Hump Day

30 July 2012

Family,

     Hey, what's going on?   Sounds like things back home are going good.  I hope Sawyer had a Happy Birthday, but it sounds like it went all right.   This was an interesting week. We actually had surprise transfers.   Elder Perez got transfered to Pomalca.   I am still hanging out here in Jayanca with a young Elder Linares.   Elder Linares has the same time in the misson as Elder Perez, but Elder Linares is much calmer and less stressed all the time.   Here in Jayanca all is well.

     In answer to questions...no, we didn´t end up opening Illimo this last week.   One of the 2 families that we have there went on vacation then it was only one family so we are going to keep working on Illimo.   It's a bit slow out there with missionary work.   There aren´t many people who want to listen. At first, we had every person in every house who was at least interested to hear us, but I think one of the churches started bad mouthing the church of Jesus Christ again. It happens all over the country when missionaries show up.   Even people who we were teaching had a complete change of heart,  but still it's going good.   I had some fun this week.  We came across a Baptist family this week in Illimo.   One sister in the family was mad that we were visiting her and thought that we believed Joseph Smith was the father of Jesus Christ and several other doubts and concerns.   We started talking to her and pulling out scriptures from the Bible and from memory.   It was a great deal of fun because she also knows a great deal of scriptures.  She finally accepted the challenge to read the Book of Mormon but her father invited us not to return.    She completely changed her mind about the church.   It was cool.   I like talking with people who know a lot about the scriptures.   It's a great deal more fun to talk to them when they can talk back, then we can really start solving concerns and help them to understand.

      Haha and thanks for the reminder about this week!  The members here, too, always remind us how much time we have.   Haha and no, I'm not terribly trunky yet, although it is strange thinking that I have one year in mission.   Friday is my birthday in the mission. (my cumple año)

     For the ward newsletter, well, I don´t know. I always have a scriptures to share.

One scripture I have loved and have really worked to become like is Alma 29 :1, 9-10 (write it in. the ward newsletter. it says it all)

     I love you all and I am out of time, but take care and I will write again next week.
Love,
Elder Thomson

A Good Week

23 July 2012

Hey Fam!

     Sounds like all is well at home.  It is here, too. It's been an interesting week but a really spiritual one for me which has been cool.   Actually in respect to the missionary work, we dropped like 15 investigators this week so it kinda went downhill a little.  The family we have been teaching that had a baptismal date decided that they want a few more weeks to think about it.  But suprisingly,  I felt like it was a really good week.   Several times this week I felt the spirit really strongly guiding me.    We found several really really great families, reactivated 1 way inactive family and gained all the confidence in the world with them.   Then, we also gave out several Books of Mormon in contacts which we almost never do (here in Peru,  they accept things so you don´t feel bad then throw them away when you walk out of sight), but we felt impressed to do so and these people seem to be really almost golden investigators.  So, we will see what happens.   It just felt really good running around and teaching this last week.   We also found the most golden investigator ( for sure one of the best I have seen in my mission) and we thought for sure that we would have a baptism in the next couple weeks with this sister, but as always, opposition in all things (2 Nephi 2:11).  The grandmother of this sister came in and chased us out of her house telling us we were everything short of demons. so we will have to see what happens to this girl we were teaching.  She is 16 or 17 years but it was a powerful lesson we had.   It was a just a good week. and I felt really drained from this week.   We gave 2 or 3 blessings a day and my comp still is a little afraid to give blessings so I gave the majority.  It doesn´t sound that cool a week,  but I loved it.

     Thanks for giving Paisly that package. and tell Devin and anyone else back home HI

     Well,  I love you all I am out of time, but take care. I hope all is well back home. I will write again next Monday. Thanks for the package.  I will look for it!   Give the family my love.

Much love!  Nate

                     

PS  I also am sending home some pictures in this letter.  The first is of one of my best buddies here in the  mission,  Elder Gomez.   He ended his mission today.   He was my AP,  then in my district.   I have known him for the last 7 or 8 months. .. a way cool guy.   He is on his way home to Guatemala.

