3/5/2012

Hey fam :)
first of all, dad asked about if i live somewhere as a zone leader or i just travel. Yes, we live in a house and are assigned to half of a ward, the Pomalca ward. We visit other missionaries about one day a week, and the rest of the time we work in our own zone. There are always a lot of meetings and things to do though, so our time we can dedicate to the real missionary work is cut in half most of the time. This last week we had LOTS of unexpected things come up. Friday morning the stake president called me and said he needed us to go to his house urgent, so we went and he told us that the family we´re living with is having family problems and we need to move to a new house asap. so, we talked to the family and now we´re looking for a new house. Some brother in law of theirs moved into town and is renting a house and really mad that the missionaries live where he "should" be living, so the stake president thinks it´s best if we just leave. So, we´re searching for a new house.. not fun. and the missionaries we´ve been living with have had a lot of problems in these three weeks, and finally they both cracked and almost got into a fight, so they had an emergency change.. We had to wait three days until president risso could get it all worked out, so half of this first week i wasn´t even with my new companion, elder Cox, but with one of the missionaries who was having problems and elder Cox was with the other. Today we´re finally back together and happy.
Thankfully we got our new cell phone and it´s made a lot of things a lot easier. Just barely though we were teaching a lesson and it went off right while elder cox was bearing his testimony and killed the spirit.. the downside to having a phone. It´s loud even when it vibrates.
Here basically everyone works in agricultural things. Livestock, cutting sugar cane, in the sugar factory, etc. Most people are really poor. Houses are really cheap to rent. a big house of two levels that´s really nice is like 300 soles per month, aka a little more than 140 dollars.
Elder Cox is from Orangeville, Utah. Where in the world is that? about 20 minutes from price. Super small town. Elder Cox has been in the mission for 20 months, and 10 of those he has been in the mission office. I´m senior companion but he knows way more than me and teaches me so much! He´s a great, obedient missionary, and fantastic companion.
Here are some scriptures that have impacted me this week:
D&C 24:8
D&C 88:63
Luke 21:19
Mostly about patience, I´m learning lots and know that i need all the help from the Lord i can get! I love my assignation, companion, the challenges and fun times that i´m having. I am honored to be a missionary and be able to help others.
Have a great week, I love you and pray for you always!
Elder Hatch

Pictures:
Hanging out with some pigs in Chongoyape..
Elder Cox and i and some other missionaries/random people on the bus back from Chongoyape today for p-day.
The pomalca zone in chongoyape. It´s so beautiful there!