12/29/2014

Hello! This week E’Copa and I are trying out big things for the big
year! We have this “eternal investigator” named Nilda who is super
active in the church and is really great, but only hasn’t been
baptized because she isn’t married. We teach her almost everyday
literally, and this week we decided to bite the bullet and arrange a
massive wedding. We invited her and her husband to get married on the
17th and also our gold family, Mirla and Wilder! They both said they
would talk about it and didn’t really commit, so we’re going to just
put all our effort into making that happen and exercise our faith.
We’re hoping for some Milagros here! If any of you can remember, we
would really appreciate prayers in their behalf or just for the work
in general.

Annnnd some huge news about our mission, last week at our Christmas
devotional President Marler announced that our mission is getting
divided! There’s going to be a Trujillo North and Trujillo South
mission in 6 months time. Super crazy, I don’t have any idea where Ill
be put for the last year of my mission, but I’m excited! Reddog and
kevin, if you’re reading this, the Trujillo soth mission is taking
some of lima wests mission, so theres a possible chance I could see
you boys! Also the dedication of our temple here will be a little
before that change, but we don’t know the exact date. Some mind
boggling stuff going on here!

Our zone is getting a lot of changes this week as well. All of the
other americans in my zone got changed to other areas so I’m the only
one here for a little! Haha. But after 2 days we’re getting a fresh
batch of them, and so Elder Jackson my good friend is taking off to
Chimbote! We had some good times and Ill see him back in the 480!!

Other than that, I hope new years is great, we aren’t allowed to buy
fireworks here so I’m just going to admire our Peruvian neighbors
fuegos aritficiales. One of my resolutions is to lose weight. Haha
sike!

Love you all so much!!
Elder Caldwell

ps jaime could you please forward this message to everyone,  the
internet right now is no good. muchas gracias!

Sent: Monday, December 22, 2014 9:01 AM

Subject: MURRY CHRISTMAS

 

“God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” I can just imagine all the good Christmas times going on right now! Love you all, this last week has been really sweet. I got to proselyte with E’Swaney all week in his area of Esperanza, where we just worked hard and had a lot of laughs. We recently started teaching this guy my age named Jorge, who is honestly one of the best investigators I've seen! He has already read 20 chapters of the Book of Mormon, and has a testimony of it - all of that taking place over the week! He was a huge blessing and testimony builder to teach everyday, and he's going to get baptized this week! For that reason it was bittersweet to return to my own area, because I want to see him get baptized so bad!

We also held a christmas concert in downtown trujillo, the plaza of armas! if you look it up on google, you'll see how big it is! we sang a variation of christmas songs as a mission and so many people saw, it was so nice to and the spirit of unity and christmas and happiness was all ova the place. You could probably find a ton about that on the mission blog kurtandkathymarler.blogspot.com

I hope you all have the christmas of your dreams and enjoy that hot chocolate from QT!  As for me I feel right at home with no snow, haha. Also the lady who lets us live in our apartment has a giant turkey in her attic named junior, when I'm trying to sleep at night I hear him gobble. but I think we're going to eat him. 

This picture is with one of my favorite families in the world in area Esperanza, they are the bomb diggity.

PS mom, can you tell bro. schroeder I found Elder and Sister Smith? theyre doing great, and I got a picture with them. I''ll try to send it next week. gracias.

con bastante amor esta navidad,

Elder Caldwell

December 15, 2014 4:00 PM

Sent: Monday,December 15, 2014 4:00 PM

Subject: We skip town

Alooooha,

All is well in good old Trujillo! This week, in Otuzco started the grand fiesta, and we were super freaked out! I looked out of my window the day we left and noticed people crawling on their knees, on all fours, and on their backs! they do this every year to pay their respects the virgin of the door! super crazy. So all four of us elders packed up for the week, and now me and my comp are with the Zone Leaders in an area called Primavera! it's where elder passey is and I see him all the time! Their stake is so great, we had a christmas devotional/concert thing yesterday where I got to relive my taylor junior high choir days once more and sing in a choir. Soooo many people showed up, I felt like I was in America once more in a giant chapel with all these people. 

Mainly this week we're just going to be chilling (working really hard) with the zone leaders and I'm excited to learn from their examples. one of them is an elder swaney from California, who went to byu hawaii before his mish and we just talk about surfing and camping! and missionary stuff. While we were running around the city delivering some stuff I saw the beach for the first time in almost 4 months and I wanted to cry haha but I didn't, and got a sweet pic with e' swaney. 

I also went to zone conf. in Huamachuco earlier this week which is always great to travel to the land of Lord of the Rings, and learned a lot about the importancy of unity in the work and in the companionship. I am so happy with how my training and companionship has been going with elder Copa, it's been going by way too fast. 

