by the way, i dont think i have ever been so happy. we had a wonderful lesson yesterday with an investigator who has accepted a baptismal date for the 21 of Feb. i am so excited. pray for him, is name is Fabricio. we are trying to look for another sister who is ready to be bapitzed as well (just cant find her) and we will be contacting a wonderful family on monday to start them on the road to baptism. pray for us!

 i love this work. today we have interviews again here in arequipa...so it will be busy. thanks for all your help. 

1-4-3

FEBRUARY 14, 2015

 

Happy Valentine´s day to you all!!! :)

I hope the weather has been great to you all over there because here, its been raining non stop all week long! i think yesterday we had one clear day but then today it came back to being all dark and heavy clouds. today we are going to the waterfalls outside of arequipa and i hope it doesnt do a down pour on us!! :) 

Anyways, we just got done with a baptism that some of the elders here in the office had this morning. It really made me excited because this next saturday we are going to have one too!! :) We have been teaching this young man named fabricio, his mom is a less active and him and his little brother arent baptized. so we have been working with the whole family to resuce the mom and to baptize the 2 along with the help of their active member grandpa from Tacna. in our lessons he has accepted everything, he has been reading and his mom has really opened up, something that she has never done with any of the elders. so we are excited. we are also teaching a lady named elena who we need to find and continue teaching! if we can just get her to understand the power of hte book of mormon, then we can continue on with her progress. i pray for her. keep her in your prayers as well. and then on monday we are contacting supposedly a golden family. so there is work to be done and im excited to get to do it. 

That the area report for you, as for the mission report. The mission is continuing to progress. The numbers are rising and we are still interviewing everyone. This last week we got to interveiw tuesday wednesday and friday here in arequipa in the office and thrusday we left to go to moquegua to interview there. The elders and hermanas are excited and improving everyday. little problems here and there but not much. On thursday night i got ot get out with one of my good buddies and do divisiones with him, Elder Wagner. Had a great talk with him and got to teach a couple of lessons that went really well. Stayed in the hotel that night in Moquegua and listened to the rain and the overflooding river down below. kinda crazy that all of southern peru really has gotten hit by a ton of rain...but its like arizona, we need it! :) 

more interviews coming up this week and like i said, hopefully a baptism to end the week off. we will be traveling outside of arequipa on thursday and friday and saturday i think, so more fun stories coming your way next week. 

well i got to get going...love you guys a bunch. 

