Whisperings of the Spirit

Hey hey hey:

The mission is full of life lessons…all over the place. This past week I had a really great experience that helped me more than I explain. I learned a great lesson about the spirit. Now, I have been trying to think of how I can write this letter home and still keep this experience as personal as it should be. I believe that most of us consider spiritual experiences to be sacred and that we should treat them as such. So, while my experience is personal to me, I think that the lesson that I learned can help other people as well.

I have always known that the spirit does not dwell in unholy places. And, it follows, that the spirit is not with the unholy. But I always figured that unholy was limited to being sinful, such as impure thoughts, actions, or other breaking of commandments. Something I learned this week is that unworthy thoughts include those that are self-demeaning, negative, or destructive. Thoughts like that drive away the spirit. All those times that I was feeling sorry for myself, or feeling negative – although searching for the spirit, it just wasn’t there. The spirit cannot be found while we sit in a self filled pool of negativity, because negative thoughts are the very opposite of faith.

This has happened to me often, but I have learned how to escape bitter negativity and keep the spirit with me always. This might not be making sense to anyone but me, as I unfortunately can’t put this into an array of elegant words. (Well, except for that last sentence - that was pretty good.) Earlier this week I learned better to give thanks to my God, and to be grateful for all that I have, and not focus so much on me, or what is lacking. I am learning to be closer to the spirit, to communicate better with my Heavenly Father, and to trust in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The mission hasn’t been easy, no, but so worth it. What I have learned I wouldn’t trade for anything. I haven’t felt this good in weeks. Another thing I learned this week is that the spirit does not always give easy answers – at least not to me. It’s impossible for me to pray, ask a question, or ask for the spirit, and then sit or lie down and wait for a good feeling. The spirit has always forced me to seek for answers, through meditation and studying of the scriptures. It’s not as easy, of course, but the good feeling is THAT much better when it finally comes after some diligence on my part.

So I dunno if this will be of much help to anyone else…maybe it’s not coming across as well I have been hoping. But if there is anything I can say more directly it is to live with a spirit of gratitude, thanking God profusely in our prayers (for very specific blessings, the more specific we are, the more we have to think and discover how the Lord has blessed us), seeking diligently the spirit, and focusing on positive thoughts while shutting out the negative.

I am so thankful for the gospel in my life, how it has blessed and continues to bless me as I learn. The work is moving forward here in Piura Central. Thank you for praying for our zone last week, because we finished much better! Please continue praying for us. This is the last week of the transfer, so it would be great to end strong. Harold Maza is getting baptized on Sunday. Melina is in Lima until February so I might never teach her again if I leave. Yanina Lizbet is a new investigator that is coming along really well. Cesar and Lorena Garcia came to church again yesterday and are doing pretty well. I love you all and thank you for all of your great support. I love being here, being a missionary, and continually being trained by the spirit. Focus on being positive. Don’t be a "Negative Nancy" (my guitar teacher, Mr. Lance, likely doesn’t read these letters - but he always said that.). The Church is true. Love it. Live it.

Elder "Could Go for a Good Back Scratch" Royal

Don't BUG Me!!!

January 18, 2010

Hey hey hey

Okay, so it’s been a pretty eventful week here in Hot Land aka Piura. To start, I have had a cold all week that came on out of nowhere last Monday. (Strange having a cold in the middle of the hot summer.) That was with me all week and was kinda lame, but I got through the week fine. My nose is still bothering me, but the sinus congestion and cough are gone, so it’s getting there. On Wednesday, my nose was really stuffy, and I was doing a work visit in another area and wasn’t in my room. I was so desperate for relief that I put Icy Hot up my nose to try and clear it. To make a long story short, that was probably the worst minute of my life (because it is ICY HOT), but it did work…for at least a half hour or so…but some relief is better than no relief. Later that night I went back to my area and got the pressurized nasal spray that Mom sent me a long time ago. That stuff is a miracle worker. Side note... The next morning I walked around for about five minutes after getting ready before realizing that something was walking across the top of my foot inside my shoe…and it was a cricket. That was not cool. I freaked out! Lesson learned… snooze to check the shoes or I may lose. (I don’t need THAT kind of company!)

