Week OCHO

Buenas tardes mis amigos y mi familia.

How is everyone? This week was a pretty good one. It started with a MIRACLE.  We were walking in the street when we hear "ELDER". We looked at eachother and were like "DId you just hear Elder?". All of the sudden a door flys open from a house behind us and a 25 or so year old man comes running up to us and says, "I need to talk to you, I want you to visit my family and we are not going to rest until we are members of your church." We looked at eachother with huge smiles and said "UH YEAH OKAY". They are a family that isnt married but we talked with the secretary of marriage and got all the information for a wedding on September 22. We presented the idea to them and they responded without hesitation, "Yes we will do it." We also invited them to be baptized the day after, the 23 of September, and again almost instantly, "Yes of course we will be baptized." They are so humble and so willing to learn, they keep their commitments in reading and asisting church. I love them, and I am excited to help them reach these goals. How cool is that? That was the highlight of my week easily.

We also had a feast from Cusco Peru called Pachamanca (google it) and it was the best pork I have had in my life. I love Peruvian food so much. I am trying to learn recipes that I can take home with me.

Elder Vidal is continuing to become a brother to me. I love this guy so much and we work so well together. I took a picture of our white board (my baby) that we have in our room and some of the writings on there should describe our relationship pretty well. Oquendo is doing great and we are very confident to have some baptisms pretty soon.

This week I studied about charity. Moroni 7 talks about the importance of charity and I asked myself, what am I doing to achieve this charity? Read this chapter and ask yourself the same thing! How can you have charity for others?

I miss and love you all! Have a great week!

Funny story from his personal letter to the family:

For Pday we played this game where there were two groups of like 6 missionaries and you had to bring a fruit. Any fruit you like. I brought a pineapple. BIG MISTAKE. We had to eat it, ALL OF IT, without using our hands. I have pictures that I am trying to send but it was pretty crazy. IT was a race of who could do it the fastest and other people had like apples and bananas and I had a pineapple. But it was like a relay, when one person finished another started. So they had me go last and in the end of the entire game it was between me and an Elder who brought a cantalope. I WON. I ATE THAT PINEAPPLE SO FAST. SO fast that my lips were bleeding a little after because of the spikes. But my team was so hyped because of me it was awesome. Everyone thought we were going to lose because of my pineapple. :)

Mom's note: personally I'm shocked it wasn't a mango.  He LOVES mango!  Especially in Peru!

Semana 7... THIS is the work of the Lord

Hello my friends and family!

Nothing huge happened this week so today is a little shorter than most. We had a tough week finding new people to teach and setting very firm lesson dates. So we did a lot of searching and walking. One day I kid you not I walked 17 miles. My legs were crying and I live on the 4th floor of a very unstable looking building (so If we have a really bad earthquake yeah I am dead) so the walk up was LO PEOR (the worst).

We had a broadcast this past Sunday from the area authorities, Elder Carlos Godoy and Elder Juan Uceda of the Seventy. They both talked about reasons NOT to serve a mission (girlfriend,school,job,family) and how they are actually reasons TO serve a mission. So my email today more than anything is to those on my list contemplating serving a mission.

If you feel like you are leaving behind so much to serve, think about how much a mission will bless those things in your life. Especially the family. Your family will be watched over and protected, and more importantly, you will change the lives of every family to teach in your mission. Which will start a chain reaction, families to future missionaries to more families. THIS is the reason to serve a mission, THIS is the work of the Lord.

D&C 4 .....Read it, pray about it, apply it to your life.

I love and miss you all!

Soccer with the missionaries

 Elders Sivley and Vidal with a member in Peru...

Semana 6!

Buenas tardes mi familia y mis amigos.

What a week! We had lots of ups and downs. I am going to start with the downs.

Hermana Luz did not reach baptism. She told us the day before that she wanted to wait longer but I feel like she is sweetly telling us she will never get baptized. Which is SO SAD. Because I know for a fact she has read the Book of Mormon and felt the Spirit of truth. I really came to love her and I still do but I hate how the adversary is working so hard against her. Also this week, someone passed out at church and nobody realized because she was in a back room working on programs. We dont know how long she had been in there but Elder Vidal and I found her. She went to the hospital and we still dont know what is up or how she is doing. SCARY.

