Christmas 2010

Hey fam it was awesome to hear from you all, miss you all like crazy but just taking it one day at a time... The phone call was sweet.  After the call we just went to the Rojas house, yes they are members, and holy cow sister rojas knows how to cook, they have a little bit of money and she is sweet, so we ate with all of them, they gave us some chocolates, then we left and made ginger bread houses as a zone, I couldnt focus on the house, I was thinking about my family to much.  Then had dinner again, man I have eaten so much this weekend it was crazy, but thats ok.  Then after that we came back and had to start working, so that was a little tuff to have to work after christmas, but I can do it for 2 years.  Thats awesome that you have snow now.  I forgot to tell you mom that I got to see your jibjab, that is awesome , I was laughing so hard.  it was awesome, made my day.  And yes I will do that for you, I will get all that stuff to the family hernandez.  And ya that will be awesome for tanner, there are people there waiting for him, so he will go there and just keep plugging along.  How did the call go for tanner and cheryl?  I forgot to tell you Kod that you could so be a combi driver here, haha they act just like you when they are driving.  If you want you could come here to peru and work all day driving and make 40 soles.  which is like 13 bucks... just a thought.  Mom one thing that I could use would be spiker, that hair gel.  you can just send a little one in the weekly package.  Howd the call go for blake?  blake told me that alot of people are getting married, who is all getting married?  I called you from our cell phone, remember the church put credit on the cell phones for us.  And that is crazy about sunday night football, but i miss football a ton, who is going into the playoffs?  This saturday is going to be p day so today we have to work normal.  so we are just going to pass the new year in our room haha the mission... all of the sweet things we get to do here.  I just cut my hair, and man she cut my hair so bad, but ya o well.  What are you all going to do for the new year?  the changes for us will be the 25 of January.  Yesterday we had a pretty crazy guy that we were teaching.  He gave us a blessing or something and drew a cross on our forehead with his finger, haha that was the first time, hahaha mom you never told me if Jacob Martin left on his mission yet?  and if you can find out mom, if my friend Jake Aimes left on his mission or if he is still there in Utah.  You can ask cody harris.  THanks mom love you for all of your support and your packages.  Keep telling me everything that is going on and Ill just be here in the heat working.  Love you all very much keep up the good work.  One day at a time.  love you elder stauffer

TEN REASONS WHY A MISSIONARY CHRISTMAS IS DIFFERENT

-Written by Sally Tielemans, Henderson, Nevada -Missionary mom to

Elder Tielemans-Japan Sendai (Now an RM)

1. Last Christmas we were counting our money; this Christmas we are

counting our blessings.

2. Last Christmas we were giving thanks for gifts from stores; this

Christmas we are giving thanks for gifts from God.

3. Last Christmas we valued things that were costly; this Christmas

we value things that are holy.

4. Last Christmas we were wrapping gifts; this Christmas we are

wrapped up in the work.

5. Last Christmas we looked into people's eyes when we spoke; this

Christmas we look into their hearts.

6. Last Christmas we prayed to obtain a testimony; this Christmas we

pray to share our testimony with others.

7. Last Christmas we were impatient with the weaknesses of others;

this Christmas we are working on our own.

8. Last Christmas we read the scriptures as a duty; this Christmas

we read them as a joy.

9. Last Christmas we thought it was enough to celebrate the

holidays; this Christmas we are finding ways to consecrate them.

10. Last Christmas, Peru was just a place on a map; this Christmas,

it is a place in our hearts.

Hey family, just another week down here in paradise.  But no I dont have a change, neither does Elder Zapata so I am pretty excited that I dont have to leave all of these families and that I will have a cool companion for christmas, man time is flying by. Christmas is coming up on us, but ya the whole christmas feel in a mission is a little different, all we are going to do is visit families and all that but not even sure if we are going to work that day or what is going to happen, but we have a baptism on christmas, so that will be sweet.  Their christmas here is the 24th, they open all of their gifts and all of that on the 24th.  But we will be going to the hernandes´ house and the Huamans house on the 24th I think we will see.  How is everything at home, I would open up the christmas card mother dear but I cant visit other web sites so I cant open it,  SORRY....  But thank you so much for the Liahona of the conferences, I have been reading it all week, and man it is awesome, thank you so much, pretty crazy how I can read a whole talk and understand everything now, but man I takes alot of hard work.  It is still a little frustrating when everyone makes fun of your accent but that is ok. Because they have an accent too haha 

Tor and Tamm I just got your emails thank you so much, I love the pictures, and Congratulations that is awesome, just pray and fast, and then the Lord will put in his part and will bless you with a new baby girl.... ahahahahahaha sorry tam, I am thinking it is a girl and if it is a girl, you have to name her, LUZ.  hahah

 

Thanks sister for your email that is awesome that you feel like you are doing some good, some days I feel that way and then there are days when everyone tells you to go away and that they dont want to listen to us, that they slam the door in your face,that all the drugies call you gringo in the street, and tell you that Joseph Smith is in hell..... And then there are days when you push through all of that and find a sweet person that is in a wheel chair that is just sitting there waiting for us.  There are some sweet experiences and I am learning alot being down here.  So just be happy, and share your testimony with everyone, it is like you have to be hey Im mormon and we believe this this this, it isnt like that you can just get to know them first and then if they are having problems you can say, well our Father in Heaven loves us, just short little testimonies like that.  MIss you tons sister, love you Talk to you soon, whoo hoo

Mom thank you for all of the emails, and thank you so much for getting that picture all worked out for me, you can send me a picture of Jordann to so that I can explain the story, that is so awesome that Jordann is out there staying strong.  Thanks for all of the packages mom I feel like I am right at home with that smell that the boxes have, that is awesome our room smells so good.  Our new room is so so so nice.  So i am pretty excited to stay, and I get to keep helping Martin, I hope that he can progress more.  LOVE YOU MOM That is pretty wierd about the weather and that is wierd that Kaleb is leaving man he is new new new, tell him that I love him and that he is going to love it, and that he needs to study the language hard, that it seems imposible at first and then at 6 months you will get the hang of it.  Love you pops, miss ya, love you tons mom, miss you tons, love you fam, kody, steph, tam, tory, arin, dev, branik pay, love you all, thank you for all of your support, pray for me. 

