Priesthood Keys and Break-ins

Well, I`m definitly back in Callao. I think its the only place in the mission where street dogs wander into the church and you have to mop up pools of blood in the chapel during sacrament meeting. Yep, there was a lot of blood. There is an older, double amputee member who had accidently spilled a lot of blood from a bag of chicken all over the floor during sacrament meeting yesterday. I didnt really understand why it happened or why he had a bag of fresh chicken at church, but yeah. Elder Winn just about fainted when he saw it! During the last hour priesthood class we were talking about the keys of the priesthood and the brother from Spain who was giving the class was using Elder Stevenson`s example of being locked out of a car without the keys from last General Conference. The discussion was going really really well and he had everyone`s attention but then an 80ish year old member said, " But if you were really smart you would just break in and jumpstart the car." It made the four of us elders laugh. Only in Callao! In real life it could work, but it is impossible to "break in" to the power of the priesthood without the restored keys. I really enjoyed that talk from last general conference and I am so thankful that the priesthood keys have been restored again to the earth. This morning one of barrio Callao`s investigators called them to tell them that some people were robbing a chapel here in another part of Callao. Crazy, no? 

Andre got baptized on Saturday. There was so much opposition but we were able to pull it off. His baptism was supposed to be baptized at 12pm but he lives with his grandparents and they didnt let him leave the house. They dont like the church and are a huge opposition. They gave him a lot of chores to do, so we postponed it to 7pm. It was really good and there were alot of members there. Hna. Claudia came to watch as well! After the baptism and after they had changed back into their clothes the power went out in the church for a few minutes! Hahaha! It was really wierd. Andre is awesome! He is already good friends with almost all of the members. In one year he could go on a mission, and he is thinking a lot about it!

This week we found a new investigator named Jose. He is over 80 years old and has smoked since he was 18 years old but he`s still kickin´. We want to help him quit and he wants to stop too. He used to smoke three of four packages a day ( each package has 20 cigarettes) but yesterday he said that he only smoked 4 cigarettes. We confiscated and got rid of all of the packages that he had in his house to help him quit. I feel like he has a lot of potencial. When he was younger the Peruvian government used to send him on expeditions to explore and map unknown parts of the peruvian jungle and he always wants to tell us stories about living with the indians and stuff like that. He looks a lot like an older version of Mr. Clayton from Tarzan but smaller!

Im glad that you all had such a great time at Young Women´s camp and at the family reunion! I love you all and hope that you are all safe and happy!!

This is what we eat everyday, but before we eat it.

EVERYDAY we eat: 

1) rice

2) potato

3) chicken

Wierd Dreams and Miracles

¡Buenos días! This week was great! We had a lot of success and we improved a lot, actually, the entire zone improved this week. Yesterday we were looking at the numbers and I was really happy with the elders here in Callao. We had stake conference but we were still able to get investigators to attend at the stake center. The stake conference was awesome. President and Sister Larson, the Lima Peru Temple President and the Stake President all spoke to us. The spirit was so strong and Im pretty sure that after the temple president spoke there was no doubt in anybody´s mind that the church is true. Im sure that all of the investigators were traumatized after hearing him. He explained everything so clearly and directly. I hope to one day have the knowledge of the scriptures and the gospel like he has. 

This week we found a bunch of new investigators and many of them are very prepared. Our pensionista, Hermana Jany, lives on the first floor of a 3-story house that is owned by a family of investigators whose niece is a recent convert. Anyway, we were standing outside talking to Heraman Jany when the mom of the family poked her head out and asked us if we wanted to come in. We asked if there was a man home and she said that her 19-year old son was there and that he wanted to talk to us. I almost said that we couldnt because we were on our way to another appointment but we decided to go up. I had one been in that house one time before but it is crazy because the entire family has been listening to the elders since december and when we ask them about what they learned they all have a testimony of the church and believe that the Book of Mormon is true, but they arent baptized yet! I dont really understand why they werent baptized a long time ago! We went up and started talking to Maritza (the mom) and Jordan (her son). Turns out that he recieved his answer and that because of college he hadnt seen the elderes for a while. We invited him to be baptized and found out that he wants to but is scared. In my personal study I had started reading the story of Moses in Exodus. I shared with him my impression that everytime Moses told the Lord that he couldnt or that he was scared the Lord would always tell him to not fear. Jordan really made a connection with that and told us that his second name is Moisés (Moses in spanish). Then it got kind of weird and he asked us our first names. He told us that the other day he had a dream that three elders went to visit him and that one of them had my name. Then he started getting freaked out. Then Elder Luis told him that I had started my mission here and that it never happens that an elder goes back to a sector that he has already worked in. I think hearing that just about traumatized him! Haha, he was really scared, I think he´s pretty superstitious. Anyway all of that helped him to see that God really wants him to get baptized. He accepted a date for the 2nd of July! 

