New area, new comp and new position...

ok so a whole lot to go through and so little time still.

my new area ........

solidalidad, zona san juan de miraflores

my new position.........

freaking district leader

my new comp ...........

elder santi

ok so that being said i have no idea y I'm a district leader but I'm learning a lot and I'm excited for the new responsibility.

but now for the important stuff

my new comp is totally chill. elder santi is from Lima and works oober hard. I'm excited to finally have a comp a lot more regla than me. but he is always serious and kinda a joke to a lot of people here. but now with me he has a smile and we are working a lot better with everyone. it's a great area too. the area is solidalidad and it's a dope area. really poor and humble but bc of that everyone listens. so I'm a happy person. we can actually do contacts and find new people. who knows. but ya.... the problem with my area is

its a freaking mountain. it's like if we had 3 camelback mountains and put all three together, u get solidalidad. so ya that's fun. everyday climbing a mountain two or three times. if i wasn't loosing weight b4 just wait. I'm gonna be a twig. but the pench is totally awesome here. we live and pench with the same person and she is great. I'm excited to be here. really happy and glad that i have this opportunity.

so the work this week has been good. despite how good the area was i got here and the other elder left only one investigator. so santi and i have been looking and found 9 nuevos of which 4 went to the church yesterday. i swear I'm in heaven. the only other problem is that I'm the dl. the pres says everything is for revelation, but i don't know now. I'm excited but scared. the work is the same, but now i have to give lessons, baptism interviews, and informes, and a hole bunch of good stuff. but i am trying to get the hang of it.

so the pench gave me an idea something i wanna try. the packet that I've gotten have been inconsistently coming to me. some in two weeks others two months. they said that some elders had their family mail it to their house and they would go and pick it up. i wanna try it and see how it goes. the address is ....

Mz. J Lt. 12
Asociacion 27 de Julio
San Juan De Miraflores
Lima Peru

or so they tell me. but the trick is that u have to send it in the name of Ricardo Fernandez Santisteban. Because he will be the one to pick it up and they need to see an id to give the packets. i wanna see how long it takes. ma if u could i don't know if u have a packet or anything to send me but when u do let me know and i wanna try it. anybody else that might possibly wanna send a package send it to the office for now. and thanks to everyone for the packages and letters.

now there was something else but i fo, never mind i remember now. my birthday is like one week away or something like that. i don't really care to much about it, never have. but my pench says that if i don't take the afternoon off for the surprise birthday party that they are planning, she's gonna feed me spinach soup for the rest of the time I'm there. she treats us good and we'll see how it goes. it'll be fun I'm sure so no worries bout that. 20 years old. i can't believe it.

what else. i do miss surco. just soes y'all know. i love it here in solidalidad but surco was great too. i wanna go back but the work will go smoother here. hopefully more fruits of my labors, and definitely more sweat.

so ya. thanks to everyone for all the help, prayers, letters and info on the cardinals. brother nelson at least will understand my pain if the cardinals go on to win the superbowl. why do they have to wait till i left tho. but that's life. like you said.... taking one for the team. enjoy it for me.

I'll talk to y'all next week and try to send some fotos.

GO CARDINALS! and a new assignment

ok everybody.

first of all and most importantly...........

GO CARDINALS. gonna win a superbowl and only waited till the year i leave to do it. send my thanks to the coach. how many years have I rooted for them waiting for a year when they make the playoffs and now look as soon as i leave. it's almost as bad as the star wars movie coming out while i was gone. almost but not quite.

anyways. second most important. i have a change. don't know where or as what or with who. just a change. so I'm happy and sad. i don't wanna leave the members, because they have been absolutely the best for me. but that being said, to stay in surco for six months would be horrible. and the reason for that is because surco is really small. now just soes y'all know how small. we're talking, from pinnacle peak rd. to los gatos. that wide. and then up to the mountain. really it's like a little rectangle. from one corner to the other is 40 min walking. so I'm happy to be going to a new area. I've basically knocked every door here. people i don't even remember know me. walking down the street and random people shout elder talercio. nobody says the "i" here. but ya. some even know my first name. don't really understand how though.

