More missionaries, more new members!

 Another wonderful week in the Peru Lima North Mission. This is a report for the week of January 19th, 2025. This week was full, to say the least. Every once in a while in the mission, one of the members of the Area Presidency performs a “tour” of the mission which really is a couple of zone conferences, a few interviews after each zone conference, and a mission leadership council. It felt like a lot of stress. Elder Villar from the area presidency was the visiting authority. He was wonderful. He was a great teacher. The missionaries all loved his messages. He spent a lot of time helping the missionaries understand and be more committed to their missionary purpose: inviting others to come unto Christ. The extra stress was mostly just self-imposed. It comes from wanting to put your best foot forward. In the end, it turned out great.

One of the week's highlights was spending time with new members helping them find names of family members so they can help them receive the saving ordinances of Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I’ve said this many times here nd in a voice out loud. There is not much that compares to helping someone connect with an ancestor. Hermana Borup is amazing at it. When someone finds the names and records of people they knew existed, but didn’t even know their names up to that point there is a real “turning of their hearts” that can be seen on their faces and felt in the air. 

We went to the Temple twice this week with new members who went for their first time. On both occasions, there was a tender mercy that involved a “chance” meeting with missionaries who previously taught them.  As a little background, Hermana Borup and I go to the Temple almost every week. We never see other missionaries who just happen to be there with new members.  On both of our trips to the Temple this week, the new members had “chance” meetings with missionaries who played a role in their conversion. One was with an Hermana who taught him and then helped plan the Temple trip but was unable to go to the Temple because of an emergency transfer. It just so “happened” that the missionaries in her new area had planned a trip to the Temple and scheduled it for the hour before ours. The Hermana was able to watch the new member be baptized for his father. 


The other tender mercy came when the new member “ran into” one of the Elders that gave him his first introduction to the Church. Now several weeks later he just so “happened” to be coming out of the Temple right as we were going in. The reunion was sweet. We told him about “tender mercies” and how he has just entered the world of “tender mercies”. 

One of the best things about doing Baptisms for the Dead with new members is watching newly ordained priesthood holders Baptize “their” missionaries. We got to see it twice this week. We were able to see it twice this week. 


The other big news of the week is that the missionaries in our mission now have individual phones. Up until this week there was one phone per companionship. Now each missionary has a phone that they will keep through their mission. They can use it to message their friends and study the Gospel and language. They will only have one chip for each companionship but will have access to the tools they need via wifi and hotspots. As you can imagine the missionaries are excited about this change. They knew it was coming. The younger missionary in each companionship got the new phone. The  ”older” missionaries weren’t too sure about that deal, but it seemed to go smoothly. I may get back to you on this one. 


The house inspections begin. For the sake of time, I’ll leave it at that and talk more about it next time. Let’s just say we find no correlation between good, obedient missionaries and how clean their house is. The end.

As you can see it was a busy week. It seems like every week is. However, some are more busy than others. We’re tired but it’s a good tired. I think when we look back on this week of our mission we will see it as a highlight. We love the work. We love our fellow missionaries and our new friends. We love and miss our friends and family at home.


This work is His work and we’re happy to have a small part in it!


Hermana y Elder Borup



A city scape near our home in Independencia

Getting ready for zone conference (gira) pictures

Meal time at Gira

Nothing makes missionaries happier than packages from home and a box of Books of Mormon

A new member going to the Temple for the first time and a "chance" meeting with the first missionary that taught him.

A primary activity at the Temple- they sang I Love to See The Temple

You can't keep your shoes clean in this mission.

A view at the other end of the Mission

Another View

This what $8 will buy. 1/2 a chicken, more papa-fritas than you can imagine, and a nice salad

This is the food table for one of the Baptisms we attended this week

The family and a young man getting Baptized

The same young man with his Young Man's Leader

ANother young man getting baptized and some of the youth in the ward.

First time for one and second time for another.

It's a great blessing when the missionaries can attend the Temple with their new member.




More gira pictures, yes we are having fun!

Next week he will be wearing a tie and blessing the sacrament!

 

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