Well I love you all so much, and I'm going to throw in a lot of pictures because the internet here is the best thing 

ALSO: I accept all christmas gifts. haha kidding, but here is the address to send all things to in my mission because some people were wondering:

MISION PERU TRUJILLO

Av. Larco 849 - 3er piso

Urb. La Merced - Casilla 10

Trujillo

love,

elder caldwell

Date: Mon, Dec 8, 2014 at 8:49 AM Subject: Calm before the fiesta

“wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the
foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that
which is great.” Dc 64.33. this week started off with a multi zone
which helped me a ton with reference to teaching skills, and I got to
hang out with Elder Passey for awhile! I also had the opportunity to
go proselyting with a different Elder for a night in Trujillo. E’
Dority and I contacted the whole night, something I didn’t have too
much experience in over in my area, and boy did he throw me under the
bus haha! But I am thankful he did, it was a huge growing experience
for my courage and confidence, and I was so happy that I could just
communicate with the people and talk to them about the church and this
special time of year. It was super cool, we would just pause in the
street and e’dority would say, “just feel the spirit for a little.
Talk to whoever you feel the spirit directs.” We ended up contacting 6
people, all who wanted to learn more and were so nice. It was so easy
to talk to the people after awhile because the gospel is so natural to
talk about and as e’dority said, “talking about Jesus is fun!” haha,
its true.

I don’t know if I mentioned anything about a golden family we found
awhile back, but wow, they are the best. Wilder, mirla, and their
children eulacy and lionel have such good desires and actually are
reading the book of Mormon and pray as a family. When I hear them talk
about nephi or their prayers, I’ve never been more happy. To see their
progress as a family is a testimony builder for sure. They’re not
married yet, and we have plans to marry them in January and then
baptize them. A huge bummer is that I have a chance to get changed out
of the area after the new year, I never want to leave Otuzco!!

This next week is going to be crazy, we’re going up to huamachuco for
zone conference and then when we return the party starts for the
catholics! We might have to bunker down in our apartment for awhile!
Ill let you know how everything goes. I love you all bastante, and
make sure to watch “he is the gift”!! its powerful. You’ve proabably
all seen it though. Another sweet message is “mountains to climb”

Hasta luego, (internet is terrible again so I cant send pictures)
Elder Caldwell

(mom for whoever didnt get this email in the fam could you send it to
them, I can only enter in a certain amount of people)

Sent: Monday, December 1, 2014 11:20 AM

Sent: Monday, December 1, 2014 11:20 AM Subject: Space Jam

 Como lo vaaaa familia y amigos! I´m reporting live this pday from trujillo, we decided to take a daytrip to see the temple and eat mcdonalds haha! It is a dream. It´s finally december which is the hardest month to do work in our Otuzco because all the catholics go bananas and its slightly peligroso! which is a bummer because this week we made a lot of progress with our investigators and less actives, namely a woman named teressa who wants to be baptized and our friend Tomas. soooo entonces we have a lot of dates set up for January! I buzzed my hair really short this week which was a huge mistake haha, everyone in my area thought I was a new elder or from the military hahah. they knew it was me right away though with my super really good spanish skills. sarcasm I hope everyone had a really good and fat thanksgiving though, elder Jackson and I were day dreaming about all the good vibes that goes down this time of year in az. but I am so thankful to be here, to be with my latino companion who loves inka cola to death, eat chicken and rice everyday of my life and to share the message of this gospel and our Savior this time of year. I love you all, wish I had more to talk about but I hope these pictures will be good! con lo mas amor yo puedo describir,
 Elder Chase Caldwell

1. my dream van
 2. on our way to an appointment
3. from our night making smores

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

Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 9:43 AM

HELLO MUNDO! I love you all.

 

This is going to be a long one! It's been a crazy ride these two weeks. I departed from the CCM super early on tuesday and hopped on a plane to Trujillo! When we got there I swore I was on Tattooine! haha. just straight desert. Immediately we got picked up by our Mission Pres. and his wife, some of the nicest people I have ever met. Pres.Marler sounds like D. Todd Christofferson haha! such a cool guy. So kind.

 

Orientation happened, and word was going around that one of the new elders was going to be sent to the mountains, in Otuzco Peru! Annnnd it was me haha. I serve in my legit personal dream. A quaint town amidst giant foggy peruvian mountains, llamas, donkeys, farmland, and the nicest, most rugged, hardworking people I have ever seen. My companion is from Bolivia and is a stereotypical latino dude haha. Elder Copa drinks solely inca kola and wears chullo beanies. I couldnt have asked for better circumstances!! Hopefully my pictures from the CCM and out here in Otuzco explain a little of my experience thus far. Look up Otuzco in google maps, its sick!

 

Elder Copa andI live with Elder Tirado, the flipping man, and Elder Spencer Jackson from Mesa AZ BABY! Everywhere I go I find someone from az, its a tendermercy for sure.

 

We have immediately been put to work of course, and its been hard, but the spirit and the love I feel from God is amazing. Never before have I felt so close to heavenly father and seen his blessings in my life. Otuzco is unusual, the members are extremely weak. 200 here are baptized but only 30 come to church, so we primarily try to convert the members and leaders, so if we do baptize in the future, the converts can have better support. I love doing this type of work though, and the ability to share my testimony on how the gospel has strenghtened me! If any of you have suggestions on how to help these members and leaders please tell!! like experiences or scriptures, we will try anything.

