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Dearest Family,

I just wanted to express my gratitude for every one of you. I feel extremely blessed here in the mission. Jesse looks the same as he left. So does Jacob. Haha man I miss those guys. I'm happy I'm here in the mission still but since I'm the last Elder to end It will be crazy to be able to see everyone in one time.

I'm growing ever more preoccupied with Brianas college life. I think maybe she could go to COCC or something better than her current situation...

Also I just have to say mom I watched the movie UP before you did so I dont have to wait. Remember, every change we watch one Disney movie as a Zone? Thank you President! I loved the movie ahahhaha. Especially the bird thing I would love one of those.

Also I already sent you your Christmas Package so you could just say I'm a little ahead of the game with the movie and now this. Hopefully you like it. Sometime before Christmas you can go pick it up in the house of Elder Hurd who is leaving Peru tomorrow or the next day I think. Here's the directions:

The Hurd Family
#### ## ######## ###.
Redmond, OR
Phone #: 541-###-####

Okay I JUST found out my change how exciting!!!!! Okay. Im going back to Independencia!!! Ill be Zone Leader with my daddy in the mission Elder Acevedo. New responsibilities and everything but being District Leaders helped me a lot.

Im going to miss these people more than I can even describe. The converts I've had here are the best. I said goodbye to the Zorrilla Family last night. Theyre the best. My hijo (kid) Elder Yaez is going to Pucallpa. Im so proud of him for going there. ? Hmmmm. What else?

We have a lot of really good investigators again. A sister named Marcela thats been coming to church and loving it. Another family that just came yesterday. I had invited her to the church outside a high school about a month ago and she remembered the invitation! That's a miracle. Bueno, we have appointments with them. The mom went to all three hours and even went to the conference for parents yesterday at 4 in the afternoon. Shes someone I recognize definitely prepared by the Lord. Theres also a girl named Maria that has been going to church shes the best friend of Paula a recent convert. Also theres a man named Felipe Reyes that is separated from his wife right now and is having family problems. We taught him the law of chastity yesterday and accepted a baptism date. Hes gone to church 3 times and he's progressing. His plan is to forgive his wife, get married, and move in with his family again.

I know the members in the Independencia. I'm going to the ward Pinos and when I was in Ermitao I shared churches with them so its not completely new to me. Hmm tomorrow I'm planning an awesome District Meeting. Of course the last meeting of the change the Elderes leaving give their testimonies. I've also asked the missionaries to bring a picture of their family to the meeting so that tomorrow one by one we can talk about the reasons we came to the mission and how our families are being blessed by the mission service.

I honestly feel like I'm being blessed more than my family. The mission is full of spiritual experiences. But I do know you guys are also having experiences in the church. That's my thought for today. Have experiences.

Merry Christmas.

Love,

Elder Layton

The People That Read It Believe It

Dearest Family,

Briana, what are you doing at BYUI? Why do you have a picture with you and an RM? That's definitely breaking big brother rules!!!!! I'm the first RM you get to know. GRACIAS. That's not a joke.

This week was a good one. We left a lot of investigators that just weren't progressing. There's one important rule in the mission. If you can't feel the spirit in the lesson, the investigator probably isn't feeling it... Sometimes, investigators simply don't want to keep commitments and we never force them. It's something hard you have to learn here in the mission... sometimes you have to leave an investigator because they're just not prepared right in that moment. We had 10 investigators come to church!!! 10 INCAS.

Earlier in the week we contacted a lady named Marcela Primomatos. VACAN!!!! She's oro! Yesterday she came like she said she would and enjoyed every part. She sincerely told the sisters that she wants to come every week. She told us when we were at her house with her family that the Lord must have sent us to her house. I believe that. One day this week we were running short on time and the thought came through my head that we shouldn't visit her. It was only a contact and a quick appointment and we were completely across our area.... but.... then the thought came to my mind that we should go. So we went and she accepted to be baptized with her daughter Yesea. I'm happy about that. We're going to visit her again tomorrow and try to talk with her husband.

Thanks for the package!!! I'm actually wearing the sweatshirt you sent me right now. We're at an Internet by the beach. Today we're going to the beach again to BBQ and play soccer, and who knows what else. Eating hamsters..... I don't know. The mission's amazing.

