Elder Taylor Fawcett: Week 23

Hola mi Familia y Amigos:

So, this week was a week with great big changes, first and foremost, my companion and son in the mission (we say that when a trainer is training a new missionary), got Emergency Transferred. No I did NOT do anything wrong and no it is not my fault whatsoever. Elder Sarceño has really been having a hard time here in Puno and is used to a much warmer climate and it is cold here in Puno and he is also having a hard time with the local food here as well. So this week we got a call and the Mission President felt that he needed to be moved to a different area. So he is being transferred to the jungle part of our mission.

Anyways, I received a new Companion who is absolutely AMAZING! Really different from Elder Sarceño. His name is Elder Barrios and he is from Guatemala as well. His story thus far in the mission is very interesting. He had Visa troubles so, he had to serve one change in Guatemala and then he came here to our mission late into the transfer we are in now. So, as he entered the mission, there wasn’t a Companion for him so for the past 3 weeks he has been here, he’s been living in the Mission Office and just going on divisions with random missionaries until this thing happened with Elder Sarceño. Then the Mission President sent him down here to me!

He is a new missionary, so I am still training him and am his trainer of the mission. Pretty crazy story but after spending a lot of time on my knees, I know that I was supposed to end up with Elder Barrios in the end anyways.

So, other than that let me tell you a few little stories about this past week:

This week we had the Christmas party with the Mission President and his family and it was amazing. It was with half of the Zones in the mission so I saw a bunch of Missionaries from my MTC group and it was awesome! Each Zone prepared a skit to share, a song and a video! It was really fun! Then we had lunch and President Herrera gave us all a santa hat and a pin with the mission logo, which is way super cool!
This week, we had a way awesome experience where our investigator Jhon accepted to be baptized on the 31^st of December! For the past 2 weeks, we have been trying to find him to teach him but hadn’t been successful until this week we finally found him! As we taught him, there was a great change in him. Before, he was really hesitant about everything we taught him but this time he accepted everything and now is wanting to be baptized. I know without a doubt in my mind that our Heavenly Father changed his heart and helped him have the desire to accept our message!
With my new responsibilities as District Leader, I am responsible for giving baptismal interviews for all the people in my District. I had my first with a Lady this week and it was absolutely incredible. It is so incredible to see how prepared these people truly are! It truly is the plan of the living God!

Thank You all so very much for everything! For all your prayers on my behalf, I feel them every day! I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and pray it will be safe and amazing for all of you!

Love

Elder Fawcett