Missionaries + Members + Mushroom Cloud = Service Opportunity

(At left, about one month ago, the missionaries from Pucallpa staged a skit based on the Plates of Laban. Everything was authentic, down to the cotton T-Shirts and the tie-headbands. We "borrowed" this and other pictures of the event from Sister Rich (thanks!), whose son is also serving in Peru.)

Hola, This was one of the best changes ever! Well…. 2 weeks of a change. Don't worry about anything. An emergency change just means you get changed in the middle of the change. I'll tell you about it on Mother's Day.

I'm happy everyone's doing so well. Nana, congrats on getting your braces off. I'm sure you have a fabulous smile. Eric and Curtis, good luck on scouts and school and stuff. Yes Nana, I did get your letter.

The last couple weeks with Elder Gomez has been a good experience. He has a lot of time and was in the offices as personal secretary before Elder Rich, so he knows a lot about the mission and I've learned a lot from him. I found out my new change just 10 minutes ago. I'm going to Independencia with an Elder in my Zone named Elder Chan from Guatemala and he has 15 months in the mission or something. I'm stoked to get working in the new area.

I was glad to get all your letters and packages. Thanks for the easter candy.

I thought that was awesome Ricky's teacher is Dane Brock. He was always my example growing up. I even went and listened to his band several times while I was at BYU and it rocked btw. Elder Pullan should be doing good by the way so don't worry about not being able to talk to him Uncle Rick and Aunt Michelle. I miss him and sure he's going to be one of the best.

I had a kind of scary experience this week. Yesterday actually. I was in church finishing up some paperwork with my companion when there was a huge explosion. I literally felt air and I could see the plastic windows bend in. We ran outside and I saw a mushroom cloud. The hospital's right next to the church. The ambulances left, and we followed because one of the hermanas jokingly said that Doctor Espichan's house was probably part of the explosion cause there was a Propane gas station right across from his office and house.

We were only 3 or 4 blocks away. As we were getting closer I could see all of the windows of every house were broken. Even some doors were thrown in and broken down. Honestly I was just scared for Brother Espichan cause he's an old friend of mine and he'd already left church. Nothing happened to him or his family thankfully. 13 people were injured from the bomb's explosion. We changed into our street clothes and called all our appointments to reschedule and just helped them all yesterday clean up. Doctor Espichan's office and house was full of huge glass windows, and glass containers for the medicine. Because of the bomb it was broken all over the floor and counters.

The greatest thing I saw though was that more than 20 members all helping out yesterday. The inspectors and city cleaning crew asked me who everybody was helping out. I told him our religion helps, serves, and blesses the people. I know it's true. I saw so much love from all the members yesterday. These people were really just serving God. Someone told me they saw us on tv so that's cool, and I saw BOMBA (bomb or explosion) on the front cover of the newspapers this morning on the bus. The craziest thing though is most the missionaries in my Zone all heard it from their areas.

I love you all. Keep writing and everything. I'm excited for our goal of 505 this month of may. That's 505 baptisms in the month of may for our mission. 505 baby! Work's hard. Love, Elder Layton

Transferred to a sandy, "Small Window" (Ventanilla)

We didn't receive our regular Monday email, and suspected that Elder Layton had been transferred. This morning we did have one, confirming our suspicions. However, I checked "Google Earth" and it appears he's only a few miles from Puente Piedra. He's also only a few miles North of the mission home (which can also be seen in this image, about 2/3 the way down).

I guess I'll start about talking about my new area. Its called Ventanilla and it´s different than Puente Piedra. It´s full of enormous sandy hills... sortve like sand dunes but buttes and the houses are built up to the tops. The only way i can describe it is San Fransisco with sandy roads ( that are impossible to walk up by the way). A few days in we hiked to the top to find some refrences, and I turned around to see the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean! Nobody told me I was going to the beach. I think were going to check it out in an upcoming pday.

In Ventanilla I got my first real taste of open meat markets. I know what the insides of animals look like now.

Something missionaries might want to know before coming to Peru is that you shouldn´t look into the dogs eyes. I don´t know. Maybe that´s crazy but I´ve learned from personal experience if you just ignore them they leave you alone, but when your eyes meet theirs they start growling and get all territorial on you.... and you might have to end up kicking a dog in the face.

What else.... there´s english music everywhere and nobody but me knows what it´s saying! Most of the time they´re songs i know so it helps with homesickness. I´m not that homesick.

Okay enough about the area... it takes about 1 to 2 weeks for me to get a Dear Elder, 3 to 4 to get most letters. And 2 and a half months to get some letters, like I found out with a letter from Andrea that she wrote on July 23rd. I just got my first bunch of letters on Saturday. I got a few before but that´s when I got most of them. I feel so bad for not being able to write everyone. I will try to write everyone back eventually...but it might take a long time. It´s really expensive. If i wrote everyone back today it would take half my personal money for the month sooo.... I'll say a few words for the extended family:

Grandparents... I love you. I'm sorry I haven´t written, I hope you understand. But you guys rock.

I hope Luke and Kara are okay!!! I prayed for them...even though i already knew they made it out of the crash safely.

Christie... good for you, holding in there during those storms i love the sticky notes. I haven´t eaten little pigs not yet anyway.

Ricky... You´ll be the best missionary. I sent a letter for you in one of Andrea´s letters, so yeah.

Kelsey.... you rock.

To the rest of my awesome cousins – uncles – aunts ... I love you all and I loved everything you´ve sent me. Check my blog to see what´s going on and I´ll try to write you when I can.

It´s so busy here.

If I forgot anyone, lo siento (I'm sorry)!!!!

My companions are the best! I´m in another trio again but I´m kind´ve a papa cause my Companion Elder Zepeda is a district leader. We help him out a lot. He´s amazing because he knows how to listen to the Spirit. If there´s one thing I've learned from being here its that you shouldn't have a strategy of exactly how things need to be done. The most powerful thing is your testimony. Everything else comes after that. If anything, i would say just have a strategy of learning the gospel.

Okay I'm running out of time. I love you all and hope to hear from you. I´m working harder and learning more here than ever before. We taught a family last night that had 7 kids. The mom was a member but she´s been living with a boyfriend and hasn´t been to church in years. We don´t even know if they have the records in the ward. We´ll see. They were very receptive. The kids knew the gospel already, and knew more than the adults. I absolutely love the kids here. They pretty much just laugh at me because i´m white. Anyway... chao!

(Thanks to Andrea for sending this picture of Elder Layton, taken in our home just before he left for the MTC.)

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