March 28th, 2016

Well, we are just about to finish up the month of March and I can't believe it. These months have been going by super fast and now being here with my old companion has just made the time go by even faster. 

This last week has actually been a really good week. It was hard saying bye to a lot of the people in Huaraz because I was able to have such a good relationship with all of them, but I am excited to be here in Chimbote. My area is called bellamar. (Beautiful Ocean) Well really it should be beautiful sea but they translate mar to ocean here. It's kind of interesting because we are no where near the ocean and so I'm not sure why it is called beautiful ocean but oh well.

The people here in Bellamar are really awesome. I think I forgot how much I liked Chimbote when I was here the last time, but I am coming back to realize how much I really do like Chimbote. I'm really excited to be here and I am excited to serve the people here.

This last week there was a scripture or a chapter that was really on my mind this last week which was Romans 6. It pretty much talks about the importance of baptism and the importance of repentance. Paul symbolizes the baptism to the death and resurrection of Christ and so I really liked that and I was able to get a little more out of it than I had before.

Anyways, nothing much else happened. I'm still getting to know the area and the members and so I am excited for this upcoming week.

I love you all and hope you have a great week! Happy Easter yesterday! 

Love,

Elder Thorpe

March 21st, 2016

Well this has got to be one of the greatest weeks that I have had on my mission. I can't say that we taught as many people as we have other weeks here in the mission, but the spirit that I was able to feel this last week was incredible. This week I decided to study all about the atonement which was such a great experience for me! I loved being able to feel the power of the atonement working in my life and for the blessings that I was able to see as I applied the atonement! My companion and I also decided to do an activity with the zone in teaching about the atonement which was super spiritual. One of my all time favorite things to do is testify and hear other testimonies about the atonement! It was such a great experience. 

This last week my companion and I had a lot of success in visiting with a lot of different people. We were able to see a lot of mini miracles throughout the week including meeting a drunk guy. Normaly we try not talking to drunk people but this last week we were on our way home and we took a route that we normaly don't take and so as we were walking a guy yelled over to us to come and talk with him and so we decided to talk to him and he expressed his desires to change his life. The very next day he came to church with us and we were able to go over to his house to teach him about the gospel. The Lord works in mysterious ways and at times we can't recognize the people that surround us that are ready to receive the gospel and that is why we must talk to everyone as missionaries! 

Yesterday my companion and I got a phone call and so I have been assigned to a new zone (still as a zone leader) I have been changed 1 week early and it was because my mission president said that they need help in the zone I am going to, and so I will be leaving tonight to be with my old companion from the MTC, Elder Perkes! I am super excited to go to Chimbote again to serve the people there!

Well. I love you all and hope you have a great week! I'll let you know how Chimbote goes!
Love,

Elder Thorpe

March 14th, 2016

Through all of the struggles and trials that I have faced as a missionary, there has always been one thing that has lifted me up and has given me hope, and that is the love that my Father in Heaven has for me. As an imperfect son of a perfect father I think often of the parable of the prodigal son, and that I have a Heavenly Father that loves me and awaits for my return. We might struggle and feel alone when in reality, God is here for us and is watching over us with his angels. I think often of the story in the Bible when Elisha shows to his servant the power of God and the love that he has for his children by sending horses and chariots of fire to protect them. (2 Kings 6:15-17)

This last week I've been thinking a lot about Charity. Not just thinking about it but as well as trying to apply it even more in my life. One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is 1 Corinthians 13 when Paul speaks to the members of the church on Charity. If we have no charity we truly are nothing. If we are not pure in heart we aren't able to have this love for other people. We might have all the knowledge of the world and even be a person that other people look up to, but if we don't have charity, we are nothing. I love verse 11.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

This has been something that I have tried to apply to my life, especially being here on my mission. I understand that when I was younger I made mistakes and probably acted as a child, but now as I have been able to reflect back on those times and see the person that I am now, I've realized that I have changed in my thoughts, actions, attitude, but most importantly in my heart. 

