Elder Seaman is Coming Home!

One of my best friends from the mission is finishing this week. Elder Seaman, the one who epically cut his shirt with a machete to make a bandage for my machete cut finger, is going home this week. We talked on the phone for about an hour last night about everything. I’m definitely looking this kid up when I get home and he should be calling you as well to tell you all hey and to give you a little report about how I am doing. So if some gringo calls you and is having trouble speaking English it’s probably him!

Well, Family, your letter made my day and just like Kenadee I’m also “glad that we have a family forever”. Love you so much!

Many Fond Memories to Take With Me

Yesterday was probably the most special Sunday that I have had in quite a while. The Mera Family were in charge of the program and they did such a great job. Gerlin talked about service to others as well as to the Lord and Inyes talked about ways to strengthen the spirit within the home. The entire family also performed a special musical number “Choose the Right”. What a special thing to see before leaving Tarapoto. That little family has come such a long way with their spiritual progress as well as temporally. It’ll be hard to tell them goodbye but I know they will be fine, I’m leaving them in the Lords hands and as far as I am concerned, they is no better way to leave them.

La Banda de Shilcayo has really been a special place to spend four and a half months on my mission. I know it might seem the same with every area but you meet people who quickly become family and life-long friends. The miracle of it all is that no matter how far apart we are, as long as we are living correctly, the Gospel will keep us connected. I’m so thankful for the great amount of Trust that the Lord and President Perez have shown to me to be an instrument in helping Tarapoto become a Stake. It’s been a lot of work and we still have a ways to go but I feel as though in these last few months we were able to make some very large steps in reaching the goal. Keep them in your prayers!

We had a very neat weekend with the Baptism of Rosario Montes; she is the sister of Edelmira who got baptized two weeks ago. She is such a funny little lady, full of faith and innocence. Her sister Edelmira gave the closing prayer during the baptismal service and it was really special. She couldn’t help but hold back the tears expressing her thanks that her sister was finally able to put things in order to get baptized. Joel is going to need a little more time in order to clear up a few things but he is working hard in order to achieve his goal. I did his baptismal interview and it was such a neat experience for me. The power of the atonement is real is willing to help all those who seek it. Joel is such a great kid and I love him so much.

Farewell To Tarapoto.....

The dreaded six week change is up and the new transfers have arrived. I don’t know if I have been more not wanting a change in a of my mission. (Did that last sentence make sense?)It looks like I am on my death walk back to Lima where I will finish my last three changes before heading home. I’m heading to a Zone called Santidad (Carabayillo, Lima) where I will get to work with an Elder from my group Elder Cruz. I’m excited because from what I hear the zone is HUGE and it is in charge of TWO STAKES. Elder Sanchez started his mission there and told me that I will have to do a lot of False Tradition killing to help put things into order, well if it’s anything that I like to do its kill False Traditions. We fly out Wednesday morning but sadly I won’t be returning to Tarapoto.

The Lord's Church is Growing!

Things here in the District of Tarapoto are on the Up and Up. This weekend a representative from the Area offices in Lima is coming to have a meeting with us and the District Presidency in order to make the limits for the new stake. We are going to make the boundaries for the future stake. Also they are asking that Elder Sanchez and I begin looking for new pueblos to open up once Tarapoto becomes a stake. There are a handful of pueblos that we are visiting and trying to decide if missionaries could work there, wow what an experience. As of right now Tarapoto meets the requirements to become a Stake but once we become a stake, we have to instantly start branching out and expand. What an exciting time in this little part of the Jungle!!!
Well family I just want you to know that I love you and I know that where I am right now, is where the Lords wants me to be. This is his work and I know that he personally directs it. I love you all and thanks for everything.

Modern Day Pioneers

Elder Sanchez and I decided to do something a little different here in the zone to help our Elders be a little bit more awake and energized. We quickly found out that our zone is a little lazy when it comes to doing their morning exercises so in order to change that Elder Sanchez and I get up at 6:00 and arrive at the house of a companionship and we do our exercises together. Wow, what a blast! Seeing them roll out of bed, strap on their shoes, and waddle outside is priceless. We workout for about 20 minutes before we leave them t ready for the day. It also helps us to get our behinds out of bed a little bit earlier and to try to get a little bit of physical conditioning back in us.

miracles exist and happen even today...

