Merry Christmas

 December 25, 2014


Feliz Navidad

I am off in the field now preaching the gospel. My first week in the field has shown me how much Spanish I don´t know. My trainer is from Orange County California. His name is Elder Jarman. He is a cool guy and he is fluent in Spanish. The area I am in is called El dorado like the name of a movie, but it really doesn´t look like the movie. The zone I am in is Kennedy. The area I am in now does not have Hermanas in it because it is a little dangerous.

 I really like the food here. We have a penisionista ( she basically buys the food and cooks for us). There is a lot of rice and chicken, but I enjoy the food. We only get to eat with the members oncce a week on wednesdays. I guess the mission has had a history of missionary getting really sick , so they reduced the number. Any way life is good in the mission field. 

I really like Peru, the dirt streets which blow dust in your eyes. The hot days. The people are really friendly. The ward I am serving in is sweet! We have gone teaching with some members. One who was really cool was named Moroni. His first name was actually Angel, so his name was Angel Moroni. He is a RM who teaches with power and with the spirit. The other cool thing about him is he knows English, so I can actually talk with him. 

Christmas is cool in Peru. People here stay up on Christmas eve until midnight. At midnight they then eat a big dinner, and people all over shoot off fireworks. As a missionary I could not shoot some fireworks. They also have a tradition where they make dolls and they burn them in the streets. Some people fill their dolls with even more fireworks, so it really looks cool when they burn. My companion said there will even be more fireworks and dolls burning on New Years.

I love the mission

I made it alive

 December 16, 2014

Well I made it to my mission. We had to wake up at 2 in the morning to get to the airport. so I am really tired right now. My trainer is elder Jarmen. He seems like a cool guy. I start in Dorado Zone, Kenedy area.

Happy late birthday brooklyn I am sorry I forgot to email you last week. 

I hope I can do my best to serve with all my heart, might, mind, and strength.

I have no clue when I will get to write again.

Also the package was not here at the mission home, so I hope it comes

Birthday and Leaving the CCM

 December 10, 2014

Well the end of the CCM is approaching; my spanish is not where I want it but hey whatevs that is life. It will come if I am diligent.

 

I am really going to miss my district. I will especially miss the elders. The picture send was of all the elders. Elder Secody is of the Navajo tribe. I love him to death. We already have plans on doing a district reuninon after the mission at lake powell and the Navajo reservation. He is going to the Arequipa mission. His companion is elder Nelson. He is a quiet, yet very intelligent young man. He was really fun to get to know. He is also going to the Arequipa mission.

Then there are the two other elders are heading off to Lima East which is basically where the CCM is. There is Elder Gibson and Elder Shurtz. Elder Gibson has a people personality and loves to learn new things. He is a MMA fighter and before the mission he served in a Spanish branch for 2 years with his dad in Alabama. He is cool but sometimes he is very annoying because he likes attention.

Elder Shurtz on the other hand is so funny. He lives to make people laugh he thrives on happiness. He is from Arizona also.

 

Elder Romrell is a nice guy. He is from Idaho and he played basketball for his highschool team. He loves to exercise. It was funny because he went for the behind the back pushup after doing over 150 pushups to show off. And cracked his chin open. Today his got his stitches out and his is good. Also yes he is going to Chiclayo.

So are the other 4 Hermanas in my district.

 

Personally I like all of my district. I tend to get along with people really well.

 

On sunday I was able to bless the sacrament in spanish. That was really nerve racking.. Trying to pronounce the prayer perfectly, but it was a really great experience. Speaking of sundays I have found that I really enjoy them. I cannot beleive how much I took them for granted while being at home. I love all the classes. I feel like am learning so much about the gospel.

 

I am also sang in the Christmas choir for the CCMs annual christmas light ceremony. We sang silent night. I was really cool because we actually sang in English this time. There was a devotional with area general authorities and a lot of mission presidents came. The talks were of course in Spanish, but I really enjoyed it. They decorated the entire CCM with lights. After the Devotional we mingled and drank hot chocolate.

 

Because my mission president was far away he didnt come. I am really excited to meet him though.

Well thanks so much for the birthday wishes. It is weird not being woken up to a birthday cake or icecream at home. Here you can give gifts and sing when the MTC president isnt arround. I guess the dont like singing in the comedor. But since it was P day my district sang right as we left for the temple. I received 2 gifts from Latinos I just barely met. One was a gospel art book which is actually going to be super useful, and the other were some peruvian aji Lays chips. I am just happy to get to write home and go to the temple though.

 

 

There was a new group of latinos and 8 of them are going to Chiclayo.

I am ready to get out into the field, but as you can guess I am a little nervous.

 

 

Love you a lot and miss you

 

 

Elder Joshua Leo Mecham

December 4, 2014

 

I am almost done with the CCM

 

Thanks for the email. By the way next week my Pday is on wednesday my birthday which is pretty nice. I went to the temple and this time I did it without the translator headphones. It was a cool experience. I hope Brooklyn is alright. Speaking of Brook{s chin my companion actually had his chin pop open on tuesday and needed to go get stitches. He was doing behind the back clap pushups and he did not compeletly make it up on the last one. I was compañero less for a couple hours, but now he is fine. He gets his stitches out either tomorrow or saturday.

 

Ya I got Brooks email, but I have nothing from Anji.,

 

I am glad you had a wonderful thanksgiving, they celebrated in the CCM but it just was not the same.

 

Spanish is coming...

 

 

Ya on a day they sang Love at home in Spanish and I could hold the tears back. It just reminded me of what I missed.

 

I am excited to get out of the CCM into the field.

 

I LOVE YOU

 

Elder Joshua Leo Mecham

November 26

Hey another week has flown by in the CCM.

