Aaron

Hello again everyone!

Thank you for all the emails!  I love reading them!  So again not a whole lot happened this week because it's still the same.. However, next week I will be in Cusco so that will be different!!

I will start out with saying that this week i broke off a bathroom stall door....  It was actually pretty funny.  All i did was shut it and it broke off.  Didn't mean to do it!  my companion was laughing pretty hard though.

Yesterday we had a special devotional from Elder Scott.  He did a good job on his talk.  He kind of talked about our service as a missionary.  And because of that devotional we didn't have afternoon classes so we had tons of personal study time.. it was crazy!

I don't know if this was this week, but we watched a devotional from Elder Holland.  He always has something good to say. His talks are so powerful i don't know how you cannot feel the spirit when you are listening.  He talked about our missions not being easy.  He said a lot of things that stuck out to me but one thing that I won't forget is that our missions are as close to real life as we are ever going to get.  He also went on to say that after our missions we cannot go back to live our old lives; there is no old life.  It's like we are born again.  Now obviously things are going to change like I will be able to watch movies and listen to music and all that but you get the point.

So there is an elder here that is 100% Navajo Indian.  He lives on the reservation down in Page!   He said that he probably lives 5 minutes from the Walmart there.  His name is Elder Secody.  He is cool i like him.

Yesterday during our physical activity we played.... SOCCER!  could have guessed huh?  But it was way fun.  One of the teachers kicked out the Hermanas because we were like playing for real. We did 3 teams, first to 2 goals, or seven minutes.  It felt like open gym.  I didn't want to go off so I was doing everything i could to keep us on.  And we stayed on the whole time until the very end we lost.. But time was up anyways!  It was way fun!

Elder Augat and his companion, Elder Martin.

The guy on the left is Aaron's companion, Elder Martin, from Draper.

BofM in the Quechuan language.

A Peruvian bird...Aaron's photography talent shining through.

Aaron's 2nd cousin, once removed, by marriage.  They were on the same flight to Peru.  Same mission.  Small world.

I (Racquel) want to kiss that face too!

Always one foot on the soccer ball.

Hello everyone!  I'm back.  again not much happened this week.

The biggest thing that happened this week is we had an earthquake! it was pretty cool actually!  it was a 5.8.  When it first started i thought there was a party going on over at the church with a really loud base.  Then it just kept getting louder and i thought there is no way this is a speaker then things started to shake.  Nothing happened really.  everything and everyone was ok and most importantly my Inka Kola! 

On another note, when we tell people about our mission (Cusco), they always say Machu Pichu, Bonita, or Quechuan.  I don't know how to spell it but Quechuan is a tribal language they speak throughout Peru.  They said about 60% of the people in the smaller villages will speak that language so i might be learning some of that!  I also got a Book of Mormon with that language today and not all the books are there, and it's super hard to read..

My new Latino roomates are really annoying. they stay up till like 11:30 studying or something and get up at 5 and turn on the lights.  they also keep turning off the air conditioning.. They feel like they own the place!! 

So one of these nights me and my companion took some pretty cool pictures with my camera. i love going through the camera and seeing what more it can do!

I still play soccer everyday even though Latinos don't have the same time as us.  Sometimes it's just me and my companion passing the ball.  but it's still fun.

Not a whole lot more has happened here. still the same.  Cada dia todavia.  Our teacher also taught us some slang Spanish.  they are kind of like Spanish puns. except one of them only Peruvians know i heard..  But it's still cool!

That’s about it for this last week!  hopefully more happens this week!

Elder Augat

Hello everyone.  Another week at the CCM and it's still the same!  good thing i have good teachers!
So first, a couple of days ago we made a deal with our teacher that if we spoke only spanish for one hour straight that we would watch the other side of heaven for the last 30 minutes.  we were able to do it with out speaking one word of english.  it was pretty cool!  my spanish is getting a lot better!  I can't wait till the point i can speak without thinking.

We watched a devotional this week from Elder Ballard.  I stayed awake the whole time!!  It was actually a good talk.  he talked about not being ashamed of the gospel.  There are a lot of specifics but i cant remember all of them and it takes time.