so today at 130 I'm getting my new area and comp. today and a lot of this week has been saying goodbyes to people. i sorta figured it would be better safe than sorry and it turned out to be the right choice. so i leave my area in the hands of elder chafloque. I'm more confident in him than the members. almost everyone has asked, cant he leave instead of you. but i tell them that elder chafloque is twice the elder i am and really they should be happy he is staying and not me. most think that i say that just to be nice. but i honestly believe it. i look back at what I've done here and i feel like i coulda shoulda done more. like i had opportunities and let them slip. i did my best though so i leave happy . i think they'll send a lider here though. the prez said he wants a leader in surco so we'll see. it's a good area, one that i really wanna come back to after the mission. and the hna that we live with has already offered me a room for 100 dollars a month. she says for me shell kick out whatever elders are there. her and her family have been the best thing about surco for me. they are like a third family now. mom number 3, mas o menos. but she said that after me she never wants to talk to the missionaries again, bc she said that she oober sad, and doesn't wanna be sad. so she wont talk to the others. obviously it's sorta a joke. she probably won't talk as much, or invite to as many things and whatever, but shes a great person and the missionaries are lucky to be there. she was even planning my birthday party. kinda funny. but that's part of the mission.

lets see, o ya. i got more packets. thank u mom number two and melia, dan alana, ian, gdog, mike and of course the all powerful amanda. i loved everything. it's the greatest feeling in the world when u ask for something u need, like ties, and then now i have over 70. i had 5 for like 6 weeks and now i can go a different tie everyday, for a whole cambio. that's cool.....

what else, go cardinals. superbowl champions or superbowl losers either way it's history. and i do love history. that's a knee slapper. for me anyways. maybe an inside joke. i might actually be the only person in the world who thinks that's funny and now I'm talking a lot about it and for everyone else this is probably boring.

so ya a change of topic. so i think that's all

surco has been a great area for me. not a ton of success, if u count success by baptisms. 4 but i feel good about what I've done. i think that's the most important. thanks to everyone for all ur help, how do u spell support or sapport... I'm gonna go with support but nobody can make fun of me if I'm wrong. but ya support and prayers and everything. and ya tomorrow we start in a new area. i'll let y'all know how it is next week

pajarin cama... which is quechuan for hasta manana
i don't know how to say till next week. so that will be good enough i think

o and my name in quechuan is jasonki talierkanchis
or something like that

Seeing 600 yrs. into the future

The first part of this post was edited and all the extra "a" removed to make it easier on those who use the translator widget, at the end, I put this unedited email for those who like to see why we needed to edit it..

ok first of all i want to apologize for the random "a"s that will randomly appear in this letter. the keyboard I'm using is kinda messed up and puts them there randomly. but it'll make It a little funner for everyone to read it probably.

and ya so this week was a good week. a we're starting the last of this cambio and nobody thinks that i'll be getting changed except for me. i don't wanna get changed just that surco is a very small area and it's hard to be in one spot so small for 6 months. but come what ll come. i'll be happy no matter what. it's one attribute I've really been trying to improve. my attitude. and not letting anybody or anyone else get in the way of my happy and preppy self. the way i look at it, they really have no power over me if i don't give It to them. so when may comp is being special or our investigators don't progress i stay happy and just try my best to help.

and on that note, the work is OK here. better anyways. we found some golden people this week. like amazingly golden. a we're excited to have found them. and we have some others that are getting the lessons. but still a bunch that aren't progressing.

