Here is a letter that Aaron sent to our Bishop.  It was hand written, but I typed it here to share with you:

I would like to say how grateful I am to all of those that have supported me and made it possible that I can be here on my mission.  I hope that I have done well to live up to your sacrifices.  This time the Lord has given me to teach others His gospel has been very special.  I would have to say that it is not the easiest thing, but it's very fulfilling.  I think I somewhat take for granted the Gospel at times in my life, but being here in Peru has helped me realize how grateful I am to be a member of the Church and to know that Jesus Christ is my Savior.  In the Doctrine and Covenants Joseph Smith said that after all the testimonies that could be given, the most important would be a testimony of the Savior.  I feel the same.  Of the things that I have been able to experience, the most powerful has been to be able to witness the atonement take effect in the lives of people.  I personally at times have forgotten the importance of repentance in my life, but I'm thankful that I have a personal testimony of the Savior. Probably the most powerful experience I have had so far on my mission would be seeing one of my investigators take the step of repentance seriously in her life. When we were teaching Martha and her daughter, Pilar; Martha was pretty doubtful at times, but kept the commitments.  She wanted us to focus more on teaching her daughter.  Pilar got her answer first and was very excited to be baptized.  She even told her mom that to get her answers she would have to keep praying.  I remember when we taught the 3rd lesson, that was the turning point for her mom.  We taught her of repentance and left some scriptures for her to read in the Book of Mormon.  A couple of days later we passed by.  She told us that she had read and her attitude was very different.  She asked me about the importance of repentance and that for her it was very important.  I shared with her my testimony and promised her that if she would pray to be forgiven of her sins and be baptized that she would be clean.  She promised us that she would.  The day of her baptism was very special to me.  After they were baptized, I was able to listen to Pilar bear testimony of the Book of Mormon and prayer.  It was very powerful.  Then when Martha stood to share her testimony she looked out at everyone for a moment, started to cry and said, "I feel happy."  A very simple testimony like hers made me feel the Spirit stronger than ever before in my life.  Her testimony changed the focus of my mission.  I am so thankful to know that the Church is true, that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God and that Jesus Christ was willing to die for our sins.  I know that He is the Savior and that His Sacrifice, if we apply to our lives can make us happy.  Again, I am very thankful for the support that has been given to me.  The time I have left in the mission is very short, but I hope that I can help more people receive the happiness in their lives that can only come from the gospel.   Love, Elder Barrett

Mom,

Well after 20 hours of travel I made it to Juliaca as you can see in the pictures it is pretty flat, but it's huge, probably the biggest sector I've had. The people here are a little hard hearted.  We have an average of one person per hour that wants to talk to us (and that's a contact) I'm thinking of some things we can do to reach more people, but there is a stake here so there is growth. My companion is Elder Hidalgo from the jungle of Perú in Iquitos.  He is awesome.   Pretty sure he is my last companion. I'm in my second ward of the mission.  I've been in 2 family goups 2 branches and 2 wards so I think that evens out. Things are good, hope you have a great week, love you.

Mom,

Glad everything went well with your surgery.  Things here are a little cold too and it rains everyday! Well it's about to get a lot colder.  I'm going back to Puno to end my mission in Juliaca. I have 20 hours of travel that start tonight ha ha, thanks to the terrorism in Cusco and all that. It's the shortest time I have ever been in a sector here, we didn't have much success, but I feel the sector is better than when we got here so that makes me feel good. Wow I can't believe I'm going to my last sector, that is crazy to me. Have to pack up all my stuff again, and get ready for the 20 hour BUS ride ha ha. (well 19 hours, there is a one hour break). I hope you guys have a great week! I love you guys

Mom,

I'm glad you and Dad were able to do temple work for the family, I'm sure that was a special experiance. I hope Cara and Chad can get into the apartment they want. This week went well, we had a awesome family home evening yesterday with a reference the branch president gave us. This Sunday are transfers, I think I might have a transfer, but I guess I'll find out.  I'm thankful that Heavenly Father is always helping me to learn and grow, and realize how much I dont know. I felt reminded yesterday sharing my testimony with a family about how amazing the gospel really is, it's everything.  Like you said just the fact of knowing that God has a plan for us so that we can be happy and being able to know that then feel the spirit in our lives, I think makes all the difference. I remember a few scriptures where Jesus talks about those who want to be his disciples, and gives a parable to ask if were willing to pay the price, today I was reminded that instead of asking God to take our pains away we should ask to have the faith and the strength to support our problems, I think maybe that's where the price comes in and we are able to gain experience and become as heavenly father. Love ya Mom hope everyone has a good week.

