APLAO IS EPIC!

Hola Familia,

Wow this week has been crazy. Well I will start by telling you about my new area. It is in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Ha Ha SO EPIC! It is gigantic also. So there is one branch that six Missionaries work in. The branch is tiny and the Missionaries are part of the Presidency and we teach a lot of the classes. Our area is in this huge valley; my Companion and my area is about four hours or more from one end to the other. So for one visit we travel about an hour or so. It is what I expected when I got my call to Peru.

I absolutely love it also ha ha. It is all farmland and

Link

agriculture. But it is amazing. And wow it is hard.  This is one of the two hardest areas in the Arequipa Mission. It is all we can do to get members to go to church on Sunday let alone having investigators come also. But our purpose here is different; we need to strengthen the branch because they don’t really know the Latter Day Saint’s culture or how to run the church.

My companion’s name is Elder Pinedo. He is from Iquitos in Peru. We are not used to each other yet and he doesn’t quite have the same drive as me to do the work. When he is sleeping after lunch I get to study. It is hard because I just want to go out and work really hard and talk to as many people as I can; but I will work with him and make him love to work again ha ha.

This week was awesome. After traveling four hours alone in the night to the middle of Peru ha ha I finally found my way to our area and met up with my companion. Then in the morning we traveled two hours on a bus to go to our zone in Pedrigal. Then we came back and ate lunch. I love my new Pensionista she is the best. She always asks what we want and how much we want. She is a great cook probably the best that I have had so far. Then we came back and went and talked to some members. Then on Wednesday we traveled a hour to a farm and met with some members and we made honey. We took the honeycomb and got all the honey out it was amazing, what a cool experience. In this area we do a ton of service and work a lot with the members. We didn’t get many lessons this week but we did help the members.

Funny story:

Saturday we had a baptism of an eight year old child and she would not go under the water. I was baptizing, and so for about a hour and a half we worked with her and nothing. We were close like three times ha ha. I even fake baptized my companion as an example in the water totally immersed. But nothing, WOW my first baptism was my companion ha ha.

This week I have had a ton of time to think about life and what we need to do. Definitely visiting all the members here is a priority. It has been interesting to examine my life and make plans and goals to be better and progress more personally and spiritually. I love it so much. I always find answers reading the scriptures. Reading old General Conference talks are so nice for me to be able to find answers in my life.

Well family, I love my new area. It is a ton different and I am ready for the challenge that is before me. I hope that you all have a great week. My prayers will be with you all this week. Next week I will give more details and pictures ha ha.

I love you all so much, 

Elder Cooley

Questions:

1. Did you receive the third package from us yet?

I have not received the third package yet.

2. How are you accessing the Internet there?

Just at an Internet cafe that is extremely slow ha ha.

3. What is your favorite thing about your new area?

Just being in Peru and not in the city ha ha. It is so awesome.

4. What is your companion like?

He is good, a little lazy and not too motivated at times.

5. How did you travel to your new area?

Just by a bus and somehow I got to my area ha ha. Thank you for the power of the Lord.

6. Was anything lost in transit? Did you have enough room in your suitcases for everything?

Nothing was lost and my suitcases were stuffed full ha ha.

7. Did you have to open the packages to transport the items?

Yeah I had to open the package. I am stoked for Christmas ha ha.

8. Favorite scripture this week?

My favorite scripture this week was D&C 64:10.

9. What was the hardest part about the transfer?

Just getting a new companion that wasn’t the same.

10. What would you compare your new area to in the states? Is it like Arizona, New Mexico, etc.?

It is like Arizona with a river in the middle of a valley and a ton of farming.

Aplao or Bust!!

Hola Familia,

Wow this week has been absolutely crazy. It is so nice to be busy but there is not enough time in the day to get everything done that we need to.

I got transferred to the city of Aplao in the Siguas area with a new Latino companero (companion). I leave in “T minus” 2 hours ha ha. I am so excited. It was hard at first when I found out Saturday night. I was kind of bummed because we just barely got a new room and a new Pensionista, but I am stoked as well. I didn’t sleep well Saturday night because I was so nervous. At about two in the morning I said a prayer which helped me relax and know that I would be able get everything done on Sunday for my transfer. I am glad that I have another Latino companion because my Spanish will improve a ton and I will learn even more. 

Cake of the Dead

Halloween was nothing like the states ha ha. Barely anybody was trick or treating; it was just another day. We went and had a family home evening and made pizza. 

This week was awesome; we had one of our investigating familias (families) say that they were ready to be baptized this next weekend. So I will not be there for it but, I taught them and they are starting their journey to salvation. I love the feeling when all of our hard work finally pays off! 

Fast Sunday was awesome. Especially when we have the opportunity to fast for our people and members of the church. My testimony of fasting has really grown, because it really strengthens you spiritually and helps you understand the things that need to be done. You really do receive revelation.

Sunday was crazy because of visiting all the families (see pictures below).  Wow it was so cool to visit families that have helped me so much in my first area and so far in my mission. I visited a ton of families and every single one gave me food. I had a brownie recipe Kenzie sent me and one family cooked the brownies for us, they were so delicious. But I threw up in the night because of all the food I ate ha ha. Wow I have never felt so sick in my life. But it was so worth it. I got their information so I will be able to contact them all.

Overall I am so excited to get transferred and learn new things in my mission. I know this is where I need to go and to help the people there.

Thanks you so much family for all that you do for me. I know that this gospel really makes us perfect and there is nothing that the Lord will not forgive us of. The power of the atonement is real. I know that this is true.

