Week 85: Back to the Concrete Jungle
Hello todos!
On Wednesday we woke up and waited rather uncomfortably for transfer news to arrive. Up until last week I was feeling that I would be staying and Elder Cordova would be going, but all of Tuesday I couldn't shake the feeling that I would be the one going. And then we got the news and sure enough, I was being transferred and Elder Cordova was staying. I started to pack my things and we had a great comp study to finish out the exchange. We set up some lessons to say goodbye to people. I was able to call hermano Larry to say goodbye, but wasn't able to get a photo with him. But we also passed by Anthony and Lourdes again. We watched a video about Jesus Christ and I started crying a bit during my testimony. I'll miss them a lot and hope that they cam get married so hno Anthony can get baptized. After that we said goodbye to hermana Joysse and I wrote to say goodbye to hermano Enzo. To finish we passed by hermano Carlos, Suguey, Tiago, and Renzo. I gave my last testimony to them and felt the spirit strongly. I'll keep praying for them and hope they'll get baptized before I go home. After that lesson I started to cry again because I felt a genuine love for these people and didn't want to leave them. That night we got together as a district and with some members from Ascope and went to a wings restaurant. I tried a very hot pepper and suffered for it. I ordered some bbq wings which were pretty good.
In the morning I finished packing and said goodbye to hermana Dianr and Presidente Rivas. I brought my things out if the apartment and we went to Chocope with the district, because all areas had transfers. The bus was running late from Guadalupe so we talked for quite a bit. Finally the bus arrived so we loaded everything up and I sat next to Elder Huaman on the bus and I lent my speaker so we could listen to music while we traveled. We got to the offices and unloaded all the bags. Presidente Hiatt started putting companionships together as they arrived but necer came over to me so I didn't know what to expect. It got to the point where I had a pretty strong feeling about where I was going and who would be my comp, because they were among the last to arrive. I'm comps with Elder Agostinelli in Chan Chan 1! I'm going back to zona Central, this time as a ZL there. We got a taxi back and the apartment is kind of hid in a hidden section of houses. We have to unlock a gate and walk next to a field (El valle!.) Well we dropped off my stuff and did weekly planning without knowing who anyone was. We went to Buenos Aires to do an baptismal interview. Elder Ochoa is the LD there and he's going to be training this transfer! I'm going to be a grandfather! Anyway hermano Darwin passed his interview and is so ready to be baptized. That night we visited the pareja of a member and we were able to teach with the spirit the reality of the restoration and that there is truth in the world.
On Friday we had pancakes with a joney sauce for breakfast. We did some finding during the day and surprisingly bumped into a lot of people we're teaching and were able to set up lessons with them. That night we went to a noche hogar with hermano Waldir and his father. We shared a message about the sacrament. They had us wait a moment and we sang hymns while we waited for the cakes to finish baking. While we were waiting a young man knocked on the door and asked to buy some cakes. I felt the spirit that we needed to talk to him. Luckily, Waldir invited him inside and told him to talk to us while we waited for the cakes. His name is Omar and he's from Casageande, but is currently living on the 2nd floor of hermano Waldir's house, since one of the universities in Trujillo is in our area. He had some questions about agency, Adam and Eve, the spirit world, and how to be saved. We gladly answered them and he said that he felt really good while he talked with us. Set up another lesson for Tuesday.
On Saturday we went to the chapel to start the long process of organizing a ward member list. We also got to say hi to a new convert named Andrea who came to the primary activity that was happening at the same time. After that we went to a lesson with a man named Samuel. He has questions and this first lesson lasted a long time and we answeres all sorts of questions. He wasn't arguing with us, but it kind of seemed like he wanted to prove us wrong in a few things, but he couldn't do it. We shared the restoration with him. That night we had a noche hogar in the house of hermana Jovana, our pensionista. Her family was there and we invited an inactive member named Patricia to come with her children. Only one of her children came, Jhonathan, who's 15. Elder Agostinelli told me that Patricia said that she'd love to go to church, but would only do it with her children if they practically begged her to go. We shared a powerful message and showed them the video of 3 Nephi 8-11. We talked about how Christ invites us to come unto Him even today, but through different means. The spirit was strong and the both promised to come to church! We had lots of crackers for a snack afterward.
Sunday we went to breakfast and waited in the pension for hermana Patricia to arrive, since she and her son were going to come with us. We got a taxi and went to the chapel, which is the same chapel I went to while I was in Central. The messages were good and we invited the Bishop to come and greet Patricia and Jhonathan. We also saw hermana Veronica in the chapel, as well as Walter and Elena. 2 recent converts came, Andrea and Carmen. Carmen is an older lady who has cataracts in her eyes, but the ward went and picked her up so she came for the first time in months! We also got to meet an American who had served in theis area 3 years ago who came down to visit with his wife. After church we had the mission correlation meeting. After lunch we had another lesson with Samuel. This time we taught the restoration a but more structured. He already understands a lot, like the organization of the primitive church, but has been confused by some things in the Bible and right now is stumbling for it. We taught with power and with the scriptures. He didn't have a 360 turn around and agree with us out loud, but as we taught him he did stop retorting what we said, so we'll take that as that the spirit us starting to work with him. We visited hermana Elena after that and talked to her about following God and marriage. We then had a fast noche hogar with hermano Jose and his family. They made us pancakes which we couldn't turn down. We quickly raced over to the chapel in California for a missionary prep meeting. We watched videos and heard testimonies, and hermana Alanoca and Elder Agostinelli both gave brief talks. I felt the spirit strongly and received new strength to continue in the work. Even though I only have 3 transfers left I can still do much good. That night Presidente Hiatt talked to us about obedience and caring for our comps.
Today for pday we played card games in the chapel with our district.
That was my week! I'm excited to be with Elder Agostinelli in Chan Chan this transfer and am ready to see the miracles that God has prepared for me and for the people here!
Elder Jensen
1. Carlos, Suguey, Tiago, y Renzo
2. Presidente Rivas y hermana Diane
3. In front of the chapel
4. Yo y Elder Larkin
5. Wings (Alitas) with the district
6/7/8. Elder Agostinelli!!!
9/10. After the stake mission prep meeting
11. Hermana Joysse
12. Yo y Elder Cordova
13. Hermano Anthony, Lourdes, y Victoria
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