Adios Cajamarca

So I have a transfer...after much time I will be leaving my pueblito Cajamarca.  I will miss this zone and all of the people who are here.  I am the first Elder to say goodbye to my pension, so it was a sad experience for her.  She is sooo happy for all the gifts that you have sent and she says that one days she wants to meet my parents.  But it was hard for me because she asked me "Will you be able to come back for my baptism?" and I wasn't able to say yes.  I know that in the mission it isn't about how many people we baptize, but about how many lives we touch with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This week we met with our mission leader and when he was leaving he noticed that he had a flat tire.  So I had the experience of helping him change his flat, which was a super funny experience for us.

Saturday night the Stake president came to teach a lesson with us to one of our favorite couples.  He testified to them that if they are unable to have children in this life the Lord will give them an opportunity in the life to come.  The Stake president here is so humble, yet so powerful spiritually.  After the lesson we had pizza and continued to talk of how the gospel can bless their lives.  I just love the gospel because it is ALWAYS a message of hope.

I seriously feel like I am leaving family behind in Cajamarca.  More than half the people I told that I am leaving did not believe me and the other half was sad.  I also had the experience to meet with two companions, two pensionistas, and one of my bishops this week, and it was a very special experience for me.  I feel bad for all the missions that have to cook for themselves because they miss the chance to really be part of a family.

I love you all, but I need to catch my bus.

Love
Elder Perryman

Happy Birthday, Elder Payare!

So this week was my companion's birthday and we had the traditional Peruvian smashing his face in the cake.  I don't know why, but here it is considered a bad birthday if someone doesn't throw an egg at you or you don't get cake in your face.

But sadly this week we have not had a lot of time to go out and teach.  The trip to Chiclayo takes a good chunk of time out of the week and Friday we had our zone training.

I am so excited for the "He is the Gift" video that the church is putting out.  That worldwide, the message of Christmas is being spread by missionaries.  It is also the perfect way for members to invite us missionaries into their homes.  I am also excited for Christmas in general.

My pension is the greatest.  This week she presented one of her friends to us and she testified of the Book of Mormon.  She isn't even baptized yet, but I have seen how the gospel has changed her life and has given her so much hope.

In the week to come are transfers so I will let you know if I stay or if I go.

Love Always,
Elder Perryman

Chiclayo!

Family!

Sorry that I am writing late, but I just got to Chiclayo.  I am now writing in the mission office and I am tired.  But I always like these trips to Chiclayo because the training's from President are great.

Sunday was the primary presentation in the ward.  I played piano and there was about 50 niños.  It went super well and it helped a lot that our investigators were there.  After church we went straight to visiting.  We taught one of the families that is progressing really well and they invited us for lunch.  We finally were able to teach the father of the family.  He is great and wants to know that the church is true.  He has hope in our message.

For Thanksgiving we actually had the chance to eat a good Thanksgiving dinner.  We ate turkey with the same family that we ate waffles with and they introduced us to some of their friends and family too.

I am sorry that I do not have a lot of time to write, but I will make it up to you all next week.

Love,
Elder Perryman

Without email I would have forgotten about Thanksgiving

So yet another crazy week in paradise.

Our shower tube broke this week; luckily the Bishop works in construction.  I am glad that we rent because when these things happen the owner has to pay for it.  I now see how owning your own house is a lot of work.

Elder Gomez (my old companion) got sick this week so we went to the clinic with him.  Despite the fact that he had a crazy fever Elder Gomez never stops making jokes.  It was enjoyable to be with two of my favorite companions for a little bit just to sit and talk.  I have been so blessed here in Cajamarca.  And luckily Elder Gomez is doing better now.

Saturday night we cleaned the church and came home exhausted.  We planned and then went to bed, but at 3am our neighbors started to play the loudest, most horrible music.  It is common here for people to blast music, but this was my first time to be the unfortunate neighbor.  We woke up at 6am super tired to get ready for 8am church.  Needless to say our day has been filled with naps and searching for a new place.

The people here have some weird traditions.  One is when someone is scared, they take an egg, dip it in water and then rub it on their arms and make a cross.  Then they throw the egg away to get rid of the bad spirits.

