It's Marinera Week!

Hey all!

That's right, it is Marinera Week here in Trujillo, so there has been a lot of fun things to see while out proselyting. The Marinera is a traditional Peruvian dance that is actually really cool to watch. The ladies always have big traditional dresses, and the men always have their big hats, and it supposedly takes a lot of coordination and skill. The pictures I'm sending are of the Marinera Parade that happened right near our room. Everybody came to watch, and since we were walking to a teaching appointment, absorbed in our thoughts, we crossed the street right when everybody was coming by! So, inadvertently, us two white guys became part of the yearly Trujillo Marinera Parade. Fun, eh?

The work is advancing well here. The ward is pretty small, but we are working on getting everybody active and helping us get some references and whatnot. Everyone goes wild when I play the piano in sacrament meeting though. Really nobody here knows how to play, and the people get really excited to be able to play with accompaniment. Thanks to Mrs. Denise for always being patient and teaching me so well! It really is paying off in my life, and blessing the lives of others who have never heard a piano played live.

It's starting to get really hot here, which isn't too fun, but I am loading up on the Coca-Cola, so I'm good! I swear, that soda is a cure-all. I really need to start getting into shape though, so I think I'll start trying to run here every once in awhile. We will see how that goes...

Love you all! Can't believe I'll be back there with everybody in 9 short months...Kinda makes me sad!
Big welcome home to Ian Lindsey. Cuidate, che.

Trace

Summer Training

Hi family!

That's right, it is summer here in Trujillo, and it sure is hot! We didn't teach too much this week, since we had leadership training on Tuesday and Wednesday with President and Hermana Turk! It was an absolute blast, and I sure learned a lot. President gave a great talk on how we really need to look inside ourselves and do a self evaluation in order to improve in our lives. Great concept!

We also had a lot of fun cleaning a chapel as a service project afterwards. As you can see from the pictures on Hna Turk's blog, the floor was pretty slippery, and I ate it pretty bad. Good times. We also went and ate some frozen yogurt at Pinkberry, which they have in the mall here in Trujillo. That was a blast from the past! Delicious!

Everything is going great here. I'm learning the area well enough, even though I am still relatively in shell shock, since I'm now longer walking on giant mountains of dirt. I do miss the beach sunsets that I would see in Alto Moche as well. Those were beautiful. Pray for us to find some more people to teach! There's not too much going on here, and we need some people to get baptized!!

Hi to Garrett and Tanya! I love sharing your postcards with the other missionaries every week. They love seeing their home state, since most of them are from Utah! Haha. You guys are so thoughtful. Thanks!

Love from Trujillo

Trace

City Slicker

Hey Everyone!

I am writing you guys from the center of Trujillo! I still can't believe that I am here, to be honest. My new area is called Central, and it is literally the very epicenter of the city of Trujillo. I am downtown, and our area even covers the giant famous plaza in the middle of the city. Everything is great here, even though it is pretty darn hot. I have been able to eat McDonalds, KFC, and Papa Johns this week, which I know I have said in all of my letters to you guys, but I don't think you understand just how big of a deal that is. Really made me incredibly happy.

Anyways, everything is going great. Elder Richards and I are getting along great, and having a lot of fun leading our zone to success! Everybody proselytes right here in Trujillo, so it is fun to just be updated on everything. We talk about baseball all day, and the things that we miss from the USA. Can you believe I have almost 15 months?? Time sure flies.

I will be giving you guys some more pictures and stories next week. This week was more of one of just getting to know the area and getting used to walking on sidewalks again. I miss Alto Moche, but this place, let's be honest, is WAY BETTER. It's good being a missionary right now.

I know you will hate me for not sending pics, but I will definitely do that next week! I just forgot myt camera cord like a dummy. Seriously, I am going to take more pìcs now, I promise!!!

Love ya
Trace

Ciao!

Hey family!

