Mission Week 76 & 77, Tacna Peru

This week... Oh my gosh. I have  never had such a stressful week ever. This week we almost lost one of the missionaries who we really need here. He is only eighteen and he is very stressed. He has had some health problems and the mission nurse did not help him a ton. The doctors here are super un organized and literally just told him to buy a hard bed and told him to leave. I was upset because I saw a missionary so stressed and confused that he just wanted to throw in the towel. Seeing him being stressed I went to the bank and took out around sixty dollars in soles and I told him we are going to go to the clinic and have them look at you know and they will tell us exactly what we need to do. I did it without asking for permission and I knew that the mission was not going to pay for it because they had already sent him to the clinic. I in that moment felt like I needed to have him seen. He went to the clinic had a few tests done and for the first time I saw him relax and the stress left. The mission will not be able to reimburse me but I knew it was worth it. If that is what it takes to help this missionary end his mission strong I will do it.

This week we have been able to work a little bit in the area but not a ton. A lot of the investigator did not make it to church however Evelyn DID GO!!! She is the suprise blessing of the week. She is making lots of changes in her life but is also the most determined. I was so happy to see her yesterday in the church. we had a lesson with her and she is not giving up she will take her time in picking a date but she is not going to give up.

Mission Week 75, Tacna Peru

The savior said to his apostles Follow me so many times in the scriptures. This week we had a special surprise visit from president Johnson he told us that he would like to take a little bit of time to talk to all the missionaries in the zone. After we all had gone to a church close to the entrance of tacna president started to share with us a large talk that was accompanied by lots of scriptures about humility and The Savior. I knew all along what he was going to tell us, I had felt it from the very beginning. The purpose of the talk was to prepare us for something that he had to tell us, Every time he talked about something related to this little announcement he started to cry. I could see the tears welling up in his eyes. It was extremely obvious how much this would cost him to say. After finishing an excellent talk and helping all of us feel the spirit and love he has for us he told us that many of us would probably be waiting with much anticipation for a special visit from an apostle. Elder Renlund would be coming to visit the mission but We, The missionaries from the Tacna Zone, would not be traveling to visit him. All of the missionaries had been given permission to travel the less than three hours to get to Arequipa, However Tacna is seven hours outside of Arequipa and we would not be traveling to meet the apostle. I knew that all the missionaries here would be extremely disappointing. President Johnson and Sister Johnson Cried and told us how much they had been fighting for us how much they wanted us to be there. I felt a heart wrenching pain as I watched many of the Sister missionaries in the Zone break down in tears. I recognized that this would be one of the only chances to see an apostle for many, if not all the missionaries who were from south america, and that they probably would never receive this opportunity again. President Ended by making promises to each and every one of us. Sometimes the bitter cup cannot be passed and we must accept the will of the lord. I know that President Johnson has been called of God. I know that this church is true and that Miracles exist. I love you all very much. Keep working!

Mission Week 74, Tacna Peru

Wow this week has been a amazing crash course of new things to do and to learn while doing them. We have had presentation with the stakes and lots of new oppourtunities to teach. The lessons that we have had this week have been few but the lord makes up for the lack of time! This week we have been able to find new investigators and challenge people to be baptized. It has been an amazing experience to see how the lord prepares people to meet the missionaries.

I have been adjusting to the climate in tacna it has been a little bit of a change but I finally feel like I am getting used to it. Its a lot more humid than arequipa and I like that a lot about it. I hope that I get to stay here for a long time.

This week we have had meetings with the stake president of Arias Araguez. We had a presentation with the sumo sacerdote who was in charge of la obra misional. It was a little bit difficult because the members who were assisting had been misinformed about the meeting and were told it was not going to be about the missionary work. It was a great presentation but the mood of those listening really made it difficult for us and Hermano Cornejo.

This week we have not been able to have a ton of lessons however the lessons that we have had were extremely beneficial. This week we were able to find new investigators and challenge people to baptism and three of them accepted. We have found that when we are dedicating all our time to the lord he is going to help us with the things that we need.

Some of my responsibilities are; Zone conferences. divisions with more than thirty missionaries. Training those thirty missionaries, Making sure that they have success. Meetings with stake presidents from three different stakes all of which have very different ideas and very different plans for the missionary work.  Making sure all of the rooms pensions and emergency supplies of the missionary are good.

They (Stakes) are all super close we can take a ten minute taxi to get to each one.

 

 

Got to go mom Love you!

 

 

Mission Week 72 & 73, Tacna Peru

 

Ferroviarios:

 

This week we were having a tough week with my companion, We had passed many dificulties but we kept positive trusting in god. Before we left to go to church this sunday I felt the need to pray after reading Mathew 7 verse 7 pondering deeply in Knock and it shall be opened unto you. We needed the windows of heaven to open and I was determined to ask for a miracle. After a short fervent prayer I walked out the door expecting nothing less than a complete milagro. In our Gospel principles class I was giving the lesson and I invited an ancient investigator to talk to the bishop, She had expressed her desires to be baptized but had always had a few doubts. I told her that if she wanted to be baptized she needed to talk to the bishop. I do not know why that is what came to my mind. Later that day when the bishop entered into the consejo de barrio he said that the lady had fixed her doubts and accepted to be baptized latter this week with her two sons. Here in Ferroviarios we have seen the results of being obedient in the morning and Diligent in the afternoon and We are seeing the miracles!

 

Tacna:

 

its cold... super super cold. i have been freezing since i got here. i am here as a zone leader. Tacna is also a zone all by itself. It has 32 missionaries. 

My companion is elder behotas. he is a little similar to me but we will learn a lot together. He is a new zone leader. he only has one change as a zone leader. the two of us we be in a huge struggle to keep on top of all the things to do for the zone while still working with the area.

 

I was on a bus for seven hours.... I have no idea how cold it is but I am FREEZING