Got Goals?

During the conference, as a mission we reanalyzed a lot of the things that we are doing and how we can better ourselves in order to achieve our full potential. Everything from the way we make contacts to the way we ask the members for references. We set new goals and I am able to testify that President Perez, the Assistants, and President Nash made these goals according to revelation. They may seem like lofty goals but everything is possible with the Lord

Finally Feeling Complete

Yesterday we had the baptismal service for Wader Rios and like always it was something special. He has been looking forward to his baptism for so long and yesterday it finally came to pass. When he bore his testimony he shared with us that for so long he has felt as if something was missing in life. He has always had a great family (members of the church), work, and the worldly things that make us feel complete, but still he wasn´t complete. For so long he had been looking for it and had been praying to find it. He said that when Elder Quiroga and I showed up at his house to have a Family Home Evening he felt that he long search was over. Wader is going to be a huge blessing to the church and is going to contribute so much to the work. Even though he is 38 years old I feel as though he is my brother. My brother from another mother!

Don't Hold Anything Back!

Saturday morning we experienced “The coming of Nash”. We had a multi-zone conference with him here in Iquitos. The missionaries from Pullcalpa and the other zone here in Iquitos all came to our Stake Center to be apart of the conference. President Nash came with is wife and of course President and Sister Perez were there too. The purpose of the whole conference was to strengthen our ability to teach, contact, and realize our true purpose of being Representatives of Christ. It was six hours of true inspiration. President Nash shared an experience that he had with one of his sons when he was serving a mission. When they were saying goodbye in the airport his son was giving hugs to his family but didn’t leave much time to say goodbye to his dad (President Nash). He quickly gave his son a hug and told him one thing “Don’t hold anything back”. When President Nash said those words something hit me hard. It brought back so many times when I did hold something back, when I didn’t give everything that I had. More than anything it brought the pain of Regret that I have experienced before. It made me think of my junior year and the Stake Track Championships. When I was running the 800 for our relay and I took the baton in first place. What happened that day still haunts me because I finished that race knowing that I hadn’t given everything. That my teammates paid the price for my efforts. I held something back.

One of my goals here in the field that I made for myself back in the MTC was to give everything in every moment so that I won´t feel that same pain of regret that I felt that day in Bronco Stadium. The zone conference gave me another opportunity to rededicate myself to give everything so that when I some home I can tell my dad and those I love “I didn´t hold anything back”.

I Love This Work!

I have never been so happy or stressed out in all my life. But we are working every day the way the Lord expects us to do so. Every day is another day to make something happen and give your all for something that you know to be right and true. I love this work and love suffering in the work of the Lord. I hope you all have another great and exciting week. Thanks for everything. I love you all.

The Lord Knows!

This past week we also found another great family to teach, and it was a pretty neat experience finding them. Last week in the afternoon we were walking to one of our appointments and I noticed on the other side of the street a young boy in a wheel chair who was struggling with moving himself along the sidewalk. I told my comp we were going to be a little late to our appointment because I wanted to help this kid out. We crossed the street and I told him to kick up his feet and pull in his hands because we were going to set a land speed record. We got to talking and he told us that his name was Percy and that he was a member. He was baptized a year ago by an Elder Mayo. I asked him about his family and he told us that his parents weren’t members. He had a great conversation on the way to his house and we asked to talk to his folks but they weren’t home right then. We made an appointment to return and on our return visit, both of the parents were home. We started talking to them and they welcomed us with arms wide open. We found out that they weren’t married yet so we instantly told them about the “matrimono massivo” that was coming up. They both told us that they have wanted to get married for so long but haven’t had the money to do so. It was truly a miracle, we gathered all of their documents and did their health examine in no more than two days. We have began teaching them and helping them to gain the same testimony that their son Percy already has. This week we are going to challenge them to get baptized. The Lord works in so many ways and knows who is ready to receive the gospel and progress in this great plan.

Getting Things in Order

Well “La Venida De NASH” (The coming of Nash) didn’t happen this week but is going to happen this week. President Perez and the assistants are busy making sure that everything is in tip top shape for when he comes. I’m more excited than nervous for the whole little adventure; I can’t wait to get feedback from him with what I can improve on to help my investigators understand the truth and importance of the Restored Gospel.

