Week 54: Miracles and Saying Goodbye

Well another good week has gone by. I hope you all had a great week too!

I forgot to mention last week that one of my exercise bands snapped. I used the good old square knot to make it usable but it's still a little bit shorter than before. Looks like boy sports paid off. At least I still got my other ones.

On Tuesday we picked up hermano Elber so he could be the goalie for Pueblo Libre's young men soccer team for the stake competition going on. He played well and blocked a lot of shots. Pueblo Libre beat Jordan 1-0 so looks like we'll be moving on! Hermano David also came and he's going to receive the Melchizedek priesthood in the next stake conference! Hermana Bethsaida, who helped translate for him while we were teaching is his girlfriend and they're planning on getting married. David also walked us through his job in detail and even showed us a video. He works at the meat plant where he cuts up and removes meat from animal carcasses. He also has to kill a bunch of animals and he walked through how he kills pigs really fast while they're tied up. I love him so much and I'm so happy to see him continue in the church. The other young men quickly accepted Elber and he's making friends too! We walked him home and his mom gave us some anticucho, which is cow heart on a stick.

On Wednesday we had a really cool experience, which was honestly a miracle. Well, we had put our friend Maria on date twice last year, once in November and the other for the end of January, but both of those fell. We got her on date in the first place because we testified hard with the spirit to overcome her fears butthe next day that would come right back. She feared she didn't know enough, wanted to learn more, and felt that others were going to make fun of her. We kind of lost contact with her a little bit before Christmas and then reestablished it this past week. Last week we reviewed everything we had taught her and planned on reteaching the gospel of Jesus Christ today. I made a goal that we were going to put her on date for February again, despite knowing she was probably going to say no again and we'd have to testify and tell her that if she keeps all the commitments we give her by that date she'll be ready. We ran a little late with a lesson with Javier so hermana Martha and her mom Maria were already chatting with Maria. (Haha, Martha, Mary, and Mary just like the New Testament) We taught her faith and repentance and Martha and Maria were very helpful. Then we got to baptism. I asked her to explain what she remembered about baptism and when she finished she said something along the lines of, "...and if it's God's will I'll do it." I didn't belive what I heard so I asked her to see if she remembered what exactly we do when we're baptized and she didn't so we explained that. Then hermana Martha popped the question and invited her to be baptized. Then Maria (member) said, "Let's figure out a date," I thought they were going to figure it all out just between the 3 of them without consulting us. Then Maria said she used to have fears about it but that the way I explained it over all of our lessons with her helped her change her point of view. I guess all that testifying paid off. The spirit was strong and we put her on date for Feb 11! I'm confident she'll actually go through with this one.

On Thrusday we went up to see Marissa and her siblings. We ended up teaching her about baptism in a rather smelly kitchen. I explained what baptism was and showed a video but she still wasn't understanding. Then I felt the prompting to let Elder Ochoa explain it. He pretty much shared the same thing I was saying but then she understood it. I don't know if it was my spanish or the Holy Ghost finally had enough with me and told me to shut up. She accepted our invitation to be baptized but we couldn't put her on date yet because her parents were busy. We did tell Elber that he could baptize her because he's 16, and he accepted too.

On Friday I went on exchanges with Elder Sánchez in Esperanza. Just like old times. We had a few lessons with some children who have a lot of potential to progress who want to learn. After dinner we had a lesson their friend Elizabeth. Normally her brother and Sister are there too to teach but it was only her this time. Perfect time to teach the law of chastity, since she and her "husband" aren't married. We started off by teaching about baptism, which she accepted when we invited her. We then explained the law of chastity and the importance of marriage. She surprised us and told us that she had talked with her husband about that a little and said that he said that if she wanted to get married, they could do it, and that he's interested to listen to us! That surprised me a lot but Elder Sánchez was sososososo happy and excited he couldn't contain it! He put her on date and we skipped all the way home. We also got some anticucho (cow heart on a stick) because a major step was about to be made that is such a huge impediment to baptism. Now if only this could happen with my friends in Pueblo Libre. We May have stayed up a little too late betting on what's going to happen in the zone with the next transfer and playing risk until 1-:--

On Saturday our companions came up a little early to play a little more risk before finishing the exchange and I finally won with a secret mission. It looks like they didn't have the most successful day in Pueblo Libre like we did in Esperanza because all their lessons got canceled. But afterwards we had a few good lessons and went up to see Marissa, Elber, and Herli. Marissa wasn't there and Elber was sick so we just read 1 Nephi 8 with her in the Book of Mormon and had the opportunity to talk to her dad a little bit. We asked about Marissa's decision to be baptized and apparently my comp and I heard 2 different things. I heard that she can but that he wants her to learn more and simple that in a few years when she's more sure she can be baptized. Elder Ochoa heard that she can and that after she learns just a little bit more she can be baptized soon. I hope that my Ochoa's interpretación of it was correct. Maybe it's just that I've heard the response that I heard so many times from parents I just assume that's what they mean.

On Sunday we saw Eymi, Maria, Marissa, Javier, as well as Diego and Victoria Goycochea come to church. First time ever I've hit my church attendance goal! We got Elber, Herli, and Marissa all to their classes and they seem to be making friends. After that we visited some members and went to a noche hogar with the elder's quorum president, Vanner Vera. We talked about the mission with him and his wife and they fed us some pollo la braza for dinner. That's when we got the transfer call and learned that I'm going to Huanchaco, which is the beach area of Trujillo. I'm going to be DL again and my comp will be Elder Larkin, an American who's been in Peru for only one transfer. But nooo! Even though I've been here 4 transfers already I kind of wanted to stay here one more to properly say goodbye to people, train Elder Ochoa, and see our friends follow through on baptism. But whereever the Lord needs me is where I'll go.

We switched our pday to Tuesday so I had monday to say goodbye to people. I took photos with most of them that you can see below. Man I didn't realize it was going to be this hard to leave an area, but I guess I was here 6 months. We passed by Elber, Herli, and Marissa and put Marissa on date for the 18th of Feb! We might move it up a week because Maria doesn't want to get baptised alone. We'll just be working do that Elber can be ready to baptize her. We're also going to try to put Adrian on date tomorrow. Wow we finally put 3 people on date and I get transfered. Saying goodbye to a lot of the members and having an impromptu noche hogar with la familia Cieza almost brought me to tears though.

On Tuesday for pday we went to the Trujillo Botanical Garden. We rode in the bus for 40 minutes both ways and looked at some cool plants and animals. We ate lunch at a chifa restaurant and played some Risk afterwards.

Well an era in my mission has come to an end, but I'm looking forward to what the future holds. Have a fantastic week everybody!

Elder Jensen

Here are most of the photos from saying goodbye to members. I'll get the rest in the email next week. I'll put the pday ones in a second email today.

1. Familia Cieza

2. Hermana Yovana (veterinaria)

3. Hermano Veronica

4. Familia Cieza

5. Hermano Hugo (He never did get baptized)

6. Familia Araujo

7. Familia Tufinio (minus hermano Tufinio)

8. Hermana Virginia

9. Familia Zapata