Conference in Zacatecas

My beloved friends, family, and all those in general, how grand the work of the Lord! So in this week we had some difficulties, but in the end it was still a good week. My companion and I get along really well he is actually about to finish his mission but as well the transfer ends this week! How fast time can fly! As well this week we have continued working with the family that is less-active whose daughters aren’t members, they are progressing, but we changed there baptismal date. As well this week we had the stake conference in Zacatecas this week. It was fun, but at the same time it was difficult for some of the members to come. The cool part though was being able to see members from Ojocaliente at the conference even more so one of the investigadores that I began teaching there! They all saw me and saw AYY ELDER! It was a nice to see familiar faces. I also enjoyed the talks and the messages that were shared by the stake presidency here. The focus was a lot in the family, but as well they focused a lot on the personal inactive that we should take in living the gospel and keeping the commandments. 

As well a fun fact for you all. Here in Jerez it is the original place of the tostada and its salsa. I have never in my life had tostadas with salsa that have tasted do delicious in my life, but here in Jerez. They actually celebrate a day for the tostada. Me and my companion today decided to go and try some of the different venders and there tostadas were really good. I’ll need to take pictures to show you how they prepare them, but normally it’s just a tostada that they dip in the salsa.

So this week I wanted to share a quick message about a scripture I was thinking about. In Alma 22 we read of the conversion of the King and how he conducted his prayer. I need to translate in my head right now what he said, but here’s the best try at it. "Oh God, Aaron hath told me there is a God, and there is a God, you are God, what would you give to know me, I would give all my sins to know thee,” this is the part that I enjoy. The King is invited by Aaron to pray and the King does it right ton the spot to test the words of Aaron. What I thought about though was in the prayer he offered and what he was willing to give up, his sins. Sometimes I believe that we as imperfect people try to justify our errors and keep making mistakes by saying some other day I'll try be these errors big or small, but this King after hearing about the Savior immediately decided to give up all his sins in a matter of minutes. Are we willing to give up what we do wrong, or as well do we want to repent? I know that the God of Israel came and suffered for the sins of mankind making it possible to be forgiven and abandon sin. I know that God forgives and that if we repent then we will as well come closer to God more than in any other way we can change and we need to! I am trying to change every day and as well abandon my sins because I desire to know God more and to serve his children. I testify of these things. 

I LOVE YOU ALL

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Elder Perfili   

On the Lord's errand

So this week was absolutely wonderful. This week as well I would like to thank the Yorba Linda Third ward Young Women for the package as well as some of the young men. So this week started off a little slow because of the Holiday, but it was also a good thing because we were able to analyze what we need to do better. During this week we began to look for families as well as less active members. Also we had the opportunity to see more members go to lessons with us. The best part of this week though was a less active family that we found that the two oldest daughters aren’t members and they accepted a baptismal date in December! As well we were able to continue teaching the investigator that came to church last week, as well as visit a lot of our recent converts and less active members who also came to church this week! Really the week was incredible. On Friday though we came together for a Zone Conference and received a lot of information. We learned the importance once again that we have to work with the members, but as well to baptize. As missionaries our purpose is to baptize and as we search for people to teach whether it’s in the street or on member lists or the best way MEMBER REFERRAL'S. Our purpose is to invite others to some unto Christ and I know that if members and missionaries work together we find successes. 

So this week I had been doing a lot of thinking about what makes a successful missionary. I began to think about some of the missionaries of the Book of Mormon o how Alma and Amulek teach in perfect harmony as well as testify with power. Ammon and how he taught King Lamoni, but I like Aaron story the most right now because this is how a successful missionary works I believe. Aaron began to preach the gospel, but just began to preach and cry repentance. Now the people he teaches hearing this only decide to throw him in prison. Once Ammon frees him from prison the scriptures say that he left to preach the gospel, but his time he left to do it with the Spirit guiding him, and once he did this he had success. By following the spirit he was lead to Lamonis father the Lamanite King and converted not only him, but the entire city of the King. From the story of Aaron I realized that if we follow the spirit the words will be given to us, but we will be lead to those who need to receive the gospel because they are prepared. As well the other part that we are called to teach by the spirit and if we do so then it is of God and his hand will be there, but if we don’t teach by the spirit we are limited to our own success, which is a very small portion of what our real potential is. I know that if we listen the spirit will guide us to those who need the gospel and give us the words we must say.

