Competitions for Ugly Ties and Bryce McQuivey's Mini- Dobbleganger

Hello Everyone!!!!

 So this week was a long one! But the good news is that I only have one more week of being cooped up here! So this past week, my companion gave me a haircut, we had another earthquake, and I have only one more week. I have really struggled this week in terms of homesickness, I found that the only thing that helps is talking about it, and playing soccer! Speaking of soccer I am actually starting to get pretty good! Soccer is one of the only times of the day that I look forward to! So here at the MTC the North American’s have a tradition. It starts when we are 2 weeks in. The Elders in the "Class" above us put on a series of challenges, and we are competing for a tie. Now this tie is no ordinary tie, it is the most ugly tie you will ever see! The person who wins the tie has to wear it in every picture with the president and his wife. There are challenges like writing raps and seeing how many paper towel balls you can make into a urinal. Two weeks ago my district competed in these tie games, and I didn't get the tie, but I won the pocket square. The pocket square is super ugly and super hard to get into the picture Yesterday we took pictures and the pocket square fulfilled its purpose! Now we are putting on the challenges for the group below us. It sound pretty dumb, but it takes our minds off the stress!

Here is the tie in all its ugliness along with the pocket square!

This week I defiantly found out that I miss the small things from home, like family prayer and reading to Tanner. It’s pretty crazy to think I won’t be able to do those things for another 2 years! I really miss home and the comforts of it! I am really glad to be out here in Perú. I know that when I get out of the MTC, I will be able to see the blessings of teaching people. I have one more week here, I fly out on Tuesday morning. I will get my new companion, and the next two years will fly past!

Cooper: Happy birthday bud! I miss you so much!!! I hope you have an awesome day!!!!!

I miss you all so much! Today was a wacky day, having to email at 7am in the morning and all, but I have 99 more weeks here for you guys to email me! I love you guys so much and hope you have a great week!

Love Elder Mohlman

 

Here are the zone leaders! The one on my right is literally a shorter version of Bryce Mcquivey! He likes all the same stuff! The only difference is that he is 22!

This is what happens when you fall asleep in class! This is one of my companions!

This is where I went tracking last week!

Lima Peru Temple  - where "Families can be Forever!"

Puppies, Oro, and He loves the people!

 Yes, they do have Gatorade here!

This Elder is from Wellsville, he remembers our cousin Kyle.  Isaac do you know who he is?

So this week was another hard one! The language is coming along alright. I can comfortably give a lesson to someone outside the walls. This week I went proselyting to the "ghetto" of Lima. It is a really poor really violent part of the city. My companion and I taught 4 lessons to less active members about why it is important to come to church. My companion was a little better at Spanish than me, but I held my own. The place where we went is in a district called Las Magnolias. It is literally a giant side of a mountain that is covered in houses. Every one of the houses is a different color.

The first family we taught didn’t really want to listen to us, but the second family did. We knocked on the "door" if you could call it that, and a little boy came running out and hugged us. He showed us into the house where his mom started beaming. She came running from the back of the room yelling "mucho bendicónes" she then grabbed a rag and wiped down all the seats for us, and made us sit it their best chairs. She then sent her son to go get us some Oro (which is basically an off brand of Inca Kola). This family did not have enough money to do that but they were so happy to see us that they sacrificed. We taught the family the lesson which was basically for the husband, then we left with bellies full of Oro. The people here are so great! I love the culture and the sights. While I was out proselyting we were walking to a house and we saw a little litter of puppies, they were so cute! I am so jealous that you guys got a puppy, hopefully I can see some pictures.  

(This our new puppy, we sent pictures but they didn't go through -  welcome little yellow lab - Molly Mohlman )

 So tonight we get new missionaries. The last group left this morning. I am pretty excited because that means only 2 more weeks here in the MTC. I am very thankful for the MTC, but I feel like my Spanish has plateaued. It is super hard to be cooped up all day, but it’s part of the plan. 

I have found that my escape is reading the scriptures. I have found so many great scriptures that have helped me to keep going. I have been reading a lot in the bible, and I have found a lot of really cool verses. One of my favorite is Hewbrews 11:6. It helps me to keep going because I know that Dios will reward those that have faith in him. 

 Yo se que Jesucristo es mi harmano. Yo se que Dios es muy amoroso. Yo se que Thomas S. Monson es un propheta de dios. You say ques la iglesia de jesucristo es verdadera. I have found the truth while here in the MTC, I know I will find more. 

I really liked something that Elder Bednar said, "A mission is the only way for a person to show their unconditional love to God." Its a super good quote that I try to say to myself every day. 

Another one is by Thomas S. Monson, "You have an eternity to prepare for it, an eternity to look back on it, but only two years to live it." I want all of you back home to know that a mission is one of the best decisions I have made. I know I have a purpose and that I am here for a reason. Not a day goes by that I don’t feel the love of Christ. I love it here. And with 23 months left I will be home in no time. I love you all and you are always in my prayers whether they are in Spanish or English. I hope you are all doing great!

Love Elder Mohlman

An Earthquake in the Shower!

