Temple Trip‏

Wow, good job with the talent show and the Eagle Board of Review. Whew, its always a relief to have that done. It sounds like its hot there. Right now we are supposed to be in winter but this year has been one of the hottest that anyone here in Lima can remember. It is a lot cooler though which is nice and usually we use sweaters at night, because with the wind it gets really cold.

Last Tuesday was the longest Pday of my life. ¡Asu maquina! it was so long, but it was really fun though. Every transfer we get to have a big Pday like a trip to the temple. We had to get up pretty early to be ready at the temple for an 8am session with the zone. It had been a while since we had been able to go to the temple and I really enjoyed it. I felt happier and more rejuvenated. It really made the week. Then we had some time to shop and eat and at 3pm we had to be back at the stake center. The zone leaders planned a proselyting activity for us where they gave each of us a Libro de Mormón and a referral card and we had to go out with our companions to place the Libros and take out their references. (Of course we did it in the zone leaders sector, haha!) We wernt allowed to come back to play soccer until after we had given away both. At first I wasnt too excited to do it. It was Pday after all. We went out and started talking to people in a small park. I was surprised at how fast we found interested people. It got me excited to try to find even more people to teach  even on Pday). After the activity, we played soccer forever and then went to Parque de las Aguas. It is like a super nice gated park that has a whole bunch of fountains and at night there is a cool light/fountain/laser show. I enjoyed it, it was my first time there. There were a lot of Americans there. We ran into an old guy with a super thick southern accent. Elder Ibañez and I have been focusing a lot on his english but he said he understood absolutely nothing that came out of that guy´s mouth. It was kind of funny.

Well you guys wanted to hear about Guadalupe, Carlos`s mom. Tuesday morning she texted us and told us that she didnt feel ready for her baptism saturday. We went to visit her and everything went really well. We explained to her why we had previously scheduled a baptismal interview for her: so that she could know if she was ready. We convinced her to go with us to the interview and she passed it. Then the next day we went to visit her with the relief society president and she told us that she still didnt feel ready. She told us that the only reason why she started coming to church and taking the discussion was so that she would be able to get closer to her son Carlos who has started to separate himself from the family. But then she said that little by little she started to get interested and feel like these things really are true. She was crying and told us that she wanted to be saved but she doesnt want to offend God either. She wants to be 100% sure. She already told us that she knows that the Libro de Mormón is true, but she wants something else. It is really frustrating because she is so nice and basically already is a member. She says she feels like we are her own kids and we always help her but she wont get baptized just for us but she will do it when she feels ready. So we are going to keep visiting her and wait until she is ready. Keep praying for her. 

Guadalupe before her interview.

Saturday we had an awesome activity in the church. It was like a dessert festival and we played a lot of games. It was probably the best activity Ive had on my whole mission and the best part is that a few days before we found a prepared family and the mom and youngest daughter came and enjoyed the activity. They werent able to come to church (because her daughter got robbed) but we visited them sunday and taught the restauration and invited them all to baptism and they all accepted for the 25th of July! It was awesome. I will keep you informed on them!

I love you all. Stay safe and have a great semana!

