Hey My Awesome Family,
I've actually really enjoyed reading all your letters this week and I was so excited to hear about the Brigham City temple dedication. I don't now if its a sin but I always brag to people here about the fact that there are 15 temples in Utah, I do it to try to encourage them to
actually magnify their callings and do what they are supposed to. I can't remember if there are other future temples in Utah but I'm sure the Lord will put more around the world according to the obedience of His sons and daughters. You guys kind of made me trunky talking about
the beutiful fall weather and the leaves turning colors. I'm pretty lucky to see a tree with leaves here in Peru, well at least this part of Peru that is. Thanks for always updating me about my grandparents and other extended family members. I really do love my grandpa and my grandma. I know they are in good hands and the Lord will protect them
while we grandsons are on missions but my heart really does go out to them when they are down in health.
This week was pretty crazy to say the least (I feel like I always say
that at one point or another in my letters). Monday was just like any other p-day without playing soccer. I really do love the mission but I'm glad I'm going home in six weeks so I can play some basketball or
something! It was pretty funny though becuase an Elder that just went home gave away all his stuff to the Elders in the zone, I just kept thinking how fast the time goes by. Tuesday was crazy becuase yet again we had to wake up early and travel to go to interviews with the
mission President. I'm usually a little nervous when we have interviews with him becuase he is very strict but this time we just talked like old time friends. He told me a lot of things that I can't
really share in an email but I was really grateful for the chance I had to hear from him that I have his support in my area and with my companion.
Speaking of companions, my comp was awesome. I say was becuase in that
interview he told us ahead of time that Elder Pino was going to have transfers =( Transfers were this week and he advised him of his transfers on Tuesday. Elder Pino is now working in the mission office! I know he'll do great there. That's a place where they can't really
work and have to do a lot of stressful work but they are blessed in their areas. The good thing was that we had the whole week to say goodbye to all the members, but the bad news is that we had to say
goodbye. He was probably my best companion as far as obedience and spirituality is concerned but I was only with him for a month and a half.
My new comp just got here and he is a fairly new missionary too. He's
been in the mission almost two months and he is from Paraguay. I've seriously only been able to get that much out of him in the little time we've been together so I'll fill you all in about him next week.
I really hope we are able to work well together in the next six weeks but eventually he will have to "kill" me.
Looking back on some experiences in the mission I feel like I haven't been perfect and that I've lost some experiences becuase of my youthful errors but then I start to remember what the Lord has done for me and I'm filled with His spirit. I know He lives and loves us. I
am so grateful for the chance I have to repent and start over new. I hope I can please Him in all that I do and can make Him proud. Love you all tons, hope you all have a good week. I heard the Utes lost so I guess I'm not that mad at Alex for not emailing because I'm sure
he's not happy either.
Your Son and Bro,
Elder Child
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Witnesses of God
Hey Family,
So today was one of the greater days of my missionary life, I feel like my missionary service has actually payed off. You want to know why? CUZ THE UTES BEAT THE COUGARS!!!!!!! I was so happy to hear about that!!! I know the Lord takes care of his missionaries that are out in the field. For all those young men that don't really want to go on the mission just tell them that their baseball team will win the World series and their football team will beat their rival three years in a row!!!! I'm grateful for all your support and letters and prayers and just in general all that you do for me even though we're not that close together. It sounds like life just keeps marching on like always. Things change, we adjust, then the world freaks out about something and everyone thinks it's the end of the world but those who are built upon the rock of Christ just keep going. I know that our Father in Heaven wants us to be happy and wants us to have His spirit and His guidance every day of our lives. It is our responsibility to get this guidance.
This week was pretty different than usual. There were definately some ups and some downs as well. The biggest thing that happened was probably a zone conference we had in Arequipa. There's nothing like waking up at 3:00 in the morning to take a 3 and a half hour bus ride to sit in a meeting for nine hours then take another 3 and half bus ride home!!!! I wasn't quite that excited about the idea but hey I did it. Anyways, it was a really good conference about our purpose as missionaries and the love god has for all of His children. I've heard all the stuff before, like 99% of the other missionaries there, but somehow our mission president always knows how to motivate us and get us to try to be better. He talked a lot about how we as missionaries have to be like Christ. We have to be like him becuase he made the doctrine of his Father his own doctrine. How did he do that? He had a personal relationship with his Father and sacrificed himself for all of us and was successful. We have to do the same. It was really a good training meeting and I'm confident that one day he'll be a seventy becuase of all the success we are having in the mission.
