Pizza Hut?

I believe this is Elder Connole with his mission companion from Argentina.

Sorry this is late,

We had an awesome day yesterday! There were only 7 of us Americans in the CCM so the president took us out to Pizza Hut and then we spent the day sight seeing. It was awesome. Like so cool!

Thanks for the ward updates, and I sent you an updated address. Hopefully that gets through. Apparently its tough to get letters here at the CCM but in the field it works out fine. And pacakages are fine out in the field as well.

Dad, thanks for the sports updates, I haven´t received any mail yet so I guess we´ll see what happens. Sounds like USA and BYU are doing well. And it sounds like you are throughly enjoying you job. How´s the house search?

So Bub got in! YAY! and woah. wait. Sticky is so not graduating before I get back...he is far too young...lol. I guess the real question would be if he wants to room with me and a bunch of RMS.

The rope incident (see picture in previous post) occured because I was racing some other Americans, and I was like 4 inches behind him so I gave it a power burst, not realizing that the fence was there...and I still didn´t beat him. grr.

I´ve turned into the number guy to turn to for spanish speaking help. Yesterday we also got legalized to live in Peru and while we were there some of the other elders got iinto a conversation with somebody. And when they figured out they couldn´t carry on a conversation they dragged me over to talk to him. It was kinda funny. The guy was like "oh I know the BOM is true, but I can´t accept your religion because all the names are egyptian" So after a fairly long conversation, I challenged him to read it again and pray about it, so he could get a true conversion...We´ll see if anything turns out because of it.

On saturday during proselyting, we had the opportunity to talk to a lady who we had talked to the week before, and this time we attempted to give her a Book of Mormon. After some discussion about it I felt prompted to read her something from the book. I had know idea what, but I opened the book and I just knew she needed to hear 3 Nephi 27:13. I hadn´t even studied that verse at all, I had no idea what it said until we read it outloud. But it ended up being the deciding factor on her taking the book. It felt sooo good do that.

I got a new companion today, because the other left to Bolivia, I met him briefly and he speaks CLEAR SPANISH!!! Oh my gosh! I´m so excited that I´ll be able to understand my companion this go around. because last time my comp had the thickest accent ever. Like that Argentinian accent was so hard to understand.

I think thats it I´m tying to send pictures, 172 an hour is so not very much time. and I´m not sure if I can recieve them. (Not sure what 172 an hour means. Anyone else know? I received two pictures this go around and 1 of them I already had!)
　

How to Send Letter to Elder Connole

Check the right hand sidebar (www.perumissionary.blogspot.com) to find Elder Connole's current address. Then, choose one of these methods of communication.

1. You can follow the instructions at www.dearelder.com. This site allows you to type in a message to Elder Connole similar to the way you would send an email. Dearelder prints the letter and sends it to Elder Connole. No cost to you.

2. You can send a handwritten letter by following the regulations listed HERE. This uses the pouch system. You are not allowed to use envelopes. Only trifolded papers and postcards can be sent using this method.

3. Sending packages is not currently recommended for this mission. The postal system is unreliable and expensive.

Week 3 Peru MTC

Ok so hopefully the pictures go through this time. I got an SD card so I can take a lot of pictures now.

Adjustments in spanish are still continueing. I can understand or get what they are trying to say to me a lot of the time. Just a matter of getting a bigger vocab and adjusting to the speed. several of the natives and one of my teachers told me I speak better spanish than a lot of the Elders who have been in the field for a month. So I guess when I get out there I'll be to get right to work.

Yogurt? We have really runny yogurt almost every day for breakfast, but sometimes I don't eat it. I'll have to keep it in mind though.

Apparently the mail is kinda hit and miss so if I don't get something or you don't get something of mine, I apoligize in advance. I haven't received any letters yet. So for now I'll just be waiting...

I hate missing the olympics. but sounds like USA is representin' pretty well for us.

As far as other things are going we have been teaching a lot of the other missionaries and teachers which is great because it helps my spanish a lot and its good experience. Sometimes ts a bit of a struggle because I can't always answer how I want to and sometimes my companion just takes over, but we are working on it.

