9/25/14

Salutations!

 

Very excellent week here, I only have 2 more week here in the good old CCM and 1 day until I hit the one month mark, haha. Time flies!!!

 

I had a very spiritual saturday proselyting with Elder LeBaron from Huntington Beach, it was so rad. We just talked about surfing and camping and stuff on the bus ride to our area. He is in the latino district so he was super good with the language. When we got there, we got paired up with this 15 year old native who guided us around this area, it mustve looked like from someone elses perspective that we looked like a bunch of 13 year old kids, except the 15 year old had a moustache haha. Where is my moustache growing ability!! Anyways, we were in the complete slums of Lima Sur. It was the most ghetto place I had ever seen in my life but I loved it. There was more dogs than humans and every house was constructed of tin and wood. I was stunned by the people there who were so humble and nice. We walked around for 3 hours and made a few street contacts by some uninterested people.

 

We did eventually get into one house though, which held an awesome family of four who are inactive. I thought Elder LeBaron was gonna have the lesson on lock because he knew the most spanish, but he let me handle mostly all of it which was very humbling and a great learning experience. I shared a couple scriptures and bore my testimony a lot. In the middle of the lesson the father came in, Fernando, who was one of the nicest Peruvians I had ever met. Just how humble he was and how hardworking he was was amazing, I love that family. They were giving us chips the whole lesson too, haha. They commited to coming to try to come to church more, but its hard because Fernando has to work on Sundays. They also wanted their daughter to get baptized which I think will be a big motivator for them to come to church as well!

 

Elder Wyatt Frost, my good friend from my stake back home came down here to the CCM 2 nights ago, and he IS MY ROOMMATE. Its the best thing ever. He's going to Huancayo and is also super good at espanol so hes leaving the same time as me. Its so refreshing to see someone that I know, and who shares the same respect for the movie Walter Mitty haha. He's awesome. We also have another roomie who is latino, Elder Hurtado who is very spiritually on point, I love it.

 

Our investigators are doing well and we're improving each day, hopefully. We get spiritual insights every sunday and tuesday from the MTC in Provo that gets broadcasted here as well. In 2 sundays will be General Conference!! Pumped to watch it here with all these elders.

 

Well I love all of you, may the force be with you this week.

 

Elder Caldwell.

Thu, Sep 18, 2014 at 12:26 PM

Yoooo,

 

Another week in the CCM down! We got a lot of sun this week which is unusal for Lima, it is very cloudy and foggy everyday. Also filled with a lot of learning haha. I dont think I have ever adapted so quickly to anything like this in my life, it is a huge blessing. I pour my soul into my journal every night and I hope I can show you guys atleast a fraction of what Im experiencing every day in my emails!

 

I failed to mention last week that another Elder, Elder Stephens joined our companionship so we're in a trio now! We are all so extremely different from each other but we all put up with it and just try to do work. Elder S is our district leader and is a comical genius/spiritual giant. Elder Gibson is just a calculating fool and never stops thinking at 100mph, haha. Love these guys, teaching them is a dream and we had our best lesson ever yesterday, flippin rocked it but there is still alot to learn in the aspect of teaching haha. We talk like little ninos.

 

We've been so humbled with our spanish and our missionary attitude as a whole, I used to read other guys' spiritual experiences at the MTC/ on the field and be like "how can you progress so much in so short a time?" but now I see it happening in my life and it's incredible. I about keel over everynight! which is a good thing.

 

There's a legacy here at the Peru CCM for a sort of club called the Order of the Tie haha, where one elder is chosen to where this ugly tie in the district picture at the end of our stay here, it's so hilarious. you'd have to be here haha I wish I could explain more. But we have meetings every now and then and its such a good release. You gotta have a good laugh and release once in a while! anyways this tradition has been passed down for like 2 years so its pretty sickkkkk. but yeah. Kevin when you get down here I will have a spot reserved for you.

 

One of our investigators we're teaching relapsed with alcohol this week so we have to reset his baptismal date which is unfortunate. Even though its our teacher I still have so much compassion for this fake individual haha. Im thinking about relating to him about my experience being addicted to Mountain dew and QT. jokes!

 

A super spiritual thing is that we've decided to do scripture study as a group of guys everynight in our dorms and Ive never seen more of an outpouring of the spirit and such wisdom and good stories in a sitting, I love it. It kinda reminds me of Dead Poets society. or dead prophets society which hopefully isnt sacreligious haha.

 

I also gained 12 pounds already hahahaha I never though it would be possibly but it has. I eat like a psycho

 

Anyways thanks for reading this email and I hope life is the best. the gospel is good in the hood.

 

peace,

 

Elder Caldwell.

Sep 11, 2014 at 11:20 AM

Aloha!

 

So grateful to be out here!! I love being a missionary. It's been a chill week. Pdays are just straight parties. We get to go to the Lima temple every week and shop around it is so nice. I revel in the streets of Peru... I feel like I'm on a different planet out here, its amazing. To get the opportunity to learn this dadgum espanol language and serve these awesome people! Everyday I am more and more humbled and awed out here.

 

We're teaching 2 investigators right now, Mario and Ruben and they are both progressing beautifully. They both are getting baptized soon and teaching them is amazing! Back home I used to be so nervous to teach and now my attitude has totally changed. I am so anxious to just help them!

 

We got to get out of the CCM last saturday and proselyte. I was with a ward leader in the Lima South Mission and Elder Jones who is also from the great state of Arizona! It was such an uplifting experience! For an hour we walked around these most ghetto streets, you should have seen my face haha. I thought it was going to be a bust because we couldnt find any of our contacts, but then we struck gold like 3 times. We found one woman who hadnt been to church in twenty years, and commited her to going to church on domingo! We loaded her up with gospel goodies and it was so nice to understand a little of what she was saying.

 

We then got into this strange apartment complex and walked to the very back where we knocked on a door to only have it opened by a straight hobbit woman. She was no joke maybe a little below 5 feet. She had recently had all her teeth knocked out I guess and if you think trying to understand spanish when youre barely learning it try understanding this woman who had no teeth hahaha. At the end of the lesson she asked for a priesthood blessing which is a common occurence for the people to do here. It was so spiritual, even though I couldnt understand what was being said. It amazes me how universal the church is, it's so rad.

 

Spanish is coming slowly but surely, as are my futbol skills, its definitely going to take awhile haha but I enjoy it tremendously. I hope you all are having an amazing week and I miss you all so much!! Wish I could send you pictures! In 3ish weeks I will! MUCH LOVE.

 

Elder Caldwell.

Sep 4, 2014 11:22 AM

I love Peru! Thanks for the email dad, wish I could write you a detailed letter but I literally have 5 min. I went to the Peru Lima temple today and it was small but very beautiful. The cafeteria here is a great! I eat like crazy. if I dont gain weight here then I have no chance! tell susan hola for me, I dont think I have time to reply to her. Love you and love you guys!

 

Tell Nelda hello for me as well. and all my siblings! Im loving it so far, I think I emailed my mass email to you. if not ask mom to forward it, ill get you next letter. My spanish is going great.

 

Love you,

 

Elder Caldwell.