I talked to Miguel at Stake Conference! He´s doing great and he´s even working now! He looks so much better. He said because of the joining of barrio Heros and barrio Jose Galvez there hasnt been an active temple prep teacher. He still needs three more classes before he can go take out his endowments. That is going to be our goal. We are going to talk to the bishop to make sure that he can get to the temple as soon as possible!

Andre is going to have his interview tomorrow and should be baptized this Saturday!

Claudia said that she wants to get baptized but that she feels really pressured. She told us that her friend has been going to an evangelical church for 9 months and just barely got baptized so she felt like only a month was way too soon. She decided however that she wants to get baptized before Elder Luis goes home so she decided that she wants to be baptized on the 9th of July!

This week I feel like I have progressed but I also feel like I am so far from being a good leader like Elder Luis and so many other elders are. I really want to be better and that is what I want to do this week!

We´ve seen a lot of miracles and I often see the hand od the Lord working here with us in the Zona Callao! I know that this is his work and that he loves us. I know that this is his only true church!

Love you all! Have fun at Camp!

--

-Elder Kevin Torgersen-

Misión Perú Lima Central

Picture: This morning we had a zone study session!

A Smile and a Twinkle in Your Eyes

Time is flashing by, but I`m enjoying it!! It`s been fun! It was fun to hear about Katie`s trip to DC and all of the fun stuff you guys are up to. This week we had a special meeting with Elder Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve in Los Olivos with the Peru Lima West and Peru Lima North missions. It was a very cool and spiritual experience but we were all so tired! The meeting was from 8am to 10am but we all had to be seated at least one hour early. Los Olivos is outside the mission but not too far, but someone in the offices decided that we needed to get on the rented busses at 4:30am which meant that we had to get up at 3:30am to get ready. The elders from barrio La Punta had to stay the night in our room because there arent any buses or taxis at that hour in their sector. Needless to say we all got there way early and sat in our seats for like 2 1/2 hours before it started. Everyone was dozing off and sleeping. I dont think I have ever felt so sleepy on my whole mission. It was even worse when we had to go back and proselyte all day aftwerwards. I really enjoyed it though. Right before it started. All of the missionaries went up row by row to shake Elder and Sister Rasband`s hands. It was so neat to be in the presence of a living special witness of Christ. During the meeting, Elder Rasband told us that while he was shaking our hands he wasnt looking at our badges but he was looking in our eyes. He said that he wanted to see the "twinkle" that we all have. I really liked how he said that we all need to have a smile and a twinkle in our eyes and people will see how happy we are and they will want to hear our message. I always try to be happy but I want to smile more when we are in the street. I know that Elder Rasband is a true apostle of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Even before he was chosen and we were waiting for the three new apostles to be called I knew he was going to be one of them. 

The bishop`s counselor presented me in sacrament meeting on Sunday. It was funny that he said that I`m back here in the ward. Everybody thinks that I am going home. They always ask me if i am coming by to say goodbye and I tell them that I still have three months left and that Im here back in the ward. Its funny though that they all think that Im going home. Everyone says that its for something that Im back here and I know its true.

Heramana Brake will be excited to get the chocolate! She doesnt give us pension anymore, we have a new pensionista, but I think that she is going to start giving us food on the weekends. 

Right now we are working with a 17 year old named Andre and a lady named Claudia. They are both preparing to be baptized this month. Andre has a lot of friends in the church but has a lot of family problems. Claudia is probably one of the best investigators that I`ve had, she is awesome. her husband is Matthew he is a less active and their 4year old daughter is super cute and super smart, she makes me think of Elizabeth. We just need to work on Claudia`s testimony because she doesnt feel all the way ready yet to be baptized.

On Wednesday we had a zone meeting. We invited Hermano Alex from Pueblo Libre to come help us because the elders here in Callao dont know him. We pretended that he was a real investigator from our sector and we had the elders practice teaching him and it turned out really really good. They all thought that he was real, hahaha!