Love, Elder Kevin Torgersen

Me, with my buddies: E Ibañez, E Alfaro, and E Olascuaga

Les presento mi nuevo compañero.... Elder Ibañez‏

Hola familia! ¿Cómo están? Espero que todo esté bien con ustedes. The Manti Pageant sounded like fun. 
Its fun that you took Ray (Chewy, haha!) Well, we had our cambios meeting on Tuesday. It was President Borg`s last one. The whole meeting was just sad, but good at the same time. A lot of the popular and famous elders and hermanas from the mission went home this transfer and gave their final testimonies. President and Hermana Borg also gave their final testimonies. Hermana Borg can hardly speak spanish but she did it all in spanish. Even though her spanish is incorrect, the spirit is always there super-strong everytime she gives her testimony, and that is what is important. We sang our song (yes people were crying ;) ) and had the cambios. Elder Galindo got transfered to Rimac (the super pobre part of the mission with super steep hills). My new companion is.... Elder Ibañez. He is from Concepción, Chile. Its kind of funny because most of the Peruvians hold a 100-year grudge against the Chileans for beating them in all the wars they had. When he tells them he is from Chile a lot of people say "Oh", or turn a little defensive. Its really funny. Our pensionista`s husband, Hermano Arce, is super anti-chileno, but luckily he hasnt been able to eat lunch with us so far this week, hahaha! I didnt know Elder Ibañez before like I knew Elder Galindo but so far we get along really well. He is awesome, super humble, and super smart. He talks to everyone! Which is something that is really hard for most people. Sometimes we just walk down the street and he says hi to someone and if they say hi back he starts a converstion with them and than we end up writing down their address and numero telefonico. He also invites everyone and I mean EVERYONE to be baptized! It doesnt matter if we go to an appointment with a person who has said "no" a million times or if we just bump into someone in the street. We have had a lot of success. I feel really blessed to be with him. There is so much I still have to learn about being a great missionary. Its like all of the companions I get keep getting better and better. We have been working a lot on his english. It is our goal that he will be speaking really well by the end of our time together. He is learning a lot. Sometimes we try to just speak english. These last few nights we have been just laying there in our beds speaking english to each other. Anyway, everything is awesome!

Saturday we went to Condevilla so that Elder Ibañez could baptize someone in his last sector. We took a picture because almost all of the companions that he has had in the mision were there at the baptism so that was fun!

Yesterday we went to the Dedicación del Templo de Trujillo, Perú. It was really good. There were sessions at 9am, 12pm, and 3pm and they were all a little different. We went to the 1st and 2nd sessions. President Uchtdorf said the dedicatory prayer the first time, but the second time he invited Elder Uceda to say it. it was really cool because I had met him and shook his hand just a few weeks ago! I really liked Elder Uceda´s talk that he gave in the celestial room. He talked about 5 ways we can always remember the temple and get our children excited to one day enter:

1. Keep a picture of a nearby temple in a visible place in your house where all of our family, friends and neighbors can see it.

2. Fill out the "My Family" family history booklet

3. Buy and take care of your own temple clothes. He said that just having them there in your house and carefully washing and ironing them will help us to always remember to go to the temple and stay true to our covenants

4. Keep your temple recommend valid. The temple recommend is a sign of our discipleship and the love we have for God.

5. Attend the temple regularly. Set goals and specific dates to go.    

We have three people with a baptismal date. Guadalupe accepted the baptismal challenge for the 27th of June, next saturday, but this morning a few hours ago she texted us and told us that she doesnt feel ready and that she wants to be absolutely sure. We are going to have to go visit her soon! 

Tomorrow we are going to go to the temple as a zone. We have to be there at 8am, so that should be fun!

I love you all, thanks for writing!

Love, Elder Kevin Torgersen

Another Fast Week!

OK, my excuse for writing late this week is because we were having a choir practice in the institute building with some other missionaries. Some of the sisters organized a small choir of missionaries to sing a medley of ¨God Be With You Till We Meet Again¨ for President and Sister Borg tomorrow in their last cambio meeting. There are about 10 of us and we are singing parts in both spanish and english. It is really good and our goal is to make everyone cry, haha. I like it because I am learning how to sing parts and basically sing better. I like it even though I´m not too good.

Wow, it sounds like you guys had a fun week. All those bike rides and the dance concert. I liked mom´s story about her moment ¨on stage.¨ Wow, Steiner is home. That´s so wierd. Its cool that he´s changed so much. Tell him hi from me. Keep focusing on getting ready for Tristan´s mission. It sounds like you are going to be well prepared with the language. Well I didnt get a picture of the giant snails because Gamarra is super crowded and a little ¨movido¨ and I didnt want tot get my camera stolen. But the guy was demonstrating how they take stains out of clothes and everything. We stopped to watch for like 10 minutes.

