Week 78 - Huaraz

My last week here in my area in Huaraz was a great week. We started off the week last Monday with an awesome family home evening. We were super busy all week with activities, and we ended the week with transfers.
Last Monday, we had a family home evening in a member´s house with a less active member and her daughter, an investigator, that we have been teaching. We watched a little Mormon message about our Savior then we got to talk a little bit about the plan of salvation. It was awesome to see how their faith grew as we talked with them. As we learn more about the plan of happiness and as we learn more about how our Savior can help us we get filled with hope that drives us to put our faith into action. We got to visit these two sisters Friday and they told us that they are reading the Book of Mormon and are praying more. It is so awesome to see people progress in the gospel.
This week when it started to rain one night we felt like we should knock on a door close to our apartment. A young lady opened the door and was really nice, but told us to come back another day. Then came her mom and she let us enter their house. As we finished the lesson I saw a blue book of their shelf. We asked them if we could see it, and we realized it was an older Book of Mormon. The missionaries had taught them a while ago. I sure hope this is their time to progress.
This last week I got to go to Caraz one last time on Friday for an exchange. It was awesome to go back again.
This last Saturday we got to have an activity in our church here in Huaraz. It was an open house and we had a ton of success. It was awesome to work with the members. One of our converts came as well with her cousin and her friend to show them the church. It was a super fun evening. It is so cool to see how we teach people and after a few months they are teaching their family and friends and inviting them to activities. (here is a blog where there are pictures from our activity) gngwhitney.blogspot.pe
Last night we got the transfer call for our zone. There's lots of transfers in the mission this time. I am going to be leaving Huaraz to go to Chimbote. I am sad to be leaving, but I'm grateful that I was able to come back here and serve here. Its such a neat place and the people here are awesome. I am excited to go to Chimbote. It is a city on the coast. The fishing industry is very big there and parts smell really fishy. It´s going to be an adventure. I am excited for this new transfer. It´s going to be a great week.

Week 77 - Huaraz

One more great week here in Huaraz has come to an end. This week we got to teach quite a few people, and we were super busy all week long.
This last week we got to visit a man named Esteban. He is passing through a few trials in his family, but he has a very sincere desire to change in order to help his family. We got to watch a little mormon message with him this week about how having faith in Christ can help us overcome our weaknesses. It was great to see a little flame of faith in him and see the hope that he has now. We also got to talk a little bit about the gospel with him. As we talked he was very interested, and it is awesome to see the sincere desire he has to change. I know the gospel will help him and his family.
This week we also got to visit a less active member with her daughter that is recently getting to know the church. We got to share with them the message of the restoration and it went very well. We realized that they have a few doubts, but we know that as they develop their own testimonies of the restoration their doubts will disappear.
The missionary department has changed a few things in the past few months to help us to better be able to focus on our purpose as missionaries. We have more time to find and teach people now, and I have really learned the importance of living the doctrine of Christ. It is the only way that we can have eternal life.
Today for p-day, as a zone, we went to Llanganuco. It was so awesome. It was my second time going. We had a great time, took some great pictures, and enjoyed getting a breath of fresh air outside of the city.
I know that this is the work of the Lord. I know that as we live the principles of the gospel and receive the ordinances we can overcome our weaknesses, be strengthened, and have eternal life.

me and huascarán

p-day today. by the Laguna Llanganuco

Llanganuco

Week 76 - Huaraz

Monday, February 13, 2017

This week was a super busy week. We had people to teach almost all week, so that was great. I got to spend some time with a few other missionaries in the zone and it was awesome to get to know them a little bit more.
Hermana Fiorela has been progressing pretty well. In the beginning of last week she had a few doubts about the Book of Mormon and wasn't really super excited about reading it. We did get to visit her this last Friday, however, and we read 1 Nephi 1 with her and as we read we let her meditate a little bit about what we were reading. In the end of the lesson we asked her if she felt like what we had read was true. She told us that she thought it was true, so we invited her to keep reading and to pray so that she could KNOW it. We will see this week how it is going.
We also got to teach Hermano Franklin a little bit this week. When we are with him and teach him it seems like he is going to make the decision to go to church and live the gospel, but he hasn't been able to progress a whole lot. I'm definitely learning patience.
Yesterday was so awesome at church. I was kind of disappointed that our investigators didn't come to church, but when we were sitting in the sacrament meeting one less active sister showed up with her daughter that's not a member yet. We got to know them a little bit this past week and we invited them to church. We were pretty happy to see that they came. We also got to go teach them after church with a few members and they are pretty excited, so we are looking forward to helping them progress even more this week. The Lord is always preparing people that can and will progress.
This last Saturday I got to go back to Caraz to help them with their open house that they had in their casa capilla (they use an office building as their church for now) it was great to see the members there and be with the missionaries there for a little while. It seems like just yesterday I was serving there.
I am grateful for the mission and for all that I am learning. I know that our Heavenly Father always wants us to progress and learn. I know that this time in the mission is so important, and that the message of the restoration of the gospel is true.

our zone a few weeks ago during a training

Week 75 - Huaraz

This last week was a really busy week. It was kind of tough because we weren't able to teach a lot of our investigators that had been progressing, but we were able to meet a lot of new people this week. The work of the Lord is never frustrated.
Last Monday one member family invited us to their family home evening and they invited one of their friends, so that was super awesome. Their friend´s name is Hermana Fiorela. She has been progressing a little bit this week, and has started to read the Book of Mormon. It is such a blessing to have good members who are willing to help us.
This week we actually found a family with the help of a dog. It was pretty interesting. We were walking in the street in the night and a big rottweiler came up to me, and I wasn't sure if it was super nice or if it wanted to chase me off. I stopped to make sure the dog was not going to do anything to me, then a lady told me from her doorstep that the dog is really nice and that it just wants to play. We went over to talk to the lady, and we talked a little bit about her dog. Then we got to know her a little bit and the next day we got to go visit her and her family. It turns out that her mother in law lost her mom about a month ago and her ten year old daughter lost her friend this past week. The Lord puts us right where we need to be to help people know his plan.
This week we also found another new family. They had never talked with the missionaries before, but the daughter has a friend who is a member, and he has been a great example to them. The mom told us that she was very impressed with this young man, and they were really willing to learn from us. This week we are going to have a family home evening with them. I am very grateful that that young man has been a good example.
This week we had the visit of President Rios, Sister Rios, and the assistants here in Huaraz. They taught us a lot of great things and we had interviews with them as well. Of my favorite things that I learned from President Rios was that repenting is depending on Christ. When we depend on Christ we repent. My interviews with President and Sister Rios were great as well. They always are making sure that we are doing well and help us to progress spiritually.
I'm grateful for the many blessings that I have been given. I know that The Gospel blesses families and that through the principles and ordinances we can find peace and happiness in this life and receive eternal life.

Huascaran

Im not sure what Elder Torres is doing haha he is a character! the mountain in the background is Huascaran. its famous

pics we took today on the roof of our apartment.