He Who Loses His Life For My Sake Will Find It

Buenos Días,

I CANT believe you're moving houses!!! Hmmm…. Well it's for the better. Nobody's ever home anymore….I'll just sleep on the carpet when I come home believe me it will be sufficient. I'm really sorry but today is going to be the worst… I won't be able to write that much. We're leaving a little early to travel to some of the oldest ruins in south America. It's called CARAL !!!

(Caral has been dated to about 2600 B.C. and is the one of the oldest, known-civilizations in the New World. It was discovered in the early Twentieth Century, but was forgotten since no gold or even ceramics were found. No ceramics were present because Caral predates even the Ceramic period. Evidence suggests that there were inhabitants in the area as early as 9210 B.C., which if accurate, are the oldest known civilizations in the New World, and among the oldest in the world. This is a relatively new discovery and is changing how archeologists view American timelines. )

The following pictures were taken in 2 areas, Independencia and Barranca.

Zona Indepdencia

At Walter and Lupe's Baptism at the Chapel in Barranca

At the home of the Vasquez family

With the Vasquez family

At the Conferencia de Los Lideres de Zona (Zone Leader Conference) Elder Layton is in the rear.

In the Native Tradition

Do you see the man in the background? Why do you think he's smiling?

They look scared, don't they?

The Baptism of Joseph

Carnival in the Street, Peruvian Style

Standing in one of the local fields

Feed My Sheep

Elder Layton finally gets a Pizza in Peru

Independencia, Peru

Elder Layton and Josmel Bautista

Karen's little cousin

Elders Garnica and Layton in Independencia

The Chapel in Independencia

Saying Goodbye to Converts

Study time

Elder Layton named the baby "Emma" - we don't know any of the details

With the new pension and family

Contemplating a career after the mission???

Another whip pic

...and it worked

(We have a few more pictures - I'll get those up on another post.)

I've been studying the Bible lately. I read the other day that Jesus Christ taught that he had come to the earth not to bring peace, but to bring dissension between father son, mother daughter, etc…. at first I think this scripture would seem strange to anyone in Matthew 10, but I've been able to experience exactly what Jesus is teaching.

One sister I mentioned last week that's going to be baptized this Saturday named Margarita is having so many challenges with her family. They're all really strong Catholics and this entire week in a family reunion they basically were huge jerks to her, which makes me sad, but it's only because she's standing up for what she believes in. Another mom of an investigator was recently baptized in our ward and she gave her testimony yesterday and started bawling because her family doesn't talk with her anymore….before her baptism they were her best friends, but her decision to follow Christ has made her parents who are caught up in the pride of tradition to turn their backs on her.

So I know what Jesus Christ was teaching now. He taught right after this that he who loses his life for my sake, will find it. If we just lose ourselves a little more everyday we´ll find more happiness, we'll receive greater blessings, and became powerful instruments in the hands of the Lord. I love this work.

Your son and friend,

Elder Layton