Hey Family Child,
Its so good to hear from all of you this week. It sounds like you all had a good week with some cool spiritual experiences and some revelation recieved. Every Monday morning I'm very grateful for the letters and prayers that I recieve through these emails. I know that the Lord knows us and our situations and is consious of what we need in order to progress in this life. I'm eternally grateful for families, knowledge of the gospel, the plan, the priesthood, the Book of Mormon, life in general, the mission, friends, hard times, good times, changes, and of course my dogs! That's cool to hear about President Nordgren's experience in Machu Pichu and the Inca Trail. I've heard from Tour Guides that that trail is pretty tough even for them, but that the payoff is extraordainary! I really would like to visit Machu Pichu one day, I've heard so much about it! I know thatsomehow that city has to be related to the Nephites.
This week was definately a trying one. That's probably why I've been thinking a lot about my blessings and the things I'm grateful for in this life. I know that things happen for a reason and sometimes those things happen to humble us and make us repent (in all forms of the word). Some things happened this week that makes me think I need a different perspective on life and I need to learn. Well, to start off, last Sunday we were planning on having two baptisms yesterday. We were pretty excited. But Monday night we visited one sister and we taught tithing. She was okay with that but when we talked about her baptism she freaked out and said no way I'm not getting baptized this week. She says she wants to have an amazing vision or something to get baptized. Basically she doesn't want to exercise the faith necessary to follow a commandment because she's recieved answers to her prayers. She didn't want to be "asked" to get baptized, she wants to do it without any outward invitation or pressure. It was kind of frustrating. She really didn't understand the Plan of Salvation very well either so we explained why it is absolutely necessary to experience pain and suffering in this life in order to grow and to become like our Father in Heaven. I really felt the Spirit testify to me in that moment that everything in this life is for our good and to teach us how to be perfect one day. Little did I know that the Lord was going to test that testimony latter in the week.
Something really awesome that happened this week was that I went on splits with an Elder from Nicaragua. I love central americans becuase most of them like baseball. So does he. His favorite teams are the Red Sox and Cardinals!!! We had a lot to talk about to say the least. Turns out one of his best friends is pitching for the Phillies. The major league Phillies. I just caught his last name, Sevilla. He said it's cool to see someone you know go from living in the hood to being a major league player making the big money.
So what happened on Saturday was the real trial. We were going to have a baptism of the guy named Carlos. Carlos is really cool. We contacted him once in the street and he seemed interested but he didn't want us to come to his house. He basically told us he'd come visit us. And since that never happens, we kind of just wrote him off. Two weeks later he came to church early Sunday morning but conference Sunday. So we invited him to conference and he showed up by himself. We taught him for two weeks and once he even told us "you know what, I've been reading all this stuff and I already know that I need to follow these commandments. I'm already willing to live by these rules, you don't have to worry." He was all set to get baptized Saturday at 5:00. But at 4:00 he called and said that he wasn't going to be able to do it. I was like, whoa why? After his interview Friday he told his grandma he's going to get baptized but she was like if you get baptized you're not my grandson anymore. So that really freaked him out and he's kind of scared of disappointing his whole family so he told us he needs to work all this out before he can get baptized!! I felt so heart broken and really powerless. He's a grown man, like 30 years old, but he couldn't just tell his grandma no. We had to explain it all to the members there in the baptism as they showed up and I felt bad obviously. I had no idea what to do in that moment so we prayed. All we felt was that there was nothing that we as missionaries could do in that moment so we just need to wait, be patient, and all will work out.
Everything worked out fine in the end becuase the members were really supportive of our "loss", it was kind of like a funeral. They were okay with just eating the cake with all of us there and talking for a while. Then we had ward council yesterday and put down some really concrete goals and plans to improve the ward mission plan. We went teaching some less actives with the bishop and that relationship is getting better every day. So, in all, I was sad but I think we moved forward and tried to improve the ward in any way I could. I'm grateful for pray and for the Holy Ghost that will comfort us when we really need it. Thank you all for your prayers and support, especially for the package of socks, pens, and really awesome chocolate that you can't find here in Peru! Hope you all have and awesome week and that all works out well for you in Salt Lake. I DID know about the new missions in Salt Lake. I think that's really awesome about having 4 whole companionships for the majority of the stakes!! I'm excited to work with those Elders when I get back, especially becuase I can speak spanish too!! My mission president's nephew got called to that new mission in Salt Lake so I might meet him one day. hahaha
Love,
Eldercito Child
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Good Times in Palacios
Hey Family,
So this week I was able to hear about all your lives and some other friends too so I don't have a ton of time to write this week but you'll have to forgive me. Thanks for all your support and all your prayers, I feel them everyday. I'm excited that Alex is finally going to get his Eagle and that he passed his Board of Review, that's cool. That's lame that Kentucky won the college basketball championship, but hey at least it wasn't BYU!! I finally saw the Easter egg pictures and laughed that my siblings are still little kids. All I have to say is that this week was really good. I'm pretty happy here and am starting to really love my companion, he's hilarious.
