Week 36

So this week was a good one!  This week we worked a lot with an investigator named Javier.  We found him last week and have taught him 3 lessons since.  He is definitely what you would call a “golden” investigator.  He’s about 70 years old and is pretty tall (by Peruvian standards) and is such a humble guy.  After we taught him our first lesson on the Restoration, he accepted the invitation to be baptized on the 28th!  He understood everything extremely well and we were really exited to come back to teach him again.  When we returned, he showed us that he had read chapters of the Book of Mormon, and written notes down about what he like and leaned.  We noticed that he had also gone through the pamphlet we had given him on the restoration and had marked and highlighted it. He even went to the back of the pamphlet and had filled out parts of the section that says “additional study”, which parts that I have to admit I have never really studied thoroughly myself.  It’s amazing to find people like Javier who have been prepared by the Lord. I know that this is His work and that he guides us each day that we are willing to be obedient and diligent servants.  I’m especially grateful to have found Javier in a time that we’ve been struggling to find new investigators.  Hopefully he can continue to progress towards his baptism. If you’d like, say a prayer for him!

So something funny that I have learned about Elder Randall after being with him 24/7 for 6 weeks, is that when it comes to money, he truly is Mr. Krabs from Spongebob.  He is constantly saving his money, lookin for the absolute cheapest buy, or stretching one 3-pack of milk to last him a month.  It’s a good habit to have, but if you ask me it’s a little extreme sometimes, ha ha.  However, something crazy has been occurring for the past few weeks.  Elder Randall is literally FINDING money everywhere.  Everywhere we go, he’ll suddenly stop and pick up coins of 2 or 5 Peruvian Soles straight off the ground.  I honestly don’t know how it happens, but he’s found like a month’s worth of moto-taxi money straight from the sandy ground.  On Thursday, it got even weirder.  As we were walking in between appointments, Elder Randall runs over to the side of the road and picks up a 10 sole bill.  I couldn’t believe it.  Before he was finding coins of 2 or 5 soles, but now the man was finding bills.  Jokingly I said, “What’s next, a 20 bill?”  We laughed and kept going, and literally 20 minutes later while knocking doors, Elder Randall runs over to a pile of trash in a corner and pulls out a 20 bill.  I was BEYOND stunned.  I really don’t have any explanation.  I guess the lesson is if you are good to your money, money will come to you.  I am still blown away.

Saturday and Sunday was conference!  I don’t know if you all heard but . . . there’s going to be a temple in L-town!!!  It was the coolest feeling in the world to be in a foreign country thousands of miles away, and to hear from the prophet of the Lord that there is going to be a House of the Lord in the place where you grew up and love so much.  What a blessing it will be to have a temple there.  I can’t wait to see it!!  Aside from that, what an amazing conference it was.  After it was over and we were walking out, I told Elder Randall that I had never been more proud to be a member of the Lord’s church.  And it’s true.  How blessed we are to live in a time where we have a living prophet.  I love President Nelson and 100% sustain him and his counselors.  After hearing them speak, my testimony that they are prophets, seers, and revelators was reassured.  How blessed we are!  I can’t wait to study the messages of this conference and to learn from them.  I invite you all to do the same.

Well, I’m sorry this was a little bit shorter of a letter.  I’ll try to throw in some more experiences next week.  It’s just so hard to capture everything that happens out here!  I hope you are all doing well back home.  I’ll talk to you next week!  The work continues.

(P.S.  Me and Elder Randall have another 6-week L-town transfer together!!!  We are pretty pumped for that.  The L-town boys are staying together one more.)

Avanza Su Verdad!

Elder Bailey

#Behold The Man

#Small And Simple Things

#OneMoreDay

#Meekness