Week Nineteen in Cusco

YES!

The title says it all. City livin´ is the best! Well, I do miss the field and tranquilo of Yunguyo.. And I do miss all the people there way more! But I am happy to be in the great city of CUSCO. I am happy at wherever I am at though, because it is where I am at. Our sector, San Jeronimo, is huge and the members are awesome! My companion is awesome, Elder Carrasco, and we were already good friends because we arrived together. If you want a description of my companion and you know my friends, he is Mattias Malzl. The way he talks, his body language, and his personality are all igualitos de mi buen amigo Mattias. Way nice Elder and we have a way nice room! And a hot shower… sometimes I think I miss the bucket shower, but then I realize this is quite more civil and cleansy.

The Elder that I am replacing was a little relaxed, and so we don’t have any investigators or inactivos that are progressing. But all is well because I like when things are more challenging and difficult! Makes it way more fun.  And the members here are amazing! All willing to invite there friends and come with us to appointments and give references! Which honestly makes life much more eficaz as a missionary.  If you don’t help the missionaries where you live (or don’t know who they are) it’s okay because you can repent and then start helping them! I am telling you this as a friend. Because I am a missionary to the people or Peru, but only a friend or family to you all. If you want to assist in the greatest work that you could every do, begin helping in the work of the Lord. It can be super small! Pray for someone who is struggling in faith, going through a hard trial, or doesn’t really know of the blessings that are here in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You might be thinking, “We are in Utah Elder Daybell, please.” And to that I would say: do not be too at ease in Zion that you let yourself or a loved one casually slip in the many snares of the adversary. Ask your Father in Heaven how you can help His work in these crucial last days! I promise you as a friend, that new light and joy will come into your life as you do so.

All good over in the Andes! My pension used to be a chef, so I am going to get a little fat here.. La comida es ricisimo la verdad! I am trying to serve with all my heart, might, mind and strength! The greatest blessing is to be able to deny myself and turn outward every single day! There is no other comparable joy than that of this Gospel and helping others come unto it. Can I get an amen?

Sigue sonriendo, Elder Daybell

of the city: View of San Jernoimo from our apartment

of the kids: Peruano version of Samuel (acts the exact same)

My companion, Elder Carrasco

 

Week Eighteen in Yunguyo

Me voy a Cusco

 

I am going to Cusco! A ward of 300plus people… Going to be a dramatic change from Yunguyo branch. It is the same ward the Presidente Herrera and his family are in too! Guess who my companion is? Elder Carrasco!! The only other Elder from my group in the CCM that is still in the mission! I am going to District Leader also. Which means I am going to learn even more how to rely on the Lord, because I am definitely not prepared without His divine help! I am super excited for this chance I have to learn and to help motivate other stellar missionaries!

 

This week, we baptized David Tito! He is 14, but seems more 16. And he has so much faith! Elder Powell and I met him playing basketball and in English class too. At first, he couldn’t come to church because of feria, but his faith has grown so much! Now he wakes up at 4:00am to help his parents set up to sell, then he can make it on time for the sacrament. STUD. I know his family is going to be baptized one day too. They just need to put their trust in the Lord that Día de Reposo will bless them in work.

 

I have been blessed to see much growth happen in this branch that is small in number but grand in spirit! When I arrived we had around 20 coming to church, now the average is 40 and I have no doubt Elder Segura is going to keep it up! We even have a teachers quorum now! Atony Vilca, David Tito, Jean Carlos, and Wilber Atony. They get along super well and are excited to bring all their friends into the church as well. STUDS. It is funny because Atony is a lot like my personality and David is a lot like the personality of Elder Segura. And it is both dudes we helped enter the waters of baptism together.

 

I think one of my favorite things about being a missionary is watching ones faith grow as they keep commitments and watch the blessings come. I can never get tired of testifying of the power and reality of the Atonement. Without fail, the Spirit is present when we talk of the miracle of repentance with someone. It naturally changes hearts! And it has surely caused a change of heart in me. I am gratefully for this perfect message and our perfect Savior!

 

Sigue Sonriendo, Elder Daybell

The new of the street:… Market of Yunguyo

Mirror selfies:… Mirror selfies with David Tito and Atony Vilca

Gabriella Chipana thinking she is cool

David and Family Tito

Week Seventeen in Yunguyo

3 Neat Things

I will start with the least important one: an old drunk guy tried to kiss me. We were just listening to him talk about how random stuff and when I shook his hand to say bye, he pulled me in for a hug, looked up at me, and JUST WENT FOR IT. Well, I guess that he mumbled out “bonito es” before, so at least he knows how to give a compliment. He didn’t plant it though, I am too quick! We laughed a good laugh.

