Hey guys well how was your week?  This week was good but it was also kinda stressful. Last night when I was trying to skype my family skype wasn't working eventually I called someone else to see if they had a computer so we went over there and had absolutely no problems except when the power went out for about 5 minutes but other than that everything was good. Mothers day is surprisingly big here in Peru.  It's called mothers day but it's not celebrated like mothers day at least not for the majority. Its celebrated more like drink alot of beer, blast music and vandilism day but whatever,I guess everyone has there own idea.  This week was good, we taught about a good 35 lessons and well they were all pretty good. We don't have alot of new investigators but we do have a lot of recent converts that I am working with.   The 2 that I baptized are active, comming to church, on time if not early participating, and learning. Max is reading the Book of Mormon as well as the teaching of one of the prophets right now. Well the sad news is that the converts of the missionaries before me well they are not attending church but they are super cool guys  they just are not doing the things that they should be doing. It's kinda frustrating since they combined our area we have about 30 recent converts that we are working with and trying to keep active or to reactivate. By the way for you future missionaries when you baptize someone don't just leave them and move on to get another baptism . We invite all people to come unto Christ by faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the holy ghost and ENDURING TO THE END! Sorry I know it better in spanish but I think the point is the same.  So ya the president wants us to stick to our converts like freaking glue and right know. I learned from Elder Rios only baptize if they are keeping there commitments. Why? Because that is how you can tell if they will remain active in the church or not! Numbers are not important.We are really working hard with are converts and trying to only focus on our progressing investigators. Well anyway I've been out here in Peru for about 6 months more or less and I still can't speak this language. By the way mom when you send me the dictionary can you also send me a spanish for idiots book please our grammer book is crap i really hate it . All it does is say how to do something like conjugate a verb but it doesn't tell you in what situation to use it . That is really bugging me because well I'm not the smartest kid on the block so I need people to dumb things down for me a little so please send me a spanish for idiots book I really need it, also tons of prayers wouldn't hurt. Anyway I don't know what else to say so love you all bye.

Elder Atwood

Well what's up Texas and the rests of America?  First congrats to my cuz Trayden who got his mission call to Tahiti. Well first off I'm glad I'm not learning that language cuz well heaven knows there´s no way I could.  Things here in Peru are pretty good. I really love it here and right now Trayden I can promise you that if you dedicate yourself to the work you will love it too.  Well I write for my friends John,  Brandon, and my Brother River.   Guys what can I say,  I miss y'all like crazy but I love the mission and I love what it has done for me.   I know that I wouldn't be doing you guys any favors if I went home, but heck I don't want to go home.   It's awesome here and there's only a couple of things I would change: 1) the dry dirt to green plants, 2) the dogs,  I hate the dogs by the way do we still have timber? , 3) the open breastfeeding and that's just because it just gets straight up weird.  Other than that I love it. Well first I want to talk about two cool experiences. Well my first day with my new comp Elder Condori  we went to his house too drop some stuff off then he asked if I could say a prayer before we go to work.   So I offered a prayer asking God to guide us to the people that are ready to be baptized.   We left out of the house and 30 seconds later some school girl about 14 years old yells, " Hermanos".  She says hi I'm Milagros and my aunt is a member of your church and my cousin is on a mission and I want to be baptized what do I need to do . I was like wow Lord what took you so long? haha.   That was truly amazing!   We taught her twice and she is great but the 3rd time she wasn't there, apparently she was working so that may be it. Well the other one happened this morning.   Here in Peru and as a missionary everyone tells me about there spiritual dreams.   Everyone always tells me about them and asks what about yours.  I haven't had any but this Sunday I was fasting and praying that God would give me a greater witness that I may know that Jesus is my savior and that the Book of Mormon is true. Well as Alma the younger said to his son Helaman,  I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know of these things. Well last night about 5 minutes before the alarm went off two numbers kept popping into my head, 110,5 105,10 .  So I went to the only book that had that many chapters, D&C and read them. I freaking jumped out of my bed to read them and I was just freaking shocked.  I wrote it down in my journal immediately.  I don't know what y'all will think but for me that was pretty cool so I am just pumped for the day.   I learned that God really does answer prayers .  I haven't just been praying and fasting for this for 1 day it's been like months but it was well worth it.  Then Lord tries patience guys especially mine with the companions that he has given me and the stuff that's happened.   It is not one of my virtues but hopefully it can be. Well I am kinda getting mad at my zone leaders.  They said speak only spanish .   I am the only gringo in my district and the only time I speak english is P day. I told them that I will only speak english p days and they got mad. Well it wouldn't have been a problem if one wasn't lazy and if the other didn't talk english this morning . I really don't like hipocracy oh well . Other than that they just gave us a freaking 2 hour lamanita. Which is like they come to your house in the morning and make sure that you are awake studying and all. Well we were but the new zl wanted to do a practice lesson and read in the Book of mormon and all. The lamanita is normaly only 30 minutes if that.   I wouldn't mind it except it takes out from my study time.   I wanted to at least finish my personal study but my comp wouldn't let me . It s kinda been a problem I'm going to have to set him down and talk to him because there are 2 study times that I absolubtely need to have: personal and language.  Lately he just wants to reach the goal for lessons and we have been lacking time for language. Oh well,  hes a nice guy but just well no companionship sees eye to eye or very few. My favorite comp Elder Rios got on my nerves some times so it's normal. Well I love it here!!!  A bit of advice for my friends, brothers, family,  and those preparing for a mission. Read the Book of Mormon it truly is a Marvel.   Say your prayers and when you pray don't hide anything from God, it's impossible, put everything on the table with God . Tell him everything about your day your life struggles,  temptations, and let us never forget to thank our Father in Heaven.  One more thing: laugh, smile, and don't take things to seriously.   Life is meant to be enjoyed not just endured as Gorden B Hickley said. Laughing is a disease and it's contagious.  If you laugh you will feel happy and make others happy and happy people are always the best to be around .  Alright I got to go but love you all. 

Elder Atwood

Hola Texas how are y'all ? Well this week has been cool.   I was really sad that my companion Elder Rios left home he ent there it was awkward at first and my comp kept trying to talk to him. I got the impression that he didn't really like my comp so I noticed that he was wearing a flash superhero shirt so I started to talk to him about that and he is apparently like really into superheros.   He has like every superhero shirt then he told me about the new star wars movie and the batman vs superman and the new movie that will be out, Joker with Jared Leto.   By the way dad and mom you guys are forbidden to watch star wars without me. Well anyways,  we started talking and we have a lot in common.  M comp says lets leave we cant talk about this apostacy!   I was kinda mad when he did that because  its not bad to talk about it, it's bad to watch it like a movie but its not bad to talk about it, oh well.   Saturday I had the privilage of baptizing our investigator Max while a member in our ward baptized Fillipe.  It was a very wonderful experience and they where both confirmed the next day during sacrament meeting.  Fillipes  grandmother came to his confirmation, she was baptized 4 years ago and Sunday she celebrated her 95th birthday.   People at church celebrated it with her after sacrament meeting.   I think everyone just wanted to know what the ark looked like when it landed haha. Well I am having the time of my life here in the mission. things get hard sometimes but i will stick with what dad said,  "the bad times will outnumber the good, but the good times will out weigh the bad. 

Go on a mission, it's great and I have really seen it change me.   I am trying to be the 4th missionary and just give my will to the Lord, it's hard and I am a work in progress but I am 10 times better than I was before.  I love it here and I love all of you guys,  stay safe!

THE KINDOM OF GOD OR NOTHING

ELDER ATWOOD