March 25-30

Mar 25, 2019

Today was my last day with my companion, we went for a run, ate lunch, and had some powerful lessons, minus one where Daniela said she does not want to get baptized... but I will continue with faith. We gave many priesthood blessings tonight to the sick. More importantly I want to share the symbol of the mission as I see it. When we “missionaries” serve missions, it is an act of service and a symbol of the life of Jesus Christ. We leave our families for a space of time to do a work which is so difficult. We as missionaries are asked to walk some part of the road he walked, a little, just a bit. We are asked to feel the pains, he felt as he was rejected, ridiculed, denied, abused. Now I’m not saying I have felt exactly as Christ did with his crucifixion and so forth. but we leave the comfort of our homes and our parents to be, in some cases, hated for the name we represent and rejected by all. Our hearts break with those in pain, or who reject the gospel. We feel the need to rely on the one and only in every moment. The difference is soon I will return with the growth, and confidence to the ones I love into their open arms. But Christ, the son of god who suffered it all had his dearly beloved peter, a man who witnessed his glory and his miracles say I know not this man... 3 times he denied the glory of Christ. To me that is the hardest thing I could ever imagine. this mission is hard in so many ways, so many ways I never expected to be tested and tried. but I know that this church is true. and I know that if I endure to the end God will bless me and those in my life. That promise is worth the world, and worth sharing with everybody in the world. I love you with all my heart might mind and strength! good night.

Mar 28, 2019

I have been chasing my tail! It all started with changes, we got up Tuesday the 26 at 5 AM to pack up Elder Alvarados’ stuff. We got to the offices at 9 AM and found out that changes were not until 12 PM. We looked pretty stupid... ha-ha! I think he was just really ready to leave. Well I got my new companion E. TituaÑa and he is amazing! He is a quiet fellow, but he is so smart in how he teaches and how he contacts, and I have so much to learn from him. He is 20 years old as of the 8th of March and is from Ecuador. he speaks ketchua a native language here in Peru and has hair longer than Mary’s! He has been changing a lot of things here in Jayanca and I believe it’s for the better. Today we interviewed two people for baptism and they both passed. afterwards we killed the last bat in the church, and I only managed to swat down one lightbulb, snap a broom in two, and bust a book in the prosses. Definitely a new memory. We taught Daniela tonight and she is ready to ask God if the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ! 

Mar 30, 2019

I need 20 feet of rope 3 buckets and a broom! Well today we got up and ate breakfast, ready for our baptisms today, we got to the church and got out the font so we could clean it and patch it up because it still has holes, we patched it up pretty good, missed 1 or 2 holes but not bad. The super glue blew up in my hands, so they got glued together and bled pretty bad. We then called PDT. Piedra to ask if we could start filling it for our 5 o’clock baptism. It was about 8.30 and he was so mad! Apparently, the church only has water from 6 in the morning until 9 in the morning and he was saying it should already be filled by now. So, I started to freak out. No water for the baptism... We started the water and it came to about 4 inches until we lost water. We said a prayer. We found a holding tank deep beneath the church and it had exactly enough for the baptism. We tied a rope to the bucket and threw it down and fished out a ton of water! I was sweating so bad. Then we had issues with baptism clothes, for baptisms it’s in all white and the clothes were in Lambayeque about an hour and a half away. They said the clothes would be in a taxi headed that way and to be at the soda stand at 5:15. Well that’s a little close for a 5:30 baptism but we got the clothes and they got baptized and it was all a success. Stressful day and it has been like this for the whole week. So that’s why I have not written every day. I love you and goodnight.