Feb 3, 2014 El Desierto, Cuy

This week has been rewarding. Elder Vilchez and I are working hard with the many less actives. The city of Nazca is beautiful! I`ll share some details about the cit:

1. Its hot.

2. In Nazca, theres actually a bunch of tourism, I think the citys biggest, or one of the biggest sources of revenue. We have the Nazca lines, we have Cahuachi, an ancient lamanite temple for live sacrifices (when they were wicked). We have sandboarding (which we cant do because too many elders have gotten hurt in the past). We have dune buggies that go crazy riding all around the desert, and then park in the city square and make you think, `this city is stinking awesome` And theres also a lot of White people, which is honestly just weird and makes me uncomfortable. I hope I dont ever ever have to speak with one of them gringos.

3. Its a district. In the city, we have 2 branches, and there is one more branch with is located in another smaller city called Marcona about 1hour away. (its a costal, mining town, and the gospel honestly barely survives there. But here in Nazca its interesting. There are some really strong members, and the District president is incredible, President Alarcòn. My branch president lives an hour away in a little tiny town called Palpa, and travels here to Nazca anytime he has interviews or on sunday or whateer, and that makes it hard to have a constant contact with him.

4. Random fact, there is this gigantic sand dune that totally chills on top of the mountains just east of the valley. You can see it, and it looks as if it were watching over the city. I think when christ was crucified, God got fed up with the Lamanites down here making live offerings and covered a whole city with sand in an earthquake, and then stuck it up on top of the mountains. I dont know... just saying. For the record, I made the prediction. Oh, and its the world`s highest sand dune. Yep. Highest in elevation in the world.

5. Its really hot here.
6. It never rains here. This city is one of the driest in the world. Not jokin. But I already love it so dont worry. NAZCA ALL THE WAY!!!

So That is super crazy about Dad`s president being called President Fowler. HIS BROTHER IS SERVING WITH HIS WIFE AS A COUPLE MISSIONARY IN THE CITY NAZCAFOR 2 YEARS. Can you believe that?? I`m serving with Dad`s mission president`s brother. Small Small World.

Other quick things that I wanted to share:

COLE HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON SUNDAY!!! I hope you have a great week! I really am going to try to send some kind of small package for you and Chase, but i fear it my arrive late... sorry. :(

I`ll send some pictures. We`ve already gotten around the city, and even seen some of the smaller towns out around the city. We went to one called Tulìn twice. There are a couple really active members out there, and a few inactive families. So we`re seeing if we can do some work in reactivation.

Mom I loved your talk! Absolutely great. I really loved it. Well done :)

Jan. 28, 2014 Nazca!

I have arrived to the city of Nazca! I am extremely exited to be here, and I know that if we work really hard, every second of every day, we will see miracles happen in the zone. 

It is hot. But truly the weather feels like Utah--DRY! At night here, it`s really beautiful. And the stars come out! I havent seen the stars in months. Lima is seriously almost always always cloudy at night (and during the day for that matter ha). But last night the weather made me think of an Alpine night in August. I already love it here!

We have a fairly big area, and we have investigadors in little pueblos (towns) sometimes a half hour out of the city, and so we might be doing a little bit of traveling. But nothing can be as fun as yesterday`s 9 hours of bus ride... and they make the busses for peruvians, not Gringos! My legs dont fit that well! But its okay.

I have been studying my RepentanceBOM. It is really cool to see which prophets speak more about repentance than others. Alma the younger, for example talks about, and preaches repentance all the time. I assume it must be because he himself had an incredibly real and potent experience with the same. He knows the reality and the power that there is in repenting of ones sins and coming close to Christ. Nephi, for example doesnt really talk that much about repentance. (I think its cuz he almost never sinned haha.)

Repentance is key. I invite you all to study two of my favorite stories that teach us what repentance means to a broken heart. Mosiah 27(finish by reading the retrospection by ALma himself years later in Alma 38) And also: Alma 15, Zeezroms repentance. The book of mormon is of course full of the doctrine, but these are a couple of my favorites that have been on my mind lately.

