Monday, March 30, 2015

This week here in Lima/Callao was a good week!  It is always a good week when it ends in a baptism!  We had the baptismal interview and ____ passed it so that was good.  But I was just hoping that his pain wasn't going to come back before the baptism.  He told us a cool story this week.  He said that the day he went into the church he had been walking around Callao all the morning long looking for a church.  God Guided him this day.  He said that every single church he went to was locked.  One of them even said welcome!  Push the door and come in and he pushed and it was locked.  He was approaching another church and the doors started to shut and he got up to it and the doors were locked and he couldn't enter.  He went to all of this until he finally went to our church.  He made it to the church and my companion and I were there to greet him.  He said that he felt something special from the first time he entered.  So that was seriously a miracle.  His baptismal day came and we went to his house to pick him up.  He started to tell us a story that was strange.  His Dad had normally been really nice and loving but the day of his baptism he was saying things like it doesn't matter if his head hurts he needs to go to work and he just started getting mad at ____.  So this isn't all but it was crazy.  Whenever we are going to do something good, there are always challenges that come.  It is hard sometimes but we just need to endure to the end.  ____ even recognized that this was a challenge trying to get him to fall.  But anyways, the baptism came and we had the assistants there and hermana and presidente Borg.  They went to the baptism and it was so awesome.  There was so many people there and the spirit was so strong.    

Another thing we did this week is that we had multizonas.  This is a training that we have with the president and the assistants.  It was crazy good.  We started out the morning listening to the president and after we had a visitor come and he talked to us about the Atonement.  And this visitor just happened to be an ex comp of President Borg in his mission. And now he is a missionary here in Perú and a secretary for the area presidency.  He knew so much about the Atonement.  We were reading all these verses and I understood so much more about the Atonement.  The whole entire time we were just flipping back and forth between Matthew, Mark,  Luke and John.  It was like a scripture chase in seminary all over again.  And this day we also received new cards to pass out to the people.  They are about the new video that the church did for Easter.  It is so good.  It is awesome because in our church we know that Christ lives.  That He resurrected and that His mission didn't stop at His death.  He can help us today and He is still doing miracles.  If you all haven't seen the new video that the church did, you should all go see it.  Gracias a que el vive.  I highly recommend it.  

That is pretty much what I have for this week.  Not a whole lot other than that happened this week. I hope that you all have a wonderful week and that you all learn something new in conference.  It is such a blessing to have a prophet here in the world.  He guides us and actually talks with God.  Love you all.  

Monday, March 23, 2015

This week was another good week.  _____ continuing to progress and his baptism is this Saturday.  In the whole zone for our Noche Blanca (White Night), we could possibly have 19 baptisms.  It would be such a miracle if we do.   I am excited to see what happens.  We will know in a couple days how many baptisms we are going to have.  With him there isn't a ton to say - just that he is progressing and is pressing forward and keeping his commitments so it is good.  

This past week we have found a lot of new investigators.  We found a lot of young men to teach - 4.  One day we taught three of them at the same time and it was the first lesson with them.  It was funny because at the very start my companion was talking and the kids said, “We don't understand you.”  My companion’s mind just completely got blown.  They are all Peruvian and they didn't understand him.  It was just because they weren't paying much attention in this moment but my comp was like, “if you can understand him, (pointing to me) how can you not understand me?”  It was hilarious.    We were teaching them in the house of the young men’s president and they weren't paying attention very much so I was like ya, we are going to watch a video thinking they would pay attention to the video.  Good idea,  I thought.  We put the video in the DVD player and then there was no control.  We were looking for the control and we couldn't find it.  We searched for like 10 15 minutes looking for it and then it wasn't there and then it was late so after that we had to go and we didn't even have time to talk about what we hadn't seen.  We have another appointment with them tonight and we are going to watch the video.  So hopefully we can find the control this time.  If not I might cry. 

Also this week was fun because we started to do something new in the mornings.  Every time we leave the house the first thing we do is contact people or knock on a door to contact two different people.  And in the first contact we give them the invitation to be baptized.  That is one thing our whole zone was lacking was the invitations to be baptized so I thought of something my comp and I could do.  This invitation thingy.  And so far we have had some success.  We have had some people that have accepted baptism.  So we have appointments with them this week so hopefully all goes well and they are actually interested and didn't just say yes because there were two teenagers knocking on their door talking to them about God.  But really it is cool.  There are so many people here that are prepared, we just have to be willing to find them.  We are going to keep up this new thing and hopefully we will be able to see a lot of people accept and progress. 

