Week 102 - Last Email!!!

Well, the mission has ended. Ill talk to you all on Wednesday!! See yall later!!

Love Elder Shoaf

Week 101 - Final Mission Testimony

1 more week!! Where has the whole 2 years gone by?? I am now in shock to see that I have been in the mission so long, it doesnt seem real. I feel like that the mission is going to just continue right along, but its time to get back. Thanks everyone for all that youve done for me during the mission, all the helpful emails, great advice and encouraging notes during these 2 years. It has helped me grow so much. And today instead of telling all of what happened during the week, this will probably be my last big email because next week Ill be back on Wednesday. So I want to share my testimony of the truthfulness of what I have been doing here in Peru for 2 years. 

Well I have grown so much and my testimony is much stronger, but its all thanks to our Savior Jesus Christ. I have grown to know what is truly the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the divine power it has in changing the lives of anyone. I know that through Him we are able to return to our Heavenly Father and live with him once again, but we need to be obedients. I have many faults and errors, but through our Saviors love we can all be forgiven if we choose to follow Him. I also know that Christs church has been restored on the earth and it is guided by a prophet of God and 12 apostles. And I think most of all that I have grown to know and learn more in the mission than anything else is the importance of love. I have grown to love the people of Peru, grown to serve them, and learned to teach them the wonderful message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is very hard at times to love others that reject you or say very mean things, but I have learned to love them as the Lord would love them. It is an eternal principle that has helped me so much in these 2 years and I really know that I have done much to help many people in Peru. Well, I will see you all very soon, hope you all have a great week and the Lord blesses each one of you!! 

Week 100- Peru's Pokemon Invasion!

Well!! Where do I start for my last few emails. Not sure what to say anymore, but to give my weekly report....here you go!

Well this week we had stake conference and it went well for the most part. We heard some great talks, from stake president, from Pres Herrera and Sister Herrera, and also a 70 came too. Elder Calderon was the Peru Cusco mission president from 2010-2013 so it was great to hear from him and receive some great councils on a Christ centered life. With our investigators, we did a lot better this week in finding some really cool new investigators that we are seeing can progress in these weeks. Alex is a new investigator and he has the desires to get baptized too, his is awesome! We are seeing a potential baptismal date for September and we know he can progress, he came to the conference too. But we are seeing a lot more progress in our area this week and hoping to see a lot more in the coming weeks. Well, really not much else is going on the work. But I have seen many miracles in helping so many people and its such a blessing to have a nametag with the Saviors name on it and represent him during these last few weeks of my mission. Sometimes the work gets hard, all of our lessons fail us or people dont accept the Gospel, but the blessings have come in my life and in the mission!

Also I did splits with Elder Palacios this week to help him out because we are the zone leaders and have the responsibility to help the missionaries in our zone. So we focused a lot on contacting and really having the spirit with us. He is doing well and we had a great time in our work visit. 

And the last thing.....pretty funny and Ive heard a lot about in from the states too. Pokemon! haha That game is crazy here, every park or tourist spot there are teenagers, adults, tourists, or whatever kind of person looking for freaking POKEMON!! I heard its worse in the states, and its crazy here too, but the work will continue! haha But hope you all have a great week......love yall!!

 1. Eating chicken feet.....yummy

 2. My first Ward Mission Leader from Sicuani.

.

 3. Saying hi to my old pensionista from Villa Union in the conference

 4-15. Hanging out with the zone for Pday, having a good time

Week 99 - 40-day Fast

Cant believe that Ill be back sooo soon! The mission has passed by so quickly. But I have grown so much as a missionary and as a person. 

It was great to hear that Harrison is now off on the mission, also Elder Shoaf, 2 now in the world. I know he will be great, and its sad that I wont see him, but he is doing a great work. But really this week for Elder Choque and I was a little hard. We had some great days planned but almost the whole week was full of failed lessons and appointments. But we are still working hard, trying to find new less actives in the ward to visit, finding whoever wants to listen to the Gospel. This week we saw a little bit of progress with Franklin and Hilda, who are still struggling to receive their answer. They came to church, but still trying to find that way to help them to fully receive the Gospel in their lives. 

Also this week, our zone, we all started a 40 day fast or spiritually speaking. To be able to be better missionaries, more obedient, more diligent, and finally have the spirit to be with us during the week and all the things we do. And I know it will help us and the whole zone of missionaries, its somethings that can help a lot. But really, not much of a special week, working hard until the end. But yeah, excited to get back home and see everyone, but Im loving the mission and Cusco to be able to help all the people who live here. Well, hope everyone has a great week!!

 4. Zone Leaders with President and Sister Herrera in the mission home

 1. Qenqo

 2. Did you all know that Jesus is wearing the Peruvian flag? haha

 3. The following are things that you guys would probably like for me to buy for you, let me know what you like. Sweaters, shot glasses, hats, ties, and other stuff.

Week 98 - Eight Investigators

I cant even explain how fast this week has went by, crazy!! It was an awesome week and a very busy week too. Full of conferences, meetings, and other things to fill up our agendas for the week. 

