Elder Jeffrey Richard Bromley II: September 2014

Monday, September 29, 2014

Week 76- Villa Maria, Lima, Peru: A Message for Men of Missionary Age

Hello all!

This week has been a lot of work. Elder Sanhueza and I have been working our butts off here. We are currently setting plans with the Ward Council and bringing them to pass. WARD COUNCIL MEMBERS, PLEASE HELP THE MISSIONARIES.

We had a baptism, her name is Angelina Chavez. She is super cool and it was great teaching her with cards.

Here's something for those men of missionary age:

Tell them that I love them all! Tell them that there is absolutely nothing that could be of more worth to them in their lives right now than preparing themselves for the mission. Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He is our Example; He is our Leader and our Captain. He has called us. He goes before us. He will provide the way and the means. Our weaknesses will convert into strengths and our seemingly insignificant abilities will be fortified to meet the task. The only reason why a mission should be delayed would be to put one's life in harmony with the will of God through repentance. Repent. All things temporal are excuses while all things spiritual are reasons. The biggest failure of man is letting what he wants in the moment destroy what he wants in the eternity. A good missionary has 4 basic characteristics. Worthiness to have the Spirit, humility to listen to it, obedience to fan the flame of faith, and diligence to magnify the calling. Love should always be the motive. Accept that you do not understand all things. Confide in God's omniscience and not in your own imperfect knowledge. Obtain a testimony of the Book of Mormon. If you wait for the perfect moment, it'll never come. Act now.

I love and miss you all!

Elder Bromley

A huge Peruvian graveyard city

A pig face on the ground

Angelina Chavez with her dad and family

Monday, September 22, 2014

Week 75- Villa Maria, Lima, Peru: The Work Has Changed

Everything is doing well here in Villa Maria. Elder Sanhueza is doing well; he is a very hard worker and very organized. We have worked more on how we are teaching and I feel the spirit in all of the lessons we teach. We will keep inviting people to repentance this next week. He's a GREAT missionary.
We have been working super hard with our less actives here. In the last 2 weeks we have been blessed to see 12 less actives that we have taught come to church. This last Ward Council we were able to assign members to each less active and to take it upon themselves to bring the less active members to church and sit with them throughout the three hours. We are hoping that it all works out and that we can find part member families with all of this potential.

It is amazing to me to see how God works. Just as He scattered the 12 tribes of Israel to ensure that His Gospel would reach every part of the earth when they would be gathered again, God has sent great missionaries out many years ago who were able to baptize many people completely aware that many of the would also become less active, or scattered, so when he would hasten His work, we could use those people to get the Gospel to all of Peru. Statistically speaking, 80% of Peruvian members are inactive or less active. 100% of those less active and inactive people now have families and friends that have not had the chance to receive the Gospel. The way that missionaries are now working is finding those part member families and baptizing and reactivating them so they can all go to the temple and make eternal covenants.

I remember when I had just recently started my mission in Oregon, Eugene. My companion, Elder Egerton, and I spent hours walking through miles of neighborhoods knocking on doors in 100 degree weather dying of heat exhaustion and being rejected in the face by old American people. That was the only type of missionary service we new at the time. I just want to let everybody know that the work has changed. Members and missionaries MUST work together. It is God's way of working now and there is no other way.

I invite all of you to look for at least one friend or one family who has never gone to church before or who hasn't gone in a long while and to invite that person or family to watch General Conference with you. I promise that the Spirit will touch hearts and true conversion will take place in front of your eyes as you help someone receive the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

3 Nefi 18:32, Alma 6:6

I love and miss you all!

Elder Bromley

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Week 74- Villa Maria, Lima, Peru: Sorry!

Sorry but I will repent and write a super nice email this next week. Just know that Elder Sanhueza and I are doing well and that we are working our butts off here in Villa Maria!

I love and miss you all!

