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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