Busy, Busy, Busy

Wow, honestly, you are the SECOND person to say that same thing about the baptism pic! I am LOVING THE MISSON RIGHT NOW. It´s a little different being all by ourselves here in Calca, but as me and Elder Aguilar call it, we are living in paradise ( I think that´s how you spell it? well, it´s whatever ´´Paraíso´´ is translated into in English...). We are teaching ALL of the investigators Converts and Less-actives from the other Elders´ sector that they closed in Calca, and including ALL of ours. We literally almost have filled every hour of next week with lessons, most of which we don´t know. It´s been hard work, but thats not a bad thing so, we´re loving it. We challanged a man named Edson to baptism this week for the 27 of June. His whole family, his brother and his wife, sister, mom, and dad are all active members in the church. He accepted the date, and now it´s just a matter of time and prayers to help him have a firm testimony. 

Do you remember that family that we were teaching where there son passed away recently? Well, I have been diligently trying to have contact with them, they are all super busy and never home. Yesterday, we were walking when the son of this family (the brother of the son that passed away) came to my mind. I couldn´t stop thinking about him, so we went to his house. He wasn´t there. Right when we were about to leave, a lady told us that he was down at the house of his parents. So, we went down to the house. The mother Amelia, opened the door. She told us no one was home but her. I could see that she still was not in good shape. We were with two other members who were acompaning us and I asked if she had 15 minutes to talk. She said yes and we entered into the house. She expressed the pain that she still feels. We promised her that if she let us come and talk about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ that she would be able to answer all of the many questions she has. We set an appointment next Sunday. We are praying for her and her family that they can come to know the truth.  

I love you so much MOM and DAD and ANGELYN and MARIAH and EZRA. I learn SO many things every day in the mission, and plan coming home a MAN including the beard! (ok, there are no promises on the beard part..) I love you family and friends and hope you have an amazing week full of learning experiences. Humble yourselves before God and remember that this is a big world, with lots of people that need YOUR help. 

Hasta la próxima semana, 

Elder Jeffery

Me and my companion Elder Aguilar

Fredrick's Baptism

This week could not have ended better with Fredrick`s baptism making the end of this change perfect. The baptism was on Friday, at 4. The WHOLE day it was cold outside. I was shivering just standing outside. Fredrick asked me to do the honor of baptizing him. But, this meant that I had to enter that water... again! We had the reunion in the house of the sister Gavina. There were a good 10 members there. We had a few talks, and then started walking up the hill to the river. We had found the perfect spot. There is a waterfall that isn`t tall but wide. There are two cement barriers blocking the water so that it leaves only in one certain spot, so it leaves a pool of calm, white, FREEZING COLD, water. We got up there, took pictures together, said a prayer, and entered the water. Honestly, I didn`t even think about the water. Mom, you know that I don`t like cold water, showers or cold anything, but since we`ve had cold showers for weeks, and thinking more in helping Fredrick, I just jumped in. after the baptism, we took photos in the pool, and Fredrick looked at me and said, ´´you`re trembling`` I didn`t notice until he pointed it out that the whole time, I had been shaking from the coldness. We ran out of the water, and went back to the house. Fredrick gave the most beautiful testimony about how we found him, and how he feels more peace than he has ever had now that he has been baptized in the church of Jesus Christ. He was confirmed on Sunday in sacrament meeting. We have been praying and fasting to find prepared people to teach. On Saturday, we had set a lesson with a family that we contacted in the street. Our pension told us that they were going to have a family night for Elder Parrales because it`s his last few days in the mission. We had already set the appointment, and knew the right and obedient thing to do. The dad of the family is Johnathan. He`s a professional guitar player. He told us that he had visited with the missionaries and used to attend church but this was 20 years ago. We talked with him and his wife (his wife is very catholic) about Jesus Christ and the importance of Him. We challanged them to baptism. Johnathan accepted, but his wife Kathy no. We have another appointment with them on Saturday! I learned from this experience of the relation between Sacrifice and Obedience. Obedience many times means that we much take away a few things that we want to do, and do what the Lord wants. But, the amazing thing is that when we do this, although it must be hard, we end up LOVING to be obedient, and don`t have to think twice about it. 

Wow, you guys are entering Summer and I`m just hitting Winter! TIME GOES BY WAYYY TO FAST! I want to live EVERY moment of the mission to the fullest because the time is short and there is so much to learn.

SO, now for the sad news... Elder Cuba is leaving me :( He will be going to Puno. It`s really cold there. I will be receiving a new companion on Wednesday. We will be the only ones in Calca as they are closing the sector of the Elders that were living with us. So, it`ll just be me and my new companion. My first time only being with my companion in an apartment. I don`t know who my new companion is, but I will let you know next week!

LOVE YOU MOM!! Love you friends and family!! You are all missionaries!! Keep up the great work!

Love,

Elder Jeffery

We have the Tools

It was great to see you too!! I hope mother´s day went so great for you! Well, I really don´t have too much to say. I told you about Fredrick, and how Calca is, and that I got your package, and happy mother´s day... What else is there? Wow, that sounds so amazing to be up there in Bear Lake! It´s true. What a beautiful world we live in.

I have been learning a lot about humility. God gives us challenges and downfalls because he loves us. He wants us to to be happy and He knows what we have to change to get there. I have a lot of imperfections. We all have imperfections, but the cructial part isn´t to be perfect, but to simply be humble enough to say that I´m not perfect, and change. It´s all in the action. I can want to change, but that does me know good without trying out my faith. We then, and only then gain a testimony of why we have the challenges we are dealing with and have endured. We will and do endure many hardships as latter day saints, but we also have all of the tools to do it. We have the fullness of the gospel, church leaders, and the Holy Ghost ready to guide and direct us. I hope to apply these things in my life to improve my behavior and attitude. 

I love my family, and love the joy I can feel with them and knowing that God has such a beautiful future prepared for us. I love my MOM and everything that she has done for me to help me become who I am and always see me as who I can become. I am thankful for friends that directed me to do the right and helped me choose to serve in this marvelous work of salvation. 

Until next week Mom and family and friends, 

Elder Jeffery

My 19th Birthday

My birthday was great! They caught me by surprise, crushed eggs on my head and covered me in flour. Not to mention shoving the cake in my face after! Haha I love peruvian Birthdays! Way more exciting that the ones we have in the states!!

Fredrick, the young man we contacted in the street, will be baptized the 15th of May!! We are so excited for him, and I know that it was really God who brought him into our hands. He is so humble and willing to learn and has been learning so much from the book of Mormon. I am excited to continue watching his faith and knowledge of the gospel grow every day. 

Love you MOM and am so glad to have this sweet short time to dedicate my time to the Lord. It´s hard, but that´s alright, I like hard things. It´s amazing the joy we can feel when we really just apply the gospel, and learn to love doing it. Love you family and love reading your experiences in the growth of your testimonies. I know that the lord is blessing us and many others when we are serving him together in this work.