Week 72

Going to miss this Zone!!! 

Well folks this week has been crazy with teaching, lessons, ward talent show, Christmas, talking with family and packing for changes/transfers... but what can we do? Thats the missionary life! Just gotta enjoy it!

I have had some hard times this week, sometimes i want to ask, Why is life so hard? Not just for me, but for others, those that are suffering, homeless, sick, orphaned, the list could go on and on!   

This week i listened to a talk by, Elder Jeffery R. Holland, where he references something along the lines of, "its not supposed to be easy, just worth it".  he went on saying that the Savior suffered everything for us and we can't just take a little bit? just a small amount, that's all he wants! just give some a little at a time, if that's all we can do.   

i felt lifted as i heard that, that the promise is not that it is easy, i just got to work hard and push forward! i know that is not just for my mission, because we have hard things in life too, and we just got to push through and understand that the Salvation is NOT free! Success is NOT free, because for Him it was NOT free.  He gave all for us, even his own life.  I know that life is not easy, but through our Savior Jesus Christ it is POSSIBLE! i love him and i know that Through Him i can come to live with my Father in Heaven and my family After this wonderful life!  It is POSSIBLE just got to push forward and take the right steps!  

This week i was changed to Lara 1 in the Zone Central! I think my area is actually located in the city of Socabaya, it is going to be super sick!  I leave today..... I am not looking forward to leaving Elder Nicholls and my Zone, but know that the Savior knows where I am needed and that's where I will go!  My new comp is Elder Muñoz, he is from Columbia! We will meet today and get started on our work this evening.  

 

Got to visit a small orphanage for Christmas and bring some gifts to these sweet children!!! 

Meet sweet little Maria!! 

The best talent show rappers you ever did see!! ;) haha

i love you all soo much!! have a great week!! talk to you later! 

Elder Wagner

Week 71

Just got a quick email from Elder Wagner to tell us what time he will be skyping us on Christmas... He is having a great week filled with Christmas activities and  lots of work!  Have a very Merry Christmas!!! 

Because of him... We can live again. 

Fun pday!! 

Trip to the canyon of the condors. 

Christmas party with the Zone.

Skyping the family!! 

Transfers Monday... 

Love Elder Wagner  

Week 70

Merry Christmas from Arequipa Peru!

Great Christmas display at the mall!! 

well this week has been really great!! we had a cool activity about Family History, trying to get the people excited to do their work! it was really fun, we acted out being in the Spirit world waiting for the people to do the work for us! some were saved!!!:) and others had to sit there and still wait.....  it was sad to see them, but the hope is that some day we they will all be saved! it was a very spiritual experience!   that was a big highlight of the week! the other was the 5 baptisms that we had in the zone! it was a great thing to hear the excitement from all the sisters and elders about their baptisms! 

The best zone!!! 

All dressed in white for our family history play. 

Then on Sunday, we were sitting in sacrament meeting and we hear the bishop announce that Emerson ------ has been called to be the Secretary of the Young Mens Organization! we looked at each other like, OOHHHHHH YAAAAA!!!!! fist bump;) hahaha it was amazing to see him, bless the sacrament and receive his calling!  He has even filled out his "My Family" book and took it to the TEMPLE and did the work for those relatives! he is progressing soooo much!! we are so grateful for the Spirit that confirmed to him that this is true! it is the best feeling to see him doing so good and working soo hard.  the Conversion of a person is real, and i know that it comes through the confirming power of the Holy Spirit. 

Emerson

Mommas Q's

1. umm ya we have Luis and Katy that are going to get married and baptized in a while, they are progressing a lot! 

3. no details on SKYPE.... but we found computers!:) I am super excited too!!!! 

4. i got one from Sister Rubalcava!! its amazing!!:) i am writing a letter to her this week!! 

5. today we are getting Chilis and playing mini. 

LOVE you all sooo much! I hope the best for all of you this week!! 

Love Elder Wagner

The nativity!!

Sooo refreshing and cold!!! It's HOT here!

Divisions 

These guys are sooo great!! 

Week 69

P-day eating at Chilis!

well this week has been a full one! we have been in and out of meetings, and running around all over the place!! but it has been really fun!! being with elder Nicholls has been really awesome, i have learned a lot! 

Jose Luis and Jessica. Love their family!

As we come close to the BEST HOLIDAY OF THE YEAR, we should all be thinking of one thing, GIFTS, no just kidding! haha we should all be thinking of why we give gifts, why we show our love through the spirit of giving.  I feel that it is because we are following the perfect example of a Giving heart, who was Jesus Christ.  He not only gave to the hungry and clothed the sick, he gave his LIFE for us so that we can be clean.  That is the true spírit of giving!  Now we are not Jesus Christ, but we can give a little!  give a smile, give a hug or give comforting words to those around you! i promise that through the light that you are all shining the people will feel the love of Chirst. And dont forget to give thanks! I love this gospel and i love this season of giving and being able to help other if only a little!  I testify that Jesus Christ lives and He loves us very much.  

Have a Super Awesome week!! love you guys!! 

thanks for all the support!! 

Love Elder Wagner 

Baptismal prep 101 ;) cleaning the font!

Nicholls getting into it! 

Haha! 

Baptism of sweet yassira! 

Proud grandpa!! 