Well, the coolest thing that happened was that we had another baptism!!! That's always cool. His name is Cluver, I think I already talked about him. He is probably the most prepared person I've ever met to hear the gospel. I baptized him on Saturday at 6:00 and was an unforgettable experience. We got special permission to confirm him Saturday after the baptism and he wanted me to confirm him too. I really felt the love of our savior in those moments. I know that it is through his sacrifice and blood that we can become clean from sin. Cluver gave one of the best testimonies I've heard about being prepared to hear the gospel. The coolest thing about him is that he was just so willing to live by all the commandments when we taught him about them. He just kept saying, "I'll do it. I know it will be a little hard to live by these commandments, but I'll do my part." He was super sad in his life before we met him, but he immediately felt our Father's love for him by listening to us. He now is more sure of his life and can forget all the things that he did in his life before!!!
We finally were able to get the support of our ward. They were actually pretty awesome this week in doing the Baptismal Service and providing refreshments, filling the font and even cleaning up afterward!! It was pretty amazing. I just want to thank anybody who does anything to help the missionaries in the churh, your sacrifices will never go unnoticed. Something that a member told us this week really stuck with me. He said, "Most people think that our jobs as members is to help the missionaries when they come into the ward. But really we should be thinking, how can the missionaries help us to complete our ward mission plan." That's a little different. Most people think that they need to help us accomplish our "mission", but really the Lord wants the ward members and ward council to have their own missionary goals and when the missionaries get there the ward should be thinking, "How can they help us accomplish OUR goals". I know that if that happens in a ward they will work so much more efficiently.
I really feel like we're working well, and we're seeing the fruits of our labors. I'm also grateful for the families who give us food! Two families fed us this week, and they cooked so good! I hope all goes well for you all this week. Have a good week and keep the faith!!
Love,
Elder Child
P.S. I'm good on shoes thankfully so don't worrry about it. I think I'll just make whatever repairs I need here in the mission till I get home!!!
P.S.S. If you can, it would be nice to get a November Ensign of Conference and also the May Ensign of Conference in ENGLISH. They didn't give it to us in English this past conference and the next one won't come till like JULY so ya.
P:S:S:S Oh, my computer is being so stupid right now so I can't send the pictures from the baptism, sorry. NExt week though I should do it.
So this week I was able to hear about all your lives and some other friends too so I don't have a ton of time to write this week but you'll have to forgive me. Thanks for all your support and all your prayers, I feel them everyday. I'm excited that Alex is finally going to get his Eagle and that he passed his Board of Review, that's cool. That's lame that Kentucky won the college basketball championship, but hey at least it wasn't BYU!! I finally saw the Easter egg pictures and laughed that my siblings are still little kids. All I have to say is that this week was really good. I'm pretty happy here and am starting to really love my companion, he's hilarious.
Well, the coolest thing that happened was that we had another baptism!!! That's always cool. His name is Cluver, I think I already talked about him. He is probably the most prepared person I've ever met to hear the gospel. I baptized him on Saturday at 6:00 and was an unforgettable experience. We got special permission to confirm him Saturday after the baptism and he wanted me to confirm him too. I really felt the love of our savior in those moments. I know that it is through his sacrifice and blood that we can become clean from sin. Cluver gave one of the best testimonies I've heard about being prepared to hear the gospel. The coolest thing about him is that he was just so willing to live by all the commandments when we taught him about them. He just kept saying, "I'll do it. I know it will be a little hard to live by these commandments, but I'll do my part." He was super sad in his life before we met him, but he immediately felt our Father's love for him by listening to us. He now is more sure of his life and can forget all the things that he did in his life before!!!
We finally were able to get the support of our ward. They were actually pretty awesome this week in doing the Baptismal Service and providing refreshments, filling the font and even cleaning up afterward!! It was pretty amazing. I just want to thank anybody who does anything to help the missionaries in the churh, your sacrifices will never go unnoticed. Something that a member told us this week really stuck with me. He said, "Most people think that our jobs as members is to help the missionaries when they come into the ward. But really we should be thinking, how can the missionaries help us to complete our ward mission plan." That's a little different. Most people think that they need to help us accomplish our "mission", but really the Lord wants the ward members and ward council to have their own missionary goals and when the missionaries get there the ward should be thinking, "How can they help us accomplish OUR goals". I know that if that happens in a ward they will work so much more efficiently.
I really feel like we're working well, and we're seeing the fruits of our labors. I'm also grateful for the families who give us food! Two families fed us this week, and they cooked so good! I hope all goes well for you all this week. Have a good week and keep the faith!!
