Peruvian Legend

Hermana Herrera and I have been working with our friends to understand what faith is. In my old area, basically, everyone believed in God and had at one point been to a church; however, it is much different here. I have been able to focus more on the basics (God, Christ, scriptures, prayer), and it has been cool to teach and study!!

We have been reading Alma 32 (Book of Mormon) with a ton of our friends recently. In this chapter, Alma teaches humility and faith in such a beautiful way relating faith to a seed.

In the following chapter, the people he is teaching (the Zoramites) ask him how to plant the seed or, in other words, start the process of having faith. To explain this, Alma reminds the people of the story of Moses and the fiery serpents and how those with faith in a simple action of looking toward Moses' brass staff were saved.

Alma 33

19 Behold, he [Christ] was spoken of by Moses; yea, and behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live. And many did look and live.

20 But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them.

Alma is basically telling them that the action of planting their seed of faith seems SO EASY that many people won't do it due to pride or overcomplicating the gospel. All we have to do is ALLOW ourselves to begin to believe, and boom... we have planted our seed of faith, and we can begin to nourish it.

I am working on having faith without ANY DOUBTS. Why is it so hard!? However, I have seen a lot of personal growth as I have been TRYING to put forth my all while on my mission.

I have learned this week that we are blessed for putting forth our best effort in whatever it may be: faith, obedience, charity, patience, etc.. I honestly think this week has been the most miracle-filled week of my mission

Christ is cheering us on because He knows what OUR best is!!!

Highs:

-Taught a Venezuelan family of 11, and they loved the Book of Mormon AND church!!!

-I found peanut butter

-I can do a push-up

-Started reading the book Jesus the Christ, and its soooo good

-We went to the farthest neighborhood in our area, and it looked like Disneyland

-Sleep talking in Spanish

-Rained for two minutes

-Basketball shorts

-Street contacts

-My comp is famous in Perú