Monday, November 10, 2014

Death N Stuff

Dead guy Duty

      So last week you asked me if I'd eaten anything weird and I told you not really. WELL right after that we went to help out a lady at her restaraunt and as a thank you she fed us kidney. I think it was from a chicken. Or a cuy. Not sure. Then the next day someone feed us soup with stomach in it. Also probably chicken or cuy. It was fantastic. Both were terribly horrifyingly nasty, but not quite as bad as liver. Actually I lied, Kidney wasn't that bad. Elder Johanson had a hard time with it though. We're still eating great with our pension (who is the bomb.com. She's my Peruvian mom) and drinking our fill of Inca Kola. Practically everyone we visit feeds us. I'm still getting fat. Today I started my new regime of working out extra hard in the morning cause I don't want to come home looking like the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man.

     We got five new investigators this week so that was cool. Elder Johanson and I were walking down the street one day when a guy passed us and yelled, "Jose Smith!" I replied with, "Exactamente!" which then led to a conversation and this guy inviting us to a little shop to drink Coke and talk about the Bible. He might have been a little bit drunk, but he sure knew the Bible! He was super friendly. His name is Nixon, and after he made us drink about a liter and a half each, he told us to come by again another day. We then contacted the lady in the store and came back and taught her mom a couple days later.

     Another one of our new investigators is Elvis. We found Elvis while trying to visit another lady named Norma who ended up not being home. Since we were there we just decided to go around the corner and knock a couple doors and we found Elvis while knocking doors and he was very open to chatting with us and discussing religion. He has some very good beliefs about God and I think He'll progress. We actually have about 30 investigators but I'll just keep talking about the ones that are progressing the most.

     We're also still teaching our other investigators that I mentioned last week, Edwardo and Rody. They're both progressing a bunch, and I think will both come through with their baptism dates. I taught my first chastity lesson to Rody this week. He actually took it really well. We also taught Edwardo about tithing and he accepted it with aplomb.

     As far as the language goes I'm starting to get the hang of it. NOT. More like I'm getting the hang of sucking. But that's okay. I'm still improving I suppose. I can kind of have a conversation and teach, I just can't express myself or speak very intelligently or understand everything people say so that's a little frustrating. A member of our ward told me I don't have an accent though so that was cool. I think he was lying but it was still nice.

     So this week we had two deaths in our ward. They were both older gentlemen who were very ill. One was actually the father of a member of our ward but it still counts. Funeral traditions here are very odd. When someone dies, the family holds a viewing at their house for three days. During those three days everyone and their dog comes over and just sits, talks, and eats their food. The family spends the three days cooking for everybody that comes over. Kind of a sucky way to morn. Then for the actual funeral the pallbearers carry the casket to the cemetery, only they take the longest way possible so everyone in the city sees that someone died. Then at every corner they set the casket down and they sing a kind of music called Gwayno (not sure how to spell it). Gwayno is very authentic Peruvian music that is absolutely appalling. They sing half in Quechua and half in Spanish, but they switch off at really random times. Like mid-sentence sometimes. If you're Mormon though you also sing hymns so that's cool too. Elder Johanson got to speak at one of the funerals. He was asked about five minutes in advance. Also, No one is actually buried. Their cemeteries are all full of tombs that are above ground. Not sure why. Maybe that's why Peru smells so bad all the time. That, and they poop in the street for funsies. I love this country.

     Well, that's about all for now. I love you all. I know the church is true. Keep your heads up and your backs straight. Posture is important in the work of salvation. Or something like that. Don't cite me on that quote. Peace and Blessings! Solo tienes que sonrier.

Love,
        
Elder Pearce, or as the Peruvians call me because no one can say my name right, Elder Payarce

PEACE!

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