finding my strength

Dear Family,

We had interviews with President Mora again this week (my, how time flies) on Friday, so the rest of the week was just amazing from then on. The interview, in itself, was rather short, but the meeting we had lasted from 9:30am to 3pm. The assistants showed us some of the Preach My Gospel DVDs that recently arrived at the mission office. I had seen a few of the DVD sections in the MTC, but since then I hadn't caught a glimpse of any of them. Nevertheless, it was a great opportunity and I learned a lot of how we can reflect the love we have for the work in the way we plan, fill our area books, and work together with our companions.

Preach My Gospel briefly mentions a practice known as "companionship inventory" - which is not a list of how many ties of each color we have or a list of the things we still need to live comfortably in our room, but rather an inventory of our teaching skills, unity, obedience, and other important factors. It has been a roller coaster ride with my new companion these last four weeks, and we've been employing the inventory almost every other night. I don't like to take a negative approach to our challenges, be they within our companionship or just among the people we serve, so I won't talk about the difficult details of the last few weeks. However, it has been an instructive experience, in which I've learned how to really work things out. In my personal study, I pondered on the reasons why the Savior was such a great leader and example. As I reflected on some thoughts I had written down, I asked myself if I'm a strong person. Not strong as in able to force my own will and ideas on others, but strong as in able to stand for the truth and the right, whether or not it was my idea. Being able to accept that I'm not always right and I'm not expected to be - but trying to see every point of view and seek out the correct choice wherever it may be. I can take a chance on ideas I disagree with and learn from the experience.

Thus, I don't have to trust in my own ability, understanding and knowledge for my strength - I am strong because I love truth and right, and I want to get those principles in me. It isn't weakness to admit that I'm wrong; rather, it's the beginning of strength. In that moment, I show that being faithful to the truth is more important to me than being right. The Savior always led from strength because He was full of truth and taught eternal principles. I can only become like Him as I learn and live those principles; and I can only do that if I'm humble enough to admit it when I'm wrong and courageous enough to live what I know is right.

In other news, specifically that of teaching investigators, it was a delightful week. We found new, interested individuals and families that reminded me why I talk to everyone I can about the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. It brought back that irresistible smile that comes after a fantastic lesson. It's not that we teach fantastically - but the fact that God restored His church through a modern prophet after centuries of being lost - it's that message that (as the saying goes) knocks one's socks off. I'm happy to say that many people are now joyfully walking barefoot (continuing the figure) with a new perspective on life.

I hope you are all enjoying your summer - it's winter here, but the sun came out yesterday and it warmed up to 60 or 65 degrees (instead of the usual 50 or 55 that we get all day every day). I love Sundays. Thank you for your letters and your prayers: they really do help a lot more than you might realize. I'm not too intimidated by the upcoming 10th of July, but it's the 25th that fills me with a little bit of dread. I can't stand to contemplate the idea that it's going to be half over. I love this too much!

Love,
Elder Withers

the center of our lives

Dear Family,

This week was full of ups and downs, but we're doing well. But rather than share a whole bunch about this week, I'd like to just share one special experience with a little more detail.

On Thursday night, we had a teaching appointment planned with Victor and Lourdes, a couple (with a rambunctious little 2-year-old) that we've been teaching since we started working here. We had decided what we wanted to teach them (faith in Jesus Christ), but we didn't have time to study it together and plan exactly how we would teach it. When we showed up at the right time, nobody was home. We went about a few other odds and ends that we needed to take care of, popping back to knock the door every few minutes - but we had no luck. Down the road, we found the husband of an investigator we had been teaching, and we began teaching him in his "locutorio" (basically a room full of phone booths for those who don't have a phone line or cell phone and need to make a call). Understandably, there were people entering and exiting and making all kinds of interruptions, but while we were teaching them, Victor and Lourdes came in, and we set up a time for Friday night to visit them (since it was now too late to have a lesson at their house).

