Lima (LaMolina) Peru – Week 10

This last week has been another great week here in Lima even though it has been super hot! I feel like it would not be too bad if I didn't have to wear around a shirt and tie with slacks. Haha yesterday we walked about a mile up a slightly inclined road. When we got to the top of where we were going I was sweating a lot. We got to our ward mission leaders house and he thought that I was going to die, and I did too! But I made it through! I’m really ready for it to start to cool off, but that won’t be until about May. I drink about 3 liters of water a day and I'm still often thirsty.

This was another great week here and we were able to see more miracles here in our area! So that excites us and helps us have the drive to continue looking for more of them. We were able to advance a lot on the lessons with this family of 4 that we have. Three of them attended church and the mom had to work. She is trying to get her schedule changed because right now she works every other Sunday. She can still attend but it would be better if she can get it off. I have complete confidence that they'll get baptized in March. So that will be 4 baptisms. And we also have 2 others that I would call 90% fijos. They are the 2 kids that are in the family that is being reactivated. They are also really great. We visited them last night and we gave them a specific baptismal date for the 17 of March and they both accepted it without any doubt. They are progressing really well. So just between my comp and I we have 6 baptisms that are very fijo.

Yesterday the stake that I am serving received a new stake presidency and so the President of the area was there, and he gave a very good talk to all of us. To sum up in just a few words what he said was that depending on how converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ we are is shown through our home teaching visits and through our fast offerings. Because as members of the church we are often very obedient to the commandments, but it’s the things that we do to make personal sacrifices that shows how converted we really are!

Well I hope that you all have a great week! Here are some pics from the last week.

Elder Farnsworth

Lima (LaMolina) Peru – Week 9

This last week was a really great here with my companion. We were able to see lots of miracles and find lots of escogidos (a Spanish word that means chosen or elect that we use when someone is very ready to accept the gospel) in our area. We were able to find a family of 5 that are suppppppper escogidos. And 4 of the 5 came to church. The one that couldn't come said that she had a last-minute emergency but said she will come this week for sure. To let you know of how escogido they are, I want to share an experience that we had with them. As we were saying the first vision to them they started to quote parts of it. That's the first time that anyone has done that while I've been in the mission, and then as we finished they all shared the experience that they had as the prayed and asked of God to know if these things are true. All of them were able to recognize the spirit and know for themselves that it’s true. They are truly amazing.

Another miracle that we were able to see in our area is with a part member family. It all started about a month ago when Elder Fagg and Elder Charca were on splits in our area and Elder Charca saw an old investigator that he had taught while he was in Las Viñas. So, they contacted her, and they made an appt to go visit her and her family. As we got there we came to find out that the parents are less active members that were sealed in the temple a long time ago but have been inactive for 14 years. The father told us that his goal was to come back to the church in this year. So, we went and got some help from the bishop and we've visited them twice with and had a Family Home Evening in the Bishop’s house with them. They are very excited to come back to church and their 2 older kids of 16 and 12 want to get baptized. So, they are super escogidos!!! And we're really excited to work with them!

Another miracle we saw was a sister that is from our ward here in La Molina Vieja is serving a mission. Through one of her friends here in the ward gave us a reference that now has a baptismal date and is also super escogidos.

So, my comp and I here are being very blessed from the Lord. We are very thankful for all the miracles that we're seeing and for every blessing that we receive.

Pics: Haha my comp and I bought some doughnuts for Valentine’s Day and they were supppppper good, but they left a hole in my pocket! It was so worth it though. Then some pics with the zone at the temple and a pic with my comp. The last picture is one of all the Elders from Idaho that were at a training meeting. Well I hope that this week is amazing for you all! I love you all a ton!

Elder Farnsworth

Lima (LaMolina) Peru – Week 8

Hello how are you all?? I really hope that all is well with each and every one of you! Because every day here in the mission is great even if it’s a hard one. This last week was a great one like always but it was also a very interesting one. Haha interesting because of things that happened differently than we had hoped. But that's all part of the experience. Planning, acting and hoping that they all come out well. But when they don't happen like we would like them to, you've gotta change your plans and try again. That is one thing that I've learned a lot here is that a lot of things happen and they're out of your control, so all you can do is control what you can to the best of your ability. And as you do that you'll be able to have more success and not worry a lot about the things you can't. The mission is great because I have been able to learn a ton and I know that all of the things that I'm learning will have a huge impact on my life after. But over all I have learned that you can't be afraid to fail, because from your failures you can learn and become better. But you always need to have a positive attitude and always get back up when you fall.

During this week my comp had a last-minute leadership meeting early in the morning on Wednesday to make more plans and put then into practice these plans so that we can reach our goal for this month. So, it was good to just sit down and really think about what we can do. Because plans are something that are so important, without goals and plans we won’t reach anything.

This last week in our area we did 3 different splits with other missionaries in the zone. So, I stayed every time because my comp didn't know the area well enough to stay. They were good opportunities to learn and teach with the elders that I did them with.