This week the new latinos and americans came in.  I like the last group of latinos way better.  When we play soccer now it's not fun if you are on a team with a lot of latinos because all they do is dribble!  So now we get all the americans on one team and we play so much better and it's way more fun!  the last latinos were fun to play with but they werent that good.

So we pranked one of the new americans this week.  I bought a jar of nutella to eat but then I used it for the prank.  I sat in the bathroom stall and he was in the bathroom at the same time.  I told him that i was out of toilet paper and if he could hand me some.  When he went to give me the toilet paper i wiped it on his hand.  He was so scared and screamed so loud!! I could not stop laughing! neither could my companion!

One of my teachers this week gave us a talk on diligence and she seemed pretty frustrated with us.  I don't really know why.  One time she got mad at us for being 3 minutes early instead of 5.  I would have been there but i had to wait for my companion.  sometimes he is frustrating that way.
I play one touch for necks now with my companion now.  he likes it and he isn't bad!  it's so much fun.

That's about it for this last week.  I can only write so much because everything is the same.  Hope everything is good back home!  Love you all!
Elder Augat

"One touch for necks" is a game with a soccer ball.  They pass to each other and you can't let it touch the ground or your head.  If it touches the ground everyone in the group gets to slap you on the neck.  Fun.  :P

The CCM (MTC) - There are high walls around the whole thing because of the crime there.  Sad.

Hello everyone!  everything is going great.  I don't know what much more to tell you because everyday in the CCM is the same. always the same.  so ill tell you some things that happened

the advancados left this Tuesday and we got some new Americans and all new Latinos.  these new ones seem a little shy but I’m sure they will get used to it.  We got 2 new latinos in our room and one of them speaks pretty good English but i try to speak as much spanish as i can with them.

today we went shopping and i got seven jerseys.  4 germany, 2 bayern, 1 croatia, and i can't remember the other one...  ozil, gotze, klose, muller, robben, and modric.  the other bayern one is just a number 10 but it was an older style jersey so i got that one. 

we went to the temple again today and that was really good.  our teacher came to the temple when we got out to take pictures with us.  i also saw a couple of the guys that left the CCM on tuesday at the temple which was cool.

I really don't like all the hermanas... they are all so annoying to me.. they try to hard at the language but they still cant speak it good at all. they always need something, they are too loud, then when im talking im too loud. i don't get it... 

ive been playing soccer everyday which is really fun.  i want to play with the new latinos and see how good they are.

I think the rules here are way too strict.  presidente is a really grumpy guy all the time.  ive seen him smile twice and one of them was to a latino so that doesn't count.  he is columbian. 

i learned how to play some games here.  i will have to play them when i get back because if i explained it over writing, it will ruin it.. but there is the purple people eaters, color wheel, camping trip, am I a witch, and if this, then this. 

I got a little sick this week but i feel a ton better now, no thanks to the food... while i was sick they had the best food and i couldn't skip out so i just ate it anyway.  they have the best churros here.

on sunday one of my teachers told us as a class to not study the geography of the book of mormon because it's inconclusive.  i didn't even bring it up either!

I love getting outside of the walls.  all you see inside the CCM are walls and the tops of houses.  it's crazy outside the walls.  Ive figured out the traffic rules of Peru.  Don't crash, don't die.  They are insane here. and speaking of being inside the walls, it's hard to take pictures of the same thing... but i did get some pictures with the guys that left!

that's really about it!  thanks for the support!

love you guys!
-Elder Augat

The CCM group!

Aaron's version of food.

Group of guys at the CCM (MTC).

