Arevalo Villalobos 4/19/10

April 26, 2010

Well Howdy Family!

Well, a bunch of stuff happened this last week. We had transfers... But! I'm still here in Mala with Elder Ponciano! I was super scared that I was going to be leaving. But I'm also the new District Leader of Mala. It's kind of weird because the only missionaries that are in the district is our companionship and the Reich's. So I won't be having the same responsibilities that a regular district leader has. I'm not sure what President has for me to do. We´ll see. So I get to talk to you in a few weeks and I'm pretty sure that I can do it on skype! The Reich's have it so I could see all of you and talk to you. You should sign up for an account and get a microphone and I'll be able to talk to ya. Let me know when the best time of day would be to call you.

So many cool things happened this last week. We have the second floor of the house that we are renting for the church. That gives us a lot more room and was really great this week. We have a couple families that are getting ready to be baptized. One is just waiting for their papers to get here so we can get them married and then off to the beach for baptism! I'm so happy that President and the Lord, more importantly, let me stay here in Mala. At the end of this transfer I'll have had 6 months here! How cool! I love this place! Hermano Arevalo that was baptized this last week received the priesthood yesterday and will be a great addition to the branch. I'm pretty sure that I am the happiest Missionary in Peru!

There are a couple things that you could all do for me. I would like to have a few testimonies of some specific things like tithing. It's a really hard thing for them to have faith in because every week it's choosing from paying tithing or eating for a few days. If you could send me some testimonies of tithing that I could translate that would be awesome and I think that it would help a lot. You're all such an awesome family thanks for everything that you do and all the support that I get from you.

Oh I forgot to ask how is the Book of Mormon reading coming along. I still haven't finished it. I can't read it as fast as I can in English! It's a little harder to understand it in Spanish for me. My Spanish has progressed a lot but now I'm speaking a lot of English too because of the Reich's. We try to go over to their house everyday and teach them Spanish. They are so great and already helping so many families. So L and Z have been slack´n a little bit in school huh? uh oh... just remember that what you put in is what you get out! I've learned that's how it is with everything in life. But, when you put in your best and do everything you can the Lord puts in a bunch more. He can't help us too much when we don't try. I hope that everything is going well there at home. I sure hope that your all doing good and that everyone is feeling better. Don't forget to do a skype so that I can talk to ya! Let me know what your user name is and everything so that I can get a hold of you!

I love you all tons! Stay safe and on the straight and narrow!

Love Elder Bearnson

April 19, 2010

Hey fam!

Would you put the scripture from Ether 12: 4 on my plaque. I love that scripture. Ok I have a lot to write about today! We had the marriage of Hermano Arevalo Villalobos and then we had his baptism and confirmation this weekend! It was awesome! I'm so happy for Arevalo! He has changed so much and was so ready! He will someday be a very great leader in the church!

We have two other families that we are working on. One still needs to get married and we are waiting for their papers. The other is married and they are very ready. I'll tell you a story about them. His work hasn't paid him what they really owe him for a long time, a sum of about 3000 soles which is around about $1000. So it's not just a little. Well the other day he was working and had to deposit some money for the company in the sum of 1700 soles, about half of what they owe him. He called his wife and said this is only a little bit of what they owe us, we can take it. She told him no. Take it to the bank where it belongs and we´ll be ok. He took it to the bank and everything was ok. These people are between a rock and a very hard place. Their two little twins couldn't go to school for the first month because they couldn't pay to get them in. Then they only had their supplies because the couple missionaries paid for them. The scripture in Alma 34: 40-41 came to my mind. I can't think of a better situation for this scripture. I felt the Spirit and so did everyone in the room. I know that He testified to them that turning in the money was the right thing to do and that they would be ok.

I love you all so much! Send me some pics I wanna see my sis that went to the not prom! And wow am I happy that you aren't having as many migraines sista! Good job singing z meister! I hope that everything else is going well! I love you all tons!

Love elder B

April 12, 2010

Hola!

Ok this week in Mala flew by so darn quick I'm not really quite sure where it all went! Some way cool stuff that will be happening this week is that we have a marriage tomorrow with one of our coolest investigators. His name is Arevalo Villalobos. He is super excited about the church and everything that he can learn. We should be having his baptism this Saturday. We still aren't sure about his wife, she wants to be baptized but we think that it's for the wrong reasons. She won't be able to be baptized this week but we are going to keep working with her. Right now she is on vacation for two weeks but usually she works in Lima and only comes home for about one day a week. We capitalized on the time to get them married because her husband has all the desires that someone can have. We are also helping another family get their papers ready but they won't be able to get married until at least May. His papers have to come from about 40 hours away on a bus so it's going to take a little while for everything to get together.

We are working with the Reichs and the branch leaders. We have set up a home teaching plan to get people coming to church and feeling like the church is a family away from home like it should be. I know that home teaching works and it helps. I feel bad that I didn't take it super seriously when I was home. I'll have to do better when I come home.