Happy Thanksgiving...a little late, but that's okay

Just wanted to start out this email by saying that I am sorry for last week and that I barely had any time, but hey ya gotta do what ya gotta do.  This week was two baptisms for us, we had Dorina and her grandaughter that got baptized, dorina got baptized 25 years ago but never got confirmed so she had t

o do it again, and valentina I baptized.  The foto with the other lady hugging dorina, Rosa, our pensionista, man she is the best, but she gives us a ton of
 food, wow.  and the other foto is on the top of our house, and in my sector there is a ton of parks like this.  Everything is really good for me, and thank you all for all of your emails and your fotos, man that is the best to get to see all of you guys, all look the same, but bt and payton are getting so old.  I didnt even think about thanksgiving this thursday which is sad because I love thanksgiving, but doesnt sound like you all did that much.  Changes are coming up this 14 of december.  And man I am hoping for a change, ready to have new experiences and new people, but hey it isnt what I want but Ill do whatever he asks, even if it is hard.  Thanks mom for the boxes that you have sent.  AND WOW THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THE PENS, SWEET, I AM SET AND SO EXCITED, YOU DID AWESOME.  I gave one pen to elder zapata cause he didnt have a nice pen, and that is just something that you have to have here in the battle field )the mission) Still just working on the language so they can understand me better, I get all the grammar, but just try

ing to get rid of my accent, so they dont even have to think when I talk, but man it is hard.  That is definantly the hardest when people tell you that you stink at spanish, that has been the hardest thing for me in my mission, but ya whatever it is coming along.  Just hoping for some more responsiblity , ready to be zone leader, or something like that. Still just talking with people in the buses about the book of mormon, and everything is going good.  We found fransisco this week knocking doors, man we knocked doors all week this week, just searching searching, grinding, and man he was awesome, a pretty big guy that let us in.  Way  fun, but he has dawged us to times now, we have had appointments with him, and we go back but he isnt there.  So i dunno, the mission....  We are teaching Martin, he is a big black guy that loves soccer, and he is the kind of guy that has to be the tough guy, I am trying to soften him up, I was thinking that maybe a picture of Jordaans dad would help me out a ton, at his baptism if that is even posible.  Man i was so happy to hear that, I was so so happy. I am happy that everything is going good with the business, and that everyone is busy, makes the time fly by.  Dont worry about me I am just fine, not sick, ,, knock on wood. Tell the bishop that I am working on a letter, and that yes I am thinking about it, maybe today I can write it.  Today we are going to watch the lion king, in spanish, that will be awesome.  I saw that african cats is coming out, that sounds sweet.  but I love all of you guys, we are just working, and sister your recess cookies i would love.  love all of you tons, keep reading and praying for me..  gonna sen

d another email with another foto

Snow...Wow!

wow thank you so much for the pictures, and another fast fast week down, wow, had alot of success this week. It was so good to see that picture it doesnt seem like all that much is different, and love you all.  sorry this week will be a little bit shorter, cause there isnt enough computers for all of us, so I volunteered to share with elder hawk. So everything is good here, just another normal week here for me, we have 4 with baptismal dates, and I am pretty excited for that, cause man we were sctratching here to find the people prepared to hear the gospel. Just half way through the change, hoping that i get a change, so I can get to know some other people, and sick of the airplanes here, they are so loud, and when they fly over all of the car alarms go off, it is annoying.  But made alot of progress.  Cant wait to get the packages, today we are going to the zoo again.  Thanks sister for your email, that is awesome that you have antoher cat in your house, .... not.... jk.  But yes they do maestros orientadores here ( home teachers,visiting teaching) but we are in peru come on, they arent as faithful like us, but they try.  We are so blessed .  love you all tahnks for everything.  Thanks for the liahonas mom in the packages, I love that.  Man freemont went to the ship, that is pretty sweet.  but hey they beat alta that is pretty sweet.  not gonna lie. hope that you all know that I love my mission, and that is crazy about isaac bell, let me know how he is doing. Love you

Se Bautizo (He got baptized)

Hey family¡¡¡  Wow I will start by saying how fast that this week went, wow, seems like 3 hours ago I was writting you guys.  But Adrian got baptized, it was awesome.  We barely got the program going, geez, we didnt have the keys to the office and not one of the bishopric was there and it was kinda a mess but we got it done.  The bishop here is a flake and so it makes it a little hard on us.  But a really good week, the Lord had prepared adrian, we barely had to do anything.  His best friend is a member, and his best friends dad baptized him, so it was good.  It was so bright for us to open our eyes in the picture.. I am happy that you got my letters, and thank you mom for sending them all out.  Hope that you liked reading all of them.  And okay I will be waiting for my box now, it is getting closer, christmas, they have all of there christmas stuff up already.  I still havent seen the family pictures so i am pretty curious to see how they turned out. haha but think next year when you do them you will be thinking about your trip to Perú, this awesome country. ;)  That is awesome to hear that grandma is doing good, I am happy because it is an answer to my prayers, because I pray for her everynight.  I know that He is really answering my prayers.  Hope that she continues to get better, and that is sweet mom that you are doing that, keep up the good work, and keep doing the missionary work, we will be held accountable in that day about how well we shared our testimonys.  Im happy that my broncos won, and sorry toads for your utes, but how did northridge do?  Still havent heard anything. 

SO this week went by so fast because I was praying and thinking about what i could do to help the other elders have more lessions because they werent teaching very many people, and I had the idea to set a goal for how many people that we would try to talk to everyday in the street or knocking doors.  Besides teaching our investigators we set a goal to talk with 10 people about the book of mormon everyday, and man it has helped me and elder zapata so much, and it helped the other elders so much, elder thurgood from idaho, and elder dias from columbia.  It is awesome talking with everyone about the book of mormon, i carry the book of mormon in my hand everywhere now, and it is awesome to see how many people get so upset about this book, it is just another testimony for me that satan is working pretty hard against us.  but Ill keep proclaiming the new news...

