Visit from the Mission President - Elder Jake Avery

Written by Elder Jacob Avery, serving in the Peru Lima West Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaking Spanish.

Visit from President Archibald

We were blessed (and surprised!) this week with a training by our Mission President. President Archibald is from Alabama, taught Institute, was a bishop, has 10 kids, went to Argentina on his mission, is handwriting a copy of the Book of Mormon, and pretty much just has POWER. He's a very great man, and one of the best mission presidents. He also has the ability to scare the bajeebees out of me and make me feel like a complete idiot without saying anything ;)

Anyway, he came to teach our zone a few things that he had learned in a training with Elder Oaks, and to teach us about prayer. Elder Oaks basically told him that we need to do a lot more than we're currently doing, so I'm not going to elaborate on that. When he taught us about prayer, President used Joseph Smith History, paragraphs 8-18. He summed up the most important things about prayer by using the format of what he considers the three most important prayers; the prayer offered by Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, the prayer by Adam and Eve after leaving Eden, and the prayer offered by Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove. All three of these prayers had a similar and important format:

Elders Avery and Martinez, Yungay, Peru

• They were all vocal prayers (note in Joseph Smith's historical account, it says that Satan bound Joseph's tongue when began to pray)

• They were offered while kneeling down

• They were done with great faith

• They required a considerable amount of thought and preparation beforehand

• They were done in a pre-determined or otherwise ''special'' place (note that Judas Iscariot already knew where Jesus would be when he brought the mob. Probably because Gethsename was a special place for Jesus and the Twelve Apostles).

Well, President taught us a lot more, but I feel like it's enough to say that he's a really smart guy.

When I had my interview, he told me a few key things to help my area, but I think he summed it up best in one sentence, ''If you guys are working this hard and not seeing baptisms, then something you're doing is stupid.'' Let it be known that I made a commitment with by companion to end my stupidity. President made an excellent point. We're putting a lot of energy into people who don't progress that we could be putting into new people who are ready to be baptized.

I don't want to bore anyone, so I'll leave you with a great Peruvian moment. The most popular radio show in Ancosh plays Star Wars music for their breaks. It's hilarious!

Love you all! Have a great week. Stay true to the faith :)

Elder Avery

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