Una Semana Loca

This week was super crazy and hectic.  My companion got transferred to another area and now I have a new companion.  Once again, from....Lima, Perú hahah.  He's my third one but now I know so much about Perú and I've gotten to try some of their delicious food!

   This past week we went to visit one of our investigators that told us that she would be in her house.  We knocked about 5 different times and nobody answered.  I don't know why, but I had the feeling to pray that she would come to the door.  We offered a prayer and right after, her dog came to the door and started barking.  We knocked again and right after she came to the door.  We then had an awesome lesson with her, and now she has a baptismal date.  It was an experience kind of weird, and wasn't anything huge, but it really strengthened my testimony that God answers all of our prayers.  At times he does it in mysterious ways, but he does it.  As it says in Mosiah 2:41, as we keep the commandments, the Lord will bless us in temporal things as well as spirtual things.  

   I'm so happy to be here and to experience little things like I saw this past week.  I love you all, and I'm so grateful for each and every one of you.  Time is flying by way too quick and I feel like I already don't have enough time left in the mission.  Thanks for everything!  Enjoy some pics hahah

-Elder Cheshire

P-day fun!

No group letter this week.  Elder Cheshire was short on time due to the waterfall hike they took on P-day.  He looks great!  He said transfers are this week and he is hoping to stay a little longer in Tarija. 

BAPTISM WEEK

Hey everyone,

  Wow it's crazy to be writing again.  TIme is flying by.  But this week we had a baptism for Jhonny Perales (yes, it is spelled like that).  He's 18 years old and is now a really good friend of mine.  It's been so awesome getting to know him and to teach him.  

  During our whole time teaching him, I was hoping in the back of my head that he would want to serve a mission.  I even included this wish in my prayers every day that we taught him.  With that, my companion straight up asked him yesterday, "Jhonny, do you want to serve a mission."  His answer was everything I have ever dreamed of hearing.  "Well, of course, so that I can be like you guys."  It really felt so awesome to be able to hear a convert say that.  

  I was reading in Alma today and I found a scripture that reminded me of this moment.  In Alma 26: 15-16 it says:  15 Yea, they were encircled about with everlastingdarkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work.

 16 Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.

I'm so thankful for Jhonny and his testimony that has strengthened mine.  I love this work.  I love Bolivia.  And I love my area.  Missions are awesome to see changes in others, but to see the change in me that I always wanted.  Thank you for all of your support and love that I can receive every week!  Until next week.

pics from the baptism, and the day we had the baptism, our pension gave us alphabet soup so I had to.  And the others are from last Monday when my companion and I went to explore.

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-Elder Cheshire

HOLA FAMILIA Y AMIGOS

First off, I want to say congrats to my brother and his new fiance, Savannah.  It's so good to hear about the blessings that are happening in my family.  I know that the Lord watches over the families of missionaries.

  This past week was pretty good.  I mean the first three days we couldn't leave out apartment.  I didn't really understand that because there was absolutely nobody by our house, but we were obedient and enjoyed the time that we had.

  I wanted to share a little bit about "the best missionary"

  Others might know it as "The Book of Mormon"

  My Mission President said to us in a previous conference, "The Book of Mormon is the word of God that has the power to change lives."  He said, "If you have an investigator that doesn't have a testimony of the Book of Mormon, perhaps they still get baptized, but they won't be converted."  I began to think back to all the years I was growing up that I didn't have a testimony of this book.  I wasn't converted to the church of Jesus Christ yet.  Now that I have read it, pondered it, prayed about it, applied it, and taught about it,  I have a testimony of the book.  It really has the power to change lives.  Not only with investigators, but with ourselves as well.  

  I'm sorry that this letter isn't too long today, but I want to end with one thing from the introduction of the Book of Mormon.

  Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”

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-Elder Cheshire

His bed broke before he made the move haha

View from his new apartment