There were no pictures this week. However, I got to "chat" through email. I'd asked Elder Reed how the weather was and if it was colder in the higher elevation - he said that it's "HOT AND SUNNY!!!!!!!!!! i feel like a roasting egg on an open fire!" :) I asked him if they are heading into Winter at all now, and he said "yes, but I don't think that Huertos de Manchay knows that yet!" :)
From his recording for this week, Elder Reed said that the week was really fast this week. They had a normal working Monday because they had switched their preparation day to Tuesday so that they could go to the temple, which was an awesome experience for them! He met a missionary from Lima Central mission who was in an area close to where he served at his 10 month mark in his (Elder Reed's) mission. The Elder was finishing his mission and was going home this week - time is flying by!
Later, they had a multizona conference again, which will now happen every 2 months instead of every 3 months, and he loved it! They talked a lot about being diligent, about planning, etc. He learned "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail." True words of wisdom!
He shared more on the laws of the Peruvian elections - the law is that, if you don't vote, you pay a huge fine, which most Peruvians can't afford that, so they vote. Also, religious activities are prohibited on that day, so there were no church services anywhere.
Elder Reed said that he went on divisions this week and learned more on the importance of families and how to better interact. He said he learned how to love more within families. He was able to speak more kindly to others and that can help with conveying the love that is intended.
They also got to help move things for someone, from the third floor to the first floor. He said that most of the houses are open more than in America, so they could move things from the 3rd floor to the 1st floor by using knots (yay for scouting knowledge) and moving the items outside the building with ropes. :)
Elder Reed also said that they found new investigators in an area that was farther out than they had gone before, because it's so far out in their area. They were able to find 8 new people to teach, and it is such a blessing! The Lord has prepared these people to hear the Gospel.
Elder Reed's spiritual thought this week is about the family, and about how it is of eternal importance. God doesn't want us to be sad, he wants us to be happy, and that's why He gave us the family. He gave us the family to be a place to learn, to grow, and to learn how to grow, and to learn how to love. God doesn't want us to hold resentment. Families like that don't exist in the celestial kingdom. The Spirit of the Lord can be so much stronger in a home where there is love and kindness.
Elder Reed encouraged everyone to think about how their relationship is with their families. We should strive to fix things, to improve the family relationship. "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." (Ether 12:27) God will help us! He knows what's bothering us and He knows how we can get better. He knows that each one of us has strengths and weaknesses. But in the family, it's of eternal importance that we have good relationships with our family.
Another scripture he shared, which is the promise of being faithful and searching for God's hand in all we do: "And thus, if ye are faithful ye shall be laden with many sheaves, and crowned with honor, and glory, and immortality, and eternal life." (Doctrine & Covenants 75:5). That has always been the promise - that if we are faithful, and try to fix what we can fix, God will help us. He will help us! He loves us so much! Everyone deserves a second chance, that's why Christ atoned for us - He loves us that much too!
Until next week - remember that you are loved very much! :)
