Mon, Nov 24, 2014 at 8:54 AM

“when  I think I have accomplished something hard in His service and my body begs for rest, I give myself this rallying cry… Remember Him.” – Henry B. Eyring. Wow I love that quote!   This week came and went in a flash and the craziness of the holidays here are slowly approaching. There are fiestas out the wazoo and we might have to skip town later to Trujillo to avoid the loco stuff.

Tomas wasn’t able to be baptized this week because he took off to work in his chacra during our date for him, and also he needs more preparation. During a lesson he kind of just confessed all of his problems which was a huge slap in the face for us during a lesson haha. But its all good, we want him to be the most prepared for this step in his life! We have confidence that he will progress and use the atonement.  

Our zone leader here elder tirado got changed last week to a new area so we have a new elder here, Elder Solorzano! He is one of the most laid back latinos Ive ever met and he works hard, so we’re all stoked about him.

This week we’re going to focus on teaching all the missionary lessons to all members to help further their understanding and conversion HOPEFULLY, most people here don’t understand me very well haha , and they can hardly   read because they never finished basic school (their farms destroy lives!!!) but its ok, it’s a blessing to be able to teach in a more simple way and focus on their understanding and teach with clarity.

Something strange that happened this week was we were just walking down the street and a kid my age absolutely hammered drunk staggered over to me, shook my hand, didn’t say a word, made his eyes really wide and pointed backwards as if it were highly important. There wasn’t anything but some dogs. Hahaha.

Anyways, much love to you all , I’ll talk to you next week!! Enjoy those beautiful holiday times and weather in the good old  US of A .

A favorite scripture  I found this week is in alma 34:26 if anyones

Con amor y carino,

Elder Caldwell  

Monday‎, ‎November‎ ‎17‎, ‎2014 ‎9‎:‎39‎ ‎AM

Aloha,

jokes about the title. I have to shave all the time. It’s been a good week of finding! So many people were gone this week in their chacras or in Trujillo , so we didn’t have the opportunity to teach many people, but instead we were blessed to find 5 more investigators,  and they were all random! Just walking down the street we were stopped so many times by random people inquiring about the church, and we’re going to teach them this week! We also found a golden family who doesn’t know much about our church, which means a fresh slate to teach on. Overall very excited, a lot of good people were found with good intentions.

                

Tomas, our main investigator right now is commited to be baptized this Saturday, he’s been coming to church and is progressing good . we’re a little apprehensive because he’s flaked out on baptism before, but we got faith. Haha cross your fingers. He really wants to be baptized in one of the rivers here, I hope it comes to pass because that would be a flipping dream come true for me.

                

This was one of the best weeks yet now that I look at it, we found tons of peeps, it rained a bunch, and to top it off this Saturday we had a little campfire and our backyard and made smores as a district . it was super sweet and I recommend smores this time of year. And guinea pig they love guinea pig here. Haha love you all so much and ill talk to you next week. Crossing my fingers some of pics load for once in my life!!! also mom I found and bought a charger for my camera so dont worry about that anymore! booyah son

Love,

 Elder Caldwell

November 10, 2014

From: James Caldwell <caldwell.james@myldsmail.net>
To: jmcaldwell22@yahoo.com
Sent: Monday, November 10, 2014 9:36 AM
Subject: Lord of the Rings

Howdy howdy, (mom could you forward this to all my regular people I
email, the internet here wont let me)

Super happy with how this week went! A lot happened, Elder Copa and I
took a trip down to Trujillo and partook in a little meeting where I
got to see my district from the CCM again and hear a powerful lesson
from President Marler about our vision of our areas! We have a new
vision for Otuzco now and a lot is happening already!
   
We are teaching more investigators and scouting out more recent
converts and teaching them, and we already have a man named Tomas who
wants to be baptized! He’s a sweet dude, he has a sincere want to
learn more about the gospel. He wears a sombrero too which is a plus
haha! He came to al 3 hours of church yesterday and loved it, I’m
super excited to have someone progressing.
   
