Week 56: Even More Opposition

Hey everyone,

So last week I talked about Satan tryna throw wrenches in the Lord's work over here in Bayovar and well, he's been working EVEN HARDER this week. Let me briefly explain cuz I only have like 5 mins and although I have a year in the mission, my keyboard skills are suuuuppper terrible and I write like 2.6 words per min.

So for this last Saturday we had 5 baptisms planned—Orlando, Auria, Vanessa, Nancy, and Marcos- buttttttttt, only 3 ended up getting baptized. What happened is that this week Orlando got married on Friday, and his baptism was for Saturday. But on Tuesday his friends took him to do a bachelor party type thing and he GOT DRUNK. He fell into temptation and although still got married on Friday, he did not get baptized on Saturday and it will be postponed for a future date.

Nancy was also going to get baptized with her family (Vanessa and Marcos). She is 65 y/o and has bad arthritis. She said that she couldn't get baptized unless the font was warm. We have been preparing all week to get everything ready for Saturday but EVERYTHING FELL THROUGH. The gas to heat up the font was out so we had to order one from the area offices in La Molina, then we got it in and turns out that the tubes are broken! We spent the afternoon boiling water but then magically the electricity in the church went out—leaving the font still freezing cold. We sent the baptismal clothes to be washed but on Saturday, but when we went to pick them up the lady FORGOT to wash them haha! So we were short on a baptismal tunic! ALSO the bishop showed up 1 hour late to the baptism so we couldn't get started. And then.....Nancy went into the font but before getting all the way in screamed "it's too cold!! It's too cold!! I can't do it!!" and everybody's hearts dropped. She started crying! Then Vanessa put on the wet, cold baptismal clothes for her baptism. She almost didn't get in either because it was so cold. 

Well...although frustrating, it's all good and we are still happy! I LOVE my mission and am SOOO grateful for all the success that God has given us! We were able to baptize 5 people in August and hopefully we will baptized 8 or 9 in September! 

Love y'all and have a great week!

-Elder Hale

After a week of trail and error, I have become a
master of heavenly grade, grilled cheese sandwiches!

My comp with the cutest little kid in Bayovar.

Auria's baptism!

Vanessa, Marcos and kind of Nancy's baptism (explanation in email).

Post baptism grub sesh on a DELISH Carbonara pizza.

Week 55: Opposition

Hey everyone

This week was crazy and busy! 

We've seen miracles and been through crazy trials. This week has helped me learn about the realness of the constant battle between good and evil that has been taking place since the war in heaven before we came here. In these past weeks when we have had record breaking success, we have also seen fist hand how hard Satan is working against us. 

This week, Angelica's ex-husband (who is almost homeless and an alcoholic) has been threatening, bugging, trash talking and everything bad to prevent her and her kids from coming to church and being baptized. But she was firm and determined, and she got baptized and confirmed this week, although her kids no....we thought to not have them baptized until everything calms down with the crazy guy. 

With Orlando (investigator that will be baptized this Saturday) the adversary has been bugging him with nightmares and seeing ghosts in his house this week. The adversary has also caused him to get in arguments with his fiancee and caused them to almost not get married (their marriage is on Friday).

With Vanessa and her family, they got crazily hit with a sickness on Saturday night, preventing them from going to church the next day....just A WEEK before their baptism....

and theres more!!! but I'm out of time... 

And for me, ALLL of these cares have been so much PROOF that this IS the TRUTH. Because if it wasn't true, then Satan wouldn't try so hard to knock us down and stop our investigators from progressing. It's so obvious to see the eternal importance of repentance and baptism because Satan works SO HARD against it. I recognize the important role that opposition plays in the plan of salvation and these weeks have really opened my eyes.

I am so happy for my mission experiences, I love helping people change and accept the gospel! And don't worry, even though Satan is working hard, we still have God on our side!!!! He has been performing miracles in our area! We set another baptism date this week and now have 10 baptismal dates! We had 12 investigators come to church and have 5 baptisms planned for this Saturday, we are praying that everything will go good. 

I love my calling and I love God and His work. I love you guys too, have a great week y'all.

-Elder Hale

Zombie with a shirt.

Angelica's baptism!

Just cuz I've been in Peru for a year doesn't mean that I'm not still the most
patriotic guy in the world! This was last night, grubbin on some instant mashed
potatoes and gravy, clothed with red, white and blue! USA!USA!USA!

My comp and I with our new shirts.

Flooded apartment.

Week 54: Skateboarding

Wow! I have even less time than normal but hi everyone I hope y'all are lovin life.

Life is good to us! We continue have have some killer success here in Bayovar! And we are happy for every blessing that we get!

This week we had 12 investigators come to church!!! We also have 13 investigators with baptismal dates!

On Saturday André was baptized and he is the best! André was the friend of a future missionary in our ward. One night when we were in the church we saw him outside waiting for his friend to leave the church. He had a skateboard and so I asked him if I could try it for a second. I did a few tricks and even though I was a little rusty haha, he was impressed that I even knew how to do anything on it. I asked him if we could talk in the church for a few mins and he said sure. Now, 3 weeks later, he is baptized, confirmed and strong in the faith!! On Saturday before his baptism he went to the temple with his friends to walk around the temple grounds. He already has names to do baptisms for the dead in a few weeks! He wants to serve a mission in a year!!! He is awesome and I'm happy God put him in our path and prepared him to receive the truth!!

Well, I'll write more next week I hope. 

-Elder Hale

André's baptism!!!! Hes a champ!

The mornings here are chilllly, and require extra warmth for personal study time.

ZONA MAGNOLIAS! 

A wild chupacabra that we found in the streets.

Last p-day.