Packages and many investigators

Life is great here my new comp is good but a little different than with Elder McGary. So far we have had one baptism. We will definitely be having more.

Nancy Pacheco Pizango was baptized this last Saturday. I had the opportunity of baptizing her. It was really a special opportunity. She really didn’t want to get baptized because she cut her finger the same day and thought that it was bad juju. She thought that it was a sign that she shouldn’t get baptized. We explained to her that it wasn’t bad luck or anything that it just happened.

Also we have 5 fechas right now. Llerilith and Quelli two of the daughters of Mamerto and Bertha (recent converts) and we also got a really good reference from a member that said that her husband isn’t a member. We went over there and talked to him. Also, the other 3 girls that live next door are listening to the discussions. Long story short we now have another family of gold because they are married and we only fault the husband also, we talked to the three girls. One of them is living with her boyfriend, we are working on marrying them and baptizing the two (Luisa and Peter), and the other two (Mishel and Ema) are getting baptized this 18 of April.

I know that the Lord is always preparing people for us and we keep accepting them with smiles on our faces. I am trying to learn a lot of things before I hit the ¨hump¨.

I did get my package and three others. YOU GUYS ROCK! Thank you so much. I could barely carry this mountain of letters and packages. Tell everybody THANK YOU SO MUCH.

My health is great and everything I really haven’t been sick and I am trying to lose this little testimony of mine (my belly\testimony of the food) jk.

It is cool to be with Elders, Ridge, Hyde, Layton, Fidler, a whole lot of them here in Iquitos. I spent time with them in the Provo MTC. They are great friends and incredible missionaries.

Birthdays and a girl named Ahororra

Thanks for the Feliz Cumpleanos, life is great.

This week was amazing. We had the baptism of Marilda Mozombite. She had an interesting experience. I know that the missionaries before me had taught her and had tried to get a baptismal date. I also tried to get one with Perez but she had doubts, and didn’t really want to. Finally she decided that she wanted to get baptized and well long story short she is now a member of the church. She is one of the last in her family that is a member.

I also had my birthday yesterday. I went over to Marildas house to eat and to have a little bit of a party. Well I invited a great friend of the opposite sex that lives in Lima her name is Ahororra. She is a parrot that talks and laughs. I wanted to have her at the party because this bird is the funniest thing that I know. I also got 2 eggs smashed on my head with flour thrown also all over my clothes. I received two cakes, one from them, and one from my pentionista. Yesterday was a really special day for me. I really was excited. Also, one of my recent converts gave me a little thing that she drew.

I got my change information. I am going to Iquitos Peru- Secada which is the same place as before. My companion is Elder Barba, he was already in my District and I can tell it will be fun...and that we will have more success.

We (Elder McGary and I) ended up with 8 baptisms. I really learned a lot with him. He is a great missionary and really will have a lot of success in Lima.

I was glad to hear about Elder Vigil’s mom talking to you. He is my zone leader and is absolutely amazing. He has taught me so many new things and really has helped me out with the language. He speaks basically perfect Spanish and is a teaching machine.

I hope that everything is going great. I love you all.
~Elder Griffin~

The work rolls forth

Life here in Iquitos is wonderful as always. The weather is always pretty much the same. It is very tropical and very humid.

We had another baptism this last Saturday of a kid named Oscar Daniel del Busto Vargas. His grandpa is the mission leader of this ward and his parents were both inactive. He is a really powerful kid and wanted to get baptized. Now his parents are active and happier.

Manuel (Arevalo) and his family are doing great. He reads principles of the gospel when he has free time and really has been powerful. He read about the importance of Fasting and had his first fast this last Sunday. He also is sharing the gospel and inviting other people to church. His daughters (Nathaly and Monserrat) are both in seminary and they (there family) are assisting all of the activities that the church has.

I really feel like we have had a successful change so far and know that we will continue to have more!

I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ BLESSES FAMILIES. Not only has it blessed mine personally but that of others. I love this opportunity to serve and the experiences that I will never forget.

Blessings come when following the commandments

Life is great we had the opportunity to baptize two families; the family Arevalo Torrez and the family Huaimacari Awanari.

We had some very amazing experiences. On Thursday we went to the wedding of Manuel and Edith (Arevalo) they got married and had there interview of Manuel, Edith, Monserrat and Natali. I was chosen to baptize Natali and the wife in the second couple (Mamerto and Berta) Manuel planned it out so the girls and his wife were baptized first. My companion and I and the girls were waiting at the top of the stairs to enter in the font. It was really special to see the whole family in white (just like at the temple). They also have the goal to go to the temple. We had the President of the Branch baptize Manuel and Edith.

When they bore there testimonies it was soooo strong. I know that they will be great members in the church and will have a lot of success.

Manuel was saying that Edith got a job where she doesn’t have to work Sundays and earns twice as much money as she did before; also Manuel got a job where he makes a lot more. The Lord blesses families when they do what is right.

He hears our prayers

Life in the Jungle...

This week was really cool.

We have 6 baptisms for this Saturday. It is interesting how the gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives and how God works in mysterious ways.

We are baptizing our first family in this change. I have never had the opportunity to baptize a family in my mission so far. The family AREVALO is their name. To start out the story: Elder Perez and I had contacted one of the motor drivers. He said that with the hours of work that it would be almost impossible for us to talk to him but that we could talk to the family; Edith, Natali, and Monserrat. The first times that we had visited them we could only talk to the girls and their mom. Their dad (Manuel) had work. Natalie told us that she was baptized catholic about a month ago and was comfortable there. Her mom said that she new that the Book of Mormon was true, and her other daughter Monserrat was also interested. They aren’t married but just living together. In South America this is NORMAL, but we talked to them about marriage. They were kind of interested, but don’t have the money.

To make the story short, we figured out that they have known the Branch President for a lot of years. They talked to him and are getting married this Friday. Their baptism is Saturday!! But here we go with Natalie, so she was recently baptized in the Catholic Church because it is a requirement for school. President Vidal (Branch President) had an interview with their whole family. She left the interview crying, we then we figured out that it was her birthday last Friday. My companion and I and some of the ward members went over to celebrate. We gained her confidence and after four nights of YW activities she is now ready to get baptized and is excited.

The other family is Marmerto and Berta. They are about 60 years old. They went to church one week and we sacked a baptismal date. After a little time, they moved and didn’t tell us the address. They came to church the next week and we got an "address" after about 6 hours of looking for their house, they ended up seeing us and found us.

I know that the Lord prepares families and people. I know that if we have faith and work hard, that the Lord ALWAYS answers our prayers. Sometimes we need a LOT of patience but the Lord is always here for every one of us. It does not matter where you are at in your life...GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS.

February 23 post

Vida en la Selva.

Life is great here in the jungle of Iquitos Peru. Life always continues to move at a fast pace. This change has been really great; I can tell that I will never forget this one. My companion is amazing. He has taught me so much already, the Spanish is going great, and the members are giving us references of people that they have talked to.

We had 14 investigators in the chapel on Sunday. We also have 3 baptismal dates and are planning on getting a lot more. We are trying our hardest to be way obedient in everything so that we can continue to have the success that we have been having. I want to be like my companion when I have been out as long as he has.

This last week we went to Quistococha, a zoo in Iquitos. It was really cool...I got to hold a SLOTH...it was really different because is really slow but really strong. I also got some cool pictures of parrots in my arm and a couple of other cool things.

I am so glad that I made the small decision to go on the mission. It has been the biggest blessing in my life and I know that the Lord called me to this wonderful place to teach these sons and daughters of God here.