¨LA JORNADA¨ (The Journey)

For our P-Day yesterday Elder Sanchez and I decided to do something a little different, we wanted to do something that could make a mark on each one of the Elders in our zone as well as bring us together. As a mission we had an excellent month in May, but June didn’t turn out quite as successful. Thinking of what we could do we decided to make ¨LA JORNADA¨ (The Journey). It consisted of a hike deep in the Tarapoto Mountains which along the way we would share spiritual thoughts relating to Mission Work as well as Repentance. As we are hiking we would sing hymns as well as have times to meditate and listen to the silence. Once we would reach the highest spot of the mountain, overlooking all of the city of Tarapoto, we would read the book of Enos which would help us to recognize where we fell short in June and what we will have to do different in July. We wanted the hike to be a test physically as well as spiritually. Being together as a zone, helping one anther to become stronger and grow, was such a spiritual experience that I am having a hard time putting it into words. Before climbing the mountain we shouted ¨Hurra por Israel, Hurra por Israel, Hurra por Israel¨ and once we reached our summit, with our Banner of Liberty that we made as a zone, we ended the journey with ¨Hurra por Tarapoto, Hurra por Tarapoto, Hurra por Tarapoto¨. At the summit we could see all of Tarapoto and being able to wave our Banner of Liberty for the entire city to see, it made us all feel like Capitan Moroni. It was an experience that brought the entire zone into focus for why we are here, the purpose that we have to fulfill, and the responsibility that we carry. Leaving our place on the mountain, it was really ironic, because as we began to descend I felt as though I was leaving the temple. That feeling that you get as you open the temple doors to leave was what I felt as we began to go back down the mountain. It left a mark on me as well as my mission!!!