Elder Jake Moss: Day of The Dead...Not The Zombie Apocalypse...

Here's Jake's latest update for the week. This coming week all of the missionaries will be traveling to a multi-zone conference. Conference is on Friday and then they are having a big mission soccer tournament on Saturday night.

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Hey family! How are you all? How was halloween? This week flew by and we enjoyed it lots! We had a lot of failed appts but that doesn't stop us from working hard. Every morning I'm up studying an hour early of Spanish and the scriptures. I want to be the best teacher and be able to communicate well with these people. love the Bible haha....it is so great! Halloween is not that big here....it's honestly just an excuse for the people here to drink. Lots of people drink here and then they visit the cemeteries and drop favorite foods off and flowers for their loved ones. We have to teach people to be careful with worshipping idols and stuff here. They have a hard time understanding that commandment. They celebrate "The Day of the dead and living" and have a huge festival. There's a huge carnival for kids and tons of freaking amazing food. I wanted to try roasted pig, cuy (guinea pig) and lots of different stuff that is smoked over fires right in the street haha.... and then they all get drunk.

Elder Rasmussen and I had an experience this week with a drunk guy yesterday. There was a drunk, paralyzed guy in this sketchy alley yelling for help to get him up the stairs with his wheelchair. I like to help people here, they may not say thank you and they may have alcohol seeping from their pores, but I want to help them. So I stopped Rasmussen and we helped this guy up the stairs to his house. It's just sad to see all these people lost in the world. So many people walked past this guy and didn't care to help him. It was a good samaritan experience! :) It felt good to help him and my heart ached for him.

Reflection of the week: I was reading in 2 Cor 3:5-6 and it talks about missionary work and how Paul is simply teaching of christ and not of himself. The light in this dark world is Christ and his gospel. As missionaries we are bringing light into this dark world. It makes me want to work harder and be able to relate to these people more and more. I've always cared for people and care for them even more when I get to know them. It's HARD when you can't speak the language very well, but I'm trying because I want to help them as much as possible! So one day when I can speak better I know I will really help someone out and I will be on top of the world! I had a great experience with a less active girl who hasn't been attending church. She wants to go on a mission. I started to explain how it makes you happy and your life will be so happy after and the spirit hit her and she started to cry. I felt the spirit and my Spanish may have not been the best but she understood it. Her name is Tatiana. I shared how when I started to read the BOM, take church seriously and pray sincerely, I felt happiness in my life.

Right now we have 5 people with dates for baptism.... Frank, Mariela, Ketty, Nadya, and Rocio. The next one is Mariela. We are working with her and her sister who is a less active from Lima East missionaries. She wasn't taught how to pray.. it is sad.. but we are working with them hard. We are encouraging her to close her store on Sundays! Mariela did! She is great! I love being here and I'm happy and time is flying. I'm learning patience with this country and people. I truly enjoy serving them here in Peru. I love you all! and miss you all! :)