The second neat thing is that I ate cuy! Which is the famous hamster meal of Perú. It was actually way good, and I want to eat it again. Saturday we went to Pres. Hilarios field as a rama, and he has a cuy farm. It was super fun to see the animals right before we ate them! They also gave us chuño (the rotten feet potato), but I gave mine to the kids because they don’t have taste buds. I think everyone here who likes chuño had their taste buds destroyed when their parents gave it to them as children.

Third neat thing: BAPTISMS. I think this thing was the neatest of them all! I have already told you all that I can’t really explain the feeling of joy the Spirit brings to me. The whole time the Spirit was thick in the room and the members of the entire little rama of Yunguyo were all way happy! Gabby Chipana was baptized by her father and I had the privilege to baptize Atony Vilca. I have already talked about them right? Hope so… It has been so amazing to see the change. Gabby is sort of a kid, so she already had the light the gospel brings. But when we first met Atony, he was just a shy 15 yr. old with a lot of questions about life. Now he is super friendly to everyone and always smiling! It is amazing how the Gospel does that. It all started when he began reading the Book of Mormon too! A testament to me that the word of God is the key to conversion. The Spirit guided us to them, the Spirit is how they were taught, and the Spirit did basically all. The Lord works miracles when one has faith (works) and is obedient! I love those principles. Well, I love all the principles that Christ has taught us really. I love you all! We have another baptism next week! And also changes, So that will be an exciting time.. Keep emailing me and send me stuff too! Remember, who don’t have to be family to send me a package! 😉

Sigue Sonriendo -Elder Daybell

First time bringing people to the fold of God through baptism!

First time eating cuy!

Week Sixteen in Yunguyo

Virgen of Cocacbana

There is traffic in the city of Yunguyo! It is only one street through the plaza but it runs the whole pueblo! The reason being fiestas in Bolivia where all the Catholics get drunk and worship a virgin saint… I have been called gringo quite a lot this week! Elder Segura said he has never seen the people this shocked at his white companions before. I must be really white huh? Never realized.    A girl also asked to take a picture with me! No big deal. I don’t know what I am going to do once I get back to the States and I am a little below-average in looks once again. WAIT.. I will have the title of Returned Missionary and that seems to work wonders in the lives of even the ugliest. I HAVE HOPE.

We have two baptisms this Saturday! I already told you guys about them, but they are awesome. I know they are names in a letter for you, but I can’t explain how Elect they are! Atoni was answering every question in Sunday school yesterday. The members wouldn’t even read for the teacher. But he was like, “do you want me to read it or explain it?” after he got called on! STUD. I feel like this Saturday is Christmas when I was a kid, in the sense that I can’t wait for it to come. I’ll tell you about it. Elder Segura and I are still killing it. He still showers in cold water and 6:30 in the morning. He is such a BOSS. We have many companionship inventories because we still disagree on things, but always ends up good! I love that Elder. We are going to go all Alma and Amulek on this pueblo! Comes down to the faith and works. ATTITUTDE AND EFFORT. I love those principles.

I love you all too! Identify something this week that you can work on. If you don’t know, humbly pray and God will tell you. Once you have what you want to improve, study how you can in the scriptures and words of living prophets this week, prepare for the sacrament, and next Sunday have a super spiritual experience. I have been doing that lately and every Sunday is like BOOM spirit BOOM. I don’t know what that means.. but it’s like that.

Sigue Sonriendo -Elder Daybell

“LookBack Lunes” when I tackled an Elder with my face during the beach Multi-Zone

 

Week Fifteen in Yunguyo

Estoy cansado…

I am tired… And I love it! I am more tired than I have ever been on the mission, and I have made a goal to be this tired or more for the rest of it!!

So updates: we have 3 progressing with a baptism date. Gabby and Atony are on the 13^th of august and David is on the 20^th. They are all super Elect and come to church by themselves! Reading the BOM every day and they are willing to keep the commandments. They are all jovenes tambien. We are going to have 4 more in September too! We don’t know who yet, but we have set the goal and it is going to happen once we find them.

Elder Segura and I are getting along much better too! One night I was on my knees pleading for many things. Praying for how to get along, how to get this negative thoughts out of my head and repenting mucho. The Spirit said this to me: “You are thinking of yourself too much. Focus your mind on what really matters, the people you are called to serve, and all the rest will fall into place. You will get along with your companion, you will not have negative thoughts, you will find it easier to obey and you will retain a remission of your sins.” Guess what? TOTALLY WORKED. The Spirit is so right like all of the time. I am grateful for this opportunity that I have learning to rely more on the grace of His Atonement. I cant explain the joy the gospel brings! Think I have said that already no? We are in the truth! You are all great. Keep being great. And rememeber…

Sigue sonriendo! –Elder Daybell

Elder Segura and I with our city behind

Preaching the good Word to my district.

Los Elderes de Districto Kharsiri (yo, E. Segura, E. Aguilar, E. Bordon)