Hola from Carhuamayo!!!!!!

Yep, I am still alive and kickin! Somedays I feel like I will become an iceburg before this transfer is over but thats ok! At least I will be a Happy Iceburg!

T on Top of the World

T & new companion, Elder Moraga

 

So I will be honest the work in Carhuamayo is grulling. Not many people are here in this city as it is and it seems like there is a different church on every corner. But when we do find people, they have definitely been prepared by the Lord, no questions asked!

This week we picked up a new investigator, her name is Tabita Sarita, and she is just awesome. She has told us in every lesson, that she wants to make a BIG change in her life, and thinks that we can help her make this change. We taught her the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ first, and when I recited the First Vision of Joseph Smith, her eyes got really really big. I knew she could feel the Spirit testifying of its truthfulness. We then taught her the Plan of Salvation, and that through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, our families can be together forever. Who in there right mind would not want that right???? She has two little boys that are a little obnoxious, but what 6 and 4 year old isnt right? They are really funny and LOVE that I am a GRINGO. I have a feeling we will be able to baptize Tabita the beginning of this coming year! I am really excited for her.

 

So now I have a little bit more of a difficult story to share. Our investigator, Melanio, he has cancer, and he is in a very fragile state right now. He can barely leave his bed. We meet with him and his family twice a week usually and share with them parts of the Gospel. This past week, my District Leader came to do exchanges with me, Elder Garcia. He is really cool, he is from Mexico, but studied in the states, so he knows all English. We went to teach Melanio and his Family last Tuesday, and our lesson was going great, we were sharing with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, So, Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the End. We were about half way through the lesson when his cousin came into the house. Of course we invited him to join the lesson and we explained who we were and what we were talking about. He seemed very interested. More than usual, I should have caught on but we continued through out the Lesson. When we got to the part of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, (Acts 8:14-17) He began to contend with us saying that this is not true and that we are leading his cousin astray with lies and false bible. I didn't understand a word that he said, he was speaking really fast and words I didnt know, but Elder Garcia knew. I could just feel the nastiness of what he was saying in my stomach. Instead of contending with the man, Elder Garcia and I just left, I felt really bad that we just left, but we are not here to contend with others, rather to teach those who have a desire to learn. For the rest of the night my stomach just ached for that family. We have it right, he had some other kind of bible, that basically was a cut up and changed bible from his religion. I have a talk, by Elder Holland and President Eyring, called "The Atonement and Missionary Work" and in this talk, Elder Holland talks about the tears of sorrow that Christ shed for us and that the missionaries, at some point in their mission, should shed a tear or two of this sorrow as well. I firmly believe that I was feeling the sorrow, that Christ felt when he knew that many people would lead his fellow brothers and sisters astray and they would actually listen to this. Anyway, we are still teaching this family but they have a difficult time listening. It is frustrating as a missionary.

 

One last story, The very first day of the mission in the field, I lost my ring that my family gave me for my birthday before I had left. I was devistated for 3 weeks! I looked everywhere for it and was always trying to think of an excuse to tell my family where it went. This ring meant so much to me and I had only had it for 6 weeks and it was gone. The whole time I was in Tingo Maria, I could not find it, but I decided that, it was of matieral importance and I needed to focus on the more important things here in Peru. Well, low and behold, last week, as I was putting stuff away in my closet, I looked up, and in the side pouch of my bathroom bag, there was a big silver shiny ring!!!! Oh my goodness, I can not express how happy I was that I had found this thing that was very percious and dear to my heart!! Now I don't have to come up with an excuse of where it is!!! That is even better!!! HAHA.

Anyway, I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving, I think I ate Lamb soup or something. Definitely wasn't Turkey, Gravy and Stuffing like I was hoping for. But only one more thanksgiving to go haha!!

Love you all and thank you for the support!!

Elder Bell