Summer Vacation - 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.

Current area: Vegueta, Peru

Guinea pig, anyone?

Basically I'm on summer vacation right now. I've been changed to an area by the beach! I have a view of it from my room. I'm in a small fishing town called Vegueta. We have a chapel that was built in the 1980s, but right now it's only a branch with like 50 people who attend church regularly.

This week we found a guy to teach named An**. It was kind of a rough week, so when Sunday came around, we were surprised to see a very unfamiliar face in church. He's 26 years old, and his girlfriend is a member who has been coming back to church after being inactive. One of An**'s friends is an active member of the church who we taught this week, but what was really ironic is that we taught him about how to teach friends about the gospel. We gave him a pamphlet and taught him how to share it with a friend. The friend he chose was An**! So it all worked out. An** said that he already felt at home and like he was part of the church. He explained to us that he felt the Spirit and that he wants to know for himself that our message is true. They're planning on getting married too, so we'll get that ball rolling.

The branch is super tiny. It's different than any other area I've served in. The branch president is ready to work and the whole branch is ready to get baptisms. And so am I!

Our new place in Vegueta

As you know, I was asked to serve as the district leader. My district is super young. They're like the stripling warriors. My companion is Elder Clouse. He's from Mesa and he's been out for 4 months. Another 3 missionaries in my district have all been serving less than 6 months as well. The "old" guys are going to be the hardest part for me. Elder Clouse is awesome, and we are working on his Spanish. He likes a lot of music that I like... I don't know if it's a blessing or a cursing, but it's good for now :P

I'm really thinking about what we're going to do to be successful in my area. The things that have kind of come to mind are precision and persuasion. We need to be super obedient and smart in order to have the help of the Holy Ghost, but when it comes down to it, we're going to also have to be persuasive. We can change this whole town! It's a newer area, so there's lots to do and lots of records to break.

Anyway, I love you all, and I had a great New Year's with lots of new goals. We need to rely on Him to achieve them, but goals help us grow so much more than passing through life without direction.

Elder Jake Avery

Shepherds, Why this Jubilee? (December 29, 2014)

10 Ways to Find  (January 12, 2015)

Plucking ducks