I love you all,

Elder Cooley

Questions:

1. Electrocuted?!? What? I need the story! Was it just a shock or worse?

Yeah it was just a little only when I touched the handle to change the water pressure ha ha. It is because there is no ground for the electricity.

2. Have you received a package yet?

I have received both the packages from mom and the one from forever ago.

3. Did you get any Halloween candy?

I did not get any Halloween candy.

4. Do they have any Christmas Decorations out in stores down there?

There are no Christmas decorations at all ha ha. The holidays are so much different here. (Christmas in Peru)

5. What was the most inspired scripture you read this past week?

Wow there were a ton, probably Moroni 7 the entire chapter.

6. What food do you miss the most?

I miss milk, and quality meat ha ha.

7. What is your favorite native food?

Favorite native food is Ricoto Relleno.

8. How is the Spanish coming along?  Are you able to hold a conversation better?

Spanish is a lot better and I have learned a ton in this past exchange. Conversations are a lot easier.

9. How is your health?  Any issues?

Health is good ha ha. Only issue is to much food.

10. What time do you wake up each morning? What time do fall asleep each night?

Wake up around 6:15am to go to the park to exercise and I fall asleep at 10:30pm.

11. Do you exercise every day?

I jog every morning and my companion would sleep on a bench ha ha.

Aldolfo

INKA KOLA

Bishop's Familia 

Giving a watch away

Familia Echegary

Bishop's Familia

Familia Diaz

Hermana Gina "Old Pensionista"

Chicken and Soup Meal

Familia Victoria

Brother Carlos

Brownies

Overlook

Familia Margarita

Glass on Fences to Keep People Out

Laundry Familia

Familia Marcelina

Mystery Meat . . . Yum!

Loaded Taxi Ride

Hola Familia,

This week hasn’t been too exciting. We had two people that we reactivated, they weren’t attending church and now they are. It is cool to see the change that this gospel brings to people, and how much happier they are when they are in the gospel. 

This week I cooked a ton ha ha. I cooked French toast and homemade vanilla syrup for my Companion, the other elders that we eat with and the family of the Pensionista. Then my Companion taught me how to cook fired bananas, there is a different type of banana that you slice and fry and it is so good (plantains). Then I cooked meat patties, I don’t really know what kind of meat it was ha ha. but they were good.

We had a very successful missionary night. We had two families that are investigating the church come and they really liked it. It is awesome that our investigators are progressing in the church. We have the family of Mirian, Joel and their son Fabian. We also have a family, where the mom is a member and her children want to be baptized. Candy, Anythony, Diana, and Luis. I love seeing them want to follow the commandments and become more like Christ in their lives. I don’t know why but our mission is having troubles. I think that we just need to work harder and harder and then the success will come however, I love the mission in Arequipa.

Games in Church

We teach a lot of less active and non-active members. In our ward and area there are 800 members and only about 80 attend and 50 are really active ha ha. SO... the work of reactivating people is huge. It is quite hard though. The doctrine of persevering until the end is so important. This life is a time to prepare and progress to become perfect, our church is for the perfecting of saints and we need to always remember that. We are not perfect and we can become better and better each day. Also the importance of this life is unimaginable and we need to always remember this and strive to be better each day. I just love this gospel. 

This week is the end of the exchange. So I might be changed to a new area but I don’t know for sure. I hope that I don’t transfer.  This week we are changing our room and Pensionista so we can live and eat at the same house and  also to be in the boundaries of our ward.  So this coming week will be exciting. Also WOW Halloween is this week, we will stay inside for Halloween because the streets will be full of drunks ha ha.

Well this is all for this week. Have an awesome week and I look forward to see what has happened in another week of your guys’ life. Have fun. I love you all. I pray for you guys always.

I love everyone,

Elder Cooley

Questions:

1. Where do you email from?  Do you have to pay for the Internet time?

We email as a Zone in an Internet cafe a member owns. Yeah for two hours it is 2 soles or 80 cents

2. Have you received your package yet?

I have not received any packages yet ha ha.

3. Do most places in your area have running water?

Yeah most places have running water, but hot running water is nonexistent ha ha.

4. What movie did you watch last P-day?  What was it about?

We watched Brother Bear in Spanish ha ha.

5. Did you bring the cake for the investigator’s birthday or did they get it somewhere else?

A member brought the cake for the party and it was really good.

6. What has been your favorite service activity so far in Arequipa?

Favorite service has been building stairs up the side of a mountain ha ha.

7. Will your companion get anything for Christmas?  Did he get anything last year?

I don’t know, I haven’t asked him but usually with Latinos they don’t get packages that often.

8. How is the overall environment there towards missionaries?  Are they welcoming or abrasive?

People love missionaries and are always really accepting. They love a nice tall American to bring in their house.

9. Since you never seem to have funny stories . . . ha ha ha. Tell me an interesting story.

Funny story, so this week we were teaching a lesson to a family about the word of wisdom. We asked if anyone has an addiction with any substance and the sister pointed at her brother and said he has an addiction to mayo because he is overweight.

10. Do you have to duck your head to fit under the shower?

Not the shower but pretty much everything else in Peru I have to duck my head. I finally was electrocuted this past week.

11. What is a simple rule that you live by day to day?

Always trust the Holy Ghost, whenever I feel a prompting I follow it.

12. How often do you visit the mission home?

I have only been to the mission home once.

Sunset

Soccer

Attempt of a Pyramid

Using the Bus Sunroofs

Husacache

The Ugliest Dog Ever, Native to Peru

Watch Out, Funny Sign