Week #31 - Leaving for Santa Rosa, California - May 26, 2020

After being at home for 7 weeks, Elder Dyal was set apart as a missionary again, and left for his reassignment to the CALIFORNIA SANTA ROSA Mission on May 26, 2020. He left from the Detroit Airport and arrived into the Santa Rosa Airport with 14 other reassigned missionaries. They were greeted by President and Sister Meservy. Eventually there will be 70 new missionaries in the Santa Rosa Mission. He was the second group to arrive. We will miss him a lot, but we know he is going where he is suppose to be!

With President and Sister Meservy

With second group of reassigned Santa Rosa missionaries

WELCOME HOME CAR PARADE - April 10, 2020

Because of social distancing, we couldn't throw a party for Alex or get together with friends.... Sooooo..... Some of our wonderful church members, awesome leaders, wonderful friends and loving neighbors surprised Alex with a WELCOME HOME CAR PARADE the morning after he got home. Leading the pack was his former Young Men leader, who is a long-distance runner. We were all very touched! And Alex was surprised and happy! The perfect way to keep his spirits up as he waits for a reassignment in the United States!

Week #24 - Goodbye PERU and home to MICHIGAN - April 8 - 9, 2020

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Elder Dyal left Chiclayo, Peru on Wednesday, April 8, 2020. The LDS church had chartered a plane to bring the North American missionaries out of Peru and home again. Alex transferred planes in Los Angeles after spending the night in an airport hotel, and arrived into an empty Detroit airport on Thursday, April 9, 2020. His family was there to welcome him home! He was temporarily released as a missionary that evening.

 Chiclayo Missionaries about to go home
with President and Sister Balderrama

(Elder Dyal on the front row, 4 people from the right)

 On a bus to the Chiclayo airport 

(Elder Dyal on the left)

 At the Chiclayo airport waiting to board the plane 

(Elder Dyal towards the back of the line)

 The chartered airplane that will deliver the 
missionaries to Los Angeles

 A mostly empty plane

(Elder Dyal on the left a few rows back)

A happy family welcoming Elder Dyal into Michigan

 Inside an empty Detroit airport.

Only 8 people were on his plane from Los Angeles!

 Mom loves her Alex

 A welcome at home

Some of his favorite treats and surprises!

Week #22 - 23 - La Union, Chiclayo - March 23 - 30, 2020

During the quarantine in Peru, Elder Dyal and Elder Diaz did lots of scripture study and calling investigators on the phone.
Here are some pictures taken during the stay-at-home order in Peru.

Week #21 - La Union, Chiclayo - March 16, 2020

Hey everyone,

So as we all know, the world has completely lost its mind. It's no different here in Peru. The whole country is in quarantine. Every day at 4:00 pm nobody can be on the streets. And there is military on the streets that force you back to your house or arrest you. Well we were told we won't be leaving our rooms for 15 days, but the district leaders will be bringing us food for each week. I'm going to lose my mind just studying everyday and nothing else. We don't have a computer or phone. So...

But stay safe people! I've heard it's crazy out there in the U.S too. But in this mess, we've have three investigators come with us to the Bishop's house last Sunday for Sacrament Meeting.

I have literally no time to write a longer email. Sorry it’s lame this week. This entire week has been crazy for us, and for the rest of the world, I assume.

Elder Dyal

Week #19 - La Union, Chiclayo - March 2, 2020

Hey guys,

So this last week I realized I had 4 months on my mission, which is kinda crazy. I feels like only a couple weeks, but at the same time it feels like it's been forever out here in Peru. But this last week was a bit difficult because not a single investigator showed up to church. On our way to our meetings on Sunday, we passed by one of our investigators that lives in front of the church. We invited him to go with us and he was like: "Yeah I'll be there in a minute." And we waited in front of the chapel for him but he never showed up. But it's all good. We'll keep trying.

I went on an interchange the other day, and the guy who went with me didn't talk too much so I was put in a position where I finally needed to take the lead in everything we did. It's been difficult for me with the last two companions I've had because they love to talk and pretty much dominate the conversation. So this time, I was able to teach the way I wanted to and I was surprised how well I did. One of the people we taught wanted to argue with me about doctrine, so I just showed him scriptures to prove my points, and then continued to teach normally. And then another lesson I taught was to a family and it was on the Plan of Salvation. I felt really good after that interchange because I was able to lead all of it! My companion was very quiet, but he contributed some of the time.

I'm pretty anxious to see some new things because I've been in this same area the whole time I've been in Peru. I'm excited to go east towards the jungle or mountains, but wherever I go it'll be fine as long as I see something new. It'll be about 4 more weeks until another transfer.

Also there are a bunch of Inca statues that we took pictures with today. I couldn't really tell you what they were, but they looked cool. We also had pizza with some other people from our zone. Better than chicken and rice every day...

-Elder Dyal

Week #18 - La Union, Chiclayo - February 24, 2020

Hey guys,

Like I mentioned last week, changes happened and I'm still in the same area, but with ELDER DIAZ from Argentina. Its been pretty lit. He's pretty chill. But the last week its been discouraging because our investigators with a baptism date all seemed to disappear. We couldn't get a hold of them for one reason or another. In one of the families we teach, their grandma is really sick, so its been impossible to find them because they're always visiting her. Which I understand, but they missed their baptism date because of this unfortunate news. The other family just disappeared and blocked our number. A few people actually blocked our number who we THOUGHT had potential, but that happens. More often than I had hoped. We'll keep trying. 

Its been pretty nice not falling back on my English with my new comp. Exactly what I need to get pushed further and now I don't even notice that I'm speaking another language anymore, it's pretty cool. I've even had dreams in Spanish now. My companion confuses me sometimes though because he'll use Argentinian slang, but he's pretty cool and he's teaching me some stuff. I'm trying to teach Elder Diaz English slang, but he doesn't really understand. He only knows like two works: crap and gangster. So he'll use those words in weird context and it's pretty funny. One of my biggest worries coming on my mission was learning a new language. and I'm feeling pretty confident about now even though I'm learning more every day. 

We found these kids who happened to be a member reference, and each time we visit them they want to play chess and we also play around with their kittens. So that's definitely a win. But this week just consisted of searching for new people because our others disappeared. So other than that, not much happened. Next week I hope to write a more eventful email. Maybe with some actual baptism on the horizon.

Elder Dyal

Elder Dyal's zone with Elder Alonso of the Seventy 

and President and Sister Balderrama

 Elder Dyal and his new companion, Elder Diaz from Argentina

This is Elder Diaz's last area before he goes home.

 Elder Diaz and his candy

Elder Dyal looking at the window to his apartment in Chiclayo

Walking the dusty roads of Peru