Buen dia joven! Oraciones Contestadas

I have had just an amazing week. It was just a get down and work week here in my area, and forget about everything! I can wait to see what happens. It was so nice to be out of the offices for more time. I have really come to see this week how all of us come from so many different walks in life and have so many different beliefs in God. Let me just say these are for sure the "Latter Days" haha. 😁 Time is rolling by so fast and I really am not liking it. One week I was starting the mission and now mine is drawing near to a close. I don't even want to think about how my friends must feel who are even closer to going home. We have been talking for months with our ward about doing a Mini CCM or mini MTC experience with the ward to help them have more excitement about the work, and nothing was happening. Lots of time passed and I just decided to do it. I made an itinerary on the computer with a daily schedule and delegated all of the assignments to all of the church organizations. I gave them the plan and they looked so happy they just took it and RAN!! The young women are making fake mission calls to pass out to all the youth participating the week before and the Elder´s Quorum will be making fake name tags for all the youth. I don't know exactly how it all happened, but now ELDER BALDERAMA will be there to speak to all the youth. Elder Balderama, the general authority, soon to be mission president in Peru. I have meet Elder Balderama several times, but never like this. I wouldn't say I am nervous, but I am for sure anxious to see what happens. We found a family weeks ago that we were never able to visit because of office stuff and Donald, but we finally got to visit with them and they are amazing. It is a mother with two kids and two grandkids. The grandchildren are CRAZY! And super hyperactive. They remind me so much of my brothers Josh and Andrew. The younger one kept stealing my comps bible, so I would steal back and with huge eyes and a smile say GRACIAS INSERIO! MUCHAS GRACIAS! (THANKS! REALLY! THANK YOU!). He would just stare at me and laugh and go away. Besides the grandkids running around jumping off of things getting hurt. It was a very spiritual lesson, and they accepted a baptismal date. I hope they can keep progressing and find out everything is true.

I started off the mission speaking pretty good Spanish, but now I speak Bolivian Spanish, which is like “the hood Spanish” I try so hard not to but now it just comes out! Almost everyone speaks like this! Grave siempre saben ser pero!! Which means “Grave always they know to be though!” Does that make any sense in English because it sure doesn't in Spanish? Hahaha It has to stop! I think that is one of the reasons why the Lord put Elder Padilla and me are together again because is Spanish from Spain is soooo poetic and perfect and I speak like…. ugh. I love Bolivia the way they speak and everything! I got a suit made with the Bolivian flag on the inside. I hope it last me a LONG time.

One of the most special moments from this week came in my personal study. Being in Uyuni through deaths several of loved ones and Donald coming to town. Just made me so down and I kinda lost track of things. Thinking why am I here? This is not how a mission is supposed to be. On my knees has become a special position for me. I have been praying and praying and not really receiving an answer, just a peace, and a gentle peace that keeps me going. Through all the time on my knees I finally came to answer through something an Elder suggested me to read, “The Riccardi Letters”. In the letters the missionary receives an answer to his prayer that is very similar to mine, then my answer came clear as day. “Elder Heaps, I know you, I sent you there, when you prayed for help I made it hard. I gave you every one of those trials. If I would have made it easier, Elder Heaps, what good would that serve you? "What good would that serve you" was word for word what it said in the Riccardi Letters but I felt like God put it there for me. Everyone comments in their emails to me about how happy I seem, and IT´S TRUE I have never been happier! Don't let the storms pull you down. Estoy muy agradecido que Dios me dio esta oportunidad a ayudar a las personas aquí. Son parte de mi familia y cuando sufren y sufro y cuando son logran algo, celebro junto con ellos. Por todas las bendiciones Dios me da you se que todo lo que ensenamos es verdadera. La evidencia está en las escrituras, está en el arrepentamiento, y está en las nuestras bendiciones.

(I am very grateful that God gave me this opportunity to help the people here. They are part of my family, and when they suffer, I suffer, and when the accomplish something, I celebrate with them. Through all of the blessings God gives me, I know that everything we teach is true. The evidence is in the scriptures, it is in repentance, and it is in the blessings we receive.) Les amo Pero Chango! (LOVE YOU THOUGH DUDE!) Elder Heaps