Trials Are Preparation For Something Greater

From Ezra

Hi bubba,
I grew so big I can wear this suit. I love you. 
Give me some fin, noggin. Dude, yolo!!!!!

From Desmond 

Woaahhhhhhh!! Hey, you look like a missionary!! But hey, you should stop growing because I need to be taller than you when I get back from the mission, ok? I love you like a monkey loves bananas! Give me some fin, knogin. Dude!!! Yolo!!!

This week we had a conference with President, and a few zones. It was on Wednesday, and went for about six hours. It was great! They focused mostly on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but at the end, President talked to us about our mission as a whole. He told us that he has seen more trials and hardships in our mission than any other place, or group. He then followed by telling us why. He believes that the Lord is preparing us for something greater. That honestly, we all have these trials at this time, because we need to be strengthened. I know this is true in all of our lives. Sometimes, I feel like I am the only one with trials. Then, I remember that Christ has suffered every single ounce of the pain. And, it´s for a reason. We´re not alone in our trials. Satan wants us to think that, but that´s just so we don´t actually learn from them. If we learn from the trials we have , we will grow imensly.

I don´t know if I talked about this lady last week, but we are teaching a woman named Juana, who is 65 years old. She loves her family a lot, but none of them want anything to do with church, or prayer, or much of anything spiritual. She is very sad, but because of that, she wants to do everything that she can to help her family know what is right. She has a date to be baptized the 21st of February. She is such a sweet spirit. It´s a little difficult because she speaks Quechua and Spanish, but more Quechua. THe Uman Family have embraced her into their circle, and are helping her in every manner possible. They speak Quechua fluently, so they are helping us when she doesn´t understand exactly. 

So, I was on divisions with Elder Yallico for the day on Saturday, when we came back the apartment to a surprise. Elder Bird and Pavon were waiting for us with a wall made of a couch and whiteboard, and squirt guns. They started attacking us as we hid in a room. We migrated quickly to the kitchen, where we found some buckets. We filled the buckets up and threw water over the wall onto the Elders. After that, it was on. haha The aftermath was horrible. My bed was soaked, the floor was in puddles, and the walls were marked with tons of squirts. haha Wow, what a crazy battle. Next time we decided we will do that outside. 

Sorry but, today I don´t have any pictures. We are going to go play American Football today after internet, so I´ll take some pictures there. I asked my companion if he wanted to go play, he told me no. I asked why. He said, ''I don´t know how...'' haha so I taught him, and after he said yes all excitedly. haha It should be fun to play with him. 

LOVE YOU MOM!! Have a great week!! Can you make everyone stop growing so much? ANgelyn and Ezra are scaring me.... THank you everyone for reading my letters! Tell Maddy Hanks congradulations and Jameson too!! Love you all!!

Elder Jeffery