Week 66: Navidad en Lima!

Buenos Días Familia y amigos,

This week was super great! I hope that you all had a great Christmas. Christmas is definitely different on the mission, but I honestly love it! Its a great time to reflect and think about our Savior and all that he has done for us and keeps doing for us. 

On the 24th, we all went to the offices and had a big Christmas devotional with the whole mission. President Erickson and his family prepared this HUGE bbq, an American bbq, and it was super good! It was awesome being able to hang out with my group from the CCM, with Elder Dority and Weaver and the rest of the gang. Then we all went into the chapel and every zone prepared a skit, so that was a lot of fun too. Then President Erickson talked for a bit and we finished by watching "Home Alone". It was a good day. 

I'm super pumped for 2016 to start because my district is going into January really strong and were going to have a lot of success. This month we finished with two baptisms and 3 rescued people and were going into January with several people that are going to have or that already have set baptismal dates this week. One of them is a lady named Juana that we found a few weeks ago when we went contacting way up in this hill that we had never contacted before. We were just passing by the road and this lady called us over to talk to her. So we went and it turned out that she was a member of another ward but was visiting her friend, Juana, and introduced us to her. She lives in this tiny little house that literally is hanging of the edge of the hill with her 3 youngest children. They are very humble and were actually listening to the missionaries about a year ago but were always moving, so they lost contact with the missionaries until a few weeks ago when they contacted us. They all came to church yesterday and we've put a baptismal date for them for the 16 of Enero. 

Elder Sandoval and I had some great experiences this week as we've worked. On Tuesday we found a Buddist woman named Flor and she let us share a the Plan of Salvation with her and it was a super cool lesson. It was really cool being able to bring someone to the knowledge of the gospel. They are in great need of a Jesucristo in their lives. At the end of the lesson, she understood the message and it had meaning to her. She still has some doubts because it was all new to her, but the Spirit was definitely there testifying to her of the importance of Christ in her live. 

Bueno, estoy bien animado esta semana para trabajar duro! 

Elder Potter

Elder Potter's CCM group

La Zona Independencia

Skyping with the Familia

Lima on Christmas Day

Week 65: Osmar y Yessenia...una familia eterna!

Dear Familia,

This week was absolutely amazing! I'm kind of short on time right now, but this week was the BEST! I was able to go to the sealing of Osmar and Yessenia on Thursday and it was super spiritual.

What made it even greater was when I found out that Osmar's parents from Piura had come down to Lima to be sealed as well. His parents were sealed first, then Osmar was sealed to them. Osmar and Yessenia were then sealed. Then Noa, their super cute 1 year old daughter was brought in to the sealing room and was sealed to her mom and dad. It was by far the best part of my mission up to this point. It was a true blessing and tender mercy for me to be there. Elder Jesus was also able to go. It was great to be there with him and see the "fruits"of our labor that we did many months ago. It was a very joyful day. 

The district also had a lot of success this week! We baptized Ederico Rojas. He has really come a long ways and has changed a lot. He has baptized and confirmed this past week. Hermana Ricconi and Hurd also had a baptism and confirmation this week. Everyone in the district is going to baptize and rescue this month! Its been a great week! 

I am so grateful for my Savior this time of year and all that He did for me and continues to do for me. I know He lives and I love Him. I know that families really can be together forever thought the priesthood power and authority. I know Thomas S. Monson is a prophet called of God. I hope that we will all be able to reflect on Christs birth and Atonement a little bit more this week.  

Bueno, espero que tengan una buena semana! Y feliz Navidad a todos! Que se acuerden de Jesus el Cristo, nuestro Salvador. 

Con mucho amor, 

Elder Potter

Yessina, Noa, Elder Jesus, and Elder Potter

Elder Potter, Osmar, Yessinia, Noa, and Elder Jesus on their sealing day

The sealing of Yessinia and Osmar and the sealing of Osmar's parents.

Lima Peru Temple

Week 64: Osmar y Yessenia...se van a sellar!

Familia y Amigos,

¡Esta semana va a ser lo máximo! I'm super excited for this week! One year ago Elder Pauro and I baptized Yessenia P and reactivated her husband Osmar, and this Thursday they are going to be sealed in the templo de Lima, Peru para siempre (forever!). I'm super proud and happy for them, they are the best. Through them I've been able to gain a testimony that the gospel really is the source of all happiness and blessings. I'll be sure to take pictures. 

This week our mission shifted it's vision, we are now going to be making a new focus on working more with the members and we've already been able to see a huge improvement on our work and effectiveness of our work be working with the members. 

So this past week we found a new family that moved here to Los Pinos from Bitarte, by La Molina, because they have family here that happen to be members that are active. The husband, Peter, has had a rough time in the church and were trying to help him out and get him back on his way to Christ. Claudia is his wife and has already listened to the missionaries and has been attending church for a while now. We are preparing her to be baptized on the 26th of this month. They are going to get married this Thursday. Thursday is going to be a busy, busy day! 

Well, I hope that you all have a great week!

Elder Potter

Ill send pictures next week...

Week 63: Mostly Just Photos...

Dear Family,

This past week has been super exhausting. I've been trying really hard to help out Elder Sandoval, he has really progressed a lot this week which made me really happy.  Sometimes it is hard to realize your personal progress until a lot of time has passed.

I left with Elder Buckner this morning at 6:00 to inscribe a family to get married so that is why I'm writing you so late. So it has been an exhausting day but its worth it. Vale la pena. Well, I hope you have a great week!

I am sending lots of pictures.

Elder Potter

La Zona in a service project

Thanksgiving...pollo broaster

The temple...a day with the converts doing temple work!

Gabriel and I, he couldn't go in because he didn't have the priesthood yet, but for next time he will!

Elder Buckner, Gabrial y yo en el templo

The temple de la molina, Lima, Peru.

Elder Sandoval and I enjoying our pollo broaster on his one month mark!

This is Elder Dillon, Elder Alvarez and I today, we ran into each other in Plaza Norte. Elder Dillon was one of my high school rivals in XC, he ran for Woods Cross. He has got 4 months on the mission.

The old and new district in Chili's. Hermana Hurd, Ricconi, Elder Sandoval, Alvarez, Elder Dillon, and I.

Elder Villagran and I, he was one of my best companions. He also speaks fluent English. It was fun seeing him today as well.