Piura Swaaaggg

I don’t know if you remember last week but I told you that we fasted so that this family would have the desire to get married... so Monday night we had a lesson with them and it was the most amazing miracle.. they just flat out told us "we want to get married.." how and when can we do it? Ahh!  We were so happy for them that we all just looked at each other and were like "a miracle".  But... there is some bad news.  They also informed us that they’re not staying.. they’re moving to Chiclayo which is like another city 4 or 5 hours from here.  We were pretty bummed about that but Nestor said something that I thought was interesting... "a donde me mandas, iré".. aka "I’ll go where you want me to go".  That song was always his favorite.  It fortified my testimony that God knows better than I do.. and that there must be something in Chiclayo that they need.   

We don’t know exactly when they’re leaving.. but they want to get married here in Ignacio Merino.. so we´ll keep you updated.

Tuesday was our last multi zone meeting with President Rowley... It was all based around The Atonement and was really good. I learned a ton and I also had a little personal revelation that gave me a little bit of motivation "You couldn’t work for 2 years?.. Look what I did for, YOU, Braeden."

I’ll never forget President Rowley’s last testimony.  The power and spirit that he has leaves no doubt in my mind that he was called by God.  He is a true disciple.  During his testimony, he said something similar to what I just shared... he said "if He did this for me, what am I willing to do for Him?" It made me think, what truly are we willing to do for Him? Are we willing to submit to His will, whatever it may be? To follow Him? To die for Him? But more than that, are we willing to be a disciple forever? 

Wednesday was a little sad.  My trainer Elder Clawson left... he was a great companion but more than that, a friend. I remember we would stay up every night late talking... in English because yolo.  But for real, I’m really going to miss him.

Friday we had a "family home evening - ward style" butttt it lacked a little planning and coordination and it didn’t turn out as well as we planned... but it was cool cause the Relief Society gave us cake and who doesn’t like cake? 

Sunday the family I told you about Garcia Tipismana attended church for like the 5th time in a row. They’re solid.  In church, we talked about temples and how blessed that they now are to have a temple so close in Trujillo... it’s like 6 hours.  It was amazing to see how happy the people there were and I just kinda slouched down on the bench realizing that we have a temple 5 minutes from our house. It does make me grateful for how blessed we truly are to live in Utah.. so go to the temple. Today. NOW.

Okay okay I’ve got some great news. Elder Rengifo, my old companion in Bellavista called me last night and he told me that 2 of the investigators that we were teaching got baptized last Saturday.  I don’t know if you remember the family Paz Quintana? Remember I told you how the first time we walked in their home, they told us to get out cause they didn’t want anything to do with us? And then they came to church like a month later? Yeah.. them.  Their 2 kids got baptized and the whole family is now active in the church.  Elder Rengifo told me that they are currently saving up money to get married and go to the temple to be sealed as a family for time and all eternity.  Can you believe it? I was so happy to hear it.  It truly has been one the of the biggest miracles I’ve seen on my mission.  Christ changes lives. I will forever stand as a witness of that.  Not only because I’ve seen Him change others, because He has changed me. 

I love you guys.. :)

-- 1 of your 3 favorite sons

 PS - our apartment is nice but it’s small . . . about the size of my room but hey we got concrete walls so what uppppp.  The place where I live now is nicer than my old area and we do live on the 3rd floor so it’s a real challenge to walk up the stairs every day but were makin’ it work.