Hey everyone!
Things are great here. Today were cambios and I have been transferred to Ciudad Eten. It´s a town about twenty minutes from Reque that Elder Larsen and I started visiting. They decided to send missionaries there so I guess we´re opening up an area. I´m really excited. My companion´s name is Elder Elguera, from Peru. I haven´t met him yet, but he arrives here from Bagua Grande tomorrow.
Love you all so much. --Elder Bassett
(If you get a few minutes, write to Garret...he could use some encouragement :)
Elder Garret McKay Bassett
Peru Piura Mission
Calle Los Naranjos Mz. H Lt.4
Urb. Los Geranios
Piura, Piura, PERU
Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
AWESOME WEEK!
Ok! This week has been awesome of course! I had the privilege of baptizing three of God´s children this weekend—Felipa Coronado on Friday and Lenin Pisfil Casas and Edwin Cumpa Valasquez yesterday. It was really cool. Here´s their stories real quick:
• Felipa—About the third day after we got to Reque we were knocking doors and at one door a 17 year old named Wilson answered. We taught him and he seemed pretty ok with the gospel. He invited us back. We came back and his mom was there. We invited her to listen. She didn´t seem too interested. We fixed an appointment with her for a couple days later. The day of her appointment we were really behind and I just thought, you know what let´s not go because she didn´t even seem interested. But we did. And now she´s getting baptized four weeks later. She is amazing and I sure hope she can be an example for her family.
• Lenin—23 year old studying to be a lawyer. His little brother joined the church and wants to go on a mission. He went with his dad to yell at the branch president for letting his little brother waste two years of his life. We don´t really understand what happened, but after that visit he wanted to know more about this church. His testimony is already like twenty times bigger than mine.
• Edwin—We were teaching a part member family and this kid was hanging around in the street and we´re like hey punk come listen to the gospel! Ok not really, but we invited him in to listen. He is only twelve and has no members in his family but he is making a big decision and I am very proud of him.So those baptisms were an awesome experience. We´ve been so blessed. There is another girl who is sixteen and wants to get baptized so much. She comes to church and obeys the commandments… But her mom says that she will never allow one of her children to be baptized out of the Catholic church. We pray her heart will be softened. Other things…
• I was in an appointment teaching Felipa and they asked if I could sing a Christmas song. So I sang La Primera Navidad (First Noel) and I miss Chamber SO MUCH!! Cara tell Mr. Wood that. I miss singing in chamber. It´s just different here. Nobody knows the hymns. But the song of the righteous is always a prayer unto the Lord, no matter how bad their intonation ;)
• Mom you would have a heart attack here. We all know how much you love to pick up trash… Well there is trash here everywhere! Everybody just chucks their trash on the ground. Ha ha if you ever come to Peru you have your work cut out for you.
• I´ve noticed a lot of things about priorities. So many people say they can´t come to church because “estoy ocupado.” (I´m busy). But they´re not. It´s all in the priorities. The lifestyle here is so laid back. For a lot of people church just isn´t important.
• References to Christ are here everywhere. Everyone “believes” in God, but hardly anyone acts. The line between religion and tradition is so blurred that people just don´t even know the difference. Religion taught in every school so it has become something different. It´s really hard to explain but it reminds me of a scripture… With their mouths they honor God but their hearts are far from Him.
• One of the pictures is of chicken feet soup. Yum!
Love you all a lot. --Elder Bassett
(Actually Elder Bassett's Mom is posting all these pictures, etc...Garret is busy being a missionary!!)
Monday, November 30, 2009
Missionary work in PERU!
I´ve included a photo of me with two cute Peruano kids. One of them is a future missionary as you can see!Yesterday was the baptism of Joel Miller Millones Casas. He was baptized in the river outside of Ciudad Eten in knee-deep water! He had to sit down and then literally lay down in the water to be fully immersed. It was a great experience, but I must admit, they are not the same as the services I´ve seen before. It was a little hectic, and we forgot his baptismal shirt, so one of the members borrowed his white shirt to Joel and watched the baptism in a wife beater. Right on, eh? Anyway, Joel was an awesome example of someone prepared for the gospel by others. His two cousins are both recent converts and he decided to be taught after seeing their example. He has a great desire to follow Christ.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
A Tiny Glimpse of Mission Life
Dusty shoes! Elder Bassett with his "trainer" Elder Larsen from Colorado! Two great pairs! (Get the pun?)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
First E-Mail Home ~ November 16th, 2009
Well, I'm here! (As a disclaimer, if any weird symbols appear it's because I'm typing on a really weird spanish keyboard in an internet cafe. I will try my best.) Well, being the chip off the old block that I am, I decided to write down everything I wanted to write about on a famous three by five card! So here goes:
Companion-- My companion is Elder Larsen from Colorado. He is fantastic. This is his very last transfer, so he wants to make the best of it. He has been an AP twice, for 7 months total, and I have already learned so much from him. If you want, Mom, you can see him on Hna Chipman's blog. But yeah, he is teaching me a lot about missionary work and about Peru. For example, if a Peruano starts yelling English at you, like "Ai am yor frend! khkauw arr yu!" then they are probably borrachos (drunk) and trying to rob you. Good stuff to know. We have big goals for what we want to do in our area.