les amo bastante,

Elder Birtcher

1-4-3 

I did survive this last week. :) We had our hands full all week with training conferences and with traveling and interviewing the missionaries. A lot of work still to be done...that is our job for this whole month of Februrary.  As for arequipa life....its overcast now, and actually really cold. its been like that since last week. A sunny day here and there, but mostly heavy dark clouds and rain. On sunday, it POURED. it was a flood here in arequipa...kinda fun to go visiting people during the down pour. When we came back to the office sunday night to do numbers for the mission...haha we had jackets, ties, shoes, and socks all over the place drying out. got soaked.  The schedule and businesses started fast as monday and tuesday we had the zone leaders and hermanas liders come to arequipa for our leadership council. And from all the comments and opinions...everyone really liked it. i was pretty happy about that. My comp and i were kinda struggling on how to present the info that we wanted to share with the mission. But the lord helped us out as always. He really puts words in our mouths at the moments that we need them!  Tuesday afternoon we were busy trying to visit investigators and other recent converts (because it would be the only time to visit people ALL week long...kinda sad no?) but really didnt have much luck in finding those who we needed to teach.  We hit the road for the rest of the week on Wednesday and traveling down to Ilo with President and his Wife to start the interviews. Met up with my old companion Elder Cornejo, didnt realize how much i miss that guy. One of my best friends. In ilo the interviews went a little longer than expected but great to see that the zone is excited and ready to work and ready to apply the things which we talked about with them into their areas. that makes me excited. we then had our lunch...at 5:30PM before going and doing divisiones with the Zone Leaders. The lessons that we had turned out really great and we finalized the 3 baptisms that they have coming up for this month. Got to stay in the grand hotel ilo for the night which is always fun! :)  Thursday morning i got to work a little bit on some paperwork after breakfast, before leaving for Tacna. Bought a bunch of junk food for the trip over :) haha president and his wife are the best! seriously. love those 2 so much.  Interviews on thursday went well i should say. the zone is doing well...we can always do better, but the zone leaders and the district leaders are ready to take it up a notch. During the evening hours, after checking into the hotel...i had some free time to visit my pentionista from tacna and a family that i love so much and i havent seen them in since i left my first area in tacna. its pretty amazing the feelings you get seeing old friends again. i love those people and i love tacna. haha i think i left half of my heart there in tacna when i 1st left and i was so grateful to find it once more while i was there. President took us out to eat at a super nice restaurant afterwards to end off the day. But i think the best part of thursday was the sleep i got that night! the grand hotel tacna changed out all their beds for new ones and i think i was so tired from everything that i crashed super hard. but i felt great on friday! :) Started interviews off early on friday and that continued on throughout the whole day until about 5pm before we headed over to the airport to catch our flight back home to arequipa.  so it was a go go go week once again but it was fun to travel and be with presi and hermana zobrist. sure learning a lot here in this position. kinda crazy how fast the weeks are flying by. pero, im happy.  its just starting to rain now...so im even more happy.  this next week we continue on with the interviews here in arequipa for some zones and its a possiblility that we leave to moquegua maybe weekend time...we shall see.  know that i love you all. i hope you all have a great week. you are all in my prayers. constantly. Weston 1-4-3      Elder Birtcher  Asistente   Misión Perú-Arequipa

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Kinda glad this week is over actually. it was one of those go by kinda quickly but super long days kinda week. And ive been stressed and im super tired but this week should be a lot better. 

My new comp rolled in Monday afternoon. His name is Elder Roman from Ecuador and he is a great guy, ready to work and ready to have some fun. We trained the trainers Monday evening after our dinner with them and President. I feel it went well. Its a great new bunch of trainers that should really have some success with their new kids. 

Tuesday, we picked up the new elders and sisters from the airport and did the normal tour to the temple site and to the center of town...they sure enjoyed it. then came back to the mission home for their debriefing and then sent them on their way. There is an elder who came who is from arizona, who knows a bunch of my football buds from mvt so it was fun to chat with him. love it when an arizona brother rolls into town here. :)

Then Wednesday through friday were getting out and teaching in the evenings and getting ready for our one hecktic ride for the month of February. You should see our calender. (By the way thanks mom, for the calender that you sent me! i love it! and its getting good use....reminds me on the calander that you always use at home-trying to fit all the activities in one tiny little box :) ) 

I wasnt feeling too good either this past week, but now i am doing fine. just buckling up for februrary i guess. and it starts on monday.

We have the leadership counsel/training meeting monday and tuesday and then we hit the road for the rest of the month to do the interviews for all the 250 plus missionaries here. pray for mi. i will certainly need it. 

i am hanging in there. gonna be an adventure here in the next couple of weeks. but it will be fun. lets all just put smiles on the faces and enjoy what life brings us! love you guys como siempre.

Weston

1-4-3

 

 

 

The following Post is out of order and was a letter from December that didn't get Posted-  Oops !

Hola todos :)

 

Glad to hear all are safe and happy campers. 

We are also happy campers here in peru. Again, another hecktic week with all that we have been doing with the mission and with changes and getting ready for la navidad. This last sunday we were in tacna once again for our last Recital musical in my old stake (where i first started the mission). It was so fun and exciting to see all my old friends and ward once again. That was one of my dreams...to return and see them all once more. crazy that i was there over a year ago. time sure goes by fast. The recital turned out wonderful. Probably one of the best ones we have ever done. We ended on a good note. :) 

However rumor has it that there is a christmas program happening down in Moquegua that i have been asked to go down and play for this next sunday (the 14th). So we will be heading down there with president and hna. Zobrist. 

