Aceitunas Y Bendiciones (Olives and Blessings)

Okay so first off, a huge thanks for the package, it was perfect! The tie is AWESOME, one of my new favorites if not my new favorite. The sweater is AMAZING! It actually gets really cold at night in Las Delicias by the beach when it's windy and that sweater is awesome! The candy... gone, haha I gave half of it to my companion and then like 10 Hi-Chews and 2 little caramel eggs to the other elders. Thanks for everything!

Okay so to start off this week, we went back to Jarira´s house. Luckily this time it wasn’t as bad though. Her daughter, I suppose, was the one who opened the door. We asked if Jarira was home and she just goes, “no viene” and every time we asked something she would just say the same thing over and over again.. we asked if Jarira was her mom or something and she just shakes her finger saying “no viene” while closing the door. I should’ve knocked again or tried to say something else because as we walked around the corner.. Hermana Jarira was walking around it and said hi to us hahaha, oh jeez. It’s a worse house divided than BYU fanned parents and a Utah fan son! #GoUtes hahaha. 

Melissa and Facundo came to church, but we couldn’t visit them this week because they were adding on to their house, but they're doing awesome. More than anything, we are waiting for Juan's ex-wife to divorce him so they can get married and then wet! 

Vilma is really sick right now and we haven't been able to visit her and she coudn't come to church. Hopefully she gets better this week so we can go visit her. 

Also Steicy is doing awesome. She just turned 8 on the 27th. We taught her this week and I think she has finally opened up to us because this time she would talk to us and respond and everything and not talk through her mom (she's really shy.) She is so cute though, I love her! We brought her a present for her birthday and she came up to both of us and gave us a hug and told us thanks for being her friends haha, I died! She's so cute!

                                                                               

With Steicy and her mom.

Celebrating Steicy's 8th birthday

We visted Eli as well and confirmed his baptism date for the 24th, CHEEHOO! He straight already has a testimony about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. It's so awesome! He couldn’t come to church this week because a familiar (family member) passed away but he said he will be there next week. Love it! 

We also have an investigator, Maruja (more or less 56 years old) who has a testimony and has the desire to get baptized. She makes AMAZING desserts and has to work Sundays because of clients she has! We found her last week from our registros (records) in "old investigators". We are working on her but meanwhile we are enjoying the desserts she gives us evey time haha, but yeah, they're all doing awesome, just little things mostly, but we´re working on it. 

Yesterday was a great day. At lunch we made a bet with Ana´s (the pencion) husband Jose Luis. He has been a less active for most of his life and hasn’t been in a church in over 4 years. I told him if I ate 2 aceitunas (olives… no, not like in the states.. literally the worst things I have ever tried in my life. Their nickname is “mata gringo” - kill gringo) if I ate 2, he had to go to church next week! He said, “if you 4 elders eat 2 each, I will go to church.” Well ladies and gentlemen, anything for the salvation of souls!! All four of us almost threw up, literally! Each of us at one point were gagging and about to throw up… But! We did it! Jose Luis is coming to church ladies and gents!!! Hahaha it was horrible, but, you gotta do what you gotta do!

                                                                               

Jose Luis and Ana, our pencionista.

Below is the video of Elder Rokovitz and Elder Scott eating the aceitunas. This video was sent from Ana. Cory has a longer version with all four elders in it. They had to eat it with nothing else added, no throwing up and no spitting it out. 

Also yesterday I was super humbled with one of our new investigators, Carmen, who is about 45 years old, who went to church this week. As we were in 2nd hour, we were reading a couple of scriptures in class. I had given my scriptures to Carmen to follow along with because she didn’t bring her Book of Mormon. The bishop asked her to read a certain verse. She looked down at the scriptures in silence, looking for the verse (it looked like). We sat there in silence waiting. Others started to point out the verse and others encouraged her to read it. I peeked over her shoulder and I saw her hand spread out over the page, finger pointing where others had pointed out the verse. I then realized why she hadn’t brought her Book of Mormon and why she wasn’t reading. It wasn't because she didn’t want to read, she couldn’t. She couldn’t read. She sat there, as I could see, trembling, and trying to make words.. I leaned over and asked, “Hermana Carmen, can you read?” She shook her head no. I then said, “Hermana, don’t worry!” I then read the verse. I could see a relief off her shoulders as they continued, but she was breathing fast and trembling for a couple minutes.. I just sat there in shock. I've had plenty of investigators before who couldn’t read, but it never really hit me before like it did yesterday.. we truly are so very blessed! We take advantage of such tiny stuff like that so often.

