"He Confirmed It!"

"On Tuesday we had our interviews with president here! Elder Carpenter and I asked him about going back to Bolivia. He asked first what we knew. I told him mom had been emailing me about it for about a month now and I had heard the other mission presidents had announced it now. Then he confirmed it! He said the church is going to send us back in groups of 20 each change, or 6 weeks. So from each of the 4 Lima missions 5 missionaries are going to go every 6 weeks, making 20 at a time. He said he has the names of the first 5 people from out mission and he couldn’t remember who all is on it, but he said he knows for sure I'm on it. Elder carpenters not. He said I was actually going to go in the beginning of march, but at the last minute they called and said we weren’t going to leave yet. He thinks we are going to go at the end of this change though, or about the 13th of April. So well see! I'm excited though. It sounds like he doesn't really want us to go though."

The keyboard there is different so Justin's emails have a lot of spelling errors and he does not have time to spell check anything. Justin's patience had obviously worn thin, so he went ahead and asked his mission president since he obviously wasn't going to tell him maybe until it was time for him to leave. Justin has been very blessed to have two mission presidents thus far and be able to serve in two countries. He has come to love the people in Peru and has grown in so many ways.

Their zone baptism went from 15 people to 3 last minute. Justin sounded disappointed of course. As his mission president said, "It would have been worth it all even if we only had one baptism." In the morning the missionaries went to the same chicken restaurant, then went to Pisco to get everything ready for the baptisms. Afterwards in the church parking lot, they served cake for all the March birthdays and sang to them. His birthday celebration just keeps going! Justin said,"It was a long and stressful day." My ever perfectionist boy. "Vicki got baptized though and that's what's most important." Vicki is the lady they made the straw hut home for. She now has a family to love and care for her. Her new ward family!

Today for pday he and Elder Gil are going to a members house to hang out. They have planned a day for them. "It is the family of the turkey that I killed. Did I ever tell you I had to buy 2 ducks to make the little girls happy after killing their turkey? Reminded me of when Scott (Justin's cousin) had that little duck friend he brought everywhere with him. Love you all. Talk to you next week. I'll be in Bolivia soon."

Anyone sending Justin letters or packages needs to send them to the Cochabamba BOLIVIA address. He will be long gone from his Peru mission by the time your letter gets there. Be aware that the mail in Bolivia takes a VERY long time! Bummer! Exciting time for him though..... and we get another phone call!! Whoopee!