Monday, November 24, 2014

The foundation for the rest of my life

Questions:

1. Will you be skyping or calling this Christmas?
      Skype or calling. Whichever you prefer.

 2. Is your debit card working ok for you?
     Yes

 3. Can we have some more pictures with your face in them? Also I would like to see how much you have grown.
     Like tall? I think I am two inches taller than when I left, I think.

 4. Do you know how I can contact Elder Nelson just in case he doesnt call us? We havent heard from him yet. I know he has probably been soo busy. He just got home last Wed. (***The package came today! Thank you Elder Nelson!!)
     Nah. I know how he is. I told him to call you so that you could ask him how much it costs. He probably just sent it and ate the price in heroism. He's like that. Ha ha ha.

 5. Did you know Kaden Hansen got married last week?
      Yes. Cool. Congrats!

 6. Are you still looking for a homemade soccer ball?
      Yes. The search is slow. I don't have much free time.

 7. Have you eaten anything crazy lately?
     Mmmmm......... lots of fish. Chimbote is the fish capitol of South America. It smells SO fishy here.

 8. What are your church services like? Do you have a building in this city?
     Yes. My ward here is probably bigger than Carr Fork. we have a weekly attendance of around 150.

 9. Do the members in this area support you? Do you eat meals with anyone?
     Yes. It is the best area I've had, in that regard. Members like to help here.

 10. Do you still have a pensionista? Do you do your own laundry here?
      I have a pensionita. Hermana Iris. She is the best one I've had. Also, I think everyone has the wrong idea about them. They aren't like "maids" that are eternally washing our clothes and things. They have small restaurants, and we pay monthly to eat there. Our clothes are usually washed by a volunteer member. neither of them ever come to our house. They aren't allowed to. We clean the house and everything like that. ha ha ha

 11. What are you eating now? Anymore chicken and rice?
      My pensionista is the BEST now. She is the only one that doesn't make us eat rice if we don't want it. Chicken, well...... there's no way to avoid it here. But it's more fish here in Chimbote. LOTS of fish. But fresh fish is pretty sweet compared to what we were eating in the mountains..... they eat some gank stuff up there. Ha ha ha ha ha. Chuño.......................

 12. Do you still get to play a guitar ever? Will there be another Christmas program?
        No guitars here. But yes. Don't know if I'll be in it this year.

MAN Grandpa Boekweg is funny. I love that guy.

Mom...... I feel like from here on out, my emails will be really boring. ha ha ha ha. I feel like I have drained the tanks on what to talk about through email. Everything else has to be told in person to be told right. 

Do you think the Tooele hospital needs help from a translator? I did medical translation for almost 10 months here........ That might just be a SWEET job to get me through college..... that was my epiphany this week. I'd move to Provo, and just translate there. I know all the medical terminology in Spanish. What do you think?

Is Jared Handley still alive? Ha ha ha.

When are Terrance and Courtenae getting married? Like, next week, right?

Do you still hear from Sadie?

Also...................... I have to write my "go home date" this week. So......... I guess I'll put March 23 like normal. I will have put in a full day by then, and I feel peace about doing it. I would like to stay longer, but if there is no reason, It's probably better if I come home on time. There are complex legal things that the mission has to do when alien missionaries extend. It's very hard for everyone. And I would only really get 4 more weeks out of it. One month longer. So I guess you can write it on the calendar. I'll land in Salt Lake on the 25th. But only because President won't let me extend just one or two weeks to make "my dearest april" happy. ha ha ha ha. Or else I'd do it. That's alright....... that song is still going to be amazingly strong afterwards anyway. Can't wait to sing it with the full weight of 3 Aprils in a row behind it. The song will finally be "finished." It will be a song that took me three years to write. Ha ha ha ha. I'll be able to take it right out of my heart, with the full knowledge of what it truly means. No longer just hollow predictions, but rich and colorful memories that I never want to forget. My two greatest years. The dearest part of my life. I have given everything that I am to this work. I love God with all my heart. Pay attention to how you feel when you read that, because I want you to know, mom, that I have done nothing to dishonor our name here. I have tried my very best every single day. There have been many times when I have not known what to do, and I have made mistakes because I have lacked knowledge; but I have sincerely thrown my whole self at this. I have held nothing back. I have focused all my energies on this work, and I have served God the Father and The Savior Jesus Christ the very best I knew how. I have never picked disobeidience. I have striven to choose that which is best in every decision I have made since you sent me off 20 months ago. I will continue to do so until the end. This is not just 2 years of a mission here, it is the foundation for the rest of my life. 

I love you,

Elder Boekweg

Monday, November 17, 2014

The happiest moment of my entire life

Hi mom,

Questions:
1. Do you still have your Christmas tree from last year? I am getting your packages ready and wondered if you still have your decorations.
    I do not...... I am sorry. I still have the ornaments, though.

 2. Any needs before I ship your Christmas package?
     Nay. JUST A BANJO

 3. When do you have to tell Pres. about your extension?
      This very same week. :) But they say the dedication is in June, probably....... so it looks like I'll be home in March. but I might extend another couple weeks or so........... guess we'll see.

 4. How is your toe doing?
     Still don't have a nail. I've got about half. My goal is to have it all back by the time I come home so I can walk barefoot on blessed carpet without grossing everyone out.

 5. How is your retainer doing?
     Meh. It's probably fixable. Not too bad

 6. Is your voice recorder still working? I cant remember if it needs batteries?
     Still works. That thing is a tank. It needs no batteries.