The last week we went to the hospital to visit an older sister in the ward who had an aneurysm.  She is doing much better.  When we were there I took her by the hand and she started to take off my CTR ring.  It was a good experience, especially because some of her children who were there are not members of the church.

Our pension is doing super well.  She loves to listen to "secret Prayer" in her house and prays powerfully.  The gospel really is "line upon line."  We just need to remember that this process should just be in one direction.  When someone truly searches, prays, and reads the Book of Mormon, it is impossible not to have a testimony of our Savior and his church.

I love you all,
Elder Perryman

What a week!!

So this week has flown by. It started with our zone training, which was great.  We have been focusing a lot as a mission on "The family: A Proclamation for the World" and it has been working wonders in our work.  We are trying to get the zone excited for December, which is usually the best and hardest month for missionary work.

We have 3 families right now that are progressing toward their baptism, but for me the greatest story of all is our pension.  This week we celebrated her birthday with her and it was great.  Members from the ward came to make her feel loved and she has said that she really feels like she is part of the ward.

We also taught her (Maribel) a powerful lesson this week.  While talking about the importance of prayer she explained to us that for a while in her life she couldn't pray, she had lost her faith.  She explained to us about the death of her husband from cancer and how his suffering and death was the source of so many doubts.  I remembered my purpose as we taught that our first purpose is to help others have faith in Christ.  Sometimes as missionaries we want to skip faith, thinking "well he believes in God," but I know that true faith brings hope.  Until someone truly believes that they can be with their family for eternity they still lack faith.  It is a blessing to preach the restored gospel of eternal families.

I love you all
Elder Perryman

Happy Birthday Mom!!

So this week has flown.  Monday was transfers, Tuesday we left to go to Chiclayo, we had our meeting Wednesday, and we came back to Cajamarca Thursday.  As beautiful as the trip through the mountains is I would rather take a 40 minute plane ride than 6 hours in bus.

I am guessing that my suit has gotten pretty worn in the mission because when I got to Chiclayo a couple Elders told me that they like my brown suit (it was black).  But our stay in Chiclayo was nice and luckily is wasn't super hot there.  The meeting that we had was very spiritual.

Sunday was great.  We had a catholic friar come to church (in robes and all).  Also we had Jhan and Mily come to church and they are progressing.  Jhan is the kid who broke his arm in the park that we helped.  This is probably the weirdest way that the Lord has put someone in our path, but I am glad we got to know this family.  They are fantastic and always have their Bible open when we visit them.

We have a couple new missionaries in our zone too.  They are fantastic.  I have already gone contacting with one and I am excited for this month.

Happy Birthday Mom!  You are the greatest.  This week I have been reading the last chapters of Alma in the Book of Mormon where it talks about the 2000 Stripling Warriors.  Everything that they accomplished was thanks to their mothers.  I feel the same; I always tell people that without my mother I would not be here and it is the truth.  Thank you for everything mom and happy 39th birthday! ;p

Love,
Elder James Oliver Perryman

Dana Goicochea!

This week has been great.  It has gone by so fast, but has been great.  Our pensionista is the best.  She is not a member, but she is active in the church right now.  She has told us that she thinks that a mission is the best thing that young people can do and wants her son to be a missionary.

Dana Goicochea was baptized this week which was fantastic.  Her mother is a member, but her father is not.  We are trying to teach her other siblings and her father and I know that one day they too will join this great church.

Tomorrow we are going to Chiclayo so this week we wont have a lot of time to work...but to get to see President Williams and have the training meeting.  This week was also changes, but I am staying in Cajamarca for a bit longer :)

Sadly here they do not celebrate Halloween like they do in the states so it has been a pretty calm week.

It is interesting how the Lord is putting people in our path.  For example, the boy who broke his arm is now our investigator with all of his family.  We  have so much work here to do that the hardest part of our work is to manage time.  But time management is such an important skill.

I am so happy to see how small and simple works can have a large impact on others.  I can especially see this in the members here.  When members invite or show brotherly kindness to an investigator or a member returning to church it makes all the difference.  Members truly are the key to the work here.

Love,
Elder Perryman