Hey guys, ya we had a Zone Conference last week and it went really good. A little more than half the missionaries were there from our mission. It was a 2 and a half hour bus ride to Trujillo but it was good for studying. We listened to President Turk and Hermana Turk talk. Watched some videos of the district, practiced teaching skills with our separate zones and then we all read and compared the vision of Lehi in 1st  Nephi 1 to the first vision. It was really good and really motivating. 2 weeks ago we only had 8 baptisms in the entire mission so Pres was really worried. He gave us a lot of advice that will help us to improve.

I'm either going to save the pictures to a cd or to the usb drive that I have if it works when I can. Trust me I have already thought about it, it's just harder to get it done than it seems here. I'm taking pictures but I don't have a ton yet. We're only allowed to take pictures on p day and our area doesn't really have anything interesting in it. I've attempted to take pictures of the landscape and houses for you but the landscape is really weird. I could send one picture that looks like I'm in the middle of the dessert and then I could turn around and take a picture that looks like I'm in the jungle. Some places are really fancy and then other places look like a bomb went off somewhere. I try to write about as much as I can so just keep telling me what you want to know about. I don't have much time to write. I don't really describe my day because it's just a normal routine for us. We get up at 6:30, breakfast at 7:30, study from 8:00-11:00 and then teach. Lunch is at 1:00 and then we teach til 6:00, then we have dinner and then we teach again. We go to sleep at 10:30 and then start again. Once a week we have a district meeting and also once a week we have a ward mission leader meeting. Right now we are teaching lots of families but only a few 5 or 6 are progressing. The problem for 3 or 4 of them is that they are not married. That is probably the most common and hardest obstacle for us here. It costs too much to get married and they can't get work off either. We are teaching 3 of our recent convert's friends in his house and they all say they want to get baptized. The next hardest obstacle is the procrastination. Peruvians forget everything and you constantly have to remind them of things. When you ask them to do something they forget or put it off until the last minute. They are very teachable though, and accept what you say almost all of the time.

 I got the next package from you with the Halloween candy last week and Hermana Turk said something about a Christmas package from you, but I don't know if it's mine or if you sent her something... I didn't understand.

 Oh ya and after the conference Pres Turk took us all to Rockys and it was good!!!!!! I sat like 2-3 people away from Hermana and President.

 I can't believe that happened to Isaac that's too bad. I taught lessons to him a few times in the CCM. He was fine then so I hope he gets better. Do you know what virus it is? Everyone in Guadalupe talks about something called peste bubonica. I'm taking care of myself though so don't worry.

 I don't have time to write much more so ask me about Christmas again next time and I'll tell you. Right now we are teaching the Familia Valderama. The mom has come to church lots of times and her son too. They both want to get baptized and the little kid Martin is 9 and already knows more about the scriptures than I did when I was 14. The father believes what we teach but doesn't really want to commit himself yet. They say they are going to get married in Jan. We have a baptism this Saturday for a girl named Ana. I'll tell you all about it next week.

Take it easy and I'll tty next week. 

Ana Maria Ruiz on the day of her baptism!!
Elder Wilkinson and Elder Perry