We can see why you might have trouble with commitment from this contact!

The second, is of something, I forgot to look before I uploaded it but I remember I wanted to send it home. I hope it makes sense.

The third is of the last baptism we had. This is Jayanca  you can see behind us. The town is really small,  maybe 10,000 people at the very most.   You can walk from one side to the other in less than half hour. 

The Week Goes On

16 July 2012

     Hey fam,  I only have a few minutes today.    I was fighting with the camera trying to send pictures, but it´s not working.

     First, the markers, are they crayons? or markers?   Markers destroy scriptures but the crayons are wonderful.   There are a kind of ¨twistables¨ crayons.   Those would be wonderful.   Also...more Sweet Baby Rays BBQ?   The first bottle is going fast. The scriptures...Elder Perez says green and yeah, the name is correct.   The clothes you sent in the last package are marvelous!  I haven´t felt so good in months.   The shirts I brought are way way too big.   17 and a half neck is good, maybe a 17 neck would be better.   For future reference,  the shirts I brought are XL and 18 neck -  way too big. Letters from home are always welcome in the packages, too.   If you have an Ensign to spare, I miss reading in English.   Some things just don't have the same significance in Spanish.

     All is good here. We will send missionaries to Illimo this next week.   We are going to sign on a room on Wednesday.  We also found a sister who will pension for the Elders.   We have two families right now who are progressing for baptism  and 2or 3 more that we have a lot of hope for.  One family has a baptismal date for the 28th of this month.

     This week has been interesting.   I found out where all the problems with my comp came from.   He heard from one or two other Peruvian missionaries that I had troubles with Elder Palacios.  As all rumors go,  the story he heard was that I had troubles with all my zone so he wasn´t willing to accept me even before we became companions.  He probably still isn`t, but thats his choice.   We had a nice conversation about that  so we will see.   It could be a long 2 or 3 months because PTE Risso wants missionaries to be in one place for 4 to 6 months.   It could be tough for him.  We will see.

     I love you all. I need to run.

Elder Thomson

Illimo

9 July 2012

Hey Family

     Sorry for the delay in the internet. Outside of Chiclayo the internet gets pretty slow. I actually find myself missing the city which is weird because never in my live have I liked cities. But, I do miss Chiclayo. We are in Chiclayo today. It was really fun for me because we found a member from Amautas here. It was a lot of fun seeing him again.

     The work in Illimo is going.  We are going to be out there again on Wednesday. We found 2 families who are at the very least, available to help us. One is excited to have missionaries; the other doesn't really care, but he was a lot more excited the second time we found him, so we will see.  Then we found another sister who is now a JW.  We are still working on Illimo!   I  hope that we will have 6 more weeks with Illimo, but it is possible that we will have only 2 more.   As of right now, we have 6 or 7 investigators there,  2 more or less active families and 1 inactive family who is at least willing to talk to us.   The people there for the most part have never seen members of the church or the church so many are very willing to talk to us.   It's a nice change and Illimo is really big.   It's like 3 time larger than Jayanca or something like that.   So, we will see.

     Well sounds like the house is a party. I hope all is going well there.   Put a couple beds in the garage and everyone will be fine!    All is well out here.   Elder Perez and I are working a little better  here. He´s still going to have a tough mission, but at the least we are working well in this area. I have not gotten your package yet, but I will get it tomorrow.   I talked with my ZLs and they have it.  They will bring it to me tomorrow.   It's a bit slower to get packages out here because of the distance from Chiclayo.    Oh, and my comp wanted scriptures in English.   Thats what he is looking for.   He wants to learn to speak English and learn the scriptures in English. Could you find the scriptures in English in the smaller size?   Also,  I don´t know if you have been keeping track of my bank account, but I have pulled out money a couple of times.   Also, I will need to pull out money again today. I sent a package home today addressed to the Thomson Family.   It's for Paisley. Her Birthday is the 28th.   Could you get the package to her?   I felt I ought to send something home to her for her brithday because she sent me a fairly decent sized package for my birthday.   If you would sent that to her I would appreciate it.

