7-25-16

I am beyond grateful today. 

My heart feels very full as I have been able to call old converts, old people I used to visit,

less-actives, and hear they are doing well. I feel so grateful that I cannot describe how

blessed I have been on this mission to survive, to be apart of others lives and for them

to enrich my life more. Peruvians are quite the tear-droppers when it comes to saying goodbye.

I will miss them with all my heart, they all have such a wonderful colorful personality.

I still have about a week left so Im going to aprovechar al máximo. This last week that barely

passed was one of miracles for us. I want to be short because I feel like I need to write a lot

today because this is my last Pday... the beginning of a strange new life ahead haha.

This sunday, my official last sunday in the branch I am serving was incredible. I dont think

many people knew I was going because I tried to keep quiet about it because I dont like

all the commentaries of "oh youre going home!!" makes me anxious. But I loved observing

them and just appreciating the time with them in a chapel of God in a small pueblo on the coast of Peru. At the end of the day we planned an activity called Puertas Abiertas. En ingles, Open house. It was poorly planned and for the first 10 minutes no one was coming to the  chapel to check it out (the idea was to have many new people know who we are and what we do). But we decided to turn the situation around. A crowd of members accompanied me and my companion outside as us, and the members, like a mob of people "attacked" people outside telling them to come in in their charismatic peruvian way. Crowds of people came to the chapel to hungry members ready to show them what brings them joy in the chapel. It was a beautiful sight and at the end of the day I would say atleast 100 plus people came. Not too much, but enough for us to feel happy.

Another small miracle I have to mention. We are desperately trying as a district (6 missionaries) to meet a small goal of having new investigators every week. (note that I hate goals) but I truly have enjoyed this goal and working harder. It was sunday, last day 

of the week for us, it was 8 pm and we only had 30 minutes to get back home. We were

lacking to know one more person. We took a long pause on the street and I said to 

Elder Gavidia, lets feel the spirit here. Lets think where to go. Nothing came. We 

advanced a street. Trying hard not to feel doubt, we paused again. A name suddenly came

to mind, someone who lives far and is never there. I tried hard to believe that that thought

came from the spirit or something, and I said the name Paula to my companion and we ran

to her house. I shouted, Pray for a miracle elder!! We did and when we got there, SHE WAS

THERE. She let us in eagerly and heard a small message from us juntos with her son. God

heard our faithful prayers. 

I can only hope that the messages I have shared for 2 years have helped someone, one of

you my friends, or one of my families. These experiences have been precious to me and

I know that I will remember them all my life. I know that whether we be in a mission,

or just a person in life trying to get by, God is aware of us and listens to us, even when

we dont feel like He is (and believe me, I have felt that numberless times). I know

that He loves and and I know in my mind and in my heart that His church is on the earth

today not to annoy us and load us with guilt and more homework to do (things I have felt 

before) but His church is on the earth today to edify and elevate us to new heights. I am 

thankful to God for these experiences and for the ones coming in the future and hope

that I can just be a good person and that I can love myself and others more. 

Thanks for reading for 2 years and for writing me. I love you guys and will see you soon.

We made it.

Elder Caldwell

pics: things I will miss. the mountains. the families. the chance to share the gospel 24-7

7-18-16

this is my second to last message home from here.

thanks for everything. I am especially thankful to God for showing me my

weaknesses and helping me become stronger. There is a picture I wish

I could show you all. It is of a storm, and there is a boat in the storm and there 

are 2 people on the shore. another boat is going out to the storm to go to the rescue.

Ive been thinking much about storms. Every day as a missionary we go out to the

storm. In the lives of those we teach there is family problems, drug problems,

heartbreak, and more. We leave our apartment (the shore) to go out there and help

others come back home. As a missionary I know what its like to be out there and

in the storm, and sometimes still there are storms going on in our lives. It helps

us to know how to help them. Through our weaknesses and experiences, we help

other come home back to Christ. I know that where He is there is only light and 

happiness. We can share the burden with him. Be we in the storm or out of it, 

we can help others get back to shore, and we can go back home too. 

we are seeing little miracles here and there. not big ones, like baptisms. but

things that mean a lot to me. one investigator who we found when I got here,

if you remember mirella, went to church all 3 hours yesterday, and said a prayer

in a class. she is reading everyday. she is growing in testimony even though

she probably doesnt realize it. she still doesnt have plans to get married, 

but i know that ill hear good news in the future. I know that she will be able

to get back to shore. another lady, fanny, the one i talked about recently, told us

2 nights ago: "ive participated in many churches. no one has ever come back to 

me to talk to me to see how i was doing from those places. you guys are the only

ones after i messed up so much. thank you. i know that from those actions that

these things are true." the spirit was big that night and im thankful we went back

to see how she was doing. 

