Transferred to San Luis

Well brothers and sisters once again I have been transferred, `but this time

I’m in San Luis Potosi. Here I arrived early in the morning with my new companion Elder Castañeda. Elder Dominguez my other companion stayed in Jerez. I arrived and was able to see some familiar faces, but as well we left the bus station to go to the house. Right now I’m just getting to know my area and bearings. I would first like to share what happened last week in Jerez though before I continue. Last week was special. We were able to continue helping the two young women and one had an answer to their prayer! They both really want to know the truth and I’m positive that they will baptize there! As well through contacting and asking for referrals we found a man who is extremely interested in the church and wants to know everything about because he once went to an open house of the temple. After those experiences Elder Dominguez and I kept looking and we just kept finding. The only thing though is they just have to come to church and everything will fall into place. So know for the few things I’ve seen here in San Luis all the taxis are green. The people are still catholic and the city is very interesting. The city receives a lot of visitors from the United States. I have to admit I do miss Jerez, but God has prepared something special for us here in San Luis I’m sure of it!

Well I just would like to share a short scripture. It is in Alma 29.6 the scripture speaks of how he feels in his calling. I like what he says when he says why he should desire more than to what he has been called, or to preach the gospel. I think about this sometimes and remember that God has called me with a special purpose and that as I fulfill that purpose I and he will feel satisfied, but what more can we truly desire if we are serving in a God given calling. Where he knows we should be. I know that God calls ordinary people to his work and makes them extra ordinary. 

I LOVE YOU ALL

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Elder Perfili

saying good bye to Elde Domingez

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