This week has been awesome, lots of cool experiences, I wish I could tell you guys everything that has happened but I'll try just highlight a few things. first of all thank you so much family for the emails, they are really inspiring and make me want to try harder as a missionary, I am so blessed to have such amazing support coming from home. I have met missionaries here with hardly any and I know that I am truly blessed.
Well, last saturday we all packed onto some tour buses and headed off to our respective areas of Lima for the day. We broke off into groups of about 20 and met at chapels all over the city. We got some instructions, a map, and a member of the local ward to help us out with directions, and went off to teach inactive members, and invite them to come to church the next day. One of the best experiences so far. It was amazing actually teaching REAL people! Talking to them about the importance of the sacrament and feeling the spirit, reading the scriptures with them and feeling the spirit, I loved it. It really made me with I was going to that ward the next day and see if they were going to come. The member we were with said that they most likely would, so that gave me hope. It made me even more excited for the mission field, but also more determined to learn the language. I was able to communicate simply, and elder arteaga encouraged me to handle the lesson a couple of times, and all in all it was great.
The area we were in was probably one of the poorest places in Lima. It was really an eye opener. I think living in saipan has helped me see humble circumstances in my life, but we was some really really humble homes on saturday, poverty can be a sad thing, Yet you see these people who have nothing and yet are the happiest in the world. It really makes you look at your own life and see what you have, and how grateful you are. But anyways! that was only one saturday, and one area, and I hear chiclayo is a lot different in a few ways, I'll be sure to let you know how,....in four weeks of course haha. I got to pet a monkey!! not like thats a big deal or anything haha. One guy along the street had it as a pet! I know, you guys are all jealous.
I would also like to mention that after reading some of my emails and noticing how much I need to correct what I type. I have come to the conclusion that as my spanish improves, my english gets worse, so I would like to apologize in advance for that :)
I am really enjoying the CCM here in Lima. It is an amazing place to learn and grow, just like an MTC should be. we've all gotten to become really good friends with our latino companions, and it will be sad to see them go in a few days. But we know they will be stellar missionaries. (elder Arteaga says "hi" by the way, we were asked to help the latinos learn how to bear their testimony and pray in english while they were here, so thats been pretty fun, a little taste of trying to preach the gospel in a different language for them haha)
Our teachers here are also super great, I've had the opportunity to become good friends with one of the teachers here, who I also beleive could be one of the three nephite, because of how spriritual and stellar he is. We have had a few really cool experiences teaching him as an "investigator', One thing I learned in the provo mtc, is that the spirit roleplays too. I was a little skeptic at first about teaching our teachers like they are investigators but the spirit tesitifies of truth, and when you talk and teach about truth the spirit is there.
Thank you so much family for all that you do. For being awesome missionaries and good examples to those around you. I love hearing about your missionary experiences, they really are so important. I love you all so much and I am so thankful that I could be here in Peru on a mission. I know I havent been out that long and I havent even been in the field but It has changed my life. I love you all
Take care!
Elder Lonsdale