I LOVE YOU ALL

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Elder Perfili       

Costumes Katrina and Katrin from Del la Des Mortes

Happy Halloween or Feliz Dia De Los Muertos

Happy Halloween! Well it’s a little late for that but as well for you Mexicano’s Feliz Dia De Los Muertos! So the last week was full of travel and traditions here in Mexico. So on Wednesday I had to go to Zacatecas to sign documents for my green card. After that we spent the week looking and looking, but we just couldn’t find people. Then Saturday arrived and I was expecting the streets to be filled with children, but instead nothing just a normal day. On Sunday though I was in shock! The kids dress up and leave to the streets, and on Monday they do the same. Its two days of Trick or treating here! The other thing is that the costumes here are very different. The kids here paint their faces and this is there costume or they just put a mask on. The popular costumes here are Katrin or Katrina these are the skeletons that you see as people in Mexican art and after that Chucky. As well the people here make the kids work a little harder to get there candy, the kids have to sing in order to receive their candy. It’s pretty funny to be honest because in Mexico it’s different in every part, but in Jerez they have to sing. As well on Sunday we had an investigator in church! She is very funny and very nice. She’s a little older, but we have a good feeling the lords put us in her path. 

Well the normal tradition for Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead is to go to the cemetery with your family to visit your dead family members. The family as well place a photo, flowers, and food on the grave of the person. At night they say that the person returns from the dead and eats the food. The following day they return to see the food gone and place more flowers. Why do I tell you the tradition because? As these people remember their dead we do as well, but we know that it’s not the end. The Plan of Salvation clearly teaches us the God created a plan in which we would be tried and tested and in the end we would have to die, but that as well because of Jesus Christ we one day will rise from the dead. The Plan of Salvation gives us the opportunity to not just remember our loved ones, but that through Christ and his Gospel we will return to live with them and our Heavenly Father if we come to know of them.  Know that this Plan is real and that it is perfect. I testify that families can be together forever. 

Elder Perfili

I LOVE YOU ALL

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Hurricane Weather

 Hello brothers and sisters it’s crazy that we are once again in that holiday time of the year when it’s Halloween and before we know it Christmas. This week was tough, not because we didn’t have a lot of work, but because it was full of teaching moments that really pulled and refined me, in the end though I am extremely grateful. On Monday we spent the day teaching a recent convert whose name is Erika she is very funny because she can talk for hours. On Tuesday we then taught a few new investigators and a recent convert Carlos. His story is really cool but he is a very nice guy and his wife is the sister that served her misión in Anaheim California. We spent the week teaching, but on Friday is when we learned about the Hurricane. The entire day it rained and we worked the entire day wet and tired. Then at the end of the day we learned that the hurricane was going to pass right over us, but we slept the entire night in peace and the following day was rain free. A true blessing. We then continued work with the investigators that we have two families, but they didn’t come to church on Sunday! It’s frustrating when this happens, but something that is necessary for an investigator to want to come to church is that they know someone there. Today as well I took photos of a few of the church’s here in Jerez which are the oldest churches here in Jerez. This week I’m excited because I’m going to get to see Halloween here in Mexico as well as Dia de Los Muertos. I’ll take pictures if I can.

Well this week I was thinking about what it is that I can do better to be a more effective and successful missionary. I then heard about three or four times this week about the talk that Elder Durant gave which is in English I don’t know the word, but in Spanish it is meditizar. To ponder 80% and memorize 20% of a scripture of your choice. I like that he promised that we would increase our knowledge of the scripture, but as well we will change our thoughts. As we choose to ponder on the scriptures we begin to elevate our thoughts and as we do so we invite the spirit to be with us. If the spirit is with us then we make good desciones. As well if we ponder on the scriptures we make ourselves mentally and spiritually strong in keeping pure thoughts. This week I am using a scripture in Alma and I lie the idea of doing this because I really do feel that is we follow the invitation of Elder Durrant that as we do it over a long period of time for example 52 scriptures for one year and our goal is for 2 years, then we learn 104 scriptures, but if we do it for more years our knowledge and our reward is greater. I know that the scriptures are the words of Christ and that they will tell us all things that we must do. 

I LOVE YOU ALL

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Elder Perfili       

the two oldest church's in Jerez

First week in Jerez

Well another week and in a new place. This week I was able to get to know a little bit better my companion, but as well I got to know more my Zone Leader as well. So the area in which I serve is a ward. There are four missionaries in total, two Elders and two sisters. I still am in a small city, but the city is still really big for us four. My companion and I were working a lot this week in finding, but as well in teaching less actives. I am still getting to know the ward, but what I have seen I have enjoyed. The city here is very similar to Ojocaliente, because it’s extremely colonial. Work right now with investigators as pretty good this week, because we found about 8, a family as well. Unfortunately though on Sunday we weren’t able o see any of the investigators in church. It’s alright though, because it’s the first week. The ward here is kind of small, but the members are very friendly. This week as well I went back to the city of Zacatecas with one of my Zone Leaders for exchanges. His name is Elder Greene, and he is a really good missionary. In Zacatecas I was able to once again experience the very high hills of the city these hills are like those of San Francisco, but I enjoyed learning from him. 