Elder Bromley

Monday, September 8, 2014

Week 73- Villa Maria, Lima, Peru: The Spirit Changes People

This last week we have been focusing a lot more time on our recent converts and less actives. We had a super cool opportunity to take a recently activated member, Lucio, to the temple to do ordinances for some of his ancestors. We were able to have the baptistry to ourselves and I was able to do his confirmations. It was a super spiritual experience and Lucio keeps progressing more as he magnifies his new calling.

I have a much stronger testimony now of how the spirit changes people, and when people are filled with that spirit, they really serve the Lord with all their heart. All new converts and reactivated members should have the opportunity to hold a calling and make it to the temple.

I love and miss you all!

Elder Bromley

Monday, September 1, 2014

Week 72- Villa María, Lima, Peru: Elder Sanhueza

This week has been super awesome. I have a new companion, Elder Sanhueza. He is from Concepcion, Chile. He is 20 years old. He is super awesome and is not afraid to open his mouth and talk to people. He and I have been contacting families a lot in the street in between lessons and it is going awesome. I have set a personal goal to make him into the best missionary he can be. IT'S AWESOME.

I do not have time to finish this story, sorry chau!

This week I had the chance to finish teaching a less active named Victor. He was notorious before for being the drunkard who would always cause trouble. We have been able to teach him and his children for about a month now and he is a completely different person. The gospel changes people.

Elder Bromley

Elder Bromley, Lucio, and Elder Colton

Elder Sanhueza

Jeff's Scripture References

Alma 26:6-7 "6 Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them. 7 But behold, they are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest, and they are his; and he will raise them up at the last day."
Jacob 5:70-72 "70 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard sent his servant; and the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him, and brought other servants; and they were few. 71 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come. 72 And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things."
Jacob 5:75-77 "75 And it came to pass that when the Lord of the vineyard saw that his fruit was good, and that his vineyard was no more corrupt, he called up his servants, and said unto them: Behold, for this last time have we nourished my vineyard; and thou beholdest that I have done according to my will; and I have preserved the natural fruit, that it is good, even like as it was in the beginning. And blessed art thou; for because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard, and have kept my commandments, and have brought unto me again the natural fruit, that my vineyard is no more corrupted, and the bad is cast away, behold ye shall have joy with me because of the fruit of my vineyard. 76 For behold, for a long time will I lay up of the fruit of my vineyard unto mine own self against the season, which speedily cometh; and for the last time have I nourished my vineyard, and pruned it, and dug about it, and dunged it; wherefore I will lay up unto mine own self of the fruit, for a long time, according to that which I have spoken. 77 And when the time cometh that evil fruit shall again come into my vineyard, then will I cause the good and the bad to be gathered; and the good will I preserve unto myself, and the bad will I cast away into its own place. And then cometh the season and the end; and my vineyard will I cause to be burned with fire."
Alma 6:6 "Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God."
3 Nephi 18:32 "Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them."
D&C 105:10 " "That they themselves may be prepared, and that my people may be taught more perfectly, and have experience, and know more perfectly concerning their duty, and the things which I require at their hands."
D&C 107:99-100 "Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence. He that is slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand. Even so. Amen."
Matthew 11:29-30 "29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Luke 9:23 "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."
2 Nephi 31:10 "And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?"
2 Nephi 25:23 "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."
Moroni 7:45 "And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
Helaman 5:12 "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
2 Nephi 25:29 "And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out."
2 Nephi 25:26 "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."
2 Nephi 25:23 "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."
1 Nephi 11:17 "And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things."
1 Nephi 2:16 "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers."
Helaman 5:12 "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
John 7:17 "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."
1 Nephi 21:15-16 "15 ...Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel. 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."
Jacob 3:1 "But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction."
Helaman 3:35 " Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God."
Alma 36:3 "And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day."
D&C 84:88 "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."
Jacob 5:72 " And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things."
Alma 37:6 "Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise."
John 9:39 "And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind."
Ether 12:4 "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."
Alma 36:3 "...whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day."
Ether 12:6 "...faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."
Alma 36:3 "And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day."
Moroni 8:16 "...Behold, I speak with boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what man can do; for perfect love casteth out all fear."