Elder Mason Shoaf

Monday, June 13, 2016

Week 92 - My Birthday and getting trunky!

Things are pretty chill this week, not too much happening, really just work all day every day. But some highlights were of course my birthday yesterday!! Thank you all for the emails for my 21st birthday and wishing me a great day, but really it was like every other day in the mission. I still had to work and we had a full afternoon of lessons. The only thing I really did to celebrate my birthday was eat some tres leches cake with my pensionista and she also made me pancakes with realy maple syrup at night! So gooood!! Since Im new to the ward, no one knew it was my birthday, but I still had a great day and enjoyed my special day haha. My first day of church in my new ward was yesterday and I love the ward, very organized and its a better functioning ward than some others I have been in the mission. The attendance is a lot lower than it used to be, but there are a lot of cool members here and they are great!!

Also this week we have seen a few people start to progress, Villa Union is a ward that has a lot of potential and there are lots of people to visit too. We were able to set up a baptismal date for a part member family of a less active sister that is coming back to church, her 2 kids for July 2nd. They are super cool, and they all came to church Sunday.....progressing pretty well and were excited. We have another investigator Piter that came to church and we are looking to put a baptismal date for July also.....he is really dedicated to follow Christ. But really Im getting to know my area a little more, basically all of it, but still learning where everyone lives. But Elder Estigarribia is super cool, we are enjoying each day of work and are hoping to see some baptisms soon.

But really many things have been going by so fast here in the mission and now its coming down to my last few months and its crazy!! Im not trunky, or how they say in the mission being lazy and thinking about home, just crazy to think that 2 years have flown by and I have so much more to learn. Also my itinerary for my flights back home just came in!! So crazy, but that means to just continue working hard and seeing personal growth and help others come unto Christ. But thanks everyone for all the support you have given me in my whole time here and Im excited to see whats next for me and my companion here in Cusco!!

Lots of pictures to come. And Ill be getting back around noon August 24th in Indianapolis!!

2. Playing soccer at the chapel.

3. Titanic bar....literally haha

4. Pic from our apartment.

5-6. The market here is crazy....so many people.

7-33. Ruins above Cusco that are pretty cool with a very beautiful Inka Trail. Lots of Elders came with us and we all had a good time for Pday.

34-35. Subway finally came to Cusco!! Sooooo good....I miss it!!

Week 91 - The New area!

Very interesting week, well full of new things with me being in another area now and with a new companion. Well like I said last week, Im now in Cusco in the Villa Union Ward, but I really like it. Our area is huge compared to Puno, we basically work in this little valley at the very far end of Cusco, so one side is a big hill with houses and the other side too, sooooo lots of walking now. We are the only missionaries in the ward, so we have to visit lots of people now, but the members are awesome, willing to work and help us out. My pensionista, Jenny, is so funny and cooks amazing!! She technically is a personal chef, so we have some pretty tasty food in her house. And she cooks basically what we want to eat and I think Im getting fatter again...haha. But overall we are having a good amount of appointments during the week, working well with a few investigators and less actives. Im still getting to know everyone, but little by little Im getting to know the area. Overall Im loving it here in Cusco, first time here my entire mission, but looking forward to what Elder Estigarribia and I can do. Also my companion is sick, super funny, and we are just having a good time everyday in what we do. Loving it!!

Also this week we had interviews with President Harbertson. Sadly the last interview Im going to have with him, since he and his wife are ending their mission at the end of the month. So, it was a great chat with him and to really know how much he has helped me grow spiritually here in the mission and how he has taught me so many things. Hermana Harbertson also talked to me about the importance of the Book of Mormon and it really hit me how much it can help my life, and it was just a great chat with both of them for the last time. Our new mission president will be here by the end of the month too, he is Peruvian, and from what we have heard about him, he is a great person and he will help us here in the great Peru Cusco Mission! But I will miss President and Sister Harbertson a lot, they were so great for nearly my whole mission now. But Ill be with the new mission president for my last transfer in the mission thats it.

Also Peruvian news.....election day was yesterday. Or the 2nd round to determine who will be the new president of Peru. Keiko, would be the first woman, and another guy PPK. We saw yesterday that PPK won by not even 1% of the votes.....so he will be the new president in July. And also fun news, we went out to a Japanese restaurant for my birthday and for my pensionistas birthday all together, so that was fun. I love japanese food, super good! haha

But, overall a great week. Just working like usual, trying to help the ward out and see progress like every missionary wants. Love you guys!!