Exploding!

I love baptisms. They just always put you in a good mood. This week we saved another soul. This here in Lima are just exploding! Our mission has less than 200 missionaries, with only 10 zones. it's about 2 hours from one end to the other. Here is what we did last week.

842 lessons with member, 558 others.

More than 400 invitations to be baptized

3572 asked references. (Contacting doesn't exist in lima)

4310 contacts

527 new investigators.

186 with date to be baptized

125 progressing. 

The prophecy that the descendants of Lehi will come to the gospel in the last days is true!

I sure love Peru.

We went to the temple today as a zone, and I love it. I was getting pretty angry with a lot of leaders in my ward and I needed a break, the temple always gives me that break.

I don't know why I try and teach lessons in these emails, but I'm gonna stop. haha I will just end with two stories.

Mary Chipana, her 2 kids were baptized just over a year ago, but she wasn't. She comes to church every now and then, last week she did come, and we taught the gospel principals class, the subject was parents and their responsibilities, Elder Nunez and I knocked it out of the park, after the lesson, Mary asked us to come visit her, so we went. She explained she's ready to be baptized and wants to hear the lessons. Miracle.

I did a division with Elder Cowan, my zone leader. When I first met him he said he went to BYU, and that was it for me, haha so I never tried much to get to know him, I just threw the classic BYU student on his forehead. Well we did our division, and we got to know each other. I realized he was anything but that. Sometimes as missionaries we get in such a bad habit of saying, "Hi, How are you, good? Good. Well I gotta go. Bye" We miss out on getting to know the best people in the world. I'm glad I had that time with him, It was good to remember we're not all just robots.

Anything else?

One more funny one.

I was studying words in Spanish I've never said in my life and I was mad because I couldn't remember "Railroad track" and said, "Man I'm never going to know Spanish like I want" Elder Wilding looks up at me and says, "Listen with the Spanish you know, you can impress any American girl, but if you want to impress a native you're gonna have to do a lot better than that!" I got a good kick out of it haha. 

Where we are are not, will not be enough in the future. We must progress.

Have a great week,

I don't have my camera, but the baptism pictures were sweet. ;)

Cold water to hot water in 2 seconds. HOw?

This week was solid. it was really great. Our area is looking up. Peru is I think the number 1 or close to progressing counties in South America, and I was thinking to myself...How? practically every ward in disfunctioning. Then I realized, this is the truth, if it wasn't the truth, there would be no progress. But since it is, that's all you need. For example.

Flor was baptized Saturday, we were left to clean and prepare the font, prepare the service, and pretty much do everything, it frustrated me. The lack of support left me wondering, how did Flor even get to this point? Then I started to look back on the past 2 months. Here in Peru, for someone to be baptized they need six lessons, and 3 asistencias. My last companion left when we had taught Flor 2 of the 6. She lives in the most dangerous part of my area, can only do visits at 8, and I was without a companion... Somehow, I don't know how, I taught her all the lessons, including the basic commanments we have, she read the Book of mormon, and recieved her answer, and chose to be baptized. As I sat at the baptism service it hit me. God does NOT let his children go. He will support them, and he will send his servents to serve them.

Realizing that, I stepped into the water, freezing, like normal. then, the spirit came, and I not lying, everything got hot. She was baptized and then I asked, "Did the water just get hot?" She responded, Yes. My whole body continued to be on fire for like a hour.

 From the first contact to the baptismal font. The church is true, and the lord will not wait or stop his work. So you have an option, be apart of it, and feal the spirit fill your body, or choose to stay home, or to go do something else. I testify that there is no better joy than helping others change their eternal salvación.

I'll end with this.

"You can tell, but never teach. Until you practice, what you preach."

John. W. Boswell II ;)

I'm going to try and do pictures.. Let's see if it works.

1. The two new guys :) 

2. We All have scars on our arms? Can you guess which is mine? :)

3. No package goes unloved here in the arms of Elder smith

4. Coconuts are really cheap and tasty

5. Koolaid!

6. There I was, sitting peacfully, then Elder Wilding thought it would be funny to rip my top of my back, and well it stayed. haha so he took a picture.

