Well my dear family and friends:

Since you guys recieved a letter this last wednesday i guess i dont have much to say about these last couple days. I am still getting used to the area and trying to figure out where everything is and all but that will come with time. Things are certainly different here. One, its cold! haha we freeze sometimes here and its been raining a lot lately. there is actually an interesting story with that.....we have an investigator named yandari and see has been a little confused if she should get baptized or not, so she made a bet with god that if he would send rain she would know that this is what she needed to do (apparently it hasnt rained in weeks) and what happened....it rained 5 times this week. god sure does answer the prayers. she should be getting baptized this saturday if all goes well.. but yeah rain....that is some much different than tacna but i am loving throwing on the jackets and sweaters.....honestly i hadnt the sightlest clue at to why i had those for the mission in tacna, but im glad i brought them. two, the ward here is so strong!! it is amazing. i went to church and my first sunday...there were over 150 people there! They were all really welcoming and are excited to get to know me. and i them. they all still have problems pronouncing my name but oh well. it truely amazes me at these wonderful members here. so willing to give of there time and efforts to help us in the work of salvation. we had a meeting the other day with 6-7 young men all preparing for missions who were all asking elder loor and i when can they come with us this week to do splits and divisions. I love their excitement for the work and it is something that we can all apply in our lives. What else is different....oh! i have been attacked by more dogs in one week than in all my 6 months in tacna!! what the heck! i swear these dogs hate gringos or something. but nothing has been serious so dont worry about that.

But to tell you all the truth, as hard as it was to leave tacna, i am loving this new area. there is just a different feeling that is here that i love. i love getting up in the mornings and am excited to study, to learn and to leave to go and work! the days are just going by so fast and i just dont have much time to do things anymore. that is one thing that i came into this area with....goals. goals to change the things that i have done bad or the things that i wasnt doing. and i have noticed that my desires to teach and help and serve others as greatly increased!! i just want ot serve, i just want ot brign others to christ. it is the best feeling in the world!! i know i havent been here but a week but i have been praying for more love and charity for these people and i just love them. i dont even know them yet, but boy do i have a love for them. especially the little peruvain grandmas...they are great!

Elder loor and i are getting along just great. so blessed to have another great companion who has the same goals and desires as i do. we are excietd to be teaching so many and finding so many as welll. we have great planes for this month for our investigators.

As for the violin....i havent been able to play as much as i have wanted to. we have been super busy and just not enough time to do things. but i will have many opportunities im sure these next couple of weeks....practically because before i even came the whole ward somehow figured out that i play the violin. they didnt even know my name but would come up to me and say....hey you play the violin right? haha yeah i do...and who are you? ;) but things are going great. i love the zone and everything right now. never thought i could love doing this work so much. so glad it is 2 years to serve, wish it could be more. but then again...the calling to be a missionary is for a lifetime and then the next life.

What amazing experiences you guys have had these last past weeks. i loved the photos and am so proud of you jake. totally kicking my butt at the hunting at such a young age. i loved hereing about the gilbert temple stories....and the dating stories.. haha but as for the kacie and the llama testing....be nice to the native animal of peru!!! haha

Well i love you all so much. i love serving the lord in this time of my life and couldnt think of being anywhere else in the world! i was meant to come to peru!!!

Till next week,

Weston

1-4-3 for always

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Elder Birtcher

Perú - Arequipa Mission