Chicken Lungs

Familia!

Que tal? :) I can’t believe It’s already been 2 months!! Yesterday at church, I was thinking that exactly 2 months ago we were driving to the airport, saying our goodbyes, and I was starting on the adventure of a lifetime. I feel like I’ve been here for 3 years but on the other hand, I feel like I just got here. It’s a good feeling :) 

This week was awesome. I felt like just yesterday was p day. The weeks go by super fast when you’re working hard I guess :) 

How was the birthday?? Tell me more about it! What did you buy yourself? :) The family looks pretty lonely without me and Cody... how is it with only 1 kid at home?  I’m sure you guys are pretty bored....? :)  But sounds like you guys had an awesome week though! PF Changs? I don’t even know what that is...? Have we been there before? American food seems like a foreign concept to me over here. Man I would really love some right about now. Rice does get old......

That’s awesome though for Kenz. I hope she gets better... I’m praying for her every day. But dang...you and dad worked in the yard for 6 hours?? To be honest, I’m a little jealous.  But hey, 6 hours is a ton. I’m proud of you guys :) Looks like  you’re not as old as I thought :) nahh I’m sorry. Just a joke. I can’t believe you have the 40s?? And snow?? ahh dang you’re so lucky. It’s hot here, yeah.  Be grateful for that snow :) I always ask all the kids if they’ve ever seen it and they like don’t even know what it is. It’s so funny cause they ask if we have snowball fights and build snowmen. haha man I love it. 

nahh there’s no gatorade here. Just caffine fruit drinks. Guarana. There’s not any stores here.. just little markets that sell bread and soup. haha but yes, there is Coke here and its BOMB. 

It was a great week. Last week for p day we went to the most west point in South America. It’s a lighthouse that comes off the coast. It was about a 4 mile walk on the beach and we saw about 8 lobos del mar. I don’t know what the animal is called in English. Super cool though. To get to the lighthouse you have to climb this big sand mountain and it was awesome.  I felt like I was back home again climbing horsetail or Timp. It’s just more deserty here.  :) Seriously so beautiful at the top though. I wish you guys could’ve seen it. Ocean in every direction you look. But coming back, my black Arvo broke. Kinda sucks. 

This week we calculated the cost of our room per night. 11.5 soles which is about 4 dollars. We have 2 people so for me to live there is 2 dollars a day. Pack your things family, were moving to Peru! 

The interview with president was super chill. He just asked about my family, comp, area. I told him they were great and that was it :) 

We got a ton of new investigators this week. Eva. Haha! It was hilarious. Her daughter was eating this fruit I had never seen before and I asked about it and she asked if I wanted to try it...  I said yes, because it’s polite. She took the half eaten fruit from her daughter, and the spoon she was using.. and GAVE IT TO ME! It was..... good.

We’re teaching the Peña family. Harold is my age and he’s a member but the rest of his family isn’t so were working together to progress his parents and his siblings. They’re super cool and we have so many powerful spiritual experiences with them. His mom said that she wants to be baptized so yeah –WOW! Great news! Also there’s Carlos and Shirley. They came to church this week with their kids and they’re progressing swimmingly :)

Our branch is awesome. It’s mainly run by the Branch Presidency. We have 1 priest (Harold), 2 teachers, and 1 deacon and all of them are sons of the 2nd counselor.  We don’t speak every Sunday . . .  but I am speaking this coming Sunday.  Great. 

Thursday we had a consejo de barrio. I don’t know what it is in English. Like a meeting with everyone? it started at 7:30 but the President didn’t show up till 8 35. Haha! Anndd he was the first one there.  Like it’s ridiculous. 

ALSO . . . the crazy food of the week was............. drum roll please........ dadadadadadadadadadada Chicken lung! Don’t worry, it was deflated :) It was hard... and chewy. 

We’re having a great time. So many spiritual experiences. My testimony seems so much stronger to these people than I ever thought. Every time I speak I can just see them being filled with the spirit. It’s amazing. Also yesterday, I had the opportunity to fast. I fasted for my famiy and for the gift of tongues because it’s hard learning a new language :)  It was HARD. No water, it’s hot outside, walking all day, headache, you name it.  By the 23rd hour I was about dead. But President Gutierrez pulled me aside and just told me that its going get better and that I need to trust the Lord and the language would come. I truly felt like he was an angel in my life.  It was like God was speaking directly to me through him. So cool. Every time it gets hard out here I think of a quote that was shared to me. "The road to salvation leads to the edge of Gethsamane and in the shadow of Calvary".  If we plan to live with our Heavenly Father again, we need to experience some of what Jesus Christ went through for us and that seems to get me going again. 

I know I’m so blessed to be out here and I’m so grateful for all the support at home. Thank you for wanting me to be out here – it’s such a blessing. 

The language is coming though... I have learned so much these past 3 weeks because it’s all I speak with my companion. A lot of the time I just feel lost in conversations. But hey,  it will come. 

Anyways, I’m glad you guys had a great week and I hope you have a better one this week :)  Things are great here so you don’t need to worry about me. Keep me updated on all the things that are happening at home.

les extraño! les amo!

- Elder Harris IV

PS:   I also had the opportunity to play the game "how many Latinos can you fit in a van?" I think we won. 22. And it was like a 45 minute ride. Yeahhhh I’m becoming real close to these Latinos.

PSS: All the teenage boys grow up their pinky fingernail really long. It’s something that has to do with drugs. But anyways, I’m doing it too. I need to fit in somehow :)

PSSS: The water is still freezing and it’s still horrible.