Area-- My first area is called Reque. It is a small pueblito about twenty minutes outside of Chiclayo. It is an awesome place. The people are very friendly. Everyone says hi to each other and they all like to talk. It hasn't had very much success the last several months, but we're hoping to change that. The city is in a desert so it's pretty hot in the day but it actually gets a bit nippy at night. *NEWSFLASH* Thriller by Michael Jackson just started playing and Elder Larsen said it happens all the time. Anyway...
Food-- So here's the deal. We actually have what is called a "pensionista" who cooks all our meals, breakfast lunch and dinner. I told her I can't have potatoes so she just doesn't give me any. No miraculous healing story, but I'll take what I can get. We eat a lot of rice and chicken. Oh and "salad"... which is onions and tomatoes with the occasional beets, radishes, and cucumbers... Doused in lemon juice. Doused. If I come home and my face looks like I'm angry at the world, it's probably because the effects of the "salad" have become permanent. Ha ha joke. The food is great. I like it.
Transportation-- So we do a lot of walking, obviously, but anywhere far we take a mototaxi. I'll have to take a picture of one. It's the front of a motorcycle with two wheels and a bench on the back and a kind of canopy thing. Kind of like a motorized rickshaw. But we take them everywhere. A moto ride costs about one sol, depending on the distance. The traffic isn't bad here, but in Chiclayo, Piura, and Lima, I felt like I was living a video game. The driving is CARRRAZZZY here. Seriously. You can do anything. People go in the wrong lane, blaze through stop signs, and all sorts of crazy stuff. There's tons of honking, but people honk because it's a more effective way of saying you're passing someone. So... yeah. It's scary, but people don't crash so it's all good.
Barrio (Ward)-- Our ward is good. We had sacrament yesterday. The biggest surprise... The hymns. A little tough on the ears, but they're trying their best a cappella. After church, however, I found out that they have a keyboard. A really decent keyboard, I might add. It's just that nobody can play it. I offered to play it, and I think I might be teaching piano lessons to a couple youth next week. I'll keep you posted. But yes mom, YOU TOLD ME SO. Seriously, thanks. Me being able to play the piano is a big deal to these members.
Mail-- Use normal mail. It works just fine, and in fact the pouch system doesn't really function that well I'm told. So yeah, just use international snail mail. If you want to send me packages, put Elder Ibarra or Elder Escobar and then my name. Like this-- "Elder Escobar AND Elder Bassett"... the reason for this is that the office can't really pick up packages that aren't in their name. Oh and also, put a picture of the Señor Cautivo or the the Virgin de Fatima. Search either one on google and tape the picture on the box really good. They will leave it alone if it has that on it. Please tell people my address! I want letters! Oh and people can email me. I just can’t email them back.
Elder Garret McKay Bassett
Peru Piura Mission
Calle Los Naranjos Mz. H Lt.4
Urb. Los Geranios
Piura PERU
Well I think that's about it. I love you all so much. I hope that next week I can report that we have had a lot of success. We are working hard to find the people that the previous missionaries left behind as well as finding new people. If you could, please pray for Wilson, Julieta, Amelia, and Lucy. They are the investigators we have been teaching this week. I pray they may be able to recognize that they really do need this gospel and that they will put it above other worries. Once again, I love you all so much. Say hi to everyone for me, and forward this email to whoever wants it. I am safe. I am well. I am in the care of the Lord. And all of you are as well. Here's something to remember:
A veces oimos, pero no entendemos.
A veces entendemos, pero no creemos.
A veces creemos, pero no cambiamos.
Sometimes we hear, but we don't understand.
Sometimes we understand, but we don't believe.
Sometimes we believe, but we don't change.
As we all apply this to our lives and allow ourselves to change I know we will realize that change for the better is the only way we can become closer to God. I can't wait to hear from all of you. Love from Peru!
----Elder Bassett (or elder basket, as a lot of the Peruanos call me)
Companion-- My companion is Elder Larsen from Colorado. He is fantastic. This is his very last transfer, so he wants to make the best of it. He has been an AP twice, for 7 months total, and I have already learned so much from him. If you want, Mom, you can see him on Hna Chipman's blog. But yeah, he is teaching me a lot about missionary work and about Peru. For example, if a Peruano starts yelling English at you, like "Ai am yor frend! khkauw arr yu!" then they are probably borrachos (drunk) and trying to rob you. Good stuff to know. We have big goals for what we want to do in our area.
