"Many of the things you can count, do not count. Many of the things you cannot count really do count."

In the talk by Elder Uchtdorf in this past conference "On Being Genuine" he quoted Albert Einstein and said this "Many of the things you can count, do not count. Many of the things you cannot count really do count."

This is the lesson i have learned this week. So this week was totally crazy because Tuesday and Wednesday we had exchanges with Hna. Garcia and Hna. Vasquez. I LOVE hna vasquez and it was so fun  to work with her and work in another area but then it kina of threw me off because i felt like i didnt know what was going on in my area.. Then we lost Petronila. We tried to visit her and immediatley she said, "oh I'm leaving". Uhhhhhh.... Literally we were so excited for her. We think that her Evangelist relatives that she has visited twice now, have talked bad about the mormons and influenced her to doubt what she has felt. Then we've been struggling with Cristian Cordova who is a recent convert, 18 years old, but we went to visit him and we really felt to talk about Elder Ballards talk to the Priesthood and really use the questions that he uses to get to what was really going on with Cristian. Right off the bat, with INSPIRED QUESTIONS he opened up and told us he wasn't reading, wasn't praying or attending church. He felt terrible and he wanted to change, but one key thing we learned is that he didnt know HOW to pray. His prayers were short and fast and we explained in detail how to pray, how to receive answers and how to recognize answers to them. FANTASTIC lesson and it blew me away. Then at the end we asked him to give the prayer and he didn't want to because he didn't think it would be good enough but we encouraged and encouraged and finally he said the prayer. It was still a little fast but you could really tell that he was trying really hard to change his prayers.

The other amazing thing that happened this week was during our Weekly Planning. We started talking about one of our rescued members and how we have to build her self confidence anyhow while we were talking Hna. Echegaray opened up about her family and some things she was struggling with. Then she told me about a dream she had the night before where her dad was freaking out and her aunt kept calling her name saying only she could help calm him down. Hna. Echegaray went home before for back problems earlier in her mission but she returned to the mission. But now her back problems are returning and she has heart problems now too. Basically her body is just failing her. We also had to get her glasses a couple weeks ago because we found out she cant see much in one eye lol. Anyhow Ive talked with hna. rasmussen many times and this last time Hna. Rasmussen told me that most likely she will have to go home again, but that she would try her best to find another way. I really didn't want to tell this to hna. echegaray becuase i knew it would devaste her. Well after she told me this dream i felt strongly that i should tell her then and i did. She cried and i cried with her. But then we read about the Brother of Jared and how he stayed on the beach for 4 years and didn't want to leave but the Lord had a promised land waiting for him after the gigantic scary waters of the ocean. We talked and talked and talked about how Dad has back problems and what he has been doing at one point i cried out, "Oh Dad i wish you were here!!" Suddenly the thought came so clear, your dad is always here. I told hna echeagaray that neither one of us had the answers to why his was happening or what she should do but our Heavenly Father did and she needed to talk with him in specific questions to know. So i left to be in the hall so she could talk out loud and when i returned wow we both felt soo much better and we really felt the love of God. 

                So how does that connect with the quote? 

Well these two experiences took up alot of time and now that we have lost Petrnolia as an investigator, we had a lot of zeroes this week but you know what my companion received the strength she needed and someone who made a commitment to God was given strength to try again. Sometimes the things that we don't form into numbers but they are always worth it to God. We just have to do them. So dont get caught up in the numbers!! Don't count the hours or focus on the money, just love God and serve your fellow men. This is why we are here, so do it!!!

I love and miss you all tons family!! You are all gorgeous and im so jealous of you guys getting to go to Hawaii but im glad you had fun!! Keep working hard and having fun together. Boys dont get too big so i cant sit on you when i get home. And keirra dont break to many hearts. Mom try not to break too many ribs ok? lololol and dad your the bomb. Thanks for caring so much for me like my Heavenly Father (:

Hermana Tanuvasa

God is working to bring me to Christ

Hello Family!!!! I miss you guys again!! The pictures are so cute! The house looks great and wow you dont have your old car anymore!! But the new one looks great! How are you liking it mom? Keirra you are just too fashionable in those pioneer clothes (Keirra went on trek this week) lol and kanoah and keanu you guys are so big!!!! Uh plus kai my little monkey you are still the cutest of them all. GOOD LUCK KANOAH IN MAUI! You will do awesome as always! Mom if you could resend that pic of him i couldnt open it because it was too small. Usually one or two photos in an email are good to actually be able to see them. Also the temple stain glass is GORGEOUS!!! 

