Buenos Dias!
This week has been so
awesome here in Jordan, La Esperanza. Elder Angulo D'Leon and I have been
working really hard to try and work more with our local congregation/ward here
as well as the community. Our theme for the week is Optimism. This week has been
so much fun and we have seen a few miracles as well. Along with the great there
were a few hardships including being a bit sick to start the week, and going
the past couple days very blistered hands from some of the service we did this
week involving lowering buckets of rocks three stories using just a bucket and
some rubber cord. That said we have been so optimistic this week. My dad sent
me a Lesson by a former president of the church that has been my backbone all
week. I am going to attach a part of it here.
"President
Gordon B. Hinckley’s mother, Ada Bitner Hinckley, often said that “a happy
attitude and smiling countenance could boost one over almost any misfortune and
that every individual was responsible for his own happiness.”1 His
father, Bryant S. Hinckley, also had an “inherently positive outlook.”2 President
Hinckley recalled, “When I was a young man and was prone to speak critically,
my father would say: ‘Cynics do not contribute, skeptics do not create,
doubters do not achieve.’”3 Influenced
by his parents’ counsel and example, young Gordon Hinckley learned to approach
life with optimism and faith.
As a
missionary in England, Elder Hinckley worked hard to follow his parents’
counsel. He and his companions shook hands each morning and told each other,
“Life is good.”4 Almost
70 years later, he suggested that a group of missionaries in the Philippines
follow the same practice. “Yesterday was a great day in my life,” he told them.
“Every day is a great day in my life. I hope every day is a great day in your
lives—every one of you. I hope you can get ready to go in the morning and shake
the hand of your companion and say, ‘Brother (Sister), life is good. Let’s go
out and have a good day.’ And when you come in at night, I hope you can say to
one another, ‘It’s been a good day. We’ve had a good time. We’ve helped
somebody along the way. …"
I just loved reading
this lesson all week. In reality this message is so true. No matter the
situation we are in charge of our own happiness. When we are cynical and get
down on ourselves nothing is achieved. Just start everyday with the attitude
that today is going to be a great day and finish everyday with the same
attitude and the rest will work itself out.
This week Elder Angulo
D’Leon and I have two baptisms. One of them is named Jerardo. He is 11 years
old and is just about the most spiritual 11 year old I have ever met. Honestly
it is kind of inspirational to see the things he does. Over the past 5 months
since he has begun to investigate a little into the church he has not missed a
single Sunday. This week I have been teaching him to direct music and he
already has the goal to serve a mission (Specifically to serve a mission in
Seattle Washington, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA). He has been waiting nearly 4 months to
receive permission from his mom to be baptized and so finally we set the date
of the 25 and when he asked his mom, she said Ok. She has really seen a change
in this young man’s life and he has so much potential it is crazy. Best wishes
to my main man Jerardito.
This week my dear
friend Zoila Vergara began attending church again and has committed to be baptized
this week. She had a baptismal date last month but it fell through. This same
theme of optimism that applies to Jerardo and my life applies to her as well.
She has always known that this is the path our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ
want for her, she is just so afraid of what her family will say when she is baptized.
The rest of her family attends a different church in the area and for whatever
reason they do not really like Mormons (seriously I do not understand how you
could hate a group of people like that). We talked to her a bit about optimism
and how she is not going against her family but rather is following the things
Christ wants for her. I know and pray that her family will not be a problem and
they will allow her to be happy.
Being happy in this
life is all about our perspective and attitude. If we start each day with
optimism and with the perspective that God loves each and every one of his
children and has a plan for all of us, our days will appear that much brighter.
That is all for this week. Lots of Love for Valentine’s Day here in Peru.
One last comment – A Huge
Congratulations to Tucker and Caitlin who are now officially engaged. Although
he did not fulfill his promise to wait until after my mission to get married, I
knew this day would come. Best wishes to the both of them and I am excited to
hear more about the engagement.
Sincerely,
Elder Vassau
Photos
1. ELDER ADL and I at
our morning soccer match
2. Playing with monkey
friend Sila at the zoo
3. Llamas
4. Valentine’s day
birds
5. Talking with monkey
friend Sila about how he can escape
6. Creepy hairless dogs
of Peru (People say they aren’t diseased but I am not sure if I believe them,
they are everywhere)
7/8. More monkey
business at the zoo
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