And on the 8th day God made pancakes... but his syrup keep falling off the pancake so, on the 9th day God made waffles....

July 28, 2014

And on the 8th day God made pancakes... but his syrup keep falling off the pancake so, on the 9th day God made waffles.

Well family I’m doing super great! :) I’m doing wonderful. I read and studied a lot this week on perfection, I learned a lot. I learned that God sent Jesus Christ to save us. Before we came to this world we pretty much were taught none of us would be able to do it on our own but that if we accepted and choose to follow Jesus we could all come back. It was interesting, I’ve been having some problems with my companion getting bad or flying off the handle and I realized I haven’t been happy because I was judging him and everyone else including myself. Then I did something, I forgave him. I forgave him his faults and the ward and the area. I just forgae them all and do you know what happened? I was super happy! God had forgiven me. I learned a lot. Then we got to work.

Martes, which nothing ever happens on Tuesday here… it’s a day where we aren’t entirely sure what to do because everyone is out and about. It’s a great day but we just struggle Tuesdays :) That morning we said a prayer that something would happen and without any citas, we planned to contact for 5 hours... joyous :) The second we left we got a call from a man who is in another ward who called and said he’s here in Pativillca and he’s got a lot of references for us. So we went out and visited the governor and his son, and all the candidates for the governor. He’s a press man. We ended up with 9 nuevos families, all married and although we got rejected, it was a great day.

So then Wednesday we took off and Thursday too… Pretty uneventful the rest of the week… until Friday when the family Pauca who can’t come to church this week… Their baptism date is the 16th but they aren’t praying enough, I don’t think. We visited a less active family and gave them 2 Books of Mormon. We visited another less active family. She’s afraid of dying and started asking so many questions about death so we tried to answer as best we could. We just need them to come to church. Then the family of Enzo and Silvia and said if I could just see the plates it’d be a lot easier to believe. We are working with them. Maybe he’ll come and play basketball with us today.

Sunday after 75 people came to church last week we had 15 this week....my companion got sick half way through sacrament meeting, went out and puked. We gave him a blessing and he recuperated quickly. We had 3 investigators come to church Sunday but none of them we knew! They were all members that brought friends so we have scheduled visits with them and we can’t wait to go and meet there families. We visited Enzo Sunday too and he’s reading more. This week went really great. We learned a lot about love and it’s interesting to me the quote that I found, it said, “Compare perfection with the atoning love of Jesus Christ. It’s offered freely to all”, so why was I reserving it? We’re making huge progress!

Your funny stories for the week are as follows. I was walking through the streets I found an old Chinese man (there are a lot of immigrants here) with some electronics for sale. One of them said WAFFLE. I jumped and looked at it but it was just a grill he said so I opened it up and it had WAFFLE SQUARES I asked him VERY causally… What are those for?.. He says.. I don’t know it’s a funny looking grill to me… So I offered him 30 soles (9 dollars) and he jumped :) and I CAN NOW MAKE WAFFLES!!!!!:D... God is great! Life is good! And I’m happy :) Keep your head up!

If I could do anything it would be to go and visit every single member of this church or everyone investigating it I’d give them a huge hug, I’d look them in the eye and take their hand and I’d tell them “YOU CAN DO THIS; I promise you can. God will help you. Now how about we go and get there together” :)

Frio frijoles
Elder Grow

Survived another transfer.... still in Pativillca

July 21, 2014

Well family! I’m still here in Pativillca :)

This week I’ve learned a lot about myself and I’m still here to tell about it :) The week started off a little rough. I had my new zone leader come in, he’s from my group. I struggled with that I think inside. I worry that I’m still here and not progressing as much as a should. I got the STRONG impression to read a talk and I got back the next day and read it. It was from Elder Bednar. He pretty much told me I needed to humble myself and repent.

We went out that same day and we met a man, who had lost his wife. In his old age she’d left him alone with his handicapped son. He invited us into his house and proceeded to yell and attack every point of our doctrine. Left and right, he attacked everything. I felt so horrible. He ridiculed my Spanish my faults, things we had said incorrectly and everything.... I left him with my testimony, stopping when he informed us he’s happy God had chosen me to answer his prayers because he didn’t feel he had answered his personally. He’d never prayed so hard in his life to keep his wife and he felt God had taken her.... I’ve never felt so sad for anyone. It hurt. I left that meeting questioning my faith and everything. I’m grateful they didn’t send me to Europe or any other mission.

We walked on several times that week after we had several people reject our message and I felt horrible. I read something and received some really personal revelation. God doesn’t require us to be perfect. The quote I like said we should define perfection from the atoning love of Jesus Christ and knowing He gave his life even though we are not perfect.

Anyway I learned and grew a lot. I am dedicating some prayers and the mercy of God to a family we found, the family Casado. Se llama Peralez Oncoy and accepted a fecha for 23. The family Pauca Sanchez accepted a fecha for 16 and our consejo de rama…. EVERYONE BROUGHT THEIR FOLDERS! I’ve made them folders to bring their papers and no one brought them before but this week everyone did! :)

I’ve been so great and happy this week. I’m glad to see your all doing so well :) We had 9 menos activos come to church. One of them we met, they were recently baptized. They really wanted to go to the temple but were afraid they weren’t doing everything to get there. You can imagine the joy they felt going to church Sunday and learning that they’ll be able to make it! I’ve had some ups and downs this week but grown a lot. I love you all :) Thank you for your prayers.

Pativillca will have another family baptized at the end of August!! .. if God permits... but He will :)

Love,
Elder Grow

Knocking on all of the white doors....

