Feb 23 2k15

Familia y amigos!!

Wow so much happened this week!! We moved houses! And we also received news that they are going to remove 2 missionaries from our ward. So instead of 4 there will be 2. So we moved to a smaller house and right now the 4 of us are living in a little tiny room. It’s soooo small and uncomfortable. But lo bueno es que mañana tenemos cambios. And then after that si o si sera mas comodo. Tomorrow we have changes so after that it’ll be much much better! 

The priesthood is so real. A week ago my toe was killing me haha. Not at first, but as my nail started to grow back it was a lot worse. My comp gave me a blessing and just today I was playing soccer normally. The priesthood is real. I was talking to my companion this week and I was just reflecting on how powerful the priesthood is. You can use all the medicine in the WORLD to help a sickness and it might not work but if you have faith in God, and if it’s according to his plan and in his own timing, one priesthood blessing can cure whatever sickness in an instant. How powerful is that?

Also this week we had a baptism! Billi, the son of a recent convert, got baptized. When my companion was saying the baptism prayer I could just feel the spirit so strong.

I don’t have a ton of time but I want you guys to know that I’m so grateful for your letters and prayers!! Also for the support. 

Every week we write the mission president a letter and he responds to us. He responded to me last week, see you at the changes. Probably. Haha I haven’t found out yet if I’ll get transferred. We’ll find out in like an hour!  It looks like I’ll be transferred. And even though I’m glad to see new parts of Lima, I’m sad and I’m going to miss the people here. I love the people. I love this so much. It really is indescribable. Here are some pictures of some of my favorite people here in Lima Peru.

I know that God lives and that he loves us. I’ve been called here to invite people to come unto Christ and partake of this love. There is nothing else I would rather be doing in the whole world than be here helping these people. I love them, and I know that Heavenly Father loves them 1000 times more. The church is true. I’ve been reassured of this countless times in the last few months. I love the gospel and the blessings that it’s brought to me and my family. Without this church, I wouldn’t be happy. And nobody else truly would either. Simple as that! In the name of Jesus Christ Amen!

I can’t believe these 4 transfers have gone by!! I’m excited to start this 5th transfer and see where my father has need of me.

I’ll update you all next week on where I am!! Thanks for all the support!!

Love Elder Dahlin

Feb 16 2k15

Aloha!

Another week in burning hot Peru!

So right now there are 4 missionaries, 2 companionships, in our ward. And last week we received news that they’re going to close one of the sectors. So now there will only be 2 missionaries, or 1 companionship, in this sector. I have almost 4 months here. And one of the other Elders from the other compañerismo has 6 months here, so I think we will be transferred. He will for sure. But I think it’s my time to go too. I’ll go where you want me to go Senor! haha wherever I’m called to go, or stay, I’ll be happy.

So bad news! Hermano Pablo is moving. So we won’t be able to baptize him. But I’m 100 percent positive that he will get baptized in the next month or 2. He’s the perfect investigator. This weekend we do have a baptism though! His name is Billi and he’s the son of a recent convert. He’s awesome. Next week I’ll include pictures.

Yesterday we were teaching one of our menos activos. His name is Mayo Urruchi. He’s addicted to cigarettes. And it’s so sad to see someone’s life destroyed by addiction. As children of God we have SO much potential. And it’s crazy to see how fast someone can be destroyed by an addiction. In the past he has told us that he wants to give up smoking and he has tried it a few times. But yesterday he told us that he’s going to die with this addiction and that God will judge him for it, but he can’t give it up and that there’s nothing that can be done. There is. The atonement of Jesus Christ is infinite and everlasting. And no matter what addiction or sin we have, it can be erased completely through the atonement and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It’s truly a blessing that we can be forgiven. Heavenly Father is soo loving. Even though we all sin, he has so much love and mercy, and if we truly want to change, he will forgive us. Such a blessing.

Well I don’t have a ton of time. But it looks like I’ll be transferred this week. The address will stay the same if you want to send letters. 

I hope you all have a good week and that you can always remember that no matter what, you can be forgiven. There is no sin or addiction that is bigger than you or the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. 

I love you all and thanks for all the support and prayers!! 

Elder Dahlin

First of all, there is a picture that I’m sending that’s of my ingrown toe nail. I went to the doctor a few weeks ago because I had an ingrown toe nail. After she fixed it, it got infected! So I went to a different doctor and she fixed it. She cut about a quarter of my toe nail off, but along the side of my toe, not how you normally would cut your toe nails. And ever since then it’s been getting better. But I thought I would include this picture of my bloody bandage haha.

This week we also went to the fountain park!! It’s super cool to go there and see all the fountains with the lights. These pictures are of me and my best friends here!! And also there’s a picture of the Peru pro soccer team stadium!

Feb 9 2k15

Familia y amigos!

This week we went to the beach and rode bikes! Wow it was so different than walking. It was really fun! We rode up this hill that overlooks all of Lima. Well part of it. It’s so big! And there is a huge statue of Jesus at the top. Pretty cool!

Also there’s a picture of a hairless Peruvian dog!! And also my favorite food Lomo Saltodo. So good. And a selfie that I took with one of the kids here! We teach his parents haha and he’s so funny. His name is Mateas.

Well this week has been a lot different. Instead of thinking of how our lessons can help other people, we are looking for what we need to learn in every lesson too. This has been helping so much. One night we got to the apartment and Elder Montoya was super quiet. I asked him que paso and he said that he needs to be more humble and loving. He was really worrying about it too, and eventually he asked me to give him a blessing. So I did. I’ve been asked to give blessings before and before the blessing I’ve thought about like what I would say. But this time he asked me, I said yes, I got up and gave him a blessing. I don’t even know what I said. But at the end of the blessing, I opened my eyes and he was crying. This was super. Not only did it add to my testimony of the priesthood and revelation, but also the gift of tongues and of the Holy Ghost in our lives. All we have to do is live worthy and we are PROMISED the Holy Ghost. It made us a lot closer too. Dang Elder Montoya el lo maximo.

