I'm still waiting to hear about Bolivia.

hey everyone, how's it going?

I'm oober excited to be writing this week... don't know y in fact I'm probably kidding but whatever. so this week was good but not great. we were hopping to have aurelia baptized but she pushed it back another week. shes had four fecha for her baptism and just keeps pushing it back. we'll see what we can do... she said i would baptise her before i leave so I'm gonna tell her I'm going to Bolivia this week and if she wants me to she needs to get baptized this week. we'll see if it works.

my district is good though. were working hard and teaching a lot of people. the zone is really close, i think. closer than a lot of other zones I've had. but that all depends on the missionaries here. so basically were all happy

I'm still waiting on any news if were going to Bolivia or not. I've heard two things. one says all the missionaries with less than a year are going out and the other that nobody who had their mission changed is going back. but officially i never got my mission changed so. in the end. i end up the same: confused. but whatever. i asked pres in the card i wrote him we'll see what he says.

it's starting to get a little cooler or so it seems. maybe I'm just getting used to the heat and humidity. but either way I'm glad for that. we haven't eaten anything too weird since the last time. I'm waiting for the next time the hna gonna make cat. i love cat. it's delicious. like steak style meat but with flavor of amazingness. all u cat lovers, sorry.

ok so I'm gonna hi tail, it talk to y'all later.

We might be going to Bolivia

hey everyone. so i don't know if y'all have heard but they say they opened up Bolivia again. well that they sent greengos there again. try to see if its true or not. elder vickery the assistant said they were just waiting on the call to send us back. sounds scary to me. it's kinda funny when they originally changed my call i was mad to come here and now that i might go to my mission i don't wanna. Bolivia is hotter, more humid, more bugs and more fruit. all things I'm not too fond of. but I've learned it's not where u serve it's how u serve and anywhere i am i'll get by. I'm not gonna let something like that get in the way of my service. so that's that

now this week was interesting. not too much happened. we had stake conference and so that kinda messed up some numbers but that's part of it. i had to buy some new shoes, but let me tell u finding my size in Peru is not easy. i actually couldn't find any that weren't my size for less than 300 soles so i bought some that were just a little bit smaller and a third of the price. i figure my feet will shrink if they have to. the shoes actually seem to be getting more normal. so ya. no worries.

outside of that its been kinda boring. but since i still have time i'll tell y'all bout Peru. this week i got to know a lot more of Peru than i knew b4. we went to other zones and I've basically been in every zone of my mission that is in Lima. so when i say the mission is filled with poverty i know it's true. but there are some nice parts. parts that are great to visit. surco, limatambo, san borja, san isidro are all really nice places. and it has a lot of beach front so it makes it that much nicer.

we live right now i n a small room. like tiny. this thing wouldn't pass as a bathroom in the USA but it's great and for 30 dollars a month i don't complain. me and my comp have gotten in a habit of playing ping pong any time we find ourselves in the church. he's really good and I'm learning from him. he also plays basketball really good. i beat him but just barely. and he could beat me any day. so basically our companionship is really good. we get along great, finally.

as a district leader things are good. I'm getting a little better maybe at teaching and with my changes. still don't think I'm dl material but that's not gonna change anything so i keep going.

ok almost out of time.

thanks ma for the packet and for everyone for the bday cards and all that good stuff. and for the cards and stuff. i'll write next week

bye

Great week in Miraflores

Ok so what's up everyone. this week was a great week for me!

we had another baptism here. baptized a young man. 17 yrs old. Alexis. he wants to be a missionary. if there is such a thing as golden investigators he would be it. so i did the baptism and only had to dunk him once. we'll see how things go, but the 21st we should have another baptism.

o ya the results of the cambios were pretty cool. my new comp is elder Medina. from the same group as my papi utia. and utia came to my zone. not as zone leader, comp mayor but still here. not in my district either but we still see each other twice a week so that's really cool. my comp is an amazing teacher and a great guy. kinda quiet and it's possible that he had done some bad stuff earlier in his mission bc he's comp menor even though he has 20 months. but if that's the case he's not showing it. and i don't have any interest in what he's done just what he's doing now and he is the best teacher I've seen ever. it's ridiculous. so I'm learning a ton and loving it.