I love you all!! Read your scriptures everyday!! I know that the church is true!
--

-Elder Kevin Torgersen-

Misión Perú Lima Central

Back to the Beginning

Well, its true! I`m back here in barrio Heros, estaca Callao, my first area! What happened is a couple of months ago barrios Heros and Jose Galvez got combined so now the ward is a lot bigger and from what I heard the attendance has tripled. We didnt have church yesterday because it was the second round of the Peruvian presidential elections. It looks like PPK, the half american won but the government hasnt officially announced the winner. Anyway, the zone leaders used to be in Jose Galvez but now we have all of that sector plus my first sector. It is so wierd walking down the same streets that I walked down everyday for six months a year and a half ago. Its really fun though. Its funny though cause two or three weeks ago I was thinking about my time back in Callao and I was thinking about how I didnt know how to do anything and how it would be to go back with all of the knowledge and skills that I have now. I guess the Lord was listening in on my thoughts and decided to send me back. I will miss Santa Beatriz though. 

My companion is Elder Luis form Huancayo, Peru. He is going home this change in only 5 weeks. He is awesome and we are already good friends. Its funny cause after I was with Elder Ango here for three cambios he went to be Elder Luis`s companion for three too, so we both have that in common.

Oh yea I forgot to tell you guys that last week Elder and Sister Hill invited us over to their house and Hermana Castañeda, my spanish teacher, was there. It was fun to see her and she gave us a lot of american candy. The Hills had coordinated with Presidente Larson so that she could come see us. It was fun!

I am really excited to be here, it is a little different though. The peruvian president declared a state of emergencia in the entire providence of Callao so now all of us missionaries in the zone have to be in our rooms early at 7:30pm unless we have a really important appointment or ward meeting.  It feels really wierd going home so early but I guess its for our safety. We have a lot of time to get stuff done at night now and our new favorite pastime after daily planning everynight is dropping water balloons on all of the wild street dogs that pass under our third floor balcony outside of our room. Its pretty fun, hahahaha!

I havent seen Miguel or Jeremy yet. The sector limits got moved one block so now they both live one block outside of my sector but we can still go visit them. The other elders say that Miguel is one of the most active members in the ward. Im really happy about that. Its funny everytime we run into members that I knew when I was here becasue they always look at me and then do a double take and stare at me again and say, "Wait I know you, youre Elder Torgersen."  Im surprised how many people recognize me cause I didnt speak spanisk too good when I was here cause I was just starting. Its funny though when everyone sees me. Herman Brake says hi and also jokingly said that shes still willing to recieve any packages of american candy from home, hahaha!

Our zone is small. Right now we only have seven companionships. The entire mission is downsizing now because starting last change until october about 50 missionaries are going home and only about 20 are coming to replace them so President has had to close a lot of sectors. The missionaries we do have here are all really young. All but two of them have about 4-7 months in the mission. They work hard though. 

This week we had so many leadership meetings and other stuff going on plus we only work until 7:30pm that we didnt have much time to proselyte. What time we did have we used very effectively and we found SOO many prepared people. I really feel like we are going to have a lot of success here!

This morning the secretaries called me and asked me what airport I wanted to go home to and if my parents were going to come pick me up. I told them that I didnt think so but that I was going to confirm with you guys. We are going to the (oregon) beach, right? That will be fun!

Im glad you all had a great time in Manti! Thanks for all of the pictures and fun stories! Love you all, have a great week!
--

-Elder Kevin Torgersen-

Misión Perú Lima Central

Letter from Pesidente Larson

LA IGLESIA DE

JESUCRISTO

DE LOS SANTOS

DE LOS ÚLTIMOS DÍAS

Dear Torgersen Family,

 I am delighted to inform you that your son, Elder Torgersen, has been assigned to serve as a Zone Leader in the Peru Lima Central Mission.  I am sure that you are pleased with the accomplishments and leadership ability that have made him worthy of this great responsibility.

Elder Torgersen will lead a zone which will consist of at least two districts and several missionaries.  He will have the stewardship of administering to their spiritual as well as their temporal needs.  He will meet with the District Leaders to train, uplift, and edify them.  He will also be involved in the Mission Leadership Council, which meets every month.  As he serves, he will gain valuable experiences which will assist him in the future both in his family and in callings in the Church.

Thank you for all you have done to make him the fine young man that he is and for your continuing support of his missionary service.

 Warmest regards, 

Stephen J. Larson

Presidente

Misión Perú Lima Central