Hi Mom,
Thanks for sharing that with me, I will have to give that some more thought. Glad everything is going well with Cara, the Draper temple sure is pretty. I hope they'll be able to find an apartment soon. We had a good week, we did all of our contacting this week with the Book of Mormon and it was awesome. It's a good sifter too, because I think the people that will take the time to read a little bit or look up some of the references have a lot higher chance of progressing. We leave every book with the compromise that they will read enough to form their personal opinion. I think I'm going to keep doing this with my companion, there is a good spirit about it. I found it somewhat interesting this week, when we knocked a door, and an old man answered, and asked me where I was from and I told him I was American, to which he immediately responded then why are you here lying to the people trying to cheat them (better than they time I was called a spy and was threatened to have battery acid thrown on me ha ha). I find it interesting that many people here reject us for trying to share something with them that was written by their ancestors, it makes me think of a few verses in 2 Nephi. But anyways I'm thankful for the Book of Mormon, that I have been blessed with a testimony of it's truthfulness. Hope you have a great week Mom, love ya!

Hi Mom,

Hope you had a great BIRTHDAY! Glad you were able to do something fun.  Brennan seemed to be very excited about seing the hobbit when we talked at Christmas, I am also a fan of said hobbit, ha ha, so that is cool that you all got to see it. I hope Brett will be able to get his job soon. Wow, all that snow! That's crazy!  I haven't seen snow in a while. Things are going well here.  We got our mission leader yesterday and he seems pretty excited to work with us so that is good.  Things are really not so well with the families we've been teaching.  One - they don't want to get married which is sad when they have 12 years together and 4 kids.  Two - another family wants that the Dad can listen too, but considering we find out that he doesn't want to listen to us, that doesn't really help.  He says it's fine that his family listens and everything but he doesn't want anything to do with it, "I was born and will die catholic". Not to be disrespectful, but I find it interesting that during my whole time as a missionary no one has been able to tell me why they are catholic.  We're always looking for more people to teach, it's pretty sad how pretty much all the families have the same problem of never being married or that the parents don't even want to be together. I like being able to share "The Family, a Proclamation" with people. Last week when we were coming back to the room we were going to go up the stairs (we live on the second floor) and I was in front, and it was pretty much pitch black, but I went up about three stairs and I felt very weird, like uncomfortable, I felt (not heard) like someone was coming down the stairs, so I moved up a few stairs and I saw something like a glimpse something coming down the stairs but against the wall and I got to the landing and felt like there was someone there and that I would have to go around them so I took off my backbapck and put it in front of me and there was nothing there, which was very weird, and so we got up to the the room and I asked my companion if he felt something and he said that he felt a very uncomfortalbe feeling too, it was pretty crazy! But after that nothing.  Love you and hope you have a great week!

Hi Mom, 
Wow, Thanks for the pictures!  Brennan has grown A LOT, Sadie too! Well everybody!  ha ha.  Yeah, I read about the new way of teaching that the Church is going to start using, that's pretty cool.  I do like that story of baptism, it's pretty amazing how simple the gospel is, and the requirements so that we can one day return to the presence of our Heavenly Father.  Maybe like Alma said the easiness of the way is why sometimes we can become slothfull or that people choose not to "Look".  We had another family in church this week that was awesome!   Whenever we have investigators at church I want so much for everything to go perfect.   I've started to get tired of returned missionarys that say "In my MISSION....... IN MY MISSION!" And then they never help us, just criticize. The branch president when I was in Puerto said he's tired of hearing returned missionaries after they've been home for a while only talk about their mission as if they've never had a spiritual experience after their mission.  But anyways things are starting to get better here in my sector.  Sunday is transfers so will see what happens, I'll let you know!  It will be my second to last transfer, so that is crazy!  So it's time to work and be better than ever before I feel! Love ya Mom and everybody, I'll talk to you next week!
Love, Aaron