so that's that. this week i didn't eat anything really weird. finally although all the stuff I've eaten is really good. the hna says she's gonna make bunny, and turtle if she can find them. they say turtle is one of the best meats in the world. I'm willing to try anything now, except for my own cooking. to please u mommy i also am eating breakfast again. don't know if i told u but we don't pay the pench for breakfast anymore. but since i wasn't eating anything bc i was lazy, i started paying the hna to cook me breakfast and now I'm eating again. so be happy.

about my physical health I'm ok. the knee brace and orth pads help a ton. there always has to be something wrong though. but nothing bad and nothing to worry about.

ok and i still haven't gotten the packet that y'all sent to the office so i would recommend sending the stuff to the house. just make sure the stuff inside isn't more than 100 dollars or weighing more than 2.4 kilos i think. and ya u guys have the dirrecion right.

it's summer here so it's kinda hot. and it doesn't help that i have all the hills to climb but I'm getting used to it.

o and ma don't worry if anything happens to me like getting mugged or chased by people with machetes i'll let u know. but nothing like that has happened. my mission has been very normal. here, there are a lot of dogs but when u threaten them they don't do anything. so that's the worst.

i think that's all thanks for everything i'll talk to y'all next week.

YAY, we had a baptism!!!! (and also...I ate cat)

ok everyone

hi

so we had a baptism this week. yayayyayyay. teresa rodas huamani. good for her. we were very happy because she had been listening to the missionaries for 2 and a half years. but finally got baptized. this week we have another sure one too. even more excited. the one for this week is oro. or gold in English. he contacted us and in two weeks bam baptism. pure gold. but we have a lot that are hard and we are working oober hard to get everyone here in some water. but patience and long suffering is a trait we learn to have.

so outside of that mom and Amanda ur gonna love this...... guess what i ate? last week i ate cuye and this week ..........gato like real live cat. well, not live, but real. it was actually amazingly good. i was really surprised. i tell everyone my favorite food is cat now. it's really good. anyone with a cat u don't like, send it here and we'll eat it. or try it for yourself.

ok what else. today is cambios. and the results..........

elder santi has a cambio and i stay here in solidaridad.

he's kinda scared, his first cambio. but he's happy to go, i think. a lot of the members would joke around with him a lot. now they do it to me but since I'm a little more playful, its cool. he's really serious. good elder though. I'm sad he's leaving.

in our zone four people have cambio. our zone leader is finishing too. fun fun. so well see who'll be my new compie..

this week for pday we also got to go to the

PARQUE DE LAS LEYENDAS or PARK OF LEGENDS

which even though the name is kinda cool is just a zoo. i was kinda disappointed. i thought i'd be learning about legends and Peruvian history and all i got was monkeys and birds, and other ugly animals. but the day got a lot better when i found out they had penguins. let me tell u. penguins turn any bad day into a day of joy and peace for the soul. i took so many pics with them. yayayyaya penguins.

so ya that was basically the week. thanks Pam and kirk for the music. this week we're gonna play road to zanarkand from ffx but next week we'll use the songs for sure. and happy birhtday melia mabel collins taliercio. u turn 489 today. enjoy ur youth....or the little u have left.. hahhahah jk. but happy birthday..

and ya what else................................................................................i don't think anything.

o wait ....

mom i got the packet that u sent to the house and not the one that u sent to the office. the one to the house took 14 days. the one to the office will be at least one month b4 i get it. so the house is better. put the address of the house and the name of Ricardo and all that. but on the packet u spelt his second last name wrong i think. check the email and be sure. and i'll send his name again so u can know exactly what it is. but that system works a lot better. so tell everyone how, please. thank you. love ya

and ya. thanks to everyone for everything. bye till next week

Little girls clinging to my arm

ok, ten minutes left.

the time passes by fast here in the mission even faster in the 30 min of Internet.

but ya thanks to everyone for everything. letters and prayers.

and so ya. our baptism this week fell through. we'll see if we can work with her more and get her ready but the work goes on and we are teaching a bunch of people.

this week i had to play a special number on the piano in the church. i spent all week, every spare minute i had, practicing it. and i got it ok, but after playing it in church the members thought i could play all good and whatever. and asked me to play a special number every week. so yaya me. that just complicated my mission. when i go to a new area I'm not gonna say i know how. but this gift of tongues is applied in the piano too i think. i don't know how i learned the song but i did. faster than i did b4. who knows. but that's kinda a fun story.

o mom ur gonna love this. i got a new little card reader thing so that i can get all the fotos that chafloque and the other one, erased back. i don't quite know how it works but today were gonna get them all back. so be happy. u'll have a ton more pics again. hopefully.

