PorFin!

Dear Family and Friends,

I began to wonder if I would ever see a baptism in Peru.  If I ever would see someone really have the testimony and the conversion strong enough to change.  

"Fernando", a 13 year old boy passed the test. =)  We had been teaching him for about a month and his mom was really excited for him but rarely would sit in the lessons.  One time just came up and interrupted us and said.. "Every time you come in my house I feel something different, a peace, a love, its inexplicable." She went on and on, and I was so excited and happy that she had recognized something so vital,so important.. the Holy Spirit.  I had the hugest smile on my face and I asked her "Do you know what that is?" She said what? And I got to explain.  She is great.  However, the time came as it does with all people under the age of 18 to get a signature from the parents that he could be baptized.  It really is crazy. 

 I have met so many youth here who want to be baptized but are waiting until they are 18 because their parents wont let them be baptized, and they are strong.  They still come to church, they read their scriptures, and they pray always.  I seriously am so impressed.

But that was tangent. Sorry.

When it came time for the mom to sign the permission slip of "Fernando"she wouldnt sign.  She was so excited for him before asking what it would be like and all sorts of things, and but when we asked for a signature, we were outside of house talking with her for half an hour.  It was crazy.  We decided to come back later that evening after she had talked with her husband.  Unfortunately Fernando had not been very nice to his mom when she mentioned that he should probablly go to church for a few more months before being baptized and he reacted poorly and so his moms feelings were hurt.  I honestly dont know how she eventually signed, but she did, and she told us at first she was scared, but after thinking about it some more she felt a peace.

Fernando was baptized this Saturday and confirmed in church.  He told me he felt like his feet werent touching the floor when he was confirmed and received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  He is so great.  He told us thank you over and over and how he felt so much joy.  His mom wants us to baptize her son.. but her son only is 6 years old.  His brother came up to us later and wants us to talk to him about the gospel. Fernando really wants everyone to be baptized in his family, and I can see how the gospel is already helping them be more unified and is filling their home with more love.

One day one of our appointments fell through and Martin told us that we should  stop by the house of "Claudia."  She is about 75 years old and cant come to church because she is very very sick.  I got to hear her testimony though and it brought me to tears.  I thought Id share her story with you.  Martin is a teenager who was baptized 3 years ago and likes to go to appointments with the missionaries often.  He passed by her house with the missionaries 2 years ago and all three of the young men felt like they should knock on her door.  Claudia told us how this day she decided she would change and do what God wanted and that is when the missionaries knocked on the door.  With time she came to have a testimony of the gospel and wanted to be baptized.  One of the elders told her that she couldnt be baptized because she has basically a hole in her body, a permanent wound with a bandage that cant get wet, so even when she bathes she is very careful to cover her bandage with a towel. She looked at him and said "Oh what little faith you have... I am the one who is sick, and you are healthy, and still I have faith.  I will be baptized."  The Elders were scared to baptize her, but she decided to be baptized anyway and told the Elder, and YOU will baptize me.  That day of her baptism she went into the font with nothing but her white baptizmal clothing and her bandage beneath.  She was baptized, and after she was buried in water and rose again clean and went to change, she inspected her bandage.  Her daughter looked at her in astonishment and said.. "How come your bandage isnt wet?? How is it possible?! Tell me!  Why isnt your bandage wet?" And you know what she said?  "Because Jesus had his hand right here over my bandage."  

Really it was a miracle. 

I feel so blessed to be able to be in Peru with people who have so much faith.  Its incredible.  What boggles my mind still is how her son and daughter arent members, are strict catholics and refuse to let the grandaughter of Claudia be baptized.  Her time will come.  I know.  Im hoping that little by little her mom and dad will want to talk to us.  Luckily, the next day I got to talk to her dad, in Engilsh.  He didnt talk to the missionaries before, but he said something about being in Iraq for some kind of security job and then I found out he spoke English and we had a pretty good conversation. I love that when that happens... when someone doesnt really want to talk to the missionaries, but they because you are different and understand a different part of life that they understand also, then they want to talk and then they realize that the gospel really isnt just for a couple of people living in San Diego, Lima, Peru.  Its for everyone in all parts of the world.  Its really beautiful.

I know with all my heart that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true.  I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and that through him the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored.  It is beautiful how it is going forth to all the world.  When my Dad was serving here in Peru there was only one stake.  Now there are 100. I feel so blessed to be a part of it.