Hi Mom, 
Wow it's almost Christmas! That's cool that you're going to spend Christmas Eve with Brett and Jennie. I think I'll call Christmas day! Tell Brennan he should remember what I taught him and he'll be alright. Things are going good here.  We had a family in church on Sunday and that was awesome!  It was a little awkward in Sunday school,  (we don't have a gospel principles class).  The teacher was like, "hey, today we're going to fill out family record sheets for the baptisms of the dead."  Then he started to hand out the sheets, and handed them to our investigators, to which they were like "hummm?"  So I said to the teacher,  "do you think you could share a little introduction because they're investigators"  (and you think someone as a returned missionary would understand but NO).  Then some other "smart one" in class starts to talk to them and says, "Yeah, the church dumps millions and millions AND MILLIONS of dollers into family history!......" So anyway,  just imagine it is your first day visiting a church you show up and they say, "Hey guys! We baptize dead folk and we spend a TON of money doing it!!!!"  I was a little upset.  As true as it is, if their isn't any explanation for at least come comprehension the spirit is not present and no one will be edified.  I didn't want to loose investigators -A FAMILY!-, so my companion and I got up and shared very simply why we do temple work.  They were happy at the end of the lesson, so we have to see if they have some crazy questions during our appointment Tuesday.  We taught a professor this week, which after so much time of trying to teach things extremely simply, was interesting but also really cool.  He had some awesome questions, and it was a really cool lesson. It will be awesome to talk to you guys for Christmas.  I hope you have a good week! Love, Aaron

Hi Mom,
Glad things are going good. Hope things go well with Brett. Well I'm in my new Zone here in Andahuaylas.  It's in another state of Perú, it´s pretty cool.  I'm in a branch again, it's a district with 3 branches.  It's a city in a valley, so there is the main road which is like a straight line with houses all around. My first sunday went well, there is one chapel here, and our branch assists there.  I liked hearing the testimonies of the members, they seem to be pretty strong, but were going to have do do a lot of work with less actives.  Out of about 500 members in the branch about 40 are active, so hope we can really help out there. The Church only has about 20 years here. The Christmas devotional last night was really awesome, i liked it a lot. Well I was informed that the transfer dates have changed and as a result I'll be coming home 3 weeks earlier on the 23rd of April, so that was crazy to hear. Once again I have been attacked or I should say infested - so thats nice.  I just barely solved that problem in my last sector, however unfortunately the flees were waiting for me in me new bed!  It's pretty brutal.  Pretty sure I'll have scars for the rest of my life on my legs and the rest of my body is all eaten up, but anyways I was able to get my foot healed.  I've pretty much been sick or bitten the majority of my mission, but I will survive! But yeah, love ya Mom hope you have a great week!

Hi Mom, Wow this week is Thanksgiving!  That's fast. This week went well, we have another baptismal date with a family we are teaching (one of the very few times I have been able to teach a whole family together) their son has a baptismal date he's 18, and yesterday in the lesson he told he parents that he wants to be baptized and they said the would support him and be at his baptism, I pretty much wanted to do backflips, we also talked to them about baptism and they said they would pray about it, so I'm really happy for that. This is the last week of the transfer so Sunday I'll find out if I have a transfer or not, I'm pretty sure I will but we'll see.  Things were pretty interesting this week my companion tried to go home and if he would have had enough money for a taxi to Lima he wouldn't be here right now, but things are good now. Mom hope you all have a great thanksgiving, I got a birthday card from Grandma today, that made me happy, I hope she is doing good, love you guys, till next week!

Mom, 
Thanks for sending me birthday wishes, that was very nice of all you! Thanks for sending me money.  I was able to buy some ties and stuff that I needed that was very nice.  The Lord's work is progressing and that makes me happy. This week we had conference in the mission for two days, which was sweet.  My mission president is really awesome. This week went well, our investigator with a baptismal date is progressing and were teaching her family too.  We had a really powerful lesson teaching a family with ¨The Family¨ and we were able to help a member teaching her about the Atonement.  It helped me as well remember how grateful I am for my Savior. Seeing the Atonement work in the lives of other people, is really something special.  Wow, Christmas is coming soon like you said.  That's crazy!  It's not really the same though - all the holidays here are holidays of saints and apostasy, where everyone is drunk and stuff.  Oh yeah, speaking of drunk people I was spanked by a drunk lady this week!  I love you guys, hope you have a great week!  Love, Aaron

