My note from Hermano Castillo (CCM teacher) with my Halloween package haha.
(Hermano Castillo's sister has a wonderful business right in Peru where missionary families can order packages from her and she will deliver them to the mission offices so you don't have to mail things from the states. Love it!!)
The great things that were in my Halloween package.
Aracely's family - Aracely, the baby, Lucy, Marilu, Magnu, Elder Harper and Elder Rokovitz.
Okay, now Dad, so yeah, we are allowed to have baptisms at the beach but we, the elders, are not allowed to perform the baptism, which is sad, but I think if we ask nicely we could probably get permission, especially here in Chao where there is nowhere else to do it. We are definitely going to Machu Pichu after my mission when we come back and visit, that is no doubt! I mean I'm here in Peru and don't even get to see it? Yeah right. We have to go when we come down! Also we will have to visit Cajamarca, close to Trujillo. It also is not in my mission but would be a cool place to visit. I haven't seen much here in Chao but I'm sure once I leave this area there is a lot more cool stuff to see for sure. Especially in Huaraz, which is the lowest part of my mission. Lots of cool things to visit here! Quick fun side note, not really relevant or anything, and don't worry, I'm not trunky haha, but Saturday was my 100th day. So "Kevin" is our pet.. he.. did make sounds.. then he got sand in him, then I tried to wash the sand out.. now he just kind of moans and cries. He was here when I got here.. but I'm going to take him when I leave haha, and I'm going to try to take him places around the mission! I just named him Kevin because I liked the name.
So for this week, it went really good, naturally. Always does. So we went to Lima. It was me, Elder Rhoton, Lee (my man), Collazos, and Lanier. So we went to Trujillo Sunday night, you guys know that, and then we flew out the next morning to Lima. The flight was good. I got to nap, but we had to get up at 5 am that day, and really.. no pasa nada con Lima (nothing happens with Lima) haha we didn't get to do anything. Except wait, yeah.. we did a lot of waiting haha for like 5 hours in the migration office.. I thought we would get to go wait at the mall because that's what other groups have done.. but we didn't.. so not much happened there. The only good thing that happened was at the airport we waited for an hour ... and.. we got to eat McDonald's! And Papa Juans!! (Papa Johns) and Dunkin Donuts! It was pretty great. I didn't care how fat I got. I didn't know when I would ever see that food again haha, so I just went crazy. The McDonald's here are actually better than in the states. They don't "sit" (smash down) on their burgers. Really that's all that happened in Lima.
On the way to Lima for paper work.
We came back on Tuesday morning and then taught Manuel (he and his wife are about to get sealed and he is getting the Melquisidec (Melchizedek) priestood on the 26th this month and they always give us pudding when we visit) and we taught him some awesome things about the priesthood. Thanks to Dad, I knew all the cool D&C stuff to show him. He really understood a lot and is really excited.
Later that day, we had a RCP with our Branch President (reunion con presidente.) It went really well and we helped him know we are here to help and completely support him and that we love him. That night as we walked back to his house for dinner (we were at the church) everyone was watching the Peru vs. Paraguay game. It was nuts! Every single time we walked past a store or a home everyone was around the TV watching. There was nobody in the streets! The four of us were walking and then we just hear eveyone go crazy. We couldn't resist and ran into the closest place to look for a second. Peru beat Paraguay 4 or 5 to 1! Every time Peru scored, the whole city just erupted. It was a pretty cool experience honestly!
The next day we visited Carlos. We haven't seen him forever. He has been avoiding us. It's really sad. He was doing so good and then his wife left him and things just all went downhill. He stopped reading and says that he doesn't want to come anymore... he gave some excuses. One was that the people aren't friendly, which was hard to hear.. and the other because the girls wear too much makeup? It was kind of weird. He said that it's only "one God" and the church shouldn't matter.. that's when I showed him Efesios (Ephesians) 4:5-6 (One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.) Sadly he just wasn't having it. We explained that we love him and want to help but he does have his agency. Sadly, that's true. It's so hard to see that happen because he was doing so good.
On Friday we had a intercombio (exchange).... I learned a lot from Elder Stroud in his area. He is just super fun and outgoing with the people and I loved that. He is really good at finding new people. We found 6 new people together Saturday, which was awesome. I just can't wait to speak Spanish better so I can be more of myself with everyone. We also did service. For our first service, me and Elder Ortiz stood on a roof while Elders Stroud and Harper threw up bricks to us. It was pretty sketchy at times but fun! Then our second one we helped with moving dirt piles out of this one house. I think they are constructing something soon. We filled 5 gallon buckets then took it to the street and dumped it... except one time it didn't make it to the street. I would throw the bucket on my shoulder and one of the times I dumped half the thing on me, and I was all sweaty so it just stuck! Sadly I didn't have my camera to take a picture of it but it was pretty funny.
Ivan seems to be more spiritually excited. He came to church last Sunday, which was awesome, but he didn't come this week. But he is seeming a lot happier. He is reading and now prays better. He is doing really good!
I am learning how to sing haha. The Whitneys came by to help us practice for an upcoming District Conference (Stake Conference) and that's the first time I actually understood the little note things. I never knew what they meant before. We are actually doing the Primary program in our Branch in two weeks here! Mom, that's awesome that the children in our ward back home sang "I Love To See the Temple" in Spanish. They want me, Elder Stroud and Elder Harper to sing the first verse of that song in English for the program here, so I thought that was funny when you said that. Also.. I have to give a talk this week.. that will be interesting.
A mission really is something you have to experience to know what it's like. The mission is the best thing that has ever happened to me! It's only something you can know through experience. It is so true that the Savior is really the only person who knows what we are going through. I love that I can always know He suffered for me and knows every single thing, pain, affliction, tentacion (temptation), etc. I always love replacing my name in scriptures. It always makes things so personal and helps me see how personal the scriptures are to me and how much the Savior loves me personally. I have really realized that on my mission and a ton this week. I always knew these things but I never was put to the test of my testimony and this has really made my testimony grow so much. It's so amazing what missions can do for you. Also, just a side note, we have been playing basketball in the mornings because Elder Stroud bought a basketball.. and I've actually been enjoying it. It's really weird! The mission changes people.
When we talk to people here we always tell them that they are the literal descendants of the Book of Mormon. They always ask us who the descendants are and we just say, "you are!" They just are so amazed and think it is so cool. That's what is so cool about being here in Peru is that we get to teach them and tell them this is literally their heritage. I just love reading the scriptures and learning so much doctrine! Dad, I hope one day I can just be as doctrinally smart as you! You just know so much doctrine and that's my goal.
I have like 2 minutes before my computer shuts off. Sorry to everyone, I didn't have time to reply to anyone today, but I'll get to people next week. I love you all!! Stay happy.
Love, Elder Rokovitz
With two of the elders that used to serve in Chao and found some of the people that we are now teaching - Me, Elder Valasquez (Elder Harper's old companion), Elder McMillan and Elder Harper.
My homemade weight set.