 We had a really crazy day on Saturday. We played basketball at 6am like normal and then we had to pick up the church keys and hurry over to the chapel to finish filling up the font and to clean the messy chapel. (They always leave it super messy.) Then at 11pm we had to go to barrio Pueblo Libre so Elder Galindo could interview someone to get baptized. Then we took a bus to get to our lunch appointment. After lunch we ran to pick up all the baptismal clothing and extra clothes and stuff and then meet Pilar and Alberto at the church at 3pm for their baptism. It was probably the best organized baptism that I´ve had in the mission. Last week in ward counsel all of the leaders were actually volunteering to give talks and bring food and say the prayers and stuff. It was super helpful and super successful! The whole room was full. Elder Galindo baptized Pilar (who is 7 months pregant), and I baptized Alberto. They were both a little nervous but everything went well. Its starting to get a lot colder here and the water was really cold. Haha, after the baptism when we were changing we asked Alberto several times how he felt and he kept saying ¨cold¨ Haha! THen he told us that he felt peace and felt good. I am really proud of him, he has changed his life completely. He is from Callao and it has been 2 months since he last drank. When ever the members saw him they would always ask us if he was really getting baptized because he looks like a gangster or a street rat, but he is a completely different person now. The gospel changes lives. 

After the baptism was over Hermano Yaranga drove us to the stake center for the priesthood leader session of stake conference at 5pm and then the adult session at 7:30pm. The stake conference was really good. President and Hermana Borg were there as well as the Temple President from the Peru Lima temple. They all gave really good talks. There was a big focus on the Dia de Reposo and how we can sanctify it. THere was also a big focus on self sufficience and tithing and fast offerings. I really like President Borgs talk. He basically gave a recap of his mission and thanked and said goodbye to everyone. THe temple presidents talk was really good too. He talk about family history and the importance of temple work. He pointed out that htere present in the conference was the man with the keys of missionary work and ordinances for the living (President Borg), the man with the keys fro the ordinances for the dead (President Peroti the temple president), and the keys for the perfectioning of the saints (President Loyaza the Stake President). It made me think a lot about the priesthood and what a blessing it is for us to have it here on the earth. 

Well, they are going to tell us about the cambios any minute now so thats exciting. Im probably staying but Elder Galindo is almost for sure going to leave. Its too bad because we get along really well. I hope you all have a fun, successful, happy week!

 Love, Elder Kevin Torgersen

A successful week

Hola a todos! I m glad that you all had a great week. Girls Camp sounded like a lot of fun. The pictures look great. Dad looks good in his wig, haha! I loved the pictures of Trevor and Elizabeth playing football. Its really cute. And its fun that shes taking dance classes. 

Did you get the email from the mission that the mission office address is changing?

We had a good week. Pilar and Alberto got married last week and now are getting baptized on Saturday. They both passed their interviews and are for sure. We were a little worried about Alberto passing his interview because he has two tear drop tattoos under his eyes which usually would mean that he killed someone. But he passed! It has been more than two months since he last drank too. Hermana Carmen and Pilar were telling us how he has completely changed. Even the way he dresses has changed. The gospel and atonement really change lives! They are both ready and excited for their baptism.

Saturday morning the stake held a Family History Fair in the stake center. It was really good but we were having a hard time getting a lot of people to come. Contacting and inviting in the street didnt work very well because where the stake center is is where everyone is going to work and busy, so the Hermanas had the great idea to draw the plan of salvation on the sidewalk in front of the stake center to get peoples attention and it worked!

We had a really good sunday. I dont know why but I wasnt feeling very good Sunday morning. The night before we had a confrontation with a drunk antimormon and it ruined my night and made me feel bad. Sunday was fast and testimony meeting and several people went up to bear there testimonies, but then when one strong sister was bearing her testimony like 10 members all stood up at once and went and stood on the stand to bear their testimonies. The spirit hit me really strong that the church really is true. My eyes even teared up a bit. Also, a  lot of less actives and other people and converts who usually cant stay all three hours stayed. The Principles of the Gospel class was full! Then Sunday night we had an awesome noche de Hogar with Carmen and her daughters, Coset, Cintia and the 1st counselors family. Its been fun.

Today we played soccer in the morning and then went to this huge street market called Gamarra! There was a man with a pet monkey that asked for money and a man selling these huge fist sized snails that apparently cure acne and take stains out of clothes!

Hope you all have a great week, got to go!

