Letter from President and Sister Perez

August 30, 2009

Dear Families of Missionaries in the Peru Lima North Mission,

It is an honor to be able to write you and express our thanks for the service that your sons and daughters are carrying out here in the mission. My wife and I are happy to have so many valiant young men and women that are giving all they’ve got, and even more.

Every six weeks we have the blessing of being with them, to interview them, train them, and visit their houses. It is in this way that we see the sacrifice they make every day with glad hearts, and we know that they are living many spiritual experiences. We want to tell you that in the month of August, your missionaries are working towards the goal of having six baptisms per companionship. Many have already achieved this goal and others have surpassed this amount before the month has even ended. We are very happy because they are obedient and know they are working for the Lord. The enthusiasm of each young man and woman has carried them to have the desire of achieving this very important goal, and for the month of September, the plan is to have seven baptisms per companionship. It is a very noteworthy number. Your missionaries know that if they work well and plan intelligently, the Lord will be with them. (D & C 84:88)

It is for this motive that we want to get in touch with you, the parents, so that in the letters you write to your missionaries every Monday, they feel like the marvelous sons and daughters that you know you have; and that in these letters, you can lovingly encourage them to achieve their missionary objective, which is “to bring many souls unto Christ.”

We want to again express to you our deepest gratitude; and please know that your missionaries are giving all for you.
(D & C 118:3)

With much love,

President and Sister Pérez
President and Wife
Perú Lima North Mission


**This letter was sent via email to all parents of missionaries in PLN. We understand that some of you did not receive this email because your email provider may have marked it as junk or spam. If you would like this email forwarded to you, please let me know at sled4fun2@hotmail.com. Thanks - Sister Gwen Rich

"Oldest city of the Americas"

Thursday (August 27th), we got up and ate breakfast in the car on our way to the famous city of ´´Caral´´.

Just so you know, it's official. I have been to the ´´oldest city of the Americas´´. It was cool. What I liked even more than Caral, was the road getting there.

We were in the ´´sierra´´ or the mountains, something that we don’t have in our mission. It was great to see the blue sky, the open farm ground, the mountains and hills, and just fresh air.

On our way back to Lima, we stopped in Huacho to eat lunch at ´´Rockys´´. It's a chicken place and it was really good. Then we got on the road home and were back in Lima around 4 pm in the afternoon and we got to work out in the field.

Trip to Barranca

This past week we had a good time traveling to Barranca. To get there we drove through the Zones of Pro, Puente Piedra, Ventanilla, Huacho, and then finally getting to Barranca, about a 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive. President Perez was the driver and he is great with his navigator, Sister Perez, and of course the snack provider in the back seat, their daughter Carolina.

The drive up started around 10 o'clock on Wednesday. We ate breakfast and lunch in the car (sandwiches made by Sister Perez and Carolina). There were chocolate chip cookies, Twix candy, pop, and all sorts of stuff, it was great, with even better company. I love my companion and the Perez family.

It was good to get to see Barranca. It has A LOT of farm land, and it was great to see the ocean, the mountains, the green fields of sugar cane, and all the farmers doing their work by hand. They do it just like the olden times in the United States, with horse and by hand. It's hard work, but that doesn’t stop the oldest geezer to the youngest buck from getting out there and working.

We got there around 1 o'clock and had time to catch a little nap in the hotel, and then we went to the interviews with the Zones Barranca and Huacho. It was good to get to see some of the elders that were with me previously in the Pucallpa zone (Elder Clarke and Mamani). Also, I got to see Elder Kay, who is from my group (the group that went out together almost 2 years ago). It was a good meeting, and afterward we ate dinner with the zone leaders of Barranca and got to bed early.

Advice from Elder Rich

Last week, another missionary I'm corresponding with wanted some advice on how to deal with companions. I passed this question along to Elder Rich, and this is what he had to say:

If they don't want to work, YOU work even harder.
If they don't want to be obedient, YOU be even more obedient.
If they lack Love, YOU love them even more....
Be humble, Pray often, Work hard, Be obedient.
It’s the same for every single missionary, member, and Profet in the world!

Missionary Work

All people on the earth were members of God’s family in the premortal life. We are part of God’s family in this life and can enjoy even greater blessings as members of His family in the life to come. We are all brothers and sisters in the family of God. This knowledge gives us a sense of identity and belonging. It gives us reason to hope for eternal life in God’s presence. We understand these basic truths because of the Restoration. Teaching restored truths to your brothers and sisters is your responsibility and blessing. Like Alma seeking to help the apostate Zoramites, you can pray: “O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ. Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious. . .; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee” (Alma 31:34-35). (Preach my Gospel: A guide to missionary service)

Road Trip

The Assistants and Presidente Perez have headed north up the coast from Lima to visit Barranca and Huacho Zones. Presidente Perez will drive the long winding route which will take 2-3 hours.

