Week 47 - Hey You Ministers!!!

Hola,

Being a Missionary is the best! This week was crazy busy and full of work but keeping busy is seriously the best. First off, this week I wanted to share a cool story about this new family that I talked about last week. We had our visit with them last week and it went super well. As we entered the home of this family they began to tell us the story of their life and the problems that they have faced. They have always tried to do what was right, but it always seemed that the adversary was right behind them to cause more problems. As they shared this story with me I had to try so hard to not let myself cry. I testified to them that our Heavenly Father really does love them. That he really is aware of them, no matter how hollow they may feel. No matter the trials they have faced or the setbacks in their lives, he has always and will always be there for them. As we spoke, I felt the spirit testify to their very spirits that what we were telling them was the truth. It almost seemed as if the words didn’t come from me but directly from the spirit to them. As the visit continued the wife took a lot of interest and they both asked some perfect questions to us about life and we responded. As the visit concluded, we left them with the Lesson 1 pamphlet they both promised to read and pray about it. Tonight, Monday, we have another visit with them. So I am really excited to be able to go out and allow the spirit to work in them again.

Now for a funny story. So during the visit with the family I talked about just barely, we were served a cup of something to drink. When we were served it, the lady told us it was tea. Not knowing whether it was type of tea were are allowed to drink, which is the herbal, mate type tea, we took it. We sat there for a little while, all of us looking down in our cups and trying to figure out whether it was safe or not. Finally, we got brave enough and asked her what it was. Smiling she said that it was a mate, which is like an herbal drink that we are allowed to drink. We couldn’t help but laugh as we raised the cups and drank the cup of what we had thought was a cup of something we aren’t allowed to drink.

Something else that was kind of funny happened when we passed by our investigator named Hugo to see if we could set up a visit with him. Now before I explain what happened I need to tell you that Hugo´s wife is currently going to another church each week, but Hugo absolutely hates the religion that she believes in. He doesn’t like what they teach and absolutely hates the minister in this particular religion. So as we passed by his house to set up a visit, his son Nefi who is 6 years old came up and was like “Hey you ministers, my dad hates you guys. He never wants to see or hear you again!” Laughing we all began to laugh knowing that he was just confused with the religion with his mom and was just repeating what his dad had said about the ministers of the other church.

Also this week, we have been getting ready for the visit of Elder Christensen who is President of the seventy who will be here in the mission on Thursday to do a conference. President Herrera has given us all assignments to get ready for this big event and one such thing has been preparing a special musical number. So long story short I am singing with like 4 other missionaries in preparation for the musical number hahahaha.

Also, this week I was riding in a bus with Elder Haws when some guy got in the bus with this little music player and told us that he was gonna share his music with us. He commenced to turn on some music and started to rap. When I say rap I mean rap! This guy was super good. He literally free styled everything and rapped about problems that face our society. When he finished his 6 minute rap, Elder Haws and I were literally amazed.

In closing I just want to share that I know that God is our eternal father. He has an eternal love for each and every single of one of us that we cannot even begin to fully comprehend. He has created a perfect plan to save each and every one of us. A plan in which we choose to obey or to not. Our own salvation is our own decision. As a missionary I have come to truly understand what that means. I cannot make people accept the truths I teach them.  Not matter how much they feel the spirit or how much they feel when we teach them, in the end it is there decision fully. As I have said many times before, we are just the Lords hands to bring the world HIS truth. I love each and every one of you and want you to know that I am so proud to be a missionary in a time more special than any other. A time when we have some many ways and methods to share the gospel. As a full time missionary, I strive each day to get out in the street and work my hardest because time is so fast and I want to finish my mission knowing that I have given it my all and done all I could in my mission.

Love,

Elder Fawcett

                                                    Tour Of The Cusco Peru Mission Office

Elder Fawcett, Elder Diaz and Rayson (Penchanista's Son)

Elder Fawcett and Rayson

Elder Fawcett's New Name Tag . .

Yea, That Is An Owl That Elder Fawcett's Penchanista's Husband Caught,  Don't Know How, Tomorrow's Dinner?

Week 46 - Christ and His Atoning Sacrafice

Hola,

This week was great! It seemed like a bunch of really interesting things happened this week! First off, I just want to tell you some really interesting stories from the week!

This morning I woke to hear people screaming and rioting outside, so as we all rushed to see what was happening out the balcony, we were amazed to see thousands of people in the street rioting about something! At first we couldn’t really figure out what was going on but then as we saw a bus passing by, we were shocked to see what happened next. As we watched, probably a 100 people got the bus to stop in the road and ended up taking it over. They hoisted a flag out the window of the bus which I guess meant that they are upset about something with the transportation around here. I am not really sure to be honest, but it sure was really interesting to see people literally take over a bus and drive it away.

Also, this week we seriously found golden family to teach. We were at a Ward activity when a member pointed us over to one of her friends and told us to contact her. As we walked up, we were greeted by women, her husband, and their son. As we began to talk to them, they immediately asked us if we could visit them during the next week. They also just told us randomly that there son is turning 8 in August which I found incredible since they randomly just told us that out of nowhere. Long story short, we have a visit tonight (Monday) which I am really looking forward too!