The next coolest experience was when we had District Conference. The general authority in charge of the conference was my mission president so we got to see him twice this week. He gave an awesome 40 minute talk about a lot of stuff but basically he reminded everyone of their baptismal covenants. It was awesome, he talked about how we have to do four things to have the spirit in our lives and recieve the remission of our sins 1. pray daily 2. read scriptures daily 3. family home evening every monday night and 4. home and visiting teaching. Don't ever settle for less than perfect! We are literally sons and daughters of God with His divinity within us. We can't be happy with being mediocre, He commands us to be perfect, even as He is. I really liked that talk and he told a few stories about each of those four things that really boosted my faith. Be Witnesses of God as well. A witness of god gives testimony of Him and spreads His teaching to all His children.
Well that's it for me this week, hope you all have a good one. Can't wait to hear from you all next week, be safe and try to be better in those four things mentioned above, it will make you happier.
Elder Child
So today was one of the greater days of my missionary life, I feel like my missionary service has actually payed off. You want to know why? CUZ THE UTES BEAT THE COUGARS!!!!!!! I was so happy to hear about that!!! I know the Lord takes care of his missionaries that are out in the field. For all those young men that don't really want to go on the mission just tell them that their baseball team will win the World series and their football team will beat their rival three years in a row!!!! I'm grateful for all your support and letters and prayers and just in general all that you do for me even though we're not that close together. It sounds like life just keeps marching on like always. Things change, we adjust, then the world freaks out about something and everyone thinks it's the end of the world but those who are built upon the rock of Christ just keep going. I know that our Father in Heaven wants us to be happy and wants us to have His spirit and His guidance every day of our lives. It is our responsibility to get this guidance.
This week was pretty different than usual. There were definately some ups and some downs as well. The biggest thing that happened was probably a zone conference we had in Arequipa. There's nothing like waking up at 3:00 in the morning to take a 3 and a half hour bus ride to sit in a meeting for nine hours then take another 3 and half bus ride home!!!! I wasn't quite that excited about the idea but hey I did it. Anyways, it was a really good conference about our purpose as missionaries and the love god has for all of His children. I've heard all the stuff before, like 99% of the other missionaries there, but somehow our mission president always knows how to motivate us and get us to try to be better. He talked a lot about how we as missionaries have to be like Christ. We have to be like him becuase he made the doctrine of his Father his own doctrine. How did he do that? He had a personal relationship with his Father and sacrificed himself for all of us and was successful. We have to do the same. It was really a good training meeting and I'm confident that one day he'll be a seventy becuase of all the success we are having in the mission.
The next coolest experience was when we had District Conference. The general authority in charge of the conference was my mission president so we got to see him twice this week. He gave an awesome 40 minute talk about a lot of stuff but basically he reminded everyone of their baptismal covenants. It was awesome, he talked about how we have to do four things to have the spirit in our lives and recieve the remission of our sins 1. pray daily 2. read scriptures daily 3. family home evening every monday night and 4. home and visiting teaching. Don't ever settle for less than perfect! We are literally sons and daughters of God with His divinity within us. We can't be happy with being mediocre, He commands us to be perfect, even as He is. I really liked that talk and he told a few stories about each of those four things that really boosted my faith. Be Witnesses of God as well. A witness of god gives testimony of Him and spreads His teaching to all His children.
Well that's it for me this week, hope you all have a good one. Can't wait to hear from you all next week, be safe and try to be better in those four things mentioned above, it will make you happier.
Elder Child
Friday, September 14, 2012
Conferences Are Awesome!!!
Hey Family,
I can't believe it has really been an entire week since the last time I read your letters and was able to write you about that crazy wedding and baptism. Good news, Eliceo got the priesthood this Sunday which is always awesome to witness as a missionary becuase that means more people will be building the kingdom of God on the earth. Just to let you all know, YES I finally got my birthday package after waiting a month and a half for it. Thanks for the beautiful letters and homemade birthday cards, I think my favorite was mom's coloring book page of how the Beatles got started, I laughed for more than a while! Anyways, I'm glad you had a good vacation over there in San Fran and Oakland even though you didn't find yourself in the best of circumstances. Now you know how I felt for about 2 months in the field when I was the only white person around and they all were speaking a language I couldn't even understand. Sometimes I feel like we are also in dangerous circumstances in the mission, mostly dog troubles and crying drunk guys who want to kiss me, but I know our Heavenly Father protects us, especially if we are doing the right things and trying to serve him with all our heart.
