Saturday, November 30, 2013

The End of 2013

I have some bad news.... The videos did not work! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! But it´s cool. The weeks here fly so fast that it doesn´t even feel like I´ve been waiting for them.
1. What is your church like now?
    They actually have a real chapel here. It´s nice. it´s not quite as humble as the one in Casa Grande. The members here are awesome, particularly the bishop. He works hard.
2. Did you get my packages yet?
   Nay
3. What kind of food are you eating now? Do you cook for yourself at all?
    A lady cooks lunch for us, but we are on our own for the rest. That usually means that I survive lunch to lunch. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
4. Have you made any friends in Trujillo?
    Not as many as I would like. Our area is REALLY void of people. It´s like, 10 city blocks full of newly constructed buildings that people don´t live in yet. Most of the teaching oportunidades que tenemos vienen de las hermanas en nuestro barrio. Hay algunos lugares donde no pueden estar en las noches porque son demasiado peligroso, y por eso, a veces enseñamos a las personas que no son en nuestro area, técnicamente.... Entonces, es difícil encontrar amigos aquí....
 
I cannot believe that 2013 is dying out...... I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I LEFT HOME BACK IN APRIL................. IT´S ALREADY BEEN SO LONG........ IT´S GOING SO FAST.......
 
I don't have a lot of time this week, but I love you all.

love, Elder Boekweg
 
 

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Third Mile

Questions first:

1. How were the Ruins?
    It was the coolest thing I have ever seen. Lamanite sacrificial altars and stuff........ I´ll tell everyone all about it when I get home. But I´m pretty sure Jesus Christ was very near there at one point as well....... It is so crazy to hear everything that the ancient people (Moches) believed.... some of it is very similar to our own doctrine, but you can see how it got corrupted just a hair, and sent the whole civilization into apostasy.
 
2.What are you doing for thanksgiving?
     Nothing..... ha ha ha ha
3. Is it warm yet?
     YES......... It´s SO humid here.......
4. Have you sent your package to Court yet? She is anxiously waiting.
    Nuestro secretario de suministros es nuevo, entonces él está aprendiendo un montón de cosas, y todavía no ha aprendido como enviar paquetes. Lo siento.
5. Where will you be skyping from for Christmas? Will you Skype me or me Skype you? Do you know what time yet? ( I am trying to figure Skype out)
    I have NO idea about any of that.... I´ll let you know when I do.
6. Did you get the missionary newsletter? How'd you like it?
     I finally got it a few days ago. I liked reading about all my friends. I can´t believe so much time has passed already.
7. How did the peanut butter popcorn work out?
     Everybody LOVED it. Sister Marler says she is going to make me make it more often.
8. How is your song coming?
     Well...... I have not had time to write it yet, except the chorus.
Can´t send pics. The USB port of my computer broke.... And the very heavens know that I cannot fix that..... ha ha ha ha.
 
Imagine this.......... Imagine that you have been waiting for 3 weeks to get a letter from one of the prettiest girls you know.... Imagine it is your only communication with her. Now imagine that the box of letters arrive. You run to the box to open, and begin searching through the box for your letter. All the letters look good except one, that is on a plastic bag. You shudder as you wonder if it is yours. You pull it out. It IS yours. You see the words "WE CARE" on the bag, followed by an explanation that the US postal system handles over 200 billion letters each year, and that accidents happen....... You remove the letter from the bag, and find that half of the letter has been ripped to shreds, probably by a machine on a conveyor belt somewhere......
Yep......
It stunk.

But equally as happy, I received Kaylee Hoppers letter, which shot happiness through every inch of my soul. I was SO happy when she told me she was going every week. I smiled for 2 whole days afterwards. Keep it up, Kaylee! Woo Woo!

I just want everyone back home to know how much I love them all. Every single one of them means so much to me. On my mission, I have missed a few things like Alternative rock, World War 2 documentaries, late night zombies games with Uncle, etc........ but the thing I have missed most of all by far is the company of people I love. There is something that you come to understand when you are far away from familiarity.... A kind of coldness that is inexplicable. And you come to this point, where you understand that if you truly love Jesus Christ, you will keep walking. So you keep walking. And then you get to another point where you understand that you will be walking a while. But you still know that you love Jesus Christ. And so you keep walking. You get tired. You get really lonely. You suffer sometimes. You struggle with a thousand things. But you still love Jesus Christ. And so.... you keep walking still. And even amidst the thickness of trials and loneliness and rejection and ridicule, Christ can make you happy. Nothing can change that.

It´s all about thinking "outward." When we focus on others, and LOSE OURLSEVES, nothing else in this great wide world matters. Selfishness is the fastest highway to misery. We kill ourselves when we try to take care of ourselves above all else. It is so ironic.

One last thought.... I think that in the past, going the second mile in life was sufficient. Going to church and obeying the word of wisdom was doing a lot. But everything that I am figuring out about the Gospel indicates that the journey doesn't stop at the end of mile two. This life is about going the third mile. Not just go to church, but bring friends. Not just read scriptures, but study them. Not just raise children, but teach them. It is the hardest and most rewarding way. And it is the only way that will do.