 7. Did you tell Elder Nelson that I will pay for the shipping for the package or however he wants to do it? We are soooo excited to get it. Cant wait to see.
     He's going to call you this week. Says it'll get there by the end of the week. You can open it whenever you want. In fact, it might be better if you open it sooner than later so that you can enjoy what's inside longer.

 9. Did you get my package yet?
    RASPBERRY OREOS ARE THE BEST THING EVER. Thank you so much! I loved it!

ummm.......... I am thinking of things to write........

I am losing Elder Oyarzo today. That bums me out. I love that guy. My next comp will be Elder Gonzalez, whose parents are from Costa Rica, but who was born in Seattle. He likes Pearl Jam. I think things will go just fine. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. 

Lane write me. I love that guy too.

BIG NEWS:

Remember the familia Saldaña-Castillo from Casa Grande? My beloved converts from up there north? THEY GOT SEALED TWO DAYS AGO IN LIMA. Elder Zavaleta (who went home 3 days early just to see it) called me from the temple, and let me talk to each of the members of the family. It was literally the happiest moment of my entire life. I have never felt happier in all my mission. 

Comfortably dumb. Love you dad

Courtney.......... animals are for eating. :) Ha ha ha ha. But your rabbits are cool.

I don't have much time, so I have to say goodbye for this week. But the familia SALDAÑA was worth the week. And the year..... and the 20 months. :) Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

I love you goodbye!
 
-Elder Boekweg
 
  The first pic is just me overlooking my area, and the second is Chimbote from a mountain that I hiked.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Monday, November 10, 2014

A Flood

Hi Mom,
 
I can't stop thinking about how much you're going to love the package I am sending home. Elder Nelson goes home in one week, and three days. Then he can call you and coordinate everything.

Will someone send me a picture of Hayden? I love that guy so much....... ha ha ha ha ha ha

Happy Birthday Eileen!

I flooded the house this week. We are 6 Elders that live together, and I accidentally left a water faucet on (because there was no water, therefore no noise, therefore I forgot to close it before leaving the house in the afternoon) and it flooded the entire house. Luckily, all floors in Perú are tile, or cement, so everything was fine except for some clothes that Elder Grant left on the floor. They got wet is all. But it was so funny to come home to a lake....... oops....
 

I've seen a lot of weird things in my missionary work....... ha ha ha ha. It's pretty bad. Reminds me of when one of my investigators died....... THAT was crazy............... and a really, really, great story. But she was also the reason that the dad of the family started listening. They are going to the temple this month, because it's been a year...... actually, a year and several months, They had to save up to go.

I think I'll probably be getting a new companion this next week, which makes me very sad. Elder Oyarzo is the best.

Crazy to think that Christmas is only about a month out from here. Feels like yesterday was also Christmas....
 
No news yet on the temple. Still don't know the date. I am hoping hard that it's April......... because THAT would be a cool end to the song.........
 
I love you mom. Of all the people I care about, you stand alone. I am most excited to see YOU again. You're going to have to teach me English again, because mine's getting pretty bad........ I have to translate everything from Spanish to English in my letters now. And I have SO very very much to tell you. I think you have about 3% understanding of everything that goes on here. I have failed giving you a good idea of what my mission has been like. And I AM SO EXCITED TO TELL YOU. All the details.......... it may take several lifetimes.
 
love you bye,

- Elder Boekweg
 
 

Monday, November 3, 2014

When will the TrujilloTemple be dedicated?

Dear Mom,

Wow. Brayden heads out sooner than I thought. He'll have been home a while when I get back. Especially if I extend. Ha ha ha. Hayden sounds like will be the closest return date to mine. I love those guys. I leave the field March 23, but won't be home until the 25th because it takes so long to fly home from here. I can only imagine Tyler Kelsey in SOUTH AFRICA..... ha ha ha. It's going to take him weeks. Also........ It sounds like the temple won't be dedicated until June-ish. We don't know for sure, but that's what I'm hearing. It's funny, because it's like the mission gossip. "When will the temple be ready?" But I only have 2 weeks until I have to tell them if I am extending or not. I feel like if I don't get to see the temple, and there is no other productive reason for me to stay, I should probably come home. I don't want to be here as a legal problem for the mission unless the temple is done in time. 
 
*The temple gates are opened and we are able to drive through the temple grounds.  The temple is beautiful and and the grounds are now being planted and are very lovely- from Sister Marlers Blog.
 

How is Erin doing? How is the post-mission shock? Ha ha ha. What time does she wake up now? Also... I am going to need her help learning German. I figure that Danish should be pretty similar, right? They are neighbor countries.

 
For Christmas............ I would really like a very large bag of Swedish fish. - and a banjo that waits for me at home - and maybe another huge stack of pictures like you sent for my birthday.

 
I would like a picture of Lane Liddell's infamous "un-crossed eyes" face. That always made me die with laughter. I miss Lane.

Elder Nelson will be home in just 2 weeks. I am sending him home with our home phone number. I figure that would be the easiest way to get this done? You can coordinate it all from home base. It is a SWEET package. But it's for Christmas too. Open it whenever you want, but know that I will be sending nothing else until I myself come home in March. I figure it would be kind of dumb to do so. But I have a gift for dad at the end of it all that he is going to LOVE. And I mean really love. I bought it a few months ago in the mountains........ but I won't say any more. It's super cool. Just think..... what could come from the Andes mountains of Peru?
 
Also... tell me about this "Ebola" thing? Apparently, It's made it to Brazil, which shares a border with Peru. People here are starting to worry a ton. Is it just like the swine flu?

I love you and will talk to you next week!

- Elder Boekweg

Ich bin ein schweinherd mit grosses armen. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. I think?
 
 
There Chance is in the back on the left.

Brownies- Im sure he enjoyed that.