Christmas Challenge

This week was great. My companion (Elder Colquehuanca) de Tacna is absolutely different than
the ones before him. He entered into the room and said, “oh great”.  This was after cleaning
for quite a while.  We took a while and we cleaned it spotless. He really likes everything
perfect. He speaks English and has really helped me out with learning how to speak a lot
better.  He is by far my best companion yet.

This week was interesting.  We have 6 baptisms scheduled for the month of December. We
had a conference with the mission president who had personal revelation right before he
stood up. He said that we are going to have 500 baptisms in the month of December as a
mission. The goal has gone a little further to 20 baptisms in every ward.  We have two
wards so our goal is 40 baptisms in one month. This seems impossible!  However,
everything is impossible that God does...he had Moses part the red sea...had Joseph
Smith, who had the knowledge of a fifth grader translate a ancient record....
everything is possible with God. I know that the goal will be achieved and am very
excited for the opportunity to be a tool in this work.

The six baptisms that we have are, Oscar, Bruna, Carolina, Eusebia, Julio and Jairo.

Oscar was a contact that we taught the first lesson with word of wisdom. We also got
a baptismal date.  But the next time he was as drunk as drunk can be (this was about a
month and a half ago.  After that every time that we would try to contact him he was
not available.  We knew this kid that was assisting with one of the members of the
ward (he is the nephew of Oscar).  We went to the house to talk with Jairo and Oscar
was ready to talk to us. We got talking about everything and I told him...we had a
baptismal date for you and taught you about the word of wisdom...and the next time
you had alcohol problems. He said that He hadn’t had a drink for a month or more.
Long story short he has changed a lot and we have a date for his baptism this week.
He is probably the smartest investigator I have ever had. He knows almost everything
before we teach him. His nephew is really cool too. We need the permission of his mom
for the baptism...I feel that it will come in a short time.

The other investigators are progressing along and I am really excited for the next month.

The purpose of this next month is to give someone a present better than anything they
have ever had.  This present is the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I challenge everybody that
reads this to try the same.  Give a great gift of eternal life, share the message of the
true gospel.

I know that God is at the head of this work and that it will just continue to keep growing.  
It is such a great experience to just be part of it!!

My companion is the golden missionary that I have been waiting for a while now.

Love you all.

Changes, but no change

Life is great. This week was really good.
 
We had a lot of lessons and really good investigators. The drunk investigator that I think I told you about 2 months ago,
well every time that we would go to his house he wouldn’t be there.  We have been trying to contact him for about a
month and a half.  The other day while looking for his nephew, who has been going to church, we ran into him.  He
invited us in and got talking.  He said that he hasn’t had anything to drink for about a month.  We thought that was great!  
We have a new baptismal date and goal on the 29 along with his nephew. Also we have 4 others investigators with
dates. The Lord has really blessed us and has been very generous with preparing our investigators.

I figured out where I am going in 2 days changes. It’s the JUNGLE....CHRISTMAS IN THE JUNGLE!!!  Just kidding I
am staying in the same zone and area.  I am really excited for everything.

I have really learned a lot about the mission this change, and am excited to learn more.  I wish that I were going
somewhere else.  Elder Rhoton is getting sent to the jungle.  He really doesn’t want to. It is interesting the way the
Lord works. 

I get to have a sweet Christmas with my Peruvian family BRAVO.  I will probably get to baptize the ones who
decide to have me baptize them.

I am kind of excited but I kind of wish that I could go to the jungle.  Maybe I will get to go there someday.  It is
nice to know that the people in the ward ask how I am.  I wish that they would write.  I am sending some letters
out.  I have got to say part of the family is good. TYLER AND KIPLIN, STEVE AND PENNY, GRANDMA
GRACE, HEIDI AND DAN, and you guys have been great to write.

My companions name is Elder Colquehuanca. I am excited. I have got to go soon, so, I want you to know that
I LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH!!!!!

-Elder Griffin

Baptism of Alison Osario

¿Hola, que tal? Esta semana fue bien cheverè.

This week was a little better than the last.  We are a little slow with investigators right now but the investigators
that we have are good.  Alison had her baptism yesterday. That was really a special and interesting experience.
We had the interview Friday for the baptism on Saturday...but at the interview Hna Osorio said that her family
wouldn’t be down for another day because there were a lot of Chinese people coming to Peru. So we postponed it
another day.  We got to church and her parents and all of the family were there. The bishop asked the parent to
share their testimonies of the church.  That was really cool...because they are both kind of inactive. Her parents,
the Osorios, bought us food the Saturday night before and invited us to eat lunch after the baptism.  The baptism
was really special,the water was really cold and I had to convince her to get in.  The whole time she was saying
¨cold,cold,cold, ¨ but we got in the water and after she was baptized I asked her how it was.  She said cold but
that that part wasn’t important.  I really enjoyed the opportunity to play the piano at the baptism and later eat
at the house.

I also received a huge package that was a really awesome thing.... full of everything that I asked for and more.
I got candy, sweets, books, and scriptures.  I thank my  awesome family for that package and the Osorio family for
delivering it.

We also set up two more baptism dates for the next two weeks. Their names are Julio Navaro and Rosa the vendor
down the street from us.) I don’t know why but every time that we have an appt. with Julio, the day is always
really full of stuff and we end up showing up really late. I always feel really bad about that because time is
really important for the investigators and us. This time we showed up and talked to him about the Book of Mormon.
He said that he has probably had 10 different sets of missionaries over in the past years. Rosa is another religion
and is really friendly but I don’t know if she really wants this in her life right now...it is kind of sad because
she really is awesome...she accepted the baptism date but hasn’t gone to church yet.

Life continues to shoot by like a bullet. Me gusta el obra de nuestro señor Jesucristo.  Yo siento el presencia de
su espiritu guia nos cada dia en nuestro trabajo.

I love you all and really appreciate your support for me and the love that you all show with the letters you send,
and the simple things that you have blessed me with in my life.
Thanks so much. LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

 - Elder Griffin

(communication with Elder Griffin through e-mails and questions)  I love the fact that my
(soon to be) new brother-in law  hasn’t even written me once since I have been out in the
mission...some brother....jk...patience is an attribute of Christ.  I really enjoyed that
package you sent and the movie was quite good.  I was surprised that half of the songs
were the ones I composed in the movie...I edited all of them that is why they put me as
the (composer)on the cover, but I was surprised at how many were my origanals.

Changes are coming up soon and I am excited to see where I am getting sent.  Three times
in the same area would be interesting.  I think that it would be a good change to go to
the jungle. I love my area but change is always good. I have heard that the jungle is
awesome and that there are cool things to buy.  It is interesting because Christmas is
coming up...We also get to go to the temple on Wednesday. I am very excited for that.
We usually go every change about in the middle of it.  It’s a really cool opportunity.
If you’re in the jungle because of the distance that is one of the things you get jipped on. 

One investigator that is catholic we were talking about how it isn’t necessary to baptize
a baby and he said something I never heard. He said that if the mom slept around and
committed sins that the sin would travel through the blood into the baby and so it was the
baby’s sin too. He said that if a baby is sick then they baptize it for it’s health. 
My companion told him that we baptize for the remission of sins. It was definitely interesting.

We are done with our one-hour on the computer and I am slowly drowning in the fact I can’t communicate in
English for any longer. I really love you and hope that you continue to have great weeks and soon enough
I will be home.  It is weird to think about right now because it seems so long but at Christmas I have 6
months in the mission exactly.... wow it is amazing that I will be a fourth of the way done with the
mission at Christmas.  Love you all lots,

Chau!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!