Week 73: A New Day‏

This Tuesday was the first time in years that the Change Meeting wasn't held in Montufar. And that wasn't even the biggest change made here in the South Mission. The entire reunion went for a good two and a half hours and the end of it just left me with my mouth wide open, a ready resting station for any passerby-fly (or mosquito, there seem to be a lot of them around here). 18 missionaries finished their missions this week, among them was my trainer, Elder Hernandez, Elder Linford and Elder Chavez (a friend from San Juan). It made me think about how, little by little my big group of friends here in the mission is being whittled away at and replaced by newer, brighter faces.

The mission is nothing like it was when I came here last September.

Elder Perry- Zone Leader in San Cristobal

La Zona San Cristobal 

Now there are 4 assistants, and among them was a great friend from my very first district, Elder Bento! He's so cool. And now they put him and Elder Webb in Montufar 3! Which to me, results as something completely crazy...but....holy cow.

Zone by zone the changes were read off until eventually we came to "La Zona San Cristobal" where I then received my new companion: Elder Chunga!

He's from Piura, Peru, and he and I were in the MTC together. It's super weird to think about how long ago that was but....whatever.

He's an awesome companion, and we're getting along really well. He was actually the missionary that came to San Juan with Elder Beckstead after I left. So we have a lot in common. He was studying law before the mission and he likes to play Soccer (what Latino DOESN'T like to play soccer?). 

It's really funny because now, in my ward, Panorama...the two companionships consist of a Peruvian and a Utahan: Hermana Bustamante is training a new missionary, Hermana Woodward (from Kearns). And in my district it's just me, them and two other Hermanas (Hermana Merlo and Hermana Campbell).

But all four of them are just on fire right now! My district is seeing miracles left and right. I have a great feeling about this change.

Elder Chunga and I are trying to start this change was a completely clean slate...just starting all over and trying to see what we can do to have success. Miraculously, we found 15 new investigators and 3 new families this week....little by little we are building things back up here.

I keep feeling reminded of my time with Elder Beckstead, where we just worked our hardest, and saw the hand of the lord in just about everything we did! I felt uplifted and with a lot more desires to work my very hardest.

So things are good.

12 days of Christmas gift

Next week, we're probably going to have a baptism for Hermano Juan Diego, someone that the Hermanas of San Cristobal were actually teaching who lives in my area! He's all ready to be baptized, he only needs to be interviewed....and from the little that I've gotten to know of him, he is a very good man with great desires to follow Christ.

This week I was reading in 3Nephi 1: where Jesus Christ is born, and the signs that were seen in the Americas:

Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets. Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son—of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given.

 And it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been spoken; for behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness; and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came.

I love the thought that Jesus Christ came to fulfill with every prophecy that was given and that his very birth saved the lives of thousands...indeed, it saved the souls of every living creature.

Merry Christmas everyone, I love you all and hope you have a great week!

favorite quote for the day