Following the first impression

This week has been so full of things to do and has flown by so fast! Something I wanted to share with you guys before I go is my testimony of the importance of following the Spirit, and following His impressions the first time.

This week we were looking for less-actives and we passed by a woman just standing outside. We felt like we should contact her and my companion led the contact. Turned out to be a really friendly family that really needs the happy message of the restored gospel. It was really just a small moment of something we did for someone we didn't know during the week, but it had an impact that perhaps we ourselves cannot envision and comprehend.

Love you all. Have a great week!

New Investigator and Baptismal Date

Really cool member family baptizing their 8-year-old

We had a really awesome miracle yesterday. A man in our ward came to us with a reference minutes before sacrament meeting started...his 2 sisters and sister and law came to church. One of his sisters and his sister in law aren't members and the other is less active. They had a great experience in church and we were able to teach his sister that is a non-member in the afternoon. Turns out that she had started going to church in Tacna (a province in Peru about 12 hours away) after going her whole life as the only non-member of her family and has avoided the missionaries at all cost. She surprised her family when she came back to Lima and said she wanted to come to church. Her main interest is the temple and eternal families.

During ward council the bishop had given us an assignment to teach the recent converts about the temple and family history, so I had thrown a couple of the new temple and family pamphlets into my scripture bag an hour before we went to the lesson yesterday. As we were about to start the lesson, part of me was ready to teach the Restoration like we normally teach new investigators, but I thought, this person has probably already heard this, she needs to know more about the temple. So I pulled out the new pamphlet I just happened to have and we tied in principles of the Restoration with a big focus on temples and eternal families. Her brother gave a really strong testimony and she accepted a baptismal date! This was a strong moment for me that showed that the hard work we're doing to discern the investigator's needs is paying off.

The "Prince of Peace" video is awesome. I hope you all have been able to see it. It is a powerful message that helps me remember the simple truths of the Lord's Atonement and how it can bless us individually with peace. I know that He lives.

Happy Easter!

Elder Evan Smith

Elder Diaz and I after a work visit

P-day with the zone after playing basketball and eating
"mostrito" (pollo a la brasa with chaufa and french fries...
all for 9 soles! (like $2.50😎)

Baptisms!

Our investigators that got baptized this last week!

Jeremy is the son of a family that recently got reactivated, and his dad is the new young mens president! His older brother baptized him as a practice for his mission he's preparing to serve later this year.

Noemi and Ariana are part of a part-member family and have been waiting to get baptized for a really long time but couldn't due to certain problems. Even though there were a few sudden, last-minute trials, nothing proved stronger than their conviction to follow Christ.

Our district P-day today...we played water balloon volleyball and ate completos - hot dogs with avocado and tomato hehe.

P-day playtime: water-balloon volleyball and
completos (hot dog with avocado and tomato)

Thoughts on General Conference

Elder Vidal and I

I feel like this LDS General Conference was literally personalized just for me. It was really inspiring. I had a couple of personal questions coming into conference that I wanted receive more spiritual enlightment. One of those questions is how can I improve my personal relationship with my Savior?

The strongest answer I received was that I need to keep doing the small and simple things on a daily basis. Even though it may seem a little unrelated at times, or perhaps cumbersome, if I stick to it, and have a great attitude, things will work out! I've had some stressful moments, but I've literally felt the Savior lift me up and help me see the bright future ahead. I know He knows each of you individually and He wants to help you.

When in doubt, keep trying!

(see https://www.lds.org/general-conference?lang=eng)

p-day with other elders in the zone - playing........soccer!!