I am headed out of Alto Moche, finally! I can't believe the time has gone by this fast, but it's true, 8 months has been enough time, and I am ready to go. I was SO EXCITED when I got my change though...I'm going straight into the heart of Trujillo, in an area called Central to be a zone leader with one of my really good buddies, Elder Richards! I literally started jumping up and down when President called to tell me. Elder Richards is from Washington DC and is a super cool kid. Central is supposedly a really rich area too, which should be interesting since all my areas up to this point have been super poor. I will finally get to walk on cement again!

Anyway, other than changes, nothing else really happened. We had stake conference this week, which was nice, but nothing out of the ordinary. It is starting to get hard to stay comfortable in church now that we are entering into summer. There is obviously no air conditioning here, and being in a suit in a hot chapel is not very fun. But welcome to Peru. I really do love it.

I'll be sad to have to say goodbye to everyone tonight, but I suppose that's mission life. I'm ready for the next challenge, and I know there will be more prepared people for us in Central! It will bre great.

Love ya, I'll send pics next week.

Trace

2013...The Last Year?!?!

Hey all!

How are we already at that point, that I am saying that I am in my LAST YEAR of the mission?! Kinda sad to be honest, but that's life eh? Anyway, I had a great Christmas, just because I got to talk to you guys! We just kinda ran around all that day, teaching about the birth of Christ, which was fun and all, but all day I was anxious to get on Skype and chat! You guys are the best, that's for sure. This Christmas I have really understood the importance of family. Seeing everyone together with Mom and Dad and brothers and sisters here made me a bit sad, and I realized (for the first time, honestly) that Christmas honestly ISN'T about the gifts and the cookies and the food, but it's about being with the family and making memories. That just makes Christmas 2013 that much sweeter. Can't wait!

We had a baptism this week, which was a great way to finish the year! He used to be a youth preacher in another church, so I would say it was a small miracle. His name is Smith, and I had the privilege to baptize him, since I've been teaching him for almost 4 months now. He was a tough case. I'm wearing the fake glasses that another missionary gave me for Xmas. Super smart, right? You can't even see my sunburn in this picture!

New Year's will be pretty boring. We gotta be in the house at 7:30, so logically no partying. This is probably my last week in this area though, so expect lots of goodbye pictures next week.

Love you guys, and HAPPY 2013!
Trace

Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2012

Dear Friends and Family,

I would like to take this time to send you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I have thanked my Heavenly Father every single day for the opportunity I have had to serve a mission here in Peru. It has certainly been a bittersweet experience with lots of ups and downs, but overall, I have felt the Spirit of the Lord so strong in the work, and I know that is due to the exercising of one important ingredient that I lacked in my pre mission life: love. I know that the love for these people that I feel is due to the Savior, Jesus Christ, and just how much he loves us. It is hard to walk down the streets every day and see the situations that many of these people endure, but I know that the light of the gospel that we bring to this little town makes absolutely everything better. I know that if they listen and apply the things that we teach them, they will not only find peace and enduring happiness in this life, but they will find eternal salvation with all their family in the life to come.

I know that we are here for a reason, that these two years are not a waste of time, nor simply a time to do humanitarian work or "make the world a better place". We are literally preparing souls to return back to our Heavenly Father, and for the part I have been able to play in that process, I am eternally grateful. I know that He loves us in an eternal way that we cannot comprehend. He knows us personally. He has called a prophet to lead us today, President Thomas S. Monson, who is an instrument in the hands of the Lord used to guide us back to Him. I know, without any doubt, that the Book of Mormon is true. It contains the words of Christ Himself, and through following the principles contained within, we will find eternal life.

I know that if this Christmas we choose to love a little more, if we choose to forgive and forget, and if we choose to try and lift the hands that hang down, we will save lives, starting with our very own. The greatest blessing of missionary work is that the convert who has most benefited from my efforts and the blessings of the Lord is just one: me. I wish you all a merry Christmas, and with hopes that the Lord will bless each and every one of you to save the life of another this year. After all, it is the birth of the Savior that we are celebrating. Feliz Navidad de Peru.
Elder Trace Levos