Week 7

whaddup???  So ya long time no see.

There's not much to say about the last week in the ccm. Same as all the others. We got our haircuts on the Monday night before we left. That Monday was super chill lol we didn't really do anything.

So we left Tuesday morning at like 3 a.m. One of my bags was heavy so I had to stand in a different line in order to pay for it for like 40 minutes. Then our flight left at like 5 or 6 or something and I slept a bit on the plane.

We got to Arequipa at like 7 or 8. While we were waiting for our bags, I left my stuff by Elder Walker cause he still had one bag he was waiting for. Everyone else had already gotten their bags. So I left my bags and backpack by him while I went to the bathroom, and I guess the next flight's bags started coming out so he left to go talk to someone about him not getting one of his bags. But yeah, I think that someone stole my camera during that time. I'm gonna go get a new camera today or tomorrow.

We got on a bus and drove to the church to meet the Mission President and all the trainers. lol They gave out the packages that had been sent there and they gave me both of the birthday packages you sent and everybody was like "I wanna be his companion!!" lol. Thanks for the packages. I opened one so that I could wear the hat and the slippers but I'm saving the rest for Friday (Brock's b-day). I loved the hat 'cause the sun roasts you here but come to find out we aren't allowed to wear hats like that. They have to be kind of like fedoras or however you spell that.

Anyways, then we had these initiation things for our new companions. My new comp. is Elder Lozano from Ecuador. He speaks zero English so you can imagine how that is...then we ate lunch and left for our areas.

The area I'm in is called La Joya. It's about 2 hours west of Arequipa. Every Tuesday we have to drive up to Arequipa for a district meeting so that's a bonus 4 hours of nap/study time lol. We spend a lot of the time in a smaller town a little above La Joya called Los Milagros, it's a super poor town.

It gets decently hot here during the day but as soon as the sun goes down it cools down quite a bit and it is perfect! The "anoche ser" (sunsets) here are awesome, I'll take some pics when I get a camera lol.

So, I haven't been able to understand a word that anyone has said this whole week. Every lesson E. Lozano just gives it and I just stand/sit there awkwardly cause I have no idea what they are saying. Everyone talks so fast. E. Lozano forgets all the time that a don't know Spanish and he will talk to me fast, then I'll tell him to say it slower so then he will say it again in what he thinks is slow but its still way fast! So yeah, it is super hard to communicate.

Saturday we played soccer in the morning and there was this one 22-year-old guy there that is a member and he spoke a decent amount of English. He was the first person I had had an actual convo with since we left for our areas last Tuesday, so that was sick.

Sunday was chill, just church and then lunch. Not much else. But dinner was sick cause the guy that knows a bit of English brought us food from a chicken place so we had good chicken and fries and Inca Cola. 

This is titled "never-ending rice" because that is what we eat everyday. The pensionista gives us so much fetching rice, and it isn't even that good! It's so hard to eat all of it and if you do manage to eat it all, then you feel sick afterwards, so yeah that sucks lol.

Let's see, oh on the first day I was here, Elder Lozano committed a guy named Rodrigo to baptism on the 15th, so hopefully that follows through. Plus, he already has this family scheduled for baptism on the 8th, so hopefully that works!

I can't wait till I can understand people. It's so annoying cause I have no idea what is going on all the time. 

Do you think that Bryce could get my old old old white ipod that is just for music and download tons of Motab and other music on it and sent it to  me in the next package (with the charger)?  That would be helpful lol cause I miss music so much!!!

Me and E. Lozano are gonna go to Arequipa in a couple of minutes so that I can get my watch adjusted and get a new camera while I'm there as well hahaha.

Also, I know somewhat how dad feels now about never having a cold drink on the mission. No drinks here are ever cold!!! 

Also, tons of the people that we talk to say "tiene ojos muy bonitos" (you have very beautiful eyes) cause most of them have never seen blue eyes before.

When I get home in 22 months the first thing I want is a cold Baja Blast btw. Literally, the only thing I want!

I'm pretty sure that's all now.

Peace yooo,

Love, Elder Mortenson