Week #55- new companion!

This week was good, I have been getting to know my new companion and he is awesome, and has helped me so much this week. My companion is Elder Vinces from Ecuador. We have been talking to a lot more people, but pretty much no one accepted us, and there were even a few that got mad at us for talking to them, but last night we had an amazing contact that is really amazing. We knocked on her door and she came out and we started talking to her and then she started crying and telling us about all of the problems she is having in her life. She told us that she wants to attend a church and that she was praying for someone to visit her and help her. We had 54 contacts this week and the very last contact we had was the only one that really wants us to visit her. We have been having a really hard time with getting permission for one of our investigators, her dad is a less active member and says he doesn’t have time to listen to us, but he wants his daughter to listen to us for 2 years before she can get baptized, and we feel like there are a lot of things that can happen in 2 years so we have been working really hard to convince her Dad to let us talk to him, but we have had very little success.
That's all for this week. Love, Elder Monson

Week #54- This transfer has been awesome!

This week was good. Even though we were all pretty sick, and couldn’t work at 100 percent we are doing really good. We should have a few baptisms coming up if we can get permission from their parents to baptize them, but they are all so amazing, I love it here. I haven’t really attached myself to the people here like in my other areas yet but I feel like I have had the most success here and that I am working better and harder than ever before. My companion has helped me out a lot during this transfer and i feel like I have learned a ton from him. We have transfers tomorrow so it’s possible that my companion leaves. We will find out to day at about 3 o clock. We are nervous because my companion doesn't want to leave. The members have given us so much food this week, because it’s very likely that at least one of the 4 missionaries here [will be transferred]. Last night they made us hamburgers and they were the best hamburgers I have had in a year, since I left on my mission. This transfer has been awesome and I love the missionaries here they have helped me a lot and helped me to not be so stressed out. No packages yet. Yesterday was awesome.
Love, Elder Monson

Week #53- President Boswell helped me a lot!

This week was good, we all had interviews with our mission president and my interview with President Boswell helped me a lot and I wrote a few reminders on some sticky notes to always remind me to push myself, and I feel like it has worked pretty good. We did divisions this week the day after interviews and I really wanted to prove myself that without my companion that I could guide my area and have good numbers. We were able to have a pretty good day and we had 6 lessons, a new investigator and we put 2 more baptismal dates. I know numbers aren't everything but I really felt good about that day. I hope to keep working hard and if my companion leaves to keep the same pace that we are at or even improve. The only thing that I feel we are having problems with are contacts and getting permission for baptisms. We have 3 investigators with a baptismal date that just don't have permission so we are really working hard to talk with their parents and help them understand the importance of baptism. This week for my one year mark I burnt a shirt in our room and we spent half an hour trying to get all of the smoke out, it was terrible. ya it wasnt a great idea but it was fun. A family here bought us pollo a la brasa and I feel like it made me sick. i went a year without getting sick but I guess it finally got to me. haha We are having a lot of success here and we should be having a few baptisms in the next few weeks.
Love, Elder Monson

.

Week #52- really seeing Gods help in this work!

This week was good, we were able to have a great baptism. He was really prepared  and he knew what he was doing. When he had his interview, Elder Campos said that the interview was one of the best he has had. The ward helped a ton by including him in everything. A lot of members thought he was already a member because everyone is his friend and he is always at the ward activities. I feel like this week was one of our best weeks this transfer, even though we didnt have a ton of lessons, because we had to do a few interviews and we had some baptisms to go to, we had a baptism and found 7 new investigators and 3 of them have a baptism date already. We are really seeing Gods help in this work. When I got here we didnt have very many investigators, but now we have quite a few and they are all amazing. I might go to the temple this week, we are trying to get some less active or recent converts to go to the temple and do baptisms for the dead.
Love, Elder Monson

"The water was so nasty when we got to the church to fill up the font. Someone put black paint in it."

He's been gone for 362 days! We sure love our Elder!

Week #51- The members here are starting to help us more and more!

I had to go to migrations to renew my card so that I can stay here today so I am on really late. This week was great. Me and my companion are getting along a lot better and we are seeing a difference in our work as well. We improved a lot this week and we plan to keep improving. We found some great new investigators and they are really awesome they are really progressing and a few accepted a baptismal date. We found a lot of them through references and through some less active members. The members here are starting to help us more and more. We have a few people with a baptismal date and one for this week so we will see how everything goes. its so hard to live on the budget they give us here. I get less than a dollar a day for breakfast,
Love, Elder Monson

Week #50-where is Tommy?!

Me and my companion are getting on a lot better now. I feel like even though we didn't have the best numbers this week, we are starting to work a lot better together and we are a lot more happy. We have a lot more energy to work harder. My companion has helped me a lot. It is getting a lot better. We have a few investigators that are really progressing and we hope to have a few baptisms in the next few weeks. We had stake conference this week and I found out how huge this stake is. We were barely able to find a seat. We are working hard to take some of the less active and recent converts to the Temple. We have a goal to go on the 28th this month, so I have been helping everyone set up their family search account, because my companion doesnt know a lot about how to do it. Everyone is amazed when I show them my family tree and then they ask where is Tommy haha. Other than that this week has been pretty boring, we are working really hard and are trying to find new people to teach, because we dont have a ton of people to teach right now. Overall this week was pretty good. You should all watch a video called The Atonement and Missionary Work. It is from Elder Holland and Elder Eyring.

Love Elder Monson

Week #49- transfer to Las Magnolias!

I had transfers, so now I am in the zone Central, which is kind of in the center of Lima. My area is called Las Magnolias. It is extremely hot here, a lot hotter than my last area, but atleast here it is the city. The church here is huge, because it is the stake center.I am living with my companion Elder Nunja, who is my district leader and the zone leaders are also in the same room so President Boswell is keeping an eye on me. haha My companion is from Trujillo, Peru.This week was hard. I am trying to get to know my area, and the people here. I really miss my old area, probably because I was there for half a year, but I know that I will be able to learn new things here. My companion helps me learn a lot. I am still trying to get used to him. He is always trying to find out what I need in my life and asks me a ton of questions, and tries teaching me like I am his investigator. It kind of bugs me but I am trying my best to get along with him and I know that I can learn a lot from him, he is a great missionary and I am trying to be more humble. I know that there is a reason that he is district leader and I am just junior companion. I hope to become a better missionary this transfer and make the best of it. Love, Elder Monson

Last day to visit families!