I love you mom, dad, Courtney,

-Elder Boekweg

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Just a couple pics

This week Chance wasn't able to write much of an email. He just let us know he was going to visit some Incan Ruins with his Mission President on his P-day and didn't have much time.

Sister Marler posted a couple pictures on her blog today of the missionaries preparing for the Plaza De Armas Christmas program. Looks like fun!

Chance practicing the drums

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Update on the Pigeons

Holy COOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW,
   Who told Courtney she was allowed to look that old!? What is she, 20!? She looks older than I do!





 And DALLON!!!!!!! IS HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh.......... he is enormous. I cannot believe I have not seen them in almost 8 solid months now.....Time has flown on the wings of a golden flying hawk on fire..... And I do believe that we shall indeed live to see it pass completely........ wow....... Especially when Christmas hits.... I'm kind of scared to Skype home. I would much rather talk on the phone. It would be so much easier to not have to see you all. But alas, I do what I must.
Also... I found out from an Hermana this week that I am allowed to watch videos from y'all. So if you want to make a video and send it my way, I think that would be cool. I am not allowed to send back, though. So I guess you all will have to wait until Christmas. 
 
Questions
 
1. What else do you do on p-day besides soccer? I keep getting asked and I don't know.
    Soccer, Football, Fútbol, and sometimes even Pelota. That is about all.....
2. Are you on medicine yet for your parasite? The answer better be yes!
    Yes. Cured, baby
3. How often do you proselyte? Everyday or just weekly?
    Well...... we have from 6pm to 9pm every day. But sometimes work gets in the way of that... It's crazy. President told us that our office assignments always come before our area.... With that being said, sometimes we sacrifice proselyting time in order to pick people up from the airport or some other weird thing. It's hard for me to be in an office....... I have realized how much I never want an office job....... ugh..... but I am called to do what I am called to do. And I will do it.
4. When do we get pictures?
     Maybe never........
5. Have you or will you have any baptisms while serving in the mission office?
     .... Nope.
6. Do you see Pres and Sis Marler every day?
    Usually about 4 times a week. But I call them hundreds of times every day
7. Do you only have 1 senior couple in your mission?
     For now. They are awesome. We run to their house to help them with things all the time.
8. Do you have a member family that you spend time with. Like they would feed you anytime?
    Negatory. But my family in CasaGrande invited me to come to their little girl's baptism. I love them. She was 7 when I taught their family. She still had to wait a few months when her family got baptized. Little Eva. We call her Evita. She has such a sweet special spirit. And her family may be the reason CasaGrande didn't kill me. Ha ha ha. 
9. Do you feel sick having a tape worm?
     Na. Just tired.
10. Do you do service projects?
     All the time. I have already built about 2 whole Peruvian houses. Floor, walls, roof. And around here, that's usually all you need. Ha ha ha. Its cool that they are able to live so happily with so little. 
 
 
 
Update on the Pigeons..........
So I wake up one day this week, and my companion tells me the birds have gotten back in to my bathroom. I don't believe him, because I knew that I had shut the window. So I go look, and sure enough, they had figured out how to open the window, and were back...... They are increasing in intelligence........ gathering knowledge...... I guess that's Boekweg luck for you; The best and the worst, but nothing in between. Ha ha ha ha. 
 
 
Funny story.... One of the Elders is doing counseling here in the office, and so we sometimes have a psychologist kickin' around. Yesterday, she looked at me, staring deep into my eyes, and suddenly said, "You Don't belong in an office, do you? You need fresh air. You are a social person, and to be here all day alone kills you, doesn't it?" I laughed so hard. She hit that on the HEAD. I do miss the field. The office is really, really different, and really, really hard. I have seen progress in many different areas. I have learned things that I don't think the field could have taught me. Different things. And I get to collect the direct runoff of doctrine that President rains down on the missionaries. I have learned SO much that way.... but I do still miss walking entire days. I never thought Christ would ask me to serve this way. My mission is turning out to be something entirely different than what I thought it was going to be. But such, is the way of he world, I guess. You can never know beforehand exactly how things will go. And so here I will be until I receive another assignment. Sometimes, it's hard to love being a missionary when you feel like you just have a 12-hour a day job. It's hard to feel like my work and effort matters sometimes, as it is now not measured by key indicators and statistics and the level of people's conversion. Now, instead of serving the people here in Perú, I serve the missionaries who serve the people. It's like I am down one level deeper now. I see the mission from a totally new perspective. In CasaGrande, I sometimes felt isolated and alone, but here I can see the whole mission. I see everyone and everything. A bigger picture than I saw before.

