But I'll start with the bad part. I threw up ALL day Tuesday. It was bad. I ate bad rice I guess...? Haha. But I didn't eat for a couple days...and I am better now, so I cant complain!! :)
So this week...Hermana Medina and I travelled to Lima on Wednesday. We travelled all night in a bus Wednesday night, got there early Thursday for the New Missionary Training, and travelled home all night Thursday to get back to Huaraz at 7am Friday morning! It was insane! I was nervous to be outside of the area for so long, but we were SO BLESSED :) I will get to that a little bit later :)
Well, in the training Presient taught us a LOT of things...as always. But there was one story that I really loved. In Moses, there is the story of Enoch talking to God asking him WHY he was crying? Enoch didn't understand how the heavens could cry if everything was just so happy in the heavens. Enoch asks God and God answers him by telling him that he is crying for all of his children that disobey Him. He has such immense love for ALL of his children and when they disobey, He cries for them. Enoch in this moment feels this love for the children of God here and earth and he, in this moment, UNDERSTANDS the immense love that God has for all of His children. And because he was able to understand that, HE started feeling this love for the children on earth and a sincere desire to help them. I am starting to understand that LOVE as I have grown to LOVE the people here.
Well, this week, I remembered an interview that I had with President Archibald about 10 months ago in September. He asked me if I had charity for the people of Peru. I answered yes, thinking that I really truly did. Well, President told me that later on in my mission I would develop a love for the people here that will be so pure that it will be almost impossible to leave them, and stop serving them. Well, this week, Hermana Medina and I were doing practices for her training. We have an hour a day of training and we usually do lots of practices to help her learn how to teach and apply the principles of Preach My Gospel. Well, in this practice I was acting as one of my old investigatrs, Julio and Kervin Cortes. Remember them?? Well, as I sat there, acting as Julio and Hermana Medina practiced teaching me, I was overwhelmed with love for Julio and his family. I felt such a need to get on a bus to Lima to go visit them and continue to teach them the gospel. As you all know, Kervin was baptized but his parents could not because they didnt have enough money to get married. Their family has a lot of problems, and as she was teaching me, I couldn't help but cry for them. I love these people so much!! And in this moment, I really understood that these people are children of God. That HE cares so much for them. He needs them to return to Him one day. It is not an option. His children are very disobedient nowadays and it is our responsibility to help them back. To be active disciples of Christ and bring back those who are drifting away. God needs us to do it. It is something URGENT. And I was able to feel that sense of charity and urgency for the children of God. Especially with those here in Peru. These people we are dealing with are not objects. They are children of God with certain needs that we can really help with this gospel. I KNOW that the Atonement of Jesus Christ changes lives. I know it, because I have seen it. Many times in these past 14 months. I know that God has such a deep love for his children and He needs our help. Those of us that already feel the joy of the gospel, it is our responsibily to help OTHERS feel it. The first two great commandments are to Love God and then Love our neighbor as ourselves, right? Well, what are we doing to show that love to others?? When we serve others, we are serving God. And I testify that if we reach out to those the are fallen away and serve them with Christlike service and charity, our joy will be GREAT. Keep praying for those that are on a different path. Keep being a dilligent disciple of Christ and working in the work of Salvation. We can have a HUGE influence on those that are lost. Lets start with one family member, one friend, one less active. If we all helped one person, think how great the JOY of our Heavenly Father would be. I testify that this is His work. I know that He loves ALL of us. And I know that bringing others to Christ brings the greatest joy into our lives. I am greatful for the opportunity I have had to serve the children of our Heavenly Father in Peru.
I know this gospel is true!!! I hope we can all act on the plea that Pres. Thomas S. Monson gave us exactly a year ago today to ´Go to the Rescue´. I am greatful for this gospel and all the blessings it brings my family. Thank you all for being so great, and helping in the work of salvation!!!
As I said earlier. we were way blessed this week!!! We had 6 investigators come to church. One was the family that we will baptize the 19th of July. La familia Tafur Leon. They are awesome! Also Camilo, who will also get baptized the 19th of July... and Kari :) The Lord is working with us here in Huaraz!!!
Love you all,
Hermana Agle
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