I invite you all, as the famous hymn says, to really "Count your blessings, name them ONE by ONE." I never really realize how EXTREMELY blessed I am. But as it says in D&C 82:3, ”For of him (or her) unto whom much is given much is required." The gospel is true. The Lord is our Savior. NEVER forget to thank your Father in Heaven for your many blessings. I love you all and hope you all have a great week! 

Love, your favorite missionary,

Elder Rokovitz



                                                                                     

This is Felicita and her two kids at her house on the beach. I told you about her a few weeks ago. The front door is behind us, their bedroom, with only a bed, is to the right and the kitchen is to the left, where their stove is. This is their house.

This guy climbed the pole to fix the wires. He climbed it with two ropes!

The moto fest. Celebrating 13 years as Red Motos.

Some pictures of our apartment, since I've never sent any. This is our "mud room."

Our study room.

The kitchen/non-kitchen. It has a sink but no appliances.

Our bedroom. My "closet" is on the left.

Our bunks. I'm on the bottom. (Mom: Wow, this picture must have been staged....or Cory has changed A LOT. I can't remember the last time Cory's bed looked like this haha.)

(This is how he left his room the day he flew out to Perú and how it looked most days during his high school years.)

Also I found this..... Just casually reading the Liahona magazine and would you look at that! AHLOOOOO!! There's Pablo and John Wayne (Christopher - Cory loves Christopher's middle name - Juan Wayne - after his grandfathers.) Hahahaha, I was like WHAT? I KNOW THEM!!! 

(The Riboldi's used to live across the street from us and are favorite friends of ours. This is Pablo, the dad, and Christopher, their 8th child. Love this family so much. ~ The Liahona is a church published magazine.)

The following photos are a few that mom found on the mission blog from Zone Conference.

Cory is right in the middle of the middle row.

Splish Splash, I Was Killing A Mosquito

Sup fam,

This week has been pretty great. I was exhausted yesterday though! To start off quick, a huge update that I'm hyped about. So we had a Multi Zone conference this week. I gotta see my boys from Viru and Elder Alarcon told me that Manuela got baptized 3 weeks ago, Gabriel is receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood, and Diana and Jorge are getting married and have a baptism date for this Saturday!! CHEEHOOO!!! I. Am. Hyped! It's cool to see that all that hard work paid off. I love those families so much. Chao is great! 

For here in Moche, Vilma is doing great. She straight has a testimony already. She's great. We are going to set a baptismal date this Thursday with her! We have talked with the bishop about dedicating Vilma's house and are hoping to do it soon! We thought that would be a good idea.  

Also we set a baptismal date with Melissa and Facundo, her son, for the 5th of August. We are praying super hard that Juan's ex-wife will divorce him so he and Melissa can get married before that date! We always are praying for Juan and Melissa and normally pray for them openly in lessons. Also we are going to do a fast for them this week I'm thinking or the next week!

