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

Return to Callao!!!‏

Wow, this was a good week! On Saturday Bianca was baptized! As usual the baptismal service was a little disorganized and everyone came a little late but it was very spiritual. After the actual baptism we invited Bianca to share her testimony. I was super impressed by how strong it was. Then on Sunday she was confirmed. It was fast and testimony meeting and I was thinking a lot about everything that I have done here in Santa Beatriz. I feel like the ward is a lot stronger, but I was feeling like I hadnt had much success here even though I have worked super hard. In 7 1/2 months we have only had two baptisms. Then Bianca stood up to bear her testimony. it was so strong and I felt the spirit so strong! I felt like Heavenly Father wanted to tell me that everything was alright and that I did my part. I thought of the scripture in D&C 18:10-16 how how great is the worth of every soul and how great is the joy that I now have for seeing their progress in the gospel. I think it was the best three hour block that I have had here in Santa Beatriz. I felt the spirit so much the whole time. i will miss this ward! It was hard to say goodbye to the Serrano family and some other members.

Our zone was the zone of excellence this month so this morning President Larson invited us all to his house to eat breakfast and play some games. It was a lot of fun. Speaking of which, while we were there President pulled me aside and told me that i will be getting changed tomorrow and that he wants me to be a zone leader. Now just 5 minutes ago he called me and told me that I´m going to Callao with Elder Luis! Im excited for that!!! I think the zone leaders are in barrio Heros now too because Heros and the ward where the zone leaders were got joined!!! I´ll get to end in the ward that I started in!! Wow! I wasnt expecting that! 

I hope you all have a great week!!!! I´ll keep you posted about what happens in Callao!

--

-Elder Kevin Torgersen-

Misión Perú Lima Central

 Serrano Family

Zone of Excellence May 2016

...Today is a good day!‏

This week was a good week. We are now starting the last week of the change and I am almost for sure getting changed a week from Tuesday. I´ve been here a long time but I´ve been able to see the ward´s progress which has been really cool! This week we had a lot of good experiences, some of them were pretty funny too!

Last Wednesday the four of us were standing on the side of the road after district meeting waiting for our bus to come when a taxi pulled up and asked us were we were going. The taxistas are usually really annoying like that, but this guy asked were we were going and then told us to get in. When we hesitated he said that it was free of charge so we hurried and got in. We talked to him and it turns out that he was a super inactive member from years ago. We invited him to go back to church and wrote down his address to send to the other missionaries. I could tell that he just really needed to talk. Right before he dropped us off he said, "Today is a good day!" I really liked that. The gospel can make all of our days good ones. 

A few nights ago we were walking down the street and contacted an older lady who was waiting outside of a store. Before we talked to her I noticed that she kept looking at us. It turns out that she wanted us to talk to her and she wants the missionaries to visit her. She said that years ago she was about to be baptized and then she moves and lost contact with the church. She told us that for her we were "angels sent by God." It really touched me when she said that. Another investigator this week told us that when we walk into his house its like Jesus Christ himself is walking in!

We went to see Maicol one day and we were there talking to some of his family members when we saw this big rat under the table. Everyone freaked out and the rat got scared and hid itself in the corner behind the fridge. Jokingly I pointed to the ground close to someone´s feet and said "there it is!" She screamed and Elder Patterson shot out the door! He was so scared that he literally ran to get out and left me all alone in the house. i had to follow after him and I just about died laughing! Hahaha, they were all so scared but it didnt both me at all!

Oh yea and I ate cow foot for the first time this week. Hermana Cris made it for us. You boil it until its nice and soft and then you cut it up and put it with a sauce and rice. It wasnt too bad. We didnt tell Elder Patterson what it was until after he ate it, hahaha! Otherwise he probably wouldnt have done it.

 Bianca has been progressing a lot and is going to have here baptismal interview tonight and she should be baptized this weekend!!!! Exciting!!!  We are way excited for her and her family!

Thanks for writing! I hope you all have a great last week of school. Be good and dont get into trouble!!! Love you all! Chau!!!

Sunday lunch with Elder and Hermana Hill

the view from their 19th floor apartment

playing futbol

--

-Elder Kevin Torgersen-

Misión Perú Lima Central

A lot of little experiences!‏

Buenos días familia! Its been a great week! Its was a lot better than last week. We were able to teach more lessons and teach more people. I just felt good! Yesterday was stake conference and our investigator, Bianca came!! We were really excited for that. 