Other than that I don't have that many stories from this week.  We have just been teaching, teaching, teaching this week.  We set goals that were a lot higher than normal this week and so we worked so hard to achieve them.  We didn't achieve all of them but we did with a bunch of them.  And our numbers were way higher than normal.  The district leader called us last night and was like "wow, you guys worked hard this week."  So it was such a good feeling.  The time flies when you are working hard.  You get back to your room at night and just want to collapse on the floor.  And it is such a good feeling.  

That is what happened here this week in Bellavista 2.  And it is super hot here.  Yesterday it was about 90 degress someone told me and 55 percent humidity.  I seriously step outside and the sun just burns and burns and burns.  It is super hot so I am excited for when it is winter here again.  We just hit autumn so hopefully winter comes soon.  But it seriously is super hot.  

And also another fun fact, this past week the people in our sector starting asking where I was from.  So that is fun. I don't get "gringo my friend" all the time now.  This week they said Spain and Argentina.  Which I don't get because I don't talk like either of them.  

I love you all.  Eat some Cafe Rio and watch some basketball for me.  

Monday, March 16, 2015

This week was awesome and we have some really good things going.  First of all I am going to tell you about ____.  He is our investigator that has a baptismal date.  So he still has a lot of pain in his head and all that but he is doing so well!  And I take back my words from the past week about him being a mommas boy.  Well most of them.  We had another lesson with him this past week and we asked him again if he would be baptized the 28 to make it a solid date.  And then his mom again said no, he isn't ready.  He needs to be more healthy.  And he needs to know more and all this stuff.  And I got kinda down like whyyyy??  Then he put his hand up and cut off his mom and looks at us and says, yes, I would like to be baptized on the 28 of March.  I wanted to jump up from my seat and just run around like crazy!!  And then afterwards he said and I want this to be my church for the rest of my life.  I got so excited.  And also in this lesson we didn't have anyone to go with us but then the relief society president said she  could and we were explaining his situation to her.  And I asked if her husband likes computers because he knows a lot and she said yes and so I said oh, ____ also, we want your husband to come with us to visit him one time.   And after that randomly she just goes, my husband knows how to play guitar if anyone wants to learn.  And at the end of lesson, out of nowhere, ____ says, and I really want to learn how to play the guitar and me my companion and the president we all just looked at each other like what in the world??  It was meant to be.  

So he is going to get baptized the 28 and we have a white night.  In the zone we have a bunch of baptisms so we are going to do them together and president Borg is going to come.  That will be awesome.  

Another experience from this week is from Friday.  We went to visit a less active and he has never let us in his house because he always says that he is super busy.  So I was kind of expecting the same thing this time with him.  But we got there, he opened his door and he said, you have 10 minutes.  So we went in and he just started talking.  Opening up to us and telling us everything that was going on.  We obviously ditched our lesson plan since we didn't have time and it was awesome.  He said the he felt more peace in his life after that.  And he also said that he didn't even remember that we had an appointment but that it was much needed.  

Also, a couple funny stories from this week.  So first we had breakfast one day with the mom of the missionaries here.  Her husband who doesn't like us was there and he was like ( not sure if he was joking or not haha )  why are they here?  Why do they have to come?  Then we ate and left and then that night she invited us back because she had made a cake.  So we came in and he goes, again?  They are back again?  So we ate the cake and we started joking around with him.  First he was playing chess online.  He is really good and my companion goes, if I beat you, you have to read the Book of Mormon and we all laughed and then her husband says, if I win you can't ever come back!  So we laughed and I was like yaaaa, don't play him haha.  Then later while i was finishing eating.  My companion was talking to him and I snagged a picture of the priceless moment :)

I hope that you all have a wonderful week watching March Madness without me.  Remember me while you are watching.  I am putting my bet in that I called before the season started that Kentucky is going to win it all.  Thank you very much.  I love you.