Did my sister get her job?  sorry for your email, that is a pain...  How was your scoot this summer, i miss my scoot alot!! haha we could really use a scooter here, it would be really nice.  We walk alot.

Tonight i am going to go to elder dias´ sector to work with him tomorrow to teach him a little more, and see there investigators and see if they are working like they should.  It should be fun. 

Sorry that I am not answering all of your questions, it is cause I havent gotten a package for awhile, I dunno it gets all backed up sometimes in the office I think and then I wont get them for 3 weeks and then I get 3 packages at once.  But it is awesome just keep up the good support.  THanks for everything. 

Read Jacob 2:18-19

Today i was going to try and meet up with tann but he isnt writting me back so I dunno if with will be able too. But the mission is still sweet.  Not even gonna lie, sometimes it is killer, it is like the hardest thing you will ever do, talking a new language, talking with everyone in the street, knocking doors, planning baptisms, working with the members, I know the ward better than the bishop does, in 2 changes.  It is pretty crazy stuff, but I am learning alot while I am here, and most of all I am learning about the things that really matter. 

We did a little service on saturday, and we painted the Lorino Families house, and man I wanted to take pictures so bad, but when I took my camera out, the battery was dead, I was pretty bummed, because it would really make you count your blessings.  We have this alcoholic guy, julio, that fell into his addiction again, it is sad, we went to his house, he had thrown up everywhere, man I was like holding my nose it was nasty, his house was already nasty enough.  but he came to church for the first time, wants to change his life. 

So elder zapata and I did a fast on friday till saturday for our investigators and to get some more investigators, and man on sunday did he ever answer our fast, 8 PEOPLE CAME TO CHURCH.  THat is always way hard to help 8 people get to their classes and all but hey we made it, and made appointments with 2 new families, man I am so excited, because one of the families, there daughter got baptized the week before I got here, and so i think they will progress really fast, and the mom was telling me that she thinks it would be really cool to listen to the lessons, so I am super excited about them, next sunday is our appointment.  Then yesterday, I went out with Gonzalo and Elder zapata went out with the ward mission leader to talk with members, and so gonzalo and I just went out knocking doors, contacting people, and it was really fun, had some success, talked with 7 new people about the book of mormon.  Gonalos mom is our pensionista, he is 14.  He is awesome.  OUr pensionista is really nice, but feeds us A TON!!!!!!!  Last night we got to her house at 9 30 and were going to eat something really quick to fill our stomachs but she didnt have anything and was going to buy stuff for us, but I said no because yesterday was sunday, they have such a huge problem with buying stuff here on sundays, it kills me.  SO i had to teach them that lesson, because we cant make them break the sabbath day.  but hey I love you all and I miss you, I should be getting a package toady, love ya mom, love ya pops, tell grandma that I love her and gramps

Letter From Home

Hi Jesse!  I am so sorry I haven't written you yet! I can't believe you have been out so long already...time goes by too quickly :) I have seen pictures and it seems like you are doing so well.  I am so proud of you and the spirit that you have, you are such a good missionary.  There are a few things going on in our lives, Boston is now 2 and he is a monster!!!!  He is into everything and has more energy than I can handle.  But he is such a sweet little guy and loves to give hugs.  Riley is back in preschool and is learning to write, I attached a letter from her to you. She asks about you all the time and wants to know how you are doing.  She is still taking dance and loves it, she is actually pretty good at it.  Jason is working his rear end off pretty much and I love him for it.  We bought a business called "Classy Can" he cleans out garbage cans for people and it is doing okay, we could do better but we haven't put a ton of time into it.  BYU has won their last two games so that has put him in good spirits :)  I am the primary president and we had our primary program today, we had about 80 kids participate so it is a big thing!  They did such a good job and I was so proud of them.  We love you and think about you all the time, your picture is up on our fridge and my kids are always telling me who it is. Riley's letter is attached she came up with it all by herself (I did help her with the spelling!).  You are such a good example to her thank you for your efforts and testimony!

We love you,

Stephanie, Jason, Riley and Boston

Another hard week on me in Peru...

Family how is it goin? thank you for all of your support...  Another week in the mission, and man had some crazy experiences.  And one of them hit me pretty hard.  We took a taxi to the beach because my sector is really long, it is probably our house to northridge high, it is huge, and so we took a taxi yesterday to do some service for milagros, and I was in the front seat talking with the guy about the gospel and when we got there and I gave him his 5 soles, he was just like, I just wanna tell you that Joseph smith and his wives are in hell right now, and he said that the book of mormon and doctrine and covenants, the pearl of great price are all books of the devil, he knew alot about the gospel, man he was an awesome guy but they are just so, I dunno how to say it, but they are just like pretty wrapped up the all the graps of the devil, it killed me, I had like such a terrible feeling, and the spirit left me for a little,  but it was only a trial of my faith.  I just said to him, Hermano, i just wanna testify that I know José smith was a prophet.  Because there is alot of times here when you have to just testify so when we are in front of the Lord some day I can say, Lord, I told him that he was a prophet, better said, Is i am testifying to everyone so that their blood doesnt fall over my head when we get to that day.  but other than that, WE HAD A BAPTISM.  It was sweet, Alejandra Quispe.  She has been an investigator for a while.  Her son got baptized a couple months ago, and then we had been working with her for along time, she works all week and gets back to her house at 9 30 every night so we could only teach her sundays, but we got her to come to church two times and she got baptized.  It was awesome to finally get her there, she made alot

