Smile today, because tomorrow you might be missing a tooth :)
Ha ha, don’t worry, I’m not missing any teeth. It’s just a joke I saw.
sonrie hoy porque manana tal vez te falta un diente
Any wheedles, this week was super! Monday we went to the beach, Tuesday we had a great district meeting and we walked a lot, Wednesday we went to angamos. That’s a story I’ll tell you when I get back home. Then we had a work visit from the zone leader. He’s going home in 5 days and all he talked about was girls and home... helped me a lot ;) Then, Friday and Saturday we worked hard and started our fast.
Our Mission President asked us to find new people in 10 different ways and that we’d get at least 10 different new people. So we started all week and well same old ….by Saturday we had 4 was all. We had a miracle contact Saturday. We started talking to someone looking for a directions and when we knocked on the house and Alan answered, he is studying quantum physics, and the man we were looking for doesn’t live there, so we talked about Einstein, and some science theories and how the apply to the gospel. My companion looked a little bored so we invited him to church and we left. The next day Sunday after fasting only 3 people came to church. :) I was a little down but then who walks in? Alan! With a note pad in hand to take notes! jajaj he had a great time and we talked to him a lot gave him a Book of Mormon and he promised to read it and accepted a fehca for 2 of Nov. Then the other sister missionaries AFTER church walked in with a woman who had mistaken wards and attended their entire ward. So literally we had 5 insacs!! Exactly what I’d been praying and fasting for! The sister missionaries wanted to do tours of the church... a kinda of silly fun idea so we took off... we started touring and a family of 7 came to church! We ended up Sunday with 14 new people for the week!
The blessings of God were with us, it was amazing! In the end my companion and I are really happy! I’m learning a lot about patience and love from Elder Maldonado, and well we’ll see how this next week goes, because we won’t be having church, because of elections, its canceled. it’s kind of a weird ley, so we’ll be watching conference the next week
:) I’m loving and learning a lot.
Elder Grow :)
Monday, September 29, 2014
Monday, September 22, 2014
Dress Shopping
9/22/2014
Have you ever walked into a dress shop with 4 girls to go shopping? You walk to the first stand and there’s one, its perfect color size and it’s modest. They’ll take it off the rack try it on, walk out; they love it. You get all excited; yeah it’s time to leave! Then 40 min later of wandering around in the same store, 5 stores later and you wasted an entire Saturday, and in the end they’ve decided not to getting anything at all and wait to see if anything else comes on sale...
Well the mission is a lot like dress shopping and am I grateful that I have had 4 lovely girls in my life teach me that principle.
Tuesday we had a great lesson with a new family and a pf, who has a brother in the mission and we were able to give her the first lesson and invite her to be baptized, her name is Pati. We then had the opportunity to meet with Alexander, the son of a less active in our ward he is super animado to read the Book of Mormon, but he didn’t end up coming to church. We then had the opportunity to meet with a reference from the Stake President, a family that we met with and they are progressing, all 3 of them! They came to church only missing the mother, she wasn’t able to make it. Everything was going good till we reached Friday for the baptism. We got there and there was still water in there from a month ago... so we tried to drain it and it wouldn’t drain. So we grabbed buckets and all day long draining cleaning and filled the baptism font. We then had a good baptism. His family backed out last minute, they didn’t want anything to do with it, threatened him up and down, but Joel came, and told them if they wanted to join him they could. They ended up coming, and it was a great baptism! The next day we did service in their bread shop and it was really good. Sunday he was confirmed a member and 4 people came to church.
La expierncia, es esta semena orando para strengthened my testimony in Jesus Christ. The spirit told me, “Who am I willing to follow?” How can we be willing to testify or know of Jesus Christ if were not willing to follow him? I hope that we can be humble enough to accept him as our Savior,
Elder Grow
Have you ever walked into a dress shop with 4 girls to go shopping? You walk to the first stand and there’s one, its perfect color size and it’s modest. They’ll take it off the rack try it on, walk out; they love it. You get all excited; yeah it’s time to leave! Then 40 min later of wandering around in the same store, 5 stores later and you wasted an entire Saturday, and in the end they’ve decided not to getting anything at all and wait to see if anything else comes on sale...
Well the mission is a lot like dress shopping and am I grateful that I have had 4 lovely girls in my life teach me that principle.