I ended Doctrine and Covenants and I started to read the Bible....but then I felt like I really should just read the Book of Mormon again. That book here in Peru is more important to know than anything else. If you read the cover page of the Book of Mormon carefully you'll understand why. It was literally written FOR THE LAMANITES (Peruvians...) and then it explains AND ALSO for the Jews and also for the Gentiles. It's for everyone....... but firstly, for my people. It amazes me the promise that it has. The people that read it believe it. Even the people here that don't believe in the Bible (yes, there are some of those) find it easier to believe in the Bible when they have read the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is more my companion than Elder Yaez I think. Elder Yaez, my kid's, doing great btw. He's learning.

I'm sleeping very well know, thank you mom. This week I also did my first work visit. I visited Elder Andica. I interviewed investigators pretty much all Thursday haha. That's my life now as District Leader. Interviews, work visits, etc. And of course we still are working with a bunch of awesome investigators.

THE MISSION'S FLYING BY SO FAST!!!!! I feel old....not trying to know how much time I have....okay, I have 17 months. Jesse's ending this week no?! I love you very much!

Love, Elder Layton

(Note from Don: Yesterday Brenda attended a ward in Tigard, Oregon...a suburb of Portland, and the town where the temple is located. A returning missionary named Michael Tapete Tanuvasa (Polynesian) spoke. He had just come home from the Lima, Peru South Mission. It was exciting to hear him describe the people in Peru as "the most loving people I've met in my life". He said that through them he had learned to be more like Christ. His talk was on "Love Thy Neighbor".)

P.S. Christie your baby is beautiful, even if he's blowing spit bubbles in the picture. He's my nephew!!!!!!!

I'm Being Very Blessed in Peru

I'm being very blessed down here in Peru. My kid Elder Yaez is doing great. He's from Arequipa Peru MY FIRST PERUVIAN!!! I teach a little more than normal but he helps a lot. I need the help, because I feel a little stressed with having a district and everything. Before our zone was two districts but with the division and the new stakes now Puente Piedra has one zone, one district, and 5 companionships.

I was able to interview about seven different investigators on Thursday and Friday. It was an experience I'll never forget. In an interview the people spill out everything. Some of them told me things I could help them with, others, well, let's just say some things they mentioned were things I really didn't want to hear. One girl I didn't pass for confidential reasons but it comes down to one thing. She didn't want to obey all the commandments. I assured her that she could be baptized later on when she was better prepared and willing to live the normas (standards) of the Gospel.

We were again blessed this weekend to have a baptism. Finally!!! Sister Yesica was baptized. Her kids were very happy Alizon and Jhair. Nelly and Miguel, her friends, came to the baptism too. We also baptized Darlin and her cousin Xiomara. Darlin's uncle and aunt are basically her parents, so her and Xiomara are sisters basically The dad Guillermo didn't want to give Xiomara permission. We taught everything to them the past couple weeks, and xiomara was at the interview for Darlin, so I told the mom of xiomara (Maria) that Xiomara should have her interview just in case Guillermo changed his mind. Saturday in the morning we visited them and changed his mind. They gave us breakfast and when we left the girls were smiling. DURING the baptism service Guillermo left the service to talk with a leader in the church. A sister told me that she heard Guillermo ask what do I need to do to be a member of this church? Guillermo and Maria aren't married but we`re going to help them get married this 14th of November. AWESOME!!!

I'm tired. I was up kind of later than normal learning how to call everyone for the informes (reports), Pday, and helping the district with questions. Today we're going to go play soccer. I'm probably better than Nana now since I play almost every week with the Latins. We'll have a futbol duo when I get back. Well, that's about it. We have 9 more baptism dates set, and 9 INCAs (I have no idea what an INCA is...baptismal challenge and date set? It's some kind of acronym) yesterday. We have to keep working harder like Elder Rich always told me.

That's kind of weird. I guess it's not Elder Rich anymore, it's Landon. I heard his Flaca waited so Landon might change to Mr. Landon here pretty soon too. Bueno. THANKS FOR ALL THE LETTERS!!!!

I'm praying for all of you. Please pray for the investigators. Jose Louis, Anderson, Italo, Guian Carlos, Jefferson, Sandy, Javier, Isabel, and Maycol!