Love, Elder Torgersen

multizonas with Zona Rimac 

Sorry I didn't write yesterday

Hello everyone, we`re still alive! Sorry I didnt write yesterday. We had a big Pday and we never had time to come write. Every transfer we get one big Pday were we get to do something special and we get to be out until 9pm and we did it yesterday. In the morning we were helping the zone leaders move the four hermanas from barrio Bolivar to live in the huge house that the hermanas in Pueblo Libre have. They were moving because they apparently had a lot of problems with spirits. Afterwards, Alex invited us to a nice northerner restaurant and we ate cuy (guinea pig). Then we met up with the zone and went to an outdoor bouldering place. It was really fun. There were a lot of mats and we did some wrestling too, haha! Elder Dart, one of the zone leaders, took state two years ago in one of the smaller weight classes and we wrestled a bit and taught some of the others how to wrestle. Then we went out to eat in Larcomar. It was a really fun day.

We had a good week too. On Saturday we went to Alberto and Pilar`s wedding. They got married in a massive wedding ceremony at the Breña city center. They are going to get baptized on the 13th of this month. They are excited. Pilar is one of Hermana Carmen`s daughters (Carmen got baptized on my first weekend here in Magdalena.) We just got back from visiting them. Its kind of cool because the first person to find the church and get baptized was Carmen`s 10 year old nephew. When he was eight he met the missionaries in Callao and got baptized. He was the only one in his family to get baptized, but Carmen knew about it and then two years later she got baptized and now her daughter and son-in-law are getting baptized as well, and all started with an eight year old boy.

On Friday we had Multizonas with Zona Rimac. It was a really good meeting and Elder Galindo and I learned a lot of stuff that we are going to apply to our investigators. It was also probably going to be our last Multizona with President and Hermana Borg too. It was kind of sad. There are leaving just a few days after the dedication of the Trujillo Peru temple.

We heard that Elder Perry died right after a baptism in the other ward in our district. I played the piano for the baptism and a really cool couple that some of the Hermanas were teaching were finally getting baptized. Right when it ended Alex told us that he saw that Elder Perry had passed away on Facebook. That`s too bad, I always liked his talks. They say that the prophet is sick too. Do you know when they will call another apostle? Its kind of interesting. I wonder who it will be.

Well, I had a lot of good pictures to send you but this computer is terrible so we will have to wait until next week. Then I will send them all.

I hope this week is better and not as crazy as last week. Oh yea, did you know that they make long thermal garments too. Maybe thats something Tristan might need. They sell them at the temple here in Lima for all the mountain people.

Love you all,
Elder Kevin Torgersen

Baptismo!

Wow! What a great week for you guys and us too! We had a lot of fun and some good experiences. I really liked hearing about your week. So much happened. Good job Tristan with your graduation and your scholarships and your concerts. Good job Katie on your concert too!

We had cambios but Elder Galindo and I both stayed in our sector. This next cambio is only 4 weeks because President Borg is leaving. The next one is going to be 8 weeks though.

Cintia´s baptism was on Saturday. It went really well, she was super excited and when she passed the interview Elder Sanchez, the new zone leader, told us that she was really well prepared. The baptism was really special. Elders Dahlin and Elder Montoya came back to be here for the baptism. They both knew her and taught and baptized her son, Billy. Elder Galindo baptized her. The spirit was really strong during the service and everybody felt it. When she was bearing her testimony and her feelings afterward I was thinking about how I could imagine her as a future Relief Society President. She has a lot of goodness and a lot of potencial. She can just be shy sometimes. I confirmed her yesterday. I feel like they should give me the title Elder Torgersen "The Confirmer" because I have pretty much confirmed every convert that I have taught. Haha, but it´s ok! During sacrament meeting Bishop Pablo called the entire ward to repentance, an experience that I had not experienced before. It was a really spiritual but burning talk that he gave to the members and how they arent fulfilling their responsibilities. That is definitely one of the major challenges of Peru, members magnifying their calling. But now that the bishop has called them to repentance I hope that they will change.