July 14, 2014

Well this week started out wonderfully! We had 2 days of unprecedented walking :) Then we cruised on to a surprise capcitacion with the President. He’s preparing us for the coming of the apostles. We’ll have 3 coming soon and 6 more a little later. We are the highest baptizing area rescuing and hastening the work in the entire world!!!! The Brethren are coming down here to see what we’re doing.... it’s just amazing because I don’t think I’m doing anything!!

He told me some great things in an interview and I have a lot of faith, that he receives revelation for us. He told me I should try lifting my faith and instead of just knocking doors and praying for families, I should start telling God what doors I’m going to knock on. So I was still struggling on the faith a little and I told God I was going to knock all the white doors on Friday. We found 1 family with a special needs son and an addiction problem that are looking for God in their lives....

You can imagine how much I’m learning and growing this week. I still don’t know if there is changes this week but I’m happy to be part of this work. Sunday we gave Rodrigo the sacerdocio (Sacrement?). Hermano Haro participated in the santa cena otra vez and the Famila Pacuca came to chruch! We’re going to invite them to baptisms this week, we should’ve done it before but…. we all make mistakes.

I am really hoping and praying that this next year goes by slower and but know I’m super happy :)

Elder Grow

#Miracles

July 7, 2014

I love reading all of your letters. Sometimes it’s just great to see you all smiling. This week went by fabulously!

So I received a call on Friday from an Elder wishing me a happy Fourth of July. The conversation went something like this:

"Hola! Am I talking with Elder Grow?"

"Si, con quien hablo?” (Who is this?)

"This is Elder Lewis. Happy fourth of July!!"

"Uh... Thanks?"

"Yeah ok! Sorry I’ve got to go. Bye"

"Chow"

- I hung up the phone and my companion asked me the following:

"Who was that what did they want?"

"Elder Lewis, wishing me a happy day"

"Why?”

"I don’t know actually.... "

(Me 5 min later)

“OHHHHHHHHHHH it’s the "4TH of July!!! Like the fourth-of-July like THE Fourth of July!!”

That’s pretty much how I celebrated!


Anyway this week went by fast. Monday we played…. soccer :)

Tuesday we walked and walked and walked and everything literally fell. We ended up walking for 9 hours!!!! Walking and talking. My companion got home and back flopped in to bed saying it was the most exhausting day he’s ever had. I asked him why? He told me BECASUE IF we are not preaching the gospel you won’t ever stop talking!!! Hahaha!! He claims the only time I ever shut up is when we are eating, studying, praying or teaching. The next day I tried to do a lot more whistling instead!! ;)

The next day we had some great lessons. We built a bar. We talked to a man with 95 years. He is a member who is preparing to go to the temple. We then went to a new area and we met a family there. This is a family of some prayers. When the Mother saw us she just starred in awe. She said that her son had died two years ago, and she had a dream last night where he came to her with two men in white shirts with a book telling her he was busy studying.... I pulled out the Book of Mormon. You can imagine what we felt!! So grateful to be part of that!! They are not married and cannot read either but we have a lot of hope for them.

We then met a family that night and I invited him with a fecha but my companion didn’t, he claimed he didn’t want to even though the president has told us he wants all missionaries inviting with a date the first lesson. So it took a lot of conversation and swallowing of some pride but we sat down and said a prayer asking for God to guide us. Soon after our zone leader called asking us how everything was and if we had a question....

You can imagine what I’m feeling after that day. #Miracles.

The next day we visited Cesar Espinoza (who the missionaries have visited for 10 years) a member,but his family isn’t sealed and he only comes to church occasionally. We’ve been working a lot with him (I’ve mentioned him before) anyway so we taught a wonderful lesson on tithing and he’s not only agreed to pay his tithing but has agreed to pay all the tithing on back log too. We then had some great additional lessons with him.

The next day was a true test of my patience.

Friday we volunteered service with a man in our ward (with 95 years) and we were plowing his garden, a pretty big one, like our back yard. Well I started digging furrows and had 6 good strong rows when one of the missionaries from Venezuela said…. “You’re doing it wrong….” I stopped.... he claimed that that’s not how it’s done. I kind of laughed and said, “Ok well you show me”. He went making his furrows. Well then the other missionaries like his way better and started criticizing my farming!! You must understand I’m standing here looking at them.... You’re teaching me about farming?? MY Dad, his Dad and his Dad and his Dad were all farmers. I’ve gardened my whole life. You’re telling me this is wrong,...(the ancestral blood of the Grow’s raged through my rippling muscles as I picked up the pick axe and call upon the powers of the farmer and plowed the entire field in one swipe!!! (Great story huh?) I just remembered God then I said a prayer, stepped back and watched while also swallowing my pride. I got to work and loved. Anyway than the man came out and said it was all crap and whoever had done those first 6 rows was right... (Victory dance in my head!!!!)

Sometimes it’s not even with the investigators that you have to practice love its other missionaries, your companions and the members that are hard! I’ve grown a lot in this one week. Sunday was when it came…. Hermano Haro blessed the sacrament and he also got up and bore a powerful testimony. I thanked God to be part of this work. Then Hermana Anabel (the esposa of Cesar)shared her testimony about how God is answering her prayers for 10 years. I realized it’s not me. I haven’t done 1 iota of this work. It’s all God! I’m just grateful to be here.

Anyway then we met a family, we are contacting for a Carlos (different Carlos) but his name conveniently was Carlos. We walked in taught him and his wife and they both agreed to be baptized and get married. A very powerful lesson! Then she told us we’re marrying her sister too!! Turns out the missionaries in the other area are teaching and getting ready to marry her sister!!!

Anyway the message this week is that God is with us. He really is. He stands by us, loves us and fights for us. He will guide and help and direct us….Only when we are willing, and ready. Part of that is being humble enough to follow, and love Him enough to show that love to everyone in your path so you can bring them along closer to Christ.

Love you all,

Elder Grow