Hey hey hey
Wow, I am pretty tired right now trying to type this. Much as I really hate to admit it . . . I am sooo out of shape these days. I just tried to play volleyball for the past two hours. Ya know, I think I am about done with playing sports here. (I say that now but who knows what will happen in a week or two.) It is sad to try to play and see the old skills so full of rust. Oh well. Later today we are gonna have a cookie party with our zone. Hooray! (Yes, I much prefer cookies to dwelling upon my own out of shape state.)
This week went by pretty well. It was a good week of change. We had an excellent zone counsel the past week with the President, and received a ton of information. All the zone leaders have cell phones now, something that the president wanted to get done ever since he got here. So, if anyone out there wants to give me a call, here is the number.............jk! Anyway, so I have a cell phone again. But, it’s pretty limited. We use them only to communicate with President, the office, and the zone. But, it’s still pretty cool - a lot easier to communicate now. Unfortunately, despite receiving great counsel from the president recently, my comp and I started off the week a bit rough. We worked Wednesday and Thursday and saw that our numbers once again were not up to par. So after preparing the report Thursday night to the assistants, we sat down together and talked about what we need to change to do better and have more success. We focused on the little things - either things we do or don’t do. And I can for sure testify of the scriptures that I can’t remember...haha that sounds intelligent, but in 1 Nephi 16:29 and Alma 37:6-7, we are reminded that the Lord often uses “small and simple means” to bring about “great things.” I have learned in my mission experience that the little things really do make a big difference.
So we bettered ourselves in many areas of our missionary lives and last night our numbers were just 100 times better. (Slight exaggeration there, but they were good.) Not only that, but we were able to find a lot of new people in our area and even a couple families. I have never baptized an entire family and that would be so great. To be honest, I think this might have been the first time in my whole mission that I experienced having an entire family around us listening as we taught. Usually, someone is always missing, doesn’t want to listen, whether it be mom, dad, sister, whoever - but it’s so cool to have an entire family sitting around us listening and asking questions. The family we taught last night is the Sadate family. We found another woman with three children that is great as well, and hopefully we will be able to contact her and her husband this week and teach them. We have had a bit of a rough change as far as trying to help people progress, but I believe that we have been preparing many to be baptized, however far into the future it may be. Transfers are next week and I have a feeling that there will be more baptisms next month. I don’t know if Elder Hanke will transfer or not but as of now it feels pretty likely. I would like to stay one more change with him. We just get along and work really well together. It’s great because we control the zone well, and work together, and there is no sense of junior/senior comp between us. But, whatever happens, happens, and it is the will of God and we move forward.
Some sad news. Last week there was a bunch of violence going on in Piura. I am not really sure what its all about, but I am sure you guys can find something about it. A bunch of people have been killed and stuff. I don’t know all the details. Yeah, I was gonna put this paragraph first to get the sad out of the way and end with a bang, but anyway, I found out yesterday that one of the people that was killed was a teen age boy that I knew in San Pedro named Giancarlo Lipe. His sister, mother and father were baptized a week before I arrived to San Pedro and were always active. Elder Yupanqui will recognize the name, I think. We taught Giancarlo and his older brother on several occasions but they were always difficult to connect with spiritually. They were nice kids and we were still able to develop friendly relationships with them. He was 16 or 17 years old and apparently shot and killed. Its very sad. My pensionistta, Hermana Ynes, is their visiting teacher, so I am sure she may be able to help them with her great testimony, but it’s going to be a challenge for that family.
So the house looks great. What else are you guys planning on doing? It feels like I’ll be coming home to an entirely new house. That’s all very exciting. I’m glad you guys are making some of the changes you have talked about for years.
Being a missionary is great. Ups and downs come and go as often as the sun sets and rises, but it’s great. The up moments just completely outweigh the rough times. If every day passed like Friday, Saturday and Sunday of last week, wow the mission would be even more incredible. But, we have the rough times, too. That’s just life. But wow we were just on top of the world last night looking at what the future holds for the investigators of La Victoria. I love the scriptures more and more everyday. Every time I open up my scriptures cases it’s like a little boy opening up a double fudge marble chocolate popsicle. I am working to finish the Book of Mormon (in Spanish) again and Jesus the Christ (for the first time still) before I go home. I have been reading through Jesus The Christ since November now and I am only half way through. It’s taking me a while because sometimes I only get through a page or two in one hour with all the additional scriptures to study. That book has really given me greater understanding of and appreciation for the Bible. I didn’t understand it well enough before, but I am getting there. I thought I knew the Savior before my mission. But, my goodness, it is just endless what we can learn of Him, and the New Testament is just incredible to me now. So I should be able to finish both of them before July. Right now it’s a bit under 1,000 pages. Which really isn’t too much in so much time, but I read a bit slower really trying to understand. Anyway, that’s me and my study. And, that’s us here in La Victoria. Things are going great. Thank you everyone for all your support. The Church is true.
Elder “Mmmmmm Pop Tarts” Royal
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