Lima (Manchay) Peru – Week 5

Well this has been a very memorable week. We had our last multizone meeting with President Boswell. This Friday he and his wife will be leaving and returning to the good ol' USA. President and Sister Amato will be here that same day.

So our last multizone meeting was amazing! It was seriously amazing and I'll remember it forever. One of the best parts was that he made homemade root beer. It was amazing. It was the first time that I’ve had some since I left on my mission. But the best part was to be able to hear President’s last testimony. Wow let’s just say that it was it amazing. I felt the spirit so strong. It has been such an honor to be able to be in his mission. He will be deeply missed. But I am just as excited for President Amato to come here, and to have the opportunity to be able to learn and grow from him.

Well this last weekend we had a baptism that I had been mentioning for the last couple weeks. We were just waiting on her interview for her to be able to be baptized. It all got finalized in this past week so that was very exciting. Her name is Ashly and she is 18 years of age. She was very interesting to teach. Haha just because she had lots of questions. It is great, but she asked some of the weirdest questions that I had never heard before. So I was able to learn a lot from her, to help my knowledge grow. We are also teaching another person that is 17 years and he is called Marlon. He is great and really has the desire to learn more about the gospel. He has a baptismal date for the 15th of July. He is progressing quickly. He already has 3 attendances to the church. I'll keep you updated on him.

Well have a great week and keep reading your scriptures and praying! Here is a pic of my new president in the MTC right now.

Elder Farnsworth

President and Sister Boswell

President and Sister Amato

Ashly's baptism

Water Heater?!?

Lima (Manchay) Peru – Week 4

Hola! How has everyone’s week been? This week here was really good, except for the fact that I got sick...... Being sick and being a missionary is very hard to do, but it all just adds to the experience. So we had transfers on Tuesday and I received a new companion. His name is Elder Peña. I'm finishing his training like I told you last week. He is from Cusco, Peru, so he will be my connections with Macho Picchu when we come back. He's a cool kid, but he is also a little weird. I guess we're all a little weird. This week was a little more difficult than the rest of the weeks, just because people used the excuse that oh this weekend is father’s day. We would say but today is Wednesday and father’s day isn't until Sunday, but they'd make more excuses. Then Sunday was like any other holiday in the mission. Oh sorry we're doing family things.... But oh well. This week will be better. We also had the problem of getting people to accompany us to do visits. We're also looking into changing our house, because it is literally just a dark damp cave. So that is probably why I'm sick.... we're looking for one to change because this house sucks. I think that it might be worse than my first house and that was awful. In this past week we had some baptismal dates fall because they didn't keep their commitments with us. That is always really sad, because they're not progressing and most likely we will have to drop them.

Well that is all for this week! The picture is with my new comp. Haha yes he is a redhead!

Elder Farnsworth

Elder Peña

Lima (Manchay) Peru – Week 3

Well this was the last week of a short 3 week transfer! My comp has transfers so I will be staying here in Manchay! But now I have to teach the area to my new comp and I still don't know it that well... Haha so it'll be interesting! My new comp is Elder Peña. I don’t know that much about him, but next week I'll tell you more! I will be finishing his training. So now I will officially be able to say that I have a kid in the mission. Haha so that’s pretty exciting!! I'm really excited for this transfer!! It is a 9 week transfer, so we will have lots of time to be able to work hard and talk with a lot of people. During this transfer I will complete 1 year in the mission! So that’s really exciting! To see how I have grown in the past almost one year is crazy but it is great. I wouldn't trade this past year or the next one for anything! It is truly amazing to be a representative of Jesus Christ and to help people.

Well this past week has been pretty good! We were able to do service for an investigator and his family. It was one of the most fun services that I’ve done in the mission. We tore down a house! Haha literally tore down the walls of the house. It was great! He is an investigator and he has a baptismal date for the 1st of July! His mom was very grateful that we helped them out. We have an appt with her today, so hopefully something good will happen with her. I think that she will be able to progress! Well the baptism that I mentioned this last week didn't happen because she wasn't ready. Her testimony of the BOM wasn't that good. But it’s improving. Her new date is for this Saturday. Ojala que bautizará este sábado! I think that she'll be ready! We have an appt today with her to see if she has prayed and received her answer of the truthfulness of the gospel. But then also this week two of our investigators that have a baptismal date for later this month didn't attend even when they promised us that they'd come......... They haven't been keeping their commitments, so I think that this week we will drop them. It’s sad to do it, but it is something that is necessary to do!

