Well this week came and went ridiculously fast! I cannot believe how fast time is going at this point! Can I just say how grateful I am to have a rain jacket! It seriously rains so much here and no matter how much rain it is dumping we are out working in it! It’s a blast! The rainy season is starting to come to a close but that isn’t stopping it from getting me soaking wet every single day! What makes it even better is that we work in an area that is uphill so it turns into a nice slip and slide when we are in a hurry to our visits!
This week Marcia came to church and is progressing super well! She is learning a whole lot and perhaps the best part is she has a lot of interest in the Plan of Salvation and being able to obtain eternal life. We have invited her to be baptized and if everything goes as planned, we will hopefully have her baptism very soon.
Our Ward still doesn’t have a Bishop. It has been almost 8 months without a Bishop in the Ward and it is starting to take a huge toll on the members. Most Sunday’s my Companion and I play a huge roll in Sacrament meeting and we usually give talks! It’s a great learning experience for us though and we are learning a lot about how much responsibility a Bishop has. This week only 38 people came to church and a bunch were investigators. Most members are struggling due to having to work to provide for their families rather than attending church each week. Although it has been difficult, we are grateful for the members that continue faithfully and those that help us in this work. We are trying to reactivate some members and hopefully they find a candidate to be the Bishop soon!
Luis is still struggling. This past week we had some lessons with him and the Spirit was super strong. He knows that everything is true and has a testimony but this past week, another obstacle got in the path of his progression to baptism. His Grandpa (whom he is close to) got super sick and was sent to the hospital. They are not sure how long he will be there or if he will be able to leave at all. For Luis, it is a time that he feels he needs to be with his family so he says he wants to take a week or so to be able to get things under control. We have been praying a whole lot for him and know that our Heavenly Father has a plan for Luis and that with his help, he will someday be baptized and make a great missionary as well.
We also had another cool activity as a Stake this week. Each Ward was assigned a different area of Perú and had to prepare a typical plate for that area. Our Ward received Ica which is on the coast of Perú and they prepared a really delicious plate. It was a great time to see some traditional Peruvian dances and to celebrate their culture with them. There are so many different types of plates here in Perú that it seems that each time there is a celebration, I get to eat a new type of food!
This past week my Companion and worked super hard looking for more people and knocked on so many doors. It is super interesting to see people reaction when they see us. Some insult us and swear at us while others simply look out their window, see us and never answer the door. The thing that we have learned a lot is our objective as missionaries is to do more than simply speak with everyone. It is to serve them. This past week we were walking to a visit when we saw an older man carrying bags of cement. We stopped and without hesitating helped him carry the bags home. After arriving at his home we realized that it was a man whom we had contacted days earlier who wasn’t very happy that we had knocked on his door. After finishing the service, he thanked us and we talked to him again. This time he invited us to come back. After this experience I have learned there is a way to everyone. There is a way for us to convert every person in our area, it’s just a matter of finding the way to do so for each and every person. I love this work and am so very grateful for the chance I have to serve others just as the Savior did every day, 24 hours a day! I love you all and hope you have a terrific week!
Love,
Elder Fawcett
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| You Think I Am Joking About the Hills! Just Imagine Them With Water Pouring Down Them! |
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| Ward/Stake Activity, Area Ica |
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| ALL Peruvian Food is Great! |