Love,
Elder Child
P.S. I'm good on shoes thankfully so don't worrry about it. I think I'll just make whatever repairs I need here in the mission till I get home!!!
P.S.S. If you can, it would be nice to get a November Ensign of Conference and also the May Ensign of Conference in ENGLISH. They didn't give it to us in English this past conference and the next one won't come till like JULY so ya.
P:S:S:S Oh, my computer is being so stupid right now so I can't send the pictures from the baptism, sorry. NExt week though I should do it.
Transfers and Easter
Hey Family,
What's up fam how's it going? I'm so glad to here about all of your weeks in Easter. This week really was special and I'm so grateful to be in this area and to get to know all of these special members. I'm glad to hear that my family is a little famous for being on T.V. for the Jazz game. That's so cool, I wish one day I'll be able to go to a Jazz game again. I was going through those pictures you sent me from last year's Easter and was laughing at how crazy my family is. Keep up the craziness!!!
So this week, like I said, was really cool. It was cool becuase we had another baptism that we weren't really planning on having. The thing is there was this kid that had been listening to the missionaries for like a year. His mom isn't a member but is living with an inactive. The problem was that they always wanted the grandpa to baptize him and this week the grandpa was able to come to Arequipa to do the baptism. So that was pretty cool to see after sacrament meeting.
Something we really learned this week was the importance of the members in this work. The ward I'm in right now is actually a lot better than most of the others in this mission. They actually help most of the time and do stuff for us. I can really see the difference becuase now, instead of being worried about all the logistical things (filling the font, inviting people to the baptism, organizing the program, giving talks, buying refreshments, picking people up at thier houses) we are more focused on teaching the people and getting references and focusing more on the teaching. Our mission President told us that the highest baptizing mission is in Salt Lake City, Utah. I heard that before the mission but didn't believe it till now. Then he explained why. Its becuase of the members. The members see friends or neighbors and actually talk to them. They invite them to Family Home Evening, help them move in, help them with their problems, give them cookies, invite them and take them to church, answer questions, pretty much everything. The missionaries are just in charge of the teaching, which is how it should be. They baptized more than 500 in March (which is ridiculous) and now they have to make another mission in Utah to handle the load. I was thinking a lot about that and hope we all look at our own missionary efforts. Are we helping or hurting? Or are we just doing nothing (which is the same as hurting the cause)? I know that my family tries to do what they can but I encourage you to go up to the missionaries and ask them what you can do for them instead of waiting for them to ask you.
Every day I feel my savior's love, especially this week. I had to do an interview to try and encourage a family to leave behind thier doubts and just make the decision to get baptized. I prayed for help becuase I had no idea what they needed to hear. In the end we found out that they didn't want to get batptized because they weren't married even though they told the sisters they were. Now they can make plans and goals to get married and get baptized. I know that the Lord helps us to fulfill our callings. We had an interview with President Fernandez this week that really helped me. I know that we are in the Lord's work. We have another baptism this week, Cluver. He's such a boss!! He cried during Sacrament meeting becuase he felt the spirit so strong.
Thanks for the package and all your prayers, I really feel them every day. We are working sooo hard with my new companion and only God and I know why we had emergency transfers.
What's up fam how's it going? I'm so glad to here about all of your weeks in Easter. This week really was special and I'm so grateful to be in this area and to get to know all of these special members. I'm glad to hear that my family is a little famous for being on T.V. for the Jazz game. That's so cool, I wish one day I'll be able to go to a Jazz game again. I was going through those pictures you sent me from last year's Easter and was laughing at how crazy my family is. Keep up the craziness!!!
So this week, like I said, was really cool. It was cool becuase we had another baptism that we weren't really planning on having. The thing is there was this kid that had been listening to the missionaries for like a year. His mom isn't a member but is living with an inactive. The problem was that they always wanted the grandpa to baptize him and this week the grandpa was able to come to Arequipa to do the baptism. So that was pretty cool to see after sacrament meeting.
Something we really learned this week was the importance of the members in this work. The ward I'm in right now is actually a lot better than most of the others in this mission. They actually help most of the time and do stuff for us. I can really see the difference becuase now, instead of being worried about all the logistical things (filling the font, inviting people to the baptism, organizing the program, giving talks, buying refreshments, picking people up at thier houses) we are more focused on teaching the people and getting references and focusing more on the teaching. Our mission President told us that the highest baptizing mission is in Salt Lake City, Utah. I heard that before the mission but didn't believe it till now. Then he explained why. Its becuase of the members. The members see friends or neighbors and actually talk to them. They invite them to Family Home Evening, help them move in, help them with their problems, give them cookies, invite them and take them to church, answer questions, pretty much everything. The missionaries are just in charge of the teaching, which is how it should be. They baptized more than 500 in March (which is ridiculous) and now they have to make another mission in Utah to handle the load. I was thinking a lot about that and hope we all look at our own missionary efforts. Are we helping or hurting? Or are we just doing nothing (which is the same as hurting the cause)? I know that my family tries to do what they can but I encourage you to go up to the missionaries and ask them what you can do for them instead of waiting for them to ask you.
