A Happy 28th of July to everyone!! Today is Peru´s Independence
Day!!!!
How is everyone doing? I sure hope everyone is well in health and that
everything is going great!
It was an interesting week. It was a week full of stress and fun in some
parts. But let me try and get you will all the details that i can.
So last monday we got permission to go to ilo, its another part of the
mission to have a combined zone activity with the missionaries there. and it
turned out to be really fun and we played a huge game of soccer that was way
fun! soccer is so awesome now. i have a huge goal to get good at soccer now. its
way fun.
we were full of meetings as well and president came into town to have
interviews with the zone and to have some meetings with us and the stake
president. he took us out to eat with the asistents afterwards to a pizza palor
here (like the only one in moquegua). it was soooooooooooooooooo good. i love
pizza. dont get to eat enough of it. :) Last thursday was also pioneer day, so
the hermanas here from utah obviously wanted to celebrate it so we got
permission to watch 17 miracles and make pancakes for the whole zone and then
got to talk about the pioneers and the sacrifices that they made and how we can
learn from them and strengthen our testimonies from their stories. I must say i
have never felt such a strong spirit. it was so powerful and so real. i am so
grateful for such a heritage for the faith that they had to cross those plains
and to put their trust in the lord in everything that they did. as gordon b.
hinckly stated. we must read and reread their stoires that we may be edified and
strengthened in our own times of need and when we have dificulties. it really
brought back a lot of memories of the trek to me and i can testify as well that
angeles did help us, that we all came closer to knowing the lord more and we all
had spiritual experiences. i love the trek, i wish i could go and do it
again.
This last friday we had 2 wonderful baptisms. where? IN THE RIVER :) her
name is agripina and her son jorge. they were references from a lady in the ward
and when we first got to teaching them about the restoration, we didnt challenge
her to baptism. we just asked her...hermana if these things are true, what do
you need to do?....and she responded...IM GOING TO PREACH IT TO THE WHOLE
WORLD!!!....haha we laughed for a sec...and then she added...Then im going to
get baptized.....so we began to explain the importance of baptism and she was
totally up for it. BUT...the way christ did it. we explain that we baptized in
the font in the church but she said that she wouldnt be baptized in any font or
pool but in a river as christ did. so elder priebe and i went look for a river
and we found just the spot! we had to go there a couple of times this last week
to cut and clean the brush and make pathways and such and then the water wasnt
too high...so we had to get in and make a dam which turned out PERFECT!! and it
raised that water level from my knees to over my waist. it was a beautful
service as well. perfect weather. i was sure praying that the sun wasnt going to
scorch us as it usually does here in moquegua. and the lord blessed us. a
wonderful breezy day with cloud cover. we had 2 special musical numbers from the
help of our zone and i got to play the violin along iwht another sister here in
the zone who also plays!!! turned out really great! and i sure felt the spirit.
one of the most special baptisms that ive gotten to participate in. :) we then
got to confirm them members of the church yesterday in our sacrament
meeting.
those were really the highlights. other than that, it was kinda a rough
week. basically ALL (and im not exagerating) our lesson fell through and in
trying to find new people....nada! we were pretty frustrated. and then we had
one of the worst turn outs in sacrament meeting as a whole and had ninguna
investigator there with us and then one of our most awesome investigators left
hte area because her husband is on drugs and there were a ton of problems and
then we find these wonderful references but they all live outside the area. and
then get to teach this WONDERFUL, i mean AMAZING investigator who is so sincere
and ready to here us and to come to church....well she goes back to arequipa
tomorrow for studies. elder priebe and i are kinda bummed at that. one cause we
want to work, we want to help and serve but nobody wants to listen. the teaching
pool gets smaller and smaller and we just cant find anyone new. and if we
do...we have to pass them along to other missionaries. i wonder if the lord is
trying to teach us something. no se. but the lord is with us. he will bless us
with those children who are ready and willing to listen. we just have to be
patient and work even harder this week.
this next monday we will be heading back to arequipa for leadership counsel
with president so we will be busy doing informes and papers and just getting
ready for that. its sure a busy time. so much to do. but i am happy and ready to
give the lord more of me and serve mas. i love him. i truely do. Brents question
of are you truley converted? aply it to your life. if there are things we need
to correct. get on it. we dont have any time to waste in preparing ourselves for
the second coming.
oh and one more announcement. so i think i told you that Elder Anderson of
the 12 is coming here to the mission at the end of august along with bishop
davis of the bishopric of the church and elder grow of the 70 and other leaders
of the church....and president has asked me to get prepared to go and play the
violin again for them. i am excited and nervous.... :)
and that sums up the week i guess.
i love you all so much.
see you all in a year! :)
con mucho amor,
Weston
Elder Birtcher
Perú - Arequipa Mission
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