and ya so my ward is an amazing cute little ward. the people are really cool and chill. we are teaching 3 families and all have little like 8 year old girls. and i don't know what it is about me that's appealing to 8 year olds but all these girls have to be clinging on to my arm or holding my hand or resting on my shoulder when we teach them. since they're 8 i don't mind and it's not breaking rules. but it's just kinda funny because one of the girls has a 16 year old sister. and she was making fun of her sister saying that elder taliercio like me more than u because i can hug him and u can't. darn 8 year olds. very cool tho. that's my life here

and so only 1 min left.

thanks again for everything everyone for all ur help and support. means a ton to me.

o and oober happy birthday to gdog aka regina this mes hgtlws cipriano.

bye

Eating guinea pig - cuyes

Proud and happy for younger brother

Bahia Blanca Argentina.... and i have to stay here in Peru. u lucky person. well even though this is my letter to everyone, the best thing that coulda happened just did. Bryce leaving for a mission to Argentina April 29th, i think the 29th. how dope is that. I'm oober excited for him. it's the best new i can give this week.

but outside of that, nothing else would seem important but since some people asked questions i'll answer those too.

this week i have a baptism, next week should be another. finally the work is starting to show. we have two families that we're teaching but they haven't gone to church. we are working hard and teaching a ton of lessons, and finding a ton of people. i don't quite understand y the baptisms are taking so long, but i figure after the trial of my faith and work, will come the blessings. I'm sure Bryce wont have to wait as long as i do to see the baptisms. i wont lie, i tell everyone about him having his papers. they're gonna be so excited and are gonna make fun of me. because i always said he would go to the states and he goes to Argentina. that's cool. Bryce study pmg because ur gonna need it. learn it, live it and love it. I'm so excited

and ya outside of that me and my comp are having some minor problems. nothing like with chafloque, but just some pride issues. I've come to realize that being my comp is probably the hardest part for my comps. I'm getting better though. poco a poco. im trying. me and santi work really good together. our numbers are the second best in the zone, outside of the zone leaders and we teach a lot. we are working and gonna be having success finally.

and so ya what else. it's summer here which absolutely stinks cause now it's hot, humid and still hills. fun fun. my pench is still amazing. and still racist and gives me the best of the best and santi whatever. but she really helps me feel at home.

what else. this week I've been missing everyone a lot. don't know why. feb. was always my favorite month. but I'm more than halfway done with it and then there is only one left without everyone. the time really passes by fast. i can't believe we're almost two months done with this year. it's crazy.

so ya. thanks to all my family and friends for the cards, letters, packets and help, support and everything. i appreciate it. and Bryce I'm so excited still. it's amazing. my younger brother on a mission. how cool is that. i can't tell you how happy i am.

bye

Working really hard and helping people progress

ok so yesterday they took away our pday so i couldn't write sorry, never know when the office will do it.

anyways thanks everyone for the birthday stuff. thanks for ur cards and packets and all sorts of good stuff. i felt really good here for it. the family I'm with treats me well. like a son. and since they're a bit racist and like Americans more than Latinos it was kinda funny. but ya.

so anyways the work here goes good. we have two with fecha for this 21 of feb and we'll see how it goes. we found a family of 8 this week and are working really hard to help them progress. i like solidaridad, its a fun area. the members are also helping us out a lot more than before. it's one thing I've learned how to do. work with members.

so this week i did my first exchange as a dl. it was ok. i think i coulda done better but for my first it was chill. the changes have to be for 24 hours so that's not cool but I'm sorta getting used to it. my district is absolutely amazing. like the best ever. no we don't have sisters 6 guys. but we work hard and get a ton of numbers and whatever. we are excited. here in solidaridad we are having people in the capilla and progressando. a ton of lessons and all sorts of good stuff.

outside of that not to much going on. Bryce I'm oober excited about ur papers. the second u get the call write an email and tell me that ur getting called to Boise Idaho or st Monica Kentucky. i don't know if there is a st Monica Kentucky or not. but let me know.

and ya so i don't have like any time cause i got 14 letters and spent it all reading them. sorry guys . i miss y'all a ton

Celebrating my birthday in the mission field

Birthday and Carnival in Peru

sorry it took so long.

but ya this week has been a good week. my first lesson to my district, my first baptismal interview, and my first something else that I'm forgetting. but I'm sorta getting the hang of this dl thing. I'm not that happy about it still. I'm sorta just let me work sorta missionary. don't want to be a leader, don't wanna climb any sorta ladder. let me work hard and that's that. but i'll do whatever they ask of me.

