Returned With Honor!!

I just got home from Perú! I am so grateful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and for this time which I have had with the fine people of Peru.

Recien llege de Peru. Estoy tan agradecido por mi Señor y Salvador Jesucristo, y por este tiempo que he tenido con las personas marravillosas de Peru.

My last email! (I think)

This might be my last email from Peru!  It is a rather bitter sweet feeling, but all in all it doesnt feel real to be finishing my mission.  On one side I want to come home, but on the other I do not want to stop being a missionary.  I am still surprised I have made it this far.  But I would never trade this experience for anything in the world.

This week we have worked super hard in the area and I am happy.  Sadly we have two men almost ready for baptism but they will both be baptized in June.  Hubert had his baptismal interview this week, but he still needs to overcome a couple of things.  But I am so happy because I feel like Hubert really is a convert, he seeks to do the Lords will.  And that is what matters.

I feel extremely blessed to be here in Peru.  I will always feel like I have family here.  I know that this work is real and I know that the price of a single soul is extremely great in the sight of God.

Love,
Elder Perryman

2 more weeks in the promised land of Peru!!

So I am sorry that last week I didn't write.  Because of Mother's Day, we spent a little more time playing soccer and we lost track of time.  But today we went to Eten and played capture the flag.  I am super tired.

Tonight we have a lesson with Hubert, who is programmed to be baptized this week.  I really hope that he can meet his goal because he has such a great heart.  But, like many of the people here, he has a sad past and many obstacles to overcome.

This week while we were contacting we found another complete family.  They were nice, receptive to the gospel, and they had friends who are members of the church.  Sadly they told us directly: "You Mormons have many rules which we still can't live.  We still like to drink and dance."  This reminded me so much of 2 Nephi 28:7 and I realized that the book of Mormon prophets realized exactly how our world would be.  Lucky they have also given the solution, but the investigators must accept it.

Love,
Elder Perryman

2 weddings and a baptism

This week has been great.  We have ran around the whole zone about 3 time this week, because 2 areas have moved rooms and many areas needed new mattresses and bunk beds.  Talking with all the landlords has certainly taught me patience and I have learned a lot about how to find a good place.

Elder Sulluchuco and I have been working with a family for a while now and this week they are going to get married.  The wife is a member and the husband is not.  While we were talking with them about wedding papers the husband told us "What I really what is to go to the temple and have this forever."  He has accepted a baptismal date and they are very strong in the gospel right now.  It takes a lot more paper work to get married in Peru (the bishops cant marry here) but the most important thing is for these couples to make it to the temple.

Also one of the recent converts in the ward, Brother Nelson, is going to be sealed this week to his future wife.  Brother Nelson is about 30 and he comes out with us every week.  He never leaves home without his Book of Mormon and he always testifies of the restoration.  I am so happy to see that he will be taking the next steps by going to the temple this week.

I just want to say congrats to Ben and Olivia this week.  And thank you mom for sending me 100+ photos.  So My email is going to be a little short.

I love you all.  I am so tired after this week, but I am so happy about the progress in our area.

I love you all,
Elder Perryman

Elder Sulluchuco!!!

So my last companion is Elder Sulluchuco, he is from Lima Peru!  He was already in my zone and we are already great friends.  It was so funny because is the change meeting we sat next to each other and we didn't even know that we would be companions.  I am happy that he is my last companion because he is a very hard worker.

This week we have been going crazy because two companionship's are changing their rooms and looks for rooms is tough sometimes.  Also I have been showing the area and explaining some zone stuff to Elder Sulluchuco, so this has been a pretty full week.  Happily we have had a lot of time to work and we even had five investigators in church.

This week we have been working a lot with Martin.  Martin has been investigating the church for a long time, but has been unable to overcome his addiction to alcohol and be baptized.  This week though he seemed to have a different character.  He has had his ups and downs in my time in this area and it makes me feel for those who struggle with addictions.  This man wants everything to change, but sometimes he does not feel strong enough to overcome his alcoholism.  Only the gospel and the atonement of Jesus Christ can truly heal help.  And it is.

This week we are planning to work like crazy in the area.  The more we use time wisely the faster it passes.  I love this work, and I want to finish strong.

Love,
Elder James Perryman

Cambios!

So this week we were in the middle of a lesson and President Williams called us to ask my companion if he wanted to go home early.  This worked out perfectly for him because he will now be able to go to the temple dedication (in Cordova) with his family.  So Elder Cosentino has a change and in two weeks he finishes his mission.  I will stay here, but I do not know who will be my next companion yet.

This week went super well, but no one came to church.  We had a lot of lessons and we are focusing a lot on the less active members here in the ward.  We now have a solid teaching pool, which is great because when I first got here there wasn't much.  I hope that my next companion comes ready to work so that my last change will be a great one.

As a zone today we played soccer Latinos vs Gringos and it actually was a really even game.  I have started to really enjoy soccer and I hope my next companion will want to play too.

This week we had a random contact with a guy in the street while going to an appointment.  When we came back the next day we taught Herman, the man we contacted, and he had so many great questions for us.  At the end of the lesson he gave us sponges to wash dishes...which was really strange.  That night we taught a family and when we finished we gave them the sponges and they told us that they were about to go out to buy sponges.  The Lord works in funny ways, but sometimes the coincidences that we see are so random.

Anyway this week we had the opportunity to really be in the area and teach.  I love teaching and learning more about the gospel, but now I see that the gospel is a life long pursuit, not something that we just find.  We as members of His church must discover and continually rediscover the scriptures.

Love,
Elder Perryman

PS I am pretty sure I ate dog this week....

Another Great Week!

Family!

This week has been filled, as always, but really great.  We had the leadership training, zone training, and interviews with President Williams this week.  I love President Williams because he has power behind his testimony.  In the zone training we spoke much about the Holy Ghost and it made me want to study the scriptures more because the "Word" is the way to preach with power.

Kati and Ariceli were baptized this week.  Kati is our pensionista´s best friend and Ariceli is our pensionista´s daughter.  Kati was a Seventh Day Adventist and now she wants to serve a mission.  Also it was a great day because our pensionista is becoming more and more active at church.  I truly do not believe that I was sent here to baptize, but to help those who are lost come back.

Sunday Luis came to visit my ward because he is going on his mission next month.  I gave him a couple of ties and shirts because he needs so much help to go on the mission.  I was incredibly happy to hear that despite the opposition from many of his family members his twin and his younger brother are also going to send in their papers.

Every p-day we play soccer at a synthetic field and we usually talk with the young man who works there.  We have now started to teach him and it is funny how he always asks us when we will visit him when we play soccer Mondays.  Even though at sometimes we feel like people don't want to hear about the gospel, we must always try and be friends of others.  Once we have true friends, then they will understand what our purpose is.

Love,
Elder Perryman

p.s. the package came in! Thank you so much Mom and Dad!!!