Elder Rich has never been to this area of Peru before, but his two good friends, Elder Woolf and Elder Herdt began their missions here. This picture, of Elder Herdt is in that area, almost 20 months ago. My how time flies.

Nunca estamos solos

Tarapoto Trip Remembered

Well, it was a good week, we went to Tarapoto last Wednesday and had interviews with the missionaries there, and also in Moyobamba. It was good to see the elders again.

We were able to visit all the afternoon with members and converts!!! I was able to see Diego Montenegro, and his family. Remember the little baby girl I was holding in the picture? (the picture is on the very very top of my blog), Well I took another picture holding her, but now she is huge and walking haha!!!

I was able to see Giovanna Vela, mother of Paul who drowned last December. She was working, so we didn’t have much time to talk, but she is doing well.

I saw Jorge, the husband of Rosita del Carmen, and their son Patrick. He isn’t a fat baby anymore, he is a walking skinny machine haha.. It's crazy!!!

It was a good trip, good flight, with good interviews.

A visit back

Presidente and Elder Rich and Elder Santiago traveled to Tarapoto yesterday. It's been about a year since Landon has been there.

I don't imagine there was much of THIS going on........



Probably more like THIS picture below, excepting that Gabo is coming upon his year mark in Bahia Blanca Argentina, and Elder Flores..... I'm not sure which zone he is in now?

Finally - new pictures up and posted !

I may be a little late (I'll just say it, I'm a procrastinator:) Here are some pics from Pucallpa. I think Elder Rich will be sending more soon, and I promise to get them up quicker than I got these posted. These are from April, May, June, and July.

Miscellaneous Pucallpa Pics

Youth in Pucallpa

Baptisms in Pucallpa

Vacation in Pucallpa

Church in Pucallpa

Massive Matrimonio

My companion

Elder Santiago is from Guatemala City, Guatemala. He is the oldest of 3 sons. One of his brothers is serving a mission in Ecuador and the other is 15 years old. They live with their mom. They have been members all their lives and are a great family.

I love my companion, he is the best. We’re the best of friends and we’re going great. We work hard, and we have fun doing it. He finishes his mission in January of the next year.

Facing the Facts

Well the time is getting short, I know I say this every week, but it's so true. I don’t have any time left and it feels weird. I know I will have to return home, but I have kind of forgotten what a normal life is like back home. The mission is the best thing that I have done in my life. I will spend all my life doing this work, I will help in every ward I am in and I will serve and I will do all I can to help other young men get on missions. I will do whatever I am called to do.

I know I'm talking about home, haha, I don’t know why............., I'm not trunky at all. I'm working hard and I'm loving what I'm doing and working to the best of my ability. I'm just facing the fact that one day I will have to go home.


I don’t know what the Lord has in store for me. After the mission it will be a life completely different. I have no idea what I will do. It’s going to be hard to stop being a missionary here in Peru. To leave all that I have done for the last 2 years. To leave President and his family. To not be a missionary. We have two choices, do the Father’s will, or not. We have to pray and know what His will is and then follow it and complete it. I’m not scared, I’m not uncertain, I just plain don’t want to stop being a missionary.

Let's get the combines going !

The following is an excerpt from a letter that Elder Wright sent to his family:

"Well, Elder Rich and President came to see us. I gave an hour long talk on why we should be "combines" and harvest the baptisms. See DyC 4:4. I talked about how the field is white and ready to harvest, about how there are many people looking for the gospel in their lives and they just don't know where to find it. See DyC 123:12. And how we as missionaries from the north mission should be like the combine and harvest all the people that we can. It was one of the funniest talks I have given on my mission. President loved it, and Elder Rich couldn't stop laughing, saying that I was a real hick, and that only an Idaho boy could put a wheat harvest story in a church talk! We spent the day with them and it was fun."

**Elder Rich's mom thinks Elder Rich is the pot, calling the kettle black !

Good News !!

"Good news from Proceres and Villa Sol. The Polanco family was SEALED in the temple!!!!! I haven’t seen pics yet, but they wrote me a letter and it was amazing to get it and be able to know they are happy and doing great in the church, I can only imagine."

**In these pictures - the daughters were baptized in March of 2008, and a few weeks later, their parents were. Such a special family.

