¡Buenos días!

¡Buenos días! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!!! I almost forgot about it to tell the truth but when I was making district leader calls some of the elders in my district reminded me! We did get to go to the temple again, so that was fun! This means that Christmas is even closer, less than a month away. (The new Star Wars movie is going to come out soon too! Hahaha, but I wont be able to see it!) Im excited to talk to you all.

Remember how last week we found that 24 year old who was super interested in the church when we were talking to his grandpa? Well, his name is Jahairo, and we´ve taught him several times since then and he has a baptismal date for the 19th of December. He went to church yesterday too. I am super excited, he is progressing a lot! Our half of the ward has only had two baptisms this entire year, one of them was a 10 year old girl, and the other was a guy who doesnt want anything to do with the church anymore. I know the sector is difficult but that just means that we need to work harder to have more success. This week I prayed alot that we would find prepared people who live in our sector for us to teach, (Whenever we find super prepared people it seems like they always live outside of the mission!) and we found several! We hit the streets and contacted everyone and even found a lady who was one week away from being baptized years ago but it never happened. I know that obedience brings blessings and exact obedience brings miracles. I have helped my companion a lot and he is being more obedient with the morning schedule. I know that we are now receiving more blessings for our obedience. 

Im getting used to being district leader. Its fun now, I just dont like teaching the district classes every wednesday.

I love you all!! Keep praying for us. I can see the effect that it has in our lives!! Have a great week! 

-- 

-Elder Kevin Torgersen-

Misión Perú Lima Central

We took some funny pictures at the temple. (Elder Garcia didnt want to participate)

Life in La Victoria‏

Wow, another week has gone by! Its so wierd! Hey, Tristan is on his way to Russia, thats exciting. Christian Wendelboe said in his letter that he is going to be training a new missionary this transfer! It could be Tristan!! Thats fun that he got to call you guys, but hey we´ll both get to call in a month!

Well not much happened this week, we contacted, had intercambios, invited people to be baptized, got chased by a homeless man, and visited families. Im enjoying the new experience of being a district leader here in La Victoria now. Its pretty fun and easy. But yea, not much happened this week.

The other day we went to follow up on some people that we had contacted in the street and we had written down their addresses to visit them. We knocked the door of an 88 year old ex-policeman that had talked to us a few days again but he wasnt too interested in our message. As we talked to him, his 24 year old grandson came out of the house and said " Are you guys the Mormons?, Ive always wanted to talk to you guys!" He came out and was super interested. We started telling him about the church and he asked a lot of questions. He liked everything we told him and he said that this was the church that he was looking for! It was a cool experience.

We are still contacting to find new people. We have found quite a few this last week but none of them went to church yesterday. Ive been thinking a lot about what one of the members told me the other day. He reminded me that we were chosen to serve here. Only the tough missionaries can serve here in Lima. Outside of Lima in the rest of Peru it is super easy to get baptisms, but here we have hundreds of different churches, anti-mormons, Jehovahs Witnesses, impossible work schedules, gang fights and everything that makes the work a lot harder. I really have learned a lot from all of the adversity. It reminds me of 2 Nephi 2 when it talks about "opposition". Its super important that there is opposition in all things or we wouldnt be able to learn and grow. When we have a lot of trials we have to choice to rise up and grow stronger or to flop and give up. I have seen how much stronger I have become thanks to the experiences that I have gained here on my mission!!

Well I love you all. Have a great Thanksgiving!! I´ll just imagine that my chicken is turkey and that my boiled potatos are mashed and that all of the rice is stuffing, hahahahah! I love you all!

-- 

-Elder Kevin Torgersen-

Misión Perú Lima Central

(The view from our 3rd story room. You can see the national stadium across the freeway!)