We also travelled 4 hours up into the mountains to an area called
Huamachuco for Zone Conference, which was also about our vision. On
the way back to Otuzco our bus broke down 6 times haha, but the
scenery was insanely beautiful, it was like Lord of the Rings and
Walter Mitty combined. I was so happy to break down and just look at
all the greenery and llamas frolicking in the mountainside, it was a
dream come true.
I’ll let you all know how Tomas is next week and if we have any other
focuses! I am very thankful for you all and hope some of my pics go
through, yall haven’t seen me for almost 3 months! Haha.

Con amor,
Elder Caldwell

Monday, October 27, 2014 9:38 AM

Subject: October Sky

Hi fam and friends!

 

Super sorry for my terrible email last week!

               

The situation persists with the members here, and we have thrown out all other plans and are trying new stuff to get the members more converted. We have been trying to follow Ammons example of pure service and love like with King Lamoni. We did 3 service projects this week and are basically sharing simple messages of love. We’re total hippies out here because we’re all about love, it’s great haha! We are making a lot of progress here and 53 peeps showed up to church! but its not about numbers!

               

A huge blessing this week was visiting Manuel and Raquel, less actives because they live so far up one of the mountains that they have a hard time getting motivated. It was a dream, we hiked up at dusk and visited outside for awhile marveling at the landscape, and then inside their mudbrick house by candlelight. The higher up you go here, the more basic the lives. I’ve had the unfortunate chance of seeing a few of the folk here pooping on the side of a hill by their property hahah! But anyways, they are also super spiritual and poor in heart. I’ve never heard more carefully thought out spiritual prayers. I’ve learned a lot about humility from them.

              

  I’m officially 2 months out now! Love otuzco, it is so bizarre to think of 2 months ago and how much has changed. I love it!

                

The other day we got bible bashed from this woman and I’m super grateful that I got probably one of the most well versed latino companions out here, he spat out some real doctrine like a boss christlike person and we went on our merry way.

               

Everyone here has a motorcycle and I get so jealous haha, seeing them drive around the mountains and what not. Truly gnarly peeps here.

               

Well, I love you all and think about you often. Everything here is good besides the sketch food a veces.

Peeeeeeeeeace,

Elder Chase Caldwell.

Date: Nov 3, 2014 10:11 AM

Love you always dad, I always try to send you an email but the time
and internet doesnt allow me sometimes! I love you and love the
pictures and think of our times together alot as good times. dan looks
great at the temple how is he?  also, could you tell your kids to send
me pictures of their families so I can print them offand show them to
the members here, they love pictures and stories about family. Ilove
you and hope youre doing good, please forward this part of the message
to all the family, I dont think Ill be able to send out a mass one
today:

Hello fellow gringos,
        What a week! Our main style of conversion this week is on Sunday
coming to people’s houses, waking them up, handing them some white
shirts and telling them to come to church. Haha we actually did that
for one family this week , and they didn’t even care. only in Peru.
        Testimony meeting and fast Sunday was a powerful one yesterday. Ive
been worried about our branch here and the strength of testimony and
conversion but it was put greatly to rest after listening to some of
the testimonies here. It strengthened my own in the fact that the
gospel touches hearts all over the world in different languages but
yet the same morals and standards are held, it’s a beautiful thing.
        On the side ive been teaching my companion and a few little kids here
English. You have no idea how many times I’ve been called gringo here
haha atleast 50 times no joke. I’ve almost fought a few people but
that’s all in a days work. Hahah kidding.
        Our main focuses right now is a woman named Norma, who is a little
timid but has a strong testimony. We’re trying to break her out of her
shell a little and be a little more open and active. And the other is
the family of manuel and Raquel,  who … didn’t come to church this
week but we’re working on it! They have a very difficult time and work
in the chacras, or fields, all day, and have little money. It’s always
a challenge here because everyone works in the chacras andare so tired
or don’t have any time for us.
        I’m super pumped about the future here though and progress is slowly
happening with everything.
        We’re going to be travelling up to an area higher up in the mountains
this week called Huamachuco for Zone conf. so next week I’ll have tons
of spiritual experiences and adventures to talk about next week.
        I love you all mucho, am learning a TON, and hope I can be better. I
pray for you all and hope some of these pictures load so I can send
em! Bye.
Elder Chase Caldwell