Well this week we found several new people who have the potencial to progress. We had some fun and taught several new people. It´s starting to get really annoying when we find the perfect family or couple and start teaching them and then find out a few visits in that they arent married. It opens up a whole other can of worms to deal with! There are so many requirements and obstacles for two people to get married here that most people just dont do it. Elder Galindo and I decided that the first question we are going to ask new people is if they are married or not or if they are living with someone. THis week we found an awesome couple. She is an inactive member who moved and never found out where the church is and he isnt a member but is interested in the church. We were teaching them for the second time yesterday and they seemed perfect and he accepted the invitation to be baptized, but then I asked how long they have been married and they said that they arent and that it was going to be a real challenge for them to get married for one reason or another. Its really sad and annoying, but there isnt much we can do. We are hoping to find a perfect, prepared, and leaglly married family to teach this week, haha, but really though!

Well that was basically our week. We just barely went out to eat at Rodizio´s with Elder Alfaro and Elder Olascuaga. It was my first time and it was really good!

Have a great week!!!

Love, Elder Kevin Torgersen

Pday last week we ate burritos at "Nacho Tequila" in Lima and the Zone Leaders gave us our zone shirts

One Transfer down in Magdalena!‏

Hola everyone! Como están? Haha. It`s fun to hear that Elizabeth is speaking Spanish now! And that she`s being brave with the dog! Now dad knows how to do Elizabeth`s hair. The Russian language sounds really hard, good luck! You can do it!!! I really miss the rain. I wish it would rain here. Wish MacKayla good luck for me! Her mission sounds like it will

Haha Alex had never driven that far into Callao before. The farther you go the worse it gets until all of a sudden you get to La Punta at the very end and most of it is really nice. That`s where Elder Galindo was before he came here. He was there when I got here to Peru so we knew each other there. He trained Elder Pettit when we first got to Callao.

Last Monday we made French toast for a noche de Hogar with Cintia, who is getting baptized on Saturday, Alex, and Cintia`s ex ( its a little awkward, he`s a member too) It was fun. She is really excited to get baptized. She knows it is what she needs to do. When we tell people in the ward that she is getting baptized on Saturday they cant believe it. They say that she was always super catholic and super tough, but the gospel changed her. We brought her to the Noche Blance that the zone had at the stake center on Saturday. There were seven baptisms. I was asked beforehand to give a talk on the gift of the Holy Ghost. There were more people than a Sacrament Meeting. I was nervous and I feel like when I`m nervous I lose my Spanish and I talk like a gringo! Alex and Elder Galindo told me that I did a really good job though. I`m glad it`s over though!

We`ve been visiting Rosa and she doesnt really want to get baptized. She told us the reason why (her lastest excuse) is because she has a hard time talking to new people and being friends (which is wierd because she is the nicest and most talkative person during our visits) She said that if she gets baptized she will feel obligated too participate in the church and she doesnt want to do that. She doesnt want to have to give talks and have callings and make visits. Its sad because she has so much potencial! We will see what happens this week. We taught Guadalupe several times this week and has been progressing smoothly until we brought up tithing. She has a lot of doubts about it. She has seen too many news reports about churches and people misusing the tithing money. She realizes that it is an act of faith but we tried to explain it to her. THhen she didnt come to church on Sunday. Im a little worried but her son said that it was her blood pressure. She recently had a stroke and has episodes of really high blood pressure where she has to stay home to rest.

One more cool thing that happened this week was that we got to meet Elder Uceda, the Area president yesterday. We were the only elders who went to an area broadcasted ward counsel training. On the big screen the area presidency trained us and it went really well and then one the screen Elder Uceda invited every ward to take 15 minutes and a separate room to discuss how they can apply what they learned. We were sitting there discussing the problems in the ward with the bishop and the few leaders who came when all of a sudden Elder Uceda walked in. The spirit rushed in like a waterfall. It was like it hit up really hard all of a sudden. He thanked us all for our work and bore a powerful testimony and then left. The bishop and several leaders where crying. I think it really helped us. He came in just the right moment. THe moral was so low in the room and then Elder Uceda lifted it soo high in a matter of two minutes. It was a very cool spiritual experience. 

We had other cool experiences but I running out of time. If I dont have anything to write about next week I`ll write about them then.