Earlier in the week we found the coolest guy ever. He is 100 percent prepared by the Lord! His name is Eli. We found him Tuesday while we were knocking doors. He was holding back his pitbull when he answered and was just like, “Oh just come back tomorrow at this same time." We just kind of thought that he wasn’t too interested and was just saying that to blow us off the next day. But the next day came and we went back. We almost didn’t because we were late to eat and thought he really wasn’t too interested but we decided to go back.. and I'm glad we did! So we get there and he invites us in. The man looks about 60 years old but he's 81.. anyway we get talking and he tells us the missionaries have visited him before and we were like, okay nice. Then we ask him what they talked about and he goes, "Let me go get it.." He brings out a Book of Mormon and we were like, okay! We asked him if he has read any of it and he goes, "Yeah a little..", we ask where he is at and he goes, "Oh I'm just here…" in 3 NEPHI 17!! And we were like, OKAY! But that’s not all! He then goes, "Yeah 6 years ago I was on the point of getting baptized but then work called me to the Cierra to work and I had to leave si o si, but I just got back 3 months ago…" We were speechless!! I was like WHAT?! Yeah.. Eli accepted the date of the 24th of June to be baptized.. literally first lesson! Can you say prepared?? We are hyped out of our minds! But yeah, I will keep you all updated on our BOI Eli.

We also taught this drunk lady on Friday. We didn’t realize she was drunk until she told us she was Catholic 5 times, told us 3 times how she went to Argentina for 7 years, and then asked us 3 times about church. Each time we asked if she would come to church her answer was different.. the first time she said, “Yeah, I'll be there!”, then, “No I'm busy”, then “No way! I'm Catholic.” Haha, as we were leaving we were conversing with her and mid-sentence she goes, “HOY ES MI CUMPLEAÑOS!” (TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!) and then starts laughing and 2 seconds later she got completely serious, hahaha I was dying! 

We also taught Stacy, who is 7 years old. I drew a picture of the Plan of Salvation to help explain things to her from our lesson. She didn’t like the part of “spirit prison” haha. When I said "death" and "spirit prison" she stopped looking at my picture and starred at her mom all sad for 2 minutes and then goes, “I don’t want to die and go to prison…” I was like, oh shoot I screwed up. We had to explain that she wouldn’t go there. She said paradise is her favorite place.. which she told us is Japan. Haha she is the cutest person in the world, I love her! 

And now, an update on my life today.. I learned not to jump while standing in the shower… I was chilling in there, waiting to man up and get into the ice water, when I noticed a mosquito high up on the wall. Me, being me, decided I needed to kill it, and without thinking, I jump up to kill it.. yeah, I ate it.. HARD! Haha I just laid there on the floor of the shower for a minute, laughing at how dumb I am hahaha. But yeah, that’s how I'm starting off this week, so it's about to be a legitimate week! 

Anyway, no changes with me and my companion this transfer, obviously. So yeah, all is well. We're gonna go OFF this week! I love you all and hope you all have a great week!

Love, Elder Rokovitz

                                                                            

Me and Elder Johnson, one of my favorites.

Me and Elder Salazar, our Zone Leader, who is being transferred to Huaraz. Elder Alarcon, my last companion in Chao, will take his place here.

There are six of us in this taxi even though you can't see all of us. 

I Love This Culture

It was sooo great to see you guys yesterday! Big shout out to you guys for giving me 2 eggs hahaha, oh wow! (When we were talking to Cory yesterday for Mother's Day, he was at his pencionista's house. The topic of birthdays and eggs on the head came up, which is a tradition in Perú when it's your birthday. It didn't take long or much convincing for Ana, his pencionista, to demonstrate the tradition for us on Cory's head. He was a good sport about it and we all had a good laugh. There is a video on Facebook if you are connected to me, Dawn, or Cory.) 

Sooo to start off this week, it was a really great week and my testimony has been strengthened a ton. It started off going to an investigator, Jarira, who is super cool. We met her last week and this would’ve been our second visit with her. We get there, and I'm guessing it was her husband, opens the door. We started asking his name and how he was doing and he didn’t say anything, he just closed the door in our face.. and I HATE that! So.. I knocked again and started to say we came to visit his wife, but before I could finish, he just goes, "We're busy! Go away.", and slams the door again! I was like, nope! So I knocked one more time. He opened the door and he goes, "What? Do you want me to call the police?! I'm busy, okay!" I told him we were just looking for his wife, Jarira, and that we had a cita (appointment) with her and he just goes, "She's not here!" Then slams the door. I was so livid! We had been having a pretty good day then he just cut the spirit. Luckily it was like 15 minutes before we usually go to eat. But yeah that wasn’t fun.

