Watch out folks, Floresta is about to be translated!

Dear everybody,

This has been another incredible and blessed week here in Floresta, Villa El Salvador. The time has been going by so fast I can hardly believe it. Elder Gutierrez is an incredible companion and we´re really seeing the fruits of our labors. We have an incredible group of investigators who are excited to receive the blessings and be obedient in living the gospel.

I guess I should start off by saying that we had twelve investigators come to church yesterday! Which is basically unheard of, but the Lord has blessed us with five families! The best part is that all of our investigators are member references, which really goes to show the importance of the members in supporting the missionaries by sharing the gospel with friends, neighbors, and family. My companion and I have been seeing a lot of excitement and growth of faith in the ward leaders and their desire to work. Floresta is becoming a powerful little part of the kingdom of God.

Regina, literally the best Peruvian woman around, introduced us this week to her daughter, Maria. She has arms that could suffocate or crush my head! We had a visit with Regina while Maria was over at her house helping with Sebastian´s homework. Maria, with a big attitude, refused to sit down with us after we invited her to join us for the lesson, but she stayed at the table at the other end of the living room while we taught a simple lesson on the Word of Wisdom. As usual, Regina was totally prepared and once again, pretty much gave us the lesson on how much she loves the Prophet Joseph Smith and the revelations that he was able to recieve on maintaining healthy lifestyles as saints by inspiration of the Lord. Right in the middle of the lesson however, Maria piped in from across the room with a question, "can´t I drink coffee from time to time? Like once a week or so?" Elder Gutierrez and I were excited because we could tell she was quite interested in what her mom had to say. We began to explain the blessings that come as we keep away from alcohol, drugs, tea, coffee, and tobacco,  and the Lord really began to touch Maria´s heart as she responded in her big booming voice, "When are you youngsters gonna visit me?!" We soon learned that everybody in her neighborhood knows her as the honorary "Senora Candela." Nothing like a good nickname in the ghettos of Lima, Peru. Images of a huge Peruvian woman crushing my head between her arms came flashing back into my mind.......

Later this past week we had two lessons with Senora Candela and her 14 year old son, Edwin, who came to church yesterday and absolutely loved it. Maria wasn´t able to come because of her job as a nurse, but she´s gearing up to clear up her schedule so she can come to church. After a powerfully spiritual lesson on the Restoration yesterday evening, we put a baptismal date for Edwin on May 18th. Her mom told him, with tears in her eyes, "Yo te sigo hijo." Translation, "I follow you son." Soon enough Maria will have a baptismal date once we know better her work schedule! Thank you Regina!

We also came across a sort of problem with our ivestigator, Aylin. Being only seventeen years old, her dad won´t give her permission to be baptized. So we´ve had to sort of hold back a little. This next week we´ll be praying hard for her dad so he can soften his heart and let his daughter be baptized. 

We also have the parents of family Miranda getting in gear for thinking of a marriage date. Amy and Alexis, two of their five kids have a baptismal date for the 18th of May. Little by little we´re working with their dad, Jose Luis, to soften his heart and help his partner, Mary Lou, find a new job so they can all come to church as a family.

This past week we were introduced to some neighbors of the Elder´s Quorum President, Lucia and her son, Moises. Although only 22 years old, Moises has already been to jail twice. But despite his past, he has been prepared by the Lord to hear our message of the gospel and really wants to make a change. With tears in her eyes, Lucia expressed the joy she felt as her son sat by her side as we taught them in their humble home. They both wish to be baptized and find our for themselves if what we teach is true or not. This tuesday we´ll be placing a baptismal date for May!

Last of all, Family Urbina is really starting to make leaps and bounds in their spiritual progress. The dad, Jhon, was willing to close his store on Sunday to have the whole family come to church and has really put his faith and trust in the Lord to make a change in his home. This thursday we should have the birth certificate of his wife, Rosa, so we can start planning their marriage and baptism for the 17th and 18th of May.

Anyway, I feel so extremely blessed for all the incredible progress and blessings that we are receiving for our effort as a companionship. The mission is changing my life as I work as an instrument in the hands of the Lord. I truly feel the power of the Holy Ghost every time we open our mouth and declare this gospel to our little piece of Zion in the middle of Peru.

