April 27, 2015

Ok, first I will attempt to answer all of your questions. So basically to explain Juliaca, it is just like I remember. What you saw is basically what Juliaca is like: cold, dirty, and a lot of cars (mototaxis). However, I still like it in my own little weird way. And yes this is my first time being a senior comp (I think). I don’t ever really check on that jazz. That yellow sign that you saw is actually right next to our chapel and so I actually see it quite a bit. Speaking of buildings, my house is the first floor of our pensionista’s house. It’s cold and dark so we call it the cave. It took me a good week to get used to how cold it is. XD However, I just share it with my companion. Basically, it has 2 rooms with that bathroom outside under the stairs (also really cold). As for the food, my pensionista here cooks pretty good and she lets us cook sometimes too. However, the food in Cusco was better. She always jokes that she is going to feed me chunyo but I hope I never have to eat that again. As far as the people we have contacted, our appointments with them are either later this week or we are still in the process of finding them at home so there really isn’t anything new to report on them. Also for all the missionaries in the Juliaca zone, I believe in all there are 22 in our zone.

It’s funny you bring up Puno because we actually went there twice this week. Friday we went for a multi-zone conference with zones Puno and Juli (Puno has 2 zones). Probably actually one of the best conferences with the President we have had. Anyway, the second time was for a training on family history with the missionary couple who are working in that (the Johnsons). It’s funny because back in Cusco I did a lot of work with them. Also while I was there I met up with some other missionary nerds and we have planned to play some Dungeons and Dragons this next p-day in Puno. Also Lake Titicaca is huge. I’ll get some pictures of it next time I go. But other than that, this week has been pretty good. Me and my comp are still getting along really well. I just don’t have much to say on the people we are teaching because they haven’t really progressed and I’m still trying to get to know them.

However, this week it was funny because we had another guy contact us but this time it was this half drunk guy who told us he wanted help in his life. I swear this is the most I have had people contact me. Anyway that’s all I really got for now but I love you all and I’m glad to hear all is going well back home and I will talk to you in 2 weeks Woot!

Elder Halverson

P.S. I can’t help but think of the video game character every time you mention Ahri XD

This is a YouTube video I watched on Juliaca and is what Chase is referring to in his letter. The yellow sign is at 3:13 in the video.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cHAgmip3Iw  I looked up Chunyo, and it's a frozen potato concoction that seems pretty gross. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu%C3%B1o)

April 20, 2015

Hello everyone!

We had a pretty good week. I just got a couple funny stories that I want to tell you. Ok, so first, there is a couple we are teaching and one night while we were there I had a beanie on because it’s really cool here. For whatever reason, the wife kept giggling every time I started to talk. I asked her what it was and she said it was nothing. I then attempted to say is it because of my beanie but instead of chuyo (word for beanie) I said chorro (which means robber). It really wasn’t that funny but she just lost it. Juliaca is indeed in need of some good quality humor.

Ok, so these next 2 both happened in the same day. Also, they were both people who contacted us. The first guy was a professor from Lima and he was here selling some mathematic books he wrote. He came up to us and told us, "I respect you guys for what you do, would you be able to share your message with me by chance?" So far we have taught him twice and he came to church on his own and he has got some dang good questions. Sadly, he leaves Juliaca tomorrow but we were able to pass his info to Lima. The other was a college student who started talking to us on the street and his first words were, "I don’t want to be Mormon." I was a little put off by that and simply told him that he didn’t have to talk to us then. He later rephrased and said, "I don’t want to be baptized but I want to learn more about your religion because I’ve heard a lot of people say I know that it’s true and I want to know why." Anyway, we took down his contact information and we'll see if we can contact him this week.

This is the last one I got. Ok, so a few days ago me and my comp found a cell phone in the street and brought it home. After 30 minutes a very worried guy called us and we met up with him to return his phone. We asked him if we could share our message with him and he said we could. So later that day he showed us his house. Turns out he lives right behind us and we were able to teach him and his wife.

Anyway, those are my stories for this week. I’m glad you are all doing well and tell grandma (well she will actually probably read this email) that I wish her a happy birthday and I love her! But I’m looking forward to talking to you all next month for Mother’s Day! But until then goodbye and I love you all!

Elder Halverson

His companion made pizza!                                  And then...

Right after washing his hair, or his "lovely locks" as he put it.

April 13, 2015 - Transfer to Juliaca

Hello everyone!

