Passport to Peru: Having the Faith to Change

Hola Queridos Hermanos y Hermanas!

Hehe. How are you all doing? I hope you're doing well. The work of salvation is moving along down here in Peru. This last week was full of lots of interesting experiences and lots of really good times.

This week on Thursday we were able to have our interviews with President Rowley. It was a really neat experience for me and it came at just the right time. I had started to feel a little bit discouraged earlier in the week because almost all of our appointments fell through again, and we couldn't find anyone to come on visits with us. It's been a bit of a struggle to deal with the same problems every week, and no matter what different ways we try to help improve things, it just keeps happening! But in my interview with President Rowley, we talked a lot about having the faith that no matter how discouraging things may look to us, everything is happening in the way that it needs to happen and that the Lord has a plan in everything. I'm so grateful for President and Hermana Rowley and their faith...their example has been such a strength to me. We talked about the schedule and how even though we're in Peru and everything is always running behind, as a missionary and representative of Jesus Christ, I need to be willing to set the example and be on time. He also encouraged me to focus in my studies on the Book of Mormon and Preach My Gospel.

As I've had the last few days to reflect on and apply the things I learned from our interview, it's been amazing to see the results. Hermana Rios and I have been really focusing on keeping with the schedule more exactly and it's been so much less stressful--at least for me (for those of you who know me...you know how much I like being late...;)). Also, focusing in my studies on the Book of Mormon and on Preach My Gospel has brought so much of a deeper love and ability to really study and feel the spiritual strength I need for each day. It's been such a testimony builder for me, and I'm so grateful for his counsel. I'd been trying to study in the way that my companion had suggested, but I've learned that everyone needs to find their own way to study that works for them, and that wasn't for me! I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn more about the gospel each and every day and see how much it helps and reflects in the work that we do throughout the rest of the day.

On Saturday we were able to have a Zone Conference, in which we also talked a lot about faith, specifically about having the faith to make and meet our goals. It was really uplifting and also really humbling. Faith is so much more than I ever thought it was before...the more I study it the more important it becomes to me. I know for sure that it's no coincidence that faith is the first principle of the gospel!

After the Zone Conference, we had lunch then a big activity that we called the "Batallon Mormon"! Bascially we invited all the members of our ward to come and help us in the missionary work in our areas for the afternoon. At first it didn't seem like anyone was going to come, but as per the usual, they were just late ;) It ended up being a really neat experience. Each of the missionaries was able to go on splits with a member to go to our planned appointments, and the rest of the people that showed up we gave a bunch of pamphlets, reference cards, and an area to work in, and they went and contacted in the streets. I was able to go out with a woman that just recently got baptized about three weeks ago. Even though all of our planned appointments fell through, we were able to meet a woman in the park that really needed our help. She'd been going through a lot of really rough things in her life...relationship wise, work wise, and was just emotionally torn up. She said that she had tried to commit suicide a number of times, and just didn't see what the point in her life was anymore. She said that she wanted to just start over, be able to cange and go back to being the happy, outgoing girl that she was 4 months ago. The woman I was with was able to share her testimony about how God really can help us to change our lives completely, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We shared the experience of Alma the Younger's conversion in Alma 36, and it was so neat to see how much this woman changed from the distraught, hopeless woman we encountered into someone who felt peace and hope in her life. When she finished saying the prayer at the end of our visit, she said that she really felt peace for the first time in a long time, and that she was extremely grateful that God sent us two "angels" to help her find that peace. We gave her a LDM and took down her information (she doesn't live in my area :/). As we walked away, the woman I was with was without words. I told her that this type of experience is why we're willing to walk around in the hot hot sun every day and teach the gospel, because every once in a while, we encounter someone who really needs and accepts it in their lives.

I testify to each of you that faith is extremely powerful and something that each of us needs in our lives...something that we can all constantly be working on. I also testify that there really is always hope. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we each have the opportunity to change our hearts and lives completely and come unto Him. I hope that you all have a spectacular week! Love you all!

Con Cariño,

Hermana Garner

P.S. Cambios are next Monday, and I have absolutely no idea if I'll be staying or going or really how everything works with all that....so don't get super worried if I don't write okay? Can't believe I'm in the last week of my training! Crazy stuff!