Okay, now the ups! I LOVE ELDER VIDAL. We are the same person except he was born in Chile and speaks much better Spanish. We work so well together and when we teach it is like we know what the other is going to say and the Spirit is so strong. Also, we cry laughing at at least 2 things daily. It is the best. Also we found a new family! The Chiroques. They are so humble and willing to learn and I can see their desire to make changes in their lives. I am excited to teach them more. Prayers for them please!

I was studying the words of King Benjamin this week in the Book of Mormon, chapters 2 and 3 of Mosiah always hit me. Serve others and put off the natural man. I encourage all to read these chapters and ask what you can do better to serve and be humble.

I miss and love you all and pray for you all every day!

(This 70s van was the highlight of my day today, If you know me you know I love 70s music and movies and especially cars from the 70s. Also Elder Vidal haha)

Extras from his letter to the fam:

Elder Sivley sends an audio recording every week and we love listening to it and hearing his voice... last week he sent us his daily schedule detailed out in his recording.  His mission is one of the missions that has adjusted their wake up and bedtime routines and schedules to fit the culture of the locals.  For them to get up early and be out of the house before 8 am would not benefit them at all because most Peruvians are not awake at that time.  They also eat lunch later than normal and Dinner is when they return to their apartment at 10pm.  He says that Sundays and holidays tend to be their busiest proselyting days because people are home and have family there and are usually willing to listen to their message.  So those days are pretty busy.  He loves the Peruvian people and is doing great with the language!

Week 5 in Oquendo

Hola de Oquendo, Lima Peru!

I hope that everyone has had a fantastic week. We had lots of crazy stuff happen! First, July 28 is Independence Day for Peru! We climbed a mountain and celebrated by looking over the desert frontier of Oquendo. (cue western movie music) 

One of our investigators is going to be baptized this Saturday! I would ask for an abundance of prayers as Satan is going to come at her like a swarm of locusts (shoutout to Moses). Hermana Luz Fernandez is her name and she is truly amazing. She expressed to me her concerns about baptism. She felt like if she repented and got baptized, she wasn't allowed to make mistakes. I looked at her and opened up my heart about the blessing of repentance. Tears were flowing from both this sister and I. After my testimony she said "Okay Elder, estoy lista." (I am ready.) Such a testament to me of the Spirit. She is going to be baptized first and then hopefully her 11 yr old daughter in a couple weeks! I am so excited.

Also this week, I got a new companion! We had delayed transfers and I am now with Elder Vital who is from Viña Del Mar, Chile. He is awesome and I cannot wait to work with him. It will be a challenge for me because I am the one with experience in the Oquendo area, so I gotta introduce him to everyone and every place. I hope it will increase my Spanish, which is really progressing (blessed), but I also hope it will teach me a little about being a leader in the mission. 

I love you all and I miss you. Read Matthew 5 this week, everyone needs a little Sermon on the Mount in their lives!

Week 4 in Peru + 2 months before = 3 months down, 21 to go!!!

Hello all!

This week was a long one. But I have completed a month of the mission! Combine that with the time I had before and I have 3 months! Transfers are tonight but I will probably stay in Oquendo. I am still being trained and Elder Gutierrez has only been here for a transfer.

Anyways, this week was busy, so busy I forgot to buy food. Big mistake as a missionary. I was so hungry but our Bishop came in CLUTCH. Without knowing, he bought us HUGE chicken platters and heaven in a bottle, Inca Kola. 

We didnt have any baptisms this week but we are getting so close with one investigator. Her name is Luz and she literally is Luz(light). She has such a desire to learn, but she needs church attendance! If she comes to church, she can get baptized, with her 11 yr old daughter Adriana. Prayers for her to attend would be much appreciated! 

Other than that, it was a very average week. I studied Doctrine and Covenants a lot this week and really developed a testimony of Joseph Smith. He really was someone who gave everything to the Lord. I hope to do the same on my mission.

I love and miss you all. Keep praying and reading the scriptures daily. Listen to the counsel of the Spirit. Know that God knows and loves you personally.