Love you all!

Elder Kevin Torgersen

I bought some new fruit to try. It`s called pacaey. It`s like a mix between a giant string bean and a banana. Inside are big black seeds covered in this thick sugary cotton stuff that looks kinda like banana. When you open the pod it looks like there are a bunch of cotton balls inside. It was pretty good. Its like a dull sweet taste. I accidentally chewed the seed on the first one and it was really bitter. Haha! You`re not supposed to eat the seeds.

French Toast

The pensionista`s daughter, Alexia, made me a new tie!

 The zone at the Noche Blanca

One day we were teaching a lady who we had just met by knocking on her door and we were in the most spiritual part of the lesson when this super huge cockroach crawled out and started climbing up her leg she didnt even notice as it crawled up her chest and then hung out in her armpit area. It was super distracting and it was hard to not tell her or to laugh. It was right during the most spiritual part of the lesson. We were teaching the restoration. It`s like Satan was trying to destroy the lesson and get rid of the spirit that we had brought with us.

This week and continuation from last week

Well it was fun talking to you all yesterday! I´m so happy for my wonderful mom and dad and siblings! Happy Mother´s Day, again! 

So last week we had interviews with President Borg and the first thing hew told me was that my Spanish is getting really good. He said to enjoy this time now when I have the language down and I´m not training yet, so I could be training soon! He said that I will have to be a leader when the new president comes in a few weeks, especially and more and more new missionaries are coming and the old ones are leaving. He said I am like Shiblon from Alma 28. He said I´ve just always been good, he didnt have anything bad to say, just that I´ve always been good and I should keep being good!

Sunday we went back to Callao for Karina´s baptism. Alex took us in his sports car and we were all worried that we were going to get robbed Haha, but everything went alright! The baptism was disorganized but went well. It was really good to see Hermana Brake and Hermana Rosa Luz there too. I got to visit with them before the baptism started. They said to wish you a happy Mother´s Day!

Now this week. It was pretty normal. I can´t think of anything special that happened besides being able to Skype with you guys yesterday. Today we played basketball early in the morning like usual and then we went to the National Congress building. Some of the sisters in the zone are teaching someone who works there and she hooked us up with free tours. Usually its really hard to get inside but we got a free tour! It was really interesting. Afterwards Elder Galindo pulled out his map of Museums in Lima and we found a closeby art museum to try out. We showed up and it turned out to be a cross museum, like a Christian cross museum. There were all different kinds of crosses, handmade, decorated, carved, etc. It was a little wierd and not what we were expecting but it was interesting. I took a lot of pictures. I hope you all have a great, fun week

Love, Elder Kevin Torgersen

The pictures are taking forever to load at this place, but here are some of the Peruvian Congress building.

Mother´s Day next week!‏

Alex´s and Elder Dahlin´s birthday(Galindo´s last companion)

Our pensionista and her husband in their house

 This cat always makes me laugh!

Wow, I can´t believe that Tristan got his mission call! And to Russia too! Wow, and the same mission as Christian and Dakota! That´s really cool! Prom sounded like fun too!

I am excited to do Skype on Sunday and talk to you all! We are planning on calling you guys at 5pm here Peruvian time. I hope that works out. Start thinking of thinks you want to say and ask me.

This Tuesday our zone had our interviews with President Borg. That was probably going to be our last interview with him because he only has two months left. During our interview when we are both together he always asks us if we have any deep doctrine questions that he can answer for us. I asked to hear his reason why the African Americans werent allowed to hold the priesthood for a while. It doesnt bother me or anything but several people have asked me and I always like to have a sure answer and know everything. I´ve heard a lot of answers but I really liked his. He said it was basically just REVELATION. God simply told Joseph Smith no and told President Kimball yes. It was the same thing that Moses did when he came down from Mt Sinai. He came down with all the commandments and temple blessings to give to the people but found them worshipping idols so he only gave the aaronic priesthood to the tribe of Levi, only one twelfth of the people of God and only a tiny portion of the whole world. THat was something new that I learned this week. I had a really good personally interview too. Got to go a little early. Talk to you on Sunday!