this Sunday i was a little sick, and by a little sick i mean stomach flu and was not very good. and so we couldn't go to church. well elder chalfloque wouldn't let me. i wanted to because we had planned on picking up 5 investigators and so it would have been great but we decided to have an elder throwing up in front of the members wouldn't be the best idea in the world. and so we stayed. and by 11 it had passed and i was feeling a lot better. we went and at lunch and dinner normal and i was fine. so no worries. i probably ate something that upset my stomach.

o I got two more packages so thank u. one from the steiner family, a special thanks, and one from some one else who I've never heard of. i don't know if it was for me or not. it didn't have a name on it or anything. but i paid for it, the office said it was mine. so ok. somebody makes amazing snickerdoodles. i don't know if anyone sent that, let me know. it had those cookies, candies and cheese in a can, which my comp couldn't believe. but all good stuff. i think it might have been a dear elder thing. or those packages that u send out by the church, i forgot the name. abut anyways thanks for everything everyone. i got some letters too, so i was a very content elder. and they came in less than one months too, so i was excited to see that. kinda cool

and just to answer some questions. me and my comp are fine just at ends sometimes. I'm a lot more strict than he is. and if i could see 600 years in the future i would like to see me and all my family in the celestial kingdom, or even cooler and more like me. me as a god with my first planet called tatooine. where a boy named anakin begins his lifelong struggle against the dark side of the force. that would be cool. a but who knows.

thanks for everything and i'll talk to y'all later

Now the unedited version:

ok first of all i want to apoaloagize for the random aaas athat will randomly appear in this letter. the keyboard im using is kinda messed up and puts them there randomlya. but itll make ait a laittle afunner for everyone to read it probably.

and ya so this week was a good week. a were starting the last of this cambio and nobody thinks that ill abe gettign changed except for me. i dont wanna aget changed just that surco is a very small area and its hard to be in one spot so small for 6 months. but come whatll come. ill be happy no matter what. its one atritbute ive reallly been trying to improve. my attitude. aand not letting anybody or anyone else aget in the way of my ahappy and apreppy self. the way i alook at it,a they really have no power over me if i dont give ait to them. so when may comp is abeing special or our investigators dont aprogress i stay happy and just try my best to help.

and on that anote, athe work is aok here. better anyways. we found some golden people this week. like amazingly golden. a were excited to have found them. and we have some others that are getting the lessons. but still a bunch htat arent aprogressing.

this sunday i was a little sicka, and aby a little sick i mean stomach flu and was not very good. and so we couldnt go to church. well aelder chalfloque wouldnt let me. i wanted to abecasue we had planned on apicking up 5 investigators and aso it would have been great but we decided to have an elder throwing up in front of the members awouldnt be the best idea in the world. and aso we stayed. and by 11 it had passed and i was feeling a lot better. we awent and at lunch and dinner normal and i was aafine. so no worries. i probably ate something that upset my stomach.

o ai got two more packages so thank u. aone from the steiner family, a special thanks, and one from some one else who ive never heard of. i dont know if it was for me or naot. it didnt have a name on it or anything. abut i paid for it, the office said it was mine. so ok. soamebody amakes amazing snickerdoodles. i dont know if anyone sent that let me know. it had those cookies, candies and cheese in a can, which my comp couldnt abelieve. but all good stuff. i think it might have been a dear elder thing. or those packages that u send out by the church, i forgot the name. abut anywyasa thanks for everyhting everyone. i agot some letters tooa, so i was a avery content elder. and they came ian less than one months too, so i was excited to see that. akinda coolaao

and just to answer some questions. me and my comp are fine just at ends sometiames. im a lot more strict than he is. and if i could see 600 years in the future i would like to see me and all mya family in the celestial kingdom, or even cooler and more like me. me as a god with my first planet called tatooine. where a boy named anakin begins his lifelong struggle against athe adark side of the force. that would be cool. a but who knowws.

thanks for everyathing and ill talk to yall later

Good but sweaty week in Surco

hi everyone.