     Well this week is pretty much the same.   We have 3 families here who look like they could be baptized soon so we have a lot of hopes for them.    Aside from that, we have a great deal of Catholics.

     That is about it for this area this week. I love you all.   I hope that you all have a great week.

 Have a party in the house!

Love,  Elder Thomson

--

We are Family or A New Branch

2 July 2012

Hey Mom and Dad,

     How's it going back home.   Sounds like a party in the house this week.   Remember that you still have the motorhome!

     How bad are all the fires?  Are they getting them undercontrol?   How close to the house are they. You said the point of the mountain, any closer than that?

     Well, this week was kinda slow. We haven't had a whole lot of success here.   One thing I have learned in my mission is that God isn't going to give us investigators if we aren't prepared to teach them...  and it shows.  My companion and I aren't unified in anything.   He tells me how willing he is to learn, but any suggestion I give him and it's my "foolish pride" or  that he learned how to do these things in the CCM (peruvian MTC).  Haha,  I think that God has a sense of humor. A few times he has used phrases that I used with Elder Palacios.   It's a little different but not terribly.   I am going to write Elder Palacios an apology letter today and thank him for his patience  with me.   Another Elder told me its carma.  Probably true.   But no, we aren't working well together.  He only wants numbers.  He doesn't really care about the specific needs of our investigators.   It's kinda funny.   We have arguments and he gives me his opinion and tells me this is the best way.   I give him mine as a suggestion and when he gets mad, I then show him the scriptures, the text from Preach my Gospel, Missionary manual and whatever else to show him that there is a better way.   Then he gets mad and won't talk for the rest of the day. It feels like a fight between a couple of children, but thats OK.   He is going to have a tough mission until he learns to accept another opinion.  Thanks for keeping me on the Prayer Roll. I really feel the difference here. I do appreciate it.  Include the sprinkler system on the next prayer roll. It sounds like it needs a miracle too!

     Here in Jayanca, we are doing good. We officially became a branch on Sunday. Now we have to run around this week and set up things to begin working more with the members.  We are starting an official branch directory. The next couple of weeks will probably be stressful. Also, we will be running over to another town called Illium this week to start reactivating members over there ao we can start missionary work.   In a couple of weeks,  PTE Risso wants to put missionaries in there. So that will be interesting.   We have been running around this week looking for members who have friends over there or who know other members in that area.   So the work is progressing here a great deal.

     Hey, one other thing, my companion wants me to ask you if you could find a Bible, the Book of Mormon, the D y C and the Pearl of Great Price in one book. I forgot the word in english.   A cuadruple in Spanish,  but one smaller than the standard size.   He wants one about the width of the  hand. with the 4 scriptures if you can find one.   He said he would give me the money for it and you can pull the money out of my account to pay for it.

     Well, I need to go in just a minute, but I wanted to say I love you.   Give my love to the family. Tell Jay the phrase ´´Glittering Prizes´´ is the key to learning Warcraft.   Have fun with all the family in the house.   Here in Peru, it's normal to have 4 or 5 families in the same house. Take care and I love you all. Enjoy your week and I'll let you know how things are going Monday.