Hi Mom,

Thanks for wishing me Happy Birthday!  I would say between my 21st and 22nd year I have changed the most. Hope things turn out for the best with the election, I've noticed that the value of the dollar keeps going down, they base the Sole on that.  This week went well, we found a really cool investigator this week that used to assist in Lima, and now she has a baptismal date.  She came to church on Sunday, the testimony meeting really helped her.  We also met a lady that said she had a dream the night before that two angels came to her door.  I'm thankful that things are starting to turn around here.   We've walked a lot lately.  My companions shoes are complety shot! Our mission president just happened to show up this week at ten o'clock.  Our bathroom wasn't very clean, that didn't go so well ha ha, but now I would feel safe to say we have the cleanest bathroom in the whole mission ha ha.  I got a letter from Alex this week and Aunt Mary that was really nice.  Thanks for what you said.  Love you Mom!  Hope you have a great week.

Hi Mom,
Glad you had a good conference weekend, and that you got to spend time with Aunt Margaret and Uncle Doug. The conference was awesome! To answer Jennie's question, I was able to watch it in English.  All the Americans gathered in the secretary's office to watch it online but we had to go with audio because the internet was too slow.  Sunday we got to watch it better, it's always better to hear the Word of God in your own language, it has a bit of a different meaning.  It was awesome to hear about the new temple hear in Peru, the members were way excited, and the age change was awesome too. I liked all of the talks.  What Elder Bednar said about testimony really hit me, and priesthood session was really good. We rented a bus to bring the members from Urcos, to Cusco and the majority of them showed up, which was awesome.  I was really suprised, they were in another chapel, but I heard it went well. I had the most awesome baptisimal challange this week, my companion asked him if he would like to be baptised and he said, OF COURSE!  We invited him to conference and everything too, but he wasnt able to make it, we'll have to see what happened.  We also taught a lady about the worshiping of saints it was an awesome lesson.  Things are good.   Love ya mom

Hi, Mom
Timpanogas sounds fun, I still remember a little bit of the time we went, glad everything is going good at home, things are good here.  We had some cool experiences this week, we are teaching a lot more with the Book of Mormon, and it makes a difference.  I started to learn a few words in Qechua this week, since it's the native language here.  We've been working more with our group leader this week in Lucre, it was sweet, at the end of the day he took us to see some pre-inka tombs, that was awesome, and told us a few of the old stories from here, there is tons of ancient stuff where we are at. Well nobody came to church this week.   There was a ¨Lake festival¨ yesterday, and whenever there is a festival everyone has to be drunk in the streets, so that's nice.  I find it interesting when we start talking to people that are still mad at the Spanish for how they destroyed their culture and stuff, and how they brought the Catholic religion to Peru and all that, but at the same time they remain stuck to their traditions, which are VERY strong here.  I feel like I'm really striving to do my best as a missionary and my companion too.  If we keep doing all we can to do our part and follow the spirit we'll be alright.  Love ya mom, talk to you next week! 

Hi Mom,
So fall is starting?  I've come to only know two extremes - extreme heat and freezing cold ha ha, but that is cool. Timpanogas I bet was fun, sounds like the garden is doing good, that's exciting to hear. What you said is true too, I feel like we could baptize a ton of people but if they go inactive the week after their baptism I don't think that is a convert.  Yesterday we were talking to the couple we baptized 2 weeks ago, and they now have the goal to recieve their patriarcal blessing, and to go to the temple.  It's really great to see members after they're baptized move forward in the gospel. This week we received another talking to from the Mission Assistant.  He told us that we need to baptize more men.  If we only have a chapel full of sisters the church will never progress.  He talked to us about strengthening the priesthood, it was really awesome. He also said the church isn't directed for tradition but for knowledge of the gospel and revelation.  He said someone that is a bishop shouldn't say well the other bishop was like this and so I'll do that.  He said that missionaries should KNOW the gospel.  He said I hope you guys read the Miracle of Forgiveness and The Doctrines of Salvation - all three volumes before your mission! I learned a lot this week. We had a way awesome experiance teaching a family that we found this week.  We brought the recently baptized family with us, and we were teaching and the sister shared her testimony in quechua and I didn't understand anything she said but I felt the spirit really strong.  We invited them to be baptized and everything went well, but Sunday they didn't show up to church.  For once we had the help of the members going to pick investigators up for church and me and my comp were speed walking from hill to hill to bring people, but nobody showed up this Sunday, it was saddening, but some weeks are that way.   Sometimes it makes me feel like I'm a little inadequate as a missionary, but keep I trying to do my best. My new comp is Elder Ramirez from Peru, he is awesome.  We are doing all we can do have results so I know if we keep working this way will be able to see the fruits. Things are good, Love ya mom, Aaron.