I took some time Friday morning to study up a little more on what we were going to teach, and then with my companion we decided how we would go about it and what scriptures we would share. We didn't coordinate all the details (that being nigh impossible), but we did the necessary preparation. Then when the time to teach came, we were ready. We read 3 Nephi 11 out loud with them and discussed it as we went, touching on baptism and other important doctrines. Then, going off the last two or three verses, we talked about how Jesus Christ is the only sure foundation on which we can build. I shared a few thoughts from my personal study: I felt that to build on the Rock, we need to put Christ at the center of our lives. Only then will we be able to stand against the storms and winds that attempt to shake us. The family is currently without work, so they worry a little bit what they're going to do in order to keep moving forward; we commented that we all want God to work with us - perhaps to find a job, to bless us with health, food, clothing and other necessities, or anything else. A scripture came to mind that I had studied personally, but we hadn't planned (Ether 12:29). God works with the children of men according to their faith, so we need to have faith in order to obtain those blessings that He wants to give us. And we have to be willing to accept His will. Maybe we want the job that pays more but makes us work on Sunday - or maybe the only job offer right now makes us work on Sunday - but we if we're working by faith, it's His will that will lead us to happiness.

My companion subsequently shared a scripture to seal the idea (3 Nephi 13:31-33). The Lord knows our needs and understands that we can't go on living without food, clothing and shelter - but He wants us to search Him out first, and if we seek His kingdom and His righteousness, He promises that we will have what we need. I love the Lord's promises. Are there any promises more sure of fulfillment? If He can divide the Red Sea or stop the earth in its movement, what can't He do? Would it be hard for Him to put food on my table or find me work?

It was with those words that we helped them understand just how important it is to trust in Jesus Christ and put Him at the center of our lives. The effect was powerful, and the Spirit took the words to their hearts. And it built my faith, too. When we understand principles like faith, the commandments are easier to live. They wanted to come to church (and we didn't even talk about church attendance) and read their scriptures and say their prayers.

I learned how the Lord sometimes helps us reschedule an appointment so that we have a chance to study and prepare for it. The scriptures that came to our minds that we had previously studied (but not necessarily planned) made a huge difference in the power of the lesson. I'm coming to realize more and more that being able to teach the scriptures with power isn't necessarily from knowing where to find every famous scripture about faith, repentance, baptism, or all the scripture mastery ones in all the standard works. We teach the scriptures with power when we use those passages that have made impressions and testimony in our hearts: those verses, though maybe obscure and unrecognized, that we have pondered and prayed about and from which we have dug out the sweet and simple doctrine of truth that was hidden between the lines. There are a few passages that maybe aren't so famous but are some of the most special to me - those are the scriptures I can share with spiritual power.

On Friday this week, the assistants called (they're always calling in the early morning hours to wake us up to play soccer) and told us they were going to play volleyball this time. I hadn't played volleyball in 6 or 7 months, so I leapt out of bed when I heard that. I pushed, shoved, turned on the lights, made noise and bribed to get my companion up, and we got there in time to play a little bit before our time ran out. I thought it was special that we should be playing volleyball on Tia's birthday. I figured it was a little tribute to her. Happy Birthday Tia!

And congratulations, Justin and Tori! You're the closest family to me for the present time, since Cancùn is closer to Peru than everybody else. Sounds like everything went well, though, in terms of receptions and things. Thanks for the pictures!

Well, time's running out. Thanks for your letters and prayers and remembering me in your celebrations!

Love,
Elder Withers

cockroaches under my bed

Dear Family,

We had a little bit of service this week - a nice member lady needed us to do some cleaning in the newly-constructed second floor of her house. The floor was covered in bits of cement, brick, and rusty wires, and we swept it all up and dumped it into a pile outside in short amount of time. Then she brought us what she called a "carro" (that's "car," normally), but what turned out to be a small, collapsible cart that had suffered (what appeared to be) years of mistreatment and exposure to water. She brought us some smelly "acid" and latex gloves and asked us to clean off all the rust and repaint the little thing. We applied the chemicals as directed, but didn't see any real effect when we attempted to remove the rust. But we worked on it for an hour and a half and ran out of time before we could get all the rust off and paint it. So we're going to come back next week to finish it off. The nice lady rewarded us each with a bag of fruit and a bag of toiletries, including clothes detergent and toilet paper. I appreciated the toilet paper - for missionaries who can't really accept food outside their pension, that's got to be the next-best thing. I gave my laundry detergent to our pensionista and started on the fruit. Unfortunately, my companion left his rotting banana in the bag (sitting on the floor) for a couple days and it spoiled the whole lot. Just this morning I ate the last orange that was in my bag - the vitamin C boost (there were about 4 or 5 oranges in the bag) is helping me fight a cold that has been threatening to come on. I had a bit of a sore throat, but hopefully I can beat it before it turns into something more uncomfortable.