First of all, the work is finally picking up! We had a great turn out in church yesterday, 8 investigators came to church!! EIGHT! There was a whole family that came, Monroy Family, and they are progressing well, the only thing is that  they need to get married still. We are working close with them this week to help the dad to receive a sure answer and have the desires to follow Christ. We found a new investigator that I know is going to get baptized, Tomas, and he came to church too. The only thing is that he doesnt read in Spanish but in Quechua yes, so we have to have a translator in our lessons with a member  that knows how to explain Gospel terms to him in Quechua. But he is awesome!! Also another new investigator came to church for the first time, Raquel, who is progressing little by little. She is going through some difficult times, but we will see how she does with some of her compromises this week to see what we need to do to help her. And wait.....there's more!! Also a young boy from a part member family came with his mom yesterday too, she is excited to help him get baptized and come back to church completely. And finally, Franklin and Hilda came to church too, but we are struggling to find out exactly what they need to recognize their answer and have the desires to make covenants with Christ. But needless to say, there are many people starting to progress, thanks to all the blessings from the Lord. Now is the time to work and see what Elder Choque and I can do to help these people come unto Christ this week!

This week was also my first Mission Leader Council, not sure how to say it in English, but in Spanish....Consejo de Lideres. So as a zone leader, all the zone leaders go to the mission home and have a council to receive training from our mission president and learn how to help our zones. Its so great to be able to listen to so many new things and learn things that will help the mission progress.  But we focused on our mission motto to say, Teach repentance and baptize converts. And the promise is that if we do so, we will see the prepared children of God come to us. And we are seeing that promise already come true in this week of work. Great to see lots of old friends in the mission, all the zone leaders from all the mission, and many buds from my group. But all the information we got, we had to give in our montly zone meeting, so I was able to help the missionaries in my zone understand the many promises from President Herrera. 

Well, that was my crazy week! Lots of stuff to do, lots of things to work on and improve too. Elder Choque and I are enjoying working together and having a great time in Tullumayo!! Until next week!!

 1-13. Cristo Blanco, Plaza de Armas, cool cathedral, and Qoricancha

 14.Concilio with Elder Choque

 15/16. All the zone leaders from my group that are going to end the mission, with Pres and Sister Herrera

 17. Elder Cortijo and I

 18. Elder George and I

 19. With Elder Mann

20. Elder Ludlow and I

Week 97 - Finding Less-Actives

Well, not too exciting of a week again. It seems like I am saying the same things every week, and basically its the same. We are still working hard every day, this week we saw more progress with finding some cool new people to teach. Elder Choque is still a great companion, we are trying our best to see what else we can do to improve. And of course, we are always finding something to improve on and get better. 

Well, we found 2 new less actives that are ready to come back to church and we can see that they can progress. We were looking for less actives and 1 house has like 20 people who are members that dont go to church, so we went and knocked on the door. Normally doing so never works, but today we found Ruth and her uncle Fidell, and they accepted a lesson. Turns out that their kids, 3 of them arent baptized and have accepted to listen to us. So now we have some potential investigators that are going to progress, and its great. We have been trying to find a lot of new less actives and we are working with our ward misson leader to visit them. So many in our directory and we have just begun on finding them. Lots of work to do, but we are excited to get to work.

Also I was able to visit Elder Bravo in our zone for a work visit in his area, to see how he is doing and see if I can help him. Turns out that he is great, always so happy to talk to everybody and he is doing great. He is a convert that went from Ecuador and lived in Utah for 4 years, listened to the missionaries there and got baptized. His story is sick though, so many converts here in South America, almost everybody that comes into the mission now is a convert....pretty cool. He speaks perfect English too, all the ways we speak too, pretty awesome. Well, not much else going on, trying to enjoy all the time I have here in Cusco and help the people come unto Christ!! Loving the mission!

Sorry there arent any pictures this week.....next week. 

Week 96 - More investigators!

Well, like I always say.....just another week of work, with a few interesting things blended in. But just working everyday, having a good time. 

Well this is the first week with our new mission president, President Herrera, and we dont know him very much really. But we did get to have a multi zone mission conference this week to get to know him and his family. Unlike President Harbertson, our new mission president has 2 little girls that are with him here in Cusco. Its a little different with 2 little girls running around during a mission conference, but President Herrera is great. He is very excited to get to work with us and see progress in this mission. He also wants to play sports with the elders and sisters,which is a lot different than Harbertson. haha But Im excited to see what else this mission has in store in this last transfer!

Elder Choque and I are doing well together, working hard. But we have a few people doing pretty well in their progression in the church. Daniel is the son of a recent convert and he is pretty cool, very interested in the message we bring and he wants to come to church. Also wants to get baptized, so we will have to see if he will be ready for August. We also have a couple that are doing well too, Franklin and Hilda, 2 investigators that have a lot of interest but still need to get married. We are working hard with them for a baptismal date in August and help them really understand the importance of the Gospel. Their situation is very confusing at times, but we will have to see yet again what will happen with them this week. 

Some fun stuff that happened was with an activity that the stake had on Saturday. The Stake Relief Society held a festival for typical Peruvian dances. And we brought some investigators and others to watch with us, and they really enjoyed it. In the pictures you will see some of the costumes they used and how they dress up during dances here. Its pretty interesting, not much of that in the states for sure......but we all had a good time! Not much really, just working, having a wonderful time and seeing progress here in Tullumayo!! Love ya guys.....keep it up!!

Multi zone conference, Zones Cusco, Inti Raymi, Tahuantinsuyo, Los Incas, Sicuani, and Quillabamba with President and Hermana Herrera