Tuesday we had a great lesson with a new family and a pf, who has a brother in the mission and we were able to give her the first lesson and invite her to be baptized, her name is Pati. We then had the opportunity to meet with Alexander, the son of a less active in our ward he is super animado to read the Book of Mormon, but he didn’t end up coming to church. We then had the opportunity to meet with a reference from the Stake President, a family that we met with and they are progressing, all 3 of them! They came to church only missing the mother, she wasn’t able to make it. Everything was going good till we reached Friday for the baptism. We got there and there was still water in there from a month ago... so we tried to drain it and it wouldn’t drain. So we grabbed buckets and all day long draining cleaning and filled the baptism font. We then had a good baptism. His family backed out last minute, they didn’t want anything to do with it, threatened him up and down, but Joel came, and told them if they wanted to join him they could. They ended up coming, and it was a great baptism! The next day we did service in their bread shop and it was really good. Sunday he was confirmed a member and 4 people came to church.
La expierncia, es esta semena orando para strengthened my testimony in Jesus Christ. The spirit told me, “Who am I willing to follow?” How can we be willing to testify or know of Jesus Christ if were not willing to follow him? I hope that we can be humble enough to accept him as our Savior,
Elder Grow
Monday, September 15, 2014
God loves a Champion and life lessons learned dress shopping….
God loves a Champion and life lessons learned dress shopping….
This week started off on Tuesday with a district meeting where comemos pizza for el first time in 1 year! Oh it was divine. Then we had a reunion de districto that went pretty good. Then on martes we, well... we walked all day... and continued to walk.
Wednesday we had a work visit from the other area, and he stayed up till 2 am, spilling a lot of stuff. I did what I could to help. We past the next day with a few lessons and then I called the President in the night. This other companionship was having problems.. (made my companionship look a lot better :) We all changed back the next day and planned for the week.
We taught Walter Ramirez who is reading the Book of Mormon but his wife doesn’t want to hear anything. He owns a little restaurant which is why he can’t come to church.
We taught the parents of Joel Ojeda. He is our baptism for this week. A joven who has 20 years, his parents aren’t married so they can’t be baptized, so that is why other missionaries never bothered teaching them. So now their 20 year old son wants to be baptized and the parents aren’t happy. So we passed by to teach them. They own a bread shop and we told them we would make bread for them this Saturday.
We then taught a less active that has 18 rueben ballacios. His family doesn’t want us to teach him. He is a great kid.
Then we stopped by a less active. She has 3 kids. One of 19 years that lives a part. They’ve never got along good, and she doesn’t even want him to listen to us. We invited him this last week and he’s super excited and preparing to be baptized this October.
Friday we had a capcatiacion were our Mission President changed my view. He said, “God Loves a Champion.” He said, not a winner but a champion. A BYU technical coordinator said that to him years ago, and it changed his opinion. He used a bunch of examples like Messi or Michael Jordan, it was like a half time football pep talk, and now I left with fire! Whoo! The rest of the day we didn’t have one lesson. But we are super excited! It made me think a lot about how I was raised (and with the exception of AP physics or calculus my senior year) quitting or 2nd place wasn’t an option. You always taught me to do my best and that’s what we are striving to turn around here along with focusing on the families, not baptizing little kids. The investigator has to come to all 3 hours of church for 3 times, AND make a donation, whether it is fast offerings, or another donation to help retain the converts. I first saw it as a really hard thing, but sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven, and we should see an increase in success.
The President, looking at the numbers, asked me and my companion how many less actives were in our ward, 800. So we are dividing the area, and 2 new missionaries are going to come! We spent the rest of the day looking for houses for them. The next day after finding nothing the entire zone came into our area looking for new houses and we still haven’t found anything for the new companionship.
The rest of that day we had a noche de hogar with a family with the smiley face. One of the 3 min lessons we do. We also found new people. That’s our biggest problem. We haven’t found any new people.
Sunday I gave a good talk in church, I thought it went well. We also stopped and gave a great lesson with Alexander.