I had a lot of little good experiences this week. Julio Mendoza gave the reference of one of his friends named Francis and he presented him to us. We´ve taught Francis twice now and he is awesome. He is only 19 years old and lives here in Lima with his 16 year old brother while they both study in the university. Francis is super receptive and humble but its funny that he is super short. He only comes up to our waists. Ok, he´s not that short but he´s small. I know that he is going to progress a lot. He told us that when his mom was his age she came to Lima and met the elders and almost got baptized too. Now history is repeating itself, hahaha! They rent out a tiny room in the third floor of a house and last time we were there teaching him we left the door open cause it was hot and uncomfortable and about halfway through the lesson a lady who rents out another room next to his came up and asked if we make house visits to read the bible to people and what she had to do to sign up for a visit. We made an appointment and when to visit her yesterday with Kevin. (We always have to have a man-member accompany us to visit single women). She is super prepared as well. Her life got kind of messed up and she cried like half the lesson and told us all her problems and she wants to repent really bad so we taught her how to do it. She was super thankful. Its always cool when we invite people to say the closing prayer and sometimes they thank God for sending us to them.

Wednesday we went to the Temple!!! It was great to go back. It had been a while. I think one of the best parts though was that we ran into Evelyn and Enrique from Callao. If you dont remember Enrique was a less active who had just got married to Evelyn and we were teaching her and she got baptized. They are still active and doing good. I think they are going to get sealed soon, and Evelyn is about to pop! She is due with their baby any day now! I love going to the temple because the spirit is always so strong and I ALWAYS run into someone that I know. I also saw several good members from barrio Venezuela who are temple workers!

Thanks for sharing your fun weeks with me, I always love hearing about you guys!! I´m proud of you all!! Bye!!!

--

-Elder Kevin Torgersen-

Misión Perú Lima Central

We washed Yako with Hermana Cris. She asked for our help.

  The four of us with Yako

museo del banco y monedas‏

 We went to the national bank museum and got locked in the safe! Just kidding!

Look what we found in the museum!‏

What does this look like to you?

a picture of our church from the freeway

God`s Love‏

 I am so happy that you all had such a great week. Trevor will be an awesome deacon and example for the other young men. Sometimes bearing testimony is hard but it makes us feel so good afterwards and is so much easier the next time. Good job mom! 

Well, this week was a little slow. Im excited to talk to you all on sunday!

Last night we had a awesome experience with Julio Mendez. We went to go visit him with a returned missionary named Orlando. We were there teaching him about the Gospel of Jesucristo. He was acepting it all and at the end we invited him to be baptized and he said that he would like too but that he didnt feel ready and that he didnt want to put a date. We started asking why not because he had faith and was repenting. He said that he had faith in Christ but he didnt believe that God really loves him. He asked how he could let so many bad things happen in his life if he really loved and cared for him. We invited him to kneel with us and to pray and ask God if he really loves him. He did it and as he was praying I could tell that he really wanted to know. He had real intent. He never really closed his prayer, he just stopped talking after he made his question. We  kneeled there for like 15 minutes in silence. When he finished we asked him how he felt and he said that he felt peace and that now he really feels that God loves him. It was so cool. We invited him to prepare to be baptized on the 21st of May and he accepted this time. 

Well, thats it for this week. I hope you all have another great week. Love yall!! Bye

-- 

-Elder Kevin Torgersen-

Misión Perú Lima Central

-This morning there was a big fire not too far away.

Six more weeks!

Hola familia! Well, you are probably wondering if I got transfered so I´ll start with that first. So I´d been in Santa Beatriz for six months already and I was pretty sure that I was going to get changed, but Monday night President Larson called me and told me that he hasnt forgotten about me and knows that I have been here a long time, but that he wants me to stay one more transfer. He said that my last letter really touched him because I told him that I have worked very hard here for six months and have had very little success and that we are just know starting to see the fruits of months and months of our labor. He knows that this is one of the hardest places in the mission and really wanted me to keep helping the people and families that we are currently preparing to be baptized. He said just 6 more weeks and then we´ll talk again. So, I´m still here in Santa Beatriz! It´s a long time but its great though. This will be the second time that I´ve been in a sector for 7 1/2 months. Most missionaries only spend up to 6 months and sometimes less in every sector. The ward has improved so much! There are a lot of new members and leaders. There is a new senior couple of missionaries from Utah who live in our sector too. They came to our ward for the first time yesterday. They are the Hills from Lindon and they are really nice! I can imagine you guys are senior missionaries in a few years. It would be really fun! 

