Adventures of Tarija

Hello family and friends,

Wow, it's crazy to think that another week has passed by in these 2 short years.  I love my mission so much and it's pretty cool to be in an area that's like a little Utah....speaking Spanish.  It's kind of funny because in the little house chapel that we go to, the leader of the house chapel asks us 2 minutes before church if my companion and i can give a talk.  This week I shared about the word covenant.

I wanted to share something that I was reading this week in Mosiah 21:15 that says:

 35 They were desirous to be baptized as a witness and a testimony that they were 

willing to serve God with all their hearts; nevertheless they did prolong the time; 

and an account of their baptism shall be given hereafter.

I love this scripture because it explains very well the desires that these people had to go and be baptized, to show our Heavenly Father that they wanted to take upon the name of His son forever.  That is the covenant that we have made when we were baptized in his church.  There are so many promised blessings from making this covenant, but the one that is the most rewarding, is eternal life.  I know that these blessings are real and that we will be blessed when we fulfill our part of the promise.  A covenant is a two-way promise between God and ourselves.  And the only one who doesn't fulfill their part in this promise is us, at times.  But God is always willing to work with us and to redo the promise.  As we do our best, we will be blessed.

I love you all so much and I'm so grateful for all of the support that you give me every week.  You're all in my prayers.

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-Elder Cheshire

WHAT A WEEK!

Hello family and friends, first off I just want to say that today I only have a 1/2 hour on the internet because we switched our P-Day for this week to Wednesday.  So I will talk to everyone on Wednesday.  

  But this week has been pretty crazy.  I got transferred to an area called Tarija here in the mission.  It is literally like a mini Utah here.  There's big mountains, the weather is a little cooler and it's not humid.  So I'm basically loving it here.  It was so hard leaving my first area after spending 6 months with all of those people, but I know that I'm here now in Tarija by revelation.  Tarija is about 50 minutes in plane from Santa Cruz.  But I have a new companion from Lima, Peru again and he's awesome.  He's hilarious and really fun to be around.  When I got to this area, they didn't have anybody with baptismal dates because they had just recently baptized 6 in this last transfer.  I made it a goal for us to have more with baptismal dates this week and now we have 4 that should be baptized this next month.  My companion is killin' it here.

  I don't have tons of time, but I wanted to share what I was reading this morning.  It's in Alma 7: 11-13  In this chapter it talks a lot about the Savior's atonement.  I like the part in verse 13 when it says that he will erase away our transgressions (or at least that's what it says in Spanish).  But I loved that part because at times we make a wrong decision and the burden still hangs around.  But through Jesus Christ, our sins are erased.  I'm so grateful to be a missionary and to teach repentance and to baptize converts.  The mission has blessed my life forever.  I love you all and hope you have an awesome week!

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-Elder Cheshire

Mi Últimos Días Como Entrenador

Well, this is my last P-Day with my "son" of the mission they call it.  He's about to finish his training and start the best part of his mission.  I feel like I've been able to learn just as much as he has while we've been together.  It's great to build great relationships with other companions, and even better when they live an hour away from you in Utah.  I feel like we've built a friendship that'll last for long after these two years.

  Time is flying by down here in Bolivia.  It's starting to get a little bit cooler in the mornings as the days go on.  I've been waiting for the cooler weather for quite some time.  

  This email isn't very long, but something I heard this transfer that I wrote down in my agenda that I loved, says: 

"Knowledge by faith produces a pure testimony, and a pure testimony has the power to change lives."

  I know that this is true.  We first have to study our scriptures, obtain an understaing of what we are reading, and after comes the testimony when it is put to the test of our faith.  I hope that each and every one of you can develop a testimony of our Heavenly Father, and His Son Jesus Christ.  If we can first obtain a testimony and then share it, we have the power to change lives.  Ourselves included.  I love you all and I'm so grateful for all the support that I receive from each and every one of you.

Pics:  Us as a district eating "salteñas" my favorite Bolivian food/snack.

Elder Wilson (one of my favorite gringos I've met here that is going to finish his mission this next transfer) and I , and others miscellaneous.

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-Elder Cheshire

"Elder Wilson (one of my favorite gringos that I have met here.  He will be finishing his mission this next transfer) and I."

"Us as a district eating "saltenas" which is my favorite Bolivian food/snack"