 

General conference was amazing, with huge emphasis on prophets, Christ, testimony, and the sacrament, and also personal revelation! This conference legit made me cry several times, never before have I appreciated it so much. savor the words of the prophets,especially inenglish. haha!

 

AND ALSO, Elder Mason Passey found me!!! I love that guy and it was good to visit for a few minutes before he ran off to do work. Hopefully we can be comps in the future.

 

You are all so great and I hope life is for you too! If you want an image on how the people look and act here, remember the scene in Nacho Libre where he goes and visits the elderly couple, where the old latino dude is supposedly dead! I love these people haha, they make me laugh so much.

 

Mucho amor,

 

Elder Caldwell.

 

Mosiah 15.15 through 18 is our zone motto here in the mountains!

 

Ill send pictures in a different email!

Oct 7, 2014 11:36 AM

Hey Mom! and Dad!

Love you so very much. Been thinking about you a lot and all of the nice things you have done for me. I was a crazy kid and I regret not showing my appreciation for you more. Love you so much, life is good.

I just got off the plane and am in Trujillo now with my mission president! Him and his wife are one of the nicest people I have ever met, don't ever worry about me. It's all a real big family here and they aren't grumpy and have so much compassion for us. You should check out the mission blog Mission Trujillo that sister marler has created, it'll have pictures of me soon! and I will be able to send all the pictures I have to you guys next monday, which will be my pday for the rest of the mission. 

Mom, you should meet up with one of my good friends moms, Elder Connelly. Her name is Elizabeth Connelly and lives in GIlbert! you should meet up with her sometime and have lunch or something, and talk about your sons in Trujillo or something!! her number is 520-331-0603 shoot her a text or something! 

It's been a good day and I'm a little nervous to meet my trainer! I hope he speaks a little english. 

I also saw ELDER PASSEY!!! He came and saw me right after I got off a bus and it was so refreshing to see another friend from AZ. He's been out a year and is a veteran! I'll talk to you guys more next monday, please be safe and pray for me! I pray for you every night.

LOVE YOU MOM, and LOVE YOU DAD. 

Elder Caldwell.

Thu, Oct 2, 2014 at 12:12 PM

¡buenas tardes!

 

I've been out a month and a couple days now, and I hit the field this Tuesday! This month here in the Peru MTC has been one of the hardest learning experiences of my life. But it's been so so good. filled with laughter, #thestruggle (thats for you hudson), the spirit, teaching, and meeting all forms of life haha. I've loved it. Every night I reminisce about the good old times in Mesa, AZ feeling like I've been out a year haha. Don't worry though I'm not homesick, just remembering the good times. I'm going to miss the MTC and my district homies, it been like a six week efy program out here x10

 

This week I've learned so much about Christ and his life and the importance of being Christlike. It is a life long pursuit to be like Christ and I can only hope to be a fraction of how kind and humble Christ was. Preach My Gospel chapter 7 about christlike attributes is genial! I encourage everyone to read that section. (hopefully its chap. 7) haha. I have developed such a love for everything and everyone here that I have never experienced because I look at everything in a different perspective. It's been great.

 

Spanish is still coming little by little, and I hope I can be a good jr comp soon! we teach maybe 14 times a week, yesterday I taught four times and being able to see the progress from being a little guy here is loooocoooooooooooooo. We heard a talk by a general authority this week and one thing he said was to write our families and ask them to pray for us to have the gift of tongues! I'm not saying you should pray for me, but atleast pray for others you know in foreign countries because that stuff is real life. (mom please pray for me) (and dad.) (miss you guys.)

 

I flipping love Elder Frost! him and all our roommates talk forever at night and just laugh, it's so refreshing. Yesterday I got up to go to the bathroom at night and as I was going in this Peruvian Elder came out fully clad, with a scarf over his mouth and nose, a beanie, a jacket, sweats, mittens and socks. you could only see his eyes, haha he looked like a straight up alien and I was laughing for eternity. its hot here I dont know what he was doing. I love the natives.

 

I won't be able to write for 2 weeks because I'm going to be missing pday when I finally get out to Trujillo so next email will be full of pictures!

 

con amor,

 

Élder Caldwell

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.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014 7:00 AM

Write to Elder Caldwell at caldwell.james@myldsmail.net

<hello madre>!

 

How are you, <i miss you!, i only have a limited time, please forward this to dad if you can, i dont have his email.

 

the peru mtc is good, very interesting. im with a bunch of characters here and its a little strange not to talk to you everyday but i know i will be alright! please dont worry about me. its crazy to take everything in. Peru is a very crazy place. <ill write more next week, please dont worry

 

much love,

 

elder caldwell

Chase left on Tuesday the 26th, flying through Atlanta.

Photos taken by Britney Salter