Every day I feel my savior's love, especially this week. I had to do an interview to try and encourage a family to leave behind thier doubts and just make the decision to get baptized. I prayed for help becuase I had no idea what they needed to hear. In the end we found out that they didn't want to get batptized because they weren't married even though they told the sisters they were. Now they can make plans and goals to get married and get baptized. I know that the Lord helps us to fulfill our callings. We had an interview with President Fernandez this week that really helped me. I know that we are in the Lord's work. We have another baptism this week, Cluver. He's such a boss!! He cried during Sacrament meeting becuase he felt the spirit so strong.
Thanks for the package and all your prayers, I really feel them every day. We are working sooo hard with my new companion and only God and I know why we had emergency transfers.
Love,
Your Son and Brother
Elder Child
P.S. What happened in March Madness and the Final Four?
Monday, April 2, 2012
Conference is Awesome
Hey Familia,
It's so good to hear from all of you this week. I just want to say hi to all yall over and out there in the good ole usa and especially in Utah. This week went by soo fast I really don't know what to say. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was writing everybody. This week was soo crazy and soo cool. It really was an awesome week and I hope I can tell you the very best parts.
Well, to start off we were able to play soccer again on Monday and I think I actually like the sport now, considering that I hardly ever played before the mission. P -day was pretty much just a normal Monday like all the rest though, nothing too exciting to shake the socks off or anything.
I'm pretty sure the biggest news this week went down Tuesday night. The zone leaders called and told my comp he had an emergency transfer to the other side of Arequipa, the beach. I thought it was just a joke but sure enough after about 10 minutes of confirming it, he really did have a transfer! He left early in the morning wednesday and it was just a little weird to say goodbye. We had only been together for a month and I was wondering if there was a problem on the other side of the transfer, the other missionaries. My new companion got here Wednesday morning and I realized he was an answer to my prayer. His name is Elder Bastidas and he's from Bogota, Columbia!!! He's from the same place as Elder Parra and in fact, they were companions in the MTC in Lima. We get along really well and we are working harder than before.
The real answer to my prayers came that night in a lesson with an investigator. She has been listening to the missionaries for like 4 months and her whole family got baptized before she did. Her name is Violeta and she's really cool. She just had a lot of doubts and little things that were bothering her so she put up excuses as to why she didn't want to get baptized. When we got there with Elder Bastidas she pretty much just opened up and told us exactly all the things that were bothering her and we helped her to get over all that stuff. She committed to get baptized this weekend right after the last session of General Conference!!! I was so happy to hear that. And sure enough, she got baptized last night after the Sunday afternoon session of General Conference!! Her baptism was so special. Her husband baptized her and her neighbor confirmed her. Right before the baptismal service started the bishop told me, hey we need a speaker and you're going to give a talk, alright? So I guess I just had to accept it and wing the whole talk. It was good though, I felt impressed to talk about the miracle of repentance and forgiveness that we always have access to becuase of the love of our Father in Heaven.
That was the perfect end to the best weekend of the year. Yes, we were able to watch all of conference in the stake center, and in English too!! We were a bunch of happy gringos. My favorite talk once again came from the mouth of Jeffrey R. Holland!! That guy is such a boss!!! Well, he should be, he's an apostle of God!!! I loved that talk becuase there are so many people that can apply it in their lives, especially me! I also liked the talk from President Eyring on Saturday and President Uchtdorf on Sunday, especially the part about not judging me just becuase I sin differently than you do. I laughed when Elder Nelson made the joke about the explosion in the printing press creating a dictionary! He burned so many people but with a smile and love in his voice. Also we thought it was pretty hilarious when Elder Chistofferson used a bunch of huge words that nobody understands then takes a break and says, translate that!!! HAHAHAH!! By the way, they didn't translate that in spanish!!!!
All in all I have to say that I felt so much love from my Father in Heaven this week. I loved the words of the prophet and even more loved the things I felt. Almost cried in Elder Anderson's talk and once again felt like I can be more like Jesus. I hope this letter finds you all well and that you all have great weeks!!!!
Love,
Your Son and Brother,
Elder Child
P.S. Just to let you know I got my Valentines package three weeks ago, just forgot to mention it. Also, in the next package I kind of need some things: 1. some new pairs of socks, like 3 pairs please; 2. pen refills for Pilot G-2 Blue, like 10 or as many as you wish to send. If you could hook me up with some of that stuff it would be nice, if not just pass the voice and I'll buy some here.