The week was kind of a struggle - a bit slow - because of the cold symptoms. Martin got confirmed yesterday, and that was great, but there is not much more to tell about our invetigators. Harold did not get baptized yesterday. During the middle of the week he decided that he wanted to change his date until the end of the month. So, hopefully when that day comes he will feel ready and go through with it. He is still coming along pretty well though, so I’m not too worried about it. Melina is doing pretty well, too. However, she went to Lima yesterday and we don’t know when she is returning . . . could be up to two weeks. We are just hoping that she doesn’t get any negativity thrown at her while she is there.

On Friday, I did a baptismal interview for another area. I love doing baptism interviews. This was one of those times that was just awesome. I interviewed a 14 girl named LucyMar. She was great and had such a good testimony about the gospel. She told me about how happy she is whenever she does something gospel oriented. That was definitely one of the highlights in a week that was somewhat slow. On Sunday, I was playing prelude music when the bishop came and told me that my companion and I were scheduled to speak. I just love how organized my ward is…lots of things happen last minute like that here in Los Ficus. But, oh well. So I thought of something real quick to talk about and actually pulled a 15 minute talk out of nowhere. So that worked out pretty nice. The best part was that the bishop didn’t even tell my companion, just me while I was playing, so my companion didn’t know until the bishop announced us to speak, about seven seconds in advance. But I spoke first, so no worries.

My zone needs a bit of help right now. And to be perfectly honest, I am not sure what to do. We are finding and teaching a lot of new people, but we are struggling to get commitments, such as church attendance, acceptance of baptismal dates or to otherwise prepare for baptism. So I need something to help my zone get out of this little funk. But I am not sure what to do…so I ask for your prayers that my companion and I will be able to figure out what our zone needs right now.

Finally, I completed 18 months on Saturday! I absolutely cannot believe that. I am so happy to be here. I have heard a lot from missionaries that just recently went home and they pretty much all tell me the same thing…that getting home has its own set of challenges and to keep working hard on the work to the end. That is obviously what I intend to do. I don’t know why, but I was thinking of something amusing that probably only Brad (and maybe Jordan) will understand (from Arrested Development):

Michael: "It’s take your daughter to work day."
George Michael: "Hey Dad, does this skirt go good with this blouse?"

I dunno if that’s exactly how it is…but it’s something like that. I know, it makes absolutely no sense, but that just popped into my head and made me laugh. (Sorry Dad, not real spiritual, I know.) So on that note…life is good here. As far as anything I need, nothing really - besides maybe sun screen. (And please enclose the family Christmas letter. I still haven’t got to read it yet. Come on!) I am very happy in Peru, and so grateful to still have six months to serve as a Special Witness of Jesus Christ. I love my Savior. I love His gospel and I especially love testifying of His plan of salvation. It’s pretty hot here now, kinda miserable, but the Church is now and will always be true. And THAT’S what’s important. So love it, live it every day.

Elder “Still a Lousy Soccer Player” Royal

The Gospel is My Glue

Hey hey hey

Ok, let me think back a bit to what happened this week. I didn’t take good notes so now I gotta try and remember. We had some positive progression from our investigators this week. First and foremost, Martin Pintado got baptized yesterday! That was exciting because it was the first baptism we have had here. Having been here for nine weeks now with nothing, it was getting kinda frustrating. But things are finally coming along. Martin got baptized yesterday, and we should have two more in the next two weeks. So that is great. The service went well. Ex-Elder Crickmore (now known as Reid) will like to know that his buddy Jairo from Piura Central performed the baptism, so that was cool. Elder Michaelson and I sang "Nearer my God to Thee" and I played the guitar. That went well and the service turned out great.

We had a cita with Harold and his family. His wife is inactive and recently is coming to church again. We have been teaching them for a bit now and they are coming along great. Harold has a baptismal date for next Sunday. So we went to their house Friday night for a cita and his wife answered the door with a "this might not be a good time" look on her face. She let us in anyway and we sat down. About a minute later, in came Harold with his four year old daughter – both with cut, bruised, bloody and bandaged faces and arms. It was quite the sight, and it was very sad to see little Milena all bandaged up and crying. They were riding a bike a couple hours earlier, and his daughter was in his lap and somehow her sandal got caught in the front wheel, acting as a brake and sending them both over the front of the bike and into the street. They got beat up pretty good from it. We gave them blessings and still managed to have a nice visit with them. At least it wasn’t worse. Good old Harold, though, was just worried that he wouldn’t be able to go to church. He didn’t go, but at least we know he has a good excuse - and his heart is in the right place. He is still on for his baptism next Sunday and is even helping his eight year old son understand as well so they can do it together.