 of sacrifices to get there, she had to have two interviews for baptism and so she skipped two nights of working to have her interviews, and she had a real desire to get there, and she did it.  We have another baptism this saturday, and then after that we are running dry, so pray this week for us that we can have the faith to find new investigators.  It is always hard to find the ones prepared.  I think we have one that can get baptized but we need to get more appointments with him.  Me and tann are talking with the presidents and we are getting closer to getting permission.  That will be so sweet.  We are going to go eat pollo a la braza, it is like that chicken mom, how do you spell it, rotisery chicken..  It should be way fun to see him.  And the picture is of elder zapata in our new room, look how nice it is.  That is our beds, and I sleep on the bottom.  This last week was so so so fast, it seems like I just barely wrote you last monday, but the time is flying by here.  Before I forget I will tell you a few things that I would like.  You would make my day, if you

went to office depot and bought me a couple zebra pens, that is how you call them, and if you could send 4 or 5 I would be so happy.  Ties, you can never go wrong with ties, I need alot more, um..  o ya I forgot, I still havent seen the family pictures, and I am hoping that they get here today, but you can always send me pictures by email, I will see them when I read the emails.  Just random pictures would be nice, hope its not too much to ask.  The language is awesome, the teaching is easy, but just talking normal like as a friend with all the wierd verbs is pretty tough.  There should be something coming for you in the mail, and so wait for it all of ya.  ;)  I am the district leader of elders now, and so i am really excited about that, now I can talk a little more direct and try to help them more, because the sisters work so hard, I dunno how they do it, but every week they have better numbers than the elders, geez I dunno, one of these weeks I will beat them.  ahah So i hear that my broncs are pretty terrible, well there is always next year.  Sorry about utah toads...  Arin toughen up por favor.... just sleep downstairs.. you need to come here and utah will be heaven, its like the celestial kindom there.......  and I am living in you know where.  Tamm I am happy that you are making the corrections, sacrifices bring blessings, remember he wants us to be perfect like him, so 75% isnt good enough.

I have alot of things I need to get better at and I will let you know how this week goes, today we are going to play sports.  but right right now I am going to the zone leaders room to see if my package got there.  Cant wait to see the pictures. I am happy, and im good, dont worry about me.  I ll be home before you cant even imagine.  And informe me more on my grandma, I pray for her every night.. tell her that.  Read the book of mormon with her please.  Love you all a ton.  mom just surprise me with all of the other stuff..  You always do great.  Thanks mom love you.  Thanks pops love you..  Love you all

HALLOWEEN THIS WEEK

Yes sister they celebrate halloween! And I got my box mom, thank you so much.  Sorry that we are so late today, I didnt know we werent gonna write  until later, but as a mission we played sports today and so that was fun.  It seems like we just did it the last time a couple months ago.  It scares me how fast all this is goin.  But man I am kicking myself in the butt right now because I usually write my ideas in my agenda that I write you guys, and I had such a good idea this week and I was like no i will remember but man I cannot remember for the life of me.  I am a little stressed because today we have to change rooms.  I wasnt gonna tell mom because I dont want her worrying but it is only fair that  you all know, but we have to change rooms because we got eaten alive by bugs, and now it like isnt stopping, we spent one whole day cleaning and spraying but ya it didnt do anything and now sister tyler told me today that ELDER STAUFFER YOU HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR ROOM TODAY, and so now with elder hawk my zone leader we are going to go room hunting today and tomorrow.  Elder Zapata has it pretty bad, but I am good, only on my wrist.  She is making us leave our pensionista also, because she just doesnt want us in that house anymore, and it will break my heart to have to tell daisy because she has been doing the whole  breakfast lunch and dinner thing for 11 years, and I cant think of another lady in the ward that could even do that.  so we will be cooking for ourselves for awhile.  so we will see, but just another experience.  THe mission is full of them ill tell you what.  But I asked the assistents if i could meet up with tanner, and we have a way sweet assistent and he was like, ya if you want, haha so we will see what tanners president says.   The weather is heating up, we finally sweat again, but what am I saying, I am going to die, if it is like it was that night when I got here from the Provo MTC.  And when I was in the ccm it was good and hot.   had our baptism and now the whole family are members so that was a good experience, she wanted me to baptize her so yup i did  it.  The mission is the best.  I am happy to hear that you all got back from Nebraska good.  That is embarresing that they lost to the Raiders by that much, wow, what is there record.  O well it is ok here but when I get back they better get their butts in gear.  O ya I was gonna tell you a little about Sister Tyler, I love her she is awesome, she is defenantly the boss of that relationship haha and of the mission, it is funny. Changes are coming up but I wont have a change, but I wish, man it is so hard here in this area, but Im here for a reason.   Sorry if I am forgetting to answer all of your questions, im not on my game because this week I was just thinking about other things so next

 week Ill step my game up.  But yes mom I have gained a little bit, but I will try to eat more healthy now that I will be cooking for myself.   Like tory did in his mission, sweet.... haha we get spoiled here with the pensionista. 

Man that looks like so much fun, and want to start out by telling you all thanks for your emails.  And it is always the best part of mondays to see that everything is good at home and that I can just keep focusing on what I am doing here.  Nebraska looks so fun, that bus, sweet pops, good idea.  We will be renting a little bigger van than that when I get home and get my family started, but whoa got alot left haha just completed 7 months yesterday and ya just another day today.  Haha but good good news.  THEY GOT MARRIED, YESSSSS!!!  Ha man that was stressful enough for me, cause we had to go into the city building with them on friday to sign papers and that took like three hours and so our numbers this week were way down but I figure that if I am getting people married then I must be doing something good, and its not me, didnt do anything besides teach the commandments and then the Lord was helping along the path it was easy for them.  Friday they took us on a little tour after signing the papers and we went to La Punta, the point, remember in lima there is like that point and then the island, ya we went there.  Callao is way sweet, i wanna serve there way bad.  But then saturday we just waited for elder mitchell and his companion to get to our room because Guillerma wanted elder mitchell to go to her wedding so then elder mitchell got there and we just walked to the wedding.  And like 30 couples were getting married, they get married wierd here.  They like just have one date, and they let them get married for free, so everyone and their dogs are there haha that was an experience.  But it was super super awesome, she is now getting baptized this saturday, FINALLY.....  But hey a eternal family, so that will be an experience if the Lord will get them all prepared to go to the Temple.  This week has been some hard days, but today i feel a little better.  Just been hard because I have just been trying to have patience and conquer that part of me that I dont like.  Like my companion refuses to turn the lights off after he gets done in the bathroom and so i always have to get up and turn them off, and then he does not shut doors behind him, and I try to teach him to walk on the side of me, but he just doesnt want to do it.  he walks behind me and it drives me nuts, and then I lose the spirit because it bugs me, and then ya... SO i am doing my best.  we have interviews this friday with President Tyler and those are always sweet, he is like our best friend.  I cant even explain how awesome he is. 