It's so good to hear from all of you this week. I just want to say hi to all yall over and out there in the good ole usa and especially in Utah. This week went by soo fast I really don't know what to say. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was writing everybody. This week was soo crazy and soo cool. It really was an awesome week and I hope I can tell you the very best parts.
Well, to start off we were able to play soccer again on Monday and I think I actually like the sport now, considering that I hardly ever played before the mission. P -day was pretty much just a normal Monday like all the rest though, nothing too exciting to shake the socks off or anything.
I'm pretty sure the biggest news this week went down Tuesday night. The zone leaders called and told my comp he had an emergency transfer to the other side of Arequipa, the beach. I thought it was just a joke but sure enough after about 10 minutes of confirming it, he really did have a transfer! He left early in the morning wednesday and it was just a little weird to say goodbye. We had only been together for a month and I was wondering if there was a problem on the other side of the transfer, the other missionaries. My new companion got here Wednesday morning and I realized he was an answer to my prayer. His name is Elder Bastidas and he's from Bogota, Columbia!!! He's from the same place as Elder Parra and in fact, they were companions in the MTC in Lima. We get along really well and we are working harder than before.
The real answer to my prayers came that night in a lesson with an investigator. She has been listening to the missionaries for like 4 months and her whole family got baptized before she did. Her name is Violeta and she's really cool. She just had a lot of doubts and little things that were bothering her so she put up excuses as to why she didn't want to get baptized. When we got there with Elder Bastidas she pretty much just opened up and told us exactly all the things that were bothering her and we helped her to get over all that stuff. She committed to get baptized this weekend right after the last session of General Conference!!! I was so happy to hear that. And sure enough, she got baptized last night after the Sunday afternoon session of General Conference!! Her baptism was so special. Her husband baptized her and her neighbor confirmed her. Right before the baptismal service started the bishop told me, hey we need a speaker and you're going to give a talk, alright? So I guess I just had to accept it and wing the whole talk. It was good though, I felt impressed to talk about the miracle of repentance and forgiveness that we always have access to becuase of the love of our Father in Heaven.
That was the perfect end to the best weekend of the year. Yes, we were able to watch all of conference in the stake center, and in English too!! We were a bunch of happy gringos. My favorite talk once again came from the mouth of Jeffrey R. Holland!! That guy is such a boss!!! Well, he should be, he's an apostle of God!!! I loved that talk becuase there are so many people that can apply it in their lives, especially me! I also liked the talk from President Eyring on Saturday and President Uchtdorf on Sunday, especially the part about not judging me just becuase I sin differently than you do. I laughed when Elder Nelson made the joke about the explosion in the printing press creating a dictionary! He burned so many people but with a smile and love in his voice. Also we thought it was pretty hilarious when Elder Chistofferson used a bunch of huge words that nobody understands then takes a break and says, translate that!!! HAHAHAH!! By the way, they didn't translate that in spanish!!!!
All in all I have to say that I felt so much love from my Father in Heaven this week. I loved the words of the prophet and even more loved the things I felt. Almost cried in Elder Anderson's talk and once again felt like I can be more like Jesus. I hope this letter finds you all well and that you all have great weeks!!!!
Love,
Your Son and Brother,
Elder Child
P.S. Just to let you know I got my Valentines package three weeks ago, just forgot to mention it. Also, in the next package I kind of need some things: 1. some new pairs of socks, like 3 pairs please; 2. pen refills for Pilot G-2 Blue, like 10 or as many as you wish to send. If you could hook me up with some of that stuff it would be nice, if not just pass the voice and I'll buy some here.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Different Gringo
Hey Familia,
What's up yo? Its so good to say hi to you all this week and hear
about all of your experiences this week. It makes me happy to hear
about the Jazz winning for the most part despite the youth. I would
have liked to hear a little more about March Madness, but I guess I
should be more focused on the work! That's great that its warming up
there in Utah. It's pretty much the same here in Arequipa, the sun
burns, the shade freezes, its clear in the morning, cloudy in the
afternoon, and a chilly wind at night. That's pretty much the weather
all year round unless it's raining.
This week was actually really special. To be completely honest I was
feeling a little down becuase we just weren't finding people like we
should have. It was like we just were in the wrong places at the wrong
times. Maybe satan had a little to do with some things that happened
that kind of distracted us. But that all changed Thursday night.