and ya my district is amazing. the numbers are really high and we have a bunch of people who'll be ready for baptism and willing to listen to us. we're excited about the progress we're making.

the assistants did a change with us this week. since the two district leaders are my old zl and my comps old zl it was a good change. elder vickery came here to solidaridad, and his comp with our zls. it was great. didn't burn us like all the other assistants did. he was nice and is gonna show me how to get all the erased fotos back. so mom u can be happy.

we here have four people really chill. the people here do progress a little better than in surco. a ton of lessons, and enough in the capilla to make us happy. but the most important thing is that they are getting the chance to hear about the gospel.

I'm sorry to hear bout the cardinals. I'm not gonna say that i was watching the game, cause i wasn't. the cable went out. so i couldn't. i wasn't too happy. but with what i hear I'm sorta glad cause i woulda been an unhappy little missionary if i was.

on that note. yesterday was a very important day for me here in the mission. my first day of carnivals here in peru. everyone in the street trying to shower u with buckets of water, great. i learned really fast not to take my book of Mormon with me. but ya we'll see how the rest of the month goes. they say it's all of feb. fun fun

and tomorrow also is sorta an important day for me. sorta but not really. we have citas all day so my birthday will be spent with investigators. what else could a missionary ask for.

ya today i had to go to Interpol and that was fun. four hours of fingerprinting. yay Interpol.

and mom the address for u to send that packet to is

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

but in the name of Ricardo Fernandez Santisteban. because he will be the one picking it up and they will need to see his id.

ok so thank u everyone for ur letters and support. thanks to the nelsons and two other people who sent me a packet. i don't know who it is till tomorrow but thank u still. i miss y'all but i know what I'm doing is right and is helping me more than i had ever imagined

bye

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

Jason's Christmas call

By Jason's mom:

Early on Christmas morning, the phone rang and on the other side of the phone was that wonderful voice that we missed so much: Jason!

Everybody else in the house was still in bed but, as soon as they heard the phone, quickly came to the master bedroom to talk to Jason. That call wasn't long, just a short time to let us know that he was going to call later when everybody was in the house.

When his next call came, Pam, Meli and their families were there, everybody talking to Jason at the same time from different phones. It was crazy but this is what we learned from his call:

• Jason's spanish is pretty good, he even has a Peruvian accent.
• he has not been mugged (at least he says he hasn't)
• he ate horse and guinea pig - Jason says they Don't taste like chicken. But so far that's the worse he has eaten but he knows one area of his mission where they feed the missionaries cats.
• jason still buys star wars toys if he finds them and can afford them
• he doesn't play as much soccer since his knee is still swollen and hurts. But he does play.
• he misses ice cream the most since it's very expensive and not widely available.

Otherwise, he is doing great, he loves the work and Peru. He loves being a trainer.

Jason is not sure if he will stay in Peru or will go to Bolivia - they expect the relationship between the US and Bolivia will get better once we have the new president in office.

He sounded great and happy. But somehow his voice was most animated when he was talking to Amanda...I wonder why. He said he could not watch the Star Wars movies without her or fall asleep during General Conference without her (but I think that last part is a good thing)

Next phone call: 5 months away, on Mothers Day

We were illegal in Peru for 2 months

ok so we have a ton to go through today since it's been a while since I've written. not my fault by the way, i had to go to Chile and ya.

so what happened, two weeks ago utia had a cambio to lima tambo. he's there in a trio and seems to be more or less happy with it. with him gone i got a new comp. elder chafloque who's pretty chill. we've had some problems these first two weeks but things seem to be getting better. he came with a warning though it was kinda funny. when the pres announced the change two of the elders in his old zone came up to me and said you need to have a lot of patience with him and just don't yell too much. but he's not as bad as they made him seem. I've never been one to judge anyways. i just work and he does too so i don't mind. o but i became comp mayor. or senior comp in English. kinda cool but not something that i really care about. it just means that i get more money and have to be in charge of the area. so ya, that's the cambio.

so then this last week all the missionaries from my group, from the ccm the 17 whose mission was Bolivia all were illegal for about two months or something like that. so to get us all legal we had to leave and come back in. to do that they took us Sunday night flew us to tacna, which is the sur of Peru and we stayed there the night. did some shopping in the morning and went to Chile in the afternoon. stayed there for a couple of hours and just enjoyed our pday. but that Monday night we flew back to the mission. got the the mission home at about 1 in the morning and stayed there and at 8 and consilio. and then back to work.