So this week was kind of disappointing... First off we lost a ton of really good elders because it was time for them to go out and preach. It’s super sad to lose the good ones.  I also lost my original companion due to sickness, he had to be sent home. So now I am in a trio with Elder Jenkins, and Elder Devenberg. Elder Jenkins is from California and he has an Olympic trial set up for when he gets home. It is for swimming. Elder Devenberg played soccer for a college in Utah called Westminster. I like them both! 

 So on last Monday I had just finished exercising outside and I went inside with my companions. They both hopped in the shower right away and I sat down and read some scriptures for a bit. When I was done I grabbed my stuff and hopped in the shower. So both my companions were out of the shower when I got in.  I was minding my own business when all of a sudden I hear this really loud noise like 10 airplanes flying over our compound. I thought it was strange, so I stopped the shower to listen some more. Then out of nowhere the whole building shook! The next thing I hear is my companion yelling at me to get out. So I freaked out! I was putting on my clothes as I was running out of the bathroom! I ran outside and my clothes were soaked. It was pretty funny! Turns out it was a 5.4 earthquake about 37km from the MTC.  It was pretty cool! I guess they happen a lot down here.

So Parker got bit by a dog huh? That’s no good, tell him I love him! There are more dogs down here than I have ever seen, and none have snarled at me or even got close to wanting to hurt me. I saw 2 schnauzers running with a chow just the other day. It’s weird to see some of the dogs better off than some of the people. I got sick this week. The first thing they do here is take you strait to a hospital, which by the way is no better than a free clinic back home. The doctor was a super cool guy that made the hospital seem a little more trustworthy. They ran some tests and found out it was only a cold. But one of the tests was really weird. The doctor asked me which side of my nose I could breathe better out of. Then he proceeded to take a 9 inch cotton swab all the way to the back of my throat! I took one of my companions with me and he just laughed!

I don’t remember if I told you this, but where the MTC is in a place called La Molina. You could Google it and see what a nice place it really is.   Here is a picture of me outside the MTC and the flags!

More MTC buddies!

Today I went to a store called Totus, so if a transaction comes up on my account don’t fret! I can’t tell you how much I miss you guys at home. There is nothing I want more than to go home and see you guys, but there is also nothing I want more than to share the love of Christ. This mission is really really really hard, but I wouldn't trade the experiences I have made while here for anything in the world. I actually gave my roommate a blessing the other night, and it left us all teary-eyed. We are all so close and we consider each other family. I haven’t got any of the letters yet, so they must take a while. I wouldn't send any more here. I have been reading the scriptures a ton, I have something like 120 verses marked with tabs! I have also read all the way to Mosiah. My goal is to finish by the time I leave. I love every one of you back home. Every time I’m on a computer I check the weather in Woodland! I hope all is well!

Until next week!

-Elder Mohlman

Making lifelong friends and running sacred.

So this week was pretty dang amazing! I am almost an official visa holder for the country of Peru! I went to some sketchy places to try and finish all the paperwork I needed to finish! The first place we went was in the middle of the city of Lima. When we were about to leave tons of alarms went off and we were all told to run! I don’t remember ever being that scared!!! So my group and I took off down the street where we met up with some other missionaries who are fluent. They could tell we were all very scared.  Then one of them grabbed me and said, “it was just an earthquake drill!!” Here they do a country wide drill every 6 months.   Anyway, I was paired up with a Latino companion and we visited a bunch of less active members or menos activos. While we were looking for a house I heard somebody yelling "Gringo!!!" I turned around and this guy was in my face yelling and screaming! I was in so much shock! Then the man reached in his pocket and pulled out ….a camera put his arm around me and then he told me to smile! After he took the picture he continued to swear and yell at me. By then my 4ft 11in Peruvian companion pushed the guy away and we took off! The man was so drunk!

That’s another thing about Peru. It is one of the most depressing places to live. The traffic is terrible, people are constantly drinking, and everybody is super poor. Google Belem Lima, or Sao Paulo Street Lima. That is where I was tracking. There is trash and dog poop everywhere, and everyone looks sad. But there is a flip side to all this. I know that these people are ready to hear the message I have for them. People see us and literally come up and ask us. We don’t have to instigate anything. Also in some areas in Lima there are 100% members in that area. The people are really nice.  I like it here so far, even though I feel like I’m in prison. Like dad would say 3 hots and a cot! Actually one elder here was in the military and he said this was much harder. And I believe him. I was moved to the advanced group this week because my Spanish has been progressing so much. I was excited at first, but it is really hard.  Going on a mission is not easy, I have only been out two weeks and I have wanted to go home. It’s tough knowing I am 3000 + miles away from home. But it is worth every second. I have grown so close to some of the Elders here, but most importantly God. I am so blessed for the opportunity to be out here, It will not be easy but it will be worth it! I love you guys so much!!! There is not a second that goes by that I don’t think about you all back at home!

Love,

Elder Mohlman

 Elder Cabballero will be serving in Lima south with Issac. He was my companion when the drunk guy attacked me.. He is on a stool lol!

 This is the guy I work out with lol! He is an avid fisherman and body builder. His suits look pretty funny because he has to get extra large sleeves, so it fits his body good, but the sleeves are huge!

 Here is me with some of my favorite latinos that left for their missions today :(

Here is my distict at the temple today with one of our miastras. Her name is Harmana Rivera. 

 She lives here in Lima