Rokin' Perú: Days Are Blending Together

I've had a great week and all the days are just blending together. I felt like I just wrote you guys yesterday!

I'm still kind of struggling with my companion. We have good moments and I'm just trying to be more patient. I know that's why the Lord put me with him. But I'll eventually get over it and everything will be alright, whether it's before or after 3 weeks end haha.

On our last p-day on the way to the temple, I watched my first drug deal go down which was cool haha. Then after the temple, which is usually my favorite part of the week, me and Elder Simonsen went across the street and got some super sweet llama ties. I was only going to buy maybe one or 2... lol yeah I spent like 97 soles (about $29.00) on 7 or 8 ties but it was so worth it! I gave one to Cam and I got one for Dad too, so I'll send that when I'm in the field and try to get it to you around your birthday or Christmas! Also me and Elder Simonsen ,who is my favorite elder here and is in our district, (he's the one going to Arequipa), felt like the coolest guys ever and were thinking how cool it's going to be walking around preaching the gospel! We were having the time of our lives.

When we walked over to try to find the tie shop there was a guy just sitting there outside an alley and was like"corbatas? aqui" (Ties? Here.) and even though it was some creepy alley, we didn't care, we figured I could fight off anyone trying to kill us. Luckily he was for real and we found the sweet ties haha. Then when we came back we had our first street vendor food and we just hoped and prayed it was safe. It was amazing! I should've taken a picture of it, but I didn't.

I got my first baptism, I mean all the investigators we practice on say yes, but it was my first and he told us it was the best lesson he's ever heard. I prepared the whole thing too which made me really happy! The next day our lesson didn't go so well though. I planned the whole lesson, and yes, you can see a pattern now, it usually happens that I'm the one who plans the whole thing. My companion said he needed to go to the bathroom 5 minutes before our lesson started and so I told him to hurry but he took 20 minutes so we had 5 minutes to give the lesson and I just let him talk and take the heat for it. Then I bore my testimony at the end.. yeah I wasn't happy. But I got over it.

On Sunday during Sacrament meeting, the avenzados (missionaries who have been there longer) sang the Army of Helaman and it was amazing! It was in English and it was so powerful. I realized that I am now "the army" and it was really cool! I teared up and also I teared up because I knew all those avenzados were leaving and we wouldn't be principiantes (the beginners/inexperienced ones) anymore. It was sad because I was really close with all of them. Also on Sunday I loved Hermana Moore's lesson on the plan of salvation! It was so good and it really made me realize how I need to study. It's not just reading something, it's actually looking at all the scriptures. It was really cool and probably the best lesson I've ever heard.

On the 18th which was Tuesday devotional day, Elder Clayton from the 70 came with his wife and they gave talks. They were in Spanish so I may have dozed off in part of Elder Clayton's talk by accident. I promise I was trying hard to stay awake but I couldn't. But for his wife's talk, I really liked hers! She talked about D&C 31:2. It really gave me hope for Chad. It says: "Behold, you have had many afflictions because of your family; neverless, I will bless you and your family, yea, your little ones; and the day cometh that they will believe and know the truth and be one with you in my church." It's amazing and I just loved hearing what she had to say about it! It really brought me peace. She said because of my work that one day they will come back and love my example.

On Monday night Cam, Elder Bumstead, and Elder Parker all read their funny journal entries from the CCM to me and Elder Simonsen haha it was great! Cam and I have had some good times here! He's a great kid and I love him. We had a really good moment before he left. We hugged and all that good stuff then he just looked at me and said, "Don't quit man. If you ever need help or times get hard, just hit your knees bro." Then he wrote me this quote from Elder Holland. It's ´Don't you give up, don't you quit. You keep walking, you keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. It will be alright in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come." I love that quote so much. It helps a ton! I wrote it in the front of my journal. It was weird saying I wouldn't see him for 2 years! The next day felt empty without all those guys and it was weird! We met some new Latinos that night though who came in and they're cool but don't know as much ingles (English) as the last ones did. Our new roommates are cool. Our old ones were in the 3 week program, at least 2 of the 6 I mean. I didn't even hear the the new ones come in, which was nice because they came in at 3 a.m. haha but there's a lot of really cool guys here and a few wrestlers! It's cool getting to know all these new guys! Anyway I'm having a great time here!

I have to tell you this story real quick - There's this really cool, funny janitor here, we call him Elder Janitor. He was talking to us on Monday night and he always jokes with us and calls us maripositas which means little butterfly, but basically is a joking way of calling someone "femmy" haha. So anyway, he looked at me when we were joking with him and went, "Shrek, principe", then whatever the name for "charming" in Spanish was. We were all confused so he looked up "prince charming" and showed us a picture, then pointed at me. He then asked how to say it in english. We told him. He busted up then said, pointing at me, "prince mariposita" then busted up laughing while he walked away hahaha. It made my day. We love that guy! Anyway I have to go, I love you all! I do miss you haha, but I'm not home sick yet.

Elder Rokovitz

P.S. I also got my first hair cut and I look like a Marine haha. It's bad. They mistook us for the "Army" and not the "Lord's army" haha.