I love you all and take care this week!

Elder Lundberg

Another week rolls on by. But not just any week!

This has been an extraordinary week! This little piece of the kingdom of God called Floresta I is definitely rolling forth! Elder Gutierrez has been a real blessing of a companion, and this whole transfer will definitely be one of the best on my mission. This is going to be a super fast six weeks. Time flies on the mission when you most enjoy it for sure. It seems like I blinked since last writing an email. Also, every FIRST week of a transfer, our P-Day is on Wednesday, and the rest are on Monday . Sorry of yall were confused by that last week.

This past week we´ve been gearing up with Regina on the Restoration. She basically taught us the lesson once again, but absolutely loves the fact that there are living prohets and the Book of Mormon. Every time we teach her I feel like she´s already a member of the church. There´s just so much understand of the truth and light within her. Elder Gutierrez was super impressed by her perseverence and faith. For the third time in a row, she came to church yesterday on the dot and took in all three hours by taking copious notes, making great commentary, and helping her tag-along grandson, Sebastian, enjoy it as well.  I can´t wait for her baptism on the 27th!

Aylin is also well on her way to the waters of baptism on the 27th. This last week we moved her baptismal date one week later just to make sure she was ready. I´m all about baptizing converts, and not about numbers. So we talked it all out with her in regards to keeping the sabbath day holy, and she came to church yesterday with a smile on her face and her Book of Mormon tucked in her arms. That makes two out of two who will be getting baptized in April!

Jhon and Rosa are getting all their documents ready this week so we can set an actual marriage and baptismal date with them. As I mentioned before, we baptized their son David in March, and he´s been helping us out in animating his parents and in setting a good example. In May we´re gonna get them hitched and dunked for sure folks! They continue coming to church as well! So that makes four out of four in the chapel yesterday so far.

We also have another new investigator, Linda, who´s a single women, about age 30. Her mom is a faithful member in the ward, and Linda previously attended church for a while but yesterday was her first time while I´v been here. The missionaries sort of taught her before, but she never really had time, even though she knows the church is true. However, we had a great lesson with her yesterday, and helped her realize the necessity of perhaps giving up her job for the gospel. In the last Ensign for this month, there´s a great article about sometimes needing to give up the good things for something better, the Lord and his kingdom. Read it! But I especially find that too be a big challenge for many here as Sunday is one of the bigger business days in Peru. Linda makes five out of five in the chapel on Sunday!

This past week we were given a reference by one of our recent converts, David, to his friend, Alexis. To my wonderful surprise, his mother is already a member, but less active since a teenager, and wants to return to the church. Her husband, son and daughter, all want to listen to us and be baptized. They have three younger kids below age seven as well who love it when we visit. Alexis and his sister Amy have baptismal dates for the fourth of May. The father, Jose Luis and Mary Lou, the mom, wish to get married but lack the funds. But there´s no one better to ask for help than the missionaries! I love finding families to teach! Unfortunately, only Alexis was able to make it to church yesterday, but I have faith that next Sunday we´ll see their seven member family in Sacrament meeting! For now, we have six out of six in church yesterday!

Last of all, we were referenced to another guy named Jean Marco, age 21. He´s an old investigator. Last Friday we had a powerful lesson with him about the Plan of Salvation. He told us that his parents died a few years ago and he now lives with his older sister, who´s a less active member of the church. But Jean Marcos is a dynamic character. He´s super chill, and plays guitar and sings in a band. But he´s well put together as a person, and has a lot of light. I felt a super strong confirmation that he´s going to be a missionary one day.

Anyway, that´s the update for the week! These people are changing my life, and I feel responsible for each and every one of them in their salvation! This is a great work! I love this gospel, and know it to be eternally true!

Love you all!

Elder Lundberg

Whoa. I am so blessed.

Ok, so while my pictures are loading, this week I´ll be able to write in peace. But what a week it has been! And how cool is it now that missionaries can write to family AND friends. Pretty dang shnazzy and convenient cause.....well....time to move on from physical hand written letters. I mean.....we live in 2013 :) Only two more years until we have flying cars according to "Back to the Future."