I sent you pictures of the wedding and of the Obregón Family.  And yes as you can see i have put on a few, haha but ya ill get back down soon.  Its just everyone here in this sector feeds us rolls and so ill i do is eat bread, and rice, rice every meal but still Im not sick of rice, I actually like it, but it makes ya gain a few pounds...  but hey the mission does that do a missionary.  i remember when I saw tory for the first time and his face looks way different haha 

It is pretty cool to think that you will be reading this email all together.  HI MOM HI DAD HI KODY HI STEPH HI PAYTON HI TORY HI TAMMIE HI BRANIK HI ARIN HI DEVIN.   But I am confused why arin and devin didnt go.  Youll have to let me know. 

So me and tanner are trying to work something out to meet up somewhere or something.  But we will see

And mom how did you know that I had fungus on my foot, haha I didnt wanna tell you so you didnt worry.  But it worked, took it right away. And thank you for the muddie buddies, they were awesome, and cant wait to get the box. 

Aunt connie, thank you so much for the package it was awesome, and I am going to put the picture that I took with the package on the email right now, when i got the package i put the sweet tie on, and i am wearing the tie right now too..  so thank you, and thanks to all of your fam, I will try to write a letter soon,

Man there is so much to a mission, you have to memorize, read, talk with everyone in the street, knock doors, and much more, there is to much sometimes,  but ill just keep pluggin.  Love all of you guys a ton, keep righting me. 

Les extraño bastante, espero que todos estén leyendo sus Libros de Mormón.  El idioma esta bien, todavía estoy progresando pero estoy allí.  Ójala que les guste leer un poco español.  Les amo un montón.  Nos vemos, hasta lunes, hasta luego bebé

Ok fam how is it going there for everyone, sorry this computer wont do a question mark, haha but man another fast week for me, and everything is going good.  We are just grinding to get some people progressing.  But I have good news, haha this saturday Guillerma and Alfonso are going to get married.  Vanessas mom, ahaha and so I am happy, so I will be planning a wedding with the ward for the first time this week.  Man i am so happy for them, one day i sure hope I can see them getted sealed in the temple.  So we got to watch conferences this week, and man they sure talked about the missionaries a lot, I felt proud that President Monson did a little tribute to us.  I was happy that I got to here that and more than anything feel the spirit of The Lord.  Because I am basically in Satans Kingdom down here in Peru, he has a firm grip down here down south.  But That was cool, Tann just emailed me, man I was tempted to write back but no cant do it.  haha And someone else wrote me too to ask if I was on, but Im not gonna do it, last week I broke the rules on the Internet and man I felt guilty all week so I promised myself that I would do better this week.   But this week we have been praying so hard to get new investigatores, and man we got a sweet answer to our prayers.  At the conferences this guy Gonzalo came to them on his own so all of the missionaries were talking to him, but I didnt wanna overwhelm him so I just kinda hid back a little bit and just listened to what they were saying to him, and then there were like brother were do you live, and he was describing my area, man was I happy because he is ready to hear the message.  So then I stepped in and said ya let me take down your address and everything was good.  So this wednsday night we are going to visit him, so we will see what happens, he was way tall and looked like a german dude, so that is cool.  Then found a guy in the street sunday too, so that will be good this tuesday in our appointment with him, his name is cristian

But it is warming up a little bit, and man I dunno if I am ready, because when I got here that night after the MTC i will never forget how humid it was at 12 30 at night.  So sorry pops when you come you are going to die in march because that is one of the hottest months here. haha but we will see how I like the summer down here.  The zone and district is doing good, the sisters are kicking Elder zapatas and my butts so we have to kick it into gear this week.  The major problem here is they dont attend church.  And they have to attend two times to be able to get baptized, so it is a major challenge of ours.  but this week I will teach that in the district meeting.  haha I cant beleive that conferences already passed by, before you know it, I will be calling home for christmas, that will be awesome.  the other day there was this little boy that was 2 and a half and was talking so good.  So I was thinking about bt and how he prob is talking so good.  The little boy spoke better spanish than I do.  So man that made me miss seeing them two grow up, pay and bt. 

Mom thanks for your advise, ya whatever happens happens..  Hope that your letters come soon, I need to write the Bishop one individually this time because he did so much for me.  I thought about this during conference.  1 Mom, without mom, I wouldnt of even worried about what i was doing in high school, would of just kept folliwing the croud.  2 Pops, his good example, and wanting to be like him another reason to be here.  3 Bishop, without him also, I am not here.  Without those three people there no is Elder Stauffer 2, tory being 1.  So I just feel so prepared.  I feel like a celestial feeling here, living this higher law, I feel like I knew that my purpose in this life was to serve Jesus Christ, and with these things comes the Eternal Life, celestial Kingdom.. I never thought that I would change so much in 6 months, but crazy stuff happens.  I told people before my mission, Im not going to change... But why would I want that, I wasnt doing the things that he wanted before my mission, and now you have even more of an eternal perspective here.  Even though it is hard to feel the spirit in the roads here, or anything but there is just something going on, haha but its a good thing. 

So I sent three fotos, broncos, our map with elder zapata, ya our huge area of rich people, its hard here, and where they sell their chicken.. Ya not to safe. 