If you are getting this, first of all I’m not going to use a lot of proper grammar and all that because it just takes longer. 

so the flight in took a while.  we got in at about  1:30 in the CCM.  We also had an hour of extra sleep that morning.  but that morning was the longest day of my life.  all it was was orientation stuff i don't even remember it.  i wrote it down though.

second day was better.  my companion is elder martin from draper, ut.  he played soccer up until his junior year in high school.  he is pretty good.  better than a lot of the latinos.  we also room with elder williams who is 22 and elder livesay.  we arent compatible with them as much.. we started with classes and first thing we did was learn how to pray.  i have the basics down.

third day.  now all the days are the same.. i have everything written down with dates so no need to worry mom.  everyday we learn something new about spanish.  yesterday we had to teach a role play investigatior in spanish.  it went a lot better than i thought.  also there is one brittish guy here.  i don't know how to spell his name but it sounds like elder kane.  he is a liverpool fan because his dad was.  we always talk about soccer with each other.  i also talk to a lot of the latinos about soccer. most of them like James or Ronaldo or Messi.  obviously the peruvians as well.  but there are a lot of columbians here as well.  i saw one guy with a dortmund ramos jersey.

we play soccer everyday.  there are only a few good white guys.  me, my companion, elder wright the guy i reffed with, and i think there is one more.  the teacher that is always out watching soccer looks just like di maria and he is actually really good.  he said he played professional for a second division team or something like that after his mission.  but soccer is always fun.

this part is for dad and opa mostly, but mom can read this too.  i don't think oma would want to...  so on sunday we watched 2 devotionals given at the provo mtc.  the first from elder cook but i fell asleep during that... the next from elder perry.  one thing really caught my attention..  he was talking about companionships and he was talking about when parley p pratt and oliver cowdry were called by God to go west to ohio and teach who?  THE LAMANITES.  he either said Lamanites or something that rhymes with that.  it was really weird..  May 13 this year he gave the devotional at provo mtc.

sundays are different so ill talk a little about it.  first we have sacrement meeting and 4 missionaries speak in spanish for 4 minutes then someone from the presidency speaks.  then we have sunday school and priesthood.  after that we just have devotionals and firesides.

oh. also this week we had someone from the first quorom of the seventy come and speak to us.  i don't know his name because it was hard to hear in spanish.  he talked about a missionaries objective and purpose. 

now for today.  today was crazy.  first we went to the temple which was awesome.  ít's a really small temple and sessions only hold about 25 people.  but the celestial room and sealing rooms were amazing..  That was one of the places i have felt the spirit the strongest ever.  it was an amazing feeling to be in that room.  i only got a few pictures of the temple and ill try to send them next week because we were so busy today.

afterward we went shopping.  we went to the gro-cer-y store!  we got some inka cola, coke, and fanta.  we also got some candy to eat.  oh and by the way, we forgot hangers!  but i got some at the store..  speaking of the store  mom please read this  I NEED YOU TO CHECK MACU EVERY WEEK FOR ME AND PAY OFF MY CREDIT CARD!!!  obviously with my money, but i don't have access to that here.  then we went to some other LDS type shop.  i got a few ties, a small bag, and scripture cases.  i saw a U of U tie and thought of the Blacks!  we are going to a store next week to get jerseys.  and i only used my card today because i want to save my cash for the sketchy shops.

after we were done shopping we got on the bus.  they suck at driving.  they use their horn every 2 seconds and i feel like we are going to crash!  but we were on the bus for a while and we didn't know where we were so we got off.. we were lost!  we get on another bus and that bus driver knew what we were talking about when we said iglesia de mormones.  the other one didn't.  so we took that one back to the temple and took another bus back to the CCM.  it was an adventure.. we were lost in the city. but now we are back!

The CCM i feel is a lot better than the provo MTC.. I'm forced to learn spanish here.  I learn most my spanish playing soccer with all the latinos.  But it's an awesome place.  you can feel the spirit here all the time.  the food could be better though... it's the same everyday.. chicken and rice for lunch and dinner, and eggs for breakfast.. ALWAYS!!  but it's fun here.  we also play ping pong at lunch every day.  There are a lot of good ping pong players!

Hope everything is going good!  Love you guys!

Yo sé que JesuCristo es mi salvador y Dios es mi padre celestial.  Yo sé que José Smith esó un Profeta y Thomas S Monson es el Profeta.  Yo sé que la iglesia es verdadero.  En el nombre de JesuCristo, Amen.

love you guys!
-Elder Augat

Peru temple.