03/23/2015 Chad gets Transferred!

We got the March Liahona and I was looking through it and came to the last part: a part of the talk "Built upon the Rock" by Orson F. Whitney who was talking about continual revelation and how that is the difference between the church of Christ and a mere sect. He mentioned some kind of cleric who had attended one of our sacrament meetings and criticized our manner of partaking of the sacrament of the holy supper, specifically our use of water, citing that Christ instituted the sacrament among the apostles with wine, as recorded in the Bible. One might also cite The Book of Mormon as Christ so instituted the ordinance among the Nephites whom he visited, or The Book of Mormon as He also so instituted through the prophet Joseph in these recent centuries, even going so far as to reveal what sort of wine we are to use (of our own make), however as Orson F. Whitney said, what Christ told the apostles in Jerusalem, or what he said to the Nephites 2 Milennia ago or even what he said to  the saints 150 years ago (one could also add what he said to Orson F. Whitney, an apostle and revelator of the Lord, 100 years ago) does not have any force at all in this day unless it agrees with what He instructs us through His prophets in this day. He also says there is no book good enough or big enough to direct His church. So as general conference is coming we ought to give careful attention to what the chosen prophets, seers, and revelators (the others blessed to carry the title 'elder') today have to tell us.

(I told Chad that his friend, Kelsey turned in her mission papers) Oh wow, really? That's awesome! tell her felicidades!

¿Michael quiere ser un abogado? People sometimes ask me what I'm studying in college (they start college at about 17 here so they expect me to have already started) and what I plan to do and I just say I don't know yet I'm just going to enjoy the time I don't have to worry about it.

We didn't get to see Y______ this week but it should be interesting for Elder Diaz, as I am being transferred!  I spent Pday packing and will leave for Lima tonight. I don't know where I'll be going. We'll see. nos vemos. los amo 

Our pentionist (the lady who makes lunch for us) made me an awesome beanie and my companion and I decided to make mini pizzas the other night so there's that haha

As a zone we got soccer jerseys (they went with Colombian ones) I am not really sure why they went with Colombian jersey's but it's something the zones do kind of often so maybe they got bored of Peruvian ones, I'm not sure. 

(I asked him, jokingly, if he was going to miss his PINK walls)  I'm not sure about the pink walls but the cool nights yes!  It is freaking hot there! My trainer emailed me and says that hace un caloraso alla...

(I asked him if he knew he was getting transferred yesterday and if he got to say good bye to everyone.)  

I officially found out this morning but I did say goodbye just in case last night to some recent converts. I think the bishop realized I was leaving since he gave me an assignment to give a talk just before sacrament meeting yesterday.

To his dad: (Brad was suggesting he go and get his shoes resoled because last week he told us he had holes in them due to all the rain)

Well it's the inside of the sole that really got messed up, and well they've told me there is not a single other zone in the mission where it rains, it just mists in some places, so I've held off on purchasing rain protection, especially since I'm leaving Huaraz today.

(Brad told him about his brand new phone falling off the roof of his car and being run over my several cars on the freeway) Oh wow sorry about the phone haha in reading that short story I heard you voice say "ahh Brad!" hahaha and then Dallin's voice mimicking it

What did Alex teach on, what section? Glad to hear about Brady, I hope the doctor lets him. I hope Larsen has a fun time at the beach with you guys... (after being on an island for 2 years but not able to get in the water)

It sure sounds like a fun time at home with so many people visiting!

te agradezco y, te amo. nos vemos pops

03/16/15 Completing Families!

We're definitely looking hard for those who are ready to hear the gospel and are finding some. Last night we were knocking doors and an older woman, Y______, who invited us in and showed us some pictures of her late husband, among which was one of him in white baptismal clothes with the missionaries and another in which he is in the hospital with Parkinson's  She has not been baptized so we will work with her now. 

Holland is 1? Wow, yes she's adorable!

With whom did Ariel get engaged?

