In church we had 79!!!! and hopefully it keeps going up. I'm trying to get the branch to make home teachers, cause that's how you get sustainable growth, and stakes not districts.  We beat another branch for the first time in attendance yesterday, We are working with a  less active convert that the sister missionaries baptized her right before they got pulled out. We are also working to advance a member to the Melchizedek Priesthood. he should make a good contribution to the branch, and we're trying to get the guys out on missions. 

So we found a family of investigators and we aare teaching them, the parents are married and are open to learning more .  The dad's mom and siblings are members so he has already had exposure to the Church.  We're gonna talk again Wednesday.  Our other investigator Ader has a baptismal date for November, and he is reading the Book of Mormon. he's really cool!!! He went to Cusco this week so he couldn't come to Church, so we gave him a tour of the chapel and he said he's for sure coming next week, and we are gonna start teaching some friends of his too.  In rescues we are working with a less active brother that's coming back and hes going to get the priesthood and a calling in a bit, and we start teaching one of his less active daughters and her non member husband. (they came to Church yesterday).  We had a good week and this one will probably be good also.

(For his next box from home) some stuff  I've thought of is rice krispie treats, candy canes, extra black shoe laces. and like small plastic foto album things of the family. oh and 5 gum!! I'll write if I think of more.

For your companion question Elder Largent is my 4th companion in the mission field, and I will receive my 5th companion in the first week of November.

So about this riot they were planning it pretty much fizzled because of heavy police reaction. We walked through the plaza one day and it was just full of hundred odd riot police with guns and shields. it was so quiet you could of heard a pin drop there!!!!!  the next day we had to get to the other chapel, but there were no buses or taxis or people in the streets, so we went on foot, it was eerie, While walking a person yelled 'mira gringos¡ in a mad voice, I turned around fast and saw it was a member from another branch jokin' around with us!!! My heart skipped a beat. 

hasta la proxima semana.

Elder Wilde

General Conference Gringo Party

Yes I enjoyed the (General) Conference a lot, all the talks were great, and we had a gringo party to watch in English!!!  It was great to hear the prophet even though I am worried by his decaying health. But the Lord is at the helm in the good ol' ship Zion.  We went up to Abancay from Patibamba to watch conference with the other missionaries of the zone. I really liked elder Keetch's story about the shark barrier, I took a lot of notes in my study journal.  

The work is progressing in Patibamba and I feel in the months I've got left here that it will get even better.

The situation in Apurimac is getting a little tense, there is a mine out in a Pueblo, and last week there was a confrontation there, and there's 4 dead and many wounded. They are planning to riot this week and shut down transportation out of Abancay. There's been an increase in military air activity over Abancay this week. I hadn't seen helicopters before this week. so we've got special rules to be home early.

Something I'd like for a future package is something called a 'mission belt',  they look pretty cool!!! and old spice deodorant,  just thinking out loud, and toothbrushes some with good bristles.

love, 

Elder Wilde

Church Attendance

Attendance was 73 at church yesterday. We have lots of room for improvement. Another member commented to me that there is a lot more people than before, so I'm happy.  

Wow thats crazy that everyone is getting home from their missions now, (question=where's brad howell at?).  One day I'll be there. haha  Yes I heard Elder Scott passed away, not a surprise, but still sad. It's gonna be a historic Saturday afternoon session with 3 new apostles!!!  I'm going to watch all the sessions, in English in the church building in a gringo room on TV. I'll be there takin notes and having a gringo party 

Our investigator didn't make it to church this week, but we taught him during the week and he is doing fine, We are going to talk more this week, but we are happy here in Patibamba.  

Nothing to eventful happened this week, and I don't take as many pictures as I did in Puerto because there isn't as much cool stuff, just adobe buildings, etc...   It's gonna be a good week.

This was a sisters birthday so we had a small party, cake was pretty much the highlight of the week. We're going to play basketball today.

love,

Elder Wilde

Follow that bus!!!

Yeah I had a good week I was a little nervous but i didn't end up getting a transfer today!!! Yesterday we had 67 at church;up from last week. Teaching is good.  We got a new member in the branch and he has been back from the mission for 2 weeks now, and he is always out working with us, I'm trying to get him as our new mission leader.  

We went to the terminal to say goodbye to all the finishing elders and we said goodbye then the zone leader Elder Jensen yelled ' Sanchez has the cell phone!!!!'  We started chasing the bus on foot for a couple blocks but it wouldn't stop, so we flagged down a taxi. I jumped into the front seat, and yelled' follow that bus!!!' so we went around the city chasing it until we caught up then they threw the cell phone out the window to us.   We were standing there and Elder Jensen said' lets go eat ice cream' it was so fun!!!  

I'm going to be with Elder Largent as he finishes his mission in November!!!

I will be here a minimum to the beginning of November but I will most likely stay here until about halfway through December. 

I think cuy (guinea pig) kinda tastes like weird ham,

so weve got a super good new  investigator. He is from Quillabamba and we found him contacting. We brought a returned missionary with us and it was crazy they are both here in Abancay studying the same major(5 years here).  Yesterday we taught the Restoration and he accepted it and when I was explaining what the Book of Mormon was he asked for a copy to read, so I gave him one right there, he's gonna read and pray about it. We feel like he is very likely going to get baptized.

