Friends and Fam,
Hola. I thought you´d all like to know that once again I am left with a shaved head in Peru. Call it trying to fortify companionship unity, but for some reason I let my companion cut my hair. Now, Elder Vasquez has many talents. He is super nice, loves everyone, and is extremely good at making it sound like he knows how to cut hair. Let´s just say after he cut my hair I was a little more mohawky then is allowed in the mission field. Thus the head had to be shaved. It actually is quite nice, however, because in the afternoons it gets so hot here. I would like to give a quick shout out to Cheryl Crow for her inspired words in ´Soak Up The Sun´. What a great song to sing as I share the gospel in the heat of Satan´s playground.
Although the heat is sometimes rough, and it´s hard to get rejected, there are many parts of the mission that I have really come to enjoy. So without further adew, in the the words of Julie Andrews here a few of my favorite things:
-Pop culture. Just like it has infiltrated and influenced the minds of your small children, the same can be found here in Peru. For example, we have a 60 year old investigator named Veronica who wore a shirt that said ¨My Gypsy Heart¨ one day, and the next a shirt with a huge picture of Hannah Montana that said 'It's abou to get real'. Lol. As long as Veronica prays about the Book of Mormon with a sincere "gypsy heart", having "it's about to get real" intent she can wear whatever she wants.
-My next favorite thing can be summarized in one compound word and one acronym; breastfeeding. lol.
(Sidenote: I'm not implying here that I enjoy watching people breastfeed. I simply admire that Peruvians DO NOT care about your comfort zone. Oh, you're trying to learn Spanish? Cool. I'm gonna go ahead and bare-breastedly suckle my child as you teach me about the Restoration.)
- This next item ties in with the last one. Peruvians do not care. You have a stomach that hangs down to your knees? Wear a crop top. Do you. Also I always LOL when Peruvians describe someone else or themselves because they are completely honest. If you are a little bit chubby be prepared to be referred to as the fat one.
-The last thing I love is feeding the cats that live in our backyard and petting the dogs. Both of these things I said I wouldn't do. Curse my soft gypsy heart.
All in all I love it here, but it is hard in my area. There is no ward here and we have two active members. I'm realizing more and more that there is a HUGE difference between being receptive to the Gospel and being prepared to receive the Gospel. Everyone here is receptive. The invite us in, say they love the things we teach, and then go back to how they were before as soon as we leave. This happens in our own lives all the time, especially after conference. We love the things that are said, accept them as truth, and then don't do anything. Receptive people accept the word of God and realize they need to change. Prepared people make the change. Prepared people have already been doing their part. They have been asking questions. They have been praying. They have been reading and studying. Because they have done their part, now they can progress. The hardest part for the majority of our investigators, and members, is that they actually have to do things to see a change. Nothing changes until something changes. Your faith won´t grow, your desire to do good won't increase unless you have changed something. So be prepared to make the change. I love you all. I think my parasite is gone (I'm fine mom), and I haven't been sunburned yet. Mission life is good.
Love,
Elder Meier
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