Today is a beautiful, sunny day in the city of eternal springtime. We're about near the end of Autumn and the trees remain lush with green leaves and most still have their bright red, orange, or purple flowers. I guess that's why they call it eternal spring. We played soccer this morning with the office elders and enjoyed a breakfast of homemade pancakes with them afterwards (the office elders are the only missionaries who have the option - and a kitchen - to cook their own food). That was delightful.

It was a week of hard work once again in our area; we knocked a few doors (though that's not my favorite way of finding new people) and had to use creative ways to get them to talk to us. A lot of houses have a lovely sticker on their window or their door stating their religion and asking or (depending on the severity of the sticker) demanding that nobody bug them about other religions. Nevertheless, I've found that ignoring that sticker can yield a lot of good. We felt like knocking one door that had a stronger message on its window, but we asked the right questions and they let us in, and we set a time for a return visit. It turns out that they have a son (or daughter-in-law or nephew or something along those lines) that lives in Oregon, and they wanted to write down our phone number and call us when they come to visit (so that we can talk about Oregon things, I guess?).

In other news, Father's Day wasn't nice to our Sunday schedule - we had set a number of appointments but most people were enjoying the day and spending time with their fathers. I suppose that's not something bad, but it made things a little difficult yesterday.

This week was a bit of a trial (and continues still) for a few reasons. I'm still getting used to the work in the city, and we're finding new ways to find new people to teach. Like I mentioned, knocking doors isn't my favorite approach - but there's little more we can do sometimes. We've been working with a lot of less-active members and active members to help get them excited about sharing the Gospel. Our ward is starting to help out a lot more now, so I believe the work is going to start picking up. Another trial this week involved a new pair of shoes I bought on Monday. My old black ones had their last lap back in Cajamarca, so I didn't take them with me back to Trujillo. I took a reference from the office elders to go to a shoe store named Paolo's and found some shoes that I liked; the only trial was that as I broke them in, they caused blisters. I'd switch back to my old brown shoes for relief, but those have more holes in them than swiss cheese. I've exhausted the band-aids in my first-aid kit not so much for healing, but more for padding so that I can wear my new shoes and break them in. It seems to be working however, and I sent in my brown shoes for repairs on Saturday. I'll pick them up today and see if they've done a good job.

Despite the trials, I found a lot of joy in the work we did this week. There were abundant discouraging moments and - it seemed - not enough encouraging ones, but I tried to figure out how I could savor every moment of my mission, be it difficult or wonderful. I believe that, more than anything, happiness is a choice I can make, not a condition that my surroundings can thrust upon me. So, no matter what happens, I'm not going to give up or let up. The Lord needs me to give my all to forward His work and His glory. And I'll give it all for the love I have for Him and for His marvelous work.

Thank you for all your letters and prayers - I appreciate them very much. Good luck in weddings and plans and sports camps and everything!

Love,
Elder Withers

p.s. Don't worry, there aren't any cockroaches anywhere near my bed. I just thought the subject line would draw your attention. =)

back to the city

Dear Family,

I'm back in Trujillo again, smack dab in downtown. My area includes most of downtown Trujillo and a smaller residential area next door where we live. I'm still getting over the initial shock of being back at sea level - both for the elevation change and the cultural difference. I think I've decided that country living runs in my blood (for generations back, if I'm not wrong), so I'm missing Cajamarca a bit. Nevertheless, I know the Lord has important work for me to do here in Trujillo.

