Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Off to Chimbote

Questions first:
1. How was the conference with Elder Anderson? Remember Court met him at Prom. She even got her pic taken with him.
     Good. They said he speaks Spanish..... but,........ ha ha ha ha. He speaks French and Portuguese way better! But I loved his talk either way. He talked about the things that are not seen are the most important things in the church. Testimonies, etc.

2. Are all those beautiful cakes in Elder Harris's pics from a store or are they homemade? Gma Boekweg and I cant decide. It seems you have cake a lot!
  No idea what you are talking about. They make a lot of cakes here in factories.... most are kind of gross. I usually steer clear of them.

3. Have you had guinea pig or hamster yet?
    Yes. Heinous.

4.  Did Elder Harris get transferred?
      Nope. I did! Ha ha ha ha ha ha. I will now be serving in Chimbote! Zone leader of another crazy zone. They say it's as dangerous as Casa Grande there..... this should be good. At least I speak Spanish this time. I can't believe I got swapped again! that's four times in 2 changes! You'd think I caused trouble or something.... Sounds like I'll be with Elder Oyarzo, from Chile. He is in my group. Meaning, we arrived here at the same time. Let's go work the GHETTO!!!!!!! WOOOO!!!!!!!! Back on the coast, I guess..... I loved the mountains to death..... it will be hard to leave them. But I will go where I am called.

5. Did you get gpa Thorpes letter?
    YES! Thanks Grandpa! I hope you know how much letters mean to me. Especially coming from a man who I respect so much. I cried a little bit as I read it.

Hmmm............ I can't say that I really know what to say this time around. I am writing late because the bus ride to Trujillo was 6 hours long. I didn't have time to do it in Huamachuco. Anyway, Take a look at Chimbote on Google earth. I will be close to "El Carmen" district. They say it's pretty spooky over there sometimes. I am excited. I have a zone of 24 missionaries now. 20 Elders and 4 Hermanas. In the mountains, there were only 8 of us. ha ha hah a. Big change.

Elder Stewart Thomas coming home? I feel like I sat at his farewell just hours ago.... could it be that it has passed that fast? What about AJ Walters? I remember he was one of the very first of us to leave.

How is RJ doing? I love that guy.

Tell Lane Liddell to write me sometime. I miss hearing from him.
 
I had a dream this week that I was walking down Churchwood dr in the early summer when everything is green still. It was so beautiful. I think Tooele is my favorite place in the world still. Despite its desolate landscape and subzero temperatures. Not beacuse it is the biggest or richest or prettiest place on earth..... but because it is MY place on earth. But PerĂº still needs me and here I will stay for a few months longer. I am not afraid. I believe all things are possible. (watch the movie "ephraim's rescue" this week for me) and I will do whatever is necessary to bring to pass God's work here upon the earth.

I should also quickly mention that I had surgery this week. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Kind of. I had my entire right big toenail extracted because it was so horrendously ingrown. So now I have 9 toenails..... I think it will grow back in a few months. It is weird to walk with no nail.... your toe feels too soft............

I love my Savior. He did for me what no other could. He died for my sins so that I could be forgiven and saved with Him at the last day. I know He lives. I know He loves each of us. I know that someday we will understand the why things are the way there are completely. There is no end to His goodness and glory. He is my master and I am forever indebted to Him.

Have a great week!

- Elder Boekweg
 


 

Monday, August 18, 2014

Lots to do in Huamachuco

1. Do you need a new camera? Can you buy one in Trujillo or should I send one to you?
    I might be able to get one in Trujillo. We are going down there this Friday for Elder Anderson visit. I don't know how much it will be....

 2. Did you get Grandpa Thorpe's letter?
     No

 3. Have you had altitude sickness adjusting to 16,000 feet?
     The first day only. I adjusted really fast.
 
So this week was really fast. It has been the biggest party in Huamachuco of the year. The missionaries usually get pulled out of the city for a few days because it gets so dangerous...... I have never seen so many drunks in all my wildest dreams. They are so funny. They pee all over everything and poop in the middle of the street. That is why I call this place "Neverland". You can do whatever you want here with no consequence. Ha ha ha. No police either. At least, not any that aren't drunk themselves....ha ha ha ha. Fireworks every night until the morning.

This keyboard stinks.

 I can't send you the poem yet, but next week maybe. Camera still broken.

Dad and Linzi and Grandma - 1 Nephi chapter 22

I don't have much time..... forgive me. Besides, I am on the mission blog a thousand times this week. That ought to cover it. He he he.

I love you. Good to see everyone is happy and safe. I wish  could write just a haf hour more....... but I can't. So..... I guess this is it for this week. Please pray for me this week.... we have a TON of work to do in Huamachuco.

"Our circumstances don't define us, they reveal us" - Van Heder

Love you all!

- Elder Boekweg
 
 

 
 
 Marcahuamachuco Ruins
 
 

Monday, August 11, 2014

Pig Farmer

1. What do you want to eat first when you get home?
     Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich with REAL red cap milk (not from a box)

 2. Do you have hot water and laundry facilities in your new place?
     Hot water... sometimes..... when we have water. It depends on how much it rains during the day. The electric shower head sometimes works, but if you leave it on for more than a minute at a time, it trips the breaker and the whole house loses electricity. You've got to be faster than the shower...... ha ha ha.

