Miracles and Blessings

Hey all!

Sorry about the last, uh, two weeks. It's a little nuts learning to manage extremely limited computer time.

I love my life! This is such an incredible work, and I'm so blessed to be a part of it. Here are some descriptions of the people that make my life wonderful:

Lucero is a 14-year-old golden (knock on wood) convert. She took the first discussion off a referral from a member. Two days later we go back, and we're like, did you read? Yeah. Did you pray? Yeah. How'd it go? I got my answer; this is the true church. What?!? So cool.

Rodrigo is an 11-year-old who's just wonderful. He has a baptismal date for the 10th of august. He really wants to be baptized and follow Jesus Christ even though his entire family is extreeeemely inactive.

Erick is 20 and here from Venezuela (there are so many Venezuelans here - they're just pouring out of their country as fast as they can). He'd had his spikes in his ears two years, and with just a lesson on the law of chastity, and one very simple question, he was like, sure I'll take them out.

Luciana is an adorable 9-year-old and HERE is where we really need your prayers. She's gone to church for years and lives a lot with her grandma, who is a devout member. When her grandma found out she hadn't been baptized, she called us up, but right now Luciana's mother is quite against the baptism. Her permission is all she lacks to get baptized.

Elder Espinoza is awesome and a very unique. How many professional Ecuadorian soccer players do you know that love chess, rap, and Dragon Ball Z? He's a great trainer and I'm learning a ton from him. Also he'd only read one chapter of the Book of Mormon before leaving; that was all that it took to convince him to serve.

I've had to give four blessings of health now, and let's just say my formal Spanish is a little iffy haha. Your funny Peru moment of the week is that the crosswalk has a little walking man instead of a still image, and he speeds up as the number counts down.

I love this. The Church is true. Jesus Christ lives and can change lives. The gift of tongues is real. Please reach out to someone this week and invite them to come closer to Christ.

Love you all :) Thanks for the prayers

Elder Child

Letter from the Mission President

Dear Child Family,

Sister Richey and I thank you for trusting us with your son.  We are thankful that he is serving in the best mission in the world.  We know that missionaries are called by revelation and that your son is where the Lord wants him to be at this time in his life.  In 3 John 1:4 we read, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”  We testify that your son’s service will bring joy to you all and bless the lives of thousands.  We love your son and we will do our best to take care of him.

Sincerely,

President and Hermana Richey

Peru Lima South Mission

The Field

Hi all!

Really out of time, so just a few important things.

I´m in the field! Nueva Esperanza in Villa Maria Triunfo, Lima, if you wanna Google Maps it.

Dogs are everywhere.

I love this work. Like love, love this work. All six hours of it that I´ve done so far haha. It´s going to be way hard, but awesome. The Peruvians are so open to the gospel. The first door we knocked that got opened was this guy named Miguel that was very not interested in having visitors, but when he heard we were representing Jesus Christ, we got like half an hour of deep conversation and the whole first lesson in.

My companion is a professional soccer player from Ecuador.

Buses don´t stop to pick people up, they just slow down a bit. Also they don´t have much suspension, and there were more than a couple inches between me and the chair when we hit some of those speed bumps.

This Church is true! The Gospel can change lives.

Elder Child

Blessed

Hey all!

Since today is the day in between when the Declaration was signed and when it was published, I thought nothing would be more appropriate than sharing some of my experiences via gratitude for our wonderful country. Saturday, we did missionary work outside the CCM, which prompted this discourse.

In America, we don't have bars on our windows, walls on our streets, or spikes on our fences. Our churches don't have prison fences, and our dogs don't live in the streets. We don't sleep above our shops, and we can drink our water. We trust our police, and we have traffic laws. Our most mentally unhealthy live largely in institutions, not roaming the streets. Our cities are clean, and our homes are safe.

I was only out contacting for a couple hours, but it changed my view of the world. I can only imagine how much more it's going to change in the next couple of years. So grateful for my country, my situation, and the fact that I speak English.

As blessed as we are to live in America, it pales in comparison to how blessed we are that the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth, and I'm learning every day how fortunate I am to be able to share that message full-time.

The gift of tongues is real.

Love you all! I'll have more stories and such once I'm out in the field; classes are very fun to be in but not much fun to email about. Also, I had to repent this week for not doing more as a member to help out the missionaries before I came... and I live in Provo. Give that a bit of thought ;)

Until next week,

Elder Child

Hi fam!

The following is my newsletter I want to send out for the week. I didn't get the list put together before I left, so if you could throw that together using my Google group, the comments on my Instagram post, the list in my Google Keep (you might have to text the people who don't have emails in there, just names, sorry), and the paper from the open house, that would be amazing.

Holy cow!!! I love being a missionary. I've never used any week better in my life. There are no wasted minutes or free time; everything is one crazy flurry of classes, study, classes, meals, exercise, devotionals, lessons, and classes.

I'm in the three-week Spanish program, otherwise known as the MTC for native Spanish speakers, and it's been insane. Almost all of my day, I'm the only English speaker in whatever room I'm in. Scriptures, Preach my Gospel, everything is in Spanish. The first few days were really rough (imagine getting only 60% of all the directions on how to do your laundry, where everything is in the MTC, where we're supposed to go for class, etc). Now, it's a lot better, but I have a long way to go in not too much time.

I love this Gospel!!! On Sunday, we got to hear Elder Holland speak at the devotional for new mission presidents, and holy cow, if you thought he was powerful in General Conference, come to the MTC. Of all the topics he could choose with which to address every MTC in the world and 160ish new mission presidents, he chose the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It was so powerful.

Cool story: when we arrived, it was crazy overcast. Still is, but the first time we spotted the sun was Saturday night, shortly before it set. Then, on Sunday morning, the clouds parted, and the sun was so bright you couldn't look at it. It made me think of the Nephites on Resurrection morning.

My companion is Elder Rojas, whom I am so grateful for, and I've taught him about half of the English he knows. He's a former semi-professional soccer player who has some crazy stories and scars from his mandatory Bolivian military service. He's also been a temple worker and Seminary teacher.

I'm doing really well. This is the place I'm supposed to be and the work I'm supposed to be doing. This Church is true, and I'm so grateful for it.

Until next week! When I have more time I'll figure out how to get pictures off my camera.

Elder Child 

I Made It!

First off, this keyboard is wack.

I`m well, and I`m writing from the Peru MTC. Things are interesting here. Haven`t really started the whole baptism by fire language immersion, but that will probably be in like an hour. All the teachers have said my Spanish is great, but also they only say that after I use my memorized: Tres años de escuela y mi padre habla con fluencia y me ha enseñado mucho spiel, so thinking of things on the fly is going to be a little more difficult.

My companion is Elder Rojas, from Bolivia. I haven`t really talked to him yet, since we`ve been in different places this whole time. He got in at a normal hour this morning; I arrived at about 2 a.m.

I`m the only white person in the 3 week program, and I know more Spanish than any of the other Gringos. The interesting thing I was thinking about is how that means that I am actually the least prepared of anybody for their language program, which is funny. I feel good.

And... apparently this was only supposed to be a quick, two minute email haha. My first real preparation day will be a week from today.

Hope you guys are doing great!

Elder Child