Family History

Not much goin on this week, don't even have any pictures so I sent a llama, hope you enjoy it.

But we did family history this week with Javier and Gleny, they were very excited to do it and it's something that our mission wants us to do more with our investigators and converts. We had a good time finding their grandparents and stuff like that. Javier was actually super excited to do it and the family history lady that was in charge kept telling him: if you get baptized you can take their names to the temple! If you get baptized... Pretty funny. I heard him say something very quiet which was: Maybe in August with my daughter. 

Yesss.

So their daughter turns 8 in August and we kept insisting Javier to get ready and get baptized with her but he wasn't very excited about it. We'll see what happens this week. I feel like one of the only reasons I came back to Puno was to specifically help this family, I'm not totally sure but that's what it feels like. Javier is so close. 

So yah that's it haha, this week we'll have interviews and our multi-zone conference (that means I get to see the homie E Letham) and then transfers are next Monday.--------El Qhipañiqi  ;)

Hope you all are doing well.

Ether 12:4

4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with suretyhope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.

Mirador / Snow / Gleny and Doryan's Baptism

Packed week- Tuesday I went on exhanges (splits? I forgot what they're called in English)  in Mirador which was really fun, I got to see Sara who's still super active and is loving going to church. I also got to see Walter and Yaneth! They were very excited to see me after so long and we had a good talk, they are STILL listening to the missionaries and thinking about what they should do. Just gotta have patience. But it was a good time, a lot has changed. But Tuesday Elder Zarate and I got a lot of work done, cool to see who they're teaching nowadays and who's progressing. 

This week was so cold. Idk if I'm just a wimp and I'm still used to the heat but my goodness. So Puno has two weather patterns- it's either freezing cold with no rain, or a little bit warmer but with the most insane lightning/hail/rain storms you have ever seen, but this week the two decided to team up and that's why it snowed! It was awful during the evening/ night but when we woke up we got a nice day with snow all over the ground. I got super sick Friday and Saturday with the Flu and so it was just a mess BUT Gleny and Doryan did get baptized on Saturday! I just didn't really help with anything cause I was dead in the back but I was there for support!!!! 

The baptism went really well, Gleny's nephew who just got back from his mission baptized both Gleny and Doryan. It was a very meaningful experience for him and for the rest of their family. And I won't forget about Javier...He was very happy and very interested in the baptism and how everything went down, we're so closeeeeeee. But we're very happy with how everything went, Gleny bore a very powerful testimony after her baptism. I was half-dead but you could definitely feel the spirit, she'll be an awesome and faithful member the rest of her life, I know it. 

Me olvidé de encontrar una escritura para ustedes pero espero que tengan una buena semana, disfruten el calor y vayan a ayudar a alguien hoy día. Les quiero mucho!

Pic 1- Don't ask

Pic 2- The lake

Pic 3- Snowy Puno, don't mind the weird statue

Pic 4-Snowy Puno pt.2

Pic 5- Snowy Puno pt.3, and yes that's a giant slide

Pic 6- The hills were super snowy but we're so high up that clouds always cover everything but still pretty #nofilter

Pic 7- Gleny and Doryan!!!

Pic 8- The fam

Peruvian BBQ

Good week, Gleni and Dorian will be baptized this Saturday and they're super ready for it. Gleni came to church yesterday and the Relief Society was just loving the fact that she was finally getting baptized, the whole ward's very excited. I've been keeping an eye on Javier throughout all this because I feel like as soon as he sees his wife and son get baptized he'll totally follow their footsteps, I really hope. So yah I'll let you guys know how everything goes down on Saturday but I can already tell, it'll be a good time. 

Other than that we've been trying to find new people to teach and let me tell ya, I've forgotten how hard this city is to find people, but once you find them..ugh they're amazing. Puno has a very special place in my heart and even more now that I'm back haha. 

So Elder Reyes and I have been planning to do a zone P-day, (cause u know, best zone in the world) and today we made a campfire outside of the church and cooked some chicken and beef and made a salad as well, it was pretty good not gonna lie. We had to go to the market and buy some chickens and chop off the good parts we wanted (that's why I have the feet, chicken feet soup is pretty good, not kidding). We played some soccer and volleyball, ate lunch, and drank some Inka Kola. Pretty good P-day in Peru, won't ever forget these kinds of days. 