The S____ family had to go out of town again. A lot of people (especially fathers) have to go out of town for work which can be frustrating. Every few days it pours for a little bit but otherwise it is sunny. Pday is good and our food is great. Money is fine. Most of the clothes are fine other than that there is now a hole in the pants of my gray suit, I have no idea how I got the hole in it, it seems to have worn thin but I don't know how. I also have some holes on the inside of the sole of one of my pairs of shoes from getting filled up with water. My companion has a few EFY songs on a usb and they are majorly in English so he sometimes asks me to translate it haha. How was Sam's talk? nos vemos gracias por todo love you

PS This is a picture of our district from last transfer that my ZL just sent me 

To his dad: (Brad was telling Chad that we got 22 tickets to the Saturday afternoon session of Conference and that we are taking our Young Women)

22 tickets to Conference? Wow, that's quite a few. Yes, we get to attend all of the sessions if I remember right and I'm excited. I love general conference. (Brad was telling him something about the sealing powers) Tell me what grandpa says, that's an interesting question. Thank you for the exhortation.

So I've been helping my companion to learn English and it's funny when I have to explain things like "well brethren is the plural for brother but it's an old word, except if you're talking about prophets and apostles, otherwise we say brothers" 

anyway love you chao

03/09/15 We Change Because of Him, For Him!

A boy? Awesome! Do they have name ideas they're thinking of?  That is awesome that the Brady's are coming to Peru, what made them decide to come here? Well, you can tell them that I don't think I had any altitude sickness, well actually I do feel some altitude sickness when I go down to Lima but when I came up here, no. Although we don't usually choose to go for a run for our morning exercises because you can get a little winded here. I'm sure if they're going to Huaraz they'll end up in my area for a bit because I guess there are some ruins at the top of Wilcahuain here (but the place is closed on Mondays so of course we haven't been). 

Things are going well with my companion although he still laughs that I like oatmeal, they hate it around here except as a drink, they just don't know how to flavor it haha. 

Brother V_____ is about 68 years old if I'm not mistaken. the bishop and some others went to give him the sacrament Sunday before this past one, but otherwise they're not really too involved.  We didn't have ward council yesterday because it was stake conference or we would have mentioned it. Our Mission President was invited to our Stake Conference and spoke in one of the meetings, he spoke on comparing the missionaries being set apart with the vow of a Nazarite: from important but small rules like that a Nazarite could not so much as touch a grape (numbers 6) to the sacrifice of not attending the funeral of a loved one. At the normal Sunday session he taught lesson 1 (the restoration) which wasn't what I was expecting but it was good. The S____ family came back from travelling so we're excited to work with them this week.

One person we met this week, named J____, who has problems with alcohol, during the whole of the lesson was at the point of crying and kept saying "I want to change, I'm ready to change. for Him" pointing to an image he has of Christ in his room. I could see Godly sorrow in him, that he said as his only reason to want to change, "for Him" is something we can definitely learn in our lives: to love Him enough to desire to change.

chao, les amo

To his dad:  (Pres. Brady had told Brad that he wanted to get a beanie like one that Chad had on in a previous picture)

I'm not sure if you can see it in the pictures so let him know that most of the beanies like that have Huaraz written on them haha maybe he'd like that. Did you tell him how to pronounce it? Some recent converts J______ and J______ (the ones who got married) are working as tour guides around here in Huaraz so maybe he'll come across them. 

(Chad's friend - a Priest in our ward - told Brad that Chad sure did look happy) That Tanner employed the word actually sounds like he's surprised haha do I not usually look happy? If not, maybe I ought to work on that, at least for the sake of the investigators because I surely am!

Who was baptized? Sounds like the ward will have grown when I get back. Que vayan todos, con planes asi, sin problema al Peru. Chao y gracias por animarme siempre