The 24 year old Melina is coming along as well and we had help from the single men everyday this week. We taught her twice and she is doing well. She also accepted a baptismal date for the 24^th of January and came to church yesterday. So she is coming right along and things are progressing here in Los Ficus. There is something I haven’t been able to figure out lately…and that’s for the past two weeks or so, everyday at the end of the night I smell like glue. Or at least that what it smells like to me. Kinda weird. We had zone council today with President Chipman and it was awesome. It really helped and was perfect for me and with what I need right now. President Chipman is the man and so powerfully, yet humble, speaks. I am happy to be a missionary. Time is going by so fast, seeing as we are already in 2010…and I am as happy as ever to be here. By the way, are you taking pics of the whole process with the landscaping and stuff, because I’d like that - too see the yard all naked and what not. And I definitely think you should put in a little porch in front of that big window to chill on in the future. That would be sweet. I love you all very much! And never forget, the Church is true, absolutely, positively true!!! Learn it. Apply it. Live it.

Elder "Sometimes Smells Like Elmers" Royal

　

Happy Peruvian New Year!

Hey hey hey

Well, it's January and we are ALL ABOUT starting a new decade down here in Peru. So happy new year to everyone! We didn’t really do anything for New Year's Eve, but that’s ok. Things have been good here and my area is really starting to improve – and that makes me very happy. I have been here for about eight weeks now with very little success, and things are starting to finally take off. The ward, which has been rather cold and not helpful, is starting to get its feet wet in the missionary work. Example – normally we have four people in the missionary correlation meeting, and that includes my companion and me. Yesterday, we had about 20. Boo yah! So things are improving significantly.

We have five people progressing right now, which is the best that we have had so far. It's been great to have people to teach for more than just one or two lessons. Seriously, I just feel so awesome that people are progressing and listening to us! I was thinking about it last night as we reported the numbers and for the first time on a Sunday night, I felt content with the numbers in my area. Usually I think, "What are we doing WRONG???" So yesterday, it was a pleasant surprise to see that things are picking up. We found a new investigator on Saturday who is really cool. Her name is Melina, and she is 24 years old. When I met her she asked me where I was from, and when I told her the United States, she got a surprised look and said she thought I must have been from Puerto Rico because of my Spanish. :) That made me feel extra good. Melina recently came in contact with the missionaries after meeting some LDS guy on Facebook who was teaching her a bit about the gospel. Kinda a weird way to find out about the gospel, but hey, it works. So there ya go. Facebook is a great gospel sharing tool - and you never know when you just might lead a golden investigator to some missionaries praying for success. So Melina came to church yesterday and . . . well to be honest I think more than anything she is the reason that most of the ward is interested in the missionary work now. All the young singles were surrounding her, asking questions, offering service, all kinds of stuff, and I just thought, "Wow this girl is never gonna come back here because these guys are gonna scare her to death." That being said, a large number of the 20 in the correlation meeting were young single men, all of a sudden asking us, "Elders when can I come teach with you? I’m free all day ever day." (ha)
But besides finding hot singles for unmarried members in our ward, ;) we are teaching two families right now that are both attending church, and another young man, Martin, 27 years old, who I think I mentioned last week. He is absolutely pumped for his baptism which is set for the 17th. We may move it to this week just because he is coming along SO well. So we’ll see. But he really is awesome. He is so excited about the gospel and it is great to talk to him and listen to him talk about how he struggles with his past drinking habits and such but is working so hard to overcome – either by reading the Book of Mormon or going running or something when he feels tempted. He is awesome. We have also started teaching the new member/investigator class in our ward. That is fun. It's cool because it makes a more relaxed environment for the investigators and it's easier for them to participate in open discussion and ask questions. So I am looking forward to doing that in the upcoming weeks as well.

Things are going good here. On the 1st we had the afternoon to play sports and stuff since everyone I, ya know, hung over. Well, because of poor planning we never really got everyone together, and I ended up throwing around an AMERICAN football all afternoon with Elder Michaelson, which turned out better than soccer anyway. So life is good. It's getting warmer, but I am definitely adjusted to Piura so I guess I don’t really feel it anymore. We are working hard, feeling good, feeling happy, feeling positive. Being a missionary rocks. The Church is true.

Elder "I'm Learning to Be Nicer to People" Royal