September 28, 2015

Hey all!

I have a couple of experiences I want to share with you guys from this week. They're tiny little things that happened to us, but they meant a lot to me.

Yesterday Elder Aguilar and I went to Ayaviri. We wanted to get there in time for the meetings, so we left Choquehuanca around 9:00, got to Pucara and waited for a combi. Usually one will pass within 10 minutes or so, so we waited patiently hoping that a car would come. 10 minutes came and went, and nothing. Soon enough 20 minutes had passed by. Then 30. Around the 40 minute mark I was starting to get worried that we wouldn't make it there in time for the sacrament. So sitting there on the corner, I said a prayer. It was a simple prayer and I just asked the Lord to help us get there in time for the sacrament. Within 2 or 3 minutes of my prayer, a car came and picked us up. In the combi I gave another prayer, this time of pure gratitude. We arrived at the chapel right in time to partake of the sacrament. It was a simple experience, you could say it wasn't super exciting, but that right there meant a lot to me. It confirmed my testimony that God hears and answers prayers. That He really is our loving Father, and with a little faith, He will always be by our side.

That testimony was strengthened even more later that afternoon. We've been teaching a joven there in Ayaviri named Alexis. Alexis and his dad, Fidel, started coming to church a couple of months ago when a family member invited them. Alexis still comes a lot, but his dad hasn't been able to because of his job. Yesterday we found out that his dad was in the hospital. We had a bit of time until our next appointment, so junto con Jean Carlos, the mission leader, we went over to the hospital to visit him. When he saw us there in the hospital, Fidel burst into a huge grin. He then told us that the night before, he had dreamed that Jean Carlos and the missionaries came to visit him there in the hospital. He woke up full of hope, praying to the Lord that his dream would come true. He then told us that when he saw us there, he knew that the Lord had heard his prayer and answered it. Again, my testimony that the Lord hears our prayers and that He loves each and every one of us was confirmed.

I love this gospel. I love seeing the hand of the Lord in my life and in the lives of others. And I love seeing the joy that the gospel and the atonement of Christ can bring into the lives of the people here.

I hope you guys can also see that in your lives. Pay special attention in General Conference this weekend. It's going to be amazing, and I know that in this time you're going to receive answers to your prayers.

Hope you're all doing well. Hear from you next week

Jeremy

P.S. The following authorities are my bet for the new apostles: L. Whitney Clayton, Edward Dube, and Donald L. Hallstrom. Guess we'll see if I'm right pretty soon :)