                                                                             

(Ana actually sent this picture after the above story happened. She explained that he was quite upset for having the door slammed in his face three times. She assured me that they helped to calm him down and feel better.)

The next day we had an awesome lesson with Melissa! She's doing great. We were going to teach The Gospel of Jesus Christ to her but she had some questions about the church and the Sacrament so I hit her with the one-two in 3rd Nephi 18 and Moroni 4 about the Sacrament. It was a great lesson. She's so awesome! We just have to get Juan divorced somehow so they can get married… I'm determined to baptize them before I leave Moche!

Later in the week on Friday we had been walking all day and not getting in anywhere. Honestly we don't knock doors too much, just when our plan A an B´s fall through for 4 hours or something. Our mission president encourages that we try to take out references from members and others because they will stay active more often that way. At like 7:15 p.m. we started to knock doors, and door after door we weren’t getting anything. We finally got to a door at 7:45 p.m. and the lady just shook her head in the window and then walked away. I kept knocking and nothing. After that, I was devastated because we had been working so hard all day and had gotten nothing. As we were heading back to the pencionista's house, I decided to knock one more door - a door I had seen earlier that night but just didn’t knock. But this time, their gate was open and so I took it as an invitation to come on in! We knocked and she was like, "Sorry, I'm Catholic." I just told her that I came all the way from Utah to share this message and asked if she had just 15 minutes to share it. She finally let us in and there was her and 4 of her young adult aged kids! It payed off big time to not give up that last 15 minutes and just knock one more door after having been beaten down all week. 

On Saturday we visited Felicita, a recent convert who lives by the beach. Her house is literally a house built of straw and sticks, built on sand, but she has her 2 kids and is just happy. We had the lesson sitting down on the sand and it was such a great and humbling experience! It's so true how you always told me that I don't realize how blessed I am. Sometimes I see people's living conditions here and think that to myself. It's pretty crazy sometimes but I sure am so greatful for all that I have been blessed with! I don't like it when people call me pitúco and comment on how rich I am.. I don't really like talking too much about my home life for that reason. (As Cory told us about Felicita and her humble living conditions while we talked yesterday, he literally got choked up with tears. It greatly humbles him to see that others have so little and are still happy.) 

The week finished off with one of the best days of my mission. Yesterday after talkling to the family for Mother's Day, we went to the bishop's house to have a NDH (Noche de Hogar - family night) with his family, parents, and a new investigator, Vilma, that has come to church with them twice, but this was the first time we had the opportunity to visit her. We wanted to teach The Restoration. We started off with the lesson and then she kept asking tons of questions! Luckily it was us, the bishop, his wife, and the bishop's niece, who is a returned missionary, because wow, her questions were super deep and confusing, but every time she had a question, we had an answer for her immediately! After finishing, she just kind of was a little not set on the whole thing. The bishop, his wife, and the bishop's niece had all testified of our words and still nothing. I then testified to her the strongest and best testimony that I had ever born. I told her that I didn’t leave everything I have and come all the way to Perú to tell a bunch of people lies, rather I came all this way, leaving everything, to share something I know to be absolutely true and something I know will bless the lives of others. She then broke down crying and told us she wants to change. She is about 60 years old and told us that she has been to so many churches and never felt the right one, but she has just felt super at peace with this church, she just wants to know for a surety it's true. She also told us all her life she has had weird, paranormal like activity going on. But recently it was stronger than ever, that in her house her bible will just all the sudden get thrown across the room and she hears voices and stuff… like some pretty sketchy stuff. We told her maybe it's because Satan knows what she is about to enter into and so it's getting stronger. But yeah, anyway it was a pretty crazy night but I had never born such a deep testimony in all my life! It was awesome! 

Mom, you're so right, though I may have hard times and whatnot, it's where I'm supposed to be and it's such a great experience to have for my life and to be able to bless the lives of others. 