This past week we definitely covered some ground and walked hard. We were busy getting birth certificates, personal identifications, health examines, and a huge list of other things ready for our couples that we are helping to get married. Everyday this past week reminded me of when I would plan to take care of 15 lawns in a single day. We didn’t have time to take a breather and whenever we just felt like falling over; we found another gear and kept on keeping on. But in the midst of all the hard work and success, we also ran into some speed bumps with the Martinez Family. They weren’t able to find all of their papers in time and we had to tell them last night that they were going to have to wait till the next “matrimonio massivo” to get married. It broke my heart telling them the news. I have worked with this family for over 2 months and I feel as if they are part of my family. I have really grown to love them, and seeing how the gospel is changing their lives and strengthening their family, made it so hard to tell them the bad news. But they are still determined to do everything possible to be ready for the next opportunity.

We Are Working And Growing Together

Every transfer definitely comes with its own challenges but I am really excited about this next six weeks. Elder Salvatierra and I are starting to click and he is slowly getting use to my pace of working. He’s a great guy and he is beginning to get a feel for the real work I think. We definitely have a lot of work to do this change and we go to sleep dead tired every night but that is the way the Lord would want it to be.

We are going to get a bit of a treat this next week. President Nash (President of the South America East Area) of the first quorum of the Seventy is coming to Iquitos to pay us a visit and to see our ability to teach as missionaries. The missionaries from Pullcalpa are also going to come (another part of the jungle) and we are going to have a huge meeting, and one by one he will call us out and give us a situation and we will have to teach him and commit him to do something. I am way excited to have a General Authority here in Iquitos. Elder Salvatierra is nervous because he doesn’t think he teaches very well. I told him he knows the lessons, he knows how to make a contact, you have nothing to be worried about, just rely on the spirit and you will say what needs to be heard. So this week President Nash is in town, and I will let you know how it goes next week.

THREE Families in Harmony with the Lord

In this weeks email I wanted to tell you about the THREE families we are getting ready for baptism this month; First off the Martinez family. Jorge and Hermalinda live in the poorest part of our area and it has really been a humbling experience working with them. They have so little and yet are sacrificing so much to live the Gospel. We actually met them thanks to the branch President and we have been working with them for about two months now. They are going to get married September 23 and then enter the waters of baptism September 27. They have a huge family of about eight kids. It’s so much fun when we teach them, because when we arrive all of the little kids go running through the house yelling “MAMA, LOS HERMANOS”. The kids are big fans of the magic tricks you guys sent me, so thanks again for those. But I have really seen the way the Gospel touches the hearts of those who are ready to receive it with the Martinez Family. They tell us everyday just how happy and excited they are to finally be putting their lives in harmony with the Lord.

We received a reference from the Bishops wife last week of one of her friends who isn’t married but her and her boyfriends are excited about tying the knot. When we arrived to meet them, they were in a hurry and were heading out the door. So we made an appointment to return, but after they left we began talking with her parents. Eliseo and Hercilia are in their 50s and are definitely a cute little couple. We began talking with them and we found out that they weren’t married as well. We began to teach them about Matrimony and all of the blessing that the Lord has ready for them if they are will to obey this commandment and get married. We began to explain to them about the “Matrimonio Massivo” that we are getting ready and they both instantly told us, “Yeah lets do it, what do we have to do” We were definitely excited to get them ready to get married but it wasn’t until our next appointment that we began to teach them about the Restored Gospel. We taught them the first lesson and Elder Salvatierra and I both felt that they were ready to be challenged to baptism. We challenged them and they both accepted to get married September 27. They both came to church yesterday and afterwards they told us about how they hadn’t felt so sure about anything until we challenged them to be baptized and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. Eliseo always has a handful of questions but he has received an answer to his prayers and the two of them are progressing together. This family, the Marin Family, is what every missionary prays for, and I am so thankful I have the opportunity to help them along.

The last couple is the Rios Family. Wader and Rosa aren’t your typical jungle couple, mainly because THEY ARE ALREADY MARRIED. I know, crazy isn’t it, but it’s true. Their kids are already members but for some reason the missionaries that were here a long time ago didn’t teach the parents. So here we are cleaning up what some bum missionary didn’t do, lol. But the two of them are really excited. Wader came to church yesterday and after Sacrament Meeting, I leaned over to him and asked him how he felt and if he had any questions. He was silent for a moment and then he told me “I know now more than ever that this is the only true church on the earth” I smiled and agreed with him. They are going to get baptized September 20. They truth is definitely going forward even here in the Jungles of Peru.

Changes and Challenges!

Let me just say that you hit it on the head when you said my new companion will add a new dimension to the work. He is also from Bolivia like Elder Quiroga but it will definitely be a learning experience for me. I love taking him through the really muddy and rugged parts of our area just too dirty up his shoes a bit. Hopefully I will be able to find a way to get him motivated and focused by the end of the change. I am really missing Elder Quiroga but I just have to remember that there is a reason for everything!