So this week wasn't one with a ton of news. Monday I got my package and we were able to play some ping pong, shoot some hoops with the only other gringo in the zone, and just hang out for awhile. Soccer (football) is now strictly prohibited thanks to my dear Elder Juan Uceda. When he came to visit the mission about two months ago he gave that new rule to our mission president and said that here in south america soccer is a contact sport that we shouldn't play as missionaries because... well the Lord says so, so just do it. It's kind of funny to hear the mission president talk to us about that rule becuase he absolutely loves soccer. He told us that he was talking to Elder Uceda on the phone and was like, "You know what, I don't understand at all your rule, but I'll be obedient." To which Elder Uceda responded, "You will be blessed for your obedience." Now our mission president is like "Well it's been two months and I'm still waiting for my blessings!!!!!" I think our lives are like that a lot of times. There are some commandments, rules, meetings and what not that we just don't understand but our Father in Heaven is just testing our obedience. If we're not humble we might just be obedient but with bad feelings and we won't see the blessings. But if were are humble, meek and mild we will definately see our blessings more than we can count.
The biggest story from this week has to be the support we've been getting from our branch. I think this was the first time a branch has actually done what the Area Presidency has asked them to do. I don't know if this plan exists in Utah but here the wards are supposed to give us 15 families where not everybody are members so that we can reactivate and baptize with the help of the ward. They actually gave us their 15 families this week and they are more than willing to help us out with some members that have fallen away and baptize their family members. I'm really excited to work with them becuase that is so much more effective than knocking doors and talking with the same people every week who really don't want to accept the gospel.
One of those families was a kid who got baptized when he was like 16 and was active for like three years. He went away to work and then went inactive. As time went by he knew he had to go back to church but felt uncomfortable with the members he hadn't seen for three years. What would they say? What would they think about me? Would I be accepted by them even though I've been inactive for so long? So he didn't ever go back. He met a girl and had a baby with her. He got into a really bad car accident about two months ago and had to have titanium bars placed in his leg to heal it. He still can't walk or work. We visited them the other night and we met the girl he's living with. The girl is really awesome and wants to listen to us really bad. The guy, Luis, was really grateful and I think one day they will get married and she'll get baptized.
That experience made me think of a few talks in the April general conference. How are we helping the less active come back to church? Do they know that we still love them and care about them? Or are we judgemental of those who have lost their way and gossip about the weaknesses of others? I hope we can all extend a warm hand of friendship and love to all those that live in our wards and help them come to the Savior. I love general conference talks. I'm reading them again this week and I feel like I understand them better. We'll have District conference this week and from what I heard from mom that regional conference with Elder Perry and Elder Clayton was filled with the spirit. I invite you all to prepare yourselves for this upcoming October general conference. Try to listen to all of it, every single session, live. I know it might be a sacrifice but I promise you that you'll recieve revelation.
That's about it. I can't wait to see you all in November. I was thinking about doing that tour of Peru with the Parents but have decided it would be better to go to my best friend's wedding and see the whole family at the airport.
Love,
Your Elder
Richie
I can't believe it has really been an entire week since the last time I read your letters and was able to write you about that crazy wedding and baptism. Good news, Eliceo got the priesthood this Sunday which is always awesome to witness as a missionary becuase that means more people will be building the kingdom of God on the earth. Just to let you all know, YES I finally got my birthday package after waiting a month and a half for it. Thanks for the beautiful letters and homemade birthday cards, I think my favorite was mom's coloring book page of how the Beatles got started, I laughed for more than a while! Anyways, I'm glad you had a good vacation over there in San Fran and Oakland even though you didn't find yourself in the best of circumstances. Now you know how I felt for about 2 months in the field when I was the only white person around and they all were speaking a language I couldn't even understand. Sometimes I feel like we are also in dangerous circumstances in the mission, mostly dog troubles and crying drunk guys who want to kiss me, but I know our Heavenly Father protects us, especially if we are doing the right things and trying to serve him with all our heart.
So this week wasn't one with a ton of news. Monday I got my package and we were able to play some ping pong, shoot some hoops with the only other gringo in the zone, and just hang out for awhile. Soccer (football) is now strictly prohibited thanks to my dear Elder Juan Uceda. When he came to visit the mission about two months ago he gave that new rule to our mission president and said that here in south america soccer is a contact sport that we shouldn't play as missionaries because... well the Lord says so, so just do it. It's kind of funny to hear the mission president talk to us about that rule becuase he absolutely loves soccer. He told us that he was talking to Elder Uceda on the phone and was like, "You know what, I don't understand at all your rule, but I'll be obedient." To which Elder Uceda responded, "You will be blessed for your obedience." Now our mission president is like "Well it's been two months and I'm still waiting for my blessings!!!!!" I think our lives are like that a lot of times. There are some commandments, rules, meetings and what not that we just don't understand but our Father in Heaven is just testing our obedience. If we're not humble we might just be obedient but with bad feelings and we won't see the blessings. But if were are humble, meek and mild we will definately see our blessings more than we can count.
