Taking Over Peru: Davi - Travesuras and Stuff

January 27, 2014

Travesuras and Stuff

Friday, we had a problem that I had never experienced before: A wild cat got in the house. It fell in the little patio thing we have, and couldn’t get out, so it was howling for like 5 hours of the night until we had to get up and get it out of the house. Because then it entered the house and wouldn’t leave. Why didn’t they teach us these things in the MTC? So we called upon our neighbor to come and save us. Never before have I seen such gran valor entre todos los peruvians. [A little reference to Alma 54:45, where Helaman is telling Moroni about his stripling warriors: “Never had I seen so great courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites.”] We are all ok, but we are still finding cat hair on our clothes.

My companion is making a book. It is called “Las Travesuras de La Johnson,” which is like, the pranks mas o menos [more or less] [Google Translate says “mischief,” but maybe it should be more like “mishaps.”] How funny. It had pictures of a bag of broken eggs from the supermarket (I really think the whole carton thing was inspired), and a freshly made dinner that fell in the sink, etc. It’s pretty darling.

Yesterday an elder taught the class of Gospel Principles on sacrifice. It was amazing. And I was sitting with Robert, who really didn’t feel good, but came to church anyway, and we talked for a short minute about how Christ is the perfect example of sacrifice. And he read Alma 7:11-15 to himself after the class, because I had been reading and read alma 7:15 and wrote his name by it in my scriptures because it was so him. After, he just said, “I can’t leave this life behind without baptism. I can’t change or repent without it. That’s why He wants me to get baptized.” YES!!! Yes, Robert, that is exactly why! Oh, sweet little Robert, yes. It is so magical to see how powerful the Spirit is, and to see how special it is to people when they finally recognize that their Heavenly Father is talking to them.

I really do have such a testimony of that. That God speaks. It isn’t just for some—it is for all. And I know that, because you can tell when someone is reading the Book of Mormon, and when they aren’t. There is such a difference in their face and in the way they talk and treat others. There is such a power in that book.

We have an hermana, Judith, who tried to drop us the other day because hard things are happening in her life and she is mad at God. And she was just so sad, and angry, and so not who she was. So we had a member go by and read with her. And she started reading again. She is now is 2 nefi [Nephi]. And she is her again, but better. It really is amazing what happens when God has the chance to speak to His kids, and when His kids want to

listen.

We were watching this little weird movie about family history (that I actually didn’t like that much because it showed the people just hanging out in the Spirit world, and I was like, no way, they are doing everything possible to get someone to do their work, but anyway, not important), and there was this part where the guy was fighting in a war. And I starting thinking, we are in a war. And thinking, how is it possible then, to be happy? Because in the front lines, with things being fired at you, no one is smiling, just fighting. And in my thinking, I realized why: It’s because we know who wins. That is literally the only reason we have to find happiness in the battle. It’s because it has been won! But there are all these people in the middle who just don’t know, or are so confused by the gunshots and all the crazy that they can’t hear. And here we are—we know who wins. We have the power and the opportunity to share it. And every single person is crucial. Some people are the captains. Others, the nurses. Others, the soldiers, but we all have a part, and it is crucial that we fight. But we can fight with joy, because we are on the winning team—the fold of Christ. Isn’t it beautiful?