"We are seeing many blessings"

We are seeing many blessing in our sector!! My companion and I are just thrilled!! Maria and Abel have decided to get married officially on July 4th! We turned their marriage papers in today and Abel and his two children will be getting baptized on July 9th. We are very excited for them and am very thankful for your prayers in their behalf. 

Today I want to share an experience that helped me receive a stronger testimony of the Holy Ghost. In the scriptures it says that the Holy Ghost will help us remember all things. Gloria has been an investiagator for a few months and is ready for baptism. She`s only scared of falling into her old life again after being baptized. We were teaching about the life after death when she started telling us about a kid she knew that was baptized, but after getting baptized, he messed up big time. She said that that kid eventually became a missionary. We were kind of shocked when she told the story out of no where, but we asked, `` and how does that story help you in your life``. She simply started that if she gets baptized, she`ll be ok. She won`t be perfect, but she will be able to overcome the falls. We invited her to be baptized on the 16th of July. She is very excited because her brother called her after many many years. He`s a member of the church and asked, `` Gloria, when are going to get baptized so you can come here to Lima and enter the temple with me?`` She was shocked by the call and very anxious to see her brother after many years. I learned this week that the Holy Ghost makes us remember things that have happened before to train and help us. 

That`s all for this week. I love you MOM and DAD and FAMILY and FRIENDS!!! I will work with all of my might mind and soul in this work. I love my Savior and will follow Him. 

Elder Jeffery 

Mom asked if there were any foods that Elder Jeffery had missed this was his Reply

Anything with Barbaque sauce, Mexican food tacos burritos enchiladas (except rice, I get a lot of that), any kind of cookie or cake like chocolate chip cookies and cheesecake.  haha I don`t think there is a food that I haven`t missed.

In a letter to Mom Elder Jeffery talks about his goals for his future.

I`m nervous about the life after the mission. I have two goals for the future Mom. They are: 1. Have a buisness that allows me to spend time with the family and serve in the church in whatever way the Lord calls me to and 2. Get married in the temple. I don`t know how I`ll achieve my goals yet... But President Harbertson told me that if I work with all of my might mind and strength here in the mission that I will be able to achieve those goals. I don`t have a clear image of what I should do, but I know that these are my goals for the future.

Vaya S.O.L.O

This week my companion and I traveled to Cusco for our last meeting with President Harbertson. And, I have to admitt that it was one of the COOLEST meetings I have had! We got to the mission home in street clothes as Sister Harbertson made sure that everyone applied sunscreen, President said that we`d be going on a trip to a surprise location! He said it`d take about three hours. So, we all hopped into the caravans and headed off. As you can see in the pictures, it was worth the twisty three hour ride.... We finally made it to the Q`eswachak`a Bridge: The Last Incan Bridge still standing. There, President Harbertson gave us a few facts about the bridge. He said that it was a tradition for over 500 years that has been passed down generations, father to son. Every year, they burn the bridge and make a completely new one out of straw like plants weaved together. There are four main ropes that are connected to the mountin rocks. On top of the main ropes there are little sticks that make it possible to walk on the ropes and that`s all connected to two hand grips that help with your balance. We all got to walk accross the bridge two times. I felt as if the little sticks were going to snap, and it suprized me when the bridge seemed to tilt one way or another as I tried to take videos and pictures, not holding onto the hand grips. But, it was sturdy enough to keep me from falling into the deep green river below. President gave us an analogy about the bridge and life after the mission. He said that in the mission, we are on sturdy ground and have been for our whole lives, but after the mission will be the time where we are more self-reliant that ever before. Then, he compared the four main ropes to our theme ``Go with the P.R.O.S.`` If we feel that we are not on our way towards the sturdy ground that we hope for after this life, we must ask ourselves, ``Am I Praying? am I Reading? am I Obeying? am I serving?`` The little sticks come to be the confidence we put into God. If we rely on Him, the P.R.O.S. serve as a path way, and at last the hand grips are our convenants that we must ever hold asure to. If we don`t, we`ll be unbalanced and we`ll fall. This lesson helps me know that we can rely on God by doing these things and will never have to fall into satan`s trap. President gave us a blessing and promise. He said if we do these things EVERY DAY of our lives that we will come to have a prefered life. A successful life. This is what I learned this week! I love you FAMILY AND FRIENDS MOM AND DAD!!! I hope you all had a great father`s Day, especially you DAD. 

Elder Jeffery

``I`ve learned that God lives, and that Jesus Christ really did pay for my sins.``

This week we had our last interviews with President Harbertson. It was sad for everyone that he`s leaving. He taught us about our testimonies. He showed us that our testimonies are like an hour glass when the sand drops constantly. In this world of constant opposition our testimonies are always gradually falling, but we can always add more to our testimony so that we never loose it. Sister Harbertson asked me what I felt I had learned most in my mission. I thought about the question for a good while, looked up at her and said, ``I`ve learned that God lives, and that Jesus Christ really did pay for my sins.`` She smiled and said that in the mission, we have many opportunities to share our testimony and we see it grow. But, after the mission there won`t be as many. So, she invited me to share my testimony to myself every day after the mission so that I keep growing in my faith. The slogan of our mission is, ``Vaya S.O.L.O.`` or in English it`s ``Go with the P.R.O.S.`` Pray. Read. Obey. Serve. It`s a decision that we need to take every day. If we don`t Go with the pros, we will not grow spiritually every day. I am committed to Go with the pros every day for the rest of my life! I`m so sorry, but I am out of time and have to Go! But it`s been a great week and I`ll send pictures soon, it`s just that my SD card has viruses and I need to clean it. Have a great week MOM and FAMILY!!! HAVE A GREAT TRIP TO KENYA ANGELYN!!!! 

Elder Jeffery

Three Families

Well, It`s elections week here in Peru. They chose a new president. It`s been very interesting to contact the people in the street as they all talk about politicts and ask for who we`d be voting for. We laughed and explained that we aren`t from around here and don`t vote in Peru. I think the quote this week would be from numerous people we talk with who all seemed to say, ``The churches these days are like political parties``. I think of that and instantly think of a scripture in 3 nephi 11 where is says that contention is not of the spirti. We`re so lucky to know that true religion isn`t just a political group trying to convince the others that their way is the right way, but that God himself has a perfect plan and that it can`t be frustrated.

 We`re very excited for the three familes that we are teaching. The first is Maria and Abel who are SO close to getting married. Just a little bit more and their ready! The second family are Joicy and Omar. Samuel and Jannely, Recent Converts that got married in January, introduced us to Joicy and Omar. Joicy is so anxious to come to church with her husband and get married and is willing to keep at it until she encourages him to do so. Samuel and Jannely also introduced us to Saul and Katlin. They`ve been to the church a few times together and are married. Saul was Samuel`s companion in high school, and Katlin was Jannely`s friend when they were little kids. Their son was born at the same time as Samuel and Jannely`s son also! We`ll be working with these three families this week. Thank you for your prayers for the people here in Puerto Maldonado. I know that there are people that need this Gospel and only the participents know where to find and share it. I am thankful for the Gospel. I love you MOM and DAD and FAMILY!! Have a great week!!! 

Elder Jeffery