So i got the package this week!!! woohooo i am so enjoying it! plus all the elders in my zone were soooo jealous lol. also i got the two letters you sent to the CCM. Keanu i missed you and your hugs alot this week. I also miss your laugh. Family, i miss normal sized people uhhhh everyone is really small here ahahhaha.

So this week has been calmer but something that i learned is alot oabout PATIENCE! I read the article in the August Liahona about a missionary learning patience and wow!! Basically lets just say sometimes im still treated like the dumbest gringo here who doesnt know a lick of spanish. Ya pues whatever right? well add that to frustrating investigators or recent converts that are struggling to keep their covenants and a companion who you are with 24/7 ahha things can get kinda hectic soemtimes. But anywho Im coming to love it and learn that patience is an attritibute that we develop with time. Funny how with things like art i have tons of patience but sometimes here i feel too quick to frustration. Mom your email last week about not thinking bad thoughts about our companions really helped. Its soo true that our thoughts is were it all starts. As mosiah directs us to "Watch ourselves in our thoughts and our words and our deeds." Im still working and gaining the attributes of Christ. As im working to bring others to christ, God is working to bring me to Christ. thats somethig that the aritcle said, "that god is just as interested in the instrument as he is in the work that needs to be done." So not much has happend other than Hermana Petronila now has a baptism date set for the 23 of September!!! She really does want to find the truth and she has such a beautiful trust in God that he will show her the way. We fasted for her this week that she can find her answers. But its like i can already see her in her baptismal clothes ready to enter into the water (: uh things like this are so much better than any christmas present. 

So other cool stuff is that we had a couple changes in the mission. So first we have to report in our letters to President Rasmussen how many times in the week we got up at 630, how many times we had personal study, how many times we had companionship study, and how many contacts we had. President Rasmussen says hes looking for the missionaries 7777. 7 for every thing and then a bare minimumm of 70 contacts in a weeks hahah easy peasy for us over here in the city. Another change we had is that from now on every day from 6-8 we only contact. If we are knocking doors and someone lets us in we can teach but we cannot set appointments for these hours.!! this is so good and yet so different. We usually have a lot of appointments in these hours but we can do divisions to teach them. So this means we will be needing a lot of help from the ward. Honestly i believe it is real revelation that will be so good for us. We´ve already started to implement it and we have two new investigators, one of which is a cute little family. 

So not too much this week but i love you all so much and thanks so much for the letters and package. Send us something fun (hermana echegaray and i ) when you go to hawaii!!! 

Love and miss you guys, 

Hermana Tanuvasa

Jesus Christ is the only begotten son of God

Hello family!

        Mom I'm so glad to hear that you recovered a lot of your photos. God really does want us to be happy on this earth and if we ask for it he will strengthen us. 

This week my letter is a little bit shorter. But let me tell you that I have seen miracles happen. I don't have any pictures either this week. Piura isn't the prettiest tour spot in the world, but some of the most beautiful moments with Christ reside here.

        This week I went on splits with Karla Monica, a rescatada in our ward, we found a woman in the street who we contacted for 45 MINUTES. She had a broken heart concerning the pains that had afflicted her daughter and family for many years. 

         We also had many broken hearts in our ward and with our ward mission leader as his wife passed away of a heart attack saturday night. i played the piano for the services and we sang Families Can Be Together Forever at the service. Oh how heavy the pain was.  My companion was laden with many burdens on her heart as she suffered with carrying the weight of the pain of the ward, those we teach, her family, and the many difficulties she is having with her health.

         Many people around me this week had broken hearts, inluding me, but i testify to you that all is well. Each indiviual person that suffered in one way or another , through Jesus Christ, I was able to give peace and comfort. But it wasnt me, it was the Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ. Only because of him were these burdens lifted. I cannot imagine how life would be without Him. Saturday night the bishop called and asked me to give a talk. What did i talk about? JESUS CHRIST.  remember this quote for Elder Hollands talk,

        "That first easter sequence of Atonement and Resurrection constitues the most consequential moment, the most generous gift, the most excrutiating pain, and the most majestic manifestation of pure love ever to be demnstrated in the history of the world. Jesus Christ , the Only Begotten SON OF God, suffered, died and rose from death."

