Beans, Water Balloons, and Old Folks - Elder Jacob 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.

Our bean patch

This week, I'm sooooo reaaaddyyy to see some real progress. I feel like people are just playing us because they feel bad watching us walk around all day.

We're working with Pe**, the fisherman, still. He has like 15 siblings and 11 of them are members of the church. I have no idea what they're all doing, or why it takes two full time missionaries to help him find out the church is true, but I'm glad for the opportunity to help out. His wife and kids are good and listen sometimes. I just don't get why they want to be friends with us, but then leave the room when we start the lesson...

Water balloon fight with the ninos!

J** and D** are also coming along, but then their daughter's ex-partner got put in the hospital so they had to help him out. They didn't get to the church on Sunday, but this Tuesday we're taking them on a tour and hopefully committing them to baptism. Woo! J** got his pancreas operated on and shows us his scar occasionally. It's very scary.

Oh, cool story with J**. There's a super old member who was branch president when J**'s uncle was still alive. J**'s uncle was a member of our church and had the same problem that J** has, where he works in a meat shop on Sunday instead of going to church. The old branch president said that he promised J**'s uncle that God would help him if he didn't work on Sunday. So the uncle put God to the test, and never missed a Sunday until he died.

Well, we also did service for an old folk's home. I just can't wait until I'm an old folk and try to remember how funny I thought the elderly people are. My group also took out a bean patch, then we tilled it to put in new beans. It was a lot of work, but I feel pretty good about it.

We did a ward activity and had a water balloon fight. At the end, the kids all went for us. It really came down to every missionary for himself. The kids had a blast though. They'll remember that for the rest of their lives.

Being a district leader is a super tough job. I feel like I need a district leader to help me out, but then I have the realization that ''I'm my own grandpa.'' I worked with two elders this week, and I'm kind of seeing that they spend too much time talking in the street and too little time talking in the people's houses. Well, we're getting better.

So family, I hope you guys are doing well. I didn't read your emails yet, I'm a little behind :( I love you all though and I'm soooo haaapppyyy to be a missionary. Hannah is probably crying to finish. I love you so much!!

Elder Jake Avery

My District

These Are Your Days (January 19, 2015)

Put the Lord First  (February 2, 2015)