Monday, March 9, 2015

The mission is so awesome and this week was such a great week!  We just had so many good experiences.  First of all, the investigator that I told you all about the last week came to church again this week.  He said he felt good again.  Also, the pain that he had for months, he said that after the blessing, about 60 percent of the pain that he had went away.  The priesthood power is real.  Next, in a lesson this week we invited him to be baptized for the 28 de March.  He was about to accept but then his mom came in and he is somewhat, ( I am saying this in the nicest way possible ) of a mommas boy.  He is 40 and lives with his mom and she was like ehhh, when your health is better.  It is really soon.  And he said ya, that is better.  ahhhh so close.  But then in church he told us that if he receives his answer then he will get baptized.  So that was awesome.  We are going to help him receive his answer so he can be baptized.  

Second of all, we are working with new less actives.  They are family of the patriarch and bishop in our ward.  We went over there and at first they were really hard.  They didn't really look at us and they didn't have much interest.  We had a lesson plan but I ditched it and we started talking about the Book of Mormon.  At the start of the lesson they said they didn't really feel a need to go back to church.  And in the lesson I remember just smiling and feeling so much love for these people.,  At the end of the lesson their hearts completely changed!  They said that they know the church and the Book of Mormon are true.  and that sooner than later they will come back to the church.  That was such a good experience.  

So in total this week we found 5 new people to teach.  And in 4 out of the 5 lessons my companion started the lesson!  We have goals for every week and this was one of the goals for this week.  It was cool because each time he got a little bit better.  He has already learned a bunch and is a better teacher in the short time that he has.  The one thing I told him is that he should smile more.  He smiles with me but in a lesson and with people he is really serious.  So I told him he should smile more.  Maybe less than me, I feel like I smile so much my cheeks start to hurt sometimes haha.  

Also, mini message from this week.  I was reading in Moses and it was really cool.  In the first chapter it starts where God is talking to Moses and the glory of God covered him.  Then afterwards Satan came to tempt him.  And Moses said something cool.  He basically said, (translating) who are you Satan?  Because I am a child of God.  And this part just smacked me.  Because in the life we will all have problems and temptations.  But we can all remember who we are.  WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD.  After Moses said this, he received strength from the lord and he could defeat the temptations.  So whenever we have a trial we just need to remember who we are.  Children of God.  And we will have the help of the Lord.  

This is what happened this week that was really good.  I love you all and hope you have a great week!!

Monday, March 2, 2015

This past week was definitely interesting.  I learned so much!!  it is so awesome being a trainer.  My son is named Elder Aroni and he is from Cusco Perú.  He is 18 years old.  He speaks Quechua a little bit and I told him the name of the Book of Mormon in Quechua that I thought I was saying right the whole time and he said that it wasn't Quechua what I was saying so that was a bummer haha.  But ya, he is awesome!  He is shy just like I was at the start of the mission but I love talking so it is nice.  

This first week was really interesting.  I felt bad, the second day that he had here in the field was one of the most unsuccessful days that I have had here haha.  We went around the whole day and all of our appointments fell through everyone we talked to said no so it was a bummer.  But the day after that we got to go to the temple.  And it was awesome because we took 5 converts with us!!  And they all went in the temple and did baptisms.  It was such a blessing to see that.  And we also took one less active that we reactivated and he went in a session for the first time in a long time and it was awesome.  And they all took names of the ancestors to do the work for them!!!  So ya, you can say that it was a good day.  Then the day after was probably one of the more successful days that I have had in the mission.  We found new people we taught a bunch of people and it was just sweet.  

Then in church on sunday the guy that I talked about last week came to church.  He stayed for all three hours and he said he liked it a lot.  He said that he wants more time to know the church and wants more time so he can call the church his home.  Also we had one of the weirdest lessons that I have ever had.  A guy contacted us in the streets and he knew about our church already and so we went to his house and he started to tell us a story and it was weird and he asked me questions that nobody has ever asked me before here in the mission and hahaha it was just funny and weird.  But we will see in the next visits we have with him how that goes.  

It was just a really good week.  Also we found some other new people.  This girl brought a friend to church and she wants to listen to us and she is interested and we have lessons with her this week so we will see how all of that goes.  But we are super excited to teach her.  

If I have seen anything else this week in myself it is that I am bolder.  In all moments.  I am not scared to talk in any situation now.  it is nice and it makes you feel good.  Before it was kind of like oh no, I am the junior companion and they can answer but now I am the senior companion and trainer and it is so cool.  I can feel the Lord's hand in my life more than ever now.  He is blessing us as we continue to work hard.  

I hope that you all have a wonderful week!!  Keep doing good things and choosing the right.  Also, when the march madness brackets come out, send me one!  haha I love you all!!