Stricking the match in a field

Great first week of the last transfer. We are teaching lessons with 4 or 5 Young men and women all together. They all live close, all coming to church, all going to seminaries. There are basically two powerhouses. Jhexael and Yajaira. Next door neighbors. Yajaira was less active, now rescued, Jhexael is 17 and he's going to be baptized as soon as those parents sign our little pink slip. Tonight we're doing a family night. Family Night of Teenagers. No eternal investigadores here!

Also we're teaching a family, Silvia the mom, Nahomy is 18 and has a daughter, and Yasuri, she is15. All have a date to be baptized the 16th. They read the book of Mormon like no ones buisness. Yasuri plays the piano and violin, I already know what her responsability will be when she's baptized. ;) Satan keeps throwing doubts at Silvia but she's not falling for it. We taught them the Plan of Salvation and blew them out of the water. I LOVE the plan of Salvation. Ask me about Adam and eve, come on. Ask

We struck a match, now the fields on fire.

Now my last companion, I have been waiting for a Mexican all my mission. Elder Moreno is awesome. With him I have now had companions from 8 different countries. I know the lord put me with him for something special, I can feel it, and I can't wait to find out why. I think I have come to know him faster than any other companion I have had... We're going out with a bang!

I recieved all my plans and fight info to get home. Looked at it, put it away and haven't looked at it since. haha Nothing will take me away from Peru until the time comes. The week the church marks 60 years in Peru. This country isn't done with the church, and I am not done with the country.

1. Washing ties by hand... That is when you know you are poor. haha

2. Preparing for bed. haha It is really cold here...

 

 

 

Joy

This week, some of the greatest things of my mission happend...

So I am in San Gregorio, it is part of the stake Vitarte. I was in another part of Vitarte one year ago but in another ward.... It is like I have served in the Ferron Stake two times, one time I was in Ferron ward, and the other in Millsite. When I was in Portales a year ago my companion and I started to visit a 16 year old girl named Hillary and her 35 year old mom named Nelly. We taught them a lot. Hillary was depressed and when I left the area she was seeing a big change and had a date.......

Later I heard she was baptized, but didn't get invited. Normal.

Last Saturday there was a stake festival dance. And we had like 6 investigatores dancing, so we went to the last part to tell them good job and all that. As I was talking to a few members I heard someone yell my name. I turned and saw HIllary, and Nelly. After one year there they were, the mom and her daughter. Active, and happy in the church. I can't describe how I felt when I saw them and talked them them, but I imagine it is a tiny part of how we will all feel when we return to our Heavely father. After chatting a little bit, Nelly's two other kids, 18 and 9 years old also informed me that they were baptized.

Nelly asked me, "Do you remember how it all started? The first time I talked to you" I reassured her that yes I remember. What will happen to that family I don't know.... But now I can bear solemn testimony that I know, that a missionary can NEVER know how much good he does, and how much fruit will come from one seed.

Yanela then got baptized on Sunday. Her daughter hated the water and cried yelling, "Don't go in mom! Don't go in, Why are you in white! I'm scated!!" After the baptism Yanela walked out of the font, and her daughter had a smile on her face I will never forget, yelling again, "I want to be baptized I want to be baptized!".. Later that 7 year old little angel hugged Elder Andersons leg and said, "This is for baptizing my mom"

If you want to be loved, and learn how to love. Go on a mission.

End of the transfer. I have six weeks more! I am getting a new companion, Elder Moreno. He is from Mexico. We are going to be seeing big things.

1. The small little zone.

2. The victom! Yanela and her now very happy husband Leonel

3. The before.

4. Anything Elder Smith does it's going to be clean.

5. I love it!

6. Happy Fathers day... TO THE GROUND. The monday after... haha

7. 22 months.

8. 2 Months. 

Started from the bottom, now we are ending. I love my brethern

One By One

Elder Rasband came by. In my mission that makes two apostles. I know there are apostles on the earth, being in the presence of an apostle is something else, when I was thinking about all he talked about and why he had came a question came to my mind....Why do they keep coming to Peru?.... This is my answer.