Metropolitano

¡Buenos días! Thank you for your emails. They made me smile! This was a good week, we had a lot of good experiences and some funny ones too. Well probably the funniest (and scariest) thing that happened this week was last pday. We went with the zone to the Centro de Lima and when we were coming home we decided to take the new modern bus system called the "Metropolitano" Its a special fast bus that has its own lane here in a lot of the main streets. Anyways, it was my first time using it. The doors open and close pretty fast and you only have about 10seconds  before the doors shut and the bus zooms off. Well Elder Garcia got on the bus and as I was stepping on the doors shut and the bus zoom off!!! I was there in shock for a few seconds and then some ladies told me to get on the next bus that stops at the same station. I got on the bus and felt so wierd, all alone. I felt like everyone was looking at me!! I got off at the next station and looked for Elder Garcia for like 5 minutes but couldnt find him. I had the cell phone so there was no way that I could have called him. I thought that maybe he got on another bus to return to the original station where we got separated so I got on another bus and returned as well. I couldnt find him there either so I started to get worried. I walked across the street to the other station and after a few minutes I saw him come running! Now that I think about it it was pretty funny, but it was so wierd to be alone in the center or downtown Lima! We learned that nextime we use Metropolitano we are going to get on the bus at the same time!

This week we spent a lot of time contacting and finding people to teach because when I got here there was almost nobody. We had a lot of fun experiences, I like contacting now. I learned to love it with Elder Gutierrez. The other day we contacted a lady and right off the bat she told us that our church isnt true because the Bible doesnt say anything about José Smith. She said that in her church they offer a class about why all the other churches are wrong. (I love challenges like that!) So I pulled out the Bible and we started clarifying things for her, then we read a little of the Book of Mormon. At first she didnt want anything to do with the church but afterwards she accepted an appointment for this week. I have learned to love the scriptures here on my mission. Right now I am reading the words of Isaiah. There are so many hidden gems in his scriptures. I love it, its like I have a hunger for more knowledge. The scriptures are like the guidebook of life. We have to read the instructions and follow them!

Oh yea, so we live really close to the national stadium and the other day Peru played against paraguay and they were so many people in our sector. The police had to close down a whole bunch of streets. I also found out the the US embassy in in my sector as well as several other embassies. Half of my sector is a really rich part and crossing the freeway were we live is one of the more dangerous parts of Lima called La Victoria. Its pretty close to Gamarra. My sector is on the edge of the mission. We are bordering the Lima East mission.

I hope you all get a lot of snow for Christmas, we sure wont be getting any down here. The summer heat is just starting to turn up. I love you all!
--

-Elder Kevin Torgersen-

Misión Perú Lima Central

District Leader in Limatambo!!!‏

Well, as you guys probably have already guessed I got changed. It was really hard to leave my ward family in barrio Venezuela. I was there so long! I still miss everyone back there! I got changed to barrio Santa Beatriz in la zona Limatambo, which is the oldest stake here in Perú. The stake center was the first chapel that was built here too. As you´ve already heard I got called as district leader too! I was joking that I dont know if it is a punishment or a blessing. Hahaha, I know it is a blessing and a great opportunity to help me progress and grow. There are 8 elders in my district including the zone leaders. My companion is Elder Garcia, he is from Trujillo, Perú and has 10 months in the mission. He is really patient and courteous. I dont know why but he reminds me of Kermit the Frog, I think its the way he talks or something like that. 

Well, honestly this week was prety hectic and stressful. Here´s a bit of my stress: It was my first week as district leader, I had to prepare a class for the district meeting, and make a bunch of phone calls and messages, I also had my first baptismal interview my first day here! Almost all of our appointments fell through, and our numbers this week were super low, probably the lowest I´ve ever had so far on the mission. Almost none of our investigators here are willing to progress and none of them went to church, and there is nobody with a baptismal goal for this month. We were supposed to have a baptism this Saturday, but the investigator didnt get submerged all the way and was too scared to try it again. On top of that, my companion takes forever to get ready in the morning and sleeps in a little bit. Thats all the stress that I was feeling this week. Yesterday we had a stake conference and a 70 named Elder Moscoso (who comes from la estaca Magdalena) gave a talk that really helped me alot! He talked about three essential attitudes that we need to have. One of those was an attitude willing to learn. I decided that that is what I needed to do. Theres nothing I can do about what has happened, I just need to learn from it. I am really looking forward to having a great week. We are going to contact and find the people who are prepared to receive us.

