Week 11: Feasting and Celebrating and Working!

Dear Familia, Amigos y Mundo!!

     This past week just flew by which is a first because every week seems to go by pretty slow! But, this week was rich with stuff and honestly, I don’t have time for all of it but seriously, wow, it was great! So, on Tuesday we had intercambios (this is where we change companions for the day) and I was with the other Zone Leader (Elder Hernandez) and he is this short guy from Peru who is just crazy and weird and powerful and direct when he teaches. I really don’t know how else to describe him. Basically, he looks like a short Mexican from Peru hahaha! But seriously, we got a ton of work done that day! We didn’t have many appointments so the first 4 hours of intercambios after lunch was just contacting and man did those hours fly by!! Why? Because we never stopped working! We were always talking to people. I was talking to people and they actually invited us into their homes! Men were even inviting us into their homes! (He says it this way because men typically don’t invite them in, it’s mostly women, but the rule on the mission is that they have to have another man present when they teach a woman.) We REALLY need men to join the small branch we are in! So honestly it was a milagro (miracle) to enter into homes that day. Basically, it was mid-day too and usually there are no men around to teach because they are at work. So, we usually teach girls which means we have to look for a male member to come with us. But, Tuesday we were blessed to actually just teach. I can’t even tell you how many homes we entered into! But, that was great! After those 4 hours of contacting we had two appointments. One was with a girl named Nahtalia who is the one that is, "in love with me”. So, of course, that was interesting. She almost went in for a hug when we left and I shook her hand haha. I also walked away fast!!!! The second lesson was one I was to share with Hermano Ernesto. I had never taught him and the first time I saw him I assumed he was a member because he goes to church every Sunday because his wife is a member! He had received all of the lessons a long time ago but he never really gained a testimony. Well Elder Hernadez and me helped him a lot. We taught with power and revelacion puron (pure revelation)! We decided we should talk about templos (temples) and priesthood power and how important it really is. Elder Hernadez kind of started off and he shared a great story about his dad and how hard it was for him to be baptized and the steps he took to get him to baptism which was great story. Then he handed it over to me. I felt inspired to talk about the steps in the gospel or at least the first few. Baptism, priesthood, templos, families and etc... When I was talking a thought came to my mind in a split second that these really aren’t steps, they are blessings! And I said that first you receive the blessing of baptism and cleaning and washing away your sins then you receive the Holy Ghost to guide you! Then, as you live worthy you receive the blessing of the priesthood which blesses your whole family and you! And, it affects everyone around you! Priesthood has a tree of blessing that bless others! Then, you go to the temple and seal your family and finally you get to be together as a family for all eternity and you get to do work for your family! I mean seriously though!! They are all just blessing way more than steps in life! And, I just was fluid. Elder Hernadez after was just blown away and kind of bragged to my comp about how good I was as a comp and how great I teach which is a first haha cause I still think I’m terrible at this language! But, I definitely feel the blessings every day and every day I am able to speak a little bit more! And understand a bit more!

     So, I got to teach the Plan de Salvacion (Plan of Salvation) to la Familia Nabarro that has the son who is crippled. Wow, I have never really come close to crying in a lesson before but this time.... I teared up. I have a flash drive with all church stuff and the pictures of my uncles Tyson and Timmy (these are my Dad’s brothers that passed away due to a genetic disorder) and I put the flash drive into their TV and showed them my uncles. And, I just testified about how real the resurrection is and how all of our bodies will be perfect and I was able to tell them that their son Kevin will be perfect and they’ll be able to run and play with him again like they used to. And I looked Kevin in the eyes and told him, "Yo sé usted recibirá una cuerpo perfecto despúes de esta vida." (I know that you will receive a perfect body after this life.) I could see that it really touched them because I could see it in his parent’s eyes. I saw it in Kevin’s eyes. They were on the verge of tears too. I love that! I love sharing those simple truths and shedding a little bit more light in their lives. How great is our knowledge of this plan of happiness? Sadly, they just don’t show up to church and the heavy rain this past Sunday didn’t help at all. I mean a lot of the members didn’t even show up ugh!! Why!!!????

     So, we had an activity this past Saturday called Festival Feast and man was it cool! We had food from all the different countries that the missionaries in Barranca are from. Brasil, USA, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Mexico and Colombia and we had all this food from each of the different countries! Sadly, I was so busy I didn’t even get any food! But the coolest part was all the dances the members did. They were traditional dances from the country. USA had this little girl do a sweet dance for USA that was really just a compilation of dances from the USA but really it was on point, she did great!! The Brasilian dance was sweet too! It was so cool to see this activity. We planned work so well! We had the area in the church packed with people! And, I mean PACKED! Sadly, only one of our investigators showed up and ended up leaving early which was a bummer. But, I still had fun and I loved seeing how happy everyone was and seeing all of the different backgrounds of the countries. All the missionaries had their flag under their name tag too which was cool too haha it was like we were Temple Square missionaries haha! 

     

On December 7 through December 8th was Dia de María and everyone puts candles out on their porch or in front of their houses and honestly it looks really cool! At first I didn’t know what it was but then a member explained it to me. It’s just 2 days for the Virgin Mary. That’s it. Nothing else. The only thing people know is it’s for Maria and they don’t have any real reason for the candles. They kind of just do it and then go and party all night. We were invited over to Ernesto family’s house again that day and we got to celebrate with them and it was really fun. We had some BBQ and I just couldn’t help but think of my mom and how she would not eat it because of the fat and the boiled eggs they put in the salsa haha. Sometimes I just have to swallow and not think that I’m eating a big chunk of fat haha. But, it was good and it tasted good and I was hungry so.... But, this is also the home with the flirty members and so that’s always interesting and honestly, it’s kind of pathetic cause they think I don’t know what they are doing... But, aside from that I loved it! There’s this little girl named Paula who is so cute and she just sit and talks to me but then also chases me around with hot candle wax haha! But Dia de María got me thinking about her. And how amazing her story actually is. We don’t worship Mary but we do recognize her. I started to read in Luke 1 and I just couldn’t help but think about how amazing a person that she had to have been. She was not perfect because no one other than our Savior is but, she was highly favored of God. And, she had remained worthy and clean. And a virgin! In this day and age and even then, people struggle to live the Law. But, Mary did it. She was worthy and clean enough to give birth to our Savior Jesus Christ! How amazing is that! I’m still studying a bit more on it but it’s just cool and interesting. And I invite you all to do the same! However, don’t let it distract from the true meaning of this month which is of our Savior and his birth and how he is the greatest gift of all! Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Ilumna el Mundo!!!  And, serve people this month! I am so grateful for all that my parents and family have taught me and the importance in recognizing my Savior and his Atonement and actually applying it in my life! This gospel is true! And, I am so happy to be giving one of the greatest gifts of all and that our Gospel the only truer gospel in the world!! Visit the Christmas mormon.org page to find out more about light the world and how you can serve! Love you all thanks for the emails!!

     Elder Weaver