This week has been pretty good, just a little tiring with travels and organizing my stuff. So basically the best way to explain Juliaca is everything here looks like Choquehuanca but a hundred times bigger. Juliaca is definitely a lot more developed than Choquehuanca but it’s not like Cusco. I feel like the city has grown too fast, kinda like how we get stretch marks for growing too fast. However, here it’s just incomplete houses and roads and it’s really dirty. I have been to Juliaca though before when I was in Choquehuanca because we had permission to come here once a change. However, more than anything, I only know the area around the mall but that’s not in my sector. Also another thing about Juliaca is that it’s even flatter than Choquehuanca with only one hill in the whole city.

Anyway, my new companion's name is Elder Bordon. He is from the North part of Argentina; however, I don’t remember the name of the city. He only has about 5 months in the mission and so he is pretty new. However, he is a really good missionary and we have gotten along so far. I still don’t really know too much about him because we have only been together for less than a week. As far as the ward, from what I’ve seen it seems to be doing pretty well. It’s still in an early development with an assistance of about 100 people. However, a lot of people miss the sacrament because we meet at 8 in the morning and for a lot of people in Peru, but especially in Puno, it’s hard for them to get up early and be on time. However, from what I hear, Juliaca is progressing the fastest out of all the zones in our mission, so I hope that’s true. However, the nice thing is that it seems that they have a lot of people we can visit but the only problem is that a lot of them aren’t in their houses very much.

But that’s about all the news I got for this week. I’m still trying to get to know the sector so hopefully I can talk more about the people we are visiting this next. Also, that’s crazy that when I get back, the ward is going to be completely different. Well, I love you all and I’ll talk to you next week.

Elder Halverson

April 6, 2015

Hello everyone!

This week has been a little tough on account that it was Semana Santa (holy week) and everyone was busy with parties or on vacation. However, we were able to watch conference this weekend which was a nice boost at the end of the week as well as the end of the change. Speaking of changes, I have a change to Juliaca, which is in the department of Puno. Actually it’s kinda funny because Juliaca is one hour away from Choquehuanca and it’s also now part of zone Juliaca so I can go there to visit it. My new companion is a Latino who I don’t know his name or anything about him. But I’m definitely going to miss Cusco. Also, I get to spend another winter in Puno, which is freezing and dry down there. Speaking of keeping your nose dry, it’s funny you say that because me and my comp have had really runny noses this past week. Also another thing that’s pretty crazy is that Elder Nicholls is now in his last change (last 6 weeks) before he goes home. I still remember our time together in Choquehuanca like it was yesterday.

As for conference, I noticed a theme on Saturday of marriage... I wonder how that makes all the returning missionaries feel... Lol Anyway, I really liked it. I’d say it was really good but then again that’s also how all the conferences are; I’ve never seen a bad one. That was pretty interesting though that some people would go to conference just to oppose. But what can you do. Anyway for all of us, it was really cool with the 2 talks in Spanish because during those 2 talks we just changed the channel to the Spanish conference and we were still able to understand them and hear their real voices. In fact, the only time we had the translator was for the Portuguese talk. Also, I think the person most difficult to understand was the black 70 guy. But I really like the conference and something new was I actually had a few questions that I needed help with that were answered in the conference.

As for the girls’ cats, there is actually a certain way that you are supposed to get cats used to each other that you could probably look up on youtube or something. But sadly, cats are not like 2 stranger dogs that will just play with each other. We do also have the He Lives video and we are focusing on that message right now and we will continue to use the video as well as the pass along card until this Christmas. But I am definitely ready for an American Easter this next year and not have to deal with 12 gross dishes that's tradition to serve here during Semana Santa. 

As for our investigators, nothing has really changed with them on account that we couldn’t really find them this week. I feel like at least Yosimara will get baptized when they get married and that it also may take a while for it to happen with them.  I think the thing that I’m most tired of about Peruvians is that most of them are not married and yet will have kids that are like 10 years old as well as their lack of respect for others. However, they are still great people and I’ll miss the families I’ve met here. One thing that is both nice as well as frustrating about the people here is many are willing to listen but don’t have any desire to change. A lot of times they just like to hear messages about God regardless from who it comes from.

With my companion, we had a good 2 changes together and we have grown together despite our disputes. We have never had a fight that we couldn’t work out. I’m grateful that I was able to get to know him and we had a lot of fun together. We also have some plans for when we get back, so that will be pretty fun. 

Well that’s all I really got for his week. I made sure to write a little more so hopefully this satisfies your hunger for my word XD Anyway, I love you all and I’m glad to hear you’re all doing well and I’ll talk to you next week!

Elder Halverson 

Not sure what this video is really supposed to be, but it came with his letter and is a good laugh.