transfers are called "changes" in Spanish

Dear Family,

If I remember correctly, we didn't have the transfer information last Monday, so you get to hear the news. Of the seven stakes in Trujillo (which used to be seven zones), there are now only 4 zones. Esperanza has been combined with Primavera, Palermo has been combined with Central, Este has been combined with Porvenir, and Laureles is the only zone that is still only one stake. I like that change. Now the zones are all bigger. They all have around 20 missionaries each. Here in Primavera-Esperanza, we have 22. Elder Hepworth was transferred to Tahuantinsuyo (that might be the name of some old Chimu or Inca leader), which is a ward in Primavera Stake. He and his new companion (Elder Camargo) are still the zone leaders. My new companion is Elder Rocca, who has 21 or so months in the mission. He was also a zone leader last change (just happened to be Elder Camargo's companion in Tahuantinsuyo, too). Now he's a district leader and I'm a junior companion. We both feel strange without having so much responsibility hanging on us. We go to bed on time. I write in my journal and exercise every day. The phone rests and collects dust (well, it collected dust before, just because Esperanza is a dusty place - now it's dust from lack of use).

You might remember that I mentioned Gisela's baptism about three weeks ago. We talked to her on Saturday night, and she told us that she was going to bring two friends to church the next day. While we were talking, she mentioned she was going to go a Valentine's Day party. She added that she'd be back before 12, because then it's the Sabbath. That made me smile, and she assured us that she'd keep the commandments. On Sunday, we didn't see her or her friends or her sister in Sacrament Meeting. Then the Bishop announced that she had been hit by a car last night and that she was in the hospital. I was heartbroken. We got permission to go downtown and visit her. We were happy to find her in a lot better condition that we thought we would. She didn't have any scuffs or scratches at all. Her sister, Leidy, told us that the car had been able to hit its brakes, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. She didn't hit her head, but she didn't remember what happened or why she was in a hospital bed. The IV needle in her forearm seemed to irritate her more than anything, since she kept adjusting the tube coming down from above. We sang her hymns (with some members and investigators who came to visit, too) and gave her a priesthood blessing. She should be out of the hospital today, but she won't be walking without help for a little while, I imagine. We're relieved that she's doing okay.

We've been finding new people like crazy. It has been a while since I've worked with anyone with more time than me in the mission. I like working with Elder Rocca. He's from Chincha (in Ica, where the earthquake was a year and a half ago). He contacts new people when I don't feel like it, and I contact new people when he doesn't feel like it. It's perfect! I like starting up conversation with people I meet, but it's always open-ended. Some people are kind, some are interested and sincere, an unlucky few are unkind, and some just want to contend. I'm not a big fan of saying, "I respect your beliefs," because most people say it and then start to attack your beliefs. Not much respect there. Some people's ideas are quite humorous, while others make me want to cry. Anyways, among the people we talked to, some special ones were Herles (pronounced "hairless"), a 25-year-old moto-taxi driver; Richard, a 20-year-old who has been going to church with his girlfriend downtown for three months now; and Paula, a mother of three (her daughter, Mercedes (17), and her son, Richard (10)) who just really wants to know what church is true.

In the meantime, Norma has been convincing her parents to let her get baptized, and she introduced us to her sister, Brenda, who we started teaching on Tuesday. Then they introduced us to another friend of theirs, Karin, who also wants to investigate the church. So our investigator pool is saturated with young women (almost uncomfortably) now. They are all very receptive.

Percy, a member in our ward, introduced us to his wife, Yulissa, (who is pregnant and for not too much longer) and his 14-year-old son, Jeanclaude. They came to church yesterday, having just gotten into town from Iquitos, up north in the jungle. I'm not aware of how long they've been apart. Percy and Yulissa aren't married, so we're going to have to fix that here soon.

Gipsy is another young woman we teach, a friend and neighbor of Nataly and Rosa Chiclayo (members), the main reasons that there are so many young women investigating the church. She has come to church two Sundays now, and she's also progressing towards baptism.

Well, time is running out. I'm happy to be in the Lord's work. Today, I read through the Memoriam of President Hinckley, mostly focusing on President Eyring and President Monson's talks. It made me cry and inspired me to do more. I love it!

Thank you for your letters and prayers! I think I might have gotten some letters this week, but since I'm not a zone leader anymore, I don't get them until who knows when (when the zone leaders give me them). I only read letters on P-days, so I might have to wait till next week. Bummer. But not too much bummer. ("Things will work out.")

Love,
Elder Withers