Training Is Good

26 March 2012

Hey family,

     So training is good; I really like it. It's tough because my companion sometimes is afraid to talk or doesn´t know what to say so that is interesting, but he is a super great missionary.  I have been struggling to teach alone though.   Sometimes he just recites the lessons memorized,  so I have been trying to teach in ways that he can´t recite the lessons.  That sometimes means that the lessons are a little tougher to teach but that's okay.    He really wants to learn and to be a better missionary.   He is from Panama City and his name is Elder Samamé.   He has made some excellent progress in the last few days here.   We have hopes of having a great deal more in the next few weeks.   I will be in this area with him for 12 more weeks training; from there, we will see.   I will have a combined total of about 27 weeks here.    Truly I am in Mission Peru Chiclayo. hahaha   I will almost have a year in mission before I could be transfered out. ..but that's okay. Its a lot of fun here. 

     I am still in the house of my Pensionista and she has a facebook if you can find her. You two can post on each others walls.    Her name is Graciella Serquen.    I don´t remember her other last name, but she is in la Victoria, Chiclayo Peru  if you can find her.   I think she has a few pictures of me and my last few companions.

     Other news, as of this moment, no, I have yet to see any packages.   The last one I got was the little Christmas package you sent me.    I saw one in the office the other day, but my zone leaders have to pick it up.   I can´t take it out.   I should get that tomorrow.  I will let you know. 

     I am glad that Tucker is okay. I didn´t even know he was old enough to drive, but I am glad that he is okay. I hope he recovers without any problems and that he doesn´t skip class anymore.

     Tell Devin and Aaron that 10 lessons a week is bad.   Normally,  we have close to 24 or 25.   (and normally 2-3 baptisms a month)  just to rub it in.

     I hope all is well at home. I will keep you posted on what is going on here. I love you all!

--
Elder Thomson

Staying in Chiclayo

19 March 2012
    
     Hey how is everything at home?    So, I tried to send some pictures
home, but the computer stopped reading my camera after one.  Here is the one! 
A few quick things for home.  I lost my credit card this week.  I have no
idea where it is.  I didn´t even know it was gone until about a half hour
ago.  The last time I saw it was last Monday.  So, could you cancel it
and maybe see if it would be possible to send a new one out here.
Aside from that little fact, I have had a slow week. True to tradition, the
week before transfer week is always the slowest.  We had a combined
total of like 10 lessons all week.    Haha... terrible!
But for this week,  no, I am not getting transfered.  I am going to be
training a new missionary in this area so for sure, I will be here for
at least 2 or 3 more months (12 weeks).  I was hoping to get moved to
the mountains, but maybe in July or more likely, August.  Sounds like
the mountains and Cajamarca are for the more experienced missionaries.
I am really looking forward to training.  It will be interesting.

     SO... stories for out here.  Well, the other week, we got to do service out
here for a  bunch of people.  We were working with the other two missionaries
that we live with to clean up a carpentry workshop for a
less active member.  It was actually quite a bit of fun.   Elder
Fernandez and I are always messing with each other.  We were making fun
of each other for two hours.  He was making fun of me in Ingles and
yo estaba molestándole en español.  It was great fun.  Then, we got bored and
started rigging new ways to do things.  We built a rig with a couple
barrels, a steel piece of pipe and a rope with a metal platform we
lashed together with cable.   We worked a way to move a great deal
of stuff from the 1st floor to the 3rd floor of this building.  It was
hard work, but we found ways to keep it interesting.

     This next story was kinda cool, and a touch overpowering.  For
the last couple weeks I have been studying about the power of god and
how he does things.   I came to a partial conclusion that was
correct, but not complete and I didn´t realize that until the other day.
I was asked to give a blessing.  During the blessing, I felt the
power of our Heavenly Father for just a moment.  I
felt it for only  a few seconds.  I realized he can do anything he wants
in anyway he wants.  It was a humbling experience.
    
     I will keep my eyes open for the packages.  I am now
a 34 waist, I think.  My 36 inch jeans are a touch a bit big now.
However,  I did fit into a 32 inch waist for the baptism, so 34 is
probably about right.
     I hope all is well  and I will write again next week.



Service in Chiclayo 

 Love you all

Elder Thomson

Getting A Tan

    12 March 2012

 

      Hey, only have a few seconds today...

Sounds like exciting news back home! Congratulations to Matt and Keira! That is cool, but do we have a date?   Matt told me November and Mom said December...anything more specific? 

    The weather here is super hot and I am starting to get fairly tan.  Our pensionista told me that I am starting to look semi- latin because my skin tone has darkened a good deal.   It looks like Peru has really 2 distinct times of year - summer and winter.  The summer is super hot with a luke warm breeze from the ocean; winter is relatively hot with cool breezes from the ocean.  That is about the extent of it.  Other news here is its possible that I will be transfered from here next week.  I talked with the ZLs and because my companion is going home in a couple more transfers its possible, even likely with how things have gone with President Risso in the past, that I will be changed so that this area doesn't get whitewashed.  I have already put in 3 and half months in this area, so its possible.  

I have a few stories this week but not enough time to tell them, but I'll send them in my next letter

Thanks for the support! I love you all at home

-- 

A Size 32 Waist?