Love,

Elder Caldwell.

pics:

the peru nature

one of the families ill miss. castillo rojas. mirella is the one on the right

7-11-16

Hello!

 I am here enjoying the Viru weather. Soak it in!

This week I experienced a "wake up call" in district meeting on Tuesday.

Sometimes the things I dont like as a missionary are the numbers

and the cuotas and the goals we have to meet. But, sometimes thats

how things roll. We were talking about them on Tuesday and I was just

thinking of how I could better minister to the people here in Viru and I 

was pulling blanks. We had a practice of knocking on someones door and

the Elder who mimicked a typical dad who works a lot and makes little 

money impacted me.

Not sure why Im sharing this whole story, but trying to talk to this fake dad

and trying to enter into his house really showed me that I need to be bold,

that I really need to believe that I represent the Savior, but most of all I need

to be peoples friend. I cant be a robot and I need to be in the moment and talk

to the person like he is real. Sometimes we get into missionary mode and cant

really get out of it, we say the same phrases and expect different results.

but, I was glad for that experience. It woke me up as I sat there thinking how 

precious this time I have left, and how much time maybe I feel like I have blown

in this service. I need to go out and work and keep getting better. 

Elder Gavidia and I left that day fueled with determination and the spirit.

That day was maybe the only day I feel like I can say I talked with literally

everyone we could, and I really put my heart into it. I loved that day and am 

trying to make every other day be like that one. time to wake up. 

My message is short but I love you all. I read a scripture today that really

drove home: 9 "And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am thesame yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And   because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man,   neither from that time henceforth and forever." 

Gods work will never end, it will never finish. He will always love us and will

work for us, even when we think we are done. He will give us an infinite 

amount of opportunities to try and be better. Christs Atonement is not

a limited time offer, it is for forever.

Love you.

Elder Caldwell

pics:

we were true americans last pday. even being in peru for 2 years cant beat

the america spirit. hahaha. we drank coke on our balcony and talked about life.

7-4-16

Happy Birthday America, I love you!

the 4th of july has hit. I walked into my pensionistas house this morning and started singing the 

star spangled banner, and asked them, "como amanecieron hoy en este día gloriosa de la libertad?" How did you guys feel when you woke up this glorious morning of freedom? My 

companion didnt know how to take all the excitement. I think he is still wondering what 

happened to me and why I am celebrating so much. 

On the real though, we have been experimenting a few things this week. My companion and I

back around 2 months or so I believe, we decided to drop this investigator that wasnt progressing, in fact she was retrocediendo. I have no idea how to say that in english anymore.

but the other day I was reading in 1 corinthians 13 and read about charity. It really impacted

me. Charity is an attribute I think that every missionary needs, especially since it is the

pure love of Christ. It means having patience, loving another despite their flaws (loving yourself

despite your flaws as well), sticking with the program, hoping for the best always and having a

good attitude. I read that and this investigator came into my mind. Her name is Fanny. She wakes up at 4 in the morning to get breakfast ready for her kids, sends them off, starts work early, gets home at 5 to make dinner, and then she is ready to collapse. We stopped visiting her because she couldnt read the book of mormon even despite our many invitations and challenges. 

We started visiting her last week, just to go over there, be friends with her and her kids, and read the book of mormon with her, to help her out. She has changed in this week a lot. Now, instead of collapsing to bed after making dinner, she reads. and now she is progressing because I decided to stop being so stubborn and frustrated with someone who I thought did not want to progress. Members are helping her as well, and are visiting her and inviting her to family activities. It has been a wonderful change Ive seen. I realize so much depends on whether or not we decide everyday to have charity and love everyone for who they are and have patience in all things, even though there is opposition.

I wanted to share that this day and now Im excited to go hang up my hammocks with my comp and celebrate the 4th of july with a coca cola in hand. Yeah doggy!

Love you!

Elder Caldwell

pics:

we had the fire like I said last week. the family was stoked to do it. they whipped out some corn from their farms, and some bananas and we fried them over the fire and ate them as we talked about faith, and how its like a fire. I love the chacra life.