On last monday we flew back into Arequipa just in time for our leadership training meeting with the ZL and Hermana leaders....that took place monday and tuesday. And i feel it went okay. The mission has sure improved dramatically in numbers, baptisms, rescuing the less actives and the excitement of the mission is up! we are sure happy for the change that we ahve seen and are seeing right now. We will continue on! :) 

And as for this last week...really a lot of office work and getting ready for changes coming up the 14th of December. We got to visit 3 zones as well this last week and train them and make sure all is well with them. So far, so good. 

We now have planned out when we will be doing our 3 christmas parties/conferences with the whole mission and we are trying to plan out days that we can get all the missionaries in Arequipa to go to the Plaza de Armas and sing christmas carols. i think we will do that christmas day in the night time. 

I was just thinking about everything and i sure miss going to the christmas lights at the temple. boy to i miss that. so go to the temple and take a cardboard cut out of me or something so that i can get some of that joy once more. :) 

enjoy this time of season. please do. i miss the lights, the cold, the spirit of the season. Peruvians arent too crazy about their celebration of christmas. not many lights up either due to the possiblility of them getting stolen right off the house. but we are still all happy around here. 

just staying busy and feliz and awake sometimes. 

and i love all the rest of you guys as well. 

take care, have a wonderful week. do well on all your finals and look for ways to bless someones life during this christmas season!

love you for always,

Weston

1-4-3

 

 Elder Birtcher

 Asistente 

 Misión Perú-Arequipa

Celular: #956-885-626

Oficina: 054-271-485 

Muy buenas tardes a todos,

Good to write you guys again. i really enjoy this time during the week. :)

My week was filled as usual. Started out busy with office work and reports as we usually have on mondays and working a bit with president. We were able to do divisions as well this last week. i was able to go back once again to my old area in 15 de Agosto to help the elders there a bit, because they are both new and have no idea who to work with or where anyone lives and they espeically dont know where my converts are to continue to work with them. And it was a really great experience to see everyone again. i was able to stay the night in 15 de Agosto and it just hit me at how much i really miss all those who i really love back there. sometimes i get so foucsed on my area and the mission and many times i forget about them and how they are doing and it was just great to see how they are doing once more. :) great memories i have there. on wednesday i was swamped with informes and getting ready for those that are coming into the mission on monday and sending those off to their houses. We also have 4 new elders coming into the office here. my companion will be leaving this change and heads out on monday :( sure like being with him, but i am exicted for my new companion. he is one of my best buds, another elder from equador, named Elder Roman. haha i love those ecuadorianos. he will be my 3rd from equador. :)

and we will get him running really fast just like i did when i first came in. we train the trainers on monday night and get the newbies on tuesday and then train them and do some divisiones and then start all the interviews for the 240+ missionaries here in the mission. 

Thursday we did have a lunch with all the newest elders and hermanas here in the mission to see how they are doing and to coach them up a bit. and later in the evening we had the farewell for those leaving for home. kinda crazy to send off the sisters that i came with. that sure went by fast. but asi es. 

well there is the work side of my life. as for me. i am doing well. i feel the great need to look for the spiriit more in my life. i am looking for more spiritual experiences everyday and i am just trying really hard to be the guy the lord wants me to be. its not easy sometimes, but i am up for the challenge. i am coming closer and closer to my Heavenly Father each day and i love it. there is no greater feeling :) i am happy, i am a little tired, but hey its pday. its time to PLAY!!! :) ready for the new change and ready to keep running and serving. 

i love the mission. i have learned so much and i still am learning. always look for the spirit. recognize his voice and his impressions and he will guide you and us to life eternal. i love you guys so much. i really do. hope you know that. 

wish you all a wonderful week. 

