August 1, 2016

This week was interesting.... I SAW SO MANY DRUNK PEOPLE:::: THE LARGEST AMOUNT I HAVE SEEN IN MY LIFE....

But the peruvians are happy because now they have their new president and they are now ready to  receive the gospel. This week it was hard to contact new people in the street, but we did our best.... This week some druggiess offered us some Marijuana... never thought that was going to happen.... I told him no thanks of course...

This week we visited Gian Franco a couple of times... he is such an example to me. He gave up smoking and drinking all for the truth... This last month he was one of the very few that completed with his home teaching... 100 percent... what an example... He told us that every day he prays for his wife that she will be able to soften her heart and later get baptized. This next week they are going to advance him to the office of an Elder. Also he has the goal to make it to the temple this upcoming month.

This week was interesting.... I SAW SO MANY DRUNK PEOPLE:::: THE LARGEST AMOUNT I HAVE SEEN IN MY LIFE....

But the peruvians are happy because now they have their new president and they are now ready to  receive the gospel. This week it was hard to contact new people in the street, but we did our best.... This week some druggiess offered us some Marijuana... never thought that was going to happen.... I told him no thanks of course...

This week we visited Gian Franco a couple of times... he is such an example to me. He gave up smoking and drinking all for the truth... This last month he was one of the very few that completed with his home teaching... 100 percent... what an example... He told us that every day he prays for his wife that she will be able to soften her heart and later get baptized. This next week they are going to advance him to the office of an Elder. Also he has the goal to make it to the temple this upcoming month.

 

July 25, 2015

This week was wonderful... We did an interchange with the assistants... that was an interesting experience. I stayed in the area and my compaion went to the rich area of the assistants. I was with Elder Perez from Chile. We had a great time teaching together. I learned how to better teach and also contact new people. What I really like about Elder Perez was how friendly was with all the people. He also taught me how to better organize... I am really tiring to leave the bad habit of being unorganized and messy. I can say that i have improved a lot, but there is always room for improvement. It is just so hard to throw things away some times... I am not talking about trash, but things that maybe I will use in the future... hoarding is bad... hahahahaha.

We have been working hard with the members here in Moshoqueque, We have put an emphasis on having Family Homing Evenings with the elders and inviting a friend that is not a member. This week we had another family home evening with hermano Victor Mendoza and his family. We brought the Cabello family along to show them what the whole FHE is all about. It was a blast. We shared a video, and some spiritual thoughts about the temple then we played some games and ate a treat.... The game was super fun. We took two ties and played cat chases mouse... Basically, one of the ties is the cat and one is the mouse... the cat only needs to tie one knot, and clap 2 times while the mouse ties 2 knots and claps once. Basically the person that ends up with both the ties receives and punishment... in this case they had to run outside and Yell "Murio Mi Chanco!" or MY PIG DIED.... 

The Cabello family now has a baptismal date for the 27th of august... wie now have 5 people preparing themselves to get baptized... This work is so tiring, yet so energizing at the same time.

I know that my Savior is working by my side in this work... He lives and loves me and each and everyone of his children. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and played a vital role in my happiness. He brought back the fulness of the Gospel with also the fulness of its blessing. These blessings include the wonderful opportuniy to live as an eternal family.. I know if I keep my covenants I will be able to see aunt Connie again. President Thomas S. Monson is the living Prophet.. I love this Gospel....

I challenge you all to look for opportunities to share the Gospel with others... Really you all will find an everlasting joy if you do.. I know because I have felt it...

VIVA PERU! FELIZ FIESTAS PATRIAS

P de Patria

E de Ejemplo

R de Rifle

U de Union

Elder Mecham

July 18, 2016

We had a work visit with Artesanos 2 with elder Huancaya and Elder Phillips... I went with elder Phillips to there area. There room was nice and clean, and there area book was perfect because that same morning we had interviews. Elder Phillips is an amazing missionary. He teaches well, and he came prepared to the mission. The best part about him is his attitude. He always has a smile just like his companion. The area was hard though, but we did are best to contact and teach as many lessons as we could. we also visited a member shared a small thought and set up an return date for a family home evening with them where they are going to invite a friend.

This sunday we had 6 investigators in church and all thanks to a less active member who went a brought the family to the church. This member came out and visited with us and in the lesson he committed to bring the family. Cristian, the less active member, is going to be rescued this week, and this next lesson we are going to put a date on the Family of Victor and Sonia.

My toe is healing little by little, but I have changed how a walk a little putting more pressure on my bigger toe.. saddly my bigger toe now is swollen and tender, but it all will pass... We have to take everything that comes at us with patience.

Elder mecham

July 11, 2016

Another week down.. .the time is flying and it stops and the same time.. just kidding.. I am really enjoying my time and the opportunity I have to represent my Lord and  Savior Jesus Christ.

This tuesday I went to my first leadership council meeting. Basically all the zone leaders and sister leaders meet with President Williams and his beloved wife, and also the assistants to learn and prepare to give a training meeting to the missionaries in the zone. The meeting lasted 6 hours and we got to eat some good food. We ate some pizza hut type hot pockets. They were tasty.

In the meeting we talked about how we can improve our teaching skills and also what the name of the church means... Well we took each part bit by bit. LA IGLESIA DE JESUCRISTO DE LOS SANTOS DE LOS ULTIMOS DIAS.

The.... is important because it means one.. and the only one with the authority of God. The only one that Christ himself established and guides. For example Doctrine and Covenants 1:30 explains more.. .Read it...haha.

Church.... Ephesians 4 talks about why he established his church and how it was established. Also 3 nephi 27  1 to 7 talks about that it must have his name and that it must be established upon the same gospel.