So, first of all. GENERAL CONFERENCE. As a missionary, you realize why in the heck didn't you pay attention to General Conference before. It´s like watching the Super Bowl, World Series, and the World Cup all at the same time, but even better. haha. This General Conference was pretty great. I forgot to bring my notes from my journal to share what I wrote so I´m kind of going off memory. But I really enjoyed the talk given by Sister Dalton in the first session because of the story she shared about her husband placing the carpet underneath the pulpit after she vaccumed, and vaccumed, and vaccumed.....also, I really enjoyed Elder Eyring´s talk about the story in the New Testament after Christ resurrected from the tomb and appeared to two disciples. Basically, at the end of the talk he said that he´s seen Christ just as those two disciples saw him and I felt the spirit testify so strongly to my heart that he really is a living apostle of God. Well, my mind is racing, and my memory short so I´m having trouble remembering all that I felt without my notes but..........it was an incredible weekend.

Also, on Monday we had TRANSFERS. And wow. I stay behind in Floresta while Elder Apagueno was transferred to another area just a few blocks away, but in a different zone within Villa El Salvador. And guess what? I´ve been paired up with my former zone leader, Elder Gutierrez! I know what you think.....I´m a zone leader! WRONG. NOPE. Just a normal co-companion as before. The mission president apparently had a strong, tearful spiritual confirmation that he should pair us up together as companions. Even though this is Elder Gutierrez´s last transfer before he goes home, he´s finishing off as a co-companion with me! But how incredibly grateful I am! Elder Gutierrez is an incredible missionary. Super obedient, smart, hard working, spiritual, etc. and he´s from Guayaquil, Ecuador! I feel like I´ve been liberated to reach new heights and learn so much from a missionary who has a lot to teach me!

These past couple days we´ve been doing a LOT of street contacting, something which I haven´t really done too much with my former companions.It´s been a lot of good, hard work and the past two nights I´ve been so tired it seems like I´ve fallen asleep before laying my head on my pillow. But we both think a lot the same in the way we act and teach with the investigators, although the spiritual connection is a little more refined and experienced on Elder Gutierrez´s part. But in the last week we had some trouble with a few investogators with baptismal dates, but this week we going to make a big push to get them back on track with what matters most in their lives. 

One investigator, Regina, has her baptismal date set for the 27th of this month. She was literally so darn prepared for the gospel. Before inviting her to baptism, we showed a three minute video of Christ´s baptism and right after without hesitating she said, "Is that how you´re going to baptize me? And what day can I be baptized?!". She´s an older women about age 60 that lives with her grandson and her husband. Although there are a lot of problems in her home, she tells us every time that she doesn´t cry anymore ever since she started listening to us. She´s found peace, happiness, and calm. Her husband has even stopped drinking as much, and her grandson loves coming and participating in the primary. Regina also came to both sessions of conference last Sunday and absolutely loved it. But that´s just what this gospel does. It makes people happy. And that an absolute, ETERNAL truth.

I love being a missionary. I love the fact that all my friends are  going to be missionaries. I love a family that supports me in every aspect of my mission. I love this little part of the kingdom of God called Floresta in which I get to serve. I feel loved by a Savior who bears me up and guides me in moments when I need him most. I´m so blessed!

I love you all so much!

Elder Lundberg

Wellp, I Got Nothin'

The past 30 minutes have included me not being able to write to you all since the computers here are terrible and freeze up whenever I try to send photos. So sorry about that because I´d love for you all to see the pictures I´ve taken but........later on.  Anyway, it´s gonna be super short today but I´m mostly excited for this upcoming weekend. The church news should be pretty exciting, and as a missionary, general conference is like watching the Super Bowl haha! 

 This past week we found a golden investigator named Regina. She´s an older woman about in her sixties and lives with a alcoholic husband and takes care of her 7 year old grandson. She´s one of those type of Catholics that confesses whenever she misses mass on Sunday. She´s super into religion, and has a huge sentimental heart. When we first met her, I just knew she was prepared for our message of the Restored Gospel. She came to church yesterday and absolutley loved it to death. She even took notes during all three hours! Yesterday evening, we visited with her and she said "I´m not going to mass anymore. Every Sunday I´m going to be in your church." She had also read the first few pages of the Book of Mormon including the Intro, Testimony of the Three Witnesses, and so forth, wihtout us even telling her to. She loves the Book of Mormon! And also said, as if it were just the most natural thing in the world, "What a privilege it was for Joseph Smith to have such incredible revelation from the Lord." I really admire Regina because she´s super perseverant. Depsite the many problems within her family, she has an unshakeable faith in Christ. She´s basivally already a member,

So yup, That´s my little story for the week. Sorry I got cut so short!

