Week 104 - My last week in Peru - I love these people!

Buenos Dias!!

This has been an amazing week here in the mission and I am just taking it all in. This week has been so full of service. We helped to destroy roofs, move families, cut hair, build chairs, among other things. Saturday was the first of December and in this wonderful month of Christmas the church has invited us to participate in a program called "Light the world" which invites us to serve in various ways through this wonderful holiday season. I invite everyone to follow this link which will lead you to a few videos and a calendar that explains how we can serve during these next few weeks before Christmas (https://www.mormon.org/christmas). 

This week was my last zone conference here in the mission and my last sacrament meeting because here in Peru next week there is a referendum that will cancel sacrament meeting. A little bit of a bummer but I was really able to enjoy giving my testimony yesterday at Church and sharing a few of my faith promoting experiences in the zone -conference. I guess at some point every good thing has to come to an end. 

This past week was full of service which leaves us a little extra tired for our proselyting time. Luckily, to help us out yesterday we fasted in order to have more strength and motivation while contacting new people. I also had my companion give me a blessing which was a very special experience. Really, our prayers were answered almost immediately. Like usual most of our plans fell through but it seemed like the first house we visited afterwards received us every time. Not only that, but they were people the Lord has been preparing. We met a college aged lady named Sheyla who invited us in telling us that she has been looking for a TRUE church for a few years now without any luck. She was so excited when we explained to her the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and she was even more excited when we explained that she can know that the message is true through something as simple as a prayer. 

Within an hour of finding Sheyla we found another awesome family. The mothers name is Kathryn and we taught she and her 6 children. She had attended our church when she was a little girl but had lost contact after the death of her uncle. She has always seen missionaries in the street but has always been a little embarrassed to talk to them. Well,  she and her children were all super excited when we knocked on their door and she said it was a true miracle that we arrived in that exact moment. 

Yet another blessing we saw yesterday was with the Venezuelan family we met last week. The daughter came to church by herself yesterday. She works every day from 10:30am to 12pm but yesterday she on her own decided to come to church. We were really worried for this family because during the week Del Valle seemed to have found work that would prevent her from coming to church, but luckily it seems that she has been able to adjust her schedule to be able to accompany us. This family has been praying all week and reading. The daughter Robeudys has been doing extra reading in her little free time to learn more about how our Savior has restored His Gospel in these latter days. They are awesome! Yesterday we taught sister Del Valle and Carlos about the Book of Mormon and how this book of scripture helps us to answer many questions we have because it contains the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. One could see in her face a show of excitement as we answered her question regarding Adam's original sin using 2 Nephi 2. The spirit was so strong that one could really see it in her face and expressions. It was a truly inspired day and some really amazing appointments. 

This week has been a really awesome week full of service. One can really feel the love of Christ when one is serving other people. 

This I suppose is my last blog entry here in the mission field. Finding people who are seeking Christ is truly an amazing experience. Missionary work is amazing. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. Thanks to Him we can receive mercy for the countless mistakes we make. Repentance is a change of attitude and action to better follow the example of Jesus Christ, and it is the best thing anyone can do to really be at peace here on Earth and to prepare oneself for eternal life. I know that what I have been teaching over the past two years is the truth and that Jesus Christ has restored His church in these latter days. I love this country and these people I have been serving. My return home next week will be a bitter sweet experience, but I know I have served to the best of my ability here in the Peru Trujillo North Mission. I would like to invite everyone to find little opportunities to serve in one's family, amongst one's friends, and in other broader ways. That is what really makes us happy, when we follow Jesus Christ and keep his commandments. The mission is the best, it is truly an unforgettable experience. 

Here are two of my favorite scriptures to ponder on: 

Mosiah 2: 41 "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."

2 Nephi 5:27 "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."

Love,

Elder Vassau