Wow sounds like a pretty crazy time back home. Congratulations to Tami, and Elder Porter, and Adam, and Steve. It was good to hear about all the announcements and all the good things that are happening. Josh! Good job buddy keep up the good work! It will be the best thing that you have ever done up to this point in your life!

I actually remembered Aunt Lora's B-day haha. How cool is that! I have told a few people and they are pretty surprised that someone can live that long (109). When you hit the 80´s here you don't have too much longer to live usually. You all need to quit being sick would ya. I hope that you can get fruity´s migraines to stop. I'll be praying for you sis, I love ya. Send me some pics of you guys. Everyone says Zach is growing like a weed I wanna see how tall he is. I think that I have grown a little bit too, my pants don't quite fit like they used to. I Hope you enjoyed my pic with me and my companion haha. I'm a little bit bigger than he is. Thanks for everything family, I sure do love all of you! Thanks for doing everything that you do! I'll keep praying for you!

Love elder B

April 5, 2010

Buenos dias familia!

Wow this week sure has passed fast! I can't believe that its the 5th of April already! We had interviews with President this week and we helped out the couple missionaries get some stuff done for their home. They are so great and so darn ready to learn. He told me that he has two grand-daughters that I should look into marrying when I come home... so I think that they like me a little bit. Ha. We are working hard with lots and lots of investigators and I feel like they are making progress. We had ten investigators at church yesterday, it was great! We didn't get to watch conference this week but we should get some part of it on a disk for the next week to watch. If it was as good as the last one I'm sure that it´ll be worth the wait.

Ok so we are trying to help two families get married. The last one that we helped is doing so great! They are at church together every week and he will be having his interview for the priesthood this next week. We are working on trying to get him in a church program so that he can study and have a career. Its kinda like the perpetual education fund. The other two that we are working on are progressing. The husband in one of the families has a thirst for the Gospel and everything in it. He is so happy when we talk about everything. I know that he has a burning testimony of the church and understands it. He comes every week and stays the whole time. He shared his testimony in sacrament meeting yesterday and it was great. It's hard to teach his wife because she is only here one day a week. I'm doing the best I can with everything. It's tough to talk money and whats going to happen with an investigator. They need to have a testimony and want to be members before we talk to them about it but its still hard. I'm doing my best. I'll ask them to write their testimonies so that you can get to know them and know that they are ready to be members of the church.

I love Elder Ponciano he is the best. We are working hard together and learning lots of things. I'm glad to hear that everything is going well at home and that you all had a blast during spring break. I loved spring breaks. Hows the fruitinator doing? Feeling better yet? and I haven't heard from my brother in a couple months how big is he? I'm afraid he is going to catch up to me in height. I'm pretty sure that I'm growing too. My pants aren't quite long enough anymore! Elder Reich says he thinks I'm about 6´2. That's cool with me! I can't believe that the time is flying by. the time in the mission just goes and goes and before ya know it you're in April...

I love all of you and all that you do for me. Thanks for all of yours prayers and help. Thanks for all of your letters and packages. I love you all so much. Take care and stay strong, keep the faith. Oh and Brookie J, I don't have your email! You´ll have to email me first!

Love elder B

I'm doing the best I can with the money. Some times I feel like I have dug myself a hole with this help that we are offering. I'm trying to be careful with it. I'm not just handing out free get married passes, I promise. They have to have a testimony of the restored gospel and church of Jesus Christ. I hope that you and dad aren't paying for everything. Please don't, you're sacrificing enough for me to be here. I'll get some testimonies and things so that you can see them.

March 30,2010

Howdy!

Wow the weeks sure do fly by pretty darn fast! This week the Reichs finally got here! The are great! They are from Bountiful and they are in their mid seventies. He served his mission in Brazil and still remembers a little bit of the language (Portuguese) and they are similar so that's helping him with the Spanish. We have been helping them with whatever things that they need. They are just so great and so thankful for all the help that we give them. It's going to be really fun helping them here. He is the new second councilor in the branch presidency, pretty cool.

So we have two families that are in the marriage works project. Thanks so much for all the help that everyone is giving. We are making sure that they add some sacrifice to the pile so that it means more to them. They have strong testimonies and will be great members of the Church. Cross your fingers and pray for them that they will keep accepting the things that we teach and that they can pass through their trials of faith. My companion and I are still doing great! It's really fun to be with a mission brother. The mission flies by! I can't really believe how fast it goes. I hope that someday I can come back here and visit and see how everything still is. I'll be sad to leave Mala and I hope that I don't have to do it for a really long time! Sounds like everything is going awesome stateside. Hit some slopes for me L and Z! I would like some snow to play in! The weather is starting to cool off a little bit here in Mala. It gets a little bit chilly here in the nights but then some killer sun in the day. Did you know that Peru has the driest desert in the world? It gets something like 50% less than the next closest one. I thought that was pretty interesting. I got the package from Both of the Grandmas! Thanks for everything that you sent! I'll just keep getting fatter and fatter HA! Wow I sure do love you all! I can't believe how fast the time is flying by! Take care!

Love elder B