this week was a good one for me. still as always some problems but for the most part the work is getting better here in surco. still nobody with fecha but we could get two before this cambio the 19th. so at the very least if i leave, the missionary coming in will be very happy. but with every passing day i think it's more likely i stay here in surco another cambio. the members say they are asking for me to stay. i don't know if it's because they like me that much or they're scared to leave the area in the hands of elder chafloque. and it's not that they're scared to leave it to him just that some members here have heard a lot of bad things about him. since he's kinda a special missionary he doesn't eat sometimes or just basically says he hates the food the pench makes, and because of that stuff the hna. was saying some things about him to some of the other members. and well, it got as far as our dl and so we'll see what happens.

all that mess aside, the members do help me a lot. they are always asking how they can help and making our investigators feel good. the thing is that when we teach i do most of the talking. sounds like me but believe me it's not what i want to do. elder chafloque doesn't talk too much. but we're working out the kinks and things seem to be getting a little better.

we had two investigators in the church yesterday. as many as the first three weeks of this cambio combined, so we were sorta happy. we split up and i went with one ym and chafloque with another so that we could get more. we took 7 people to the church. 3 recent converts, 2 investigators and 2 menos activos. so we were content. and ya, we'll see if we can get more investigators there. we're teaching a bunch of lessons. for 3 weeks in a row we've had 15 lessons. the most i ever got with elder utia, was 12 i think. so things are going good they just don't progress quickly here. but I'm practicing patience and learning a lot.

this Thursday we ate lunch with the pres. it was a lot better than i thought it would be. everyone laughing and joking around. it was actually fun. whoda thunk.

it's summer here in Peru and it shows in my shirts. I've never liked to sweat so with the humidity here i wanna die. i think that's why we have so many lessons so that i can get inside. however that doesn't help too much because i haven't entered a house that has air conditioning. but I'm sure i will.

this May the members in surco will have a new church building. everyone is really excited. i wanna be here for it but I'd have to stay 2 cambios more. not gonna happen most likely. but i keep my hopes up.

thanks to everyone for ur letters and all. i have two more packages coming to me this week so I'm as Happy as i was watching star wars before my mission. thanks and i'll talk to u in a week

Happy New Year's from Peru

hey everybody and happy new year's

just ya chilling out here in Peru. for new year's i spent it with the family that we live with. they are totally cool and we bought fireworks and other cool stuff and set Peru on fire. but literally because people make these life size dolls and set them on fire. so you look down the street and see like 10 people burning. kinda cool. and ya i'll send the videos to u all soon. just gotta have someone put it on a cd and all that other good stuff.

and ya outside of that with this new years, i wont change to much. i have a feeling they are gonna change me from surco the 19th but all the members say no. i don't know if its because they like me that much or that they just don't really get along with my comp. who knows but either way with 4 months and a half in surco, I'm sorta ready to go. the areas really small so to be here such a long time is hard, because I've talked to everyone already and am making second rounds, it seems. but nevertheless not my will but his be done.

that being said i don't want people to think that surco isn't amazing. it's the best. i love my ward the members and they are totally great to us. they remind me of my wards there. so i am very happy.

the work goes good. in the last two weeks we found 18 new investigators and this week were teaching them all. have a lot of lessons and so things are going good. but they don't want to go to church. we go to pick them up and they don't answer or someone else does and says they left, and ya. so we still have that problem, but are trying to figure out some way to get it fixed. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

and ya, so I'm learning a ton. i cant believe how much I've learned about the history of everything since being here. i cant lie, I've studied some books about history and other stuff of Peru and of the bible and man, I've learned more than i did in college. but i still have a lot to learn. mostly the language tho. still need to improve but I'm getting better

and ya, so i think that's all. here they do some cool little new year's thing. you get 12 grapes, one for each month and with each one that you eat u get one wish. so i got twelve wishes. hahahhashah, did anyone else? but ya so i was very happy. and am. thanks to everyone for all u do. i wish u a very happy and prosperous new year.

bye