ll...its a Wednesday!! haha

sorry i wasnt able to write you guys this last week on monday. i was in Lima. i was working on getting my visa issues all taken care of finally and guess what!!!! IM LEGAL! :) haha only after 10 months. but it really wasnt that great of a trip...didnt sleep but 3 hours and they were hustling us around and we were doing paperwork from 8am-4:30PM. but alll worked out well and we came home monday night. i was so tired. but it was good to see lima again i guess. it wasnt like the 1st time or 1st couple of weeks that i was there though...maybe cuase i understand what everyone is saying and its just busy and dirty and crowded...but hey the good part...i got to eat papa johns :)

anyways...that is what happened on monday but let me fill you in on this last week. Changes happen. Elder loor went to Tacna. it was rough to see him go and my new companion Elder Chavez came. he actually came from tacna as well and we knew each other there as well. he is a great misssionary and i am excitedt o be working with him this next change or 2. he is from trujillo peru from a family of 9! haha we actually have a bunch in common which helps out. we both will complete our year marks here togther in july (he only has 2 weeks more than i do in the mission) and his birthday is the 14 of decemeber and mine is the 11th! and we are also the same age. :) cool stuff.

i was also called as district leader which has been great. i am enjoying the area and the work here. we have worked really hard this last week and found a bunch of new people to teach who are preparing for baptism.

one of them her name is joanna. it was later at night and we were passing by her and we felt prompted to give her a phamplet. but you need to be careful with the girls at night....cause i mean...think aobut it. its dark, 1 girl, 2 guys (guapos i might add :)) asking where do you live? we would love to visit you. do you have a telephone number we can call you by?? how many people are in your family?? :) usually they put up a defensive wall pretty fast on us...not that i dont blame them. but we get to talking with her. turns out she had recieved all the lessons from the missionaries a year earlier....all the way up to her interview for baptism. but something happened...she got scared or sick and never had it. and the missionaries never returned. so a year later, she finds us again and still wants to get baptized. she came with us to the stake conference that we had this last sunday and things are looking great with her. we are excited and it was just another testimony for us that the lord prompts us to talk to his chosen, those who are prepared for his work and to come unto him.

we should be having a couple of baptisms here in the next couple of weeks and we are being very blessed. perhaps we arent the best teachers or arent the best missionaries but as we strive to do all we can (the very best that we can) the lord will recompensate us for our efforts and help us learn and grow and bring others unto the everlsting gospel.

i am still getting complements for the violin solo that i did last sunday...which helps me know a lot more people in the stake. (one of the blessings for playing the violin). but as for me...i am doing well. i am healthy and excited to work everyday. i hate my alarm as it goes off too fast but thats the life. the investigators are wonderful, the ward is great, peru is getting colder but the smiles continue to show.

i wish all those who have graduated highschool a very happy congratdualtions and felicitaciones, i wish i could have been there to have seen it. thank you for your letters, support and love.

from peru,

Weston

1-4-3

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Elder Birtcher

Perú - Arequipa Mission

I really dont even know where to begin this letter. so much has happened this last week. i honestly tried slowing things down but time just kept going and we were just running trying to keep up with everything. i guess now i can actually breath for a second as i am now waiting for my new companion to arrive from tacna. yep, elder loor got his change to tacna. not the same area i was in but not that far either. I am sure going to miss him. We sure had a great time together serving the lord. those 2 changes went by sooooooooooooo fast. i cant even believe it. haha i am pretty bummed right now actually. it was tough to see him go. one of the best companions you could ever ask for. And not only him....other missionaries from the zone are leaving which hurts and one of my very best friends in the mission just left for his house. he finished his mission. change is hard. i know its necessary, but it sure doesnt make things easier.

so i guess next week you will be finding out who is my companion and everything like that. i sure hope he is a hard worker and is a fun guy. but....i have learned that you are not to expect or hope for a good companion to come to you, you need to be the good companion for him. with that kind of attitude and humility any companionship can work.

But has for some highlights for this last week:

we were sure busy with lessons and visiting everyone and doing divisions with other areas in the district for interviews and everything....but we did have a baptism last saturday. her name is margery and she is awesome. we found her a couple of weeks ago from a reference from a member. we were looking for her cousin (who we still havent found yet) but we found her in the process. so all worked out well. :)

We had a suprise little goodbye party for elder henrickson as well. haha i was the distraction for over an hour....haha that was tough but it all went smooth and he was suprised! on sunday i was the distraction for my comp as well as we had a suprise farewell party for him leaving the area and for his birthday yesterday. a lot of people from the ward came and it was sad but way cool at the same time.

yesterday night we had a musical program set up by the missionaries (us :) ) it was a great program in which we sang hymns and had converts talk, members, and the stake presidency speak as well. i got to accompany the choir on the violin and also did a solo piece (savior redeemer of my soul) in front of the 2 stakes that came. turn out really nice, the spirit was felt, and we were all edified. i hope many references will start popping up here in the next few weeks.

we also gave talks in church and did special muscial numbers there with loor singing and me playing. everyone enjoyed it and we got many compliements on it.

but..........all is well, really. just so tired. my comp and i havent really been able to sleep these last few nights with him getting ready to go, doing numbers, changes and everything. so maybe i will just sleep this pday. :)

well, i love you all. thank you for all that you do for me. this gospel is true. i know it.