President LOVES my song called "Headlights." He makes me play it every time I am near a guitar. The entire mission is starting to sing it to me when they see me. Everyone in the office knows every word.... It's so funny. I never thought Some Fish would have a place even in the mission. It looks like they want me to play the song for the Christmas show too..... ha ha ha. So Some Fish is going international, now. I'm playing the Plaza de Armas, Trujillo show. What a venue. There will be thousands of people, I am told. It is madness.
Here is the link to Chances song Headlights:
 
I am so sorry that I don't have time to write everybody back.... I wish I could. I will catch up with everybody when I head home. And that really won't take all that long. Just be patient with me. Close your eyes and you will see. Everything now, as it was meant to be. Troubles somehow, set us free. Before you know it, I will sing. And tell each one of all these things..........
wow..... ha ha ha

Sometimes my job requires me to call The Salt Lake Temple, or Provo, or Ogden, etc ..... it's weird to know that my phones calls are making it so close to home base.... 

And Elder Walther.... I met him a BYU. I lived in the same building as him in Wyview, 3 floors up. He was cool. It's nice to have him around. He is the one familiar face from life before the mission. And he understands me completely, because we are in the same boat. Ha ha ha. He was in Ascope, which is about 20 minutes from CasaGrande. So for a change, we saw each other at all the district meetings. It was a blessing. Tell his mom that he is healthy....... believe me, I know. ha ha ha. He is a really good missionary.
 
Enjoy the pictures. I have taken about 5 of them in the past 2 months..... ha ha ha. And make sure Linzi's letter gets to her.
 
I love you all,

-Elder Boekweg

 
 
 
 
 Chance wants to use this picture for his next album cover
 
 
 

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Brain thinking list

First off, Kelly........ I just want you to know that I love you and thought about you this week. I want you so much to be happy. My prayers are always with you.

Niki.... Enjoy my room. Hopefully you didn't find my pet, Squekers. He lives behind my headboard in the abyssalous void that I have not cleared out since 7th grade.

Eileen, your pics don't work. I love you and wish you the best.

Deedre... Sorry for not telling you sooner about my gross parasite, which I am still not taking medication for. I didn't think my mom could hack very many pics of parasites..... ha ha ha. I got Granda Lewis' history. Send me more!

Joylynn, There is a missionary who told me that you were his English teacher. His name is Matt Dority. He tells me you were nuts. Ha ha ha.

I found the Elder that Grace Duffy told me about. I'll be doing his paperwork here in the next few weeks.

Gomez Family, I love you

Fivas Family, I love you

Johansen family, I love you

Kelsey Family, I love you Linzi...... HAVE FUN IN CHINA!

Sister Taylor, I am still enjoying my vacation from you haha

RJ Scott, I miss showing pigs and steers with you in that crazy old Stockshow. I smelled some cow poop the other day, and it reminded me of your steers. Ha ha ha. And Shannon's, which always seemed to be the craziest ones of the bunch. I love you Scott family.

Elder Hayden Shofield, I love you, naive.

Elder Fivas, I love you and your pictures of food every week. We're going to work out and get ripped when this is all over............. although I believe I've said something like that before in the past.....

Elder Kelsey, I love you man. I miss rollin' in yo' thug machine feelin' like a thug nasty and crankin' the bass while speeding heinously down an urban road.... oh the memories.

I am sure I will write more notes to more people next week. These were they who made my brain thinking list this week.

So the story of the week is this: I walk in to the bathroom on Thursday night, and see sticks all over the bathroom floor. My first thought was that one of the Elders put them all there to bother me (I have a bathroom minus a shower all to myself, because all the 6 people in the office have found out that I can't poop without clogging a Peruvian toilet) But then I noticed the window was open. I thought some jerk kid was probably throwning sticks in the window after watching us go inside, because it's fun to tease missionaries. I shrugged it off, and started shaving. The next night I came in and there was more sticks..... the window still open.... and this time, I realize that my razor blade is gone. There are paper scraps all over the floor this time, too.... I think it's weird, but I don't care enough about it to tell anyone. Then the next morning comes, and I walk in to use the bathroom. I see two pigeons gently sleeping in the window sill.... Now everything makes sense, and I try to scare them off. One of them goes without a fight, but the other lunges at me before flying out. I almost got pecked. Ha ha ha. I will be keeping my window closed now.... especially because the stupid birds flew away with my shaving blade..... dumb things.
I LOVED the raspberry hot chocolate. I made a cup of it, drank it, and then realized that I accidentally used water from the tap....... which is like instant death here in Perú for a gringo..... But I'm not sick yet.... Ha ha ha.

I love you all very much and I will write more next week. I love you Courtney.

Changes week was MISERABLE.... I was in charge of all of it. I have slept 8 hours in the past 3 days because I have been working here in the office until 11:30pm every night, and waking up at 5:00 to take missionaries to the airport to go home... I am SO Tired.

Also Dad.... I showed my comp a picture of you, and I apparently look nothing like you.... But the further I get into my mission, the more I want to be just like you. You are my hero. The example of working as hard as an ox. I miss you so much. 2 Days ago, I remember I just wanted to talk to you so bad, but I couldn't. I love you dad. Pink Floyd still rocks.


Mom.... I could write a billion paragraphs about you and still not do you justice. Just know that I love you.
 
- Elder Boekweg
 
Chance hasn't sent pictures in some time. This was on his mission blog. You can see him in the background in the blue tie, laughing about something, not realizing he is on camera!!