July 11, 2011

Dear Family and friends,

Well i really dont know where to start for this week it has been a really really great week for us.  We have learned a ton.  We are in the middle of a big change here in our zone.  Where i am right now in cañete 4 months ago was basically the Dead area of the mission. Nobody was having any success.  Since that time we have been working really really hard to change that.  We have had a lot of changes here and have been working really really hard to get the zone to a new level.  Every tuesday we have a meeting with the district leaders to plan what we are going to do to help the zone improve and what we are going to do in the district meetings.  This week we talked and learned a lot about faith.  We realized that we were working without faith and that we weren't doing as well as we could be.  We set a goal as a zone to baptize 36 people before the end of July.  This is a zone that baptized 3 in March and 3 in April.  So we went out and did everything we could between wednesday and sunday to increase our faith to find the prepared people to be baptized in the month of July.  We had an absolutely amazing experience.  In my own area we saw miracles.  We had strangers showing up to church and other people asking us if they could be baptized. I honestly couldn't believe it.  The Lord has worked so many amazing miracles here in this area and I dont know what we have done to deserve them.  In my time here i have been able to recognize that as missionaries we basically dont do anything.  But its the Lords work he does it, and as long as we are obedient and diligent we will complete our portion of the work.  I have seen so many miracles in my area alone.  yesterday was just a day of miracles for us.  For example the money that we needed for the month of July had not come to the bank yet, we had to pay a fast offering, but i also needed enough money to pay for my bus pass to go do some visits in a village far away.  I also needed to give a fast offering for a fast we had done earlier in the week.  Then while we were at church i found 10 soles more in my backback!  Exactly what i needed.  That was pretty amazing.  And that was the least of it.  Yesterday three people came to church that we have never even taught before.  Later in the day we taught two of them and one of them started the visit asking when she could get baptized.  The both of them accepted a baptismal date in July.  I´ve found that when we humble ourselves and search for the help of the Lord in the work that is his, he will either guide us to the people he has prepared to receive the gospel or he will guide them to us.  Up until now we have had the great opportunity to participate in two baptisms this month.  We have 10 more scheduled before the end of the month including two families.  I am honestly living the mission dream right now.  People are falling to the sky that want to follow Jesus Christ.  We had 13 investigators in the chapel on Sunday!  That just shows you something.  Well between wednesday and today the zone worked very hard and with faith was able to find 33 people in 5 days and place them with a baptismal date.  now we are just praying and hoping that each and every one of them can make it to their date and be baptized.  My companion is a good missionary and we are working really hard together.  We hardly have time to eat. Today we are going to travel to play soccer with another zone that lives about an hour away.  Welp i hope that everything at home is going well because as of now everything here is going great.  Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers i need every single one of them. Prayer is a very powerful tool in missionary work.  Well i think thats all for this week i hope everything up in the states is nice and summery because im freezing down here! hahaha goodbye With faith everything is possible.

Elder Hesselgesser