Dear Family,

We had an exciting week here. The conference with Elder Christofferson was great. He gave a great talk in which he gave us an apostolic blessing that we would be able to teach with power and authority, and we would not be confounded before men (D&C 100). He also said that in D&C 4, the sickle is the Libro de Mormon, and we should thrust it in with our might. Elder Costa of the presidency of the seventy also spoke, and Elder Christofferson's wife. They all spoke in Spanish. Sister Christofferson told us that she sympathized with us trying to learn Spanish. Elder Christofferson shook hands with all the missionaries, which was a big endeavor since there wer a bunch of us. There were all the missionaries from the 4 Lima missions, the CCM missionaries, and all the NorthAmericans that got kicked out of Bolivia. It was really fun to see missionaries that we haven't seen in months. I suppose it was how Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah felt when they found each other after 14 years of missionary work and they were still brothers in God. I got to sit by Hna Lucas, my CCM companion. She never got the letetrs I sent through the Peruvian mail (surprise). I also sent a letter to Jeff with her letter, so I suppose he never got his either.

We had three baptisms this week. I still don't have batteries for my camara, so I'll have to get the pictures from my comp. Andrea and Josselin, 12 and 13 years old, were baptized Saturday, and Juan, 22 years old, Sunday. The baptisms Saturday were actually a bad experience because we went to get Josselin, but she wasn't in her house. We went all over town looking for her, and in the meanwhile, the ward baptized Andrea. We missed her baptism. Later we found Josselin and baptized her. I probably would have done things differently, but I wasn't in charge. But they got baptized. Juan's baptism was great. He brought all his nonmember family and friends, plus the ward supported well. He is preparing to go on the mission.

Saturday we did a service project of picking rock on a mountain. It was pretty exciting, and I learned that picking rock is really hard work. After 3 hours, you couldn't tell that we had done anything. More of the rock and dirt ended up on my clothes. The purpose of the activity was to move a lady's house about 10 feet over so they can make a road up the mountain. The house is a crate box the size of my bedroom at home, and there is no floor or a real roof, so I think it would be easier just to move the lady's house somewhere else.


No, Mom, I don't blame you for the mail. Today an Elder told me that he got a package, and the candy was opened and half eaten. I'm certain that it's the Peru mail system. I can't believe Jennifer is engaged. I haven't written to her in a while becuase I haven't heard anything from her, but I'll write now. I have an idea for sending things. I spend my freetime thinking up ways my mail could get to me, and this was my latest thought; I always get the letters where the address is typed instead of handwritten. Maybe they are more likely to slip through without being stolen. Maybe you could try that, because I am running out of stamps, and Janet wants me to write to her more. She found out what it's like to get mail, so she said she would write more to me if I would write to her.

They haven't told us yet about transfers, so you'll have to wait to hear. I love you lots. Thanks for your love and support.

Sarah