Wednesday, I met my new companion, Elder Valencia. He's from Guatemala, fresh from the MTC. We spent the afternoon figuring out where we we were going to live, eat, and work every day. There had been sister missionaries in our area (who we were replacing), and for more than circumstantial reasons, we couldn't live in their same apartment. Luckily, our zone leaders had found us a nice room (third floor, looks like a college dorm) - we just didn't have any mattresses for our beds. So we stayed the night at the office elders' apartment (I slept on a mattress on the floor and my companion slept on the couch) and started working in our area first thing in the morning. Thursday, we got brand new mattresses - all we lack is blankets. But I didn't sleep with blankets the last time I was in Trujillo, even though we had them... but I imagine the blankets will be here soon.

About a block away from where we live sits the enormous Universidad Nacional de Trujillo (Trujillo National University) campus - so our apartment looks like a college dorm room for exactly that reason: it was designed for college students. Across the street is a Pre-University academy that prepares young students for the entry exams. We're basically in a little college town stuck onto Trujillo.

On Sunday, I learned that our ward is receiving the blessing of not just four, but six missionaries to work in it (while my old area two miles away remains without any). The assistants, who both worked in this area over a year ago, have been assigned to work here as their time permits. They're mostly going to look for all the families they taught the last time they were here and bring them to us to teach. It's an exciting time to be working here: I believe the Lord expects big things from us. And it's a bit of a trial for me, because I'm not yet used to working in the city again. A lot more doors get closed in our faces and people don't accept us as much, so I'm going to have to adapt to a new style of work. Furthermore, I get to train my new companion - which is a challenge from which I'm learning a lot.

Yet even in the midst of the discouraging difficulty, the Lord has blessed us with twice as many spiritual experiences. On our first night here, we knocked a door and a young man (college student) came out and talked with us. While we conversed, a young woman (his sister, also a college student) passed by and attempted to go inside the same house, but we started talking to her as well. We set an appointment for Saturday and came by, where the sister was waiting for us. She started out by asking what "Mormon" means, so we taught the Restoration of the Gospel in reverse, starting with the Book of Mormon and what it is, then teaching about where it came from. The young woman got really excited, and told us that the last week she had been feeling a little empty inside, even though she was surrounded by the people she loved and taking advantage of the great privilege of university education. She suggested that perhaps God had brought us here in answer to her prayers. (I believe that's true.)

The same night, we were searching for some members, using the directory of "Elders" from our ward. We went to the street looking for "Jorge Chavez 259", and found the houses going from 255, 257, and then jumping to 263. I imagined a little Harry Potter allusion, but didn't try running full speed into the wall between 257 and 263 - rather, we asked a young man in a store nearby. He gave some suggestions, but not answers. We explained who we were, and he said something along the lines of "no, religion isn't for me" and proceeded to cite some outrageous crimes, wrongs, and other atrocities committed in the name of religion - I mostly didn't understand what he was saying because he mentioned so many different things in such little time, but I got the gist of it. I held up the Book of Mormon in my hand and asked if he knew what it was. I asked him if he'd give it a chance, and my companion and I explained a little bit of what the book was about. The young man, who a moment before claimed to be an atheist, agreed to read 6 chapters before we come back (1 Nephi 13-14, 2 Nephi 28-29, 4 Nephi 1, Moroni 10 - we stuck in little bookmarks for all of them). It was amazing to see the change in his expression and the spark of interest in his eyes.

Last night, we were talking with a family that has been less-active for a little while. They had goals to go to the temple and be sealed, but they had some economic problems and the mother had to start working, and her job required that she work Sundays. She couldn't go to church, and her husband just wouldn't go alone (or with his two daughters, without their mother). But they were excited to have the missionaries over once again, and I think we talked about every subject under the moon before getting to the spiritual side of things. I tried to share the scriptural story of Abraham when he was required to sacrifice his son, Isaac. But I didn't need to read it, because the oldest daughter had seen it on TV during Semana Santa (that's the week before and including Easter) and gave a brief, but satisfactory, explanation. We then proceeded to ask a few questions. Why did God require it? They gave the usual response that He wanted to see Abraham's faith. But didn't God already know that Abraham had faith? What was the point of the task, really? Perhaps the Lord wanted to show Abraham something? Maybe He wanted Abraham to know just how much faith Abraham had. Maybe He wanted Abraham to feel that God was going to make of him something much more than he imagined. The words I shared seemed to come from another source, and the family was left without words. The mother said that it touched her deeply. There was an astounding peace in my heart as I watched the effect the little example had on a family that was about to start making sacrifices to reach a worthy goal.

