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.

A Tiny Glimpse of Mission Life

Dusty shoes! Elder Bassett with his "trainer" Elder Larsen from Colorado! Two great pairs! (Get the pun?)

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)