Dear Family

     Hey,  I tried to send some pics home but I couldn´t make the computer  work again.
I will wait for the USB or if it's cheaper, I can buy a 8 gig USB for
about 25 dollars.  If it costs more than that to send one, don´t worry
about it.   (just for future reference.)
     So this Saturday we baptized 3 people:  Edith, her son José and her
brother Christian.   Only two were confirmed. Christian will be
confirmed this next Sunday because he had a tooth that was hurting him.
      I have a few pictures to send.  Also a couple showing how much weight I have lost.
 It's a bad picture, but you can see I have lost quite a bit.   I fit into a 32
waist baptismal pant on Saturday.  It was tight but I did wear them. I was a
38 waist when I left home.   We are going to look for new pants this
afternoon.    I didn´t get the letter from Clayton Christensen.   Is that
Preston's professor that is like a world famous businessman?
 I think P told me about him a couple times.
     So my current companion is from Lehi not Saratoga Springs.  Maybe it's
the same family but I don´t know.   Burymski is not a super common name
and Saratoga Springs is fairly close to Lehi, so it's possible.
     I have a question for you.  Could you try and get in contact with
Kelsie Stilson again?    Via facebook is probably the best way or if
it's still possible to retrive my old contacts from my phone, she was on
there too. 
      As far as stories go,  I don't have too many cool ones this week.  We had
changes this week and I was with Elder Seitz in the other ward.   That
was a lot of fun. We hung out and talked about guns, shooting
competitions, John Wayne and country music for 24 hours.
It was like hanging out with all my friends back home
again. He is a lot like Kyle Loveridge, but he is going home in 2
months so it will be short lived.    We legitamitely made a 100%
American meal to eat. (Elder Seitz is a ZL.  They don´t have a
Pensionista.)   We managed to make grilled cheese with Kraft cheese and
chicken nuggets with SwissMiss hot chocolate. It may be common back
home,  but I cannot tell you the joy of eating an American meal again.
     Sounds like the family is doing good. I hope everyone is doing fine
back home and I wish you all the best of luck with things at the house

     Anway. I have to run. Take care!

Busy Time

27 February 2012
    
     Hey, I only have a few minutes today to write.  All is good here.  No, I didn't get the basketball, but don't worry about it. I found a place here to buy a cheapo one for about 25 American dollars  and at the moment,  I don't have enough room to store one.    We are actually changing the date of Edith's batism to next Saturday so she can be baptized with her family.   She and her son as well as one of her cousins will be baptized and we are working with everyone else in the family.
     As for music, I think a USB is a great deal cheaper and not as big as a target whereas a new MP3 player might be. I have the other one you sent me and I can transfer music on and off of it fairly easily I think. I dont think i need any special software to do it.  Asfor Itunes, no, we are specifically asked not to use it.  I would like at least some country and some irish music if you can manage it. Those are the genres that I miss the most. Most of the music I hear here is good but only for a minute or two.It is all the same, just different lyrics.
    PTE Risso, he is running from all corners of the mission trying to get everything going here.  He is super busy.  Unless someone writes him specifically, they probably not going to hear much.
    As for the rest of the family, sounds like all is well.    I too am  keeping everyone in my prayers.  Well I have to run.  We have an appointment in a couple minutes.

And the Work Goes On

20 February 2012


     Hey how is Cali? Looks like the family is doing good and sounds like
the kids are growing up too quickly!  How are things going back in the
states?   This week I am doing OK.  I am feeling better and my health is improving.
     As for the family that we are teaching, at the moment the mom
and the son have a baptisimal date for Mar. 17,  but it's
distinctly possible that we will move that date up a couple weeks.  They
are the most prepared people that I have ever seen.  They can be
baptized anytime next week if they go to church this Sunday  and we
are looking forward to baptizing them soon.   They are super
excited.  The mom is looking like she is going to drag the rest of the
family by the ear to the baptizimal font.  She is super excited and
wants everyone else to enjoy this excitement with her.  She could
become the most active member of our ward as a single mother no older
than 25.  As for her family, they are a bit harder, but she
keeps bringing new people to the activities and to the church so we
will see about everyone else. 
     With the ward here,  no thereare no ward missionaries nor ward
assistance in our work.  To date, we have gotten a combined total of 3
real references from members and 2 were from the other ward, not ours.
     In respect to the packages, I got theChristmas packages with 2
dart guns and a couple of remote cars, a variety of food, but no
basket ball.   I did get the valentines package this week.  But as
for packages, I was wondering if you could send a USB drive my way
with some music on it.  Specifically, I had some instrumental LDS
music on my computer that I was wondering if you could send as well
as any kind of country church music and some Irish tenor- like music.
I don't know if dad knows any, but I would appreciate it.  I like the
music I have, but there is no variety.   If you could send more, I would
like it.  As for pictures, I will have to send a USB home.  These
computers are too old to recognize the format of my camera.  I can't
ever get the pictures.  I have only found one place in centro that I
can send pictures home.  It's tough to find and out of the way.
Well,  I am out of time.  I hope all is well at home.  Tell
Melisa thanks and that I appreciate all the support from her and P.
Give my love to the Fam.
Elder Nate