Week 46- Huanta, Ayacucho, Peru: Jeff's 21st Birthday! (and PICTURES)

This week has been very interesting. It's been very hot and also rainy. Also carnavales is starting. Basically it's a Latin American holiday where for a couple weeks people attack each other with water balloons, buckets of water, shaving cream, water guns, flour, flour and water, and paint. Usually Elder Gonzales y I are pretty safe; at least I thought that until yesterday someone poured a pitcher of water on me from a second story window. haha. Also there are a tons of parades going on here where  groups of people do traditional dances and sing and yell in Quechua (Inca language). All I can ever understand is when they all yell wuhss! wuhss! wuhss!

Speaking of Quechua, Elder Gonzales and I have been teaching a lot to Papito Victor, a blind and skinny old great grandpa who has daughters who are members. It has been really fun teaching him because we have brought along with us bilingual members to translate what we say to him so he understands better. It's worked and now he will be baptized this next Saturday!

Also this week we were able to have a zone conference with the Mission President, President Douglas. It was super great and we all learned a ton about how to teach the doctrine of Christ. Like it says in 2 Nefi 31:10 "Can we follow Jesus unless we are willing to keep the commandments of His Father?"

The answer is no; we cannot be disciples of Christ unless we are willingly obedient and repent. The straightforwardness of that scripture is great because it has been a good wake up call for those I teach.

Also, just to share one more thought before I go, something else that caught my attention this week is the saying "Are we worthy for our afflictions?"

Sometimes when times get hard we are tempted to say "why is this happening to me?" or "What have I done to deserve this?" when really we need to be grateful for these hardships. Life is full of opposition because it allows progress, and knowing that God won't ever give us more that we can handle and that He always provides a way to escape temptation and be obedient, it's actually a great blessing. We are on this Earth to progress and once we remember That Christ has already passed through all we go through every day, burdens become light. But that being said, we must carry them to progress.

I love you all and thanks for the birthday wishes!

Chau!

Lucas 9:23
Matthew 11:29-30

Elder Bromley

Sweet weights

High-tech shower