Well I´m excited to be here another transfer! We are going to have a lot of fun and success!!

Jahairo got the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday and accompanied us like three times last week. He had a really spiritual experience in one lesson were he bore his testimony to and taught a lady who had a lot of problems and he was able to help here a lot. Afterwards, he told me that if that is what missionary work is like then he is going to think more seriously about serving a mission! I´m excited for him I hope he acts on that desire to serve. He´ll be a great missionary!

I cant think of much else that happened this week. I love you all. We are going to be able to do Skype on May 8th. We are coordinating with the Hanke Family to use their laptop cause they are going to give us lunch that day. 

Love you all!

-- 

-Elder Kevin Torgersen-

Oh yea, and they keep giving a lot of false coins to my companion when they give him change cause he doesnt know the difference yet. Hahaha! He´s learning. Can you tell the difference between the real and fake coin?

The Right Place at the Right Time‏

Buenos días familia! I love you all! This week went by fast. 

We spent two mornings sanding and painting Maicol´s house. It was a lot of hard work. All of the new concrete walls had to be smoothed and the old ones had to be chipped and sanded off. Then the fun part was actually painting. Now it looks really good! It was a complete transformation, and just in time for his Grandma´s birthday!

They were all really happy and we won a lot of trust with the family. Maicol´s stepdad came out to help the second day and he started telling us that he is a member too, but very inactive! Thats cool! I want to help him come back to the church. I want to help the whole family! Maicol wasnt able to go to church cause he had to help his grandma go to Barranco. I was a little disappointed to be honest. There is so much opposition here!  He passed his baptismal interview and and got him excited for the 30th of Abril. He told me that he wants me to baptize him if I dont get transfered tomorrow. Yep, I already have 6 months here in Santa Beatriz. Elder Weir does too. It´s probable that we are both going to have changes but I think I´m gonna stay to finish training Elder Patterson.

This week we had several experiences with being at the right place at the right time and seeing the Lord´s hand in our lives. I´m gonna share two of those experiences. The first happened with an older lady named Evangelina. We knocked her door looking for her daughter but she wasnt there. He talked to her for a few minutes at her door about when we should come back to find her and then I felt impressed to just ask her if she would let us in so that we caould pray and share a message with her. She surprised me by saying that we could. She opened the door and let us in. She was watching "Little House on the Prairie" in Spanish and I thought of you, mom! It was the first time that I had seen it here in Peru. Anyway, we started talking and she mentioned to us that she never lets any strangers into her house. That surprised me because she had just let us in so I asked her why she let us into her house. She thought a minute and said that she didnt know and that it must be for something! It was so cool when she said that. I told her that I knew it was for something! 

The last experience happened last night. I dont know if you guys remember hearing about Julio Mendez from about 5 months ago? We visited him and he wanted to get baptized and he came to church with us and then he disappeared. That all happened months ago and we had lost contact with him. His phone stopped working and he lives in the 4th floor of an old university and works until 11pm eveyday except sunday. We thought that he was avoiding us and that he had blocked us on his cellular. I felt impressed to go look for him last night. We went and the university was locked up and his phone didnt ring so we just started yelling his name up to the 4th floor window hoping that he was there and that he would hear us. After a few minutes a head popped out and then disappeared. I thought that for sure he had seen us and then hid himself really fast, but I had hope that he wpould come down to talk to us. About 5-7 minutes passed and Elder patterson wasnted to go but I told him, "Patience is a virtue young grasshopper!" Hahaha! Then Julio came down and was super excited to see us. He welcomed us up to his house and said that we couldnt have come at a better time. He is going throught a lot of really tough challenges! He told us that he had no doubt that we were sent to him last night by God!! It was soo cool and I was so happy to finally find him again!!!

The other elders had a baptism on Saturday. Hermana Teresa is a sweet old grandma and is going to be an excellent member!

I hope you all keep having fun and being obedient. Read you scriptures everyday! I love the scriptures!!! Be good!

-- 

-Elder Kevin Torgersen-

Misión Perú Lima Central

Service! -Painting Maicol´s House‏

We had to sand EVERYTHING before we could paint. It took two days to finish, but now it is SOOO much better.