Elder Birtcher

1-4-3

--

Elder Birtcher

Perú - Arequipa Mission

`

 

Well, i dont have mucho time today to write. we are going to go to a waterfall today! but it was so great to hear from you all yesterday! i throughouly enjoy that. its great to hear your voices and your laughs again. i am so blessed to have you all as my family. i pray for you and hope all goes well back there in the good old AZ.

les amo mucho!!

Weston

--

Elder Birtcher

Perú - Arequipa Mission

May 5, 2014

Mis Queridos,

Not much to say different about this week actually...

The comp still has foot problems, they havent taken out his stiches yet because of an infection he got...so it was the area to me again. Not going to lie...im getting tired of it. i have realized how important a companion is in an area. you cant run one of these things solo thats for sure. I was busy all week planning for the appointments, going to meetings, running to the hospital, trying to schedule everything and find people to come with me everyday. can be a pain.

I have really been praying for help and patience and the lord has answer my prayers and given me the proper trials to conquer so that i can learn and grow. i have been blessed with more chances to serve the people and the companion and though it can be tough at times...all worked out well.

I found a great family this last week of 4 and the kids should be getting baptized here in the next few weeks. the mom is a little bit more tough in the heart about accepting things but...she will come around. We are working with some others. if you could...please pray for margery. she is a great girl that is accepting everything pretty well...she has all the attendance in the church but lacks the decision....so pray that she will feel of the spirit and come unto christ through baptism!

we have been working for a long time with a couple who wants to be baptized but they lack marriage and there are a bunch of problems...before it was aobut money but now we have the money they just need to do their part and get married!!! then we can baptize them. so keep them (wilson and milagros) in your prayers as well.

there is so much work to do here...but we just dont have any time. sometimes it can be really frustrating trying to visit everyone when you dont have time and you know that they need your help. but our heavenly father will help us as he always does.

We did however, have a wonderful baptism this last saturday as well. his name is christian. he is a great kid. i love him so much. he progressed so fast with learning and was so willing to be baptized. his testimony was so sincere and so awesome! he was confirmed yesterday and it was a special experience.

there really isnt anything that describes the happiness one recieves from watching your investigators progress in the everlasting gospel. yesterday i got up to bear my testimony and as i look out....i saw all the converts that we have had here and all the less actives that are now actives....and i could help but feel JOY! oh how i love them. but more importantly...oh how our father in heaven loves them! that is one thing i have learned about throughout this whole mission and especially this last week. I got to watch a mormon message video about a man who was in prison for drugs and alcohol for about 7 years...he was then releazed and started to use the drugs again and get into trouble again. as before, he ended up in prision again for 4-5 years. during his duration there he said that he felt the need to get on his knees and pray. he asked god for help and once he began to receive his help he asked god...why? why do you wnat to help me? i am a bad person with all these problems...why would you even help me?....he said that he recieved an answer....becasue i love you. this man was later released and had a great life...until he fell back into temptaion once more. he began to rob and steal. after one robbery as the police were looking for him and has he hid in the bushes....his mind reflected on the acts that he had just done. he said to himself...how could i have done this when god specifically was helping me? how could i have thrown his help and those feelings away? my life is ruined.....he said at that moment, a familiar voice came into his head and said....Im still here.

my dear family and friends, i tesitfy that god loves us! he lives! he knows us perfectly and wants to help each and every one of us. this last week i recieved many promptings to go and visit people to come to find out that they were praying that the elders would come or that help would arrive. it has happened more times that i can tell you....IT IS NOT COINCIDENCE. it is our loving heavnely father, guiding us to his precious children who are begging and are in need of help. he is ever mindful of us. and we must never forget that.

my testimony yesterday was about that. and about recieving inspiration and personal revelation. i plead with you all. please, if you do not have a testimony of this divine work of the lord or are not sure of certain things....get on your knees and ask god the eternal father in the name of christ. please. please do it. you will recieve the answers you are looking for. you will feel of his love and guidance for you. the farthest distance we are from god, is only from our knees to the floor. its not far. he is ever watchful and he desires to bless his children. please do it. you will recieve strength and protection, a divine witness of who you really are and you will recieve a testimony of this gospel.

i love you all. and i wish nothing but the best for you. we can only recieve the best through this gospel which is life eternal. i testify that chirst the savior lives. he came to this earth and taught us and lived perfect and died for us. may we always remeber our baptismal covenants and be faithful to the end. and alwasy remember him and be examples of him in all things, in all places and in all times.

of this is my humble prayer.

may god bless you.

i love you.

Weston

1-4-3

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Elder Birtcher

Perú - Arequipa Mission