Serve with all you have

This week was awesome! We had interviews on Tuesday, some of the last interviews for President Harbertson. We learned a lot of good stuff from the Assistants.

Our purpose isn't to baptize, believe it or not. If not go look at page 1 of Preach My Gospel. It's definitely a huge part of it, but we're to invite and help people to come to Christ. And they are to come and receive Christ and His Gospel. Really neat stuff.

Ayben is progressing really fast. he knows that the doctrine we teach is from God, I'm so excited for him!

We have three other investigators, a couple kids in a part member family, the cousins of the Bishop's kids, who live with them. Shon and Ingrid. And Darwin, he's a business owner that the previous Elders had been teaching, his biggest problem is time to meet. But when he says he'll do something, he does it.

We haven't knocked a single door that wasn't to look for someone. Be it from a directory or a reference. There are some people in the Area Book we're working with, but it's not very large. Working hard here in Sicuani.

We're also helping animate and encourage the members of the ward, some of them are really excited and others are a little on the other side of the cycle right now, but when we visit with them and the spirit is there, they get really excited! We can't help people enough! But we can help them so much! And the spirit is what makes the change, through the Atonement of Christ.

When it says that we are to serve God with all our hearts, might, minds and strength, it really relates to our emotions, spirits, intellects and bodies. It also means other things, but when we serve God we're happy.

There were a couple talent shows this week. on Friday night was JAS, or young single adults in Spanish. Elder Yorgesen was invited to sing a special number, he did a great job with it! (He was one of the zone leaders) He left to Cusco Saturday to head home to Saratoga Springs, Utah. He's a great example!

Then Saturday the Primary had a talent show, and the Sisters had a baptism! Ingrid, she's super excited to be a member and follow Christ! I got to be one of the witnesses too!

Church yesterday was great too. Good talks and good class. We met with the Bishop and one of his counselors for a minute last night and we're helping them implement a couple things such as programs and maps for the organizations. I never realized until I didn't know the area by heart how important they are, they help a lot!

Keep progressing! Study the scriptures, don't just read them. Especially study the Book of Mormon. And pray, develop further the relationship you have with your Father in Heaven.

Hasta la próxima semana!

--

Hurrah for Israel!

~Elder Fincher

Bienvenido a Sicuani!

Hola Todos!

I hope that all is well for everyone reading this.

It has been an awesome couple first weeks here in Sicuani! My trainer is Elder Wilde from California, Single Springs. We're serving in Sicuani, the ward itself. The first Sunday was elections, and no meetings are allowed in the country, so that was an interesting first Sunday.

We have pensions that take care of our food so we can focus on the work more. The pension here in Sicuani, Hermana Mari has been a Pensionista for 19 years! She's fabulous!

We had a baptism the second Saturday we were here, Hermano Jose Luis, he had almost been baptized with the previous Elders, but timing didn't work out. He's amazing.

And now we're teaching a couple people that should have a baptismal date soon. Darwin and Ayben, Darwin was being taught by the previous Elders and Ayben was a reference, they are both working so hard to come to God, it's fantastic!

I hope that you all had a great Father's day yesterday!

My first P-day we hiked a huge mountain, Sicuani itself is higher than Mt. Timp I'm pretty sure, and this mountain that's just North and one of the tallest peaks was a couple thousand higher than Sicuani. Then today we went to Pitumarca and hiked to the glacier, not up it, but we played in the snow. and found a cool lagoon. And there was a small pueblo that reminded me of Rohan from Lord of the Rings. And thus the glacier was Chararadras.:D

We also have some other people we're teaching, it's just so awesome when you're teaching, and then the Spirit comes and testifies of the truth of the message. Do everything you can to live worthy, note that it's not perfect, but worthy of the Spirit's presence.

Read the Book of Mormon. Meditate on it. Pray about it. Listen for a response.

Hasta la próxima semana!

--

Hurrah for Israel!

~Elder Fincher