Saturday we actually went out to a stake and were supposed to go teach and invite some less active members to come to church. My group consisted of me, my companion, my teacher, the bishop's daughter and two elderly brethren who spoke so softly that my teacher, companion and I couldn´t understand. Especially not me. We actually didn't find any of the inactives due to a variety of things, so basically 3 and half hours of walking. Finally when we were about to be done, a 20 year old guy came out of now where and was just super excited to talk to the "Misioneros Mormones" so my companion and I gave him a BOM and bore our testimony and share Moroni's promise with him. He also said he would go to church. I don't know whether or not he did, but it felt good to teach somebody something.

The people here live in the humblest homes I've seen. Mom you would hate it. They are all cramped up right next to each other, and there are little shops everywhere.

Oh yeah and as I was walking around, there were a couple instances of people whistling and shouting ¡Gringo! at me. it was funny and kind of embarrassing at the same time.

Sunday I was really sick, and I stayed in bed all day. But I got a blessing and half way through Monday I was feeling fine. Now I feel totally back to normal.

Today we went to 'Interpol' or International Police, where they finger printed us and checked our teeth and put us in their system just in case. That took forever so we werent able to go to the temple.

My companion and a quite a few other Latinos got to go for the first time. I'm sure it was quite an experience for them.

I only sent 5 pictures and I'll have more next time. I hope they get to you. {Rats! Only 2 came through and I already had those!}

Love ya,
Elder Patrik Connole

Week 2 Peru MTC

This is the MTC at Peru (the CCM). This picture would have been worrisome, but here is the explanation..."this is what happens when you run into a dirty rope fence." I wonder why that story didn't get told?
Hi!

Lets see, crazy first day! Didn't get in until 2:30 AM after getting through customs and what not. Got up at 6 and went to breakfast at 7

President Whetten is brand new here, like as in he got here three weeks ago brand new, so the schedule got messed up and everyone was confused as to what was going on.

Breakfast was weird the first day, cantaloup juice...not my fav. Lunch was great, and then we had some meetings and what not for a while until about 3:30 then we were told to go do whatever until dinner at 6. So I couldn't sleep for some reason so I went and threw the disc around with the other American elders that had been here a while.

Dinner was fine, but it was hard to communicate with anybody. They all spoke so fast! and to make matters worse my companion is from Argentina so he has a really weird accent that I still have a tough time understanding him. And after Dinner I got appointed District Leader, but my district only consists of myself, Elder Hall and Elder Gant. And thats all. We are also the only ones in our class. so its really nice because its almost like a private tutor.

I'm significantly ahead of everyone else as far as language goes so its good I'm to act as a translator as best I can. There is only actually like 12 North American Missionaries here at the CCM, 2 of which are sisters.

My companion is pretty cool, he's 22 loves rugby and unfortunately he loves the Spurs as well. He knows a couple english phrases, some of which are not the best missionary phrases, and thats about it.

Right now as far as spanish goes I'm really focusing on speaking the language because thats what is really hard for me to do. I can understand most everything gospel related that they throw at me, but sometimes the talk so fast and use words I don't know and I get tottaly lost.

My stomach had a few issues adjusting to the food at first but now its ok. The food is for the most part very good, very different but very good. Occasionally there is something really nasty that I try and don't ever wanna touch again in my life.

The other day my companion asked me why I have to be here for 6 weeks, apparently he thought my spanish was good enough to get out into the field. It definitely needs work though. Past tense is somewhat difficult still for me to do.

Everything here is done in spanish. We only here broken english to explain some things sometimes and in Priesthood. And when we talk amongst ourselves. other than that its all in Spanish.

Futbol is the big thing here, we play it every gym period. Yesterday a few of us played some volleyball though. But I usually play goalie, because my ball handlings are terrible in comparison to the latinos. I'm gonna try to go play some more power foward next time around here.

We teach everyday in spanish usually twice a day, so that really helps with the spanish.