Anyway, I have to go now! But I love you all. Have an amazing week!

Love, your favorite missionary, Elder Rokovitz

                                                                              

Our Zone hiking a sand mountain on p-day.

The view from the top.

Heisman haha.

Our Zone.

Me and Elder Salazar.

Me and my companion, Elder Aldea.

Just me at the sand mountain.

Me after rolling down the hill after losing to "What Are the Odds" game.

Love that Matécito/Terere drink.

I think that's corn or something in the truck.

A Catholic parade was going on. This is the culture I'm talking about that I love so much. It is super cool. The street was filled with devils and then the angels/saints. (When we were talking to Cory yesterday, I asked him what his favorite thing about Perú was. He said, "The culture and most of the food." When I asked if there was anyting he didn't like, he thought for a while and then said, "There's nothing really. Well, maybe freezing cold showers. I haven't had a warm or hot shower in 3 months. Just freezing cold water every day.")

Me and Elder Aldea with devils from the parade.

Me and Elder Aldea with about 1% of the angels and devils from the parade.

It's Lit

So it's been a great week! Slower parts and greater parts. Tuesday and Wednesday 8 of our 9 citas (appointments) fell through haha, so that was fun. We did a lot of walking those two days and were pretty dang tired. Then things started picking up by the end of the week! 

Melissa went to church for her first time!! Whoo!! That was awesome! We have a cita (appointment) with her this next jueves (Thursday). We taught her son as well, which was great too. 

We also had a great lesson with Maritza this week. We talked about the Plan of Salvation and read 2 Nephi 2 with her a little bit. She's so great! She knows it's all true, comes to church, she just needs to get married. We challenged her to talk to her boyfriend about that. He works at the mines and is gone for about 1 or 2 months and then comes home for about 5 to 7 days. Man, how blessed I was to have my parents always there for me throughout my life. It must be so hard. But yeah, we left her with that so we will see what happens on Thursday! 

I am loving personal studies. They're legitimate and I feel the spirit a ton. I could do that all day long! This week we had some great spiritual moments! Earlier this week we visited Victor who sells the tamales. It was such a humbling experience. He lives in a dirt house with dirt everything and sleeps on a little cot. He has like 2 or 3 changes of clothes and just lives in a really dirty situation, but wow, that man has a heart. We talked to him... well he talked the whole time haha, about how he just wants to serve others, and go to cities and just knock door to door asking their needs and helping the poor... Here is a man who lives in such poverty and still wants to help others. He sees himself as happy and well lived and still believes there are others to be helped. He doesn't say "pity me", he just wants to help! Wow, what a humbling experience for sure! 

Yesterday as we were in a gated community, where you have to have a key to get in or leave, the cita (appointment) fell through that we had there. As we were leaving, I saw this family sitting in their house and thought, "knock that door", but I kept walking. We got to the gate and it was locked. I sat there for a second, then said "Elder, we´re going to visit this family." He had a little fear because we had knocked there before and got rudely shut down, but I thought about Elder Rasband's talk from conference and thought, I needed to be that first responder, and it paid off! We went there and knocked. The lady who had shut us down before was sitting in the kitchen. Her kid had opened the door. She kind of gave us the "why are you here.. go away" look. We said we are missionaries and then we heard a voice from the hall from an older man, "adelante caballeros!"(go ahead gentlemen!) and he came and let us in. He then told us he is happy loving God and praying to Him, but wanted to know more about "the green book." Haha we explained it was blue, explained the First Vision and whatnot and then continued talking more about our religion and answered questions he and his son asked. They were such great people and it payed off for sure listening to the spirit. The man invited us to return and come freely. He said he's always open to listen and learn more! It was so amazing and such a great testimony builder for sure! 

Something I read in "The Fourth Missionary" this week was this - It says, "He cannot work on what He doesn't have, and He cannot have you, unless you give yourself to Him." I've been trying to really give myself to Him in the work and forget about home, put my heart and mind in the work and just work hard!