 3. Where did you get the pig in the backpack? We saw a pic on Sis Marlers blog last week of you at a conference with a pig peeking out of your backpack. It was so funny. You really have been dubbed the pig farmer. Im glad to see you still have your sense of humor.
     Sister Marler handed it to me in front of the whole leadership council. Ha ha ha. Right as she walked in for the meeting. She thinks it's so funny that I raise pigs.... everyone laughed. Ha ha ha




 4. Do you have any promising investigators right now?
     We are Teaching Felipe, from Madrid Spain right now. God hand-picked this man out of Spain and brought him here where the missionaries could more easily find him. He is awesome. He speaks differently than Peruvians, but it is good practice.

 5. Have you had any baptisms in the mountains? What is the font like?
     Right as I got here, Elder Harris had one. I don't know if that really "counts as mine." I haven't had many baptisms in the past year.... just one. I've been in the office and moved around so many times that I haven't had enough time to work with anyone until they reach baptism. Not to mention that the mountains are notoriously hard in our mission. People here are generally really uneducated, and as a result, they have problems understanding the doctrine. But it makes you a good teacher because you have to teach simply.

 6. Is it still cold in Huamachuco?
     YES

 7. I am sending you a package tomorrow. Do you need anything in particular in it?
     Pop tarts. Strawberry flavored...Swedish Fish(huge bag).... also, if you can, I would absolutely love another stack of pictures like the ones you sent for my birthday. I love pictures. They don't end after an hour.... ha ha ha ha.

8. How is the voice recorder working out?
    Great. I have two whole albums on it...... ha ha ha ha. I got a guitar for a day, and went to town. They should last until I get home.

9. Are you studying German now?
    Jah, aber ich bin nicht ein Deustcher.

10. How are all your clothes holding up?
      Shirts are doing great. Pants also... Garments not so much. I take better care of my clothes than any other missionary I have seen, so my things are still pretty nice. Not to mention.... THEY'RE FROM MISSIONARY MALL! They are indestructible. My shoes are perpetually soaked, and therefore smell really bad, but I don't mind. My feet always plug them up. I do have some crazy athlete's foot though..... I don't know if something to help that could be included in the package........ The cream you sent me with is almost gone. And they don't sell it in Huamachuco...... Maybe also some warm socks from the states.... the socks here are all hand knit from alpaca wool and are super uncomfortable when you walk all day. The knitting pattern is thick.....


Happy Birthday Courtney!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE TURNING 13 YEARS OLD!!!!!! YOU ARE SO OLD! three more years, and you'll be dating! It seems like you were 5 just yesterday!
(Courtney is actually turning 17! We are all having a hard time believing it)

Dad and Linzi - I am on 1 Nephi chapter 14. Keep pace!

I hear it only gets colder in the mountains from now until March.... which means that I am in for the biggest baddest winter ever.... The temperature isn't as low as Utah, but it's much more wet here.... It makes things SO cold. Wind chill will kill you if you're not careful. Send me a cool wild rag. It will make me a true pig farmer. Seriously. I think that might come in handy.

Sorry I keep asking for things..... I never knew how much we inthe states take fore granted. I thought Casa Grande was enough of an eye-opener, but there is NOTHING in the Andes Mountains like what we've got 15 minutes from the house in Utah. I miss..... things. Hot showers, Nutella, Real milk, Not rice, Double stuffed oreos, being barefoot, wearing shorts, Walmart, fast internet, nice clean cars and houses, and people who speak my language. Ha ha ha. You never know what you've got, 'til it's gone.

But I love the mounatins. It is the most dramatic landscape on earth, I am sure. I cannot imagine a beautiful place. Dad would LOVE it here. Endless mountains that are HUGE and grassed over. Not many trees, though... that is my only complaint. Ther are rivers and lakes and caves and hot springs....... it's got every natural wonder your heart could ever desire. Beautiful land.

Uncle.... I love you. Every wisdom you shared with me about your own mission has been invaluably applicable in my own. I am finding that I have all the same problems and worries as you did. We really must have been best friends in the Pre-earth life. Tell me about the Xbox1?

Thank you for sending the songs. I will try to send a poem home next week. It's a super long one. I've been working on it for a month solid now. It's hand-written, and my camera doesn't work anymore, so I will figure it out somehow. 

Love you all, and have a good week!

- Elder Boekweg
 
 

 Sausacocha Lake in the Sierra

Monday, August 4, 2014

More RICE

1. Do you live in an apartment? Hot water?
    We live above a small restaurant that our pensionista lives in. We eat there..... but it's not an open menu type deal, as much as it is "you get what I cooked today" setup.

 2. Do you have a maid again?
     Yes. Worst thing ever. Ha ha ha. Me and these pensionistas do battle.... I am telling you, it is the worst thing ever. I refuse to eat rice anymore. They HATE me for it. Ha ha ha ha. She told me "a plate with no rice is not a Peruvian plate" I said, " I don't care. I'm not from here." H ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. I dream of the day that I will be freed from these ladies....


 3. Do you have a ward there or branch?
     We have a very weak and struggling branch. I will have to tell you about it when I get home. Ha ha ha. Things are crazy here... it's a different church almost..........

 4. What kinds of things do you eat in Haumachuco?
     Rice, rice, rice, rice, and rice. Sometimes, we eat rice with a bit of rice to the side. Oh my gosh I hate rice......... Ha ha ha ha ha ha. But they have pretty good soup here.

Courtney - Congrats on the stock show.

I only have five minutes left.............. Internet time is like a pensionista.......... Uncle might laugh at that one. I miss that guy. I wish he would write more than once a year.... ha ha ha ha ha. 
 
Well, I wish all the youth luck as a new school year starts. Study hard. 

Love you all,

Elder Boekweg