A Busy Week

It seems that Justin is spending a lot of time in Lima. He had a zone conference last Thursday and had to spend a day going to the Bolivian consulate getting ready to go back to Bolivia. He said the people at the consulate were really mean and kept yelling at the missionaries for not filling out the paper work properly and not being serious enough. They had a real short interview where they asked them why they were going, who they were going to teach and how long they were going to be there. "But we all made it through."

He and his companion spent the night at the assistant's apartment. He said it was miserable. He slept on just a mattress without a pillow or blanket. He froze and woke up feeling sick. Last time he slept there he had to sleep on a hard floor. Poor guy. He did enjoy the hot water shower. He said he forgot how nice hot water is. He was also in American food franchise heaven! He had Dunkin donuts for breakfast, Papa Johns pizza for lunch and McDonald's for dinner.

"So everything is all set for us to go back now. On Friday they said the soonest that we'd go back would be Tuesday (tomorrow) but if President Fierro said we couldn't go back until the end of the change we won't be going back until the end of the change, May 25th. I was talking with him Thursday though for a while and he said he was basically planning on us leaving on the 24th. But we will see. It will either be between tomorrow (which won't happen, they haven't called or said anything) or the end of May. Guess we will have to wait and see. But in all our papers we had to fill out there was actually plane tickets for the 24th that were purchased and everything. We were going to leave Lima at 9:50 but that may have just been for visa purposes. But maybe we will end up leaving this Friday. Who knows. Either way I am fine with it. Ica has been good." Do you think Justin is just a little excited to go back to Bolivia?! The unknown date must be killing him! Once again.... poor guy!

For now he seems happy and is very happy that summer is ending and they are having pleasant temperatures (he thinks it is between 70-80 degrees. He is not sure because they use Celsius, not Fahrenheit and he does not know how to read Celsius.) Any how, he says the temperature is "perfect." Justin is loving having a North American companion. "Elder Parker and I are getting along greattt."

They have a baptism this Saturday. A man named Eduardo. He is 43 and his family are all members. He wrote that they have 5 more people that said they want to get baptized as well. He really likes the ward, San Joaquin. He said it is really organized. "I guess a lot of people here know people in Pisco who knew me so they already kind of knew about me which is cool."

Thursday, all the missionaries from the South are coming to Ica for a zone conference and will have interviews with President Fierro on Sunday. They are having stake conference this Sunday and President Fierro and President Groberg are coming to town. "I'll ask President what he is going to do with us as far as going back to Bolivia, he should tell me." Once again, do you think he is a little excited to go back to Bolivia?! Justin went on to say, "I was talking with him the other day about how much Lima blows, he agrees with me. It's all grey and ,makes you depressed. I told him not to send me back to Lima. Oh yeah, he told me the reason that he gave me the change to Ica instead of leaving me in Pisco was because I was leaving soon and he wanted to make the goodbye to Peru a little easier. He didn't want me to be really attached to my area when I left so it wouldn't be hard because he said he knew it would be, having to change missions again. That was nice of him. They (President and Hermana Fierro) end their mission here soon."

Justin lives on the fifth floor of an apartment complex. He says, "It's not too funny climbing all the stairs everyday, but the apartments not too bad. It is a one bedroom, a large living area room, a little kitchen and another nook out back where we sleep. Our pension is not too bad. She lives on the first floor and just gives us our lunch in tupperwares and we eat in our room."

On Friday night on their way back from Lima they stopped by Sonia's house to get Justin's bowls and plates. He said she was happy to see him and meet Elder Parker. It sounded like Justin was equally happy to see his old friend as well! "They are doing well. Elder Gil and Elder Carpenter have about 5 baptisms programmed from all the people we were teaching, Love you all, Justin"