Missing Organs? Jed's to blame.... (Not really)

June 30, 2014

Well I got a lot of stuff to tell you this week and I have a little bit shorter time to tell you :)

So primero. This week started off great! We played soccer in the big football field of Pativilca. The stadium. All because I’m white! When we first walked in the secretary told my companion no but when I asked she told me of course! So Yep…. We got to play for freeeee!

We had a district meeting Tuesday and said goodbye to the 10 missionaries leaving our mission and the almost 100 others being deported from Peru. Some good friends left. We did a lot of walking and contacted a lot of families. Later that night I made PIZZA in the microwave! :)

Wednesday we finally had our first correlation mission al de pativillcal. That was great! They started burning the fields of sugar in our area and it’s like Pompei; the ash just reigns down :) Later the lights went out so we ate and planned that night by candle light :)

Thursday we had a great lesson with the family Haro. It went by kinda fast. We have had some trouble contacting this week because of the fish tacos (that’s how it sounds in English). PISHTACOS…. So here is what has happened….

There is an old legend here and it says when the gringos first came here with all their factories, they used the oil of human bodies to grease their machines, (it’s a story they use here to scare their little children). The other day they found a girl not too far from here (supposedly) left with nothing. They’d taken out all of her organs. So now everyone is talking about the pishtacos... and I’m the only white guy within miles of this little town so you can imagine the attention I’m getting....

Friday we gave a lesson with two members to a family Pauca. They are getting ready to baptize. We entered thinking and feeling like we should talk about the Word of Wisdom. We gave a great lesson and gracias a dios the Spirit was really strong. Really strong. The man shared his testimony about how he was a recovering drug addict and almost died selling everything he had for the drugs. He shared how thanks to God, today he’s alive with a wonderful family. You can imagine the spirit we felt being in this lesson, it was wonderful!

Also on Friday I had the best lesson on faith. Chile played Brazil in the world cup. My companion who is trying really hard to be obedient at a huge sacrifice on his part, decided not to watch it. That day we saw a lot of people praying to God that their team would win but he didn’t watch and would just pray in the streets while we passed by every television set. In the final second they lost in penalties.... He then said a prayer thanking God excepting His will. Faith is like that, just trying your best to be obedient and praying with a real heart. However in the end accepting whatever God sends you. USA plays tomorrow :)

On Sunday no one came to church but we had the Stake President come because of a stake meeting he had. 1 man came from the entire stake ... and he wasn’t even supposed to be there, so they came talking in our ward instead. We met an uncle of a kid who is preparing to serve a mission and he’s read 15 chapters of the Book of Mormon already and has accepted to be baptized. It’s not what you say, it’s the Book of Mormon that converts them.

I’ll end the letter this week with this thought…. it was shared a lot this week. When trying to come unto (or bring others unto) Christ…. In 3 nephite it talks about how Christ told the people to bring all the sick and the afflicted to Him. It says that in the end He blessed those that brought them as well as the ones in need. To come closer to Christ, you need to bring someone. Let out a hand, serve and love others and you’ll find in bringing them to Christ you’ll find yourself and them at His feet being blessed by His hand.

I love you all,

Elder Grow

(and I swear I don’t have a box full of little children’s organs in my closet…. despite the rumors)