Families Can Be Together Forever

This up coming month is looking really good and I am really thankful for the success we are having thus far. We have a total of three couples that are going to get married this 23 of September and all of them are really excited about the message of the restoration. We received a reference from the bishop’s wife so we of course made it a point to contact them as soon as possible. We met them (The Familia Marin) and got to talking and our conversation slowly merged into the importance of the family and the plan that God has for every family. They told us that they weren’t married but asked us if we could help them out. We were like HECK YEAH, so they will be getting married this month as well along with their son and his partner. We taught them the entire first lesson last night and this week we are going to challenge them to get baptized after their marriage. Never before have I taught so many families at one time that are actually going to be able to progress and are excited about the Gospel. I feel a little overwhelmed because there is so much to do and so little time. Everything from getting their documents ready and authorized for their marriage and well as trying to keep them motivated about the Gospel, Whew, There is a lot to be done. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Signs of the Gospel Message

The last couple of weeks we have been teaching a young girl (whose parents are members) who only communicates with sign language. Her name is Sarbia and we baptized her this past Saturday. We had been teaching her for about two weeks and it was really a great experience. I can officially teach the four lessons with sign language. Every night Elder Quiroga and I would practice the lesson we were going to teach her and planned out what pictures we were going to use to help her understand and feel the importance and the truth of the Gospel. Her mom also helped us out quite a bit with some principles that we weren’t quite able teach. Her dad is a less active and he too joined us during the lessons and this past Sunday he came to church and after our meetings he cooked us lunch. But the best part came after the baptism of Sarbia and it was her turn to share her testimony. She told us that he had been practicing her testimony and so she got up and shared her testimony with nothing but sign language.

Hands That Help

This past week we also did a huge service project as a zone. There was a member family whose house burned down when their propane tank exploded. No one was in the house when it happened which was a huge blessing. But we had the privilege of tearing down the old a building up the new, JUNGLE STYLE. The method of building houses here in the jungle is really a bit different from back home in the states as well as Lima. More or less it’s like building a model for school out of toothpicks, lol. We used poles and of course the house is raised up off the ground. It was really quite a process but it was really great. We got to wear t-shirts which read “Manos Que Ayudan” (Hands that Help) and we served our fair share of Lemonade. The house we built back in Lima isn’t anything like the house we put together here in the Jungle, but I still had just as much fun.

Twin Falls Temple Dedication Weekend!

We had a fantastic weekend with the Dedication of the new Twin Falls Temple. President Monson was so fun and personalble! Brian and Lani participated in the Youth Cultural Celebration at the Filer Fairgrounds. This article and video from Mormon Times (by Deseret News) features our very own President Akerman and his family from Filer Stake! Enjoy!

http://www.mormontimes.com/WC_aroundChurch.php?id=1920

Open Houses All Over the World!

Well its that time again and the email informing us of our upcoming transfers has arrived. I will be staying in my area of Mi Peru/Versalles for at least 6 more weeks. Elder Quiroga is headed to another part of the jungle in Tarapoto. My new comp will be Elder Salvatierra and he is from Bolivia so I will still be tearing it up in the jungle with another crazy Bolivian.

We did an activity this past week to try to find more people to teach and at the same time introduce the people to the chapel. Just like you all did back home with the Temple, Elder Quiroga and I had our own little “open house”. We opened all the doors, turned on all the fans, and invited everybody and anybody to come on in and take a look around. We gave them a little tour of everything and we ended it with the baptismal font. By our baptismal font there is a picture of Christ when he was baptized. We would show them the picture and then share our testimony about the importance and need to be baptized like Christ by someone who has authority and power to do so. Most of the people instantly asked us when we could come and visit them and teach their families as well. One of our contacts, Jaime, actually asked us “how much does it cost to get baptized here”. We chuckled a bit and told him that the sacred ordinance of baptism isn´t something that can be bought with money let alone any of the sacred ordinances. The entire “open house” went really well and we found quite a few really great people to teach as well as families. I t was kind of fun putting the whole “open house” idea together and I kept thinking of you guys back home, preparing for the “open house” and dedication of the Temple.

I was so glad to hear that the dedication went so well. It sounds like everyone really came together is a huge way to make it such a great and special experience.

