Ryan's Mission to Peru: Letter 1/14/2014

Hey Everyone WHATS UP!!!!

Well first off. I got changed. Yesterday I couldn't write because I was in a bus from 9 am until 6 pm. It was a HORRIBLE RIDE!, but one of the coolest views ever imaginable. I went from 16,000 with snow and rain to almost sea level right smack dab in the middle of a desert. My new area is called Moqegua its a little bit south of Arequipa. Its no longer a little village. BUT Moqegua isn't all that big its like a little city. It's the size of like a little bit less thanNewhall. But anyways my new comp is Elder Astle from Logan Utah. I've known him for a while now. He was in the same zone as me in Arequipa almost a year ago. He's freaking sweet. I'm SOOOOO happy hes my companion.

So the last few days I've been SUPER SUPER scared, me and Elder Astle are Zone Leaders so I have a bunch of new responsibilities and things that I have to do that I,ve NEVER done before and I have to be the leader and example to lots of missionaries. So needless to say I was super super super scared. But anyways when they called me to tell me the change they told me someone else (other than Elder Astle) was going to be my comp, someone who had a reputation as well lets just say it would have been rough being his companion and on top of that all the new things that i would have to get used to do. But before leaving I was thinking a lot and praying and just asking God that he would just help me be happy and that it didn't matter to me where I went or who I was with or what I was doing I just wanted to be happy. And I was thinking a lot about all these things that were about to change. And it just hit me that God is way smarter than me and knows way better than I do what I need. So I just decided it didn't matter how hard it would be with my new comp its what will be best for me. So yesterday I got to Moqegua after like an eternity in the bus and I called for them to pick me up and while I was waiting at the terminal I saw Elder Astle turn the corner and run up to me and hug me. It was awesome he told me he was going to be my comp and that he was super super happy to hear we were going to be together. And then today we had my first Meeting for more than 6 months (since Chivay is alone and without other missionaries to have meetings). I was super super nervous today too. But everything went great. Everyone in the zone is super cool and we all get along great. And I feel like God just guided me all day long today to know what I should say and do.

I said goodbye to everyone in Chivay and it was super sad but I survived it.

Dang it I want to go snowboarding SO BADLY!!!! Did you all snowboard or did someone ski? Mikey told me he skied but I don't know if this was the same trip he was talking about or another trip. We HAVE TO go snowboarding when I get back.

So that was my week. Saying goodbye to everyone to Chivay and saying hello to the desert. Its seriously crazy here. Who in the world even started this city here? There's literally nothing for 2 hours but sand... But I love it though I was kinda tired of the cold of Chivay. Anyways I gotta go love you all a lot CHOU CHOU

Love Elder Russon

P.S. I need new shoes ASAP when are they expected to get here? Oh and also I sent pictures of my old comp and members and Chivay and the New Chapel that we got there a few weeks ago.