Election Week‏

Hola familia! Sounds like yall had an awesome spring break! Things have been interesting down here too. So yesterday there were no church meeting because it was the Peruvian national elections and apparently it is illegal to have any organized event or gathering 24 hours before and during the entire day of elections. We couldnt even contact in the streets or anything. We could only go to scheduled appaointments and if they fell through we had to go back home. It was a really wierd Sunday. Now its been two Sundays in a row since we have had sacrament meeting. We are all excited for next Sunday!

On Wednesday I had three baptismal interviews, which made my day but also completely filled it up because we had to go all the way to Barranco and back. I love interviewing people for baptism. I get to hear their conversion stories and learn what had the biggest impact on their testimony. They are always spiritual. I interviewed a sister who used to have problems with drugs and alchohol and the law of Chastity but now has completely changed. I saw in her a complete 100% change of heart. I know that that is something that only the atonement of Christ can do. Nothing else has so much power to make people better and to strengthen them.

Speaking of Barranco, well a few weeks ago some elders in my district got put into quarantine in their room because apparently one of them has tuberculosis. So now they are going to test the whole mission. They started with our zone cause thats where it started and we just took the second test this morning. Im not worried though because we all got vaccinated before the mission. Its all kind of a secret so so shouldnt tell anyone but its something cool to write about! Hahaha! It makes the mission sound more adventurous!

We also started chopping down a big tree outside a member´s house. The first day we started we only had two meat cleaver knives that Hermana Cris, our pensionista, lent us. Then the next time we went we got a machete and it went a lot faster. We still have to go back and finish but a lot of neighbors stareted coming out and getting mad so we called it off for the week.

We got Maicol a job with some members who have a store close to the church so he is really happy. Its just going to be harder to teach him cause now he´s working and studying and doesnt have much time. He still wants to get baptized though and is going to go to church this week. Last time we went to see him I could see a difference in him too. He is changing. Its so esciting to see! 

We are also teaching Bianca, who a family member of one of the other elders. We have taught her several times and she went ot church once. Now she wants to be baptized and everytime we teach he a commandment she is willing to make any sacrifice necessary to fulfil it. She has so much faith and has a huge desire to change her life.

I know that the church is true and that the restores gospel changes lives! I love it! I love you all!!!

--

-Elder Kevin Torgersen-

Misión Perú Lima Central

Service- Tree Choppin´‏

Upgrade from meat cleaver to machete!

General Conference was Awesome!!‏

Well I really loved this General Conference! It made me sad to think that this was my last one in the mission.  There were so many great talks that I loved so much. I know that we have inspired prophets and apostles who lead and guide us in these latter days. We were all super excited to hear the announcement of the second temple here in Lima. It was a complete surprise. Ever since I´ve been here I´ve heard rumors and theories from members and missionaries that they were either going to make the current temple bigger or build a new one, but they have been saying that for years and nothing ever happened, until now!! All of us gringo missionionaries got to watch conference in english in a separate classroom in the stake center on a little TV. When the prophet announced the new temple we could hear the gasped and excited voices from all of the faithful members in the chapel. It almost brought tears to my eyes. Even as I sit here writing this and thinking about it, it brings a powerful feeling over me and almost makes me want to cry. The Work is progressing here in Perú! There is a huge need for a new temple. The current one is frankly too small, and too overused by members who come from all over the country to recieve its blessings. A second temple in Lima is a testimony to me that what we are doing here in contributing to this part of the Lord´s Vineyard. I felt really bad that Maicol and Bianca and our other investigators, less-actives, and converts all cancelled at the last minute and werent able to go to the conference and I was really sick and tired of people not being obedient and always failing us. Its something that happens your entire mission and I was just about sick with it. I was wondering why it isnt easier and why people just cant understand? When the prophet announced the new temple I felt better. I know that even if there are challenges and we feel like we arent making a difference, we really are. I know that we are laying the foundation to a great work. We dont know yet where the new temple will be built exactly, but we are all super excited for it. I loved how so many leaders taught us about temples and blessing of the priesthood that we can enjoy thanks to the restoration of the gospel, church, and priesthood authority of Jesus Christ.

Just for an update, Maicol still wants to get baptized but he has to go to church at least once more before we can do it. He wasnt able to go to the conference becasue of a training meeting he had and next week there are no church activities becasue it is the Peruvian national elections so he will have to go on the 17th to get baptized on the 23th. He is really cool and he testimony is slowly building. I know that he will get baptized I just hope that Im still here to see it!

I hope you all have a great spring break and thanks for always writing! 
-- 

-Elder Kevin Torgersen-