Week 26 - Guinea Pigs

Hola,

Another week in the books here in Puno!  This week was yet another week of VERY hard work for me!  We are finding and teaching so many new people, it is absolutely crazy right now.  We are finding a lot of amazing people who are so very ready to hear our message.  Here are a few cool stories from my week this week.

First off, we are teaching a really strong Catholic family. They’ve been Catholic their entire lives and interestingly enough, they are listening to us. One of the members of the family named Watson Is really interested in what we have to teach him. He knows so much about the Bible, its crazy. My Companion Elder Barrios being a convert of 6 years having been Catholic before also knows the bible well so it is really interesting to hear them talk back and forth about the Bible.  The one thing I’ve been trying to focus on is helping him gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon.  As we’ve been working on this he is gaining a strong testimony of it and the Truthfulness of the Gospel.  As I’ve learned, it is so important to set your sights on the Book of Mormon. Without it, you will not have any success as a missionary.  As well this week, I was teaching one of my recent converts, Bryan. It is crazy to see his progress from where he started to where he is now. He started with hardly any testimony and now, he is so strong that he is preparing to serve a mission for himself. While teaching, he opened up his scriptures and showed me a picture that he’d put under the front cover of them. It was a picture of Elder Iza and I standing with him on the day he was baptized. It is so crazy to think that a person who just became a member is going to go off and do the same thing I am doing now.

This week, I had the opportunity to eat a Guinea Pig again!!! My Penchanista cooked my Companion and me a guinea pig for each of us. I’ve had it before, but never an entire guinea pig to myself.  Now I know what you are all thinking. EWWWW!  Disgusting!  But, before you say that just remember if you haven’t eaten it, you don’t know if you like it yet.  Considering the fact that none of you have any idea what it’s like, I will describe it to you.  First off, Guinea Pig Is pretty dang expensive!  It costs 25 Soles for just one. Here in Peru that’s a lot of money! When you cook it, you leave every single part of the insides in. Liver, heart, intestines and all.  You place it in a frying pan with oil and grill it up. Now, normally most Guinea Pigs have hair right?  Well, let’s just say they don’t get it all off when you eat it! After it’s grilled, it’s served with rice, potatoes, or whatever else and you just dig right in.  It’s a big traditional dish here in Peru so, it’s very offensive not to eat it all of it!  I just dug right in.  Eating the legs.  All the internals and leaving all the bones, rib cage etc. too be honest, its actually pretty good…kina tastes like Chicken… but not really! Hahaha!

Anyways I just wanna close up and thank everyone for their continual support for the past 6 months! That’s right, this week on the 12^th is my 6 month mark and it’s honestly been the Best 6 months of My Life.  I’ve changed so much as a person and seen so many amazing things!  I Love teaching this message each day and I know the next 18 months are going to fly by!  It definitely has NOT been easy, but the Lord has gotten me this far and I know he will help me get through the rest of it! I love you all so very much! Hasta la proxima semana!

Love,

Elder Fawcett

P.S. My Penchanista thought it was really funny that my brother had a Guinea Pig as a Pet so she took the video and the pictures!

                                                       Yes, I Did Eat the Entire Guinea Pig!!!

Yep, Those are Whiskers and Teeth!

Guinea Pig on the Inside!

Fry It Up in Oil!

Served with Rice, Corn, Potatoes and Tomatoes

Week 25 - Beginning an Awesome New Year!!

Hola mi Familia y Amigos:

I hope everyone’s week was good and that everyone had a great New Years.  I am doing really well and it was fun to celebrate my first New Years out of the country.  New Years here in Puno Peru is pretty much like Christmas, with a lot of fireworks and a lot of drinking.

Today for P-Day, we went to the Puma of Puno which is pretty much like the Condor that I have shared with you in the past.  It was pretty cool and the group of us that went had a lot of fun today going over there and I took some video along the way as well as some pictures that I will share below.

What a week! This week involved teaching a lot of new investigators! It’s Super awesome to be working hard, that is one aspect of the mission I love! As far as teaching goes, things are moving along pretty good with our investigators and my Companion and I have a few that need just a little more work and then they will be ready for baptism.  But overall, things are going really great for us.  One of the really neat experiences that I had this past week was I was able to share my Testimony with some people in Quichua. There are a few people here, especially the older ones that speak this language.  Interestingly enough, there are a lot of people here who think Quichua is the language the people spoke down here at the time of Christ.  There are Quichuan books that refer to the "White God" that visited the people and promised to return some day.  Also, there are a lot of people here that think that Machu Picchu is the place that Christ appeared to the people here.