Thursday was pretty stressful for me becuase we missed out on some
appointments and my comp was struggling walking. So we had to turn
down an appointment and reschedule for another day and I was losing my
patience. We were walking to another appointment trying not to be
late. We wanted to catch the bus but it didn't come so we just started
walking. I had to break some cash to pay for the bus so I went into a
store and when we came out there was this young man standing on the
sidewalk. I saw him but I was a little preocupied with catching the
bus. As I was looking out for the bus my comp starts talking to him
and the moment he started talking I knew he was different. For one
thing, he took of his hat to talk to us, like out of respect. His name
is Cluver and his 24 years old and is in the military. He told us up
front that he wanted to call out to us to talk but was scared and too
shy to do so. He said that he was unhappy in his life, and he didn't
know why. He was looking for something, but didn't know what. He was
desperate to talk to somebody about his life and how to improve it. He
goes to work five days a week then comes home to his apartment, alone,
sleeps, then goes back to work. When he told us all of that stuff my
heart almost exploded with the Spirit!!!!
We taught him the Plan of Salvation on Saturday and he thought it was
all just awesome!! He lives alone because his parents are divorced and
live on different sides of Peru. He's been alone for like 11 years and
was never happy. We challenged him to get baptized in two weeks and
said, you know what, I really have been waiting for this in my life, I
really would like to do that!!!! We were so stoked!!! He's awesome.
This really testifies to me that everthing happens for a reason. THIS
IS THE LORDS WORK, not ours. He knows which of his children needs help
and the precise moment to send that help. I know the chruch is true
and that we have prophets on this earth once again. I'm so happy to
have the opportunity to listen to these leaders this week. I can't
believe it's been six months since I listened to conference with my
temp Luis in Moquegua. Seems like just yesterday. I invite you all to
make the time now to be able to listen to ALL of conference. Ponder
about the things you need help with right now in your life. Make a
list of questions you want answered from the Lord and listen attently
to all of the speakers and I know that our Father in Heaven will
answer all of these questions.
Well, that's about all the time I have this week to write. I hope
everyhing goes alright and that you're all safe. I've been explaining
baseball to my comp and he seems to actually like the sport. I would
like to see some of the half price Pujols merchandise (just
mentioning) one day. Ooh, there's a tour guide in our ward that takes
people on hikes so that part about pres. Nordgren was cool. I think if
you hike the Inca trail its something like 4 or 6 days depending on
how fast you want to go. They make it to Machu Pichu (not to be
confused with one of the three volcanoes in Arequipa called Pichu
Pichu). One day I hoped to see that marvel of the world and walk where
the Lamanites walked.
Love,
Elder Child
P.s.You're probably all wondering about the subject of my email. It was
becuase one member told my comp that I'm not like all the other
gringos because i'm calm and reserved and I'm mature and stuff like
that. He kind of said it like hey enjoy it while it lasts!! I thought
it was funny but then I thought how much more out going I am nowadays
than before haha! Well, take luck!
What's up yo? Its so good to say hi to you all this week and hear
about all of your experiences this week. It makes me happy to hear
about the Jazz winning for the most part despite the youth. I would
have liked to hear a little more about March Madness, but I guess I
should be more focused on the work! That's great that its warming up
there in Utah. It's pretty much the same here in Arequipa, the sun
burns, the shade freezes, its clear in the morning, cloudy in the
afternoon, and a chilly wind at night. That's pretty much the weather
all year round unless it's raining.
This week was actually really special. To be completely honest I was
feeling a little down becuase we just weren't finding people like we
should have. It was like we just were in the wrong places at the wrong
times. Maybe satan had a little to do with some things that happened
that kind of distracted us. But that all changed Thursday night.
Thursday was pretty stressful for me becuase we missed out on some
appointments and my comp was struggling walking. So we had to turn
down an appointment and reschedule for another day and I was losing my
patience. We were walking to another appointment trying not to be
late. We wanted to catch the bus but it didn't come so we just started
walking. I had to break some cash to pay for the bus so I went into a
store and when we came out there was this young man standing on the
sidewalk. I saw him but I was a little preocupied with catching the
bus. As I was looking out for the bus my comp starts talking to him
and the moment he started talking I knew he was different. For one
thing, he took of his hat to talk to us, like out of respect. His name
is Cluver and his 24 years old and is in the military. He told us up
front that he wanted to call out to us to talk but was scared and too
shy to do so. He said that he was unhappy in his life, and he didn't
know why. He was looking for something, but didn't know what. He was
desperate to talk to somebody about his life and how to improve it. He
goes to work five days a week then comes home to his apartment, alone,
sleeps, then goes back to work. When he told us all of that stuff my
heart almost exploded with the Spirit!!!!
We taught him the Plan of Salvation on Saturday and he thought it was
all just awesome!! He lives alone because his parents are divorced and
live on different sides of Peru. He's been alone for like 11 years and
was never happy. We challenged him to get baptized in two weeks and
said, you know what, I really have been waiting for this in my life, I
really would like to do that!!!! We were so stoked!!! He's awesome.