The Gutierrez Family is doing so much better, what a special little miracle I was able to witness. Neiser has started coming back to church and the best part is that their oldest son Joel (19 years old) accepted a baptismal date for this Saturday. I met Joel with Elder Vasquez about three in a half months ago. He had a big addiction to alcohol and wasn’t associated with the best of friends. Elder Vasquez and I worked so hard with him, setting goals, making commitments, but we just couldn’t quite find a way to touch his heart. We began visiting him less and less throughout the week, until about two weeks ago when we decided to see how he was doing and to be able to introduce Elder Sanchez. We found him alone in his house and we began to talk. He shared with us some of his past experiences and some things that had happened to him ever since we stoped coming to visit him. He had since realized that true happiness comes from living the commandment and that the need to put his life in order is NOW. As he began sharing his young testimony with us I just felt restrained from talking in order to allow the spirit to keep on testifying. He looked us both in the eyes and said “on the twenty fifth I’m going to get baptized”. The spirit instantly filled to room and it just left the three of us speechless.

What a change I was able to witness in the life of Joel. I remember him telling us that all was lost with him and that we were just wasting time with him. Everyone has their moment and the Lord knows what his children need in order to realize just how much he loves them. Elder Sanchez and I made a commitment to bring a family to the church in the month of July, and as Joel said the closing prayer last Friday we both felt as if this was the family we were suppose to find and complete in the month of July. It might just seem like a little miracle but miracles exist and happen even today.

Thank you so much for your great letters and your words of encouragement. It brought with it a very strong spirit that was felt even here in Tarapoto, Peru. Thanks so much!!!
Never before have I been able to be more in tune with my companion than I have been with Elder Sanchez. The same inspiration comes to the both of us and before we even say anything to the other we already know what is going to be said. We have been able to make more efficient decisions and when it comes to helping an Elder over come a challenge or problem, we are able to work together to overcome any obstacle. Everything is done by the spirit and what a strong testimony it is to see how it works through the both of us. I guess that is what the Lords not only want for his missionaries but also for every husband and wife. In order to make it work the two of them must be in tune to the spirit so that they can work together to get over the bumps in life. Thank you so much mom and dad for being such a great example of that to me.

I LOVE MY MISSION!!!

Last night we had a pretty fun experience with a rat in our house. Don’t worry I have a great video of us dealing with it. It was a late night round up but at least we were able to sleep in peace. I’ve got to tell you, I wouldn’t change any one of my experiences for anything. I love every minute of every day even when things don’t go quite as well as planned. I’ve just got to keep on smiling and remember that if it doesn’t kill me it will only make me stronger. I LOVE MY MISSION!!!

The Lord Is Watching Out for His Children...

This past week Elder Sanchez and I have been so blessed with so many spiritual experiences. One came when we were teaching a family of recent converts who are passing through a tough time. As we began conversing with the dad, Neiser Gutierrez, he was quick to try to find someone to put blame for his problems and just trying to find a way to vent. As we allowed him to talk, I felt that something wasn’t right in the house or with the family. A few more minutes went by and then it hit me “Ask him if there is food in the house”. I cut him off in his talking and asked him “Neiser, is there food in the house for you and your family”. He looked at me with a look of joy and shame all at the same time. He suddenly broke down in tears and explained that for the last couple of days no one in his house has eaten and that he hadn’t commented that to anyone. That same night we called up the Branch President to come over and help to evaluate the situation in order to get food in the house. As we were walking back to our house we both were overcome with the sense of joy that comes from following the promptings of the spirit. It was another great testimony to me of the way the Lord watches out for his children through us. We are representatives of Jesus Christ and through us he takes care of each of his children.

More Memorable Baptisms

Saturday night was Merli´s and Edelmira´s baptism and what a special spiritual experience it was. Merli had a member baptize her and she did so well. When she came out of the water I was waiting up top with her towel and before he grabbed it she gave me a big THUMBS UP, its something I taught her. She was smiling ear to ear! Edelmira asked that I would baptize her and she also received another wittiness of the truthfulness of what she was doing. They are two of the sweetest people with two of the strongest testimonies I have heard. They both made huge sacrifices to make their baptism a reality, but in the end they could feel the Lord’s presence as they made their first covenant with Him.

The font water was another story though. Saturday afternoon it started to rain really hard which means that the tap water becomes very cloudy with sand and dirt. When we filled the font the water was a little bit more than dirty and sadly there wasn’t anyway to clear it up. It looked as if we had just filled it with river water but it didn’t scare Edelmira or Merli at all. It seriously looked as if we were baptizing in a septic tank but it was just another lifelong memory of the Lords work her in the Jungle.

