Week 62: El templo en "black friday"

Familia y Amigos,

This week was super awesome! Elder Sandoval and I as well as the Hermana Ricconi and Hurd worked super hard as a district and were super excited to see what were going to do in December. As a district we were able to find 25 new investigadores this week and many of them have a lot of potential! We are super excited to see what happens in December. 

The highlight of this week was definitely my work visit with Elder Buckner, one of my zone leaders, on Thanksgiving and going to the temple on Friday. We've got a rule that one of the zone leaders should always be in the zone, so Elder Buckner invited me to go to the temple with him to help out the sisters that work in the family history center to bring a group of converts from our stake to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. The Lima temple is super pretty! It is the second time I have been able to go on my mission and it is amazing. It's in a really nice part of Lima (La Molina) and it's a lot more peaceful. Before my mission I didn't notice how strong the Spirit is in the temple because there are so many in Utah and I could go a lot, but this time it was way different. The Spirit there really impacted us and I was able to understand a lot better my call as a missionary. If my converts don't get to the temple, they are not getting anywhere. 

Also, while I was in the temple, I ran into some ex-missionaries from the Lima North mission that finished with Elder Pauro, my trainer. As I was talking with them, they told me that he was getting married that same day! It is crazy how time goes by so fast in the mission. 

Well, I would send you all a bunch of pictures but this computer is a little strange, so next week I'll send a bunch!

Con mucho amor, 

Elder Potter

Week 61: Otro hijo mas!

Familia y Amigos,

This week has been crazy! Elder Alvarez got a change, he is now in Comas and I'm staying here in Independencia. I will probably stay here for 2 more changes. My new companion is Elder Sandoval from Huancayo Peru. He has been a member for 3 years. He just left the CCM, entonces...tengo otro hijo mas! (Now I have another child.)  I am excited for the chance that I have to train again. I will send some more pictures next week. Sorry it is so short and undetailed this week, it'll be better next week! 

Que tengan una buena semana!

Elder Potter

Elder Potter - Independencia

Week 60: Cambios

Hola Familia y Amigos!

Bueno, this week has been a crazy week! A good week, but a little crazy. We had a baptism for Gabriel and it was awesome! He has changed so much and is going to progress a ton! He is totally going to be a missionary someday. I love my converts, their great. Julio received the Melchizedek priesthood a few weeks ago and Osmar and Yessenia are going to get sealed for sure and the 18th of December! I am so happy for them! I am probably going to write that in every email up until that date, sorry. 

This past week was also our mundial (soccer tournament) with the whole mission! It was awesome to see some of my good friends that are in other zones, it is always fun to see and hang out with my district from the CCM and see how they are all doing. 

Also, this week is changes week! I am pretty sure that Elder Alvarez is going to leave because he is already got 5 changes here, I think I might train again, I  honestly don't know what is going to happen this change, it should be interesting. 

Well, that is all I got for this week! Que tengan una buen semana!

Elder Potter

So yummy fish they ate!

Elder Potter at his best!

Gabriel's family at his baptism.

Elder Alvarez, Gabriel, Elder Potter

Zone Independencia at the Soccer Tournament

Elder Potter's legs finally saw the sunshine at the soccer tournament

Elder Alvarez and his fake beard and eyebrows?

Week 59: My Week

Hola familia!

This week was super crazy! There was a lot to do. It was kind of stressful because for an investigator to be baptized they need 3 attendances and Hermana Ricconi and Hurd didn't really have anyone to be baptized for this month and the beginning of the week but they worked super hard and got some new people at church so now the whole district will be able to baptize this month! We are super excited about that!

 

This week was good for me. I learned a lot about learning how to follow the spirit and act on his promptings as soon as you feel them. That is when we will know if we are Spiritually self reliant. I've always taught the people that I teach that if they want to receive a testimony they must pray, read, and go to church. But if they want to strengthen that testimony, that they must share that testimony with someone. It always works.

 

Isn't it crazy that it is almost Christmas? Time goes by way to fast! It's funny, it is blazing hot here for Christmas, but they always serve you hot chocolate...weird right? Then they always complain about how it is so hot. haha, it's really funny, but I love it. They also eat paneton (fruitcake).

 

Sorry, I don't have a ton of time right now, I promise that I will write more to you all next week! Here is a few pictures this week for y'all. 

Love, 

Elder Potter

I ran into Elder Jesus last p-day at Plaza Norte, (it's a big mall here in Lima) he was one of my favorite companions.

One day this week Elder Alvarez decided he wanted a cake, so he bought one. Kind of random but it was super good!

Week 58: Cortarme el Cabello!

Buenos Dias familia,

This week was good, it wasn't the best week, but it was alright. We were able to find some good new investigators and Gabriel is progressing a ton, so that is always good. We didn't have many investigators show up to church in the district but it is looking like were going to have a successful week this week, so were excited about that. 

So like I said, Gabriel is progressing like crazy! I was on a work visit with Elder Buckner, one of my zone leaders, and we went to visit Gabriel and he had been reading the Book of Mormon like a crazy man so we made a deal with him that if he finishes the Book of Mormon by November 30 and we don't, he gets to cut our hair..not too short, but a hair cut is a hair cut....so we will see how that goes. 

Also, I've had a spiritual impression this week that we should never stop to think to act on something that the Spirit tells us to do because it will be for our eternal progress and salvation. It doesn't matter how small the impression is or how soft it is said, we always need to act on the small things "porque por cosas pequeñas se realizan grandes cosas/obras" (because small things are great things). 

Two weeks ago we had a regional conference that I forgot to write about last week. part of it was transmitted from Utah, Elder Anderson spoke, Sister Esplin, Elder Soares and Elder Nash, it was really great. Elder Uceda also spoke (the general authority from Peru) and his talk was great! He spoke about the temple and that we should 1. always have a recommend. 2. have a picture of the temple in every room of the house 3. go to the temple as often as you can. and a few other things. It really inspired me, especially after Elder Anderson spoke about what Elder Uceda and his wife had to go through to get sealed! When Elder Uceda got back from his mission he started dating his wife and the nearest temple was in San Paulo Brazil, on the other end of South America. So Elder Uceda told his wife, "well, hows it sound if for now we just get married civilly and when we have the money well travel to Brazil and get sealed" his wife looked at him and said "if were not getting sealed, I'm not marrying you!" So that straightened him out a bit. They traveled for seven days across Peru, Bolivia and all of Brazil to be sealed. It took them 14 days to come back because of the floods in la selva (jungle) in Bolivia. They were the only people in their sealing, but for them it was worth it, and making a sacrifice that big should also be worth it for all of us. It was a great conference. 

Well, that's about all for this week! ¡Que tengan una buena semana!

Elder Potter

Hermana Hurd and Hermana Ricconi, Elder Alvarez and Elder Potter at a service project.  This is our district.

Elder Buckner, Hermana Hurd, Hermana Ricconi, ELder Alvarez, Elder Potter, Elder Peralta at a service project, cleaning up a bunch of trash at the top of a hill.

Elder Potter - sometimes you just can't hold in the crazies.  haha - this is why we love him!