Called to Serve: Peruvian Style: My convert is going on a mission!!

Hola Familia!

Hey guys this week has been so crazy! So first of all I got transferred last Monday. I got transferred from the beautiful city of Pucallpa back to the wonderful city of……. Iquitos! Yes it is true, I got transferred back to Iquitos for my last transfer. At first I was a little sad because I really love Pucallpa but the Lord knows what is best. Monday night I packed up my bags and said goodbye to all of my converts and Tuesday morning I was on a plane heading to Iquitos. My new ward is called Punchana and my new companions name is Hermana Tinta. She is from a small little village town in Bolivia and it has been an interesting experience being with her. Her mother is a native Indian and her dad is a drunk. Before coming on a mission she had never used a fork, slept on a mattress or heard a word of English. She is so cute and eager to learn and it has been a really humbling experience listening to her stories because I have realized how much the Lord has blessed my life and the lives of everyone around me. The new area I am in is really hard. It is really small and we got put on the rich side of town. Everyone is catholic and no one wants to let us in or even listen to us. This is definitely the hardest area that I have had on my mission! We do have two people with baptismal dates though so that is good. I had the coolest experience this week. We showed up at District Meeting and we were waiting for the leaders and I saw a member that had been in my ward in Internacional, my area in Iquitos last year. I began talking with him about my converts and how the ward is doing and he told me, “Hermana Allphin, Marco is going on a mission!” Marco is a 18- year-old boy that Hna Hernandez and I had the privilege of teaching and baptizing last March. When we first found him he was living a hard life. He had an abusive father, his family was pretty much desolate and he wanted nothing to do with the church. We worked with this family for a long time and then last February he told us, “Hermanas, I want to be an Elder.” I kind of just laughed and told him that baptism was the first step. He was baptized with his little brother and sister and his mom was baptized a couple months later. I can’t even begin to tell you the love I have for this family. Marco is such an amazing person and the joy that filled my heart when I heard that he is going on a mission was indescribable. My convert is going on a mission!!! He is going to enter the temple!!! He is going to the Guatemala, Guatemala City South mission and he leaves in April!!! I am so excited. Missionary work really pays off sometimes. I love you family; I hope you have a wonderful week!

Love,

Hermana Allphin