Moving to Trujillo

To start off Chance's Aunt Deedre asked a few questions. Here they are:
Ok so I am late to figure out how to ask a question: 1-Tell us about the culture. Do people get married young? Do multiple families live together in a house? Do most people farm or are there other jobs they do? Is there such a thing as Peruvian standard time (i.e.15 minutes late)? What do you like most about the Peruvian people?
People here....... actually don't get married. It is always a challenge, because people live with each other for 30 years, and then ask us what the difference is between living like that and being married, and we have to explain that they are still breaking the law of chastity. But they usually start living together young. Like 20 or less.

Usually, it's just the normal standard family in the house, plus a grandparent. Here in Casagrande, everybody has one of 4 jobs. They either own a window store, operate a Moto taxi, work in the sugarcane fields, or sell food by the curbside. And I would estimate that only about 40% of people here have a job. 

Peruvian time........ IS LIKE AN HOUR LATE TO EVERYTHING. Even church starts at least 20 minutes late every single week. Something I love about Peruvians is that they are really open with their problems. So it is really easy to find out what investigators need to be happier. People will straight up lay their life out in the open for you in the first 5 minutes of knowing you.

 

I have some news.... I got transferred and I move to Trujillo tonight at 6. Also my P-day will be on Saturday now... So don't wait for my emails on Monday anymore.  THEY SELL PEANUT BUTTER NEARBY!!!!! PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SANDWHICHES EVERY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

 

Now that I'm leaving Casagrande, let me tell you a little bit about it. During my time here, it changed from a ''yellow zone'' to a ''red zone.'' which means it is actually incredibly dangerous. Ha ha ha. I didn't write home about this, because I didn't want you to worry, but there was a murder literally 20 feet from the front door of my apartment. And during my time here, there was so many murders that I lost track of the count. Robberies and assaults are like a normal daily occurrence here, and many of those happened very near our house too. Prostitution is a huge problem here. As is alcohol. EVERYBODY here is always drunk. There were many nights that I heard gunshots out my window, screaming, etc. That is why I dubbed the nickname ''The Great, Wild North'' for this area. The far north of the mission. Things are CRAZY up here. When I leave, it is very likely that they won't send another gringo for a very long time. At least not until the city gets less dangerous. Pretty crazy, right? Ha ha ha. 

 

These first 6 months of my mission have been the hardest, craziest, most beautiful time of my whole life. There were days I cried in the streets because I couldn't believe what I was seeing. But I learned more about Christ in these months than I ever thought was possible. And here in the last few hours of my first area, I can't believe how fast it all went by. I'm sure that a mission will feel the same way when it's all over. I think that day will actually come much sooner than I want it to. My mission already means so much to me. Before my own mission, I used to hear people say that ''their mission meant everything to them,'' But I never really understood how much they meant it. I can't believe how much I love my mission. It is so dear to me. It is the hardest thing I have ever done. But I love it more than anything I have ever had.

 

The pictures are of Casagrande, my companion, and my collection of mosquito bites I got while cutting sugarcane with a machete during a service project in a little town called Roma. I counted them, and between my 2 legs, I had 44 bites. As you can imagine, my legs itched pretty bad. Ha ha ha. I guess I'll wear pants next time.

 

I love you mom. Thanks for everything you do for me.

-Elder Boekweg

Casagrande

 

 

Companion

 

 

Mosquito Bites