On Saturday we had a big branch mission night we got a projector and watched some Mormon Messages and John Rowe Moyle (Mormon Pioneer and a settler of Alpine, Utah). Then we played games and had refreshments, like 30 people showed up so it was a success!!  hopefully they will all pass the word about activities.

Thanks for that email of us when we were little its crazy how time goes by.   So I'm gonna keep working hard here in Patibamba, until December mas o menos (more or less)!!

                             That's me with one of the elders that finished this transfer

love,

Elder Wilde

Chuno with noodles and chicken and Cuy (guinea pig)

I found out that the part member family that we started teaching does not live in our sector. We have to pass them to the other missionaries. What happened was I had the wrong limit on my map so I thought they were in Patibamba. darn

Yesterday we were walking and we had a really good contact with this guy, he started talking to us then we walked for a bit, he wants to come talk to us, i feel like he's a good guy that can progress!!!  and he's in our sector!!!!   My companion likes old John Wayne movies, and I explained Fail Safe.   In Patibamba we have the bus terminal in Abancay, so whenever an Elder comes in at night we have to go pick him up. On Saturday an Elder showed up from Andahuaylas, we picked him up and (it was our landlords birthday, and they invited us after dinner to what I thought would be just cake... ) so we ate dinner then went back to the room, they had Chuño, with noodles and chicken and  then Cuy (Guinea Pig).  We were all so stuffed!!!haha 

Wow that sounds crazy with those fires, I always explain that about where I live in California. My landlord  likes Bonanza, could you send the pictures from the Ponderosa Ranch?

ooh something about sending me shoes: this sister in my branch has family in Fresno. They are going to come visit in October. They said they could bring shoes. If you called and said you have a son serving in Abancay. You could arrange how to get them the stuff.  I think this is the best shot we got!!

In Patibamba we are doing good. We are finding new people still and more less active members, next week is the end of this transfer so we'll see if i stay here more time. My companion finishes next change, so if I don't leave I'm here till December. jajaja 

  

I'm slowly eating the goodies that came in my packages and having a good time here.

                                       this picture is my whole zone from last p day, 

                                     Boiled corn with ground up cheese  yummy!!!

Love,

Elder Wilde

Hot Springs

Wow it sounds like Sawyer is doing pretty good and sounds like a blast to have around.  We are teaching this family and the mom is less active and the dad isn't a member.  His son and son's wife came to the last lesson, and we taught about the restoration. The dad is an ex detective, and wants to see all the evidence, and his son just told him he needs to have faith and went on for a bit, the son basically said everything I wanted to say, but couldn't out of respect. Then after it was a nice spiritual lesson. Hopefully they will progress.  That's an example of a new family we are working with.    The pictures looked cool, and thanks for the usb!!!

                                        That's a photo of my sector Patibamba 

To answer that question I don't know that Hermana from Hawaii. The thing is the 2 zones I've been in are isolated and we don't really have contact with the other zones, so I don't know that many people in the mission but i'll ask around.

We had a good week, we are still teaching people and finding more every day. I'm using the directory and the maps I have of Patibamba to make geographic lists of people to go look for, We are just starting out but I feel we will have success in that.

OH AND I GOT YOUR PACKAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!  THANKS FOR ALL THE FOOD AND IT WAS JUST SO COOL TO GET PACKAGES.   I also got one from grandma and grandpa. The picture is with the combined packages.  

It's crazy how fast the weeks are going by now, the time is flying here in abancaycito.   

I noticed that after I leave appointments I'm just really happy like it just feels so good to help people out..

Last pday we went to Pachachaca and we went further to some hot springs in this crazy river canyon, there was just a pool of hot water it was insanely cool..

This pday we are not doing anything like that though, just sports...

love 

Elder Wilde

La Zona Andahuaylas

These weeks we have been working with an elderly couple. The wife is active but her husband hasn't come to Church for years. We had been coming and started to talk to him, he said he didn't come because of work. I suspected that was the tip of the iceberg,  We just talked about forgiving others, I was using the New Testament a lot, and all the examples there and he came to Church on Sunday for all 3 hours and participated in the classes, maybe a rescue in a bit.!!!  

I'm doing fine here, my Spanish continues improving, I got the Hayden's letter last week.  I did the math on your package, I should get it in a couple weeks.

I got a Book of Mormon in english from Hermana Harbertson, and I started reading this week in English for the first time since December, it's way harder than spanish!!!

That's good to hear that everyone is leaving to their missions.  This week was pretty good, we had less lessons but it was still good, President Harbertson came and we had a combined conference with la Zona Andahuaylas. It was very good, thanks for the Oak tree pictures. I didn't really take that many pictures this week, but it was just a normal week in good ol' dusty Patibamba.  An Elder came back to the Branch this week, and he served in Jake Cano's mission. He never met him, but had heard his name before. He´s a cool guy and will be a good help to the Branch.

I just want some pizza!!

Love,

Elder Wilde