ELDER HOLLAND CAME TO CUSCO

Well, not much to say other than.... ELDER HOLLAND CAME TO OUR MISSION. We had an all mission conference with him on Saturday in Cusco. We left Puno at midnight on Friday and were only in Cusco for about 5 hours. IT WAS AMAZING. He shook each of our hands, and I had the privilege of being able to sing for him. Talk about nerves! But he cried, President Harbertson cried, the missionaries cried. So the Spirit did its job! Only five of us sang and we did come thou fount of every blessing in Spanish. It was incredible. Elder Holland yelled at us, cried with us, and loved us. He is amazing. Plus being 2 feet away from him the whole time wasnt half bad.

Well after that bomb, the rest of the week will sound pretty boring. But it was a good week! Thank you for all of your prayers and words of encouragement.

Tuesday we did divisions! I went to Incapachacutec with Hermana Campoverde and it was the best! She helped me to remember about putting my trust in God about all else and that it always matters more what he thinks of us.

Wednesday we were super blessed! We found two new investigators and were able to have 4 lessons with investigators in total. That hasnt happened for us in forever! I know that the Lord answered our prayers and helped us to find all of the people we had planned.

Thursday and Friday were good! I feel very grateful this week for the Plan of Salvation. On Thursday we were able to go and visit the wife of the second counselor in the bishopric, Hermana Eliana. They just had their first baby 2 weeks ago - Emma Rose. She is so cute! There starts the plan on this earth. On Friday we saw the ending of the plan of this earth. We were able to visit a lady who is dying of liver cancer. It was one of the most humbling moments I have ever had on my mission. We couldnt say much, but we just testified to them about the power of God and his love. She will go soon, but she will be in a better place without pain and suffering.

On a side note, I pierced my companions ears on Thursday! HAHA. I am so crazy. We had been talking about it for weeks, so we bought anesthesia in a creme from the pharmacy and she toughed it up and now she has earrings. She is so cute. I love her.

Sunday we were zombies after getting home from Cusco at 11 the night before. We had a super good lesson with our ward mission leader Juan Carlos and talked about Enduring to the End. I am just so grateful to be an instrument in the Lords hand. Juan Carlos thanked us for visiting him formally and told us that we had said exactly what he needed to hear. The Lord knows His children!! All I have to do is listen to the Spirit to be able to tell them what he needs them to hear.

And the next best news of the week.... WE FINALLY FOUND YERSON AGAIN! After he didnt get into the university he went downhill and has been in a pit the last month and just feels really alone. We had a member with us, Juan Ramon, who was able to be his friend and share personal experiences, and at the end was able to give him a blessing to know that he is not alone in this. Right as we sat down, he goes "Hermanas, I know you told me this path wouldnt be easy and that I would have trials. Well, they came. And they all came at once." God gives us adversity to help us grow! That is a very profound lesson that I am striving to understand right now. I dont know why it has to be that way, but like Elder Holland told us "The road to Salvation always goes through Gethsemane." We will all, at some point or another, have to go through some of what Christ suffered. It wont always be that way, and in the next life we will rest from all of our troubles. But for now we have to experience it. I am grateful for Heavenly Father and for everything he seems to be putting me through right now. I have asked why many times but am learning now to ask, "So Heavenly Father, what do you need from me? What will I learn from this?" This change has not been easy, and it isnt going to get easier all in one day, but I know with all my heart that the Lord is by my side. He helps each of us! I feel especially privileged in this hard time to be on the Lords errand. I love Him with all my heart and it has taken coming all the way to Peru for me to realize that - that He is my Father.

I love you all! Cheers to a great week and an even better to come!

Hermana Miceli

Pic 1 - Happy Valentines Day! I picked out Elder Lundells heart tie in la cachina - 1 sol!

Pic 2 - Today we went to this really fun big slide in the middle of town!

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YAHOO! ASIA

A Week of Peace

Well, Merry Christmas! Mine was amazing. Peruvian. Full of panetone, chocolate, and a BAPTISM! Zoriana - she really has just fallen out of heaven these past few weeks and has been a total miracle. It was a beautiful service and went off essentially without a hitch. When she shared her testimony at the end she said she felt unsure about getting baptized for family problems that she has until she entered the water and then just knew. She was super nervous but was glowing and just kept hugging us and telling us how happy she was. It was the best! For Christmas Eve our mission leader took us out to pizza. Now that is a tradition I would not mind adopting when I get home. Machupizza - delicious!

Other than that there isnt much of a report from this week. We are just trying to find new people to teach which is proving to be difficult here. We do have a couple that will get married and be baptized this coming month! Agustina y Nilton. They are THE BEST. So strong. They have been in the process for over 3 years and now are so sure that they are in the true church and just have incredible testimonies. We went over for a lesson with them yesterday and talked about el Dia de Reposo. They sounded like members of years! Nilton shared his testimony and it was probably one of the most powerful moments I have ever been in on my mission. I just am so grateful that the Lord allows me to know such incredible people!!! I love them so much already.

As many of you I am sure have heard, my dear mother has been diagnosed with breast cancer and will be going in this week to get it removed. First off, let me say how grateful I am that I am where I am. Finding out on Christmas wasnt easy, but surprisingly was one of the most peaceful moments of my life. I love the Lord with all my heart. I know that He is aware of my mom and is protecting her for me. Although I am so far away, I do not feel it. I feel His love more than I ever have. I feel the love of all of you and that is what is keeping me going. There is no place I would rather be through all of this than right where I am in Peru because I know that the Lord can bless my family more with me here than he would be able to any other way. I know that she will be okay, I have never had any doubt. How lucky I am to be able to be surrounded by so many amazing people and to be able to give myself in service to the one person who is truly watching over my mom. I love you all so much! The Lord hears and answers prayers. He knows us and he watches over us. Never doubt it. Never forget it.