6-27-16

times a tickin y tengo que trabajar duro.

I felt a lot better this week. God answers prayers! We opened our mouth a lot this

week and found refuge in some homes to teach the restored gospel.

I just looked over at what my companion Elder Kung Fu Panda was writing and it

made me happy to see that he is focused and dedicated. He was writing to his 

family quotes from Bruce R. McConkie and General Conference. I am blessed.

This week was funny. He is learning a little english and one night we were  walking

along the dusty Panamerican to somewhere and he said to me simply, "Walk is 

love. Walk is life." I just busted up laughing.

I feel the need to be frank and simple in all that I do, especially when teaching.

And writing this letter home. Im thankful for the Atonement and that it does

not simply erase our sins and burdens and weakness but helps us grow and 

master them. As my good friend Justin Moyer wrote to me "We are fighting Satan!"

I still got a ways to go but I love this place and the people. They enrich my life.

I dont have a special story I can recall right now but tonight for a Noche de Hogar

we are going to have a bonfire, its getting chilly here in Peru. We will talk about faith.

Ill send the pictures next week and more stories. I love you all.

Elder Caldwell.

6-20-16

hi

not sure what to say this week. haha. if I could I would take a picture of my face right now

thinking about how this is already my last transfer in the mission. its ridiculous. 

but here I am, and I cannot stop this train. 

elder gavidia was able to push through his foot problems with the miracle of a lot of ibuprofen,

ice, and foot cream to put down the pressure so we are back to working one hunnid percent.

we have been reading a lot about prayer together and in the manual they give us, Preach

my Gospel it honestly just rules at talking about how to get better in our prayers. I think

awhile ago I shared a quote that I liked. Prayer is like sitting before a warm fire. you dont

have to be smart to sit in a fire, or anything. you just sit there and soak in the warmth. 

I felt the impression this week to stop thinking about myself already. stop thinking about

my problems and just focus on others as much as I can. Im going to try to do that in my

prayers and truly pray for those we are teaching and serve them. and for you all back home too.

there isnt any huge memory that sticks out in my mind to talk about today, just we´ve been

working with a lot of less active members here (and believe me there are a ton) and yesterday

I had to direct the hymns in the branch so as I was in front I was able to look at everyone. 

I was able to see a man we have been working with for 3 months now who hadnt come to church

in years. Hanibal. He was happily sitted there with his wife and child and it struck me to see it 

and realize that he truly was making a change in his life. He tried to escape after the 1st hour because he was embarrassed (haha) but we were able to go out to his car and persuade him to 

sit with as another two. He came. grateful for the little things right now. onto another week!

Elder Caldwell

pics:

out in the boonies. found the soccer goal that looks like the scene from Walter Mitty when he plays futbol with the natives.

6-13-16

my friendskis,

we keep truckin along here. haha, its sad but humorous how my companion and I are falling apart all of a sudden. Elder Gavidia twisted his ankle and now walks with crutches so he can heal (or he will have to go home) and i still have some sort job in the bible kind of trial with many things going on with health. we are dealing with it though and learning the virtue of patience and long-suffering. a friend recently wrote me and said something that really rings true right at this moment: "the mission isnt what I expected it to be, but its what I  needed it to be." I can say the same. and Im sure a lot of you can say the same about just life in general.

rough times but just bearing and grinning it seem to be the theme of the lives of our investigators and all the other people we teach as well. I had mentioned Mirella recently I believe who just found out she is pregnant from her boyfriend, and she is utterly alone. now she is having problems with her boyfriend and we were able to sit down with them last night, and the rest of their fam. they live on a farm right by a canal so it was a perfect landscape to teach them and help them visualize the dream of Lehi with the tree of life, and the iron rod. They told us they havent been reading absolutely nothing and so we compared them and put them into this dream. we told them of how easily the vapors of darkness can come and get us lost and how we need to grip the iron rod, or in other words, the scriptures. a spirit of reflection of life and the seriousness of the matter entered into the room and they were pretty quiet after we read that dream with them. they commited however to read the scriptures every day, and I really am praying for them.

im happy for you all and love to hear that you are doing good, thanks for writing me. we are excited to keep pressing on. love you.

Elder Caldwell.

pics:

last pday we went to a castillo (castle) made out of mudbricks straight out of Emperors New Groove. We loved it and took many pictures