March 11-23

Mar 11, 2019

Today was a tough day, on Mondays it’s our preparation day, so we clean the room, clothes, play sports, eat like kings, and call family. This morning we woke up and showered and shaved and studied the scriptures for an hour. My companion called the wife of the mission president also known as mission mom, about a fish bone that has been stuck in his throat. She said come to Chiclayo and go to the hospital. So, we left our room at 8 and spent the whole day in taxis and hospitals. We went to the best hospital in Chiclayo and I walked in and in front of the door was a dry puddle of blood. It was not big but enough to make you wonder... we got back to Jayanca at 5 and it was a day where I was not moving and working hard but the waiting just took the energy out of me. I was kind of sad I did not wash clothes, play sports, or eat like a king. I spent 3 soles on lunch which is the equivalent to 1 dollar, but I had a boost of moral talking to the family! I am exhausted after today. I bought some really nice expensive bread while waiting in the hospital today and when we went to the office, I saw Elder Norman and I can’t, not, give Elder Norman bread! He is so awesome! I LOVE YOU! good night!

Mar 12, 2019

Well today was a good day, we had a weekly planning session, so we did not leave the room other than meals until 4. We worked hard today, but Susie a woman we contacted she is a lot like Ronny’s mom, just a fire cracker! Well the down side to that is she talks like her too, sometimes at a million miles an hour! I was having a hard time staying with the conversation. However, I think she is the reason I’m serving a mission, every missionary has that one convert especially selected and prepared just for them, but she needs a lot of work. Susie is a hard core catholic, like 99 percent of the people here in Jayanca. Well the lesson with Susie did not have much of a spiritual feeling to it because we teach her at her work, so she is constantly helping customers and stuff. She does not want us to visit her home. We also taught a girl named Danielle, she asks a ton of questions. In our 20 min lesson she had about 50 really good deep questions. like who made God, or life after death, and so many more! Today overall was great! I love you and good night!

Mar 13, 2019

Well today we had a district counsel and we talked about how to better teach and encounter people. Our zone leaders said to contact everyone who has glasses, as a little game to play throughout our day. I was eager and happy to have a little change in the day to day routine. My companion though hates contacting. So, I would be like hey look three guys who have glasses we need to go contact them, and he said no the game is only for solo people no groups. Which was just an excuse, he has also had hiccups for 2 days and said he cannot talk today because of them so I need to do all the talking. But we made it through our day, and I had a lot of fun! I love you good night.

Mar 14, 2019

Well today we visited our people and Luis is progressing well and we also helped him wrap his books for school in paper as book covers. we then visited a bunch of people not progressing as much and that was rough, only because we need them to read, pray, and come to church more. We then had a companion counsel, which is not common, but if one of us feels like we are not on the same page we call it. So, I did, and we just talked about any and all difficulties in every way and aspect. afterwards we felt much better! We had some of the harshest rejections today but also some of the most spiritual lessons. Today was a good day, I love you and good night

Mar 15, 2019

Today was a good but long day. We talked to this girl on Monday and she was super excited to listen to our message, well we took out an appointment to come back and visit her. We came back and her dad was sitting out front and we asked if Kisandra was home, and he just went off about how the catholic church is the only true church and only one bible, etc... for quite some time. Well today we went back and Kisandra was home and she had read the folleto we gave her and she had it marked up and had a ton of questions, so we taught her the first lesson and it went really well! We also taught Leonel he is 9 and I was able to use the laser in the lesson! How the atonement is infinite and leads us back to god as I shined it up in the sky. It went really well! And overall good day I love you good night

Mar 16, 2019

Today we visited Luis, he has a baptism date for the 30th. We could tell he was not super excited for this day or any part of it, but today he told us he did not want to get baptized. Which is one of the worst things a missionary could hear. We asked him how to come and he said because he has everything and does not see a need for baptism. I explained to him that this life is not easy, right now he might have it all figured out with school, and family but one day he is going to have responsibilities, a job, a family, college, and it’s going to be a lot harder than right now. He is 14 right now. I also said that if we are slow to turn to the Lord and only ask for help in the times of trials, he will be slow to respond as well. We do not invite people to be baptized to check it off a list or mark down another number, it’s to help build the faith, allow them to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and have a relationship with our Heavenly Father to ask for help in any moment. Whether it is easy or difficult. Well he is back on track to accomplishing his goal! We then taught a young lady who is very smart! We taught her in the house of her aunt and the spirit was so much stronger only because she lives in an internet bar, so people are constantly coming and going, and it has loud music. Well she learned a lot and we used the laser once again! We have a family having some issues and we try not to get involved with family problems, but they ask us to come talk at family home evening, there we shared the family a proclamation to the world. I just want to say that paragraph 7 has some real power! We read that and talked about what was their family lacking in perspective to this proclamation. It went really well! I love you and goodnight