This really testifies to me that everthing happens for a reason. THIS
IS THE LORDS WORK, not ours. He knows which of his children needs help
and the precise moment to send that help. I know the chruch is true
and that we have prophets on this earth once again. I'm so happy to
have the opportunity to listen to these leaders this week. I can't
believe it's been six months since I listened to conference with my
temp Luis in Moquegua. Seems like just yesterday. I invite you all to
make the time now to be able to listen to ALL of conference. Ponder
about the things you need help with right now in your life. Make a
list of questions you want answered from the Lord and listen attently
to all of the speakers and I know that our Father in Heaven will
answer all of these questions.
Well, that's about all the time I have this week to write. I hope
everyhing goes alright and that you're all safe. I've been explaining
baseball to my comp and he seems to actually like the sport. I would
like to see some of the half price Pujols merchandise (just
mentioning) one day. Ooh, there's a tour guide in our ward that takes
people on hikes so that part about pres. Nordgren was cool. I think if
you hike the Inca trail its something like 4 or 6 days depending on
how fast you want to go. They make it to Machu Pichu (not to be
confused with one of the three volcanoes in Arequipa called Pichu
Pichu). One day I hoped to see that marvel of the world and walk where
the Lamanites walked.
Love,
Elder Child
P.s.You're probably all wondering about the subject of my email. It was
becuase one member told my comp that I'm not like all the other
gringos because i'm calm and reserved and I'm mature and stuff like
that. He kind of said it like hey enjoy it while it lasts!! I thought
it was funny but then I thought how much more out going I am nowadays
than before haha! Well, take luck!
It's Been a Week?
Hey Familia,
Thanks for all the love and support you've given me this week, I've
really felt it. I've got to be pretty honest, I've been searching for
something to write you all this week. The biggest news this week was
definately how fast it went by. I just couldn't believe it on Saturday
that the week was pretty much over, it felt like we were just in
church. Thanks for all the emails. I felt kind of bad for not being
able to Alex an appropriate Happy Birthday at the end of the letter
last week, but hey I was thinking of him the whole week and tons of
people in my ward heard about my "little" brother's birthday. It
sounds like you all ate good on monday and the cheesecake was
absolutely delicious (just a little jealous).
Monday was actually pretty awesome becuase we got to play soccer as a
zone. The coolest part was being able to play with Elder Parra. We
have such a good rythm together and scored like 5 goals and crushed
the other team! I totally forgot how strong the sun is here in
Arequipa. It sooo weird. It gets cold in the shade but if you stand
out in the sun you get totally burned in 5 mintues.
This week I went on Splits twice so I hardly worked in my own area.
But it was pretty cool to learn from other missionaries. I was with an
Elder Johnson from Virginia on Wednesday and we had a pretty tiring
day. We didn't go into a single house the whole day and we walk for
like ever, but we found cool people. We found a guy who spoke fairly
good English for never living in the states. We taught him about the
Book of Mormon in English. After talking to him for like 20 minutes we
parted ways and Elder Johnson told me my English is so horrible, he
was about to laugh during the lesson!! I was like, yeah, I know my
family already told me and I can tell the difference when I talk to
people in English. Its going to be fun for about a week when I get
back home!!!!! The other Splits I went on was with a new missionary
from Ecuador, Elder Ayo. He's pretty cool and really doesn't seem like
a new missionary. Its pretty cool how you can learn from the really
new missionaries. I learned how to be a little more precise and
efficient in the lessons and I think its helped. The problem sometimes
is that Peruvians LOVE to talk, so my comp sometimes talks for like
ten minutes straight with people and then I try to talk and he cuts me
off. Sometimes its frustrating but I'm not a really outgoing speaking
person so really its not a huge deal.
We talked yesterday in church and I was actually a little nervous. I
was nervous becuase they let me know Saturday at 10:00 at night and so
I had like a few minutes to prepare my talk. That's not very new, but
right when the meeting was about to start a Stake President from part
of Arequipa that I already knew walks into our Sacrament Meeting with
another man. I didn't think too much about it till they announced them
from the pulpit as President Hales and Elder Nuñez from the Seventy!!
I was kind of freaking out at that point! The Lord gives us tender
mercies all the time though becuase right after the sacrament, they
left!!! Our ward mission leader was supposed to talk for five minutes
but talked for ten, my comp was suppposed to talk for ten but talked
for twenty, so I was left with a testimony. I talked about a Hymn
that's in Spanish and not in English that I absolutely love called
"Placentero Nos Es Trabajar". I really felt the spirit becuase it
talks about the love of missionary work!!!
Well, that's about it for this week. I hope you are all okay and that
you can do all you want to this week. I'm getting ever more excited
about General Conference. It feels like the last conference was like
last week, the time really does fly by!!! We are soo excited to hear
about the new temples, hopefully Arequipa. We are soooo close to it!