Love all of you guys a ton, thank you for all of your support.  Remember that would should be better representatives of The Lord everyday.  Love you all sorry so short.  But I had alot to read and put pictures.  Love you

Patience by Neal A Maxwell.  READ THAT THE BEST TALK EVER

"Jesse...that's Jesse!"

Payton is getting to know who Jesse is so well! Everytime she sees a picture of him she get's so excited and says "Jesse! That's Jesse!!!" It is so cute and she is getting so big!

Go Broncs!!!!

haha that is awesome that my broncos are killing it there in the states.  It has been a good week.  We had two p days because here in Peru was there elections and so we couldnt leave the room yesterday, and if we wanted to leave we had to go to a members house.  We only got to see the session in the afternoon.  And yes in spanish, and yup just sat and relaxed and listened in spanish like a breeze, haha but Ill stay humble about it, because man it is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life to learn this stinking language, but it is awesome I love it.  so there was no church this week. We watched the conferences on the internet, and went to the rojas familys house.  They are awesome and have a little bit more money than the others, they fed us and let us watch it with them on their plasma, man I felt like I was just at home.  I wrote letters yesterday, and will be trying to get letters out to the fam next, because I didnt have time.  We are just working hard to get some better investigators, and I had a really good week.  President tyler is the man and let us watch toy story 3, that was awesome in spanish, that kind of spanish is what i have to improve like the small talk.  The gospel stuff is easy but just normal stuff now. 

Sister to answer your question, we walk everywhere in my sector, but have to take a van (combi) to the beach.  the combis they pack with people, and today we were running a little late and had to take a full van and so I had to stand in that thing and it is prob like 3 feet tall from the ground to the roof, by the time we got to where we were going, i had a nice little ache in my back.  but then to go to the offices we take a bus.  And always have to stand in those, my luck there is never a seat haha and it is always 1 sole for the both of us, 50 centimoes for the both of us.  Get better sister sorry about your knee. I will pray for you...  There are a ton of cats sister, like a ton.  More than you would like.  we were in this house of a less active member and they got into a huge fight about the cats, the husband and wife, cause the husband doesnt like em, and the wife wants em, but their house is nasty, but one of my best friends. They are.  Haha and dev Im in peru, haha if I need to go to the bathroom in the night, I just go, but you cant flush, ya no big. ahah

Toads, what the heck happened with byu, that is crazy, wow.  Think they will be getting someone new soon.  Get hunting youll get something, when we keep the comandments he blesses us with temporal things and spiritual things.

Tor that is sweet that my nephew is coming right along and just keep up the good work, dont let the spirit fade, it goes away so easy.  It is crazy, lots of things to do in the mission and ya never feel like you have done enough but ill just keep working.

It was daisy´s bday this friday, and so that was cool, I bought her a picture frame and put two pictures in it.  haha not much but I am poor.  she is my pensionista.  You didnt give me your advise about sarah ma so I just wrote her yesterday, and will be sending it to you. How did elder mitchells mom get your email?  but elder hawk want s to write his family and is hurring me, Just wanna tell you all I love you all so much, pray for me.  I am going to see today if i get a package form you guys, last week didnt get one.  Love you

Family!!!  How is everything goin?  I got my new companion, elder zapata, from Bolivia in the mountains. hahah like the mountains in the forest hahah  he just got out of the ccm and was in there with Isaac bell, haha small world.  But he is pretty cool, he is 22 and a little awkward, just a little bugger, and I am a district leader now, and so just another thing to worry about, and the sisters are in my district, and they had two baptisms this saturday and so i had to do 2 interviews this weekend for baptism.  but everything went good.  Man it has just been another stress for me, but that is okay.  I dunno why I have so many things going on only six months into my mission, but that is okay I am ready to do a little more now, haha I guess.  

 

And so I will start by talking about the conferences this week, i am so excited.  This week in peru we dont get to watch it, because it is the city elections here and so there isnt church this week, because I guess everyone sits and drinks here those days, and it is mandatory here and so if they dont vote they have to pay like 100 dollars and so they all want to vote because they dont have the money to offord that, this week we are going to try to find a member to watch it with on the internet.  And ya it will all be in spanish, but that is okay.  My spanish will make alot of progress again, im ready for that.  My companion was telling me a story about how he used to hunt doves to feed to his cats sister, because that is all they would eat, and so he would hunt with his bow and arrow, haha but I love my companion.  He doesnt know the difference between a dvd player and a cd player, haha he put a dvd in the cd player cause he wanted to listen to the movie, he didnt know how to turn up the volume. haha his mom is the straight up mountains lady that wears her cowboy hat and her skirt. haha it is fun, i didnt get to go to cusco, but my companion is from the mountains and so I get a little of the culture, and man i dunno if I could of lived like he lived his whole life ahah.  

 

Yes mom we go to the sacrament, then to the new converts class, and then to priesthood class like normanl.  but you dont get that sweet spirit like in utah, it is like night and day, and so it is alot harder to feel the spirit here, there isnt reverence.  You have to be on your toes here and have to study yourself to feel the spirt.

 

we found a sweet investigator this week.  so we were going through all of our names in our agendas one day and we ran out of names to visit, no one was home, and I didnt have a good feeling about knockin doors that day, so I had a feeling to visit ricardo, a less active with some problems with drugs, and so I had a strong feeling that we needed to go, so we wnet threre and he had a friend there and he is an alcoholic, but that day he had quit drinking and wanted to stop, so he was shaking and having conpulsions and stuff, so we taught him the book of mormon, and wanted to have us in his house everyday, so we went to his house the next day, and taught him the restoration, and then we did our prayer on our knees and he did it and just started bawling, it was awesome, hahah so we will see what happens with that. 

