5/14/2013
Dear Neuhaus Family,
I was glad I had the opportunity to write mom this past sunday, she's been a amazing mother! I've been doing good. However, the last 4 days I've been bed ridden with the Nova Virus. But they let me get up and walk around and eat when I could. I went to the temple today so I'm feeling good now. Well I usually spend about 14-15 hours a day in the classroom doing either personal study,companion study,language study, or learning grammar from a teacher. It switches off on a day to day basis on who my investigator is. This week MWF in the mornings i've been teaching a guy named Augusto. He is a college professor who had some students who were Mormon so he was interested in the gospel. Last lesson we went into it planning to teach on the restoration, but he was hungover so we decided to teach him about the Word of Wisdom. On T/Th evenings we've been teaching a lady named Nancy. She has an 8 yr old boy and a boyfriend who lives with her. Taught the law of chastity to her last lesson, she didn't seem to interested in it. She enjoys the gospel and reads the Book of Mormon and believes it to be true, but doesn't want to be seperated from her boyfriend. Supposedly its a common problem here in Peru because getting married her is expensive and in Peru bishops can't legally marry a couple. Couples first have to be married through the government before being married in the temple. Temple marriage here isn't a legal marriage like it is in the U.S. just another blessing we have that we don't think about. So those are my two "investigators" right now. On saturday I get to go proselyting for the first time for real. I'm super pumped for that, it'll be a neat experience. Listened to the whole temple sesh in Spanish again for P-day, understood almost all of it. My Spanish is coming along great. No one is speaking to fast for me out here, i'm feeling really confident right now. My companion gets on my nerves alot but i'm learning how to deal with him. He has the personality of Bryce Swenson and never knows when to be quiet. And in lessons he likes to try to talk but usually kills the spirit because he can't come up with a word and freaks out or just rambles about something we weren't even discussing in the lesson. Por ejemplo, we were teaching on la ley de castidad and he started talking about the importance of paying tithing and how it will keep you chaste....not the best example. But it's okay, we'll get there. We haven't been to any members homes yet, not sure where that came from...sorry.
My companion is currently from Gilbert, Arizona. His name is Elder Dorson. He's an interesting red-headed kid. Got alot of out-there ideas about the gospel. The two other Elders in my district are Elder Estrada, and Elder Zohner. Elder Estrada is from Tuscon, Arizona. He's a really cool dude i get along with him well. Elder Zohner is from Idaho Falls, Idaho. He reminds me of Tanner Truman. He's that type of dude. Loves computers and such. Good at spanish though. My really good friends here leave this next week sadly. They're names are Elder Colton, Elder Walker, Elder Dority, Elder Hess, and Elder Leavitt. Elder Colton is from Arcadia, California. I spent alot of time with him the past 4 days. We both had the Nova Virus together and were stuck in the same room in bed,and we just found out he has a hernia yesterday. He's a funny dude that played some football and basketball in high school, he went to BYU-I for a semester. I'm trying to get him to come out to Provo when he gets back. Elder Dority is from Logan. He's a District Leader out here. He's a great guy, super country and has a good sense of humour. He always jokes about how he knows how to castrate a cow and he's more country than me even though I'm from Nashville. Elder Walker is from Payson, he's a quiet country kid that is a good friend. He's gonna be a kicker for the Dixie State football team when he gets back. He's pretty good at soccer. Elder Hess is from O´clair, Wisconsin. This kid is the most defined kid I've ever met. Tell him he's more defined than Mika and Gabe. Literally every vein is popping out of his forearms, and he never works out. He's a good guy, doesn't even have a wisconsin accent. He's kinda quiet but he knows aton about the gospel. I love having deep gospel convos with him and Elder Colton. Elder Leavitt is from Brighton. He plays tennis at SUU and is a hilarious red head kid with a really outgoing personality. I've had alot of fun with him out here. All the guys out here call me pretty boy or "sunshine" like the guy off of remember the titans. It's pretty funny.
I'll try to send a video out to you guys. Last time it wouldn't let me becase the file was too big...It was of my old Latino roomate named Elder Cañari beatboxing a little in my room. Right now I can't import pictures to a website so I will just email you them, we are only allowed on LDS.org and the myldsmail.net email they set up for us. Wow, that's gonna be aton of fun. I bet they are all freaking out. They'll love it. That'll be a great experience for them. Especially since Gabe and Josh have never flown before. Super jealous. You should send me some pictures of what is going on around out there. Plus I still need that yellow fever form. Sounds like you coulda been a pilot, I'm sure flying is much more relaxing than driving. But i bet driving a UHaul with the twins will be a great experience. I vaguely remember driving a UHaul from Texas to Louisville when I was around their age with you guys. Good to hear that you send some stuff. I got my very first 3 letters yesterday in the mail. Including your postcard. Definitely brought a smile to my face. Surprisingly got a Dear Elder letter from Jordan Dobson too. It was short. Mostly complaining about how she didn't enjoy Louisville as much as BYU and how calling me Elder Neuhaus was weird. So far she's the only person outside of family i've heard from, did you guys put my email up on fb? I obviously didn't really have that many friends obviously.
When I got your postcard and read the intresting fact about Bolivia I was super surpised. I'm excited to see all the wildlife there. I'm sure it will be awesome. All that is out here are wild rabied infested dogs. And then I read about brad missing that dunk. Did he really jump from 10 feet out? That's like LeBron James/MJ range! I'm upset I don't get to see him play. I really hope he gets to play college ball somewhere. I know I'm missing out. Let him know I'm thinking about him out here. He's definitely my best friend.
The food here is getting bland already. Rice and chicken every night. Nasty greasy eggs for breakfast every morning. I've lost almost 12 pounds already due to not as much food and sickness. I'm sure i will be super skinny when I get back. I heard that a girl from my mission (Santa Cruz) lost 80 pounds on her mission...that's alot.
The weather here is killer hot. Super sweaty all the time, but i'm grateful I'm out here. It's really pretty here, you guys will have to come out here evenually. No other place i'd rather be right now. I know the Lord is happy for my service and you guys will be blessed along with me.
Soccer with the Latinos is pretty fun. I'd like to think I'm getting pretty good, I score at least one goal every game. So far the most i've scored in one game is 3. They like to joke and call us 'gringos' and say we're no good but there are plenty of uncoordinated Latinos. All of them have a big desire to learn english too. Especially late at night. They're always asking us what such and such means. Can't help but love them.
I'm gonna attach a few pictures for you guys. Love you and miss you all. I can't wait to hear from you guys again next week or maybe from a suprise letter in the mail.
Love you guys, I hope you feel the Lords blessings in your lives this week.
Elder Neuhaus
Alma 29:9