There's nothing else really going on, the zone is doing good, there were lots of baptisms this last Saturday and they went really well. Excited for what's to come. I hope you all have a good week!!! 

Oh and congrats to France for winning the World Cup, Peru was definitely not cheering for you lol. 

3 Nephi 13:31-34

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof.

Cusco, Elder Letham, Bellavista Baptisms

So this week we went to Cusco and I hung out with my bud Elder Letham the whole time,haven't seen him in FOREVER, he's a zone leader in Juliaca which is super close to Puno so it's been a good time. Hopefully I can get some videos we made out to you guys, #LethamandBledsoeShowPart2. 

So the leader meeting in Cusco went really well, we talked a lot about the future of the mission and the things we need to do right now, all that good stuff, I won't bore you with detailes. But I learned a lot. It's been pretty weird to be the guy that's the example and one of the ones that actually leads the meetings out, just weird. Our zone's doing really well and I'm super excited, people are getting baptized every week this month including some families, I was able to meet some of them and wow, super cool.

This week I found out that a couple weeks ago in Mirador Ivan was baptized!!!!!!!!!! I still remember walking so dang far trying to pass by his house to take him to church, so cool! 

Gleni and her son Dorian are still holding super strong onto their baptismal date for the 21st, their entire family came to church yesterday, even Javier. Javier is totally supportive of Gleni's baptism it's just he has his own doubts still but we're working with him, poco a poco. 

So yah just livin' the dream up here in Puno, time just keeps going faster and faster and I'm trying to make the most of it. I hope you all have a great week. I'm super jealous that it's summer in Cali, it's so dang cold right now in Puno but anyways..love you all!!

Mosiah 23:18

18 Therefore they did watch over their people, and did nourish them with things pertaining to righteousness.

Pic 1- Bus buddies

Pic 2- Me and Elder Reyes

Pic 3- Me and the greatest mission president that has ever lived

Pic 4- Elder Cutipa and Elder De Leon

Pic 5- Idk

Pic 6- Pizza date

Pic 7- Home

I love Puno

I still haven't wrapped my head around the fact that I'm here hahaha, every single member or missionary when they see me says, "You're back again?" But I'm loving it, everytime I see someone I know I just start laughing cause it's ridiculous/awesome how I'm here again. It's like leaving somewhere thinking you're never ever gonna come back and then you just show up again a little less than a year later. 

But this time I'm a lot closer to the lake, Los Uros are in my area which is really cool except we're not allowed to go, yet. (The floating islands and houses on the lake) You should look them up they're really cool, I also bet they talk about them in your spanish textbooks haha. We have a family that we're teaching and we just put a baptismal date with Gleni (the mom) Gleni and Javier have been investigating the church literally forever so we're super excited, we're just really hoping that Javier takes the step after seeing his wife get baptized. She'll be baptized on July 21st! 

I'm lovin Elder Reyes, we all call him Elder King(s) cause that's what Reyes is in english. Fun fact- he's 27 years old. Definitely the oldest comp I've had but I like it a lot, very mature and really funny as well. Sorry I don't have a pic I'm awful at that. I met Elder Reyes a long time ago in Cusco so it was pretty funny to just see him again and be like welp we're comps that's cool haha. 

So Bellavista zone is pretty small, there's 16 missionaries, but it's really cool because we have missionaries from Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, Idaho, Colorado, and California;) Pretty diverse zone haha. I'm still learning how to do everything cause I have no idea what I'm doing, I've kind of just seen it my entire mission but never have had to do it haha. This week we'll be traveling to Cusco for a leader meeting, I'll definitely see some people I've been dying to see for awhile, pretty excited. 

SO yah, very excited but very tired from this week, lots of traveling done and lots to do. I know God has work for me to do here in Puno, I don't know what it is yet or why I'm here again but I think I'll find out pretty soon. I hope you all have a good 4th o July! I'm gonna try and celebrate it while I'm in Cusco. Hope you all have a good week! Enjoy the heat, it's so dang cold here.