P-day

Today (Saturday, August 8th) we went to the center of Lima to visit two museums. One was the catacombs underneath a Catholic church. It was interesting more than anything, for the first time in all my life I entered into a Catholic church during a meeting, and it was very very interesting. It was good to get out and see Lima again and just rest.

Travel Day

Today Elder Rich will be traveling with Elder Santiago and President Perez. They will go to Pucallpa for trainings and interviews. He reported in his last email, that three of his previous investigators in Pucallpa were baptized last Saturday - he was so happy. This is a picture of a previous baptism in Pucallpa. What a cute familia.

Hecticness........

Well this week has been full of adventure and excitement and well a week of hecticness, haha, I know that’s not a word but oh well…

Let's see where do I start?? Sunday was a good day. Our ward is really great and we had four really good investigators assist. They are now being taught and I'm sure that all of them will be baptized this August.

Monday (August 3rd) was a normal day in the offices and we prepared to go to Iquitos. We worked to get our trainings all ready, and were also able to teach the family that went to church. They have a lot of questions and are great.

Tuesday (August 4th) there were a lot of interviews for President, and in the evening we flew to Iquitos. It is alot bigger than Pucallpa or Tarapoto, I was surprised haha.

Wednesday (August 5th) we had interviews with Zones of 9 de Octubre and Iquitos. Our trainings went well, and it was good to see the missionaries. After, we were able to go to an American restaurant called The Little Texas Rose - it's owned by a Texan. I had a filet minon cordon bleu and it was really good and it only cost 10 dollars. Then Elder Santiago and I went to a cool river place, and I GOT TO KNOW THE AMAZON RIVER!!! HAHA. I never in my life would have thought this would happen !

Friday (August 7th) we had interviews with the Palmeras Zone and Independence Zone. Elder Peterson is the Zone Leader in Independence and it was good to see him and he gave a really good training. We were also able to get out to teach today. We taught a guy named Igor who came to church the last Sunday. other day. He is from Cuzco. He and his mom will get baptized hopefully.

What a day !

Elder Nemelka reported on his mission today in West Jordan, Utah. It was a great report, and we loved the hugs and kind words that we received from Elders who had recently been with our sons.

Back: Elder Nemelka, Elder Rich's Mom (me), Elder Peterson's Dad, Sister, Mom, Elder Quinn's Dad, Mom, Brother
Front: Jake Frost (former PLN missionary), Kenny Hirschi (former PLN missionary), Hirschi's fiance, Elder Quinn's other brother.

Genealogy in the Office

Can you figure this picture out?? I couldn't at first, but then it "clicked", and I added the words so it would make sense!

If ye are prepared, ye shall not fail

Thursday we had the council with all the zone leaders and I was nervous, but not nervous.....

I knew I had prepared well, and had prayed a lot and hard. I knew that it would go well, and that the Spirit would be with me. I hope the mission as a whole, can sacrifice more and receive more blessings.

A visit to the jungle

Presidente Perez and the Assistants are traveling to the Zones of Iquitos and 9 de Octobre today for Entrevistas (Interviews). This city is about 627 miles north of Lima, and can only be accessed by plane or boat.

The Temple and Sacrifice

Saturday (July 25th) we went to the temple as an office. It was a great time, the first time in 6 months. I learned a lot about sacrifice. I’m preparing for my training in the Zone Leader Council about sacrifice and diligence. I’m still getting used to being Assistant. It’s a completely different thinking pattern. It’s helping me grow and helps to make my weaknesses become strengths. I love where I’m at. I love doing what a missionary does. I love my Lord Jesus Christ. I know He lives.

Sacrifice is everything. Last night I saw on the back of a car, a bumper sticker that said, “No envidias mi progreso, sin saber mi sacrificio” (Don't envy my progress, without knowing my sacrifice). In the Hymn “Loor al Profeta” (Praise to the Man), there is a verse that talks about sacrifice. Everything in this church requires a sacrifice. The sacrament is also a great way to show the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and our sacrifice, to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit as we partake of it.

On Tuesday (July 28th) we went again to the temple with all of the old missionaries who were finishing their missions, and with Presidente and his wife. It was great. I was able to go to the temple 2 times in 4 days. It was really special because it helped me to understand more about what I was going to talk about in the Consejo de Lideres.

New Missionaries

Wednesday we were able to go to the CCM to pick up the new missionaries. There were seven of them. We took them to the home of Presidente Perez where they were introduced, trained, had interviews, and a good meal. Afterwards we came to the offices and introduced them to their trainers and they went off to work and so did we!