this week our numbers in surco were very good. like numbers nobody here has had in a very long time. some are good and others not quite but we're progressing a little bit. it helps that i have such a long time here in surco and i know what works. so i do that and nothing else. the problem is that we still don't have ward missionaries which means we don't have a lot of people to get our investigators every Sunday and so we have few in the church.

and now since this week is Christmas just soes everyone knows. Peru does celebrate Christmas and does it like us. so ya. this Christmas we're gonna visit some members and call home. they say we have 45 min to call. lets see if i obey that rule. but ya i'll probably call in the morning and or in the afternoon. depends on when my comp will but guaranteed in the morning a little bit and then maybe in the afternoon. so around ten i'll call. ten in the morning. in the night we will visits members and so i can't call then. and that's that

Christmas ¡this year has a very special meaning to me. it fulfills 6 months in the mission. kinda cool. one fourth of the way done, but they say the first six months are the hardest and i believe it bc i can already see the hardest is behind me. i'll still have problems and challenges but i know how to handle them. so it helps . I'm a lot less stressed and just happy to be doing the work. for all the future missionaries there just get through the first six and you'll be as happy as one of these Peruvian dogs who has skin diseases when they die. kinda a bad example i think but it's true. the first six are hard then it is easier.

o and i did see the doctor and we'll see. didn't help much but basically gave me permission to act for myself so i will and i'll get it better.

o and more importantly my packets came. yay me. i was so happy . after three months. one had a ton of ties and coloring books and stickers, thanks for all that i was so happy. and the other was one from the church i forgot what it's called. so ya thanks guys. i don't know y i like stickers so much but i do .

so ya that my time. thanks everyone and have a very happy and merry and feliz Christmas. or navidad. thanks for everything.

we went to Chile to get visas

hiya. sorry i couldn't write this week, we had a lot to do. i went to chile and had to get some visas with the other americans from my group. and so we didn't have time to go to internet. so i'm gonna write this little bit soes y'all know i'm ok and whatever. esta lunes i'm gonna write to everyone and i'm explain whatever. my new comps name is elder chafloque. i'll put more detail this monday. gotta go love ya

(Sent on Wednesday, 12/17/08)

I'll go where you want me to go...Bolivia or Peru Lima South

and the results of this cambios cambio is...................

Utia is leaving surco and elder taliercio is staying. another six weeks in surco for me at the least. it's really good bc I'll be here for Christmas and new years. and if i stay one more I'll be here my bday too. that would be the best but that's thinking too far ahead. we find out today at 2 where he goes and who my new comp is. I'm scared and excited at the same time.

but that's part of the mission I'm sad thought that elder utia is leaving. he's been a great comp and has taught me a lot. he left with 5 of the 8 baptisms in the ward so far this year. so the ward really loved him. we spent the last two days saying goodbye to investigator and members. and they're giving him a lot of gifts and whatever. so I'm sorta excited for when i get changed. all i need to do is get more baptisms than he did.

and on that note, its very likely that i will bc, we found one family. that is like golden. they contacted us, and almost all her family is member but in arequipa, another part of peru, outside the mission. so they are a family of 4. also eloy really wants to be baptised we're just waiting for the time to get to the end of dec. or a little later. we have a bunch of other people we're teaching. this new no contacting system is really help the work in surco. some number that don't count for us as missionaries that have really gone up is inactives returning to the ward. this cambio we had like 10 families return to the church. it's been good. we might not get all the baptisms but we building up the church. so i think its still good work. and they're giving us lots of references so its working in a sense. but people progress slowly here in surco. i love surco though. id be happy staying here all my mission. but the time will soon come for a change and I'll be happy wherever i go. it's the same thing, i wasn't happy with being in Peru Lima sur at first but now i love it. i almost don't even wanna go to Bolivia even if i get the chance. but what I've learned is that we go where God wants us. it's that simple. there is a plan and the steps are in front of us. all we gotta do is keep going ya know. and it helps to have a good attitude bout things. the mission is hard and missionaries have a lot more problems than i though they did, but with a good attitude the problems become easy to overcome. so keep a good attitude everyone and just keep going. the problems are for our good. I've learned that.

and ya on that good note time is almost up. thanks for all ur prayers support and help. as always i wanna let u all know its very appreciated and it helps a lot. . till next week