This week has been great! And training is great. My companion is a stud in lessons and with the bible. He's doing great! I love the kid. We get along really good! But yeah, all is well. I love you guys and hope you all have a great week. Keep doin' what you do.... fam.. I will talk to you SUNDAY!!!!!! Les quiero muchísimo, cuídense! (I love you very much, take care!)

Tu misionero fiel (Your faithful missionary), Elder Rokovitz

                                                                          

Me sippin' on my maté.

Me sippin' on tereré (Maté cold with fanta or sprite) in our reunión distrito (district meeting).

The truth.... that the bible says.... not me, the bible. (Because I do not allow women to teach, nor to exercise dominion over man, but to be silent.)

Our Zone after hiking a sand mountain.

The following pictures didn't come with explanations, so we'll just have to enjoy them on our own.

Training and Spanish Swear Words

BUENAAA! Well, first off yes, I'm a trainer and still a District Leader. Yeah, I'm tired as heck but I'm loving it. My new companion's name is Elder Aldea and he's from Lima Perú. He's outgoing and chill and really great in lessons! I've just been showing him the ropes. He is a stud! He practically speaks English perfect. He studied for 12 years, so yeah, I'm helping him with that as well!

                                                                         

Me and my new son, Elder Aldea.

                                                                                 

When we got our new companions this week, we had a training. Something I loved that Presidente Rios said in our training was that this is the most sacred calling in the mission because we will have an impact on the life of our new companion as well as their mission. He said that we are some of the most trusted missionaries in the mission. It meant a lot to hear that. Also, later both President and Hermana Rios pulled me aside with my companion and told him that I was a great missionary. It really meant a lot to hear that. I also have a lot of trust being put in my hands right now and I'm going to make sure I don't let them down! It's been a great week with Elder Aldea so far. We get along really well! 

This week I learned the difference between the words "maldito" and "bandido." Bandido is what Hermana Ana always calls me. It means like a "bandit" or "jokester", something along those lines. But I thought she had been saying "maldito", so I called her that this week... Well, that doesn't mean bandit.. I said, "Ana, damn you." Hahahaha ooops... Well, you live and you learn, right? Haha it was a pretty great learning experience hahaha!! 

A great moment from this week was during a Noche de Hogar (family night) when we taught a new member family that recently moved here. I basically taught all of 1 Nephi 8. I always just have these moments where I'm like... Wow, I'm literally explaining this in Spanish.. I never thought I would be able to do this. That was one of those moments. Also it was a great spiritual experience. I just learned to teach by the spirit in that moment. Everything I was saying was completely coming from the Holy Ghost and not me. It was super cool. I really learned a lot from what I was saying. It's true about the scripture that says to open your mouth and it will be filled and that it will be given in the very moment what you need to say. It was awesome! Also during the Noche de Hogar, I got hit in the head with a toy truck and almost had my eye poked out. I literally had my contact ripped out by some malcriado (ill bred) child.

Our investigator, Maritza, is doing great. She came to church on Sunday. We will be teaching her tomorrow and we still have the date for the 2nd of June for her baptism, but she still needs to get married, so we will see. 

Melissa came to the Capilla Abierta (Open Chapel), which was great by the way, but they didn't come to church.. I don't know why, but we are visiting them on Thursday so we'll find out. They're doing great though. We just need to figure out how to get Juan´s ex-wife to divorce him. 

Anyway, I have to go for time! Sorry about it being short! Just know I love you and all is well and my new companion is a STUD! Haha anyway, cuidense! Les amo. 

Elder Rokovitz

                                                                             

Me and Elder Ganoza. He left, I loved him. We switched jerseys haha.

Me and my boy, Elder Cruz. Love him. He left me.

Me and my boy, Elder Johnson. 

Me with Elder Johnson who is off to be a District Leader in Virú.

Me and my boy and ex-Zone Leader, Elder Chapman.

The new trainers. The elders on my right and left came out with me - Elder Nikols and Elder Rhoton.