My companion and I are doing great. I’m learning a lot personally with patience and helping instead of criticizing. For example he got up to a family in the street and just yelled “HEY CAN WE GIVE YOU A PAMPLET”... the percentage of the people that turn and run expecting a robbery is quite high ;) We are working on it. The other day we came back to our house at 830 and we walked through the door and I thought, “Wait, there’s some more time till 9”, so I asked if we could go back out. He’d already taken off his shirt and tie and was lying in bed so he said no. I prayed and asked again, and to my surprise he got up and left. So we started contacting a bunch of families and none of them were from our area but all 3 had family who were Mormons. It was a great experience. I’m learning a lot. My area is great, it’s just the weakest link is us finding new people. The scriptures say that the puretas de infierno estan abiertos, and I’m a testament of that because well IT’S SOO HOTT!!! It’s ridiculous, I’m leaving a dessert. The people here, they make me laugh, they told me, because of the heat earthquakes will start happening... I questioned them and they said it is it soooo hot that the earth tries to shake off the sweat, I am laughing because their logic makes no sense... until last night when we had a little tremor! They are not earthquakes per say but the earth just shakes a little. Enough that if you aren’t paying attention or looking at something you wouldn’t even feel it. Any way…So I think this week we are going to work really hard on finding families, pray for that, that the families will come. And remember, God loves a champion. The person who says winning isn’t important is a liar, because Satan has lost, and that’s why he’s struggling, because he doesn’t want to lose, No one does! But God loves a champion that struggles and that gets back up. Someone that in the final 3 seconds on the shot clock throws in the three, that tells his team give me the ball, I’ll do it. God loves the champion that with 30 seconds on the clock calls for the hike shotgun formation and throws the hail Mary for 100 yards. God love the champion that in the 120 minute divides the defense and pulls a chalakaka into the goal! God loves a champion that beaten bruised and has nothing left to give, falls on his knees a prays for more, thanks God for what he has and looks into his eyes and like Caleb the 90 year old Israelite in Joshua 14:12 says,
12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.
May we all say the same, Give ME THIS MOUTAIN, because the Lord WILL be with me.
Love you all and praying for you, it’s crazy here thousands of miles away to see the answers of my prayers and to look at how much you’re being blessed.
Elder Grow
This week started off on Tuesday with a district meeting where comemos pizza for el first time in 1 year! Oh it was divine. Then we had a reunion de districto that went pretty good. Then on martes we, well... we walked all day... and continued to walk.
Wednesday we had a work visit from the other area, and he stayed up till 2 am, spilling a lot of stuff. I did what I could to help. We past the next day with a few lessons and then I called the President in the night. This other companionship was having problems.. (made my companionship look a lot better :) We all changed back the next day and planned for the week.
We taught Walter Ramirez who is reading the Book of Mormon but his wife doesn’t want to hear anything. He owns a little restaurant which is why he can’t come to church.
We taught the parents of Joel Ojeda. He is our baptism for this week. A joven who has 20 years, his parents aren’t married so they can’t be baptized, so that is why other missionaries never bothered teaching them. So now their 20 year old son wants to be baptized and the parents aren’t happy. So we passed by to teach them. They own a bread shop and we told them we would make bread for them this Saturday.
We then taught a less active that has 18 rueben ballacios. His family doesn’t want us to teach him. He is a great kid.
Then we stopped by a less active. She has 3 kids. One of 19 years that lives a part. They’ve never got along good, and she doesn’t even want him to listen to us. We invited him this last week and he’s super excited and preparing to be baptized this October.
Friday we had a capcatiacion were our Mission President changed my view. He said, “God Loves a Champion.” He said, not a winner but a champion. A BYU technical coordinator said that to him years ago, and it changed his opinion. He used a bunch of examples like Messi or Michael Jordan, it was like a half time football pep talk, and now I left with fire! Whoo! The rest of the day we didn’t have one lesson. But we are super excited! It made me think a lot about how I was raised (and with the exception of AP physics or calculus my senior year) quitting or 2nd place wasn’t an option. You always taught me to do my best and that’s what we are striving to turn around here along with focusing on the families, not baptizing little kids. The investigator has to come to all 3 hours of church for 3 times, AND make a donation, whether it is fast offerings, or another donation to help retain the converts. I first saw it as a really hard thing, but sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven, and we should see an increase in success.
The President, looking at the numbers, asked me and my companion how many less actives were in our ward, 800. So we are dividing the area, and 2 new missionaries are going to come! We spent the rest of the day looking for houses for them. The next day after finding nothing the entire zone came into our area looking for new houses and we still haven’t found anything for the new companionship.
The rest of that day we had a noche de hogar with a family with the smiley face. One of the 3 min lessons we do. We also found new people. That’s our biggest problem. We haven’t found any new people.
Sunday I gave a good talk in church, I thought it went well. We also stopped and gave a great lesson with Alexander.