Well there are some good things about this week. Im excited to be here in Limatambo! The Peruvian national soccer stadium is in my sector. It is huge and right across the freeway from our house which means that when there are games or concerts we wont be able to sleep very well! Hahaha! Polvos Azules, the famous market is also in my sector and Parque de las Aguas is in the limits of our ward. Our pensionista is the bishop´s wife. Their family is super awesome! I dont think Ive met a family like them so far in the mission. Obispo Serrano was called just 2 months ago just like dad!

Wow, thats so cool that you guys got to help clean the temple. We are going to get to go back this change. Im excited for that!

I hope you all have a great week!!! Keep being a great family!!! I love you all!!!

-Elder Kevin Torgersen-

Misión Perú Lima Central

Barrio Santa Beatriz: Elder Santana (Dominican Republic), Elder Weir (Lindon, Utah), Elder Garcia (Trujillo, Perú), Elder Torgersen (Provo, Utah)  Elder Weir must be Elder Galkes twin or something. They are exactly alike!

District Leader

LA IGLESIA DE

JESUCRISTO

DE LOS SANTOS

DE LOS ÚLTIMOS DÍAS

 

Misión Perú Lima Central

Av. Juan de Aliaga 510

Magdalena del Mar Lima

Lima 17, Peru

Tel: 011-51-1 222-2173

2010429@ldschurch.org

04 de noviembre de 2015

Dear Torgersen Family,

I wish to take this opportunity to inform you that Elder Torgersen has been assigned to serve as a District Leader in the Peru Lima Central Mission.  He has distinguished himself as an outstanding teacher and as a diligent worker.  He is a great example to his fellow missionaries and has gained their love and respect.   His worthiness and leadership abilities are a tribute to himself and his family.

Elder Torgersen will lead a district which will consist of four to eight missionaries.  He will have the stewardship of administering to the spiritual as well as the temporal needs of his missionaries.  He will meet with these missionaries on a weekly basis to train, uplift and edify them.   As he serves, he will gain valuable experiences which will assist him in the future as a husband and father, and in leadership callings in the Church.

I appreciate your continuing support of him as he serves his Father in Heaven here in the Perú Lima Central Mission.  We pray that you, with him, will “lift up your heart and rejoice,” for the hour of this important phase of his mission has come (see D&C 31:3).

Warmest regards,

Stephen J. Larson

Presidente

Misión Perú Lima Central

Halloween and FireFighters‏

Wow, this week went by fast. On thursday we got to go to the temple. It was a great experience. Everytime that we get to go I feel reenergized when I leave. I learn something new everytime as well! Im happy that you made an effort to go everyday this week and that you could see and feel the blessings that you have recieved. 

This week was Halloween. Everyone was asking us about what we think about it. A lot of people here are against it. All of the Cristiana and Evangelica church condemn it and say its the Devil´s Day. For me its kind of funny because its not a big deal. Its for little children. A few little kids were out Trick-or-Treating with their parents, but not many. Its too dangerous here to let your kids go out on there own. Everyone says that Lima is becoming really dangerous these last few years.

Recently we started teaching Maria Fernanda. She is super prepared. Sometimes in the mission you find people who are ready to be members of the church and she was one of them. She went to the conference last week and also attended yesterday. She used to smoke, drink alchohol, and be addicted to coffee, but after reading the Word of Wisdom pamphlet she decided to quit all of it on her own, and she´s still going strong! Contacting everyone has helped us find her. She is super excited to get baptized on the 14th!!

I think dad will like this:

We stopped by the firestation that´s here in Breña to trade patches and we had a cool visit with one of the chiefs who just happened to be there. He was one of the top three fire chiefs in all of Lima and told us a lot about the history of the station. He showed us the stations huge collection of patches from all of Perú and various stations around the world, but the didnt have Provo, Ut yet! He said that the station was founded by the Masones and that their patch has a lot of Masonic symbolism. It was pretty interesting.  Ive learned a lot about the Masons down here. They´re pretty interesting to me. Ive even taught one before. For me they are a testimony of the apostasy. The church was like a big mirror that fell and broke and everybody picked up a few pieces. The Masons just picked up all the temple stuff. 

Well, we´ll find out tonight what the cambios are going to be. I´m pretty sure that I´m going to be leaving. I´m pretty sad about that. I love this ward and I´m going to miss it a lot!!!

I love you all and hope you have a great semana!!!!
-- 

-Elder Kevin Torgersen-