Mar 17, 2019

Well today was a rough day, we have 6 really good investigators and today at church all but 1 showed up... this was really difficult, well the one who showed up left halfway through church. I had a really good day with study I read the Book of Mormon for the 2nd time in the mission and we worked out a deal with Cristofer that if he finishes the Book of Mormon in 90 days, we will have a bread party. He has read all of Nephi in 3 days so that was awesome! I told him it’s not about speed... but more of learning the words and messages in the teachings from when Christ visits the Americas. We then had no more visits with investigators for the whole day! We had a good visit with a less active family. When we were walking to get the dinner for the night we had 5 min until 9:00 and in the door way to our pench, I told my companion I don’t feel good ending the night 5 min early, let’s go get 1 more contact in the park, and we had just contacted in the park for an hour, and had our goal of contacts 10 every day. So, he was a little irritated with the proposal, but I said obedience brings success, but exact obedience brings miracles. I promise a miracle tonight! We started walking and one of our investigators yells across the street ELDERS! She comes running to us and said that she came to church but was late so that is why we did not see her and asked us to come visit this week! We were happy to see the Lords hand in the work! And we had hot coco to end the night! Thanks padres! The day ended well! good night I love you 

Mar 18, 2019

Today was prep day and 90 percent of it was cleaning and organizing. It was self-motivated so it was pretty enjoyable! We moved rooms around, dusted, mopped, cleaned toilets, and our room was not super dirty since all we do here is read books, and sleep. But it still needed a quick touch up. We then went out to eat then got to talk with families! That was awesome! We had a good day of teaching, we taught a new contact and he told us the saddest story of his son dying. We then taught a few lessons and got a confirmation on me teaching English! I’m starting a class down here through the church and it’s free, so we are hoping to get some new people to teach through the class, and for people to learn and become familiar as to where the church is. I love you good night!

Mar 19, 2019

Today was a ride! I woke up really desanimo, which is a slang here because I could never find it in the dictionary, but it is similar to depressed or not having a lot of enthusiasm. We had district council and we talked a lot about preach my gospel and our investigators, played games, it went really well but I was still desanimo. We came back to the room and started to plan our week and set goals for our investigators at this point I had to call the zone leaders for help because my companion was in a slump as well all day. They helped a ton as usual. but E. Norman is still better! We then headed out into the world determined and ready for anything, well we had no visits go through, so we just went around and preaching about the classes of English. People seem excited for them since English is more useful here than learning Spanish in Sothern California. We then went to Daniella, she has 12 years and is really smart! we taught her lesson 3 and invited her to be baptized. she said yes! on the 6 of April, and we bought roasted chicken and I drank my 3 liters of Tampico I had been saving for this day! I told my companion we were probably desanimo because the advisary did not want us to be mentally ready for today and have the success we did! I love you and today was an awesome day, goodnight 

Mar 20, 2019

Today is an inner change with E. Clark, he is awesome! We invited a family to be baptized today and that felt amazing! He is so powerful when he teaches, and we had a really successful and fun day. He called his companion to check on the work and he said he invited an investigator to be baptized as well and his reply was. “what time is the baptism?” Pretty eager and funny! Well it was an awesome day here with E. Clark. I love you and good night

Mar 21, 2019

Today was a good day! I woke up and had so much energy and so ready for the day! Me and E. Clark talked a lot last night about inspiration and how we constantly choose our attitude and I talked to him about some struggles my companion has been having and he helped give ideas on how to serve him and help him better. Well we ended the inner change and E. Alvarado was happy to hear we have 5 new investigators who said they want to get baptized... as anyone would be! We took the convoy back to Jayanca and he slept but I was still wired with energy! we got to Jayanca and began teaching! We had 6 visits in a row with the people not there. So, I told my companion, let’s go get a refreshment, say a prayer and try this teaching thing over again. He was happy to hear this plan. Afterwards we had better success! We taught Leonel who has 9 years and the lesson was average... but our spirits were high! Until we taught Jose. This is a family who believes in the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith restored the church of Jesus Christ, but won’t get baptized because they are catholic. The same problem Mitchell had on his mission. That took it out of me. I had scripture evidence, testimony, personal experience, and everything under the sun as to why baptism is the only way we can live with our families after death and how we can achieve immortality. So, I’m really deflated tonight. I have a meeting with Pdt. in the morning so that should help me.

Mar 22, 2019

I woke up and talked to my companion about how to better teach. We then traveled to the offices and we had the assistants go through our area planner and agendas, and they were pleased with the work we are doing. We then had to talk to Hermana Balderrama, and she quizzed us on the lessons. There are 6, and I only have memorized the first one... we were supposed to have all 6 done by 3 months. So, that was a brace yourselves moment in my life. She was hard on me, but I deserved it, but afterwards she had questions and I knocked them out of the park! Honestly perfect answers! One was- who are the best teachers in the world? My companion said, “missionaries”, she looked at me and I said, “yes missionaries are great teachers, but honestly we only share messages, it’s the holy ghost who does the teaching.” Well after that we celebrated E. Gardner’s birthday and its custom here to smash eggs on the missionaries heads in full proselyting cloths and smash their face into the cake! It was very enjoyable to watch! The cake had milk in it and by far the best dessert I have ever eaten! We talked to Pdt. and that was awesome, he still scares me, but I enjoy the time I get to talk to him. We came back to Jayanca with more cake in hand, and we had no visits. Everyone was gone, so we walked a ton! taught a class of English and had a whopping 3 people show up! That is going to change. Our investigator said he received an answer that when he asked God if the church of Jesus Christ was the one true church, he felt in his heart that it is the true church! So, a very successful day! I love you good night.

Mar 23, 2019

Today was a hard day, we had investigators not show up for lessons and others would lie to our faces and avoid us at all costs. I called our pench and had her prepare hamburgers for us! They were amazing!! We also called our leaders of the zone to say congrats on their baptisms today, and I have a new system to work on my Spanish so I’m excited to have better grammar! I love you good night!