As well this week, I was able to meet an incredible family from our Ward. I am not sure if I have said it before or not, but each Sunday we are invited to eat lunch with a different family in the Ward which has been one of my favorite things so far about my new Sector here. This particular family was the family we ate with this past Sunday and I have to say it really was such a great time. They have a little boy and girl that were so excited to have us over and as we visited with the family it was really interesting because the father commenced to tell us about his love for farming and asked me if I had ever ridden a horse. I told him that I had ridden a horse several times since I was a baby with my Parents and Grandpa and that my Grandpa’s family owned a large ranch with a lot of cows and thousands of sheep.  That proved to be a really interesting conversation because he knows people that have worked in Utah as Sheep Herders. He isn’t quite sure where but I thought that was really cool!

Finally, in closing I just want to share one of the big highlights from the week. As I was put in the street one night walking home from the Pension I had this man walk up to me. He asked me who I was and who we represented. I told him we were Missionaries and representatives of Jesus Christ. As we got talking to him he told us about the hardships he had faced in his life and how he didn’t really know if he believed in Christ anymore. As we spoke I felt a genuine love for this man and knew with assuredly that our Heavenly Father loves him.  We ended up contacting him, but unfortunately he lives in another Sector so I had to pass the reference. As we walked away however I looked back at him and it was like I saw him in the future standing in all white, ready to be baptized.

I am so thankful for our Savior Jesus Christ and for his Atoning Sacrifice. Through the difficult times in my life and throughout my mission I have truly learned what it means to rely on Him and his Atonement completely. He understands any difficulty or trial each of us may face in each of our lives because he suffered for all of it. I love him and am so thankful I am able to rely on his Atoning Sacrifice each and every day of my life. I love each and every one of you and pray for all of you each day! Have the best week!

Love,

Elder Fawcett

Overlooking the City of Cusco

Houses are a Little Better Than Previous Areas

More of the City of Cusco

Picture of Cuscos From Mission Office

Cusco Has Tons of Ancient Ruins

These Ruins are in My Zone

Mission Tag Selfie Looking over Cusco

4 "Departments" or "States that Make the Cusco Mission

Week 45 - Half Formed Chicken

Hola,

The weeks seem to just be going by faster and faster! This week was a super crazy busy week in the office and as well teaching. Let me first get started by saying that my week started off by hosting the big leaders meeting here in Cusco with all of the Zone Leaders from the mission. All of us office Elders gave them training and helped teach them about some things that need to improve in the mission. It was really cool but one of the coolest parts was being able to see my trainer Elder Iza again! I really learned a whole lot from him in my training and I have a lot of respect for him because he really helped and taught me so much. As well, during this leaders meeting I was also in charge of counting all of the money that was spent in each of the Zones of the mission during the past change to make sure the Zone Leaders didn’t owe the mission any money. It was honestly really crazy because I seriously had to count thousands of soles which added up to a whole ton of money in dollars.

Also, this week I also had the chance to go on Divisions with my Zone Leader Elder Bever, who is from my MTC group. We seriously had such a fun time and got a whole lot of work done as well. During our Divisions, we worked in my Sector but to be completely honest it was sort of difficult because I honestly don’t know my Sector very well since I have only been here for such a very short time. It was still really fun though and perhaps the best part is we went to a visit with one of our investigator named Juliana with her Mom and had a few members come with us to the visit. In the visit, we had a chance to teach these 2 about the Atonement. Now before I go into that, you need to understand that these 2 have been investigators for quite a while and have not been progressing much. As we taught this lesson, we each felt such a strong Spirit as we bore testimony of the reality of the Saviors Sacrifice. As we taught we noticed tears in the eyes of both the mother and the daughter, so we are hoping and feel that they will both be more open to us.

Finally, I guess I just want to share a little bit more about my life here in Cusco. So, as you may have thought, it’s so much different here compared to my previous areas. What I have noticed is that the people here seem to not be so shocked to see a white guy, which is really interesting considering that in Puno and in Juliaca the people literally drop their jaws when they see one. As well, the people here also cook a lot different. One thing I have noticed is that the food seems to taste a little better compared to other parts of the mission. But the most interesting thing of all is that here in Cusco, the elevation is a little lower, so as soon as I got here I immediately noticed it was so much easier to walk around. As well, here in the office we don’t have anyone to wash my clothes so we wash them ourselves and we also make our own breakfast because our Pension doesn’t make it for us. So lately I have been making myself a whole lot of eggs to eat for breakfast and this past week I cracked an egg and out came a mostly formed chicken which kind of ruined my desire to eat eggs for a while.

As I continue here in Cusco I am so very thankful for the opportunity I have to share the Gospel with the incredible people here. I Love this Gospel and the experiences I am blessed to have each and every day here in the mission. It certainly is not easy but it is all so very worth it each day as I share a message that can change a person’s life forever.

Love

Elder Fawcett

Money From Leaders Conference

Seriously Like 10 Thousand Soles

Mission Elders
(Elders Boelter Westbrook, Chango, Ordonez, Fincher Fawcett)