My companion and I are doing great. I’m learning a lot personally with patience and helping instead of criticizing. For example he got up to a family in the street and just yelled “HEY CAN WE GIVE YOU A PAMPLET”... the percentage of the people that turn and run expecting a robbery is quite high ;) We are working on it. The other day we came back to our house at 830 and we walked through the door and I thought, “Wait, there’s some more time till 9”, so I asked if we could go back out. He’d already taken off his shirt and tie and was lying in bed so he said no. I prayed and asked again, and to my surprise he got up and left. So we started contacting a bunch of families and none of them were from our area but all 3 had family who were Mormons. It was a great experience. I’m learning a lot. My area is great, it’s just the weakest link is us finding new people. The scriptures say that the puretas de infierno estan abiertos, and I’m a testament of that because well IT’S SOO HOTT!!! It’s ridiculous, I’m leaving a dessert. The people here, they make me laugh, they told me, because of the heat earthquakes will start happening... I questioned them and they said it is it soooo hot that the earth tries to shake off the sweat, I am laughing because their logic makes no sense... until last night when we had a little tremor! They are not earthquakes per say but the earth just shakes a little. Enough that if you aren’t paying attention or looking at something you wouldn’t even feel it. Any way…So I think this week we are going to work really hard on finding families, pray for that, that the families will come. And remember, God loves a champion. The person who says winning isn’t important is a liar, because Satan has lost, and that’s why he’s struggling, because he doesn’t want to lose, No one does! But God loves a champion that struggles and that gets back up. Someone that in the final 3 seconds on the shot clock throws in the three, that tells his team give me the ball, I’ll do it. God loves the champion that with 30 seconds on the clock calls for the hike shotgun formation and throws the hail Mary for 100 yards. God love the champion that in the 120 minute divides the defense and pulls a chalakaka into the goal! God loves a champion that beaten bruised and has nothing left to give, falls on his knees a prays for more, thanks God for what he has and looks into his eyes and like Caleb the 90 year old Israelite in Joshua 14:12 says,
12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.
May we all say the same, Give ME THIS MOUTAIN, because the Lord WILL be with me.
Love you all and praying for you, it’s crazy here thousands of miles away to see the answers of my prayers and to look at how much you’re being blessed.
Elder Grow
Monday, September 8, 2014
Putting Peanut Butter on Everything....
September 8, 2014
Hi family. I don’t have a lot of time to write you this week. I’ve been super busy typing up some forms. I am doing great. The city has stopped chocking me by the neck… Mostly because I’ve grown a second chin :) Ha! Not really. I actually the same still I think. I GOT YOUR PACKAGE. If you’ve lived with me 18 yrs. you guys have figured it out… but my companion walked in and stating the obvious... “you’re a boob”. :) Of course I am. I INDULGED myself in peanut butter! I’ve put it over everything and rice :) Ha Ha!
This week has been a little tough. My companion has never worked so hard in his life, he says, and were contacting like crazy going up and down and walking all day. Very few families are letting us in but it’s great to have some. We have a fecha for this Friday! Joel Ojeda. His parents aren’t supporting him, and we haven’t had time to talk to them much yet, but he’ll be baptized. My district is great. My companion... he’s wonderful. He just gets mad at me for every little thing. It’s been a great learning experience on patience and love.
I am reading a lot about repentance and I’ve had a lot to do this week... no I’m not referring to the repentance of eating all the peanut butter. But it’s going good. I hope that I can write you all letters soon. Your package will be coming! I can see clearly now for the first time in 100 year with that glass cleaner :) and I’m having a blast.
I haven’t taken many photos but I’ll try for some more. I love you all!
Elder Grow
Hi family. I don’t have a lot of time to write you this week. I’ve been super busy typing up some forms. I am doing great. The city has stopped chocking me by the neck… Mostly because I’ve grown a second chin :) Ha! Not really. I actually the same still I think. I GOT YOUR PACKAGE. If you’ve lived with me 18 yrs. you guys have figured it out… but my companion walked in and stating the obvious... “you’re a boob”. :) Of course I am. I INDULGED myself in peanut butter! I’ve put it over everything and rice :) Ha Ha!
This week has been a little tough. My companion has never worked so hard in his life, he says, and were contacting like crazy going up and down and walking all day. Very few families are letting us in but it’s great to have some. We have a fecha for this Friday! Joel Ojeda. His parents aren’t supporting him, and we haven’t had time to talk to them much yet, but he’ll be baptized. My district is great. My companion... he’s wonderful. He just gets mad at me for every little thing. It’s been a great learning experience on patience and love.
I am reading a lot about repentance and I’ve had a lot to do this week... no I’m not referring to the repentance of eating all the peanut butter. But it’s going good. I hope that I can write you all letters soon. Your package will be coming! I can see clearly now for the first time in 100 year with that glass cleaner :) and I’m having a blast.
I haven’t taken many photos but I’ll try for some more. I love you all!
Elder Grow
Monday, September 1, 2014
Yours truly, sincerely lost, out of country, not a city man, too big for the taxis...
September 1, 2014
The things I could tell you this week!