We all have to change. And what a blessing, and honor it is to do so. And how impossible it would have been to even try, had Jesus Christ not made it possible. I thank him for the beautiful oportunity to change my heart and forget my mistakes. I testify that all of us can and need to repent to have any hope of living a successful, fulfilling, spiritually-growing life.

I love you all!
Tengan una buena semana! No se olviden de leer el Libro De Mormòn! Veràn los resultados mas tarde, si es que sacrifican AHORA.

 Elder Hartvigsen

Jan. 18, 2014 A trip to Nazca

So I went to Nazca this week! I went down and back in 2 days. One of the Zone Leaders was sick and I had to take his place until they got another comp for the healthy zone leader. So I pretty much traveled the 8 bus hours down there, proselyted with the Healthy one for an afternoon, slept, packed the sick one´s bags and came back with president and the APs cuz they had been down there on their own for interviews. It was nice to get a little fresh air and get baked a little by the nazca sun.

We had a baptism!!!
Alen (pronounced like the english Allen) Salas, who has been going to our ward faithfully for the last 2 months, finally made the decision to get baptized. He had been going to all the activities and everything, but never wanted to accept a date to be baptized. The sisters had been teaching him, but since hes 25 yrs old, they figured maybe he could relate to us a little, so they kinda passed over the responsibility to teach (which is a really effective way to do it when theres elders and sisters in the same ward. You just kinda make sure the right companionship is teaching the right investigadors.) And anyway, Alen took a little time to not be scared of making the same mistakes over and over again, even after his baptism. (This is actually a very common concern for people investigating the true church down here. They simply shy away from the committment, because they know they will have a very hard time truly abandoning their old habits.)
So we had a great joint baptism with another ward in the stake, and i really enjoyed it. It is always such a spiritually-enriching experience to see someone as they make that huge first step toward salvation.

so yeah um.. my time here in the office has been great. I have truly enjoyed it and more than anything, I have learned some key facts about me and my strengths and weaknesses, and I know that I will be able to make some of the bigger future decisions in my life based on a lot of what I learned here in the office. BUT, the field awaits and I am pumped to get out there :) Not sure where I´m going yet, but wherever it is, we will work hard and lead our zone to constant progress. 

The church is true!! I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful, freezing week. Because my week has been go-to-bed-sweating, wake-up-sweating, kind of a week. And this time around, I´m loving the summer!! The heat just kinda makes you feel accomplished cuz the humidity pulls the sweat right out of you, and you feel like you´ve just run a marathon, or accomplished some really big task or completed a project, and you feel great about yourself. And the sun is finally coming out, which is great, because I am looking super duper white after having been in the office all the time. 

I´m kinda rambling... 

I encourage you all the study the chapters of the BOM where Alma and Amulek (representing the missionary and the local membership of the church) get together and start to preach in their city. I always look at those chapters (Alma 8 and on) and learn a bunch from  them. Alma truly was an incredible missionary. Why?? More than anything, just because he was diligent, obedient, and preach the word from his heart, using pure revelation, but also personal experience. He was very successful, and his brethren the sons of Mosiah even more. There are great lessons to be learned there in those chapters. please read them!!

Love you all.

Elder Hartvigsen

Jan. 11, 2014 Elder Durfey came back!

Well its been kinda a rollercoaster of emotional sorts this week. I think i told you guys Elder Durfey came back, and Elder Clarke and President and I went to go get him from the airport. This wednesday we had another Zone Leader Conference. It was spiritually refreshing as always. When President asked him to stand up and kinda presented him for the second time and explained what had happened (he went home for 2 months), it was a powerful moment. A lot of guys go home sick and after having been in the mission for over a year, after having baptized, after having learned the language and everything, and simply dont come back to the mission. Its a hard thing to say goodbye to your family... twice. Very difficult. But Elder Durfey kinda set the bar high. I will always be grateful to him for setting a great example.

