Buenos Días América!
I'm doing just dandy here in Peru. This week was a tough week. We worked very hard and, unfortunately, we didn't have the success we were hoping for. We call these things "learning experiences" haha. I learned that I can only do what I can do, and it's up to people to choose who they will serve.
I'm sending a picture of what a day can look like in the mission field. Although it appears that we teach all day, it feels like we walk all day. There's always a mini scream of, ''Noooo!!'' in our heads when we walk all the way to our appointment and the family isn't there, or they're busy and we can't teach. The mission agenda gives us a Plan A and a Plan B, but there's been many times that we've fallen back onto Plan D or E, which is knocking on doors.
This week, we are working closely with the Cherres family. Paul and Kayla are the two teenage kids in the family. They have been taking the discussions (Gospel lessons) and, thanks to the help of the ward, have friends in the Church and want to be baptized. This is great news, but heaven would be very lonely without their parents, so we are trying to implore their parents to take the discussions too. It's tough because they're always busy, but nothing is impossible with God.
As to the question about my living conditions, they're different. We keep our room clean but there is an infinite amount of dirt, dust and sand, so anything other than concrete floors is futile. Carpets don't exist. Pretty much every building is made out of brick or a step below plywood. If you want a pretty looking house, you put a smooth layer of concrete over your brick house and paint it. The houses often don't have roofs, only have partial roofs, or (in the case of our Bishop and many others) cardboard boxes. I don't say this in a bad way, rather as a way to look at how blessed we are in the United States. Cleanliness is a choice. There are many poor people that keep things clean, and many rich people that make a mess.
Dear Mom and Dad,
This week we worked very, very hard and I made the transition from English to Spanish scriptures. Unfortunately, work and numbers don't always travel proportionately. Work and success always travel proportionately, so I'd say I've had a successful week with cruddy numbers.
We have a baptism this coming Saturday, and he wants me to baptize him. His name is Paul (dadadadad) Cherres. He's 11 years old. We are also teaching his 16 or 17 year old sister, but she's been busy on Sundays and hasn't been able to come to church. She has to attend church regularly before being baptized, so she hasn't met the Sacrament Meeting attendance quota yet. We're working with their parents too, but like every person, they're ocupado, ocupadito or esta descansando (busy, a little busy, or resting). We've taught the parents once each, and they were at different times. They were both awesome in the lessons, and we felt the Spirit. But then the next time we wanted to talk to them, they had this look like a deer in the headlights :/
The teenagers are always pretty receptive of the Gospel message, but the parents don't want very much to do with the Church. As you can imagine, this saddens me because they miss out on the blessings of attending church as a family, praying as a family, reading scriptures as a family, etc...
Sorry about the flood! Kolby told me about a time when the neighborhood flooded a few years ago, but I didn't think it was possible...Obviously I was wrong :P
This week was Stake Conference and it was televised from Salt Lake City. We had the opportunity to hear from Elder Bednar (or rather, his translator) about repentance, and Elder Scott (who speaks Spanish) about the value of women and chastity. I know without a single shadow of doubt in my mind that they are prophets. I love testifying to my investigators that we have prophets and apostles living today. I love that I know it without a doubt, and I love that God has blessed us so greatly by calling these men to lead us.
I love you guys! I'm smiling and happy, don't worry. You need to do the same ;) Remember that our afflictions are but a small moment and they help us grow. We simply need to figure out what the Lord needs us to learn. Love you! Tell Josh to email me!!!!! I didn't get to wish him happy birthday!!!
Elder Jake Avery
Ten Weeks in Peru (September 9, 2013)
Teaching People to Pray in Peru (September 23, 2013)
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Our room in the Stake President's house. I'm reading Jesus the Christ...
Thoughtfully reading, I might add, hahaha!
(note from Mom: look at the Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer on the desk!
A chip off his ol' Dad haha! By the look of his shoes, he's working hard :)
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A street in our neighborhood. You have the regular Nacho bike on the left,
and the super, deluxe Nacho bike with canopy on the right!
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My planner looks like we teach a ton (and we do!), but it feels like we walk
a lot more than we teach haha!
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