I'm Certainly Not the One Calling the Shots

I’m glad your week went so great because mine did as well. It has been a wild rollercoaster ride like it usually is here in the Jungle but the Lord is definitely blessing us and watching over us every step of the way.

In a matter of two days two of our Elders got an emergency transfer which was quite a blow in and of itself. Our District Leader, Elder Gonzlez, got a called back to Lima to have an interview with the Bolivian Government to receive his visa to go back to his mission. Another Elder, Elder Steed, got called to work in the offices as the new Financial Secretary. Two of our strongest Elders have left the zone but its amazing how things just keep on keeping on. Elder Sanchez and I are now the district leaders and zone leaders here in Tarapoto, which means a bit more work but we are excited about it. After I got done feeling sorry for myself with the leaving of two of our Elders, it hit me more than ever that this really isn’t my work. I’m not the one calling shots, trusting in the Lord and trusting in his promises has really helped me to put things into perspective once again. He definitely knows what I need to learn and he knows just how to teach it to me, and I am so thankful for that.

The Blessings Continue

This next week we are going to baptize Pedro Fababa´s mom and sister. We baptized Pedro back in May and after a few bumps and twists his mom and sister have committed themselves to get baptized this weekend. Merli (Pedro´s sister) is 44 years old but has a bit of a learning disorder. She hasn´t every been able to thrive in a classroom setting or been able to understand even the most basic principles. But when we first met here we shared with her a spiritual thought and amazingly she understood the significance. Since then she has been offering her personal prayers as well as studying The Book of Mormon. She is progressing so well not only spiritually but also mentally. Yesterday she got up and bore her testimony in front of the entire Branch. What a special miracle it was to see her walk up front and to share with us something that she knows to be true. It was the highlight of my day. Her and he mom are going to get baptized Saturday and I’m sure they will surprise us with something special come Saturday.

Well family, I love you so much and have a hard time expressing my thanks to you. I know that what I am teaching to my brothers and sisters here in Tarapoto is true and that its blesses and changes lives. What makes it even more special is that I know that you know, oh how lucky I am. Thanks for everything!
ps tell Bill Workman that thanks to NYLT I have felt much more prepared to be a representative of Christ and that I too really miss working with the young men there. Tell them hi and give them a hug for me

The Banners Decoded--

Upon closer examination of some of the pictures, great truths were found.

Zona 9 de Octubre

2 Ne 7:7-8

For the Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded. Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

And the Lord is near, and he justifieth me. Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who is mine adversary? Let him come near me, and I will smite him with the strength of my mouth.

Zona Barranca

Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Zona Iquitos

Somo de la Selva (We are of the Forest)

Sedundo y si no sois uno no sois mios (If you are not one you are not mine)

Zona Independencia

From Elder Layton's blog we read: "Last week we made a title of liberty as a zone and the sisters in our zone took it home. Of course when it came back it was completely changed and pretty looking, but that`s what you'd expect from sisters. Today for pday we're going to climb the highest mountain/hill nearby (which is really high) and take a picture with it. All the Zones are doing it for a surprise for President Perez."


Zona Moyobamba & Zona T-Suyo

3 Ne 5:13

Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

Zona Pro

Alma 48:17

Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.

Zona Pucallpa

Alma 26:12

Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.


Zona Puente Pidera

Puente Pidera means Stone Bridge, and you will notice in the picture that one of the missionaries must be quite the artist, because there is a drawing of a beautiful stone bridge on the flag, and also the words.... "The restoration of the Book of Mormon, will be a salvation to this generation"


Zona Tarapoto

Notice all of their t-shirts have a picture of a man hammering a stake with a big sledge hammer (mallet). The motto reads "a dios rogando y con el mazo dando" - "To God requesting and with the mallet giving"


Zona Ventanilla

"Cultiva la semilla para levantar" - "With work, the seed will rise"

FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS President Perez !!

July 1st was President Prez' Birthday. All the zones did a banner and a hike and the photos were given to President Perez as a present. It looked like everyone had a great time!

Sample Bus Trip in Peruvian Mountians!

Exciting Ride and Visit!

