Christmas in Peru

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It was a joy talking to ya’ll on Christmas. Christmas for us was well interesting. We ate with our cook and her family. We also had some fun watching the fireworks. It is so different here, they don’t have restrictions, so everybody is shooting off huge fireworks from every direction. Wwe were up on the roof so it was really cool to watch the show. This week has been one very interesting week. We had three baptisms of Julio Navarro and his daughter Maria Elisa, and also Nohelia. Julio had really had the determination the whole time and when it came down to the decision to have the baptism Friday he was very excited. He and his daughter showed up a little late, followed by his wife, who will probably get baptized a little later. The thing that made me mad was he almost cried because his rebellious son didn’t go to the baptism because he was playing soccer with his friends. Kids sometimes make dumb decisions. Julio said that he knew the church was true and that all the things in his life led him up to this point. I was very glad that half of the fam is done with the step of being baptized in their life. Nohelia had some really strong pressures at home. Nobody in her family are members and really kind of tried to discourage her. She also was determined at the start to get baptized, so what happened, she got baptized. I love baptisms they are such a sweet experience for us to be a part of as missionaries. Changes are coming up really soon and I don’t really know where I am going, or better yet if I am leaving the mission (comas1) Peru Lima North. We had the opportunity to go to the temple today. That was really an interesting experience. The last time that we were at the temple my recommend fell out of my pocket in one of the lockers. I talked to the leader of the zone and he said, “I don’t think that it will be a big deal because we have changes soon and you can just talk to the President and get a new one through an interview.” Well the bad news is this last change we didn’t have interviews, so I went to the temple and didn’t have my recommend. The President of the Mission had to talk to the President of the Temple to give me permission to go through this one time. It was SCARY. I have never had that feeling while watching all the others go through but not having my recommend.I was glad that everything worked out and I was able to go through. I love this work and really have had a great time.

Yesterday we had a farewell of some of the missionaries...and today we have p-day. I am sorry it isn’t the normal time. I was thinking if I go to the jungle it will be hard to coordinate with packages. But still send it cause I will get it in time.

I love you all and hope that everything is great. I LOVE YOU!
CHAU,
~Elder Taylor Griffin~