Importance of the Sacrament

Hey Again! It was great seeing you on Christmas! This week was full of a lot of preparing for the two meetings we had with the mission President here in Puerto Maldonado. We had a Christmas Dinner where we watched ´´freetown´´ ate turkey played a white elephant gift exchange and sang songs and gave testimonies of Christ. In the gift exchange there was one gift that weighed a whole lot. I knew that it would be either a good or a funny gift, so I went for it. I ended up having it at the end, and opened it up to find a pinapple with a face made out of bananas. We also had a devotional with President and all of the new converts of the district.

 In all of these meetings and activities a theme stuck in my head that I can´t get out. President talked about 3 Nefi 11 when Christ comes to America. Every one bows down to him, and he invites them all to come and touch the prints in his side and hands. Every one of the 2500 Nephites in the city. It must have taken all day long. Jesus patiently allowed everyone there to experience what they needed. The took upon them the emblems of His sacrifice. After, they all shouted, falling to the groud again, ´´hosana!´´ which literally means ´´save us now!´´ Christ had come to Europe and had payed for the sins of them all. The Nephites had hear and believed it was true. But, when they actually had the opportunity, which I can hardly imagine or understand, to touch feel and see their Savior, they knew and that´s when they said ´´save us now´´. We in our lives can believe in Christ and what he has done for us, but in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we have the opportunity to take upon us the same emblems that the Nephites did every week. This week I have learned a little more of the great importance that the Sacrament has in my life. The bread and water that I partake of every week allow me to get to know better my Savior that lives in a different place, but in whom I strive to become like. 

I bought a nativity set from the jungle and a Cusco style one also. They are awesome! Everyone asked my why I was buying it, and I just told them that my mom said it would make my future wife happy. So, my companion bought one too haha. Thank you for your love for me! I am LOVING the mission!!! I hope you have a great week MOM and FAMILY and FRIENDS enjoying the start of 2016! 

Elder Jeffery

Uman Family Is Sealed In The Temple

Well, I`m not going to lie, I am the happiest person alive. I recieved the GRAND news that the UMAN FAMILY after a whole year of being members have been sealed in the Lima Temple for time and all eternity. I am overwhelmed with joy for them! I will send pictures of them. 

This week has been amazing. We were in Cusco for almost the whole week. My companion and I traveled 10 hours to Cusco in a bus, had a meeting with the mission president, and traveled back for 10 hours to Puerto Maldonado. We were done with that bus. 

Before the trip, we had a lesson with Manuel and Laura. We had planned to set a baptismal date for Manuel that day, and before we even talked about baptism, he declared to us that he desires to be baptized. We talked some more, and they expressed to us a few strong problems that they are facing. We passed by the next day early in the morning to give him and her a priesthood blessing. As we finished giving her the blessing, Manuel looked up at us and said he`d felt something strange. Manuel is a tough guy, but as he expressed his desire to put his own hands on the head of his wife, tears ran down his face. As we testified of the blessing of the priesthood he started to weep. This Sunday, he came to church for the first time. 

Man Family is Sealed

I know that this church is true! I know that the blessing of the priesthood are essencial in our lives and we have the right to have them in our homes as members of His church. I`m thankful for a father with the priesthood and for the opportunity to one day have the protection of the priesthood for my future family. Love you MOM and hope you have an amazing Christmas! I love you friends and family and hope you can enjoy the Christmas Spirit by serving others and worshiping the Savior.

Elder Jeffery 

Cusco Missionaries

Hanging with the Pres

Discussion With Monkeys

This week did NOT rain like last week. It was very hot, but honestly I am used to it. It`s still hot and I still sweat a lot, but I just kind of take it now. To update you on Samuel and Jannely, they didn`t come to church this Sunday which truely made us sad. But, they are still with us on doing the paperwork for their mariage and we hope that they can get over their fear of coming to church. Samuel works nights so his challenge is tiredness. I told him a little about Dad`s work and that he also has a similar schedule. Any tips on how to make it easier for him? Jannely is just scared to come for not being there so long in the chapel. We have another couple, Manuel and Laura. Manuel is Investigator, Laura less-active. Manuel has many questions and a lot of them weren`t sincere. We talked to him about it and challenged him to read the Book of Mormon. He called me the next day as he was reading the testimony of Joseph Smith and asked me a few questions. It was great how interested he was. Him and his wife told us that that night they had read for an hour all of Joseph Smith History loosing track of time. The next lesson we had, Manuel told us that he realized that some of the questions he askes us aren`t with real intent, and that he really wants to know these things for himself. He`s been praying to know. He called right before church and said he wouldn`t be  coming. We explained that it`s his choice but that we were honestly sad. Later in the lesson he told us that he wants to come to church next week and felt bad for not coming. He`s changed from doubting everything, to sincere. We are praying that he can understand an answer from God and decided for himself to follow the answer he receives.

This week I did something that I thought I would NEVER do. We met a lady outside of her house a few weeks ago and set an appointment for this week. She invited us to her backyard where she had 3 monkeys in her tree. I was frightened by them because I didn`t know what they`d do, but one jumped onto my shoulder, climbed over to my head resting it`s feet on my shoulders, it started to grab my hair, and search for bugs. I hope it didn`t find any... It grabbed my hand jumped over to my companion and did the same thing. It was crazy! As we taught the lady, the monkey kept jumping on us and playing with us. I`ll send pictures!!

Love you MOM and hope you enjoy the beautiful snow there in Bountiful. Thank you FRIENDS and FAMILY for your prayers and support. 

Elder Jeffery

I`ve Never Seen So Much Water Come Out Of A Cloud

This week was crazy! We taught many people, and many were very excited to come to church on Sunday. We have been focusing a lot on Samuel and Jannely who have planes to get married the 24th and Samuel baptized the 26th. They are expecting a son in February! We started their paperwork today. So, Sunday morning we were praying to leave the apartment and just as we were leaving it started to rain. We hopped in a taxi and it started to pour. I`ll tell you that I`ve never seen so much water come out of a cloud. It was amazing. We ran into Samuel and Jannely`s room and decided to call a taxi to bring us to the chapel. Good idea because as we all walked out of the room we saw reality. The whole road and pathway was completly flooded. There as lightning everywhere! We treaded through water almost up to our knees. It was priceless as we walked into the chapel soaking wet. There were only 35 who could make it to the chapel with the weather conditions. But Samuel and Jannely did it! Their first Sunday. If they could make it through all of that to get to church, I know they can do it when it`s hot.

Well, I`m happy to say that there`ll be rain this week in Puerto so that`s a lot better than the sun!! Love you MOM and hope you have another great week! Love you family and friends! l love it out here! It`s fun and fullfiling! 

Elder Jeffery