transfers (false alarm)

Dear Family,

We started working harder this week. It's always nice to see the visible results of just giving more of yourself. However, the Lord keeps us humble. We work as hard as we can to help some people progress, and He brings to church the last people we thought would come.

We've been trying to help everyone in the zone do things better. The assistants have been asking us to make sure that our missionaries are studying, planning, and teaching like the best of us. We sat in on some study sessions and practiced with our elders the best way to do companionship study. We sat in on some planning sessions to show them how they can plan effectively. I went on a work visit in Indoamerica, with Elder Tancara. Indoamerica is right next to Pueblo Libre, where I worked last year about this same time. Elder Tancara kept saying we were going to get robbed. I told him we wouldn't. We weren't. We both went without watches. It must have been funny to watch us looking at the sun, trying to figure out exactly what time it was. It's not as easy as asking any random person on the street for the time. Watches don't last long up there.

Even so, I had a wonderful visit with Elder Tancara. He's from Bolivia, and he started his mission just a couple of months ago. I was impressed by his obedience, diligence, and maturity. If I were in charge, I'd make him senior companion in a heartbeat. We taught several lessons and found time to contact around eighteen people in the street.

This Wednesday is transfers. Normally, transfers are announced Monday morning. However, we were told in the morning that we'd get to hear them tonight. I suppose they're trying to limit the amount of time wasted on goodbyes of outgoing missionaries. I'm all for it, because 1) I'm not a big fan of saying goodbye and 2) it really does waste time. Nevertheless, it means I can't tell you till next week. However (that is, however again), we went to the "mall" today to eat lunch with some other elders in our zone, and since we got there late, we found the office elders eating pizza in the food court. They were with Elder Call and Elder Lelegren (the two mission musicians - guitar/vocal/piano and violin, respectively), who stuck around after they left (while we ate) and told us what they could remember. It sounds like my companion, Elder Hepworth, is going to be transferred. They weren't sure who our new companions will be, and I suppose I'm not really supposed to know till the nighttime, so you'll find out next week. They also told me that Elder Burrup is going to be the new assistant. That makes me happy. He's going to be Elder Salazar's companion. They're both fantastic missionaries, and I'll end up working with either one of them very closely here in Trujillo. Wonderful.

Let me talk about the people we're teaching.

I've mentioned the group of young women we've been teaching already. Glenda (16) came up to us with a list of questions a mile long (thanks to her somewhat confused, anonymous friend) and wanted answers. She really didn't have any questions about anything that would actually be difficult to explain. I couldn't help but laugh about some of the things she said. We sat down and explained the plan of salvation and temples and it all made sense. She still struggles to understand why all the other churches don't use the Book of Mormon, which makes me smile because I can see she knows it's true. The most exciting, however, is that when Glenda had all these questions, Norma (13) just resolved nearly all her doubts and bore her testimony of the restoration of priesthood authority to the earth. We were stunned. We invited her to be baptized as soon as we could. She needs permission from her parents, but if anyone deserves it, it's her.

On Saturday morning, we grabbed our machete, clippers, broom and dustpan and took a moto-taxi over to the Stake President's house. The relationship between the missionaries and the local priesthood leaders has been so-so for the last little while, thanks to somebody, somewhere, doing something they shouldn't have. We've been seeking opportunities to share short messages with our Stake President (that's Presidente Pretel), but he was busy during our last appointment. We noticed that his grass was just as uncut as the neighbors, and about a foot long. So Saturday, we hauled our tools out there while nobody was home and trimmed the lawn with the machete and clippers. A lawn mower and edger could have done it in 15 minutes, but we took an hour. His lawn was only 5 by 20 feet or so. But we left him with the best lawn on the block. As far as we know, nobody knows except the local police force, who stopped by to give us their number in case of emergency. Nice guys.

I've set myself a personal goal to contact (that is, talk to and invite to hear the Gospel) 3,600 people before Peru's Independence Day (that's when it all ends for me - July 28). It comes out to around 20 people each day. I like goals.

I bought myself a new copy of Preach My Gospel this week, too. My other one is falling apart a little, and the new one got me so excited to do my personal study that I'm just loving it every day.

Time is running out. Yuck. That has double meaning. I better go. Things to do! People to meet! I love it!

Love,
Elder Withers