Weston

1-4-3

 

 Elder Birtcher

 Asistente 

 Misión Perú-Arequipa

My dearest Family and Friends,

The. Week. Is. Over. For that i am so grateful! Just like it seems to be every week here in the office, we were super busy again. But this week, things are smoothing out (for the most part) and we will have some time to get some work done in our area and do some divisiones with some of the other elders here in arequipa. 

Highlights for this last week:

WE FINISHED ALL THE ZONE CONFERENCES!!!!!!!!! YEAH BABY!!!! Oh, i never want to plan those again...in 3 months time (but it looks like i will be able to escape all those and leave the office before we start those up again!!) 

Haha, no the zone conferences turned out really well throughout the whole week. We had 3 this last week with the 7 zones here in Arequipa and then traveled outside to a small town called Siguas to visit with those outside zones. I sure have learned a lot from these zone Conferences though...how to teach better by listening to the spirit and hearing what he wants me to say to the certain groups of missionaries. i found that a lot of times things changed due to the needs of those elders and hermanas. but all in all, glad to have those done with :) they can sure tire you out.

I have been kinda upset a little bit this last week about the work that has been happening in our area....1 we really couldnt get out much this last week, but when we could all of our citas (visits) got canceled on us or the people just avoided us or werent home. We tried everything it seemed like and like everything fell through. Even a service project!!! how does that happen???? frustrating. 

But even though it has been rough, the lord has blessed us with some new people (that which i haave been praying for all this last week...). So it was actually a really neat story: We were just about to start one of our zone conferences this guy i have never seen before walks into the church looking confused and lost...( i thought he might have been drunk or another crazy-cause those guys always seem to find their way into the church buildings and cause a bunch of problems.) and he walks right up to me and my comp and explains that his mom lives in Lima and she has a friend who is a member of the church. He has moved down here to Arequipa but was really impressed with his moms friend and the church and tells us "Yeah i wouldnt even mind becoming a mormon. what do i need to do to be baptized in your church???" we were shocked and taken a back...so we asked him where he lived first and he says Umacollo-OUR AREA!!!! :) so we are super excited to start teaching him and hope to see him tomorrow at church!! pray for him to understand our teachings and that he can do his part to come unto christ!! his name is roberto. 

So the lord is blessing us. We just need to continue faithful in the work and renew our testimonies and really come to understand the voice of the lord and to really know it. if we can do that and always feel the spirit, there will be nothing that we can not accomplish here. 

So i am very grateful for all that has happened recently. And especially TODAY!! After a long, busy, and stressful week we got special permission to have a SWEET pday today. In the mission peru arequipa, holds the deepest canyon in the whole world. the canyon of colca. it is deeper than the grand canyon and is know for all the condors flying there. but it is 4 hours away from arequipa and the only people that get to visit it are those who are serving in the tiny village up there in Chivay. But we got permission to get up early and head out there to go and tour the canyon and visit the village of chivay. (it has always been my dream to go and serve there in chivay! maybe that is where i will go when i leave the office to finish my mission up there!!!!!) And it was awesome! it was an adventure, it was gorgeous and it was so much fun!! i need that for sure...a really great pday. and i was blessed with one today :) 

i will be sending pictures of our trip and you can see how it went! :)

As for your overview for this upcoming week:

We have some divisions planned for the earlier part of the week and then we have the farewells for the elders who are leaving on thursday, we ship them all off on friday and then we get swampped again by recieving the newbies and training them all over again. it will be a calmer week before we get into the maddness of february (Interviews with the whole mission, mission visit from the area president and meetings and conferences with the leaders......).

 

hope you have wonderful week. cant wait to hear from you guys this next weekend. 

till then,

1-4-3

Weston 

 

 Elder Birtcher

 Asistente 

 Misión Perú-Arequipa