This week to come should be another great week here in the mission. The pics that are attached are from last Pday as a zone! I hope that you all have an amazing week!

Elder Farnsworth

Lima (LaMolina) Peru – Week 7

Well this past week was another amazing week here in the mission. We had transfers and my new comp Elder Roberts came. So, he is from Kaysville, UT, is 20 years old and he has 11 months in the mission. In the pic that is attached he is the one in the front. I can already tell that this transfer is going to be a really great one! We will be having lots of success here as a companionship and as a zone!

Well to start off this week we had transfers and they normally end at about 1-2 in the afternoon. Haha well this time they didn't end until about 8pm.... Let’s just say that there was a little problem with the bus and the schedule. But It all ended up well. We made it to our area to do 1 appt and then we went to dinner and then home. Now, here in the mission, we can stay out proselyting until 10:30pm which is awesome because we can now visit more people. Lots of the people here in Lima don't get home from working until late at night so we were never able to visit them but now we can. That makes it so we go to bed at 11:30pm and get up at 7:30am. I really like this new change!

Just like last transfer my comp and I were able to give a training at the new leaders training. So, we prepared that and gave it. Then it was a pretty good rest of the week. This week we'll be doing slits with 3 of the areas. So, it'll be another crazy but great week!

My comp and I were able to see a bunch of miracles this past week which was awesome! In reality, they happen every day, but one must be adjusted to recognizing them. That is something that I have been able to improve on in the mission. I encourage all of you to look for the small blessing that the Lord gives to you in everyday of your life. So back to the story, my comp and I were planning in the night on Friday and I remembered an old contact that we had about 4 weeks ago. The first time that we went to his house about 3 weeks ago he wasn’t there and then we just kind of left it at that, until I felt like we should go and look for him. We ended that planning with a prayer and asked that all these people would be in their houses and willing to let us in. So, the next day when we went to his house we rang the doorbell and he came down and immediately let us into his home and he remembered me even though it had been a while. So, we started teaching them and at first the wife looked like she wasn't too happy that we were in her house. But then as we started talking it all changed, and she enjoyed the visit. We were able to teach them most of the Restoration and we invited them to be baptized on the 10th of March and they accepted. They were able to attend church as well and we have an appt with them on Thursday. I'm really happy that we are able to visit this family. I know that as they do what we invite them to do they'll come to a knowledge that these things are true. So, this experience was one of the bigger miracles that we were able to see. And there were many, many more.

Well that's about all for this week. The pic is a breakfast that we had before a zone counsel. Have a great week and I love you all!

Elder Farnsworth

Lima (LaMolina) Peru – Week 6

Well last night we received the transfers for the next 6 weeks. And it’s going to be a great transfer. My comp Elder Fagg will be leaving tomorrow to be a DL, train a newbie from the MTC and open area. Haha so he'll be pretty busy this next transfer. And I will be receiving Elder Roberts from Utah I think. And I'll be training him to be a ZL. So, it’s going to be a great transfer. I got to know this Elder a long time ago in another zone and he's a cool guy. So, we're going to have a fun time together and work hard!

This last week was crazy! It flewwwww buy! But it was such an amazing one! I was able to learn a lot! In the leadership counsel we were able to present our zone goals and then see what the mission goal was going to be! Let’s just say that this month is going to be an amazing one! The goal that we have as a mission is 263! That is the biggest goal that I have seen in our mission! And we are all very excited to do our part to reach the goal. I really think that it’s possible to reach it. I also had my "trunky training" as they call it. I had a slap of reality to the face. Haha it helped me recognize that I need to think and plan for the future after the mission. Because right now I have everything that I need. And I don’t need to worry about anything except for complete my duty as a missionary. But after I need to work, study, live on my own and after that raise a family. But now after that training I have a 5-year goal set with lots of different things. And as I strive to do that I'll be able to be more successful and be on top of things. The other thing that I realized is that even though I have 4 transfers left in the mission. It’s going to go by fast and still have a lot that I need to learn and do! There just isn't enough time to get everything done. Unless we get up early... So, I hope that my new comp likes getting up early.

We were also able to find some great new people this last week. And they are part member families. Most of the time the PF's are the ones most likely to progress. Not always, but most of the time. The biggest difficulty of our area here is that 1. the people are a little wealthier and they are set in their ways and don't want to change anything, 2. they say that they’re going to follow through with something and then don't do it. And those are the biggest. But this transfer will be different. I know that we'll be able to help the people progress that we have. This is going to be a transfer with a lot of fasting and prayers. Because as we involve the Lord in every step of the way we'll see miracles!

The pics are of my group at the training I went to. Dinner that we had last night with some members. She made lasagna and it was really good. It is the 2nd time that I've had it in my mission. They all know English. They both studied in BYU. The other pic is of my church right now. It’s my favorite one. Well have an amazing week! I love you all! Thanks for all the prayers!

Elder Farnsworth