There are about 14 million people in Lima. 5 missiones so about 1000 misisonaries. On Average, each mission baptizes 100 people every month. 500 every people every month In a year that is 6000 people. Home of 41 stake centers, and soon to be 2 temples. Bogota Colombia is about the same size of Lima, they have about 10 stake centers.. That is just Lima...

Peru has 30 million people and 557,000 members of the church. There are two operating temples and two that have been announced. The first temple was dedicated in 1986. Think of that. 

Because of so many great blessings President Boswell has been tightning us up lately. On things so small, and yet so important. I have come to know that we are a very, very obedient mission. President Boswell is a powerful mission president, he is my best example, and has changed my life. By Small and Simple things, great things come to pass.

Even though the church soars towards 16 million members worldwide, we get treated one, by one. When Jesus Christ came to the Americas he invited everyone, one by one, to touch him, and to know he is the savior. Elder Rasband shook each of our hands, one by one. The lord loves his children. When I am in a lesson I do my very best to make sure that person, to me, in that moment, is the only person important in the whole world. so they too can feel the love of being treated, one by one.

Another great week down.

Miracles. Chosen people. One couple is Yanela and Leonel.... they are great. he is a member from a long time ago and she has been coming to church every single Sunday for 3 years. They have three daughters, not married. The other week they called us and said, "Elders, We did it. We are married. We want to be baptized" We had visited them in the past but ever since they got married they saw the light at the end of the tunnel and they will not be stopped. I am brought to tears as I think of the future of their three little girls who's lives are forever changed because of the decision of two parents.

Finally,

I am living with my first companion in the MTC. Elder Derr. 22 months have passed since I lived with him, last night I got talking to him (I really like taking) I stood amazed at the person he has become. As I kneed last night to thank the lord, I was filled with gratitude for the way our potter, the lord jesus christ takes us, the clay, and makes us men. Then my thoughts got turned to a missionary I knew who left and threw in the towell after the MTC.... After 22 months, he has missed it all. He has missed it all.

Why do missionaries change so much? In two years I have come to know more than 5000 people. Investigatores, members, people in the street, parents, kids, teenagers, and who else knows, and there is the answer..... You can't get to know 5000 people and not be changed. That elder who threw in the towell, threw in the towell on more than 5000 people. Every single person matters, one, for one. That is something, he will probably never come to know.

I hope we can all love another one by one. Look into someones eyes and talk to them, knowing someones name can make a difference.

Have a great week.

1. The mission has taught us how to live poor.

2. The craziest thing you will see our mission doing is drawing our favorite book of mormon stories with chalk at the church part of our zone meeting.

3. The best way to make people feel loved is publicly compliment them.

Elections in Peru

In Peru, electing for a new president is required, and on the day of elections, Sunday. No one can have meetings. It is against the law. Yesterday we had elections, and I realized how hard it was to feel the saboth day if you don't go to church. It was honestly just another day. I made me realize how awesome church is.

Peru has a new president though so that is good. But he is not even Peruvian, I honestly don't understand it but as long as he lets temples be built I don't even care!

We had a good week. Found some new people, Teaching a lot about the Plan of Salvation for some reason. Peru isn't a country big on getting married so everyone we teach we have to put a marriage date first before the batpsimal one. Which is fine. I like teaching couples, they teach me a lot.

We met a lady who's mom had died like 6 months ago and she was a wreck, crying she told us, "I will never see her, or talk to her again, I can't hug her. How can I accept it" I honestly can't imagine only having that knoweldge. As members of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints, we have a big perspective on things. I love teaching people it.

We were also teaching a fourteen year old girl and her mom. Her mom said to us, "Yasuri really likes they way you pray" and I asked Yasuri, "How do you pray?" The classic Cathlic.. She said, ""Padre nuestro que estas en los cielos...." We then explained a powerful doctrine that god loves to hear from us. She decided to pray using her own words for the first time. And The lord heard from his daughter how she really felt... 

That is why I serve a mission ladies and gentlemen. To help people understand how simple the gospel is and how much god loves us. Every. single. One. 

If you are feeling down, without the spirit and wonder.... How are missionaries so close the god?

I'll answer that right here.... We do three things.

Read. Pray. And bare our testimonies.

If you haven't sent some time on your knees for a while. I invite you to do it. God is waiting.