Apples and Oranges

Dear family and friends,

My first week training is in the books! I´m loving it so much.  Elder Ricse has come in, fresh out of the MTC, just wanting to work with all the excitement in the world.  So that´s what we´re doing! Working, working, working.  We taught the restoration a bunch of times this week and were blessed to find lots of people in their homes.  I´m loving it so far!

I can´t remember if I ever said this in an email, but it´s a new rule in the mission that two companionships can´t live together, which we were doing.  Elder Whitney, the senior missionary that lives below us, found an apartment right around the corner that was just put up for rent, so we´ll be moving the other companionship out this Friday.  It worked out nicely, because I wanted to stay and they wanted to leave haha. So that´ll be a fun thing!

The Pereda family, some recent converts who were baptized in May, are progressing quite nicely which is sweet to see.  Carlos, the dad, passed the sacrament for the first time yesterday.  It was neat to see the cute little kids with big old smiles on their faces as they partook of the sacrament from their dad.  Also, the two sons, Carlos and Mathias, are going to be baptized on July 23 which we´re pumped for, and Isela, the mom, is going to be called as 2nd counselor in the relief society.  I´m amazed at how converted they are, even moreso than many of the old members! Pretty crazy how completely the reception of the Holy Ghost can change a person!

This past week, I bought 5 pounds of oranges and 5 pounds of apples for $2.50 in this fruit market.  Boy oh boy are they tasty! Especially the mandarins.  Imagine the most juicy, flavorful mandarin orange you´ve ever eaten.  They´ve got a whole patch of them down here in Perú that they were hiding from us! 

I read this past week in Mosiah about Christ "suffering with His people."  I think it´s in chapter 8 verse 20, but I don´t remember.  When we´re sad, he´s sad! Oh, how he wants us to have the blessings of the gospel! He´s so willing to just pour out all those blessings on us, and when we sin and deprive ourselves of those blessings, or when we are passing through an especially difficult trial, he suffers with us! Quite literally! Already suffered for each and every one of us, and now suffers with each and ever one of us.  I´m so thankful for His infinite atoning sacrifice, and the grace which he is so willing to bestow upon us!

Hope everyone has a super good week!

Love, Tanner