August 25 2014

I'm starting to love my ward more and more. Although one bad thing is that it people here spread rumors like no one's business. I feel like there are some members that are at the throats of others.Anyway, this week was alright. We gave service and replanted a tree that had fallen. We found a family that had listened to the missionaries beforehand and had gone to church for a time and they have family that are members in another part of Piura. We set an appointment for Saturyday but they weren't there so I hope this week we find them.

One time a little girl and boy called my companion and I  from the street to teach them english a little bit so we set an appointment, and the next day we went. I taught english and helped them a bit with their homework and taught them how to do it. And we taught a part of the restauration and they were super happy and felt the spirit, the mom even cried a bit. We have another appointment tomorrow. They would have gone to church on sunday but one of the kids got a fever and they couldn't go. The mom said that the next sunday for sure. So we'll see how it goes. 

We had interviews this week with President Rowley, and everything went awesome. He's an awesome guy and we had a great conversation about Alma 37 because he asked all the missionaries to read 36 and 37. I love the verse 12 that says something like this: "He leads all his works with wisdom, and His ways are righteous..." and also in verse 44-47. In 46 Alma says "The way is prepared, and if we wish to look, we can live forever." We just gotta look toward the Temple and stay on the path and we will live forever with our Heavenly Father. 

Ha thats awesome that you got to see animals being born, but it wasn't gross or anything?? And yes I have met a few very squirelly kids in the mission. The daughter of one sister in Puyango always tried grabbing me by the leg and sitting on my foot so that I can't leave. Her mom and even some of the young men would try helping me to get her off. Sometimes my companion and I left the chapel running with  other elders so we could get away from that child ha. 

That's awesome that Morgan and Maddie played a duet.  It must have been great. Oh and tell Aunt Jen the next time you see her thanks for the letter she sent with Grandma's, I just got it this week. And that I wish Morgan the best success possible in her mission!

This week I found out that here there are also people on motorcycles that give taxi services. The person just hops on the back and the driver takes them to their destination! I thought it was a little weird when I first found out.

I hope everyone has a great week! Im guessing that all the teenagers and kids are getting ready for school again! How fast the time flies!

Love ya!!!

Elder Evans

 

Aug 18 2014

Hey everybody, this week we set a baptism date with one of our investigators for the 13th of september. He said he would go to church this week but he didn't end up going so we were a little bumbed. But one of the inactive members with whom we have been working has finally gone to church this week for the first time in a loooong time. He is 20 or 22 years old or so and he says he might try going on a mission but he never ever goes to church. This week he finally did go. My companion was saying they have worked with him for so long that he wanted to stop visiting him if he didn't go to church on sunday; but, he did go so we will be visiting him as much as possible to try to help him keep going to church. He left after the sacrament meeting but it was a big first step in coming back to chue church. He feels bad going in normal clothes (he doesnt have church clothes anymore) but we told him to go to church with normal clothes until he buys new ones. And we have offered many times to lend him a shirt and a tie but he always rejected our offers haha.

Just this morning I finished the Libro de Mormon again and I absolutely love the last 3 or 4 chapters. He talks a bunch about charity and being saved through the blood of Christ. He says in the last chapter (sorry for the rough translation, I have the spanish book in front of me): "Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him...and again, through the grace of God ye are perfected in Christ and do not deny His power, then ye are sanctified in Christ...Soon I will rest in the Paradise of God, until my spirit and my body once again are reunited and are risen victoriously in the air, to be found before the judgement seat of the great Jehova, the eternal judge of the living and the dead, amen" and also I love in chapter 1 of Moroni when he says: "And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ."

I know I'm not Moroni but I will not deny the Christ either. I am very happy for the oppurtunity to be in the mission, I'm living it and loving it. Keep reading the Book of Mormon every single day, even if it's for 5 minutes. I've been stirving to read at the very least 1 chapter every day. In the mission with my studies, it's not too hard and I've learned to love it. Tomorrow I'll be starting it over again! :D

 Thanks! Hno victor told me you accepted him and he said hola  and then realized you don´t speak spanish and he doesn't speak emglish haha. He loves taking pictures and putting them on facebook to show you and dad and my companion's parents. Today we ate an appetizer called causa rellena. It's like a mashed potato type stuff with tuna, mayonaise, onion, guacamole in the middle (like a sandwhich) and shrimp on top of the second layer of mashed potato stuff. It is one of my favorite appetizers here. He serves us 3 course meals every day. The appetizer, the main meal, and a desert. We ate banana slices with fudge and sprinkles for desert, and the main plate, as tradition in Peru was rice with chicken and beans. It was reallly good.

Love you all and have a great week!!

Elder Evans

 

 

Aug 11 2014

Hey everybody, this week was pretty good. We passed the birthday of my companion Elder Encarnacion. On the 6th we went to the mission leader's house because he invited us to eat chicken and cake. He turned 19 years old. This week we found a few new investigators and I went on splits with Elder Arce one of my zone leaders. I went to his area and we went running in the morning. It was sweet. My knee felt good and I ran harder than I've done in a while. We also had a zone conference earlier this week and Elder Vasquez, the first missionary that I trained, was there. I didn't know he was in my zone. We talked a while to catch up and all. The assistents are also in my zone so I talked to Elder Mena and Elder Cook a bunch. They're the assistants and I've gotten to know them pretty well a while back in Tumbes.

One of our recent converts here named Joanne was telling us that she will be movving to Lima until the New Year due to some family issues so we are pretty sad. She just told us yesterday and she leaves today or tomorrow. She has helped us a bunch teach her non member siblings and nephews and nieces. The nephews and nieces want to get baptized, they are like 10 and 12 years old. Joanne's siblings are't thinkning too seriously about baptism  but she was helping us a ton teaching them and all. Her nieces and nephews go to church with her almost every week so we worry about them and that they'll stop going to church when Joanne leaves. 

I hope everyone is having a great time back in the states or in mexico and Brazil or whereever you are. Have a great week! 

Love,

Elder Evans

Aug 4 2014

Hey everyone, hope everyone had a great week! I've been getting to know my new area and ward San Pedro. There are 4 missionaries in the ward. It's the same 4 of us in my district. It is very small and a little borning compared to my district in Puyango with 8 missionaries haha. I got to this new area and we only have 2 or 3 inestigators right now so it's a little rough. We work a ton with the recent converts and a little with some less actives but we need to focus a lot this week in finding new investigators because we only have 2 or 3. My companion Elder Encarnacion and I are pretty good friends. We get along great and are working hard. 

The ward is way cool. About 120 people attended church on sunday and the bishop invited me and the other new missionary in the ward to give our testimonies. Our ward mission leader Hno. Victor is super cool. And he cooks really well. He also cooks our lunch every day. Today in fact we ate home made macaroni and cheese and it was super good!! It wasn't made the same as it is at home so it was different but it made me feel more at home haha. I'm excited to keep getting to know the members more and more. I always feel a little awkward the first few weeks in a new area (especially when it's just my second time changing area). The members are great, super friendly. The day after geting here (tuesday) a young man left to go on the mission to lima. He left like 2 weeks after I finished my year mark in the mission. It made me remember when I left a year back. I never got to know him very well but wished him 'Take luck¨ haha no not really, but I did tell him to work hard and enjoy the mission.

Oh, and one of the returned missionaries here served in Chile and was the zone leader of David Archaleda once, I thought that was pretty cool. One other member asked me to play piano for a young mens and young womens choir performance in a month or so. I just said I'd do what I can to learn the music but I didn't promise anything yet because I dont know when I'll find time to go practice.

Anyway, love you all and I hope you all have a great week!!

Elder EVans