Well last week, aside from being fast, was a good week. We’ve been working hard and have found some good people. We were able to help Jeagnelle and her daughter, Kirsti, accept a baptismal date for June 27. Unfortunately, the grandma, Leiry, had to leave during the lesson. And they couldn’t come to the church yesterday. Their problem is that they work a lot. But hopefully they can come to church this Sunday. They are a great family.

Saturday morning they had seminary right before our English Class. A young man brought a friend, Matias, and they also stayed for the English Class. Afterwards we left for lunch, but the other two Elders in the ward stayed and taught Matias and another friend that had come. She lives in their sector and Matias in ours. They both accepted a baptismal date for July 4, Independence Day. Well, ours not theirs. Matias went to the church yesterday and seems to have enjoyed it. We had lunch with the seminary teacher after and she said that he’s really enjoying that. Now we just have to get permission from his parents. Hopefully they’ll give it to us. Sometimes parents can be the biggest problem. But we’re praying that they’ll give him permission.

So, last week I talked a little about a problem with our bathroom. Fortunately, we were able to fix it. The toilet was clogged up is all. But we don’t know how it happened. But we bought a plunger and fixed it. It was quite the experience, and I’m glad it’s over. But even so, we are really hoping, praying and searching for a new place. The department that we found last week was rented out to someone else, so we’re "back to the old drawing board." In other words, still searching.

I recall in Carrión, my other sector, having eaten cow feet, chicken feet, and pig stomach. Well, this Saturday I found something else to add to the list. Something that I had heard about and hoped to not eat on the mission. And I made it a little past a year. But finally a member decided to give us a salad.....with......seaweed. Some people here like it and others no. I’ve heard it said that if you really know how to prepare the seaweed, it can be really yummy. But either that’s wrong, or the sister who made it didn’t know how because I didn’t really like it too much. The good thing was that it was in a salad with potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, etc. so I could mix it up with something else. A lot of what I did was put it in my mouth and swallow right away. It was, well, interesting. The texture is really weird. Anyway, there’s another weird food to add to the list.

Well, we’re getting deeper into winter right now, and it’s getting colder and colder. Especially in the morning. We just have a little tiny electric heater that doesn’t do much. It’s even a small room and it never gets very warm. We have to leave the heater on for three years and seven months before it does much. And Juana, the wife of the owner of our house, has asked us to not have it on for too long as it eats energy and the bill goes up a lot. Man! I really hope we can find a better place really, really soon, or I am going to die!!!

Well, not much else is happening. We get to go to the temple this week. I don’t know why President decided to do it, but I’m not complaining. I’m way excited to get to go. It’s been six months since the last time. The temple should not be visited twice a year. Twice a month maybe. Granted that we’re missionaries and have other things to do. But I’d still like to go more often.

Well, that’s it for this week. We’re still working hard to find a new house and more people, as well as helping those we have to progress.

Hasta luego.

Elder Murdoch