--Elder Hunter Sivley

*** Notes from emails with mom:

1.  Every week I ask Hunter 5 questions... this was his answer to the question, "What was your best spiritual experience this week? :

I had a huge spiritual experience today. While waiting for a bus, we saw the bus we usally take which is run by Adonai. But it looked a tad too full today, just a little bit, barely enough to make us wait for another bus. Something told me not to take this bus, for what I thought at the time was because it was crowded. So we took a different bus that was close behind it. As we were driving, an accident had happened ahead. When we passed the scene, it was the Adonai bus. I feel very protected by Heavenly Father and I am glad we chose not to take Adonai. So grateful for small spiritual impressions.

This mama is grateful as well... for BIG spiritual impressions!

2.  Elder Sivley sends us a recording every week as well.  This week's recording was made while he was walking in the streets of Oquendo and boy was it loud!  In fact, he yelled at a bus (another bus story!) that got a little too close to them!  I absolutely cherish these voice recordings as it allows me to hear his voice and feel like I am "talking" to him, not just emailing.  Love hearing him laugh too... and speak in Spanish.  So fun!

3.  I have no idea about any details of the other 2 pictures attached to this post.  The first one in the dusty street I'm assuming is where he lives because he told us he lives on Los Angeles Street.  He didn't explain the other two so just make something up...  haha.  The last one with his zone by the helicopter was posted by another mom on facebook and my son was tagged in it.  Still good to see his face and his HUGE smile!!

Week 3!!

Hola mi familia y mis amigos!

This week was AWESOME! BLANCO ES BONITO! I got my first baptism! It was a baptism for the Hermanas in our district, so not my investigator but my first baptism none the less!! I could feel the Spirit so strong and I had to hold back tears. I have worked so hard to get to that point where I'm helping someone get closer to God and the feeling was amazing. 

We had zone conferences this week and I loved it. I met so many missionaries and got to see some of my MTC group. My Zone is El Olivar and we are the best hahaha:)

 I had the opportunity to teach Sunday School this week in church and at first I was SUPER hesitant. I didn't know what I was going to teach these native Peruvian members about the gospel and especially in Spanish. But literally, the Lord put words in my mouth. The lesson went great and people actually came up to me and thanked me for my teaching. So that felt kind of awesome. 

The lesson to take away from that experience is: Trust in the Lord. Don't doubt yourself before you ask the Lord for help. I would invite everyone to read Proverbs Chapter 3. If you have any problem in your life. Trust in the Lord. If you need to repent and change something, Trust in the Lord. If you don't know what to do next, Trust in the Lord.

I leave you with those words until next week. I love and miss you all!!!

Week 2 in Peru

Hello my friends and family! Wow this week was a rough one! Since we last talked I got the flu, lost a couple baptismal dates, and we had a 4.0 earthquake HAHAHA. But I am progressing! My Spanish is something I'm worrying about less and less each day and I can almost understand everybody!

So with the flu this week I was bed ridden for Wednesday which really made me feel lazy. I hate feeling like I could be doing something better but not being able to do it. I felt better on Thursday but then 4 of our baptismal dates decided they didnt want to be taught the Gospel anymore.

That was really discouraging but I'm starting to realize that having 12 baptismal

DATES is no where near the same as having 12 BAPTISMS.

But, the week didn't end terribly. Our district had a couple baptisms and they asked me to sing and play my ukulele for them. There were a couple non members there and they were in tears after I sang "O Lord My Redeemer." I heard that one of them decided to take the lessons from other Elders after that night so I loved that experience. The earthquake was small, not big enough to break anything or hurt anybody. But it shook our chairs pretty good and surprised us all. I was nervous there was gonna be a bigger one after wards but we were assured that that is EXTREMELY rare.

From my studies, I would encourage everyone to read the final chapter of John in the New Testament where Christ tells his apostles to "Feed My Sheep".  I invite you to take that challenge upon yourselves and see what you can do to Feed His Sheep this week.

 

I miss and love you all. Hope everything is going well for yall!

picture of the view from my apartment:

 from our apartment in the other direction

Notes from email to mom:

-- Elder Sivley said that he and the other American Elders in his district got together and sang the National Anthem as loud as they could on the 4th of July.  He said the native elders looked at them like they were crazy but it was funny and very patriotic!

-- Elder Sivley already had a "can't remember the word in English" moment when he was talking about transfers and could only say "cambios." He literally could not think of the word in English which is just crazy to me since he has spoken English for 19 years and is now so concentrated on learning the Spanish language that he is forgetting English words!  haha

-- He loves your emails and pictures and words of encouragement... thank you for loving our boy!