This week I finished the Book of Mormon again!! Every time I read it I learn so much. Something that really stuck out to me this time was at the end. In Moroni 10 there is a scripture that says something along the lines of God will tell you that these things are true. And that’s the whole scripture. Short but so powerful. I know and bear solid witness that whoever reads the book of Mormon and really asks Heavenly Father if it’s true, if they have faith that they will receive an answer, The Holy Ghost will testify of it to them. I know it’s true. And I’m so grateful that I have this knowledge in my life. And for this opportunity that I can come here and help people find this happiness too! :)

This week we were walking down the street and there was a guy approaching us, the sidewalks are pretty narrow and in the street the cars are crazy, so I stopped walking to let him pass. He gets closer to me and turns to me and says you guys are the Mormons right? I said yeah and asked him if he had listened or visited with the missionaries before. He said yeah but years ago. He said that he has been having tons of difficulty in his life these last few months and just this morning he was thinking of the missionaries and wondering where he could find us. Well. Here we are!! Here is the crazy part to the story. We were on our way to eat lunch with a member. Usually we always take the same way. We always take the same street because it’s shorter. But this time Elder Montoya was like hey let’s go this way. Usually I would have been like what why? Because it’s super hot and we were dying of thirst, but I felt like we should go there too. And because we made that decision, we were able to meet this hermano. His name is Jhonny. And he already has a baptism date for March 14. 

Answers to prayers exist. Prayer is so real. And whoever doesn’t have a testimony of prayer can gain one. It just takes a little faith!

Well, even though I’m literally dripping sweat and burning hot all day, I love it. It seems difficult to love this but whoever has served a mission, or whoever is serving a mission will understand. I love burning to death and getting blisters on my feet. Being approached by drunk scary guys. I love the test that this mission gives me. If Christ could serve a mission for his whole life, and be rejected, spit on, beat, and crucified, I think I can bear a little heat here in Lima.

This mission is amazing. And I honestly wouldn’t trade it for the world. Thank you for all the support and prayers and I want you all to know that I think of you on the daily!

I love you guys and hope you will keep praying and choosing the right :)

Elder Dahlin

Feb 2 2015

Family and friends,

This week has been a good one. It seems like the weeks get better and better as we pray more and focus more on the work.

So that family that I wrote about last week! The family fortunata! We visited them again on Saturday and there we met her son! And his kids. Se llama Pablo, y sus hijos son Ruth and Arean. Ruth is 15 and arean is 9. Pablo interested and he wants to learn more. Ruth is super shy but super super smart. And Arean is my amigo haha. He’s so funny. I’ll try to send a picture of them all this week. It’s just another strength to my testimony of prayer and the prompting of the spirit. We have been praying so much for new people. And the day when I got the prompting that we should go visit the family fortunata, was because this last week we were supposed to meet them. I’m excited to see how they progress. And I’ll keep all of you guys updated! Prayer and the spirit go hand in hand. Without the spirit, we can’t have faith to pray. And without prayer, we can’t have the spirit and we can’t receive the respuestas that we seek. Just something to think about.

They’re building another temple in Peru!! Right now the one in Lima is the only one! But now there will be a second in Trujillo. It just goes to show that the work truly is being hastened. It kinda stinks though because now the temple here in Lima will be closed for a long time cause they’re going to remodel it. But I’m excited to see the Trujillo temple. I hear its super huge and pretty! Surprise haha. Just kidding. All the temples are super pretty.

Oh man something so nasty happened this week. We were walking home from church. And we turn the corner and there is this guy standing on the side walk. Yeah normal. So we start walking down the sidewalk and he turns towards us and he’s like ah elders!! And I’m like oh cool maybe he’s a member. He’s like 40 feet away so I can’t really see his face super super well. Anyway, he gets closer and shakes my hand. And he must have been super sick, his eyes were all swollen and he had snot alllll over his nose and mouth. I think he just wasn’t like 100 fully mentally there either. Anyway I’m like trying to talk to him without touching him haha but he won’t let go of my hand. And he is like super super close to my face. I was trying to like back away, and finally I was like okay hermano tenemos que ir. podemos visitarle? And he’s like oh no no. my house isn’t big enough. I don’t know if he said that because I’m too tall and won’t fit in the door, or because he isn’t interested. Then he was like okay I’ll see you guys around! And he gave me a hug! After that we were walking away and there was snot all over my suit coat. So nasty. I washed that thing so good. Just a funny story that happened this week. If we see him around I’ll try to talk to him and teach him. Because even though it was way nasty, he’s still my brother. And Heavenly Father loves him just as much as he loves any one of us.

I love this mission. I love how every single day there is so much that we can learn, in the mission or not. I love having this calling.

This is the Lord’s work. And I’m grateful to be a part of it. 

Thanks for all the prayers and support!! Have a good week!

Love Elder Dahlin

Ps. I took a video of me scaring my companion hecka bad, and I’ll try to send it next week haha :)

This week I received some letters that I have been waiting to get for like 4 months!! Thank you so much to the Gingerich family, Erica and Samantha Jaffe, Kelli Boberg, and mis padres :) you guys are awesome. These pictures are of EFY this week! We got the opportunity to go again. It was so awesome! and there was una hermana there dressed up like a tree for family history. Oh the things you’ll see in Peru. Also, there are pictures of a new fruit that I tried, it’s called tuna. super super good. It’s like a pomegranate and a pear mixed haha. Also my companion getting a haircut. And a soccer field where people are ALWAYs playing. I love Peru. Enough said!