2-20-16

Friends, fam,

sorry for last week and the no email vibe. we got a call from Salt lake saying that something malfunctioned in the system. so this week, Ill send you what I wrote last week to you all and a little of what I´ve felt this week. here:

email #1:

Hello,

There were many activities planned this week. We were surprised at how much we had to do

but I was grateful for the haul to keep me busy and my thoughts focused. We said goodbye

to the old ones and welcomed the new ones. I really loved this new group that came in,

all of them just really prepared to be on the mission, leaving us all really impressed and

excited for the future. 

Sadly because of all the excitement and trabajo we weren´t able to see much of our queridos,

but we tried and they are still faithful, especially Francisco. I might not be here when he gets

baptized in the future, but I have more faith that he will be more converted with time and he

can fully accept Christ and His path. 

After all the excitment ended, we had Leadership Council. I really really enjoyed this one,

more than others. It touched on so many parts I´ve needed to hear, and it was just done

so simply, like the teachings of Aaron or Ammon or our Savior. I learned a lot more about

repentance, clarifying it a lot to me. Being one, that we need to help our friends recognize

their sin, then help them to forsake it and be clean. Obviously we can´t force them to leave

their sins, that is up to their agency and that is what makes this Gospel beautiful, everyone

can choose. And those who do choose the right do have happy lives, but also that trials don´t

end. We are always evolving.

I´ve also been blessed to have great friends and example in the mission. We are recieving

so many news into the mission, and all of us old ones are kind of dying off. Seeing some

of the great heroes of my early days as a missionary go home is hard. But boy do they leave

legacies, following the footsteps of our Savior. Especially one Elder from Argentina who I admire,

who has been in some pretty hard areas in his mission but has looked at them so positively

that it is hard to be negative around him. In many ways he has been the Nephi amidst Laman

and Lemuel but has carried on. 

Well, those are some of my thoughts for this week. They are ticking by. We enjoyed this pday

a trip to the Huaca de la Luna. It´s an ancient temple from the Moche people before the time

of Christ. Some wild architecture and backstory. yeah.

Love you all.

Elder Caldwell

what I´ve done this week:

hi. This week was one where I could feel like I really worked hard and was satisfied. it is one of the best feelings, working hard. We travelled to that pueblo I talk about sometimes, called Chimbote. It stinks of fish, but we have some good missionaries there trying everyday. I admire that. We had a multi-zone and so we went down to help set-up and also sit down and listen to the counsel provided. Im really excited with the direction the mission is going and the teachings that flow from the Prophets and Apostles more. 

This week I learned some about my pride. Our dear great friend Francisco, after much teaching, is finally able to get baptized. He passed his baptismal interview, and I was happy as day. Sadly, I hadn´t planned as well as I should have with the ward council the week before on how we were going to do his baptism. I called the bishop of the ward after the successful interview and told him we were going to have his baptism today. He said no one would be able to go, because they had all planned to have another activity the week before. I was a little defeated, and after I talked to the bishop on how Francisco needs a lot more fellowship established in his life before he takes this step as well, I was able to swallow a little of my pride and say, alright. We will have the baptism next week. Thats where I realized (again), that why we work isnt for the number, its for the salvation of that soul. In all ways, Francisco and us are excited have his baptism next week with more fellowship, more communication, and overall a better spirit. Lessons are being learned.

I have especially been learning from talk of some of our older apostles, like James E. Faust and Bruce R. McConkie. they are spiritual giants. take a look at some of their talks. I love all the examples we have in this gospel, and the many more who aren´t so well noticed, but keep going every day choosing the right.

Love you all.

Elder Caldwell

pics:

one of francisco.

I gave one of my old suits to my friend, Elder Ramos today. he found his bling and he looked real hip. 

adventures in chimbote with the elders there.