I truly do love the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is all about change and all about love. I have been able to see the truthfulness of it in the lives of so many people but probably most importantly in my own life. I can't say that I am perfect and that I always do exactly what my Father in Heaven wants me to do, but I feel like I am progressing and that I am getting there. 

What a huge blessing it has been to be here on my mission. I know that the Gospel is true. I know that we have a loving Father in Heaven that lives and loves us. Christ is the redeemer of the world and he lives. I know that through him and his gospel we can change and become the people that our Father desires us to be. I will never be able to doubt the truthfulness of these things because they have all been testfied to me through the Holy Spirit. What greater calling can I have than to share these things with all my brothers and sisters.

I love you all so much and hope you have a great week!

Love,
Elder Thorpe

March 7th, 2016

Well once again another week has come and gone. This week went by super fast and was actually a really weird week. To start off, my companion and I were only able to go out proselyting about 2 to 3 days this last week. On Tuesday our Stake President asked us to do a training for the bishops here in Huaraz and so on Tuesday we were busy planning that with the stake president. The training went super good and there was a lot that everyone could learn. It was kind of interesting because that was my first training that I have done on a stake level. Our stake president asked us if we could do them every month, which we told him we would be able to. I'm excited to be able to participate in these trainings. I think I've said it before, but I love doing trainings. Whether it be with missionaries, ward members, or even stake leaders. It's always good to be able to train and learn at the same time.   On Wednesday we had a successful day in teaching various people. I think my companion and I are starting to get to a point where we are able to get a good group of people that are listening to us and are able to progress, which is good because we have been lacking that in the last few weeks. Hopefully by the end of this change we will be able to have the golden group that we are working for. We ended up teaching a less active a couple of times this last week which was really good. We helped her understand the importance of choosing the right path even if it might be the hardest. 

On Friday I ended up staying in the clinic and room all day because one of the missionaries got bit by a dog and so he couldn't leave the room or move around too much. Luckily he is doing better. On Saturday we had a Zone conference with President Rios It was really good to hear from him and the vision that he has for the mission. We talked a lot about conversion as well as the spirit. Afterward he took my companion and I out to lunch to express his appreciation for us and the confidence that he has in us. It was really good to hear that from him and feel the love that he has for us. 

On Sunday we had Stake Conference which was really good. The Stake President talked a lot about trusting in the Lord and having the faith to rely fully in the gospel and the atonement of Christ. It was a really good conference and I was able to learn a lot.

This week for me was a little different but yet really good. I was able to learn a lot but even better was that I was able to apply a lot of what I learned. 

Well, I love you all so much and hope you have a great week!

Love,
Elder Thorpe

February 29th, 2016

Happy Leap Year! Well I'm not sure what we even do on a leap year but I guess it's good to say since it only happens once every 4 years! So Happy Leap Year!

This week has been a week of such great experiences. It has been a week that has helped me grow in my faith and trust in the Lord. As we trust in our Savior and the spiritual promptings that we receive we will always be led to do what the Savior would have us do. I love that part of my missionary commission. I am here to do and say what the Savior himself would do and say if we were here in my very position. I have no doubt that as we trust in the Lord and in the Holy Ghost we are able to understand the will that our Father in Heaven has for us. At times it is hard to do it. It was even hard for the Savior, but he continually said through the pain, trials, and anguish that he experienced, that he didn't come into the world to do his will nor the worlds will. Rather he came to the world to do the will of his Father. Oh how grateful I am for a Savior that was so strong in following what his Father would have him do.