7. I like baptisms.

8. I love each and every one of you. I am a very blessed Elder

9. Temple, going there again next tuesday, so I will email next week Tuesday morning. I love it all! I have too many pictures to send, so enjoy these :)

 

  

 

 

Have you ever feared an interview?

Interviews with your mission president I'm pretty sure are the only interviews you will have when you don't have to try and impress them, when they're not looking at trying to see pick you apart word for word. I just got out of interviews with President Boswell, and I loved it. Here's something he left me thinking about, "You don't HAVE to do it, you GET to do it" He reminded me that is the change I have had, and encouraged me to have the look on everything I do, and I pass that onto you. It will be a big change on such a little train of thought.

I got a companion! por fin! His name is Elder Nunez. He is from Peru, and lived most of his life here in Lima, he is a little new man just out of training. He has a lot of great ideas, and we will work well together in this time. I think he corrects my spanish more than any other person in this world. But I told him to do it, so we're doing things!

Flor, the daughter of our Recent convert is getting baptized. She was pretty scared when she had to have an interview with president, which was partly my fault.  oops, haha, but this saturday we're going to the font! :) whoohoo for covenants! She has a four year old son who's life just changed.

Anything else? I'm still digesting conference. are you? If you haven't listened to atleast a 2 talks again, should probably do that :) For all the bad things you see and hear, gotta put more better things in. 

I love you all, have a great week.

Was not planning on having internet today so I didn't even bring my camera. Sorry.

Do yourself a favor and read this letter

Every General Conference I am more and more convinced that I can be better and better, the thing I love about the 10 hours of pure revelation, is that my eyes are lifted, and I can better see people that are in my life, that I should be like.

As Elder Holland bore a 16 minute testimony of mothers in this world, I want every single person to know that I believe there is nothing that will make a bigger influence in this world, than a mom, because they have had the biggest on mine.

I'm not going to bore you or waste time telling stories that don't matter to anyone but me, but what I am going to say, is that Sharron Smith is a woman called of god. She is stronger than I will ever be. Her along with many others, have changed my life, and I am dropped in the depths of humility and gratitude for her, and for the rest.

If you didn't watch conference, or you did. Active, Inactive, hate the church, or don't know who god is, I ask you to go watch this talk, and be grateful for your mother. Because you all have one! And if yours wasn't that great, well you look at the ones who were. Here's the link ;) 

Don't act like you're too busy to watch it. Just click here.

This week was good, it was the end of the transfer and tomorrow I will recieve a companion. POR FIN. I went to the temple with some converts of the other area, so that was fun. Flor, the daughter of Emilia I'm hoping will get baptized this week, It's a holiday this week so hopefully she can get off work and we can get to the font! If not, next week for sure :) Anything else? I don't think so. Go watch that talk.

Pictures. Thanks to my awesome Sister Maryann I got some sweet pink camera rolling again, but i can't figure out how to sync it, so you'll have to wait just another week :) Watch the talk!

Emergency Transfers, and baptizing people

So there we were, Tuesday night, got done planning bien tranquilos, got a phone call. My companion left Wednesday Morning, due to emergency transfers. The best part? Well, my president didn't send me a new companion! I'm in a companionship of 3 now. Elder Wilding, and Elder Landetta, we live in the same room, but they have their area, and I have mine. I always thought preaching the gospel would be easier if you didn't have a companion. Ha, that's not the case! I'm a pretty tired. But, the thing is. I'm not alone. When you follow the commandments, you are never alone.

I'll get a companion October 6th. Until then, I've been doing some major divisions, from 2pm until 9pm. When I don't have anyone to acompany me, I'm in the other area. Among all that, got another call, and well, my older elder needed me back again! Saturday I got to baptize Alfredo Brown, let me explain how I met this 42 year old man. It was right after transfers, I had a new companion, I didn't know my area, It was 12 in the afternoon, I was hungry and hot. I remember clapping my hands and saying, "Alright Holy Ghost tell me where I'm going!" I saw a door, cracked open, and a guy watching tv. I really was sick of walking, and he had a nice couch, so I knocked on the door.I don't know if there in anything better than the first contact, to the baptism font. 