2-6-16

folks,

what a wonferfully hard week. I learned a lot about following the spirit. I won´t go into details, but the scripture Moroni 7:13 really helped me. It says: But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do ^agood   continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and ^benticeth to do  ^cgood, and to love God, and to serve him, is ^dinspired of God.

the transfer has officially come to an end, and so we embark on another journey. we´ll see what comes next. We have a really cool area, called Santa Rosa. We have to travel a good 10 minutes to get out there everyday, and it is straight dirt and looks apocalyptic. We love the chamba. We ended up finding this family out there in the oasis, the Reyes family and found out the mother and grandmother of the fam are members, but son muy descarriados. I have found a lot of joy in teaching them, and Francisco. We have to teach so simply to understand, and with my complicated brain I tend to make things more complicated then they need to be. Then in one lesson while we were teaching Francisco (who is progressing great, has a new date for the 20th) about fasting, I realize how simple the gospel for the 170th time and it gives me so much hope. It is the perfect formula to live a happy life. It even says about fasting in Doctrine and Covenants: Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer. Dc 59.14 

Tomorrow we will rejoice. 

Well, to sum up everything else, we worked more in the office, not much to note, but I do love serving. 

To end, and I know this email Ive done nothing but quote scriptures, but I want to quote a talk I read from Richard G. Scott. "Now I share an experience that taught me a way to gain spiritual        guidance. One Sunday I attended the priesthood meeting of a Spanish branch in Mexico City.I vividly recall how a humble Mexican priesthood leader struggled to communicate the truths of the gospel in his lesson material. I noted the intense desire he had to share those principles he strongly valued with his quorum members. He recognized that they were of great worth to the brethren present. In his manner, there was an evidence of a pure love of the Savior and love of those he taught.

His sincerity, purity of intent, and love permitted a spiritual strength to  envelop the room. I was deeply touched. Then I began to receive   personal impressions as an extension of the principles taught by that humble instructor. They were personal and related to my assignments in the area. They came in answer to my prolonged, prayerful efforts to learn."

 I would love to live as that brother who taught the class. Not to be perfect, but to have such a desire to get across those plain truths that you cannot help but feel that desire and his spirit. I would love to live everyday with such desire and spirit.

Elder Caldwell.

Pics: 

my stud new comp (on the right) baptized a family in his old area, we were privileged to go to the service.

finally to see a picture of Francisco. the man, the myth, the peruvian legend.

office farewell to a soldier, elder gibson.

1/30/16

Hi!

On the day after my birthday I would like to give all of you a gift; lots of pictures.

It´s been great! Thanks for all the pictures and letters everyone, love you lots! I´m feeling real old right now. But at the same time young because I still look like I´m 16. Haha. 

It´s also been a weird week. Hence wanderers in a strange land. Transfers are coming this week, and that means a lot of goodbies and more hello´s. Moving into the future. Everytime I see a new group of missionaries come in I think, "Hello little ones. you are the future!" 

I have come to love Perú a little more this week, and my mission President. I´m learning a little more to put more trust in the Lord. We have all issues, but we press on despite them. 

The mission president and his wife were really nice to buy me a cake and celebrate with the whole office, and it rained the whole day. What topped it all off was a visit to our friend Francisco. He is progressing! He wasn´t baptized this week, but I know it was for a purpose because Heavenly Father still needs to work on him. Just like He is constantly working on all us.

Moving on with some news; My companion is still training my new companion, Elder Alcázar so I have been out proselyting a lot with the other guys of the office, mainly the Assistants to the President. We had some awesome lessons and spent them with precious people. A woman we have been trying to help out for awhile now, Victoria, is an older woman with her family now grown, who has been inactive for 20 years. We are trying to rekindle her faith. She ended up telling us a lot of her story, and why she had lost her faith; because she stopped doing one thing, reading the book of mormon. She never knew it was true, and I find that has been and will be the fate of many members, inside and out of Perú. We claim to say the book is the keystone of our religion, and is the best translated scripture we have, but we just stop reading it. We bore our testimony to her, all 3 of us and it was powerful. She prayed at the end and poured her soul out to God. The spirit was thick that night. She came out with tears and she told us she would read every day. That was an amazing experience for me. 

Also, Francisco finally got back last night. We made an appointment with him and met him in the chapel. He is a lot tanner from working in the fields and has forgotten a little bit. But we are still loving him and hoping he comes around, being converted to the Lord. He commited to us that he would guard the dia de reposo. 

Well, I hope this email can mean stuff for you guys. I feel very grateful and undeserving of all of you, undeserving of all my blessings. Love ya!

"When we keep the commandments, our lives will be happier, more fulfilling, and less complicated." - Thomas S.

I love walking on the dirt roads, seeing trashfires and roofdogs.

Elder Caldwell