Matthew 10:39

39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that losethhis life for my sake shall find it.

Pic 1-I'm back baby

Pic 2-Pirates of the Carribean 6- Lake Titicaca

Pic 3- Quick visit in Cusco

Pic 4-I found my Santa Clarita/Cali bud Elder Lewis

Pic 5-I'm already tired of stairs

Pic 6- ANGELICAAAAAAAAAAAA

Third Time's a Charm

Alrighty. So there were transfers today. I still can't believe what happened but I guess the mission just loves to surprise people haha. I'm leaving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was only here in Andahuaylas one transfer and I'm half upset half excited, I just wish I had more time here! It's all happening insanely fast which stinks cause I have to start traveling tonight, today will be full of saying goodbye and packing! I'm really sad to have to leave Franco and Jessica, it sucks when these trasnfers come out of nowhere and you have no time to prepare yourself haha. In our mission they tell us what's happening Monday morning, so you literally have 0 time to do anything which stinks. BUT you guys will never guess where I'm going:)

Back to Puno baby.

SO this is the third time I'm heading back and I'm pumped, I will be a zone leader over the zone Bellavista -The exact same zone I've been in the last 2 times I was in Puno:) I'm really excited because I know the area so dang well. My ward is called Tupac Yupanqui. I will be with Elder Reyes who's from Ecuador! I met him awhile back and he's a really nice guy so I mean what else can I ask for. I'm so excited for the next couple of months, it's just tripping me out a lot because I totally had it in my head that I was going to finish my mission here in Andahuaylas, but gotta love surprises. 

The mission is a roller coaster, you get so attached to different people and places and things like this happen haha, it messes with my feelings. Such awesome experiences and I'm excited for whats to come. 

I hope you all have a good week! I'm gonna go pack and then travel for 17 hours!! 

2 Nephi 32:3

3 ^aAngels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, ^bfeast upon the ^cwords of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will ^dtell you all things what ye should do.

2018 FIFA World Cup

This week was harddd, South America loves to just shut down as a continent when there's Soccer happenin. It's cool to be apart of the culture and see how much this sport influences the country but jeez.

 We still got to visit a lot of people but we were actually in Abancay till Wednesday night, the conference was really really good, it was just our zone cause we're so dang far away from everyone, but it was cool to have a personal little conference with President, I learned a lot, it was a fun one too. They celebrated some of our birthdays as you can see, (thank you elder Bogh for holding up the sign just for the picture). Fun couple of days.

Thursday to till now we've been back in San Jeronimo doing the good ol stuff that you all know, Franco and Jessica have made a plan to get married, but first they have to take care of their daughter, they found out she's really really sick and they keep having to pay for operations and for the trip to Lima so economically it's really hard for them but they said they're going to save up to get married civily in December and then the next year in the temple:) It's a 3 step process- 1. Civil marriage 2. Franco gets baptized 3. Temple marriage. Very good plan if I do say so, I've never seen anything like it haha, it'll be sad because they want me to be here for when they get married civily but I told them when they get to the temple, I'll be there. I hope. 

So many times in the mission you don't get to see the fruits or blessings that come out of your work, and that's okay, just gotta accept the Lord's timing, BUT there's always blessings that come out of it, cause I KNOW Franco will get baptized and that they will get married, I just won't be here to see it. I was talking to my comp about this and he said that there's been so many people he's taught that later were baptized or he doesnt know and lost contact with them, so much of the mission is planting so many dang seeds in people that later (or instantly) they accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Victoria is ready for the 30th and we're obviously pumped, she's come to church every single Sunday so far without us even reminding her so I mean she's good. We have been teaching her more of the lessons and she just gets it. So awesome when people just "get it". Her extended family is helping out soooo much, so everything is going super well, basically just waiting for the date to get here y esperando que todo salga bien. 

I hope all of you are doing well, crazy how many times I've written by now, hopefully it aint boring. Love you all!! 

Romans 5:3

3 And not only so, but we glory in ^atribulations also: knowing that ^btribulation worketh ^cpatience;