  Pray Always.  Read your scriptures. Go to church.

Love,

Hermana Julia Chanel Bendixen

The work moves forth.

Dear Family and Friends,

Did you see the ¨"Special Broadcast: The Work of Salvation?"

I cant tell you how excited I am.  I teared up when they showed the MTC.  I just want to tell you all that I know this is the work of the Lord.  If you havent watched it, you should. I hope all of you

Some of you know I was transfered from Chancay to San Diego, Pro Lima.  I have been here two weeks with a new companion.  She is from Guatemala.  My Spanish really was put to a test.  Thankfully we can communicate.  =)  Its funny.  You never really know how much you know until its tested.  We are very different but she is sweet.  

My first couple of days I was really worried.  When we moved into our apartment there was a hole above the kitchen roof and we spent the whole day sweeping and cleaning our apartment out.  We didnt have hot water either, but I thought this was normal so we were both showering in cold water.  Let me tell you, showering in cold water is an exercize of the lungs.  I  literally jumped for joy when the elders came by later and surprised us with a water heater and blankets. haha Yep, we didnt have blankets or a phone either.  But its because this is a new area and missionaries had never lived in that apartment before.  

The ward here is really strong and the people here are constantly giving references and helping us visit people.  It has made all the difference.  My companion and I are opening up an area for the sisters.  And usually this is really difficult, but with the help of the members, we were able to find an investigator now who wants to be baptized on the 20th of July and our agendas are full.  I know the reason the work here is progressing is because the ward members are helping the missionaries.

If ever you doubt your impact in missionary work, just remember that your purpose is the same as ours.  To come unto Christ, and to help others on their way. 

This week I was reading in the Book of Mormon (As usual lol)  and I came across a prophecy that I had read at least 6 times before but it really had a huge impact on me this time. I think because it directly applied to what I was doing.  I was reading in 2nd Nephi, 3:19 through 22.  It says:

 19 And the words which he shall write shall be the words which are expedient in my wisdom should go forth unto the ^afruit of thy loins. And it shall be as if the fruit of thy loins had cried unto them^bfrom the dust; for I know their faith. 20 And they shall ^acry from the ^bdust; yea, even repentance unto their brethren, even after many generations have gone by them. And it shall come to pass that their cry shall go, even according to the simpleness of their words. 21 Because of their faith their ^awords shall proceed forth out of my mouth unto their brethren who are the fruit of thy loins; and the weakness of their words will I make strong in their faith, unto the remembering of my covenant which I made unto thy fathers.a  A couple of things caught my eye.  For members of the church, its common knowledge that the Book of Mormon is a record that was written by prophets anciently in the Americas who were descendants of the house of Israel and that it is another testmanet of Jesus Christ.  We know that these people in the Book of Mormon were a branch of Israel and that some of these descendants today live in America.  This scripture is talking about how the gospel will go forth in its fullness through the Book of Mormon (and how the descendants of Israel will accept it.)  I had always had a general knowledge of this so I read past this quickly, but now I am here, and I can see with my own eyes the faith of the people here.  And I can especially see how the gospel is going forth through the Book of Mormon and my small knowledge of Spanish words to my brothers and sisters here in Peru.

Love you all,

be strong.

Hermana Bendixen

hey you wonderful people!! =D

I hope you know I miss you all like crazy!

 Here are the pictures. =)  

Con Amor,

 Hermana Bendixen

The People in Peru

Dear Family and Friends,

Where to begin...

... I keep wondering how I´m going to write about these people that we teach.. what names I will use in place of their real names...

As Im here thinking about what to say, my mind keeps running over the members.. the incredible amount of members that we want to strengthen, but who wont even keep simple commitments like reading their scriptures.  

There is definitely a mescla of emotions.  I just want to see their faith grow so badly, but there really is no progression without action.  Everytime someone actually realizes we are serious, and then they keep a commitment, I am so happy!

I think of the baptisms that the Elders have had.  Its so hard not to compare. I think sometimes the only reason us sisters are up here is to be an example.  Our mission presidents wife told us that this branch needed us if only for our example.  