They took me out of norte chicho!, I’ve had one solid, glorious year of farms and mountains, and the happy life AND they put me IN THE BIGGEST CITY IN ALL OF SOUTH AMERICA! (also for you history buffs it’s the 2nd biggest city built in a desert next to Egypt)
We went to changes and sitting with my companion… it was probably the last thing I wanted to do… leave, and probably and the furthest thing from my mind …. but they called me to be district leader of Ventanilla. and even more of a shock when they put me with a fairly new elder from Argentina, and EVEN more of a surprise when I went to hug him and he planted a kiss on my face, AND EVEN MORE of a surprise when he started talking and it sounded something like this… “ sho me shamo elder maldonado shamos a shegar la areshea de ventanishhhsa sha?...... “
Sometimes God has a sense of humor.
This first week was passed getting to know the new area getting to know the people. consejo de rama renuinones for lideres. I’ve realized through all of it I unrighteously supposed that I wanted to be called to be an Elder over other elders, now I have quickly been humbled and informed it is not like that for God. I have a lot to learn, it’s a huge huge huge change for me, being in Lima. Its... it’s going to defiantly be a different mission now. It really is a totally different mission. My companion comes from Argentina and they speak Spanish differently. I don’t even understand him, but he is a great kid. We live with an old grandma who always wants to serve me breakfast or etc.
Sunday we passed the whole day in capactiaion with the President, Bishop Davies, and Elder Uceda. We were in the same chruch Elder Uceda was baptized in 42 years ago, what a powerful testimony. It really is gonna be a great change.
But I’m doing great!
Yours truly, sincerely lost, out of country, not a city man, too big for the taxis,
Elder Grow ;)
Ok, I got a joke for you.
I’ts a killer here in Peru.
The prophet went to visit the pope the other day. He offered him some Brazilian coffee the prophet with a smile declined. The pope surprised said you don’t drink coffee. The prophet politely explained the word of wisdom. The pope than brought the finest wine from Italy. Also declined. The pope astounded informed the prophet if he didn’t drink coffee or wine he had never lived.
The prophet carried a polite conversation on a little longer than got a phone call and informed the pope he had to go. The pope confused asked him where he’s heading. He told him his wife had called and she needed him. The pope shocked asked YOU HAVE A WIFE. The prophet smiling as he closed the door, What you don’t have a wife? Oh friend you have never lived :)
The things I could tell you this week!
They took me out of norte chicho!, I’ve had one solid, glorious year of farms and mountains, and the happy life AND they put me IN THE BIGGEST CITY IN ALL OF SOUTH AMERICA! (also for you history buffs it’s the 2nd biggest city built in a desert next to Egypt)
We went to changes and sitting with my companion… it was probably the last thing I wanted to do… leave, and probably and the furthest thing from my mind …. but they called me to be district leader of Ventanilla. and even more of a shock when they put me with a fairly new elder from Argentina, and EVEN more of a surprise when I went to hug him and he planted a kiss on my face, AND EVEN MORE of a surprise when he started talking and it sounded something like this… “ sho me shamo elder maldonado shamos a shegar la areshea de ventanishhhsa sha?...... “
Sometimes God has a sense of humor.
This first week was passed getting to know the new area getting to know the people. consejo de rama renuinones for lideres. I’ve realized through all of it I unrighteously supposed that I wanted to be called to be an Elder over other elders, now I have quickly been humbled and informed it is not like that for God. I have a lot to learn, it’s a huge huge huge change for me, being in Lima. Its... it’s going to defiantly be a different mission now. It really is a totally different mission. My companion comes from Argentina and they speak Spanish differently. I don’t even understand him, but he is a great kid. We live with an old grandma who always wants to serve me breakfast or etc.
Sunday we passed the whole day in capactiaion with the President, Bishop Davies, and Elder Uceda. We were in the same chruch Elder Uceda was baptized in 42 years ago, what a powerful testimony. It really is gonna be a great change.
But I’m doing great!
Yours truly, sincerely lost, out of country, not a city man, too big for the taxis,
Elder Grow ;)
Ok, I got a joke for you.
I’ts a killer here in Peru.
The prophet went to visit the pope the other day. He offered him some Brazilian coffee the prophet with a smile declined. The pope surprised said you don’t drink coffee. The prophet politely explained the word of wisdom. The pope than brought the finest wine from Italy. Also declined. The pope astounded informed the prophet if he didn’t drink coffee or wine he had never lived.
The prophet carried a polite conversation on a little longer than got a phone call and informed the pope he had to go. The pope confused asked him where he’s heading. He told him his wife had called and she needed him. The pope shocked asked YOU HAVE A WIFE. The prophet smiling as he closed the door, What you don’t have a wife? Oh friend you have never lived :)
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