Well that’s all for this week. So the pics are from when we tore the house down. Today I was in the mission office when a family was picking up their daughter from the mission and they gave me a jar of peanut butter! It is literally gold here! Because one, there isn't a lot and also, if there is some, it is really expensive. So I'm really thankful for this!

Elder Farnsworth

Service Project

The Walls are DOWN

I LOVE Peanut Butter

Lima (Manchay) Peru – Week 2

HOLA! How are all of you?? Wow what a crazy week! Haha we now only have one week left in this transfer, because this one was only a 3 week transfer for the arrival of our new president. The next one will be 9 weeks! It’s so crazy to think that we will have a new president on the 30th of June! But I'm excited for him!

Well in this week there were some really great things that have happened and also some sad things. But the good things are that we have found a bunch of new investigators in this past week. We invited some people to baptism and they accepted. So that is really great. We started to teach a person of 18 years and he accepted a date. Now we're teaching his mom and his younger brother. They have so much potential! Seriously they are really great. I think that they are the type of people that will progress! We are also teaching another person that is 18 years old that is really great. There are lots of great people here. We are teaching quite a few people. Every day here is a great day. We might have a baptism this week! It’s not for sure, but it’s a 50/50. Haha but I have hope that it'll happen! But if not, it'll probably happen the next week! There is also a brother and sister that we are teaching and they are about 20 years old. This past week we taught them the Law of Chasity. Haha to say the least, they had a tooooooooooon of questions about it. It was pretty interesting to hear them, but they're also really great! I'll keep you updated on the investigators. The bad thing about this week is that we had some baptismal dates fall through.....and so that is sad to see them all excited to be baptized, but then not fulfill their commitments. But I have hope that they will realize on what they need to do to have more happiness in their lives.

Well in this past week we've had a lot of "rain" here. It is foggy and there is mist in the air and they call it rain here. Haha it’s kinda funny. So here is a pic of my name tag with the "rain." Also one of how I was studying in the morning one day. Our house gets really cold at night. It gets down to 60 degrees with 85% humidity. So it feels really cold. And then the other is with a friend of mine that is also from Idaho! His name is Elder Anderson! Well have a great week! I love you!

Elder Farnsworth

Lima "Rain"

It's COLD in here

Elder Anderson from Idaho

Lima (Manchay) Peru – Week 1

Hola! Como están? This week has been really crazy! My new comp is called Elder Gallegos and he is from Puno, Peru. He has like 5 months left in the mission. This week has been a great week! I love my new area and my new comp! I am really excited to be able to work here. Haha there is a lot of dirt here. But I have hope that there will be a lot of people interested in the gospel here. My comp has been doing a pretty good job leading the area, but he has struggled with it a little. But I understand because he has little time in the mission. I came here and we had a lot of people with baptismal dates. But most of them aren't even that interested and aren't progressing. So we have dropped them to use our time with more wisdom. Because if we are wasting our time with people that aren't progressing what is the purpose? So we dropped them, but we have found a few new great people with a lot of potential that this week I feel like we need to invite them to baptism. And we'll see how it goes from there. But the struggle that we have here in Manchay is that it is hard to find people to accompany us. So we had quite a few appts fall because of this. And the way in the past that the missionaries got people to go with them was that they bought them a hamburger..... I don't want to buy them hamburgers. And I feel like that isn't the way to get them to come with us. This hasn't really been a problem for me in some of my other areas. Haha so it'll be interesting to see how it goes. But I’m really excited to be here and to be helping in the work here!

I was reading the talk from President Monson this past week and I want all of you to read it. It is my favorite talk from conference this year. If we all do what this talk says, we will be able to have more happiness in our lives.