The biggest story from this week has to be the support we've been getting from our branch. I think this was the first time a branch has actually done what the Area Presidency has asked them to do. I don't know if this plan exists in Utah but here the wards are supposed to give us 15 families where not everybody are members so that we can reactivate and baptize with the help of the ward. They actually gave us their 15 families this week and they are more than willing to help us out with some members that have fallen away and baptize their family members. I'm really excited to work with them becuase that is so much more effective than knocking doors and talking with the same people every week who really don't want to accept the gospel.
One of those families was a kid who got baptized when he was like 16 and was active for like three years. He went away to work and then went inactive. As time went by he knew he had to go back to church but felt uncomfortable with the members he hadn't seen for three years. What would they say? What would they think about me? Would I be accepted by them even though I've been inactive for so long? So he didn't ever go back. He met a girl and had a baby with her. He got into a really bad car accident about two months ago and had to have titanium bars placed in his leg to heal it. He still can't walk or work. We visited them the other night and we met the girl he's living with. The girl is really awesome and wants to listen to us really bad. The guy, Luis, was really grateful and I think one day they will get married and she'll get baptized.
That experience made me think of a few talks in the April general conference. How are we helping the less active come back to church? Do they know that we still love them and care about them? Or are we judgemental of those who have lost their way and gossip about the weaknesses of others? I hope we can all extend a warm hand of friendship and love to all those that live in our wards and help them come to the Savior. I love general conference talks. I'm reading them again this week and I feel like I understand them better. We'll have District conference this week and from what I heard from mom that regional conference with Elder Perry and Elder Clayton was filled with the spirit. I invite you all to prepare yourselves for this upcoming October general conference. Try to listen to all of it, every single session, live. I know it might be a sacrifice but I promise you that you'll recieve revelation.
That's about it. I can't wait to see you all in November. I was thinking about doing that tour of Peru with the Parents but have decided it would be better to go to my best friend's wedding and see the whole family at the airport.
Love,
Your Elder
Richie
Monday, September 10, 2012
They Got Hitched
Hey Family,
Thanks for your letters this week about your lives in the good ole USA. I'm glad to hear everybody is okay and happy. I'm loving it here in my new area now. It's not as cold as it was when I got here. I can imagine how crazy humid it gets though in the summer and I'm glad I wont be here when all that goes down.That makes me very happy that the Utes won there opener just hope Utah State doesn't pull anything off. Luckily I'm in a zone where there aren't any BYU football fans so I don't have to hear any of that this year. My week was super busy and a little bit tiring but it was awesome at the same time.
First of all I have to tell you about the wedding and the baptism. Its official, THEY GOT HITCHED!!! So lets start from the beggining of that day becuase it was kind of crazy. My comp got sick and was like super weak and discouraged the entire day. It was kind of frustrating becuase I wanted to help him and take it easy but we had to go pick up the couple, pick up the witnesses and a whole bunch of other stuff. We were with some other missionaries that morning so we gave him a blessing and in the end it all turned out okay, he didn't die.
So they were supposed to get married Friday at 2:00 pm by the mayor. And his secretary was like, hey we don't like to marry mormons becuase they always show up late, if you guys aren't here at 2:15 the mayor is leaving... So my comp and I go over the the couple's house at like 1:45 and we're like ya let's go. The daughter comes out and says, hey my dad was like crying this morning and says he doesn't want to get married and he's still in his pajamas so they might not get married. I FLIPPED OUT!!!!!!!!!!! I was like, ya go tell them that if they don't come down here in five minutes I will drag them to the town hall and they're getting married wether they like it or not!!! So she was like, okay calm down gringo I'll tell them. So at like 1:55 they come downstairs all dressed and we go over to the town hall, crisis avoided.
We got there on time but the witnesses didn't. The second witness didn't get there till 2:14 and like 58 seconds and I was about to have a heart attack!!! But anyways we all got there and so we go in and the secretary is like, thanks for coming, could you do me a favor and go to the mayor's house and tell him to get over here?!! I was about to die from the whole sarcasm of the day!! The Lord really does have a good sense of humor becuase of all the trials he put me though before the wedding and the mayor isn't even in his office to marry the people!