HI, Mom

Glad to hear things are going good.  I hope things go well with Brett.  Glad to hear Stormy is doing well.  I've talked to him a few times. Tomorrow is transfers.  I'm getting a new companion, which is cool, I'm excited. So the Assistant in the Mission Presidency has been placed over Urcos.  This Wednesday just in time to start the transfer he is going to come and were going to make a new mission plan and I think he is going to teach us too.  He came this Sunday.  I think he's awesome.  I'm hoping that we can really get some things going here in Urcos. It needs to be a Branch, it's been a family group for 15 years, so yeah, we've got a lot of work to do.  He told us that our purpose as missionaries is to baptize and confirm and we shouldn't set that aside for anything, but because we are also in a family group we also need to establish the church. He talked about having a balance and that the lord wants leaders that learn to be balanced.  He said that there are leaders that are amazing leaders but not very good dads, or amazing dads but not the best leaders in the church.  He taught us the theory of "pressure" that a ball with little holes in it will shoot out the pressure at the same velocity in every hole, and that is how satan works.  He attacks from all sides with the same force.  He also said the law of every action will recieve the same or greater reaction, so that we as missionarys need to push back with the same force or more, it was awesome. So I'm excited for this Wednesday. Things are going good, Love ya Mom, until next week! 

Hi Mom,

Glad things are good, thanks for talking to Alex for me, next week I think I'll be in Cusco and I'll do what I can to go to the post office and send him a letter.  Glad you got to go to the temple open house.  Brother Montgomery has been telling me about it in the letters he sends me every month.  Oh! and I got the package! Thank you very much!  It was funny to see the contrast in the whiteness of the new shirts and the ones I started with, ha ha. Saturday Cesar and Delia were married, and then baptised after, it was awesome!  It was the biggest baptisimal service I've had in the mission! I'm excited for them. I was able to confirm Cesar as a member of the church, that was a special experience. Things are good the changes or transfers are this Sunday so we'll see what happens. I might receive a new companion.  But, say thanks to Jennie and I love you too! Love you Mom, talk to you next week!

Hi Mom,
No, I still haven't gotten the package yet, maybe something happened.  Glad everything is going good.  Hey I got a letter from Alex, but I'm in a place where there is no post office so I can't write him or anybody right now, which is lame, but let him know I got his letter and as soon as I can write I will.  This week went by good, we had interviews with our mission president.   It went well. It's the first time I've really talked to him.  I asked him what he thought of me as a missionary, to see if there are things I need to do better.  I told him, president I have some time in the mission and at the same time I dont have much time left.  He said he is very proud of the work I did in Puno, and that I'm a missionary with a lot of aptitudes with the right attitude, and that he wants to keep seeing me move forward in that way, so that made me feel good. Things are interesting with my companion. He doesn't really like me and pretty much everything I do isn't up to par with how he thinks it should be done, and some other stuff. But trying to take the good out of it.  We did divisions yesterday with two priests that both have less than a year as member.  I learned a lot.  I was trying to do everything as good as I could, and it helped me remember a few things. Things are going good.  This saturday we have the wedding and the baptism, so I'm excited for that. I'm out of time, love you and I'll write to you next week.  Here are some photos! 

Hi Mom,

The light was out in all of Puno last Monday, so I couldn't write you.  Glad everyone is doing good.  I hope Brennan had a great birthday! Wow, Brennan is teacher now, that's sweet. I'll keep Brett in my prayers. Well I'm back in Cusco, in a little city called Urcos - an hour or so out of Cusco.  It's a family group like where I started, so we do everything, but it's cool.  I teach sunday school for the kids from 12-18.  This Sunday I had a talk.  It was my first sunday there and just my luck the mission president just happend to show up ha ha.  The church is in an apartment building, it's interesting, but I'm excited to be there, we've got a lot to do. My companion is Elder Gomez from Guatemala, he's awesome. Urcos is really pretty as you can see in the pictures.  We have a few other smaller towns which are part of our sector too.  This week we walked 2 hours to one and found a whole family to teach so that was awesome.  I'm doing good. The baptism we had the last week went really well, it was sad to baptize them then have to leave the next day.  That's all I have for now.  Love you, and I'll talk to you next week!