This is my testimony !!!! and this week I have seen the importance of Him in my life. So i ask that this week each one of you, the fam bam and all who are reading my blog, to look at your life and realy ask "why is Jesus Christ important in my life?" 

I promise that as you ponder, pray and search for the answers to this question, you will see miracles, as I have this week. 

I love and miss you all so much every day. 

KEEP GOING FORWARD. 

LOVE Hermana Tanuvasa

Always focus on Jesus Christ and Keep an an Eternal Perspective

All that you and dad have done for me has seriously blessed my life and each day I teach and look at other families that don't have the gospel or don't have the foundation of the gospel that you gave me, I am sad and yet eternally grateful.  Hey, if you could, dont forget the missionaries in that ward. We need the help of the members more than anything, as you probably know. Thanks for the package im SUPER excited. lol anything from home will be AWESOME!! lol so i forgot to tell you last time but ELDER BEDNAR IS COMING TO PERU. We are going to go hear him speak in Chiclayo the 27 of August so ill send you my notes and maybe he can bless you guys some more. 

Also.....,

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD. I know im early but i wont get time later and you guys mean the world to me. You literally are the best parents ever and your example blesses me every day in my life. I want the blessings of eternity and of the temple because of your examples!! Don't ever stop loving each other and always always look to Christ to love each other more,. Hahah but im preaching to the choir. Because of your example im learning this with my temporary companion right now. Bless you and i love and miss you both, together (:

So This week has been fun!~  We had a lesson with Mariela Guerrero who is a less active with two kids with Ana and Juan Jose. We have been teaching the children but they haven't been progressing or coming to church and we realized they really can't without the help of their mom. So we determined it was more important to find the mom first and teach her. We taught her and we were so direct. I said that if she desires the happiness of salvation in the life to come she needs to keep an eternal perspective and keep the commandments that God has given. I could see in her face that she was pondering very deeply and we are hoping they change. Thursday we had a Capacitacion Training meeting with President and Sister Rasmussen. SPIRITUAL INSPIRATION lol it was fantastic. 

Later we had Milton Viera who is a really smart investigator. We gave him a BOM last week and then we had a lesson about it. UHH he had so many strange questions about angels and aliens and all sorts of things that our lessons took about an hour and a half!! But what we ended up telling him was that look we don't have the answers! God does! So read his word and focus on what you need at this time! What is of ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE. He started to smile as he finally realized that for himself he could know what God desired of him! Wow what a spiritual lesson. This lesson also happened to fall on exchanges which was so fun. I stayed here in Miraflores with Hermana Kaeding who leaves for her home in 5 days!! Wow, yet she was ready to work and finish strong. I learned alot from her. Finally i have to tell you about goals. So we have had the goal almost every week to have 10 contacts every day... let me tell you what our totals were the past 4 weeks.... 12,15, 21, and 17.....uhhhhh bad missionaries lolol. But i found this thing by a mission president to a new missionary (not sure who gave it to me) and it said that if each missionary has ten contacts a day (20 between both companions) their baptisms will double. I was determined to do better and obtain this blessing. And guess what???!!!!! This weeks total was........ 58 contacts!!!!! WOOO-HOOOOO. Ok so we didnt have the number we wanted but its so much better!! and miracles have happened!! Milton has commited to baptism!!! 

So what do all these scrambled stories have to do with each other... I will tell you. All this week i have been studying in Alma and the words that Alma is preaching as high priest of the church, btw essentially a misssionary. And what does he focus on in each chapter... Christ and His Coming! So this whole week I've been focusing on Christ and teaching our investigators to focus on his Second Coming. Because really just like in the BOM the days of His coming are speedily upon us!! Guys!! always, always, always focus on Jesus Christ and keep an eternal perspective of what is to come and i promise you will change and things around you will change. Im so thrilled for Christ to come because He is my Savior and Redeemer and He knows each and every one of us individually. I can look to Him and find EVERYTHING i need. 

So i hope you are all well and good and reading your scriptures every day!!  and focus on Christ remember Him in everything). I love and miss you all and think of you everyday! Im glad you are being so awesome!! Have a great week!

Hermana Tanuvasa

I Love Sis Rasmussen!!!

Sis Sepulveda has great taste!!

I love Hermana Howell <3

Hermana Kaeding