Arroz Chaufa

Well, in the Peru Cusco Mission we work with less actives. We teach less actives, and remind them about the missionaries that had taught them so many years ago. We remind them about the experience that they had had in their baptisms. We ask them how they felt when they were baptized, then we ask them if they´d like to feel the same way again. I´m thankful for repentance. Without it, they couldn´t feel that way again, and don´t think that any of us could ever feel that way without it. 

This week we taught Jannely´s family. Jannely got married a few months ago with her now newly converted husband Samuel. To let you know how they are doing, I´m happy to say that Samuel received the Melquisidec Priesthood this week! But, we´d never been able to talk with Jannely´s mom, and twin sisters. We said a prayer and started talking about those Elders that taught them ten years ago. They remembered their names, and talked a lot about their conversions stories. They remember how they were all together as a family, and how they felt in their baptism. They said that they would love to feel that way again. We explained how by partaking of ordenances we can become clean again. We invited them to partake of the sacrament this next Sunday. To our surprize they were actually very eager to come back to church, and have another appointment! It makes me so grateful for the opportunity that every soul has to repent!! Everyone of us can turn back, and feel what we once felt. Every person who has lived the gospel at some point of their life knows how it helps and protects us, and because of repentance everyone can be sure that they can continue or come to feel that feeling! So, that´s been the hightlight of my week. I have a new companion Elder Niaupari who I´m still trying to get to know and become his friend. Today we´ll be playing soccer or maybe going to the big tower in the middle of town to see the city. On my birthday, I don´t know how exactly, but two families knew that I love a dish here called arroz chaufa or chineese rice, so, I ate FOUR plates of Arroz Chaufa. Woah, we were so sick after those two surprize lunches. I literally almost threw up So, I won´t be eating arroz chaufa for a while.... But, I am very thankful and I thank EVERYONE who sent me birthday wishes!!! I love you ALL and I am thankful to have the best MOM in the world!! I love you! I love my FAMILY and FRIENDS and hope you all have a great week!!! 

Elder Jeffery

Mudding With the President

This week has been a week to remember. I spent the week with President Harbertson and his wife. Elder Salazar and I went to Cusco, came back and President then came to Cusco to have interviews with all the missionaries in Puerto Maldonado. We took his nisson explorer 2015 through the mud filled streets. He said, ``now you can tell your family this Monday that we went mudding together.`` haha it was a great day. At the end of the day he asked to accompany us to an appointment. We went with him to Sandra and Winny`s house. We decided to talk about Enduring to the End. President shared his experience of watching his six children learn how to walk. When they each decided to stand up they always ended up falling. They`d stand up again and fall again. When they finally learned how to walk without falling, they`d hit their heads on things and run into things. He taught that our progress consists of falls and trials, but we if we keep going forward, we`ll keep making mistakes , but they won`t be as big, and our victories will be bigger making us progress continually. We then changed the subject to repentance. We found out that Winny hadn`t asked in a prayer forgivness of her sins. So, we invited her to pray. She prayed, and the next time we came to visit her, she`d felt the spirit as she asked forgivness. I know they`re feeling a change, but they have a few things that they have a hard time getting over, but I am proud of them that they are realizing that before baptism comes repentance, and to feel prepared for that ordinace, they want to be sure to repent of their passed sins. 

 I want to thank all of those who have prayed for Sandra and Winny this week, and I know that our Heavenly Father is aware of our prayers. So, Sandra and Winny have decided that they want to take a little more time to decide to be baptized. They have testimonies, but want to be sure of being able to keep the commandments after baptism. 

So, the news this week is a sad, but it`s how the mission goes! My companion, Elder Salazar will be heading to Abancay. And my new companion will be coming to Puerto on Tuesday. The good part is that my new companion and I have known each other for a long time. He`s a great missionary and is very similar to Elder Salazar. They are both from Ecuador, but Elder Niaupari is from Quito, Ecuador! 

I love you MOM and thank you for the love you show for me. The opportunity to serve a mission has really changed my life. I look back at that kid I was before I came to know what God truely has in store for me and I just can`t believe it. It lets me know that the atonement exists and why He had to suffer so that He could shape me into what He wants and not what I think I should be. I love you friends and family and hope you can all have a great week remembering that you have a friend here in Peru that loves the Lord and serving Him. 

Elder Jeffery

Elder Heslop, Me, Elder Salazar, Elder Niaupari

ALMA 26;12

I would like to start my letter off with a quote that has helped and is changing my vision of the mission and my life.

´´The best antidote for worry is work. The best medicine for despair is service. The best cure for weariness is to help someone even more tired.´´ - President Gordon B. Hinckley.

Before I talk about my week, I would like to testify that the way to be happy in this life is to forget about ourselves, our desires,our selfishness, and pride, and start to focus our attention on the many people close to us that need OUR help. If we can learn this lesson, we can learn ´´when we´re serving we´re happy´´ Every time I read Alma 26 I feel humbled to remember where the power and authority comes from, and that God leads this work. We will be cured as we cure others. As a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I´ve been called to be a representative of Jesus Chirst and not a representative of myself.It´s amazing how it works! If you focus on yourself, you will never reach what you think you should be, but if you focus on serving others and God, He will mold you into what you were meant to be. 

This week, we´ve been preparing Sandra and Winny for their baptisms in two weeks. They are excited to be baptized, but this week they showed us a few concerns that they had. They said that they´d been going to a few other churches before, and almost got baptized in them also, but never felt ready. They said that they feel that the church was true, but also feel that the other churches are good. We explained that all churches are good, but if they wanted to know if this was Christ´s true church on the earth, they´d have to ask God. They´d told us that they thought the church was true before, but had never actually prayed, so they´ll be praying to know with confidence that this is the Lord´s church. As for Maria and Abel, we´re progressing with their marriage papers and they´re planned to be married and baptized in May. 

I´ve grown to love the people here in Puerto Maldonado, and am not sure if I have a transfer or not! My companion and I are so nervous for next week where we will recieve the news who stays and who goes. So, I will let you know next week what will happen! I love you MOM and FAMILY and FRIENDS and am VERY glad to be able to serve because I know if I didn´t serve I would never be able to feel the happiness I feel every time I help someone that´s even more tired than I. 

Elder Jeffery

Reflection On Conference

Well, I´m glad that you could enjoy conference! I want to share a few things I learned and liked:

1. I was reminded something that you taught me Mom. When ever I wanted something to be different or my way I remember that I would say, ´´but, it´s not fair!´´ and you would always respond, ´´Life isn´t fair´´ Well, as stated in the conference, ´´ If life were truely fair, we wouldn´t be able to be ressurected, and wouldn´t be able to become clean from sin. I remember something my trainer once told me in a letter he wrote me. He said about Jesus Christ, ´´A perfect man had an imperfect trial so that imperfect men can have a perfect trial.´´ 

2. Also, David A. Bednar helped me understand a little more about the importance of Ordenances. Ordenances are authorized channels. The only way to access ALL of the blessings that the atonement has to offer is through these authorized channels. 

I learned a lot about my responsibilities that I have and also many responsibilities to come in the next page of my life. I am thankful for these instructions that I have recieved! 

Sandra Winnie and Michael attended the conference. The three of them are planned to be baptized on the 23 of April. Maria and Abel weren´t able to make it to the conference and they´ll have to postpone their baptisms and most likely their marriage. But, they are still excited. Their daughter has been diognosed with cancer at a very young age, so they have been raising money with their family members and had done a fundraising activity on these past two Sundays. So, we will continue helping them and pray for their daughter. 

I love you MOM and DAD and FAMILY and FRIENDS! 

Elder Jeffery