing when we didn't have anyone new from this brother.

About skype, I will be calling you today to set up the time, in case I don’t get through it will be on Sunday at 3 or 3:15 my time, which is about noon your time I think. I need an account, so I need someone to make a skype account for me to use and then tell me the information when I call today at around 2 your time (5 mine) I hope that works out. I will have 30 minutes to call on Sunday so time is precious!

Questions:

Was it really only one year ago all those luncheons?

Dinner?

I don’t need the sweatshirt here, though it is chilly, I will be getting sweaters from a market soon

The food is bland usually unless I use aji which is a pepper sauce

No my comp wasn’t sleeping, just studying I think, I don’t really remember the pic

I think I’ve lost my MTC weight, but who knows the only people with scales are nuns in all the markets and I feel like I would be contributing to a different church with my sacred funds if I paid to use it

Norky's for Elder Arce's birthday

Kids go to school all day until around 9 at night, but have a couple breaks and different schedules depending on the school, but they only attend until 16 then its work or university

We work with a lot of 30 or 40 somethings that are finding the gospel. There’s a few youth, but not many that we can teach because of school. But the youth of the church do have seminary and institute

Times up,so I’ll talk to someone later today and the rest of you I will see on Mother’s Day

Time really flies in the mission and I can´t believe it´s already here, call number 2

I love you all, try to share a friend with the missionaries, they could always use another friend :)

Love,

Elder Nelson