On Wednesday night we were out trying to contact a less active from our ward directory. When we arrived to the house, no one was there so we started to leave but as we were leaving we saw a couple walking towards the house and so we decided to go up to talk to them. They then told us that this less active had moved which we ended up going to try and find this house after receiving directions from Peruvians. Something you need to understand is that Peruvians don't really give that great of directions but we headed off and ended up in this ally. We decided to knock on the last door but the person that answered didn't want anything to do with us. We decided to knock one more door and 2 minutes later a man came out from the 3rd floor. We decided to contact him and ended up sharing the whole message of the restoration of the gospel. (All in English) He then asked how it could all be true and how he could know in which we shared the Book of Mormon with him and told him through the spirit he would be able to know if it was true. He then promised that he would read the entire Book of Mormon and asked if we could come back on Monday (Today). And so today we will go back to share a more amplified message of the restoration. 

I have no doubt that we were led by God to find this Man and I look forward to visiting with him in just a little bit. 

I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ direct this work and that as servants of them we must always be willing and ready to do what they want us to do so that we are able to truly bring fruits unto him. I love the gospel and I love my mission!

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Elder Thorpe

February 22nd, 2016

Well this week has been a great week. I say this because it has been a week of learning. I know that I have mentioned this before, but Huaraz at times is super hard. Especially when it comes down to finding new investigators and getting into their houses. This week my comp and I have been focussing a lot on how to enter into houses and how we can invite the spirit more into our contacts that we do. What we have tried to do this last week is start off by testifying of a loving Heavenly Father who has a plan for them and that we are here as representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ to share this plan and to help people understand the importance of the Savior in their lives. As we have focussed on teaching right out of a contact instead of saying "We would like to share a message with you about Jesus Christ" we have noticed that more people have desires to learn. My companion and I were talking and we feel like many people are tired of hearing from people that are from different churches. So instead of saying we are from a different church we try to look for what they need and share solutions to their needs. It has helped us out a lot and we plan on continuing teaching in this way.

This week we had a lot of success with less actives and we are excited to see about 4 of them take the next steps and become full time active members. It has been so good to get to know each and every one of them and to share with them my testimony of the gospel. They are such great people and have such great spirits. One of them the other day mentioned how strong she could feel the spirit as we shared with her our testimonies and just the presence of us being in their house. I know that the Lord works through his spirit to be able to testify and confirm the messages of his restored gospel.

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is perfect. As we strive to apply it in our lives we can truly be changed. I love what PMG says. As we learn about the atonement we are able to apply it in our lives and see the miracles that come only from the sacrifice of the Savior Jesus Christ.

I want you all to know that I love you so much and I am thankful for all of your thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Elder Thorpe

February 15th, 2016

Well this week has been a really interesting week. Nothing out of the usual really happened. My new companion, Elder Andia, arrived Wednesday morning. He is adapting to the way things are here in Huaraz since the work here is a little different. This week we actually had a lot of success with less actives that are really close to being considered active members again. It has been good to be able to work with them and to help them recognize the principles of the gospel and the importance they have in our lives. It has been good to be able to work with Elder Andia this last week and to find a unity between the two of us. I know that there is still a lot of work to do with our companionship but we have for sure got off to a good start. 

This last week we ended up having our monthy leadership council. Luckily it was a lot better then last leadership council. I'm looking forward to sharing with the zone what I was able to learn but as well as what I was able to feel. I'm excited for this change and for all of the 8 new missionaries that arrived on Wednesday. 

As far as the work here in Huaraz, I won't say that we are having all of the success in the world because we aren't. But we are sure getting better and we are excited to continue imporving every single week. Many missionaries want to come to the zone because it is such a cool place but once they are here they want to leave because it is super hard, but I see it as a blessing for me to learn more about patience and learn to love the people more even if at times they don't love me back.

I want to leave you with my testimony that although we may face trials and although we might fall, our savior is here to pick us up and to come along with us all of the way if we allow him to. His gospel is perfect. At times we might not be perfect and we might not follow his gospel perfectly but as we strive to live it the best that we can and rely on the Lord and his Holy Spirit we can truly reach exaltation.

I love you all so much and hope you have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Thorpe