Area-- My first area is called Reque. It is a small pueblito about twenty minutes outside of Chiclayo. It is an awesome place. The people are very friendly. Everyone says hi to each other and they all like to talk. It hasn't had very much success the last several months, but we're hoping to change that. The city is in a desert so it's pretty hot in the day but it actually gets a bit nippy at night. *NEWSFLASH* Thriller by Michael Jackson just started playing and Elder Larsen said it happens all the time. Anyway...
Food-- So here's the deal. We actually have what is called a "pensionista" who cooks all our meals, breakfast lunch and dinner. I told her I can't have potatoes so she just doesn't give me any. No miraculous healing story, but I'll take what I can get. We eat a lot of rice and chicken. Oh and "salad"... which is onions and tomatoes with the occasional beets, radishes, and cucumbers... Doused in lemon juice. Doused. If I come home and my face looks like I'm angry at the world, it's probably because the effects of the "salad" have become permanent. Ha ha joke. The food is great. I like it.
Transportation-- So we do a lot of walking, obviously, but anywhere far we take a mototaxi. I'll have to take a picture of one. It's the front of a motorcycle with two wheels and a bench on the back and a kind of canopy thing. Kind of like a motorized rickshaw. But we take them everywhere. A moto ride costs about one sol, depending on the distance. The traffic isn't bad here, but in Chiclayo, Piura, and Lima, I felt like I was living a video game. The driving is CARRRAZZZY here. Seriously. You can do anything. People go in the wrong lane, blaze through stop signs, and all sorts of crazy stuff. There's tons of honking, but people honk because it's a more effective way of saying you're passing someone. So... yeah. It's scary, but people don't crash so it's all good.
Barrio (Ward)-- Our ward is good. We had sacrament yesterday. The biggest surprise... The hymns. A little tough on the ears, but they're trying their best a cappella. After church, however, I found out that they have a keyboard. A really decent keyboard, I might add. It's just that nobody can play it. I offered to play it, and I think I might be teaching piano lessons to a couple youth next week. I'll keep you posted. But yes mom, YOU TOLD ME SO. Seriously, thanks. Me being able to play the piano is a big deal to these members.
Mail-- Use normal mail. It works just fine, and in fact the pouch system doesn't really function that well I'm told. So yeah, just use international snail mail. If you want to send me packages, put Elder Ibarra or Elder Escobar and then my name. Like this-- "Elder Escobar AND Elder Bassett"... the reason for this is that the office can't really pick up packages that aren't in their name. Oh and also, put a picture of the Señor Cautivo or the the Virgin de Fatima. Search either one on google and tape the picture on the box really good. They will leave it alone if it has that on it. Please tell people my address! I want letters! Oh and people can email me. I just can’t email them back.
Elder Garret McKay Bassett
Peru Piura Mission
Calle Los Naranjos Mz. H Lt.4
Urb. Los Geranios
Piura PERU
Well I think that's about it. I love you all so much. I hope that next week I can report that we have had a lot of success. We are working hard to find the people that the previous missionaries left behind as well as finding new people. If you could, please pray for Wilson, Julieta, Amelia, and Lucy. They are the investigators we have been teaching this week. I pray they may be able to recognize that they really do need this gospel and that they will put it above other worries. Once again, I love you all so much. Say hi to everyone for me, and forward this email to whoever wants it. I am safe. I am well. I am in the care of the Lord. And all of you are as well. Here's something to remember:
A veces oimos, pero no entendemos.
A veces entendemos, pero no creemos.
A veces creemos, pero no cambiamos.
Sometimes we hear, but we don't understand.
Sometimes we understand, but we don't believe.
Sometimes we believe, but we don't change.
As we all apply this to our lives and allow ourselves to change I know we will realize that change for the better is the only way we can become closer to God. I can't wait to hear from all of you. Love from Peru!
----Elder Bassett (or elder basket, as a lot of the Peruanos call me)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
MTC Drop-Off
The day has finally arrived to literally "drop-off" our wonderful Elder Bassett at the beloved MTC
!
!PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE Missionaries!
What a glorious day! We will miss our Elder Bassett, but we will be so happy that he is serving the Lord!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Called To Serve
On June 10th, 2009, I was called to serve in the Peru Piura mission. The letter arrived early in the morning and I went to the post office to pick it up. I don't think I let that envelope out of my sight all day! Finally Dad got home from work, and after putting Brianna and Ally on speakerphone (and kissing the envelope, as seen below), I tore into it. Opening and reading that letter was a singular experience. Words can't describe the feeling that came over me upon seeing where I would live the next two years of my life. And even though it seemed like I'd thought of every possible place in the world I could go (besides Peru!), I knew without a doubt that was where I was supposed to go. It really is beyond description. Over the next couple of days I read everything I could find about the country, both on the internet and in library books (Dad checked out every book about Peru from the library). Regardless of the location, I cannot wait to serve the Lord and labor among his children. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and cannot wait to share the joy it has continually brought me throughout my life.
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