I had another great Birthday experience in the Jungle. Tuesday night we took the 3 hour bus ride to Yurimaguas. What a beautiful ride it is!!! Yurimaguas is on the other side of the mountains of Tarapoto so we had to take the windy, muddy mountain roads in order to arrive. That highway really got me scared though, it was an awful long ways to fall if we were to go over the edge but what a great experience. Thick Thick Jungle and Narrow Narrow Roads, good stuff. The Elders in Yurimaguas didn’t exactly give us the best of sleeping conditions so Elder Sanchez and I got stuck sleeping on the floor which was quite an experience in itself. Lets just say that the cockroaches we up and active, lol. But the next morning the Missionaries gave me a Peruvian Birthday greeting with a bunch of eggs smashed on my head. But luckily I was already in the shower so it was easy to get cleaned up. Being Yurimguas was like a big flash back of my time in Iquitos. The people to the houses were so similar but it was great to be back in that kind of atmosphere. Even though Tarapoto is also jungle it’s really different from the jungle of Iquitos and Yurimaguas. Tarapoto is mountainous and a little bit more modern when it comes to housing and technology, while Iquitos and Yurimaguas still have wooden houses and leaf roofs. What a blessing it is to have been able to serve those people there and to have been able to love and learn from them.

Another Peruvian 4th of July!

As a zone we also had our own little 4th our July celebration. Saturday morning we got together and decided to cook breakfast. It took little debate as to what we were going to prepare: AMERICAN STYLE PANCAKES. I say American Style because here a normal pancake turns out to be a crape but American Style entails the warm fluffiness, thickness, and girth. Since stoves are very difficult to find here in the Jungle, we all gathered in our church building where we have a little two burner stove. Elder Sanchez and Elder Sweet (who worked as a chef before the mission) were put in charge of grilling the hotcakes while the rest of us sang patriotic songs. While we were eating, we were lucky enough to see the new documentary about President Monson, “On the Lords Errand”. To finish the whole get together the four of us Gringos formed a quartet and sang the National Anthem. We obviously can’t sing in English anymore but we had fun trying and it was a great reminder of just how blessed we truly are.

Be sure to write about it....

Wow, reading yours and Amy’s letters put the biggest smiles on my face! What a very special week you were all able to have! I’m so glad Brian loved his time at EFY, there is a spirit there and I’m glad Brian was able to feel it. My little Bro is just getting so big, its hard to believe. Amy’s trip to Salt Lake also sounded like quite the experience as well. I seriously got chills hearing about it. What a neat time and like I say a lot in the mish, “it makes for a great journal entry”. Be sure to write about it, especially the way you felt, thanks so much for sharing it with me.

Hosman Gets His Mission Call!

Hearing about Brian Hosman´s call really made my day. There was a member here that just left about a month ago to that mission. His name is Maximo Cudeña and he was our lifesaver when Elder Vasquez and I arrived brand-new to the area. He worked with us all day every day until were got to know the area. He is the only member in his family but his mom seems to really love us because she is always inviting us over to eat lunch with them. Tell Hosman congrats and that I am happy for him.

Brian leaves in October for the El Salvador San Salvador West/Belize Mission! Another Spanish Speaker!

Birthday Memories 2009

The 30th of June is a bitter sweet day for Elder Sanchez and I. Last night we were up late sitting out back in our yard, looking up at the stars, and just talking. Eight years ago, Elder Sanchez’s dad past away, Elder Sanchez was only fourteen years old. Talking with him last night was such a special experience because we both came away from it with a much stronger testimony of God’s Plan for us and that Families truly can be together forever. I love Elder Sanchez and I love the trust and friendship that we already have within our companionship.

Elder Sanchez and I are headed to YURIMAGUAS in the afternoon to spend a few days with the Elders up there. Last week the Natives came to an agreement and are now allowing people to leave as well as enter. Hearing that we decided that we would have to take advantage of the opportunity to visit our missionaries and see how they are doing. They haven’t been able to leave Yurimaguas for three months because of the civil unrest but things seem to be calming down. My Birthday Celebrations here in Tarapoto will have to be put on hold until Thursday Night.

Sorry for keeping you all on the edge of your seats yesterday, but things have calmed down and both Elder Sanchez and I are able to get a letter off to our families. Thanks so much for all the great Birthday wishes and it was definitely fun hearing from you two days in a row. Although Elder Sanchez hasn’t made me a toilet paper cake yet, I’m sure he’ll have something to surprise me with.