Super P-day / Quechua Baptism

Sorry for writing so early, today technically isn't P-day because tomorrow we're gonna go to some Inkan ruins with President and play soccer the whole day, it's kinda like another super P-day like last year but it'll just be with our zone Sicuani, sooo pretty excited for that. 

Very normal and fast week, we got a ton done and the training of my padawan has advanced. We're still teaching Raul a lot and he's excited for the 17th of February. He's already gone to chruch three times and he tells us he's learning a lot, he's been reading the book of mormon and praying with his family too. It almost seems too perfect to be true haha. He lives super far away, like where all the farms are but it's a really pretty walk (there's pics). Our area is huge, but we're finally getting to know it a little better, the members as well, they're helping us a lot with Raul which we're really happy about. 

This week Elder Bolduc and Elder Sandino baptized someone who lives way far out of Sicuani and only speaks Quechua so the entire baptism program was held in Quechua, it was awesome and obviously I didn't understand anything but it was very spiritual. Quechua is an awesome language (cause I mean Inkans cmon) Maybe one day I'll be able to speak it better and be able to talk to those people, cause there's a lot of them! It's sad when you want to share with someone the gospel but there's a barrier haha. Really cool baptism and really cool to learn more about the culture, everyday I learn something new, gotta love Peru.

Hope you all had a good week!! I'll let you all know how it goes tomorrow! Love you all!

Cherry DP and so much dang rain

This week was awesome. Elder Sanjinez is already a pro, we've been finding a ton of a new investigators and working with the ones that we're left when we came to Vilcanota, we found a new investigator this week Raul, the house he lives in is full of members and already knows about the church. We had our first lesson with him on Saturday and we decided to just straight up invite him to baptism, they tell us a lot to try to invite people to baptism the first lesson and honestly I haven't been doing it that much, I don't know if it's cause I get scared about what they're gonna say or what but I decided to overcome my fear this week. Actually I made Elder Sanjinez do it but still haha. Raul accepted!! It was a really good lesson and it all worked out really well, of course Raul told us he doesn't feel ready but I knew he was going to say that, but we explained to him that over the next month we'll be doing the best we can to prepare him. He really does want to learn more about God and come closer to Christ, he talked a lot about that on Saturday and it made us really happy haha. He has a date for February 17, I know for a fact he'll be ready and we'll be focusing all our efforts on him. He also came to church yesterday;)

Things have finally died down a bit after being really stressed about the whole new area thing but we're getting into the routine now and we have investigators to teach, I'm learning SOOOO much teaching Elder Sanjinez. Yesterday we talked a lot about how much you can learn on the mission and it was a LOT. I've been doing a ton of thinking this past week about just how much I've learned, it's crazy. Hopefully I can keep learning as much as I can before time runs out, but I know I'll just keep on learning;) 

So yah things are good! Hope all of you have a good week!!! Moroni 10:32-33 (Sorry If I repeat scriptures, don't remember)

32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

Mery went to Arequipa this week and bought me a DP cherry, it's been about 15 months since I've had one, It made me happy.

Mi Hijo / New Area

Got my padawan!! His name is Elder Sanjines!! He's from La Paz, Bolivia! Super close to Puno haha. He's super awesome and super young, he recently just turned 18 so it makes me feel old, we get along really well and he's loving the mission already. I'm trying to teach him everything I know little by little, but it's also been hard recently because of the new area change. We've been trying really hard to get to know all the members but this week has kind of been everything thrown at our face at once haha. We have a ton to do this coming week and I'm honestly just grateful for P-days haha. But it's been good! I'm already learning a ton and just doing the best I can. Next week I'll talk about our investigators again because I'm getting to know everyone all over again haha, but it's a blast. Elder Sanjines and I have been doing all we can to find new investigators and part families!! 

It's been really hard to get used to a new area along with a kid but I'm lovin it, it's been stressful and kind of all at once but it's the best. It was sad to already leave my investigators in Sicuani ward but I'll be able to see them since I'm so close haha, so I'll update you guys about them if I find out anything. Very very excited to train and learn more about Vilcanota and get settled in. 

We did lots of spontaneous service this week because of the amount of rain that fell, we've been walking and basically just helping everyone cross street rivers and move things around getting soaked, that kind of service makes you feel so good haha, we spent about 2 hours just running around one big street helping everyone and contacting on the way, I don't know why but it was probably the highlight of the week haha, I love having fun while doing good, best combination. 