The wedding was more of a business meeting than anything. They had to sign a whole bunch of papers. The mayor is actually a cool guy and he kept referring to us in the wedding."Well, you guys made a good decision and the missionaries will be there to tell you how to make it all good with GOD, so keep going to church." I thought that was funny becuase he really doesn't have any power to bind those two people but in a holy temple of the Lord we can make those promises and recieve those blessings. They were pronounced man and wife and I took a deep breath of relief.
Eliceo, the groom investigator then got baptized. I wish I could tell you all that happened to get that baptism ready but the time doesn't permit me. Just know that it wasn't that easy. Luckily a few members showed up and it was a good service. They then had their little reception and I was glad we have a branch that actually cares about these kinds of things becuase there was cake, music and dancing.
All in all I really saw the Lord's hand in my life this week. We found an awesome family of 5 on Tuesday and hopefully they can get baptized on the 22 of September!!! I'm also learning quechua with my comp, an indiginious peruvian language, it's pretty cool.
I hope you all have a good week. Be careful on your vacation to San Fran mom and dad. Get ready for conference now, start thinking about all the stuff in your life that your want answers to and listen to the prophet!!
Till next week,
Love,
Elder Child
P.S. My comp thinks he's a shark and always bites me, that's like Karyn class wierd!!!
Thanks for your letters this week about your lives in the good ole USA. I'm glad to hear everybody is okay and happy. I'm loving it here in my new area now. It's not as cold as it was when I got here. I can imagine how crazy humid it gets though in the summer and I'm glad I wont be here when all that goes down.That makes me very happy that the Utes won there opener just hope Utah State doesn't pull anything off. Luckily I'm in a zone where there aren't any BYU football fans so I don't have to hear any of that this year. My week was super busy and a little bit tiring but it was awesome at the same time.
First of all I have to tell you about the wedding and the baptism. Its official, THEY GOT HITCHED!!! So lets start from the beggining of that day becuase it was kind of crazy. My comp got sick and was like super weak and discouraged the entire day. It was kind of frustrating becuase I wanted to help him and take it easy but we had to go pick up the couple, pick up the witnesses and a whole bunch of other stuff. We were with some other missionaries that morning so we gave him a blessing and in the end it all turned out okay, he didn't die.
So they were supposed to get married Friday at 2:00 pm by the mayor. And his secretary was like, hey we don't like to marry mormons becuase they always show up late, if you guys aren't here at 2:15 the mayor is leaving... So my comp and I go over the the couple's house at like 1:45 and we're like ya let's go. The daughter comes out and says, hey my dad was like crying this morning and says he doesn't want to get married and he's still in his pajamas so they might not get married. I FLIPPED OUT!!!!!!!!!!! I was like, ya go tell them that if they don't come down here in five minutes I will drag them to the town hall and they're getting married wether they like it or not!!! So she was like, okay calm down gringo I'll tell them. So at like 1:55 they come downstairs all dressed and we go over to the town hall, crisis avoided.
We got there on time but the witnesses didn't. The second witness didn't get there till 2:14 and like 58 seconds and I was about to have a heart attack!!! But anyways we all got there and so we go in and the secretary is like, thanks for coming, could you do me a favor and go to the mayor's house and tell him to get over here?!! I was about to die from the whole sarcasm of the day!! The Lord really does have a good sense of humor becuase of all the trials he put me though before the wedding and the mayor isn't even in his office to marry the people!
The wedding was more of a business meeting than anything. They had to sign a whole bunch of papers. The mayor is actually a cool guy and he kept referring to us in the wedding."Well, you guys made a good decision and the missionaries will be there to tell you how to make it all good with GOD, so keep going to church." I thought that was funny becuase he really doesn't have any power to bind those two people but in a holy temple of the Lord we can make those promises and recieve those blessings. They were pronounced man and wife and I took a deep breath of relief.
Eliceo, the groom investigator then got baptized. I wish I could tell you all that happened to get that baptism ready but the time doesn't permit me. Just know that it wasn't that easy. Luckily a few members showed up and it was a good service. They then had their little reception and I was glad we have a branch that actually cares about these kinds of things becuase there was cake, music and dancing.
All in all I really saw the Lord's hand in my life this week. We found an awesome family of 5 on Tuesday and hopefully they can get baptized on the 22 of September!!! I'm also learning quechua with my comp, an indiginious peruvian language, it's pretty cool.
I hope you all have a good week. Be careful on your vacation to San Fran mom and dad. Get ready for conference now, start thinking about all the stuff in your life that your want answers to and listen to the prophet!!
Till next week,
Love,
Elder Child
P.S. My comp thinks he's a shark and always bites me, that's like Karyn class wierd!!!
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