Elder Taylor Fawcett: Week 7 - Arrived in My First Area, Puno, Peru

Hola!!

So much has happened since my last email. I will go really quickly because I am limited to an hour. First off, I finished my 6 weeks in the CCM! It was fantastic but I was definitely ready for the field. We left at 3 am on Tuesday to go catch our flight at the airport. After arriving at the airport we had difficulties with baggage but we were able to make it through security and all of our bags worked out just fine! We then went to our gate and caught a little tram thing out to our plane. The tram took us straight to the plane on the runway just like in the old movies! It was awesome! We then flew for an hour to CUSCO!! After arriving in Cusco I immediately felt the difference in altitude! I was fine though! There were coca leaves for free as we exited the airport but of course those aren’t good... especially for missionaries. We then met up with the Mission President and took bus to the Mission Office. We then had an orientation and I got my pic was taken with the President and Sister Herrera. We then went to President and Sister Herrera’s house for lunch and interviews. It was awesome and my interview went very well. We then went to a hotel where we spent the night.

The following day we were assigned our areas. I was assigned to labor in the Puno Central Area. My trainer is Elder Iza! He is from Ecuador and only speaks SPANISH!!! He was in the military in Ecuador as a National Guard type thing! Pretty legit if you ask me! We take good care of each other! The next day we took an 8 hour bus ride to Puno! It was long and interesting because they had a television for the whole bus. Some Australian people gave them a James Bond movie to watch on the TVs. Of course none of us watched it but it was funny because after James Bond was over we gave them the restoration video to watch and they didn’t like that very much!

Once in Puno the work began! My area is pretty much ALL a hill. So I walk up and down every single day all day long. It’s a really good workout. We have a penchanista and she’s pretty good at cooking. This is my meal basically cada dia. Breakfast: Fried eggs, bread, and a death grain drink (I drink this pretty much all day because the members like to give it to the missionaries, it is sort of like postum). Lunch: Either chicken feet soup or Chunyo soup (Chunyo is rotten potatoes soak in a river for a month and then stomped on by barefooted Peruvians), and chicken and rice. Dinner is pretty much just rice, bread, and some sort of meat. Yes... I have had guinea pig. It’s not bad. Nothing is really too bad... but most of the Elders hate chunyo but I eat it all. Sometimes my stomach hurts but its all good!

We live in a house with another set of Elders and thankfully I know one of them, Elder Haws. Elder Haws is not only in the same house with me, but he is from Riverton and was with me in the CCM. He and I are good buddies because we can speak English together once in a while. Every day here is work. We work hard and are teaching a ton of people right now. It’s been really neat because doors that have been closed on other Elders are opening to my Companion and I. It’s amazing! I bear testimony that the gift of tongues is real. I don’t speak good Spanish but I have been told several times that I sound Peruvian and that they understand me. I testify that this is the Lords work and that through him ALL is possible.

Love

Elder Fawcett