Week 68

Well you always have something cool happening in the mission!! Nicholls and i have been working really hard and haven't had very many people progressing... but we just kept working!!

this week i was kinda discouraged cause just hearing about all the baptisms of other missionaries and how i dont have many, i just felt really low, sad, and not very worth much.... but i decided to kneel down and pray and ask for help from my Savior.  After my prayer, i sat down and started to read preach my gospel, and the first thing I read when opened the book was, "Invite others to come unto Christ." this penetrated my heart deeply, i am not here to just baptize, i am here to INVITE!! in that moment i came to understand that the things that happen here are because God wants them happen, he knows what i need to grow,  the baptisms that we have had are special to me, i grew so much in my testimony about the power of prayer that day! i am so greatful for this gospel.  from then on i have had a different vision about this work, life and the gospel! i feel more confident in myself and my Father in Heaven!!

So on thursday this week we went and took some pictures after an appointment.   as we were sitting there taking pictures we got a call from a member and he tells us, "elders, after a long time of discussing with my wife (who isn't a member) and after this long time my daughter can get baptized!!!"" we were like..... AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH  it was a huge blessing that fell from the sky! she is 9 years old and is amazing!! really smart and super sweet!! so we have a baptism this week and we will see what happens with her mom!! she will change!!:) it was an amazing expereince!! 

Thanksgiving with the zone! 

mommas Qs

1. i am doing really good!! and getting better each day!! 

2.  What did you guys do for thanksgiving? 

2. we ate pollo a la brasa or basically rotisserie chicken but better!! 

3.  How is the zone? 

3.the zone is the coolest!! they are all hard workers and really cool people!!! and nicholls is the best!! its gonna be a sad transfer/change! he's the best.

4.  How are your investigators?  We would like to pray for them by name. 

4.they are doing good! we are teaching again Jessica and jose, and Ana Maria, luis and katy, and yasira!:) they are all wonderful people, who are amazing!! 

5. It seems like since you combined zones you haven't gotten together as much. 

5. its hard to get everyone together, but we want to take them to Chivay! so we will see if we get permission! 

6.  What are your plans today? 

6.we are going to eat at Chilis and play frisbee!! I'm starting to really like playing frisbee!! It's a fun sport 

My scenery on our tracting each day. 

The people you meet in the car ride around town... Everyone just jumps in, had to get a pic with these two ladies! 

love you all soo much!! thank you for your support!! have a great week!!

Elder Wagner

Week 67

well this week was super awesome!! we were running around looking for rooms for people, helping people move into their rooms and with emergency changes of elder matheson, that was crazy! then translating for american dentists in a service clinic! it was a packed week of fun and hard work!! 

this week i would like to tell you guys a funny story!  

well there is this lady that is named Donata that we rescued and she is the coolest lady ever!! she is our favorite here in Independencia!! she is really funny and always teases us!! anyway she sells Picarrones, which is like a scone in donut shape almost..it's really good!! she has a little stand and every time she is out we  stop by and talk with her and have a good time!! she always make jokes about Nicholls being really skinny! she teases him about it!! so this time when she did it he went in front of her stand and just started doing push ups!!!! Like look at me... hahaha we died laughing!! everyone looked at us sooo weird but it was so worth the laugh!! 

this week we decided to work on being more positive and it has helped!! we are not really that negative, but we complained to ourselves abit and that was what brought us down.  with this positivity,  we have had soooo much more fun and more success!! its amazing how it works!! dont let anything get you down!! YOU decide to be happy or not,  no one else chooses this for you!! 

We got to do service yesterday for denists from America performing dental procedures!   It was a fun experince!  

Pic with the dental staff.

Super sad Matheson is leaving too maquegua (my first area) as zone leader! 

LOve you all!!!!!!!! HAVE A GREAT WEEK AND BE HAPPY!!!

Elder Wagner

Week 66

This week was another good one for the books!  we worked super hard and found some awesome people!! I wanted to testify that the Spirit of the Lord can make the most prideful person quiet.  This week we taught a prideful man that wouldn't let us talk, everything was only about him and he was the best in the world. We tried hard to get him to tell us why he fell away from the church, andhe didn't give us anything...  he played his guitar for us, sang a song for us, told us stories, and showed pictures, but never told us why!!   Eventually he started to tell us that we are some super smart preachers and that we went on a mission cause our parents said we had too.  After he said that, we testified with everything we had, that we never were told we had to leave, we are not the smartest kids on the block at all, we don't know everything but one thing did happen in our lives, WE FELT, we felt the happiness, we felt the power, the burning desire, the over powering love of our Father in Heaven, we felt the Holy Spirit testify to us that this IS the truth, and that is why we are here, because we FELT it.  After we shared our testimonies and had a good pause, he said, "thats what i needed, to feel." and he felt it in that moment, that this gospel of Jesus Christ is true.  His eyes were opened and his heart was softened, we saw his change in that very moment! the spirit really made a prideful man quiet.  the power of the Spirit is real, you can feel it like we felt it in that home with that man, as we kneeled to pray after the lesson the spirit testified to me that this is the true church and the mission that i am doing is real! I know that people change through this gospel! i have seen it in my own life and in others too!! i love this gospel!!! 

that is just one of the experiences that we have had this week!! It was a great week! 

The zone!!! 

mommas Qs

How are your investigators? 

2. the investigators are alright.... not many progressing right now but they will be! 

Did you get your shoes?

3. ya i got them and they are great!! thank you momma!! 

Who got transfered? 

5. Meidell-mollendo, trinidad-ilo, iquise-paukarpata, and thats all the changes!! 

Food of the week!!! Cuy

(The head) yummy!! Seriously soo good!

love you guys!! have a great week!!! bye!! 

Elder Wagner