Now, let me tell you a story from this past week! So on Sunday, we were walking to Church for Sacrament meeting. As we were walking, we walked passed a drunk man who I thought was passed out from the New Year’s night before. He looked over and speaking perfect English said “Elders come help me!” Normally we ignore drunks because we don’t want to face any troubles. But this time, it was different. I felt the impression to go and help him out. So, I walked over even though my Companion protested against it, and helped. As I walked over I noticed the giant tattoo on his chest and smelled the super strong alcohol and marijuana that he had been using the night before. I helped him up and helped him put on his shirt. He then said in perfect English “Elders I am coming to Church with you today!” so, we continued walking to Church and on the way I spoke to him in English asking how he was so fluent and if he was a member and such. On the way, he explained that he was born into the church and had lived in Salt Lake City for 8 years when he was 11 till 18. While there, his Dad served as a Bishop in a Latino Ward in Salt Lake City. After his Dad had been released the family decided to move here to Puno where his Dad would continue his work as a Doctor. It was when he returned to Peru that he decided to leave the Church and began drinking and doing drugs. Now 29 years old, with his life in a shamble he was walking to Church with 2 - 19 year old missionaries after not setting foot in a Church for 11 years! As we entered and sat in the Chapel the meeting began. Coincidentally the first opening hymn was the Spirit of God.  As we sat there and as I shared my hymn book with this man, he began to sing. The Spirit became very strong and he started sobbing. He spoke and told me that he wasn’t worthy to be in the Church. He tried to leave but I stuck my arm around him and told him that he was exactly where the Lord wanted him. He sat and then it was time for the Sacrament, the Deacons came by our row and the tray was handed to him. Not taking any, he passed it to me and began to cry again. He said “I am not clean enough to be taking of this, but because you brought me here today I know I will be take it again someday!” 

After staying for all 3 hours of Church he thanked me and told me that he wanted to change his life and that he’d be back next Sunday. That was \when that I learned his last name. I realized that I knew his family, they were in another Ward but on one occasion when I did discussions with another missionary. I had a visit with his family several months ago. In the lesson his mother prayed and asked the Lord to let someone come and help her son. Months later, the Mother’s prayer would be answered through a prompting. I got to help pull a drunk man back onto his feet and then have him come to Church with me. I testify that God answers prayers in his time, all things will and can be made right again. I testify this is the work of our Father in Heaven here on the earth, I am just an imperfect 19 year old trying my best to get through each day! We are just the hands to rescue those in need, his lost sheep.

Love,

Elder Fawcett    

                                                                        Proselyting in Puno Peru 

Elder Fawcett at the Puma of Puno

Overlooking Puno from the Puma

Puma of Puno

Serpent by the Puma

Elder Fawcett and Elder Barrios Don't Even Know What to Say About This One! We All Thought This was Funny! Says "I Am Hugging You in My Mind"

Week 24 - The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Hola mi Familia y Amigos:

So, when all the world was celebrating Christmas and all, Elder Barrios and I have been working hard to find more people to teach!  Contacting is actually something that I’ve come to like a Whole lot in the mission.  Talking to random people who think you’re a salesman, thinking you wanna rob them or people who know exactly who you are but don’t want any part of it!  Contacting is ALWAYS the best, hahaha!  But with all the contacting we did this week, we also got contacted!  On Wednesday morning, Elder Barrios and I were doing our morning studies when we heard someone knocking at out gate below!  We opened the window and there stood 3 Jehovah witness missionaries.  Without knowing who we were, they asked us if they could give us a pamphlet.  We agreed and left the house to grab the pamphlet from them.  On the way out, I grabbed three Restoration pamphlets and went below. They shared their interesting message about the family and then… well we shared ours! It was actually very spiritual and we accepted their pamphlet but only agreed to accept it if they accepted ours.  Who knows what will happen, but you never know how a simple pamphlet could get someone interested in learning the truth!

As well as contacting, we had an awesome Christmas activity in which we shared gifts, food and activities with small VERY POOR village children outside of Puno.  This village barely had anything… let alone food to eat, clothes to wear or toys for the kids to play with.  In this activity, we had the chance to share all of those things with the kids. The activities were at the Elementary School and literally the entire village turn out as we played games with the kids and other activities while eating a huge meal.  One of the coolest aspects of the activities is that we had the chance to give the toys to the all of the kids individually!  It was one of the most incredible experiences I have had as I watched the kids eyes light up with excitement as they saw us with the toy in our hands. One of the boys (6 years old) that I gave a toy action figure to asked me what my name was, I told him “Elder Fawcett”, he then took his little toy action figure and started playing with his friends, referring to the action figure as “Elder Fawcett”.  I got tears in my eyes as I realized how much I’ve been given in my life!  The Lord has blessed me beyond measure!  With an immense amount of blessings that others don’t have!  The see the happiness of others is something that has always make me happy in life!  Especially on my mission!

Sunday (Christmas), I spent time talking to those who mean the world to me!  As I shared this time, it made me realize more and more why I am here and why I had to be the one to say goodbye to everything!  I have been given much, so I too must give!  2 years is a small price to pay to help others be happy for all eternity!  No matter how hard this gets, I will press onward knowing that the small price of sacrifice that I am paying is going to bless the lives of those I meet here in Peru!  For I truly know that the happiness these people feel through the service of a 19 year old guy from Kaysville Utah, will have a great effect on the happiness I feel throughout the Eternities!

Love,

Elder Fawcett

P.S. As I confessed to my family yesterday… one of the things I broke the ice on is the fact that I’ve eaten a CAT!  Just thought I should come clean on that!  Love You all haha!  Hasta Luego!

           Finding the True Meaning of Christmas!

          Early Christmas Morning in Puno Peru

Village Elementary School Buildings

Front of the Village Elementary School

Inside the Classrooms

White Board in Classroom

Playing Musical Chairs with the Kids

Last 3 Standing!

Elder Fawcett with Some of the Kids

School Kids and Zone Missionaries