Hermana Miceli

Pic 1 - Turkey legs and Inca Kola for Christmas lunch!

Pic 2 - Zoriana! Our bishop is the far left. He is great.

Pic 3 - Love her.

Pic 4 - The classic leaving the font picture.

MIS POLLITOS

Wow, warning in advance this letter is going to be so scatterbrained! Sorry I didnt write last week. There wasnt much to say considering we were in a strike for a week and a half! We just barely ended it this past Thursday. My Thanksgiving was spent inside planning, but it will be one I will never forget! We made Pumpkin Spice cookies with the Hermanas last pday to make up for it so all is well!

This week was good! Frustrating, but there were tons of tender mercies from the Lord letting me know He loves me and is aware of the struggles we are having here.

Tuesday was normal! We had some good lessons. Tender Mercy 1: We sat down with our investigator Margarita who we havent been able to see for a couple of weeks so we werent sure what she would remember or where she would be at with everything. Well we sit down and the usual talk about the week and then I asked if we could start with the prayer and she goes "Of course! Ill do it!" and just starts praying. I just stared at her for a minute in disbelief. She had read what we left her and remembered how to pray! It was a miracle.

Wednesday we didnt or couldnt do much because we were still in paro. This week we spent a lot of time looking for less actives in the city from a list we received from the EQ president. President Harbertson has promised us that if we search for and find new less actives we will find more investigators and not only that, but those who have been prepared. Well we looked and looked and looked all week but to no avail. We didnt find a single one. They either didnt exist, werent there, or didnt want anything to do with us. It was super frustrating but we still have a lot to go so I have faith that someone, at least one person on that list, we bring miracles.

Thursday we planned and then went down to PV to visit Sebastian! Good news, he is getting baptized on Saturday! So this little boy is a fireball. At the end he goes "Quieren ver mis pollitos?" (Wanna see my chickens?) We reluctanlty agreed expecting to see the typical chickens we always do from children. Well, THEY WERE ACTUALLY BABIES. LIKE 2 DAYS OLD. They were so cute, and he was obsessed with them. Haha. Tender mercy 2.

Friday was the normal work. We went out to visit Jorge and talked about fasting because this sunday was fast and testimony. Well of course he eagerly agreed because he is incredible like that. So we come in to church yesterday and he comes us to us with this huge smile and tells us he is fasting. Without even thinking I go "Wow good job Hermano Jorge. Its kind of hard isnt it?" Here is where he taught me a profound lesson and tender mercy 3: "No Hermana. Cuando uno quiere hacer algo es facil. Cuando no quiere hacer algo entonces es dificil." (When you want to do something it is easy. When you dont want to do it then it is hard.) I thought about it for a long time that day, and am just so grateful for him. It is so true. When you have the desire you can do anything! Thanks Hermano Jorge for puttin me in my place. We also offered service to Hermana Raquel and helped her bag popcorn to go sell in the market. Yum, free popcorn!

Saturday was fun! We started our fast with our investigator Luz. Tender Mercy 4. She is trying to make the decision to get married or seperate from her boyfriend Alfonso so that she can get baptized on Christmas (Cool right?!!) So we invited her to fast and explained how much it could help her. We went over to start it with her and the spirit was so strong. Funny note, she was shocked that she couldnt even drink water. "So what if a drop in the shower just happens to fall in my mouth Hermanas?" HAHA oh Hermana Luz. So anyways, she ended up not coming to church yesterday and we werent able to get ahold of her so we dont know what is going on, but at least she had agreed to do it with us! I really hope she can make the right decision. She is so incredible and already has a powerful testimony of the Gospel. Stay tuned! Then that night we taught English classes in the chapl! We are using it as a way to try and find new people to teach. Not very many people came, but it was still fun! FUNNY side note, so I asked everyone to write down what they wanted to learn from us in english. I get this response from Acse, the young mens president "Phrases I can say to my girlfriend." Haha it was so weird, and he wouldnt leave it alone. So I taught him how to say you are the light of my life, you are beautiful, will you marry me, and I am in love with you! I was dying. I had him repeat after me, so imagine that - I am in love with you.... awkward!

Also funny side note, Sebastian went in to have his interview. Well back story - he remembers and knows the Word of Wisdom like the back of his hand. He loves to explain it, knows exactly the 5 things we should avoid and the whole 9 yards. Well Elder Andromidas starts and is asking him about Prophets and if he believed Thomas S. Monson is the prophet today. "Yes he is. And also there is this commandment where we shouldnt take drugs, or drink alcohol..." And he just launches in to the Word of Wisdom. Hey at least we know later in life he wont have any problems there. Haha I love him.

This week I learned a lot! I am still pushing along here trying to find what the Lord needs me to learn from this area. It is HARD, and there is almost no progress - at least not recognizable. But my comp and I are just really trying to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to receive the blessings of the Lord. And I know that miracles are in store here in the jungle!

Hermana Miceli

Pic 1 and 2 - My new baby chicks!

Pic 3 - Pumpkin Spice cookies! They were delicious in case you were wondering.

Pic 4 - The cute candy poster the Earls made me!