OF in spanish has 17 definitions

 JESUS CHRIST... his church

Of 

LATTER DAY SAINTS

Saints are the christians or members of the church and strive to be perfect through the atonement of christ.. mosiah 3 19... 

That is a basic part of what the name of church means.

Also we talked about how we can be better leaders... 3 nephi chapters 1 t o 6 was accomplished because of the great leaders... 3 nephi 6 verse 4... We too can be these type of people if we humble ourselves before the lord and follow the promptings of the holy ghost.

ANIMOS::

I love Peru.. and these people

Elder Joshua Mecham

July 4, 2016

Happy 4th of July

This was an interesting week... We are working hard trying to find a lot of new people to teach and baptize. I am really enjoying teaching Gian Franco, he learns so fast and applies the teachings in his life. I feel like it is so important the we apply what we learn as we read, and listen to the prophets of old and the new ones.

That way we too can experience the joy and blessing of the gospel. Gian Franco received the Aaronic priesthood this Sunday. He is determined to keep pushing forward. He is striving to help bring his family to the gospel too.

During the Sunday meeting, some guy robbed a television from the stake center. It sounds crazy, but it happened. I am truly surprised at how sly the thieves are here in peru. A guy dressed in a suit with a hymn book calmly entered the stake center and sat down to suposively wait for an interview. He waited until no one was around and then broke into the clerks office and took to tv. The crazy thing is that  we were all the the chapel in classes. We just walked out the door with the television in a garbage bag. it makes me so sad that someone would steal like that. Lets just say that ward council all the members were very worried.  Crazy no... I almost did not believe it when they told us.

Today we made pizza with the bishop of  Kennedy. It was great be able to talk to him and the pizza was great

I love this work... And HAPPY 4th of july

Mom i have something to tell you.. .but please do not worry to much... we went to the doctor because my toe is still swollen... and they took x  rays.. .I broke my toe... the thing is I will still be able to finish the mission....Breaking bones actually did not hurt as much I a thought as it would.

I have gained so much respect for the pioneers... do not worry I will be fine... I will send pictures next week. ..because my sd card got a virus again... I have pictures of the x rays.

I love you so much.. And I will see you in 4 months well actually a little less

June 27

I would send pictures of the baptism but the computer is being dumb... it is not reading my usb.... until next week... sorry

What an interesting and great start in my new area in Moshoqueque.  The first day that I arrived I had the grand opportunity to meet Gian Franco.   When taught about temples and reviewed the baptismal questions with him, Elder Lagava let me know that we were going to fast with him that he could overcome his smoking addiction.  We started the fast together and then we made sure that he was in our prayers in every moment of the day.  The next day we went to see how his fast turned out.  He told us that eating was not even a problem for him (this was his first time fasting), but his addiction temped him.  He did it though, he broke the chain! He told us that when times were tough and Satan was tempting, his wife reminded him why he was fasting and that we were there fasting for him.  This really strengthened my testimony.  The fact that if we depend upon the Savior and give it our all, WE CAN AND WILL overcome our weaknesses.  The next time we saw Gian Franco we were heading to pick him up and take him to his baptismal interview.  He had a worried look on his face and it made me nervous..  He told us that the night before he called his father and told him about how he was going to get baptized.  He father, being part of another church, told him to investigate more and ask for more testimonies.  He put some doubts in his mind with some anitmormon doctrine.  So he asked us plainly for our testimonies and we bore them and help him clear his doubts.  He Passed the interview and then yep was baptized Saturday.

Elder Lagrava is a great guy, he is helping learn more scriptures to teach.  We get along well

I am here in the same zone in Dorado but in a different area Yes, I have had the opportunity to run into many familiar faces. For instance, the bishop that is friends with you ( mom) on facebook works in his bakery that is in my area. He invited us cake both of the times that we said hi. Sadly, the first time we were fasting so we had to turn him down. The next time we went I asked him about his little daughter and surprisingly he told me that it was her birthday, so I send my wishs with him. I am still anxiously waiting to run into some of my converts,,, they now have more than a year as members.

My new companion is a cool and very intelligent guy. He is from Santa Cruz, Bolivia and has 13 months in the mission. The thing is he is training me how the whole Zone leader works. He knows the scriptures very well. He even told me that before his mission he taught seminary for two years that helped me a lot. Zone leader is interesting for sure and requires patience and good emergency planning. We have now made two trips to the office to pick up materials that the missionaries in our zone have asked. We have the fun opportunity to take all the numbers from the zone and report them to the assistants... and we are in charge and giving reimbursements to the missionaries. the whole thing with money stresses me a little because we have to be careful with the funds. Also as zone leader we have a monthly meeting with President Williams and his wife, also the assistants to train us... later we give the same training to the elders in the zone. We also have the fun opportunity to do interchanges with the district leaders to see how we can help them and learn more from each one of them.. We also do a work visit with the assistants...

I am doing well... I am super tired... but I am already falling in love with his area

I hope you have a great 4th of july.... 

(two letters posted this week)

June 20, 2016

i GOT CHANGED: 

I am sad to leave this area. After having 5 months and 2 weeks here you really get to know and love the people here.  I am doing back to DORADO the zone where I started my mission. I will most likely finish my mission there. This next couple of weeks will be a bit stressful though becuase I was put as Zone Leader... Well, I really do not know how I feel right now. Tonight I will be passing by each house saying good bye... I will shed a lot of tears tonight. It feels like I am leaving part of my heart here in Las Brisas. I for sure want to visit here again. The only question in when and how to balance the trip with my studies and work..... I am triste.... sad...and nervous.

Photo from Pension

It is tonight before knowing the changes

We took this picture before the news of the changes

I Love this family

I will leave my son and return to Dorado