 

Then guillerma, was going to get baptized this saturday, but like wednesday she was like elder stauffer I have one question, can i get baptized if i am not married, man my stomach just dropped, and was like no sister you cant, and so now we are planning a marriage, and teaching the law of chastity and they want to get married now, so that will be new for me  :)

 

I am sad for Sandra, but at the same time it could be a good thing, now she cant find her a man that is a member and get sealed to him, she is ready for that, man how lucky is she that we found here knocking doors, or rather we found her by mistake, i miss her, and i writing her a letter today and then send it.  But I will try to get her the proclamation soon.  Tell her, Sea Feliz, Todo va a pasar, y que estoy pensando de ella, y orando bastante y yo sè que todo va a mejorar, y piensa en la eternidad!!!  Sin fin, Para siempre con sus hijos.

 

MOm maybe you could just highlight that and just send it to her. 

 

 Love you guys a ton, and got my package this week, now I am going to go see if I get this weeks right now in the zone leaders house.  Love you guys so much.  write me

Whats up fam how is everything going?  Your elder is doing just fine just loving it with elder mitchell, tory was so lucky to get american companions always,,, haha  because  it is so fun.  Elder mitchell is awesome, we have had a lot of fun.  We didnt have a baptism but we still are  having success, still talking with everyone, yesterday we had to knock doors, and no one wanted us... ahah that is okay, one guy listened to us.  But lots of people know english here in this area because they are all rich and so they have tvs and watch tv in english, well they think they know english, but they dont.  I havent gotten my packages for two weeks now and didnt get an email either, so hope everything is good, haha but got an email from tanner today, sounds like he is loving the field, haha the mission changes a little bit when you get to the field, its not like the ccm.  How are my broncos doing?  I have  been wearing my broncos shirt in memory of my broncs this week.   You will have to tell me how they do?  Who is starting at quarterback for them.   Blake told me ma that you wrote him, that is nice of you, keep up the good work, haha wrote blake but not me an email :(  haha its ok jk, i know that you are really busy.  so vanessas mom got an answer and we are working with her to prepare for baptism.  And we have this homeless guy with a baptismal date to, and a couple others but everything was just a normal week and so I dont even know what to tell you.  It is fun being a trainer I love it, but it is a little stressful when you dont have anything to do and you have to just look for people to teach.

I think we are doing a good job, hahah  Last p day we make mac and cheese for daisy and carlos and stephanie, their daughter, they loved it  I have been eating so bad, and gained a little bit of weight but not alot I dont  think, but I will try to get back down, to when I send pictures home, stephanie tells me that I am skinny again hahah 

Toads thanks for all your emails and everything, that is always awesome to read your letters, thanks for everything, and work on your spanish.  haha who would of thought that in 6 months I would stop worrying about it, I can just talk now pretty good, still have to work, and my white companion isnt helping any because he doesnt talk spanish for nothing, hahah so i havent progresssed lately.  but it is still fun, that is one good thing about a pervian comp.  we are always speaking spanish. but thanks for everything toads.. 

So I am sending 3 fotos, one of carlos and daisy.  and then one of La Punta, we have an investigator here , lucy, she lives close so we brought our cameras one day.  and then elder chef, me llamo, ahaha  they call me.  but the spanish is here, dont really worry about it anymore, but still I need to work and work so i can be an expert not just normal, I wanna know everything. 

So we went to Tottus last monday and we used our visas you will have to tell me how much they charged because they gave us all sorts of heck about our cards, and they werent gonna let us use them, and then they did.  so just tell me what they charged.

Love you all WRITE ME EMAILS, SHORT ONES AT LEAST.......

Family, whats up in utah, just having the time of my life here with my new compy..  haha the big news, my new companion is Elder Mitchell, haha he is from Oregon,  IT IS AWESOME.  HA and ya I am his trainer, who would of thought that i would be training so soon, but hey I am doing it and we had a baptism and it was awesome, then on sunday the bishop asked me to confirm her a member of the church, so that was a little nerve racking, but hey i did it and didnt even mess up , and look she is a member of the church now, her name is venessa.  One day she just showed up at church on her own, and then we made an appointment with her, and visited her, and she was prepared by the lord, and got baptized.  but dang she had so many doubts, and her major doubt is that in the 10 commandments it says that the sabbath day is saturday, who would of thought that this could be a doubt but we got that all worked out and she got baptized.  Ha and a little about elder mitchell, i couldnt have gotten a better present, after that one elder, what was his name, oh ya, elder burgos.....  haha elder mitchell is from oregon, and he just came out of the ccm, and so he knew tanner, and by the way didnt get to go see tanner, so the only chance that i will have now is like on p day or something like that,  but elder mitchell was a quarterback in oregon and his team won the state championship so it is way fun to talk about those kinds of things again, because you cant talk about football with the latinos so I am so happy.  But I make him practice his spanish alot because he needs to practice, and so do i still and so I will continue practicing.  But we had alot of success our first week together, because we stick out a bit, hahah two greengos together in peru haha and so all of the people wanna know who we are and what we are doing...   so we talked with everyone this week, for being new he really liked to go up and talk with everyone, so we will see how many people we can challenge, I will keep trying to be a good example.  But man it is so much easier to be in charge again, hahah i love it, because I am such a better missionary when I know when people are watching.   I have been thinking about tanner alot and what he is doing. 

To answer some of your guys´ questions, my shoes are still awesome, we bought really nice shoes sister and so they arent worn out at all, sweet shoes, they dont celebrate labor day here, as far as I know.... 

Tammie that is awesome that you are still feeling somewhat good for being a prego again.  haha ill be praying for me, and that is crazy that you are going to have two birthdays so close together, ya have fun with that hahaha but tell bt that I love him, and you better keep my blanket up in his room still haha

Dad, I know it is crazy huh that we are all out at the same time, and having the best two years, just knocking out the best two years, and then after that I can figure out what I am going to do....