Well, I have to go, my hour's about up. I love you all, and I thank you for your prayers and encouraging words.

Love,
Elder Withers

here we go again (transfers)

Dear Family,

This week, we had another cieling-cement-pouring service activity. Unfortunately, this cieling was about 6 times bigger than any other I've seen filled in my mission. To make things more difficult, the staircase we had to walk up was obstructed by a low cieling. It was a little rough to duck while carrying a 60-pound bucket of cement on my shoulder, trying not to spill it or drop it. Nevertheless, we got about halfway done before we had to leave and the paid replacements showed up to take over.

The call came on Friday night: I'm leaving Cajamarca. Tomorrow night I'll be taking an all-night bus back to Trujillo for the transfer meeting on Wednesday. My new area is in my old zone (Zona Central), but in a different ward - it's around downtown Trujillo (Barrio Central). It looks like I'll also be training a new missionary, which means we'll have to learn the new area together. Luckily, I'm somewhat familiar with downtown Trujillo, but I have no idea what the ward boundaries are.

Yesterday was one of the best Sundays in my mission. I could only think of a couple improvements. We left our room at 7:30 to knock a couple of doors and walk to church with the investigators who we had offered to accompany. The first one was a family we recently began teaching, and the mother answered the door and motioned toward her still-in-pajamas 5-year-old, asking if it would be alright if they came late. We said "sure" and went to the other investigator we had planned to meet up with. We knocked her door, and her mom said that she was still asleep, but (unfortunately) invited us in to wait while she woke up her daughter. Time was already scarce, so we ended up getting to church 15 minutes late - they had just closed the door for the administration of the Sacrament. However, as we were walking there, we met up with another family of investigators on their way to church alone. So we waited for the Sacrament to finish and entered. Throughout the course of the testimony meeting, the rest of the people we had invited to church showed up. There were three families of three (mother, father, and small child), another father of a family, and two women. A few members took a moment in their testimonies to tell me good-bye and publicly thank me for the work I did in their ward; I wasn't expecting that (mainly because I had only mentioned it to a couple people), but I took a moment to bear my testimony, too. I love bearing my testimony in front of large groups - I guess that's just something I've grown into on my mission.

In Elders' Quorum, there were three investigators and two recent converts - and I think that equalled the number of active elders present. I couldn't think of a better way to spend my last Sunday in Cajamarca. There a few people with baptismal dates for this coming Saturday and others for the upcoming Saturdays. We've been teaching a couple (and their 4-year-old daughter) who aren't married, and they want to join the church so much that they continue to ask if they can't get baptized before they get married. They desire it enough that they are willing to get married - the only question is if they have all their documents and those recent enough. We invited them to set a date for June 21st to get married and baptized on the same day (so that I could celebrate a wedding even though I won't be there for Justin's), but they haven't confirmed it yet. Unfortunately, I won't be here for it at all; but Elder Iverson will send me pictures, at least.

Anyways, I'm not upset about being called to a new area. I still don't know what it's like to be in one place for more than two and a half months, but I'm content with what we've accomplished in Chontapaccha. I'm not sad to miss the baptisms, either: I got to see people develop their testimony right before my eyes. I saw how they showed their faith and passed through their trials with diligence. It was almost unbelievable. There were investigators who wouldn't come to church unless we called their cell phone and came to pick them up, then just a week or two later they would be seated in the chapel before we showed up. There were some who had endless questions and could never come to a conclusion about the truth - then a prayer was answered and they came to love the truth with almost visible devotion. I've learned how to teach more clearly and simply and have come to love the work even more. An old companion counseled me that Cajamarca always seemed to him like a place for growth; looking back on the time I was here, I'd have to say he was right. This transfer marks the end of another chapter in my mission, but another one is starting right up. I know, no matter what, that the Lord is going to build me as I strive to build His kingdom on the earth.

Love,
Elder Withers