Today we went on the bus to the store and by the temple. Holy cats! Those bus drivers are CRAZY!!! yikes! but we are alive and it was fun to see a little bit of the city

Love ya
Elder Patrik Connole

PS to use the Pouch system send a letter to
Lima Perú MTC
P.O. Box 30150
Salt Lake City UT

Follow pouch rules and packages are still not recommended

In Lima!

I'm here at the mtc in Peru! The weather is amazing and I'm running on like no sleep at all.

Just a couple things, they highly recommended not sending me packages because its ridiculously expensve to do so. And I can't quite figure out how to get the pictures on the email yet so maybe next week :(...I may go buy myself an SD card as well. And I have no more stamps! I can use US stamps so long as I use the pouch system, so send me some stamps so I can send you your letters! You'll have to send them via regular mail because you aren't allowed to send letters with an envelope in pouch mail.

Everyone can always send me a letter through Dearelder.com. My new mailing address is

Elder Patrik Connole
Peru Arequipa Mission
Av. Melgarejo 159
Urb. Campo Verde
La Molina, Lima, Peru

Lets see. So nothing super exciting happened most of the rest of the time I was at the Provo MTC, went to the temple, went to class, studied, just the usual MTC stuff.

On Tuesday Elder Light and I did our laundry during our free time and packed and cleaned...it was a little hectic because we still had to go to class after lunch and go to the TRC (basically where we go to teach members who are acting as investigators) and do the task there. And we had a devotional, Elder Hinckley (President Hinckley's son) spoke to us. It was really awesome and a good devotional to end on.

After the devotional when we all went to our rooms, all the elders in our zone sang "God be with you till we meet again" in spanish, at the top of our lungs. It was really fun! I'm gonna miss my zone, and district...

So yesterday, wow was it really only yesterday? Craziness. Anyways, I got up around 5:15ish finished up packing, got ready to go and hopped on a bus to SLC. When we got there at about 8:00 am they had changed our flight from 9:45 (because it had been delayed) to 8:30, so I hurried and called the travel offices because I was the travel group leader, and told them what was going on and all of us except for 1 elder got on the plane. The other elder missed it because he had a problem with his ticket, but don{t worry he's here, safe and sound. That flight took us to Atlanta and from there we finally had a chance to eat for the first time all day, and a 3 hour lay over. Oh and I called home then as well.

We then took a 6 1/2 hour flight to Lima. We arrived at 12 am Peru time and it took us about an hour and a half to get through security and everything, customs and gather luggage and what ever else. Its quite humid here, but its not terrible. And then it took about 45 min or so to get to the the CCM (MTC). So its like 3:00 in the morning by the time we get everything taken care of and go to sleep. We then had to get up at 6 am in preparation for the day. That really sucked!

Breakfast was weird pancakes and runny yogurt, it wasn't too bad, I've had worse. Then all morning we've had orientation and talking to the mission president's wife and exchanging our money. Lunch was really really really good, I really liked it.

My new companion, Elder Barandalla, is a latino like most of the elders here, there are only like 58 elders and 5 hermanas here, only about 15 elders or so are non-latino. He is from Argetina and knows very little english. Like 5 phrases or so. So that makes it really interesting. But he is a really nice guy and we'll help eachother learn.

The campus here is awesome! 2 full basketball courts, a full size turf soccer field, a sand volleyball court, foosball and pingpong. There are only 3 buildings, an admin building, cafeteria and the bedrooms/classrooms building, so it is waaaaaaaaay smaller than Provo. Overall the whole atmosphere is a lot more laid back and relaxed than Provo...we don't have to wear a suit coat a lot of the time and if we finish lunch early then we can play foosball or whatever until we have to go to class.

I believe I have more time to email than I used to on P-day (which is normally Wednesday) So we'll have to see. Like I said before, I have no more stamps so if you write me it may take a while to get back to you. I already wrote letters to some of you, but I cant get them to you...argh! Frustration!

Anyways in short, I'm here, and doing very well although I still can't believe I'm actually here!

Love you and miss you all!
Elder Patrik Connole