I feel I am understanding more and more Spanish everyday. Speaking though is another story...

 

I will really miss you guys tomorrow... I do know I will be fine but still it is the first thanksgiving without family.

Btw... How is the whole sending and receiving mail after the CCM going to go? will I be able to send things back or should I just hold off to the end of my 2 years to get suvenirs for you guys?

 

I bought a jersey that matches my companion and yes today I bought a peru jersey. It is really funny because the one that matches is the Luis Suarez jersey. Tell the kids it is the same jersey as the "Just bite it Guy". It makes me happy.

 

I wish mitch good luck with his eagle and scout work.

 

For thanksgiving the CCM is doing a mock thanksgiving. It won}t be the same but Hey at least they are trying.

 

Also I have not received any emails from brookie yet so hopefully next week on thursday.

 

Funny thing, Tanner, Jared, Brandon, and Tyler actually email eachother including me. Tanner has a baptismal date set. It is nice to stay in contact.

 

 

I am so thankful to be out here in Peru. I am so thankful to be your son!

 

I love you

 

 

Best of luck with thanksgiving

 

 

Elder Mecham

 

By the way the lights here are funny... You flip the switch and then it takes 3 to 10 seconds to turn on.. They flicker on too so it is almost like a horror movie.

 

 

>Anyways

 

Paz Y Amor

Two weeks down

 

 

 

This was another fun week. Elder Evans came and spoke to us on Sunday. It was really amazing. He spoke once on tenacity and once on repentence. I really enjoyed his talk.

 

EARTHQUAke!!! There was an earthquake. Not a huge one. but BIg enough that we had to go outside until it stopped. I thought it was exciting, but some of the sisters were freaking out. It was just like a big massage.

The traffic here is crazy. WOrd.

 

Today I really enjoyed the Templo. I felt as if the veil was very thin. I felt comforted and empowered in the celestial room. I have more but I won{t tell about over email.

 

 

Can you send me grammies and pappys email.

 

I bought a GERMANY JERSERY. Makes me so happy. It was like 8 bucks. So worth it.

 

We watched Ephraim}s rescue. So cool

 

SPanish will come.

 

 

By the way. my pday is being moved to wednesday now so ya.

 

Love you guys,

 

 

Elder Joshua Mecham

Letter to Dad

Dad

I am doing well. We cannot upload pictures until we get out into the field.

Do you have any tips for learning Spanish?

I understand a lot of what people say, I just cannot respond and teach very well right now.

I love playing soccer with the Latinos here. You may have loved basketball at Provo; but in Peru it is all about soccer.

It is very cool though here. The air is smoggy but hey what do you expect.

So far I have learned how to pray in spanish, testify in spanish, teach about pray, and somewhat of Jose Smith. I really enjoy having the spirit constantly being felt as people share and bear there testimonies.

My P-days are thursdays so ya

Love you dad.

Elder Mecham

First week in the MTC/ CCM

Well I am slowly adjusting to the schedule and needs of an missionary. The first couple day were very long, and I was really tired. We arrived around 3 in the morning Peru time. On the way here I noticed a small miracle that already happened. As we were going through the gate to Board the plane a sister from St. George went to scan her ticket to board the plan. The delta worker handed the ticket back and said she was not on the correct flight and here plan left over 3 hours ago. I felt sorry for her too, because this was here first time flying. Our plane was very full, so all I could do was pray she could make it to Peru safely. As we changed planes in Atlanta I saw here come of the same plane I was on. Some how the delta managed to fit her on to a flight that was way overbooked. Just shows you God watches over the misionaries.

The language is bugging me because I can not speak it very well. I understand most things that are said, but I struggle to pronouce a lot of the words. It will come with patience, but right now it is just hard trying to teach investadores with what little spanish I know.

This morning we went to the Templo and it was amazing. It was a struggle to cross through the veil in spanish, but it just focused me in on what I should be doing on this mission. I felt at peace and just felt the everything will be okay. I then bought three ties one is red one is orange, and one is baby blue. The orange one has the templo on it, the blue one has a lama, and the red one which is really funny has a university of utah logo on it.

Please post my mission email on the blog and my facebook for me.

I do not really remember all my contacts emails so I cannot really email everyone, so if they want they can send me an email.

HAHA I am also singing in the choir on sunday when a general authority comes and visits.

I love the latinos here. Playing soccer with them is the BEST. I may not be able to score many goals, but I play very good defense. Yesterday I slid a saved a goal, and now some of the Latinos call me Beckham because it rythmes with Mecham and because david beckham is amazing at soccer.

Also the latinos love to try to buy ties off elders. <very funny when one tried to offer an elder a hundred dollars just for a tie. Life is good.

Yo se (the keyboard is being dumb so it would let me use accents) que La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los santos de los utlimos dias es verdad. Yo se que Jose smith fue una profeta. Yo se que Dios amar me. Este testimonio me ayanda a vivir con fuerza y traer me paz y caridad.

I miss you all; but I am not home sick.

Btw I was showing pictures of the family. People saw Bekah's picture and thought she was gorgous... I am never showing elders Bekah´s picture again..

Tell Bekah, Terron, Mitch(bubba), Malyssa, and Brookie I love and miss them. Let them Know that I know the church is true. It is muy importante that they live what they know and seek to learn even more.

Also I will not be able to upload picture do to a change in the mtc rules this week. Some elder probably broke a rule and ruined it for everyone else here.

My compañero is a cool guy from Idaho Falls. Elder Romrell is his name. He is doing well.

Love you all,

Paz y Amor

Also I love the food!!!!!!! There is so much rice and chicken and yummy fruits.

Some people do not care for all the rice; but I love it so That is all that matters.