Transfer!

Hello Family and Friends,

Well so much has happened this week and weekend i dont really know where to start.  Ill start with Thursday.  I had a really interesting experience.  For the first time in my mission i talked with people from the united states that arent missionaries.  We were way up in the hills doing a service project for a family and they had a little medical tent set up and were teaching kids to brush their teach and giving out medication to those who needed it.  It was me my companion and the zone leaders that were together doing the service.  One of the zone leaders is American so we decided to go and talk to them and see whats up.  We started talking to them and it was super awkward.  It was then that i realized that ive forgotten how to socialize in english.  It was really a wierd experience.  But i was able to find
out that they were from Boston and Seattle.  There were several students from UW there so it was neat to be able to talk with them for a little while.  It made me realize how much i have sunk into the culture here.  Its just become normal life for me.

On saturday we had a baptism.  It was an 18 year old guy who we have been teaching for quite a while now.  It was pretty awsome to be able to finally reach the point when he was able to be baptized.  It was all well and good until we arrived at the baptism and none of the bishopric came.   There was no presiding authority to be able to do the baptism.  So we were scrambling to call the bishop and members of
the bishopric so we could get started.  Finally got a hold of the bishop and he was still at work and hadnt bothered to make arrangments so someone could be there to preside.  So after about 45 minutes of making calls and getting authorization we did the baptism without them.  It was frustrating but what can you do.  But we started the baptism an hour late (which is not unusual here) and he was able to be
baptized.  His name is Elmer and he makes a living by making coathangers with his uncle.  Im going to try and attatch some fotos of the baptism.

Saturday night after the baptism and all that, we got a phone call from the zone leaders about the changes.  They told me i was going to Ayacucho which is a zone way up in the mountains and the only zone in the mission thats outside the dessert.  But then they called back an hour later and said they were just joking and that im going to Cañete.  Cañete is a town south of Lima so i got out of the City.  I got here about 10 minutes ago and we came straight here to internet.  The part that scares me the most is that president called me to be district leader here.  Why? idk.  I guess the Lord knows i need to be more humble.  So it should be an interesting experience trying to accustom myself to be a leader in a zone that i dont know at all.  But hey who the lord calls the Lord qualifies.  So im a town called cañete in the part thats called San Vicente.  Ive only heard good things and they finished building a chapel here only a few weeks ago so its brand new. 

 Im really excited about being able to be in a new area again. Yesterday was a little hard saying goodbye to all the families in the ward and the converts and everything.  Especially knowing that i will most likely never see any of them again.  But its a part of the mission.  Thats it from me this week.  Im sad to hear about BYUH losing in the championship game, that sounds rough.    Im super happy to have the jump rope im using it every day.  And i need it too because im pretty sure yesterday alone i gained about 15 pounds.  When i told people that i was leaving they all gave me a ton of food to eat.  And they dont offer either.  They dont even ask if you want it.  They serve you a mountain of rice and chicken on a plate and expect you to eat it.  But hey its better than starving.

Elder Hess