My dear brothers and sisters, I greet you most warmly as we are met again in a great general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Before I begin my formal message today, I would like to announce five new temples which will be built in the following locations: Brasília, Brazil; greater Manila, Philippines, area; Nairobi, Kenya; Pocatello, Idaho, USA; and Saratoga Springs, Utah, USA. This morning I speak about the power of the Book of Mormon and the critical need we have as members of this Church to study, ponder, and apply its teachings in our lives. The importance of having a firm and sure testimony of the Book of Mormon cannot be overstated. We live in a time of great trouble and wickedness. What will protect us from the sin and evil so prevalent in the world today? I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His gospel will help see us through to safety. If you are not reading the Book of Mormon each day, please do so. If you will read it prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, the Holy Ghost will manifest its truth to you. If it is true—and I solemnly testify that it is—then Joseph Smith was a prophet who saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Because the Book of Mormon is true, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s Church on the earth, and the holy priesthood of God has been restored for the benefit and blessing of His children. If you do not have a firm testimony of these things, do that which is necessary to obtain one. It is essential for you to have your own testimony in these difficult times, for the testimonies of others will carry you only so far. However, once obtained, a testimony needs to be kept vital and alive through continued obedience to the commandments of God and through daily prayer and scripture study. My dear associates in the work of the Lord, I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives. I so testify with all my heart in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Well have a great week! I love you all!

Elder Tyler Farnsworth 🙂

Elder Gallegos

My new area - Manchay

Lots of DIRT 

Lima (San Gregorio) Peru – Week 18

Well this week like all of the other weeks flew by! It was my last week here in San Gregorio. After 3 transfers here, I am leaving. It is actually kind of sad because I have grown really close to the people here in this area. They are so amazing. They have taken me in like family. There are people here that I will remember for the rest of my life here. And hopefully I'll have the opportunity to be able to return to visit them!

It’s a little sad that we didn’t end up with a baptism this transfer. This next transfer they'll be having a baptism here! His name is Christopher. He is 18 years old and he is really cool. We talked with him outside of his house one day and from there it has gone really well. In the last 3 weeks he has come to church 2 times and he has had most of the lessons. He has a baptismal date for the 3rd of June and hopefully I'll be able to come back for that! We have also found lots of good other people that have a lot of potential. I will be leaving them with my comp which I trust will make something good out of them.

Well, my family that I baptized gave me this blanket. It is a typically color scheme for one of the departments here in Peru. The other pic is from a FHE that we did. And the other is with some people from my zone. Well sorry for the short letter this week... I promise that next week will be longer.

Bye I love you all!
Elder Farnsworth

Lima (San Gregorio) Peru – Week 17

Hola! How are all of you?? Because I'm just fantastic, as my grandpa would say. It has been a great past couple of days. For one, I was able to talk to Annie on Mother’s Day. Oh and yeah I talked with my mom too...... Haha well to say the least I talked with the 2 women in my life. Haha and they're both doing well. It was great to see everyone’s smiling faces and to see that the fam is doing well. Also today, I was able to go to the temple! It is always really amazing to be able to enter the House of the Lord. It’s just so amazing the feelings and things that I'm able to gain every time I go.

Well, there is just one week left in the transfer and I will probably be going to a new area next week. I now have 3 transfers here and this next transfer will only be 3 weeks. At the end of it, President Boswell will leave and our new President will come. Wow, I can't believe that he will be leaving. This man is so amazing. He has helped me in so many ways. He is honestly like a second dad to me. He will be missed.

This week was a little harder than normal in my area. It was because it was Mother’s Day, but people use any excuse they can to say they don’t have time. So not a lot happened. We had some hope that 2 of our investigators were going to be baptized this Saturday but they're not ready...... Maybe in a week or two. It’s hard to make appts with them and their schedule. I have hope that they'll eventually reach the waters of baptism. That is one thing that I've learned in the mission field. You help a lot of people in the process of baptism and the gospel in their lives. Whether it is planting the first seed or harvesting the fruits of other missionaries. Every step is very important whether I'm there or not for their baptism. I’ve had a couple baptisms that I wasn't able to attend, but I was still really happy for them.

Well not a lot to write about this week..... Sorry. PICS of the week. I have 2 pics with some friends that are going home in a week and one from my skype with the fam.

Well, have a great week! I love you!

Elder Farnsworth

Elder Acuna

Elder Paiva