03/02/15 God's Ways Are Not Always Our Ways

Neither Z----- nor B------ were home when we attempted to visit them, however, we've gone to visit a sister in the ward every morning for quite a few days.  Her husband has been bed-ridden for a couple years (I'm still a little unsure of what the problem is but I guess he has a benign tumor in his head and though it was operated on, it wasn't treated fully) and being stuck in his bed has some problems on his back including a fair sized umm hole in his lower back. The wife has learned how to clean it and all, but needs help to lift him and move him onto his side, both to clean it as well as change his diaper. Of recent he hasn't been eating, in fact when we first went to help him last week she said he hadn't eaten in about 3 weeks! But today he did eat a potato and something called chocho (not sure what it would be called in English) puree. This past Thursday after we helped, we sang with them his favorite hymn "Grande Eres Tu" (how great thou art) and although he can barely speak you could see him singing along, especially in the chorus and the faith which both he and his wife have continued. Above his bed, to his side, is a picture of the two of them outside the temple after their sealing a few years ago. And above the back of his bed is a painting of Christ pulling up a lame man to his feet, holding that man's hand in the same way I hold this Victo Marzal's hand as I ask him how his morning is or when keeping him from ripping his wife's hand away from cleaning and treating his back. I can see in them that God's ways are not our ways and a loss of faith does not simply come from a difficult time. We're working on moving this work over to the members, having spoken about him in ward council yesterday, because this of course is a great opportunity in the manner of service for the ward. 

We are always searching for someone to teach. I'm healthy and of course I'm happy: I've been enlisted in the great work of salvation (as have we all).  Today was companionship pday so we mostly cleaned the room, went to buy some necessities and stuff and we played some chess and so forth.  We have some preparation days which we do as a zone, some as a district, and the others just as a companionship (and in the last meeting with the president he told us we are not to meet up with other missionaries on the companionship ones). 

This Wednesday we had a meeting with the mission president at which he, as always, started by saying "Well what are we going to study today?" holding his very visibly studied scriptures. Some of the questions brought up were regarding the spirit world, Alma's explanation is somewhat unclear. So president too us to section 138 of the Doctrine and Covenants, it is much more clear in explaining of such than anywhere else in the scriptures.  It also includes that Christ was unable to visit those who had rejected the words of the prophets and are in prison and that he organized his forces or set up missions with those in Paradise to go and teach them. It also explains that the time there is a further time of probation, it will not be much clearer to those there (in spirit prison) what is the truth and what not, much like here in regards to the same ministry done here and there. 

love you. chao 

And to his dad:  

Now we be emailing around 3:30 or 4 pm.  I have seen that Priesthood blessings are the thing asked of us most around here: much of the time, even when there is a father in the home with the Priesthood because they have to be away for work not just during the day but for days at a time... sometimes the whole weekend.  That is a difficulty within the church and the work centered on finding and helping families to come unto Christ, equally. I know that we have been blessed with the real Priesthood of God which can truly heal. love you too!  Thanks for everything. nos vemos

02/23/15 Polygamy? Not.

It hasn't rained as much as usual, nor been overly cold, it's sunny and a little hot at the moment. The week was pretty good other than being gone from our are from Sunday night until Tuesday night doing immigrations in Lima. The sisters of our district helped a couple to get married and baptized them afterward. Z_____ wasn't able to be there when we attempted to visit him. We've majorly been contacting this week so not a great deal to tell about but for the first time in Peru I've been asked about polygamy by a professor of a nearby college.  We contacted at her home and now she's been reading The Book of Mormon since we contacted her. She says her husband doesn't want to talk to us so I'm not sure how that will go. Well as far as giving Jason my address... I guess you can see what it's like to try to contact because rarely are there house numbers, so I'm going to say that we live in the city Huaraz about four blocks up the street Wilcahuain and down a small side street in the second of three stories of a white apartment building... good luck to him finding us!  Today for Pday we played some soccer and then we went to get our hair cut. We went to a barber shop and a nice Jehova's Witness cut it, she gave us some of their little magazine things in Quechua which was cool, haha.

Me wearing Elder Diaz's sunglasses...
Thanks for everything!  I love you!  Chao

Chad's email to his dad:

I got your package, thank you! And I got the chance to explain dance cards to my companion haha. That's great with the plaques (Chad's plaque is finally up!). Well the number you could give Jason is _________ but I don't know where he'd take us to lunch within our area haha. I hope I can help him feel the Spirit as well. That's pretty cool that Dirk is Bishop too haha Well anyway thanks for all your prayers and help, of course.
love you, chao