Last week the teacher didnt show up to teach relief society, so my companion ended up teaching.  The lesson was on charity and then we were about to talk about how we could improve as sisters in the relief society in charity one towards another, but I felt like I really had to say that we shouldnt judge.  I through in my two cents about how it is impossible to have charity towards others if we begin judging them first.  Well, we began with another person talking about how we could do nice things like sending text messages or tagging them in photos on facebook or something like that and then this other lady jumped in about all the things the relief society president should be doing, and then basically then there was chaos and everyone was talking and pointing fingers.. and all i could think was.. no wonder people dont want to go to church if everyone hear is lacking the point of relief society.  

The theme of relief society is Charity never faileth.

What on earth was happening....

My companion pretty much had to yell.. no she didnt yell.. but she talked VERY loudly and said

THIS IS NOT CHARITY

Thankfully and miraculously the spirit was brought back as she bore testimony of the golden rule in Mathew 7 and slowly everyone was humbled again.

One of the other things that has been really hard about this week is that nearly every single one of our appointments fell through.  Even the people who dont even leave their house because they watch t.v. all day.  These people who would probably stay in their house if it were on fire..were not home.  None of our investigators came to church this week.  But the good thing is that because of this we really were able to work on contacting people.  

When I thought of missionary work before I always thought about knocking on doors, but that has been about 1 one thousandth of my mission.  Let me just say that is really cool seeing how you can tell how when you start explaining something and someone is really bored, but then you touch upon something that answers a question to their soul.  There was this one girl who was talking to us about how both of her brothers had died.  She thought they were lost, but we were able to tell her about the resurrection and the spirit world and how there really was life after death and that she could see them again.  

I think the coolest part though is when you are bearing testimony of something or just basically reading doctrine, and the spirit just comes, because the spirit will always testify of truth.  You can see how someone begins to understand as opposed to looking at you with a blank face.

Im reminded of these two investigators..  A man and his son.  They seemed so intrigued by the fact that yes, there is one God, one faith, and one baptism.  

Im also reminded of this other mother.  At first she only wanted to talk to us because we were Gringas.  But then we bore testimony of the book of Mormon.  She felt that it was true, how God loved all his children and wanted to bless the people in the Americas with his gospel as well as in the  old world.  How it truly does testify of Christ.

Im reminded of this couple.  They told us they never let people in there house, but for some reason, they let us in.  They learned about everything, they really began to understand faith in their lives, they are growing closer to God and their prayers are becoming more personal.  They are now trying to get married so that they can one day go to the temple and be sealed for eternity.

Im reminded of this old woman who lives in shack in a wheelchair.  Her neighbor is a boy of 14 years old whose family is abusive and whose mother  father and older brother are alcoholics.  He was recently baptized and he wheels this sister to church.  

There faith always strengthens mine and brings me to tears. 

Im reminded of another recent convert.  She is a little bit richer.  Not not rich, but she is not living in a shack made of cardboard and a dirt floor.  One day when we were teaching her she was feeling depressed.. we took her to this other shack of the sister in the wheelchair.  Now she will occasionaly bring over food and she is happy.  She literally has grown so much in these few months in her testimony.  She is second counselor in the relief soceity and is scared because she doesnt know much, but everyone in this ward is a convert.

Her son knows the church is true, but is living with his girlfriend.  They are ages 17 and 19.  One day we were talking about prophets. We told the story of Naman and how he had to wash in the river seven times.  Without us saying anything he opened up his mouth and pointed out how at first he didnt have faith.  It looked like a lightbulb had turned on in his mind.  When we talked about how prophets ask us to do little things sometimes that dont make sense to us but we need to have faith it is like it all clicked.  We hadnt taught anything else but the story, and then his mother started talking about how she didnt like his earing in his ear.  We hadnts said anything.  His mom didnt even know the standards of the church, but then he asked us.  What does the prophet say about earings.  We said that girls can have a pair but how guys shouldnt.  He looked at us for one second.  And turned his head to the side and took out his earing. 

I was in shock, but SO SO HAPPY.

I wish I could just cart him around to everyone I knew ever and say LOOK 

LOOK AT HIS FAITH!

and then.

after.

after he had taken out his earing, he asked us why.

We explained about how are bodies are temples and that we try to be modest in appearance, but really. Its like he already understood the principle.  Yes are bodies are temples and we should take care of them.  Yes, there are temporal earthly blessings and also eternal blessings for doing what is right and following the prophet.  But faith.

His faith grew.

Well I have a lot more to say about this kid, but it will have to wait for next time.

Love Always,

Hermana Julia Chanel Bendixen