Mom How is my mother dear, that is awesome that you are hanging out with my friends,  how are they all doing?  Thats funny that you are hanging out with tyler, haha because like right after I left he was like texting whit to hang out, and go on dates and stuff, haha but thats okay we all make mistakes, and ya got other things to worry about, haha but Mom i love ya with all my heart, and your the girl that matters to me right now, (and my sisters).  Today daisy is going to make us brownies with icecream and I am making macoroni and cheese, and probably other stuff.  I got 1000 soles this month because I am the senior companion and so I gave elder mitchell his money and had to pay all of the stuff, but I have a lot extra, so I shouldnt be withdrawing money this month, but we will see.  I had gained alot of weight with all the latinos, because they didnt wanna run, but with elder mitchell, we run every morning, and so we will see if I can get back down again.  Everything is normal, and it seems like you just barely dropped me off.  Love you all so much  gotta go, elder stauffer.

I HAVE A PIZZA PLACE NOW!!!

Hey hey fam... Didnt get an email from no one this week so I hope that everything is good, I sure had a stressful week.  But I will Start by saying how sad it was to say bye to all of my friends in san martin, bello horizonte.  Sandra, George and hans.  I^ll miss them a bunch.  But you know the lord, he always has something prepared for me.  This week I have really felt like an instrument in his hands.  I have had a lot of time to just think by myself this week because my new companion, Elder Burgos, doesnt talk all that much...  I have been thinking about my whole life and how I feel like he has prepared me big time for this moment in my life.  But on wednesday was changes and I got to change from Bello Horizonte, to The zone marangas, And my area in precursores.  My companion is Elder Burgos, We are co-senior companions, but ya he doesnt do anything.  It is alot of responsability for me this soon in my mission, but I am ready, I have always been a better person when I have been leading people.  He has two months in the mission, and so this is his second change, and his trainer was elder williams.  He just ended his mission, and so he was way ready to go home, because he didnt teach elder burgos anythin, and so now I have to teach him everything.  So elder burgos is like accostomed to not working now.  They left the area bare, we have no investigators, he doesnt know the area, he doesnt know how to teach a lesson, he doesnt have anything memorized, he doesnt know how to present the book of mormon, he doesnt talk, I cant understand him good because he talks so soft, and they didnt feel out anything is the area folder, and so we dont have anyone to visit now, so basically, we are starting from scratch.  Elder burgos´ mission call is to mexico, so he doesnt care all that much about the work here, he is just waiting to get out of here, so it is kinda hard.  Because he will be leaving soon, and when he leaves I will be with a mini missionary.  A mini missionary is a young man from the young mens courumn, and when that happens I better know the area, because we have the biggest area in the zone, and so I have alot to do and study.  But the good thing is that I went from the dust of bello horizonte, to an oasis here in precursores.  All of the people are rich because they live on the beach.  Yes my area has the beach now, which is way sweet.  The area seems like california alot, you see nice cars driving around, have a bunch of super markets, like wal mart, or sams club, and their houses are awesome, and they have huge palm trees, mom :)  I knew that you would love that.  This area is sweet, but the people are less humble, a little more prideful and so we will see how good I can do here alone, haha My spanish is going to improve alot in these next 6 weeks, but I am way grateful for how i can talk now, just have to keep working at it.  I dont worry about it all that much anymore if you can believe it.  Spanish is awesome, and I will have to teach all of you when I get home.  I havent got my packages for two weeks again, so that is hard.  But ill live, i know it is because i need to work hard here in this sector, and i am way happy to be a senior companion now, and not get bossed around anymore, I didnt like that all that much, because they dont realize that i am capable to be a missionary too.  So I am way ready for that.  But I thought this week that I could explain to you where I am at, and you guys can look it up on google earth... I really hope that everything is good at home....  So remember on the map in my mission call, it has that point of land, like a peninsula, and then it has that Island out in the ocean, I am the next area above that, and so I get to see La punta everyday.  And so in google earth type in Avenida Argentina con Avenida Elmer Faucett.  And right around there is my area, and it is huge...  In the changes meeting, I asked all of the new elders how tanner is doing, and they all said that he is doing good , so that was way wierd to hear that they had just come from seeing tann that same day.  And mom remember that missionary that you sent me out of the standard examiner? he got here and I told him about how you sent me his picture.  ahah it was funny.  My room is tiny, and the shower is like in the room, we live on the 3rd floor, and it is like a cement hut, it is pretty funny, but I love it.  Just know that everything is good here with me, miss all of you guys very much, but just hoping that everything is good at home, because I havent got anything for awhile now, and no email today, so I love you. And pray for me this week that we can find people to teach....  Love you very much...

First Facebook friend in Peru she actually lives in Hooper, was visiting in Peru her family lives there! Birthday party Stephanie gave them with mountain dew! When she got home she came to visit our family and have dinner with us. 



"Wow amazing things happen.. I was talking to this lady Sandra, that was in jesse's first area, on Facebook and she said my doorbell is ringing she said guess who it is it was Elder Stauffer! He had come there because he had to stay there in that area tonight waiting for his new companion he is getting tomorrow I felt like I had won the Lottery!!!"

--Mom

IT'S HARD TO SAY GOODBYE

Leaving his first area

1st Area

 Ok this is one of the things we eat here, and this is car and a little girl that they always babysit.  Car is georges and hans little brother, but the little girl is so cute so i had to send you this picture.  She is awesome, and the little kids here are usually like chucky.  But she isnt she is awesome, and she speaks spanish and it makes me laugh because I think about bt and how i am learning a new language at the same time that he is, i dont know if you guys have thought about that, but i am learning with bt.  I was way surprised that he spoke so much into the tape recorder.  But mom stephanie is going to take some things home for me, so you should be gettting in touch with her in about two weeks, she will have a cassett tape from me i hope.  but i didnt tell you guys that my companion is 24, he is almost 6 years older than me, and is older than my sister so that is kinda wierd to think about.  But my new zone is way young, we all are under 1 year besides the zone leaders, and me and my companion have the same time, he entered the ccm in la molina 18 of march.  so at times it is hard becasue we have the same time and he is senior companion and he tells me what to do, but he doesnt anymore, because i told him that thats not gonna happen with me and he stopped.  But it is awesome now, we are friends and all is good, i teach him english and he teaches me spanish, and i am learning alot.  But the only thing is there is like a billion words i dont know, that i have to work on memorizing.