Area #1!!

Why hellloooooooo thereee!!!

Okay, so let me just begin by saying that sending letters is very expensive. It costs about 7 sol's to send a letter to the States. I figure it would probably be double that for a letter to Canada at least. So about 15 sol's. And since we really don't get that much to live off for a month 15 is a lot! That's like 15 Inca Cola's! ahaha. So I am very very sorry to regret you that you probably will not be receiving very many letters from me hand written except on special occasions or when I am feeling super rich! But please feel free to send me letters or what not, because I love reading those and look forward to them! But here is where it get's more depressing! For me to receive a letter it will take about 6 weeks! Also packages for me to receive them here in Barranca will probably be about 12 weeks to receive! But that doesn't mean I don't want them!  And this is why! Apparently when the Package comes they hold it there at the package place.  When you go to the office (Transfers) they have you sign a document saying it's you and that your signature is the same as your passports etc. etc. They then will go and get the package (eventually, not sure exactly when) and then give it to your Zone Leader to give it to you? Something like that! However Barranca is 4 hours north of Lima so the only time our Zone Leader will go there is for Transfers! Since transfers are every 6 weeks we won't be going back to Lima until then... Assuming we get transferred!! So until further notice, please continue to send packages and or letters to the Mission home! And I'll get them in bulk in 6 weeks!

Sooo what can we take from this? Well if people would like responses to their letters then they will need to attach their email with all their letters and packages! I probably won't have time to write a huge long response but enough to keep everyone happy! This includes Dear Elders most especially! Okay information on Packages! Packages should be sent as following: Name and address of the Sender in the top left corner AND full name of the receiving missionary on the middle-ish area!

Elder Jonan K. Hatt

Perú Lima West Mission

Carlos Salaverry # 3664 - Los Olivos

Casilla de Correo 39-054

Lima 39

Perú

Also the following should not be sent in a package! Money, cameras, other electronical devices, object of high value, used clothes (all clothes must have the tags attached) beef jerky, and plastic toy action figures (Don't ask me why! hahahaha). The reason for this is that they could get stolen in the mail system. It's because when packages arrive here they must pass through customs and if they contain items of value they charge taxes. It's better to send a few smaller packages than one big one. However the office doesn't have a problem accepting big ones, they just want it to be as easy and convenient as possible. As for Peru! Peru has been going well! It's really hot and it's really busy. However it's definetely not the prettiest area that exists! It's quite dirty and there's moto taxis and everything everywhere. At about a million stray dogs running around. It's definetely not Kansas anymore :) My companions name is Elder Garcia. He's from Guatemala and he's been here for exactly a year now! It's been going well! He know like almost no English and it's very hard for him to learn... even though I feel like it's a million times easier since you don't have a million verbs with litterally 8 million ways to Conjugate them which you need to memorize! Literally millions :P The language is coming little by little! I wish I was fluent and I didn't have to learn it but that's just wishful thinking of course! That would be too easy! The food is different but it's not terrible! However I just happened to be called to Serve in the country that easts the most rice in the world other then China. Needless to say I get my intake of Rice that's for sure. And I haven't had anything cold to drink since I've arrived which is because pretty much no families have a Fridge in their homes! It's crazy, I feel so thankful to be from a place like Canada where we have so many oppourtunities to grow and progress. We have nice, clean places to live and some really nice people. It's definetely a Humbling experience to be here in Peru!

Anyway I really don't have any time left!

Love you lot's!

Elder Hatt