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!

What Are You Talking About, I'm Latin!

Dearest Family and Friends,

The General Conference was amazing, as usual!!! The entire time I think there was a definite theme: Love. Of course all of us, the white missionaries watched conference in English because it's a load better than the translated version. I'm sure you loved all the talks. Elder Holland is a beast. (And I'm sure he means that in the best way, not at all in the Book of Revelation way...Elder Holland's talk was one of my top two favorites as well.) I couldn't even concentrate on writing notes while he was talking.

Even with the conference and everything (we watched all the sessions) we made time to have the baptism on Saturday and the confirmation on Sunday. Giset and Carlos, two youth that ALWAYS attend church were baptized. The best! Carlos has been going to church for about a year and a half. My district leader who interviewed him recognized him from when he was here in this area a year and a half ago! Finally he got permission from his parents and is happier than ever. He's almost 18 and he's extremely eager to leave to the missionary life in about a year. Awesome. Also Oliver who didn't come to his confirmation on Sunday came yesterday and was confirmed. We have a lot of baptism dates for this month.

In the mission we have a goal to include the members in the work. You know the story of Alma and Amulek right? Well, you should. Alma was a missionary just like me that went and preached unto the people for a while but everyone hardened their hearts against him. He preached with power and authority but they still didn't listen. Then he found Amulek. Alma ate in his house (just like we eat in the members houses) and after they went and preached unto the people together. Amulek was a well-known man, and so it was easy for the people to accept the message with someone they knew. With the help of Amulek, they had a ton of success. That's the story mas o menos. The thing is, this month we're IN THE SEARCH OF OUR AMULEK. We read the story in Alma 8-15 every day with a different member and then ask them, will you be our Amulek? They accept and we're receiving more help because of it.

Up to this point in the change we have 17 confirmations in the change so we still have a long way to go to reach our goal. There's a few people that came to church yesterday we didn't know before that we'll be visiting, so that will definitely help! Keep praying for all of them. Oh, you wouldn't believe it! Yessica accepted to be baptized this 10th of October. She always goes to church with her kids, but never wanted to accept. She was scared of the water. I read Alma 7:14-15 and that helped! Also her sisters Rosalvina and Beatriz are getting baptized on the same day. The mom's of all the youth we've been baptizing! I love that entire family so much. They are so prepared for the Gospel.

I think they mention Peru at least one time in every Conference. Peru's the best. I haven't seen any guys with wood strapped to their heads since Pucallpa, but I do see a little Quechua lady walking up the hill we live on, every morning carrying a football field worth of corn stalks! Haha. She always has a huge dress, braids in her hair, and what appears to me a giant cowboy hat. Awesome.

After we went to the beach on Monday I was finding sand in my eyes for the longest time. I thought I was going to go blind. Haha. Playing soccer next to the ocean was the best especially when Elder Rojas (my old compi) and I ganged up on the rest of the Zone in a huge melee in the damp sand. The member that lived there killed a guinea pig to eat. I didn't watch I still haven't eaten guinea pig. They call it Cui here. I don't know it just doesn't seem right. Last night a ton of the ward members were over at Hermana Martina`s house. We went over and watched part of Joseph Smith and then sang hymns. I played guitar for some of the hymns and did a solo in English. The kids BEG me to talk in English sometimes. Sometimes I just tell them what are you talking about, I'm Latin?

Well, that's about it. Hermana Martina introduced us this week to two more youth. Her grandson and her nephew. They went to church and want to be baptized this 17th. Vacan!

I love you so much. Mom and Dad you mean more to me than you know. Thanks for everything! Nana, you're growing up. Just don't grow up too fast. Remember, you're prohibited to get married until I get home. Thank you.

LOVE,

Elder Layton