6/20/16 Keep the Sabbath Day Holy

I'm not entirely sure why church is so late.  Normally when there's more than one ward in the building one of the meetings is a little later but they wouldn't have an 11-2 church because lunch is so important.  I would think it would start about 2 but they have it for 3 for some reason. It's kind of easier for investigators because the culture here in Peru is such that all the ladies go and buy the families food especially meats (because they do not like frozen foods) every morning around 9 -11 in the market and then cook that food from 11:30 or 1 everyday. If we tell them church is from 9-12 they say, "but when am I going to buy my food and cook?"  So 3:00 is good. That also makes keeping the Sabbath holy a slow process for some people around here.

The area South America Northwest Presidency, Elder Uceda and Elder Godoy and Elder Montoya have made an area plan and are instructing all of the members to implement it in their families. It has the basic focuses of youth, being self sufficient, and keeping our ordinances. Under youth it has the two bullet points of 1) youth are to raise the number of students in seminary and institute, and 2) raise the number of young men serving in full time missions.  Under being self sufficient is 1) to better keep the Sabbath Day and 2) raise the number of full tithe payers.  Under ordinances is 1) raise the number members participating in family history and 2) raise the number of members participating in ordinances such as baptism, confirmation, sealing etc.

I was asked to give a talk on Sunday about temples so I focused on what the area plan was, specifically the third portion of ordinances and just after me they said there has been a change of plans the third talk will be given by the second councilor in the stake presidency to explain the area plan. It had not been explained yet in the ward so that was pretty cool, I think he was pretty happy because I had spoken about that when no one had told me to.

J___ D______ and E______ are doing well. The district is good but there's lots we have to do better still so we're getting that going. Tomorrow we have a meeting with our mission president (the last one) President Archibald.

To his dad:

Happy Fathers Day!! I hope things are going great there.

That sounds like my time in Pativilca it was a tiny area and I was there 6 months.  (Brad was telling him about a missionary in our ward that had been here 6 months and how Brad was teasing that they had knocked on the same doors over and over that they actually call him by name now... no, Elder so and so, we are still not interested haha)

I didn't fully catch the rule with the temple.. but here if you baptize a couple and they go to the temple to get sealed the missionaries who baptized them can go to the temple with them. Anyway, thanks for everything I hope you've had a good father's day and everything goes well at the reunion.