Elder Thomson

On A Treasure Hunt...for members

June 25

Dear Family
     Hey how's it going?  Well things are still going here.   Its' a great deal hotter here in Jayanca than it was in the city, but its a lot of fun here.  We are in Lambayeque today.   It's a little town between Jayanca and Chiclayo.   It's been interesting running around out here.   It's a pretty area here, but it's tough working.   We don´t have much member support.   We have lots of members who are nice and love to help us, but only a couple have real testimonies of the church.   Even so, our "Little Group" will be changed into a branch this next Sunday and we will finally be able to get organized. We have been running all around for the last few days trying to update a branch directory.   We have almost 200 members we found and about 50 of them are active.   Still, I like it here.   We have been running around the last few days trying to figure how to organize the group here in missionary work. Hopefully we are almost to the point that we can start working really well.  The last 4 or 5 companionships that have been here haven´t done much with the group for about the last 2 or 3 years The missionaries here have done work with lots of baptisms, but little help to the "Group" and so the people who were baptized have gone inactive.   For the last 2 weeks our assignment has been to strengthen the branch and probably will be doing the same for the next couple weeks at the very least.
       I feel like my other area in La Victoria was preparing me to come here.   We reactivated 50 people in my last area. Literally, my first Sunday in La Victoria, we had 104 people in the church and my last we had 153.   Out here I hope we will be able to reactivate 50 more. 
     It looks and sounds like all is going good back home. I hope all goes well with James. Ha ha,  you might have to bring Mason out here if you come to pick me up after my mission.  Here in Jayanca we see big green John Deere tractors everyday and he would love moto taxies.  They really look like something from Mario Cart.   I am glad mom is keeping up with the other moms on the missionary blog... and yeah,  Elder Hemsley is in the Zone out here but not in my district.   With the other Elders and sisters that mom mentioned, I was in La Victoria, but my zone was Chiclayo Peru.  I was on the other side of the street from them! 
     The work out here is progressing.  I have to run out to two other towns this week to activate a few members so that Pte. Risso can put a few more missionaries out here.
     Well, all is well.   Tell the family "hi".    One scripture that comes to mind for a thought for the ward, would be the need for the Book of Mormon with the Bible. We need the two. The scripture is 2 Nephi 3 : 12,  it talks about how both scriptures are together to confound false doctrine. Really, every christian church in the world has the Bible, and there are millions of them  and no one really knows what is true doctrine..   Only one church in the world uses the Bible and the Book of Mormon and that is ours. Because with the two, you can´t really argue or misinterpret the doctrine of Christ. 
     So my English is about gone, but I hope you can translate this. I love you all  and I will write again next week.

Love,  Nate

Jayanca

June 18

     Ha ha, so Graciela spilled los frijoles. Yeah, I'm out here in Jayanca. We have a growing group. Actually, we will be a branch in a couple of weeks.  We have a whole bunch of members out here, I think like 150 or something like that.   I am not 100% sure.  Tuesday we have a meeting with the group president and the mission leader.   We will make a directory then.  I am here with Elder Perez. from Cusco.   He is a little hard headed and has trouble accepting anything I say because he is 22 years old, but we are working and learning together.  I am finishing his training.   He only has 6 weeks in the field, but we are working hard at finding a middle ground to begin working well together while at the same time working to build his desires to be here. He is a little disheartened because the work is hard and he feels stressed by nature, but we are progressing.  Also, I am the District Leader here. I am responsible for 6 other missionaries right at the moment so it has been interesting for me as well to learn to adapt.

     We do have a pensionista out here. She is a very kind lady who doesn´t believe that I like to eat small amounts of food. (I normally eat only 1 medium sized plate of food.) She regularly gives me a giant plate full to the brim.   She is the best and she is slowly reducing the amount day by day.

We are the only missionaries here. We cover Jayanca and several small towns or villages around here.  It is a combination of farmland and forest.  We are close to the jungle.  The jungle is about 2 hours from here inland - not too far.  In the last picture I marked,  I am with Elder Juergens who played football for BYU.   He is good friend here in the mission.    Elder Juergens started the training of Elder Perez but they had some trouble together so I got changed in.    I am afraid Elder Perez may still have trouble because I'm like Elder Juergens, but we are slowly finding a middle ground.  We found the ostrich farm today and these are the pictures I managed to take.

      I'm out of time.  I love you all and thanks for the package.   I will write again next Monday.

Much love

Elder Thomson