Elder Lundberg

Three Birds with One Stone

Wow. Ok so this past week was kina great. 

First of all, at the beginning of the week I got acquainted with the richest parts of Lima. My companion´s foot has been having problems so we called the mission office and they set us up for an appointment with the foot doctor. So we took the train from Villa El Salvador to central Lima. It was weird because as we moved along the buildings, streets, and people eventually got nicer and nicer, until I eventually felt like I was in the middle of some really nice part of San Diego along the beach. It was weird seeing big cars and well dressed people, with women in their high heels and men in suits. Ha. My companion asked me if this is what the United States is like, and I just said ¨Wellp....kind of." So yeah. It was kind of like taking a mini vacation to California. It even had the smell of those pine bushes whenever we visited family in San Francisco! So that was sort of refreshing in a way.

Also, we worked all week looking forward to Saturday´s baptism. On Tuesday we did the baptismal interviews, and as David, Maria, and Luz came out smiling, I gave each one a big dulce de leche cookie. I was so proud! We visited them throughout the week to keep them excited. Saturday night, as usual, we started on the dot, Peruvian time, which means about an hour late. So at 7:57, after taking a load of pictures, we started singing the hymn, "If There´s Sunshine in Your Soul Today" with a full house of members and visitors a like supporting. Two youth gave their short messages, and then we showed a quick video of the Savior getting baptized. We waited a short time as each one entered into the baptismal font and the doors opened with the big mirror above so everybody could see. Thankfully, the chapels here are super nice (even nicer than most chapels in Utah), so we had plenty of space to work with. After David, Maria, and Fiorella (an invistigator from the other elders in the ward) were baptized, the whole room went silent as Bishop De La Cruz carried the fragile body of Luz into the font. Although fourteen years old, she has the mishapen body of about a 10 year old due to a bone growth disorder. She´s never even taken a step in her life, but that night we had the privilege of seeing her take one giant leap spiritually as she dangled helplessly above the moving water. All of us were emotionally attached to the scene, including the bishop, who began to tear up as he raised his hand and repeated the words of baptism. I think the best part was seeing Luz´ big smile while underneath the clear blue water.

Anyway, I wish you could all be part of what I get to see here in Peru! This is truely such an incredible work that cannot be stopped. Each and every day as a missionary is such a privilege, and I definitely won´t be the same Davis that left only 7 months ago. So just be prepared.

Big hug for you all!

Elder Lundberg

P.S. Congrats Jane Crofts! How cool is Taipei, Taiwan? Not as cool as Lima, Peru. But hey, that´s still pretty darn cool. Haha. I was so gald to receive your DearElder! Thank you so much for writing. It definitely made my day fer reals. I want to get your emails home while on the mish. You can send them straight to my email at davis.lundberg@myldsmail.net, and I'll send you mine! God Speed Sister Crofts!

A Fast Movin' World

Hello Gringos,

I feel like things are happening so fast in the world today. Last Wednesday I had a division with my district leader, Elder Lawry, another fellow Gringo. We were sitting in a restaurant eating lunch and listening to the news about the new pope, and whattya know, he´s Argentine. (Argentinian?) So that's cool that he's from South America and totally a Jesuit too. I really hope he can influence the Catholic church to help out in this fight against immorality cause. So if Pope Francis can help us out that would be great! He was definitley all over the news here. 

Everything is doing pretty darn great! This next Saturday we have a baptism for three: David, Luz, and Maria. And with the other companionship in the ward we´ll actually have four baptisms. The ward is super excited and both the young womens and young mens programs are planning something special for the occasion. 