The thing that really is missing in this city is full tithe paying
priesthood holders. Elder Oaks taught us that God will never put a
temple in a city where the inhabitants can't attend becuase of
unworthiness. Sometimes its a little difficult to burn people on not
paying tithing when they barely have rice to eat everyday on their
dirt floor, but the commandments always come with blessings, always! I
know that if we put our trust in God, we might suffer for awhile (like
Nephi) but we'll eventually get to the Promised Land.
Love,
Elder Child
P.S. I had a lady in our ward fix my pants that were getting pretty
huge. She took the waist in almost 6 inches!!!!! I really don't know
what to do, I'm eating like crazy, but working hard too. I feel great
though!!!!
P.S.S Pictures of my area coming soon!!!
Thanks for all the love and support you've given me this week, I've
really felt it. I've got to be pretty honest, I've been searching for
something to write you all this week. The biggest news this week was
definately how fast it went by. I just couldn't believe it on Saturday
that the week was pretty much over, it felt like we were just in
church. Thanks for all the emails. I felt kind of bad for not being
able to Alex an appropriate Happy Birthday at the end of the letter
last week, but hey I was thinking of him the whole week and tons of
people in my ward heard about my "little" brother's birthday. It
sounds like you all ate good on monday and the cheesecake was
absolutely delicious (just a little jealous).
Monday was actually pretty awesome becuase we got to play soccer as a
zone. The coolest part was being able to play with Elder Parra. We
have such a good rythm together and scored like 5 goals and crushed
the other team! I totally forgot how strong the sun is here in
Arequipa. It sooo weird. It gets cold in the shade but if you stand
out in the sun you get totally burned in 5 mintues.
This week I went on Splits twice so I hardly worked in my own area.
But it was pretty cool to learn from other missionaries. I was with an
Elder Johnson from Virginia on Wednesday and we had a pretty tiring
day. We didn't go into a single house the whole day and we walk for
like ever, but we found cool people. We found a guy who spoke fairly
good English for never living in the states. We taught him about the
Book of Mormon in English. After talking to him for like 20 minutes we
parted ways and Elder Johnson told me my English is so horrible, he
was about to laugh during the lesson!! I was like, yeah, I know my
family already told me and I can tell the difference when I talk to
people in English. Its going to be fun for about a week when I get
back home!!!!! The other Splits I went on was with a new missionary
from Ecuador, Elder Ayo. He's pretty cool and really doesn't seem like
a new missionary. Its pretty cool how you can learn from the really
new missionaries. I learned how to be a little more precise and
efficient in the lessons and I think its helped. The problem sometimes
is that Peruvians LOVE to talk, so my comp sometimes talks for like
ten minutes straight with people and then I try to talk and he cuts me
off. Sometimes its frustrating but I'm not a really outgoing speaking
person so really its not a huge deal.
We talked yesterday in church and I was actually a little nervous. I
was nervous becuase they let me know Saturday at 10:00 at night and so
I had like a few minutes to prepare my talk. That's not very new, but
right when the meeting was about to start a Stake President from part
of Arequipa that I already knew walks into our Sacrament Meeting with
another man. I didn't think too much about it till they announced them
from the pulpit as President Hales and Elder Nuñez from the Seventy!!
I was kind of freaking out at that point! The Lord gives us tender
mercies all the time though becuase right after the sacrament, they
left!!! Our ward mission leader was supposed to talk for five minutes
but talked for ten, my comp was suppposed to talk for ten but talked
for twenty, so I was left with a testimony. I talked about a Hymn
that's in Spanish and not in English that I absolutely love called
"Placentero Nos Es Trabajar". I really felt the spirit becuase it
talks about the love of missionary work!!!
Well, that's about it for this week. I hope you are all okay and that
you can do all you want to this week. I'm getting ever more excited
about General Conference. It feels like the last conference was like
last week, the time really does fly by!!! We are soo excited to hear
about the new temples, hopefully Arequipa. We are soooo close to it!
The thing that really is missing in this city is full tithe paying
priesthood holders. Elder Oaks taught us that God will never put a
temple in a city where the inhabitants can't attend becuase of
unworthiness. Sometimes its a little difficult to burn people on not
paying tithing when they barely have rice to eat everyday on their
dirt floor, but the commandments always come with blessings, always! I
know that if we put our trust in God, we might suffer for awhile (like
Nephi) but we'll eventually get to the Promised Land.
Love,
Elder Child
P.S. I had a lady in our ward fix my pants that were getting pretty
huge. She took the waist in almost 6 inches!!!!! I really don't know
what to do, I'm eating like crazy, but working hard too. I feel great
though!!!!
P.S.S Pictures of my area coming soon!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)