New companion, Elder Mallo!
Hello everyone!!
Well, today we had transfers... of the 9 companionships in the Zone, only 2 escaped without transfers. Elder Montero has left for Talara, and I am now with ELDER MALLO!!! He is from San Pedro, Argentina, which is within the province of Buenos Aires. He was in the CCM with me and he was in my District in Lopez Albujar!! I already have several photos with him from earlier on in the mission. He is super awesome! I already know him pretty well and we are going to work HARD and we are going to be awesome!!!
Elder Miller also has a new companion: ELDER PLATA! So I will now be seeing an old companion of mine on a very constant basis, and he also happened to be Elder Mallo's companion at one point. So our District is going to be very tight knit. :)
to answer some questions:
How much do you usually spend a week on food. Do you get good food or do you usually have to buy cheaper quality food.
We get something like 350 soles to buy food and personal hygiene stuff for the month. We don't eat like church mice, but we don't eat like kings either. Every once in a blue moon we will eat something like Pizza Hut or Chilis, but normally for dinner we prepare burgers or spaghetti and breakfast is cereal or fruits.
Are there any big box retailers like a Shopko or Walmart or Target in Peru? Do they carry the same kind of stuff that you were used to buying in the US?
Here you've got Metro, Tottus, and PlazaVea as the supermarket retailers. It is the same setup but Peruvian food. There are some of the same brands, like the world wide brands, but other than that they are Peruvian brands.
Do you speak in church very much? Do you have to teach lessons.
The missionaries speak in church here every month. So I personally get the chance to speak like every other month. I gave a talk last month about the Atonement with Missionary Work, which I enjoyed giving. We have been teaching Gospel Principles as missionaries (here locally that is typically the case) but this week one of our recent converts was just called to teach the class! So we are now just helpers and sit with the members.
How many Book of Mormons do you hand out on a regular week? Do you run into people that are unfriendly to the church?
It depends. Here we could give out Book of Mormons like chocolates and everyone would take one, but the majority would end up just covered in dust. We normally give one to every new investigator who shows interest in progressing (they read the pamphlets we gave them in the street contact, they went to church, the spirit tells us to give them one) Here we don't receive too many to give away either, speaking of logistics, we have to be wise in how we use them.
There are always some people here and there who don't like something about the church and are not afraid to tell you. Also I have seen Anti-Mormon websites as a stumbling block for people.
Do you have Sisters in your Zone or just Elders?
There are 9 companionships in total. 5 companionships of Elders and 4 of Sisters.
Best thing that happened this week?
We taught some GREAT lessons. People accepting the Restoration, People excited to read the Book of Mormon, People praying and receiving answers.
Funniest thing that happened this week?
We found a spectacular family who are very receptive and excited to meet with us. They have just become so attached to us so quickly! After the second lesson they are inviting us to go hang out with them in their house out in the countryside! They want to invite us to lunch, they always serve us something after the lessons (even though we need to get off running to the next visit), and just want to spend hours talking and chatting! They are super awesome, we just have to keep explaining the mission rules to them. But they are such a funny family! Hopefully we can keep them focused, because they are also praying and reading and they are starting to realize that this message is just what they needed. But LOTS of laughs in those visits.
Any upcoming events that you are looking forward to?
hmm.... placing baptismal dates this week. If all goes well hopefully we can have at least 4 or 5 set with baptismal dates for June this week. With Elder Mallo I know we are going to be taking care of business! He works hard and we are going to be sleeping like rocks at night!
This week was a little slower honestly, but we are getting a lot of things set to make a bang out of this week. WE also got to see a training video from the Area Presidency for Ward Council Training. And that was AWESOME! I was thinking a lot during that broadcast about how I really want to stay involved in the work of Salvation when I get home. So many missionaries are so sad when their mission ends because they feel like it is all over. I am trying to form the ways and ideas NOW in how I can continue when I get home. I LOVE the work of Salvation. And the way that the church works now to help the work progress is miraculous, I want to always stay involved. There is no other blessing like taking part in the work of Salvation.
The church is true!! The Book of Mormon changes LIVES! The Lord needs us all to work in His vineyard. This is His work.
And to the future Elder Lucas - DUDE!!! That is AWESOME!! That is YOUR mission, get ready NOW! start reading the Book of Mormon like a missionary. I didn't understand how to do that beforehand, but I wish I did. But when you read, search and mark the scriptures that relate to the missionary lessons. It will help :) Parker, I am so excited for you, seriously there is nothing better than the mission! Get pumped!! (his cousin, Parker, received his call to the Washington DC South Mission this week!)
Have a GREAT week!!
Elder Russell
Saying goodbye to Elder Montero (and others :)
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