Last night we had a lesson with the parents of David, Jhon and Rosa. We challenged them both to marriage and to baptism, and they accepted! I was so excited for them and their marriage date is set for the 26th of April, and their baptism the following day, on the 27th. Ealier that morning Elder Apagueno and I did a practice for the lesson which really helped us how we would help them accept the invitation later that night. The lesson went so smoothly. We had the bishop´s wife, Fanny, and Brother Julio accompany us, and they both bore wonderful testimony of this gospel. Jhon is super ready to make a change, but with Rosa it´s been a little more challenging with her Evangelical background. However, she opened her heart and at the end I bore my testimony while looking straight into her eyes. I don´t know but something changed inside her, and now she wears a big grin whenever she sees us. This family is GOING to change. That´s just what this gospel does you know.

We´re also working with a less active family, the Cabreras. They have a lot of challenges in their home, but Elder Apagueno and I have really been able to get inside their hearts. We found little precious Iven, age 8, to help her get baptized as a written child in the church records. We saw her as the opportunity to open the heart of her grandfather, Jose, who´s had about five thousand elders try and get him to accept baptism (or something around that number). He´s the only one in the family who´s not a member and we know that if he gets baptized, he´ll be super loyal and his family will become a great strength to the ward. This last Saturday we held Iven´s baptism, and her uncle did the baptism. The whole family came out, shed tears during the service, and now we´re doing a FHE with them tonight. So yup. I love this family.

Anyway, my times up. I love you all. Really, Just stay strong. We do not need more people falling away from the gospel, but coming towards it in a time when the world is moving faster and faster every day. Have a great week!

Elder Lundberg

How can this not be the work of the Lord?

This week has been a bunch of hard work and a lot of tough decisions: filter out those who´ve decided against changing their lives for the better, and find those who are prepared. Thankfully, David, Luz and Maria continue to be super excited and committed for their baptism on the 23rd of March! But sadly we´ve had to leave behind others who just don´t want to commit. That´s probably the hardest part of being a missionary, watching people use their agency to make wrong choices. But it´s all part of what we do: INVITE people to come unto Christ and not FORCE them. Unfortunately, Peru has a lot of confusing, wicked, and worldy influences that make it so hard for so many to see their path clearly when it comes to religion, family, or happiness. Everyday I thank the Lord for always being so clear with me and for continually lighting my path, even when the vast majority of His children do not choose to have that privilege.

We´ve been able to find several new investigators: Violeta, the Andrade family, the Merino family, Jose, and several others. Violeta is really great because she´s super intelligent and loves to read what we leave behind for her to study. Her husband has been inactive for nine years and recently came in contact with some missionaries of another area who gave us his address and number. Violeta has previously studied with the Jehova´s Witnesses (there are actually a surprising number of that faith down here, and it´s not uncommon to find many of their ¨investigators¨ as well.) Violeta always has great questions and insights. Yesterday we had a great lesson with her about how it´s up to her to discover whether or not the Book of Mormon is true through reading and prayer. The member who came with us to the lesson said afterwards, ¨if she gets baptized, she´ll be an incredibly committed convert.¨

The Andrade family was a member reference. The parents, Olga and Jhon, have two daughters, Jimena and Alexandra. We´re still trying to visit with the father, but Olga and her daughters seemed interested to find out more. More news will follow the coming Monday.....the Merino couple, Audina and Merardo, are also super interested in what we have to share, and after leaving them with a lesson on ¨praying as a family¨ we set an appointment for this coming Tuesday. Their only drawback is getting married, but who knows, I´ve done it before! Jose is a long-time friend and investigator of the missionaries. His wife and kids are all members, but he just won´t make the commitment. His main fear is that he might dissappoint God after getting baptized, like his son, and so bit by bit, with lots of prayer, we have the hope that maybe this will be his time to commit. 

Wellp, it´s been a great week and I´m so happy to be here in Villa El Salvador, Lima, Peru. I´m learning and growing closer to the Savior every day. I feel like he´s shaping and molding me for his wise purpose, and know that I am becoming more converted to his plan each and every moment as a missionary. The scripture I would like to share this week is in Alma 46:14-15. Like it says, let us all be faithful and true Christians in this great cause, because after all that has been said, felt, seen, and done, how can this not be the work of the Lord?

I love, pray and think of you every day!

Elder Lundberg