What Happened In the Sacred Grove Changed The World

Yesterday our Bishop came to us just before Sacrament Meeting and asked us to give the talks. (This happens a lot, lol) He didn’t have a topic for us so during the passing of the sacrament I prayed for something that I could talk about that would help build the testimonies of the ward. When I got up to speak I still didn’t have a clue as to what I was going to say or what I was going to talk about. I simply greeted the ward and opened up my scriptures and it fell open to Joseph Smith History and the page which gives the testimony of the first vision. I instantly started talking about just how much our Heavenly Father loves us for him to call a prophet here on the earth. I gave a little bit of history of the circumstances of Joseph Smith at this time and just how much of a need there was for a restoration of the Truth. I felt as though throughout my entire talk I didn’t say a word. I was simply moving my mouth and someone else was putting the words in it. I shared with them the first vision and my testimony. As members of the church how often do we think about this miraculous event which is changing the World? How God and his son appeared to a young boy to restore all of the truths that we lost. I am so thankful for this act of love with God showed to us, because it blesses families!!!

The Way We Handle Life Is What Makes Us Who We Are

I liked how you said that there is never a dull moment. That was defiantly the case this past week here in the Jungle. Elder Quiroga and I had a really great week but still at the same time it was full of challenges. We are praying a lot for the couples that we are preparing for their marriage so that everything will go through and we won’t have a problem there. It really is a challenge to motivate these people to make a decision like getting married because the world around them is telling them NO!!! But the teaching of the Restoration of the Gospel is what does the trick, and a family that truly prays to know if it is true will also accept the invitation of getting married. It’s just another one of the many wonderful blessings that people receive from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We have been working with a less-active family for quite some time and our prayers are begging to be answered. The Amasefuen Family has been inactive for about 5 years and they have had a hand full of trials which have caused them to go in active. Every time we visit them we give them a really powerful spiritual thought and always bear testimony that God is mindful of us and know what we are going through. This past fast Sunday the entire family came to church. Just about when the Bishop was going to close the meeting one of the sons (Miguel 11 years old) got up and began to bear his testimony. He shared one of the most powerful and heartfelt testimonies that I have ever heard. He shared how much he loves this gospel and that he knows that his family will be a family for ever. Miguel has really had to grow up fast because he hasn’t had a really strong father figure to look up too. He helps his mom make “juanies” to sell and also studies in the afternoon. He’s friends at school constantly give him a hard time for being a Mormon but he told us that he wouldn’t have it any other way because he has a lot of opportunities to share his testimony. His simple testimony really spoke volumes to me. No matter what life throws at us, the way we handle it is what makes us who we are.

I Am Still A Runner!!

I am doing great and staying healthy. My gringo soccer skills are defiantly coming along. We play tons of soccer in the streets, the stadium, with members, with investigators, with EVERYONE. Our chapel has a soccer court along with every other chapel in Peru. Yeah I am learning to love another sport but don’t get me wrong, I am still a RUNNER.

Temple Open House

I’m glad to hear that the Open House for the temple went great and people are becoming to respect and admire the Lords House. I love sharing with people that “My Temple” with be ready at the end of the month, Anna sent me a really great picture that I always show people.

I hope you all have a great week and remember I love you all. Thanks so much for your prayers and support. I love this work and the way it has blessed the ones I love. Keep on Keeping on!!!

Goin' Bananas!

I am learning very quickly just home many different varieties of bananas there are and just how many ways you can eat them. Every meal we eat bananas in one way or another. They have a banana here called “platano verde” and it’s basically a potato that looks like a green banana and you have to peal it, but it tastes exactly like a potato, CRAZY. But my favorite type of banana is called “manzano”. They are basically midget bananas but they are oh so tasty. I usually buy a bundle every other day to fill the gaps that the rice doesn’t fill.

"I Want That Kind of Happiness For My Family"

As of right now we are teaching about six families and only one of them is married. But in reality we were really lucky to find the married one. Jungle life is really different from anything I have had to get use to. People just don’t get married; it’s too much of a hassle. It’s much easier to just live under the same roof and have a family. It’s sad because when we teach these couples about the importance of marriage they tell us that marriage is a big decision and is something serious. We always ask them how many kids they have and then we use that number for the amount of reasons they need to get married. We had a really neat experience this past week we a couple who wasn’t married. We discussed the importance of marriage and began to teach the message of “The Restoration” teaching the importance of marriage in every principle. At the end we challenged them to pray to receive an answer from God if these things are true. On our return visit we began to ask them about how there prayer went. The father (Juan) looked us straight in the eye and said “I know Joseph Smith was a prophet, and I want the kind of happiness the gospel brings for my family” We are helping them get their papers and documents ready for the next Matrimonio Massivo here in Iquitos. The Gospel changes lives and its just as true here in the Jungles of Iquitos as it is back home in Idaho. I love seeing the changes in people and seeing them progress.