Working hard, I'm so pumped for confernce, I've been waiting for it the past 6 months. It's my favorite weekend in the mission. Above all. So It'll be a good week, gonna try and get two of the recent converts here to the temple on Thursday, I've decided when it comes to family search and peru, there's one of two things you can do. Wait for someone in the ward to help them, or break the rules, get on the computer and help them yourself. After waiting over a month, I'm sure you know I did. Other than that, another day, another soul

Have a great week!

I love you all.

2. My first White companion!

4. I sure do love cold water

 

 

He is SAVING your blessings

You felt like you were doing good things, following the commandments, trying your best to do what god says, and not get ANYTHING in return?... I know I feel like that a lot. Sometimes things just get worse the more obedient you are! Why is that? I'll respond at the end of this email, but think of that for a second.

This week was, hard. With every new companion, you have to get on the same page, and sometimes, one's in the middle of his book, and one is finishing his. I can't imagine how hard it is to be married, haha. I've found myself of my knees a few this week, asking like an object, instead of an agent, it's only when I prayed that I might know what to do, things got better, I didn't want to do it, but if you want things better, ya gotta do somethin!

We have a recent convert here, Emilia 80 years old, her daughter, Flor 40 years old, is listening to us, and has a date to be baptized on the 10th. With the strong influence of her mom, she'll do it. Flor has a 4 year old son, and It's hard to imagine the differnce Flor is making in his life, right now. She is changing his eternal future. And I get to be a part of it, what a blessing. We did some good ole contacting this week aswell, another week in the mission.

Elder Godoy was great, he talked about faith, and giving our best. He said that what we are doing right now, isn't suficiente. I believe that. Before the mission I thought, "People don't change, especially him, or her" That is wrong. So, so. wrong. In fact we are always changing. and what we are doing now, isn't as good as we can be.

To end, I'll answer my question. Why don't we always recieve blessings? Because The Lord is saving them, for when we need them most. Elder Godoy said, "The lord is using your mission as an excuse to bless your family, right now, and in the future"... So go on a mission, everyday is a mission, so change for the better, I know you can, and The Lord knows too.

Something funny?

Oh. haha yeah. An Elder is literally furious with me right now because I didn't trade him my tie he wants. He's a rich only child who has gotten everything he's ever wanted, well... haha not with Me! Luckily this cholo isn't my comp. Is that funny? No?. Well, it is for me because he's pretty upset, over a tie! haha moral of the story? Don't act like you're picked on. 

Get ready for conference! I'm SO STOKED.

I love you all.

No Subject

This week was good, pretty normal. We had a full week to walk, talk, and preach! I have been doing a lot of studying about Agency, and what it takes to be a good missionary. I've realized that the scriptures have to become us.

Sometimes when we teach, we apply the sciptures to the person, when really we need the sciptures more than them. Sometimes we read the scriptures, but the words go right over our head. This week I have been trying to make them apart of me. Because let's face it. If you're not converted to the Book of Mormon, especially if you're a missionary, Satan will get ya real good.

Elder Chicaiza are doing good. We're searching and studying how to help a struggling ward, and we found it all comes down to humility. Humility and Charity. if you don't love them, you arne't going to teach them, and if you aren't willing to be taught, you won't learn. This week we will finally go to our conference with Elder Gadoy the 70 of our area. I'm excited.

This week I had a lesson with a stake patriarca. That completes the list.

I've either been in a training or interview with the following.

Apostle.

Temple President

Seventy.

Patriarch.

Stake President

Mission President

Bishop.

I'm missing the prophet, but maybe in the future!

No wonder I've learned so much in the past 1 and a half! I'm really blessed to be here, and to have felt the things I've felt. God loves each of us, and provides the chance for each of us to learn and grow. we just need to act with faith, and he will give us more than we can imagine.

Anything funny?

Always something funny.

So my companion is 27. When we're walking, We make old man jokes.

I said this to him after seeing a picture of him before his mission.

"Man I thought that was your dad because the picture was taken in the 90's! Oh wait, that's just how old you are."

We were contacting and this guy was reading the porn section in the newspaper. I looked at him and said, "Brother, How about I give you something better to look at" He looked at me, I gave him a card of Jesus Christ. haha

Contacting is awesome.

Yeah no pictures...

I'm going to get to it! Sometime.

I love you all!