This week I had been pondering a lot about my work and what I need to do better. I think we all do this now and then and it’s important, but I found that when we do this that for all the pondering that we do as well there is something else we can do. Every night as we kneel down in prayer this is our opportunity to give an account of what we have done in the day. I was reading Preach My Gospel, and I learned something, and that is when we are praying that we still ask our Father in 

Heaven as well, "What Else Can I do?” I know that if we have thought it out first in our mind and we then ask God that he will tell us what we should do. 

I LOVE YOU ALL

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Elder Perfili  

Transfer to Jerez, Zacatecas

Well Brothers and sisters I have been transferred to another area. I left Rio Grande today with my companion and we arrived in Fresnillo. From there we left once again to Zacatecas and after 6 months in Fresnillo. I’m back again in Zacatecas and in another one of the small cities outside of the big city. There is a song in Spanish that says, "Si Señor Yo Soy del Rancho", and at this point I can say that where I have served has been soiled ranchitos. I’m excited though because I’m now in Jerez Zacatecas as the District Leader. I don’t know how that happened, but okay. My companions name is Elder Dominguez and he is from Puebla Mexico like my trainer was. He actually ends his mission in two transfers as well. Well I don’t have a ton of news on the new area, but I do want to say what Elder Paniagua and I were able to accomplish in the area before transfers. Throughout the week we were looking for a lot of new investigators, but we lost a lot, and as well we are having a few problems with the investigator that was going to be baptized. At the end of the week I was worried, but everything on Sunday was perfect because we were able to move into the new chapel. The new chapel was absolutely amazing, and it was a powerful testimony meeting. The spirit was so strong this day and I know that I received an answer to my fast. 

Well I don’t have a lot to say, but I do want to share my testimony on fasting. This weekend as many of you all did I fasted. I was able to abstain from food and water for 24 hours for the purpose to receive personal revelation, and I received it. I like the explication of the fast that my companion gives he says when we pray is a very soft knock at the door of God, but when we fast it’s a great big pound that opens the door a little bit faster. I know that this is true and that the law of the fast is a true principle of the gospel. I know that as Isaias promises that when we do so that the Lord will respond by saying, here I am. Of this I testify.

I LOVE YOU ALL

God Be With You Till We Meet Again  

 Elder Perfili

One Year Closer to God

Well my brothers and sisters I'm going to keep this letter short. This week was full of lessons and lots of learning moments. Throughout the week we had lessons with some of the investigators that are progressing, but they are struggling because Satan really stinks. Something that I saw those that was key in helping them was that we brought a member and that these members borre a very strong testimony that helped them to stay focused and that the Spirit could testify to there hearts of what was being said. As well we had exchanges with the Zone Leaders this week and we were able to learn a lot from them or at least I was. One thing was to just do the absolute best that you can. On Saturday and Sunday we were truly blessed to hear from Prophets and apostles of God and see three more be called and sustained as members of the quorum of the 12. The talks this conference were amazing and I loved every single one of them. Unfortunately though this week we won't be baptizing, we had to change the baptismal date of the woman we have been teaching. It hurts, but She'll be ready and strong. As well exciting news for the Branch here, they finished the chapel and we're going to be in it on Sunday. For those who want to know transfers are at the end of the week and were hoping no, but six months here probably means it's my turn. Wherever I am though I know who I am serving.

Well yes I have one year in the misión I have to face it, but I just want to share with you the gift of what happens when we put God first for a year of our lives. I  came to my misión as a very confident 18 year old Young man who thought he knew what a misión would be like. I discovered an adversity I had never encountered before and a range of emotions that I never thought possible. This year of my life I would never trade it for anything because I have grown closer to God. I have come to know him a Little bit better and he knows me better now as well. I know without a doubt in my mind I am a participant of this his work and that he is guiding me everyday. In one year I have come to learn more of the commandments of God and repent and keep myself worthy. For one year I have felt the presence of God in the best of times and the worst. In one year I have come to know that the Gospel of Jesús Christ has been restored and that it has a prophet on the earth. In just one year I have grown closer to God I can't wait to know what two years is like.

I LOVE YOU ALL

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Elder Perfili