Hasta luego Pueblo Nuevo

I have a cambio [transfer] this week!  I don't know where I am going, but the exchange meeting is at 8AM in Chiclayo, so I will have to get up really really early tomorrow.  I am excited to see new areas, but I will miss this small town, especially my pension and my companion.  It was super fun working with Elder Flores this change and he helped me so much with my teaching and my Spanish.

Last week I wrote home with a fever, so I am not sure how well put together the letter was.  I do remember that I ended up with a fever of 102 in the night.  The next day I went to the clinic in Chepen and he told me that I had an intestinal infection.  The Peruvian food is good, but it takes a toll on my health.  After the clinic I was with one of the zone leaders and he wanted to go work with me and I told him that he was crazy.  We ended up going to a couple of appointments and then I crashed.  The next day we went to Chiclayo for training and by the end of the day I felt completely better.  Our training was by an Area Seventy and it was super good, but 4 hours long so I have a lot of notes.

So the power went out this Friday and my companion had a fever so we were in the room together for most of the day.  Luckily we had candles and lights so that I could study.  When people here get sick the members always want to give us manzania tea.  I never liked it before my mission, but now when ever someone offers it to me I gladly accept.  Also my pension says that masamora (purple goop) and avena (watered down oatmeal) are good for the stomach, [but] I don't believe it.  Some doctors, like medical professionals, here say that drinking cold drinks is bad for our health.  I love Peru.

I completely forgot about Thanksgiving until I read emails.  I seriously don't know what time of year it is.  We are starting to see Christmas stuff being sold in the street and it is throwing me off because I haven't seen a drop of snow.  Luckily Peru has there own Christmas traditions, like everyone here eats Paneton this time of year.  Paneton is like this Peruvian sweet bread which is super good.

I am excited to change areas, but I am not excited to leave my families.  I want to come back for the baptism of Martina and her family.  I can't count the number of times I helped one or all of her kids with homework while Elder Flores or Palacios taught a small gospel principal or vise versa.  We are starting to see real change in Pacanga and I just want to work more in this area that we have focusing on.  Two members in this area just got back from going to the temple for the first time and we have a baptismal date with Sabastian there too.  I don't feel ready to leave, but I can leave happy.  I have seen changes in families here through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Last Sunday Isabel (one of my converts) stood up and bore a strong testimony about how the gospel of Christ changed her life, with tears in her eyes, and I could not help but feel so much joy in my soul.  I know this gospel helps people.  This gospel is true, because the fruits are always good.  I have seen nothing but joy when people live according to the standards of the gospel.  When we grow closer to Christ he changes our lives.

Te Amo
Elder Perryman