Hope you all had a good week!! Here's some pictures of Cusco (my favorite city in the whole world). We had a really fun day of training and eating haha, we got to go to Cusco's plaza and contact for a little bit then go get Chinese Peruvian food! Good day! Loved hanging out with all the new missionaries.  Love you all!!!!!!!!!!

Pics-My companion is next to me on the far right (bottom pic) Just realized I didn't even take that many pics with him....oops

Also took a Cali pic- Elder Settles is from Carlsbad #represent

Transfers

All good things have to come to an end, I had a blast this transfer and we got a lot done but...some crazy changes are going around. First, Elder Austin is leaving to go to Cusco! He'll be zone leader over the zone where I served so I've been pumping him up for it haha. Second, I'm training!!!! Tomorrow afternoon I'll be going to Cusco to sleep and Wednesday I'll get to find out who my padawan is and have some training with President Herrera and we'll come back on Thursday. Super excited! BUT third, I won't be serving in the same area in Sicuani, As I've mentioned before we share a sector with Elder Haws and his trainee so there's 4 missionarys in one ward, President decided to make some changes and take a companionship out and put them in a lot bigger and stronger ward that's next to it. So now I will start sharing the area with the zone leaders in the biggest ward in Sicauni.

So yah basically we're going to have to start from 0! I still don't know who my companion will be or anyone that lives in this ward but I'm pumped for what'll happen. It's really really sad to have to leave our investigators but I know Elder Haws will take care of them haha, it's also really sad to see Elder Austin and Elder Hatfield go but this Christmas transfer was awesome, one of the fastest transfers in my mission as well. Gonna be kinda hard to already leave an area and be right next to it but excited to start serving in Vilcanota!!!! Very excited and scared at the same time but it'll be a blast, sorry there's not a lot of pictures but next week I'll show you all know who I'm with and all the other juicy detailes!! 

Was sad to hear that President Monson passed away, especially on the mission, but he has taught us a ton. Especially about the Book of Mormon which I've been focusing on a lot lately, I invite you all to read it! Or just read it more! It's cool and it's true. Once you have a testimony of that book, you know that Prophets are real! and they really do talk to God to help guide us. Hope you all had an awesome week!! 

2018 / Fany's Baptism

What a week, first, it was awesome skyping the family on Christmas, was super happy to see them. I LOVED this Christmas, I don't know what it was this time but I had a blast, we had so many activities and did so much service. Also really excited for this next year, Elder Austin, Elder Hatfield and I were talking a lot about how 2017 was the only entire year that we would be serving and giving everything to the Lord. Makes you reflect on a lot but 2017 was the year I learned the most, (so far). Time flys, sometimes it doesn't feel like it haha, but it really does. Excited for what's to come this year and for what will happen here in Sicuani. I hope all of you had a good new year and a good Christmas!! 

This week Fany was baptized!!! One of the coolest if not most spiritual baptism I've been to, it was really small but the young women helped us out a ton. Fany's testimony after she was baptized was one of the strongest I've heard from a convert and it made me just say to myself "THAT is why I'm here" Of course I always know why I'm on the mission but it was kind of like a wake up call and just awesome. Sorry If I can never put my stories into words but it was just something that made me reflect a lot, especially for the new year too. We're very very happy for Fany and we know she'll be a very strong and awesome addition to the Sicuani ward.  

This past week on the 28th of December was kind of like April Fools in Peru, our pension and with some help from the zone leaders told Elder Austin that he had an emergency transfer to a city very very far away close to Yunguyo, he packed ALL his stuff just to realize it was a joke, I died laughing, if you can find his email he'll probably explain it better but my goodness I cried it was so funny. 

I hope you all have had a time to kinda look over this past year, hopefully it's been a good one, and if not, this one will be better!! I'm having a blast, I'm also realizing how much I need to take advantage of the time I have to just give absolutely everything to the Lord. I don't have a scripture this week but I've heard there's a new mormon message about not looking behind you this coming year, through Christ we can just look forward! So yah go watch it! I hope you all have an awesome week! Sorry I'm terrible at writing letters and explaining things but hopefully you all can get the jist of it. Love you all!! #bringiton2018

p.s. We had some HUGE hailstorms this week.

Pics- Here's some classic "sun in the face" baptism pics haha