During a break, President and I stepped out and he told me what he was thinking about my time here. He said he wants me to really train Elder Clarke, really get him ready, and transfer all my experience to him as best as we can. He said i´m here until the 28th, so I´ve kinda buckled down. I need some new tactics to stay sane. It has been a very large task staying mentally focused, and just trying to find motivation. Everything seems the same. i´ve been in this office since May.. It´s super hard. I´m learning very valuable personal lessons on Enduring to the End. Wow, it´s been crazy.

The book of mormon is true. I find myself defending it with greater conviction, using it even more often in teaching. I keep finding that all the questions people throw at me, are best answered from it´s pages. Always read it. Keep studying it. Just as we have to consistently eat vitamin C, day after day, over and over again, we have to keep taking vitamin s, the spiritual one. We might get up one day and say, i´m so tired of vitamin C! I´ve eaten it every day for my whole life! Why do I have to keep eating it? But we all know its a constant process that we cannot interrupt, at least in this life. So for now, we must keep reading the BOM, even if we´ve read it before, if we think we know it really well, have learned everything from it. Keep reading it! Dont stop!

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week. Saludos de Perú!!

Elder Hartvigsen

Jan. 4, 2014 Moments, and the Key to Know

Completos again!

New Years Eve

Watching from the 17th floor

A thought to Chase

Moments:

There will be moments in your daily life, that present themselves and you get just a second to either seize the moment, or simply let it pass. If you walk around with your head up and your headphones off, you will notice them. If you walk around absorbed in your own world, you will not. I am talking about little moments in class when you see someone who is down, and you feel that one simple compliment could do them a lot of good. SAY SOMETHING. They say we will be held accountable for our sins, but we will be held responsible also, for the sins of ommission.  If I sit back and think about it.... I honestly would give anything to sit in chemistry for one hour. What would I do?? I would pray to Father in Heaven at the beginning, and look around and stare at the back of everyone´s head, and LISTEN, because I testify to you, Chase, that you will receive inspiration in your heart and mind, and you will know something that you didn't before. You will know the thoughts and desires of someone´s heart, and you will be able to tell what they need. And IF YOU ACT, you will make a huge, beneficial, effect in someone´s life. That is a marvelous thing my brother. Do not pass it up!
You may feel to invite someone to a party, or to offer to help someone with homework. You may stand up for someone getting bullied (which is the most exhilarating feeling in your chest), or you may simply look at a girl that a lot of guys would say isn't´that pretty, and you may tell her that you think she looks good today. ANYTHING, will make a huge difference.  Even if for one day, or for one week, you will change her life, Chase. Brother, I tell you, move yourself. Stand up, and DO SOMETHING.

Just the thoughts of my heart.. Spoken as they flowed from my soul and mind. Do with them what you want. :)
Elder Hartvigsen

First, the fun stuff. 

New Years!! We had a great night on New Years. We made completos (remember the hot dogs that the Chileans make? Super good) Then we went up on the roof of our building (remember, 17th floor) and watched the magic.
Here in Peru, there is a tradition that calls for the absolutely riotous firing of cohetes, or rockets (fireworks) from the rooftop of anyone who desires to spend a few souls on the merchandise. I must say, that the tradition, IS A STINKING BLAST. Its explosive. Completely energizing. I now take the liberty of sharing with you all, some of the fotografías. 

Now the good stuff.

The Book of Mormon is the word of God. I am a very grateful possesor of a testimony of just that. It´s interesting, because I feel that I pretty much sat on the very begginnings of, or held the start of, or pretty much planted a very potent, very powerful seed with a divine potential probably 15 years ago. And what´s so interesting is that, though the seed was literally stuck in the earth and left there 15 or so years ago, I simply did not water it. The rain of a mormon lifestyle watered it some, sprinkled it really, but I never spent the time to go fill a bucket and dump it on. Until now.

When I left on a mission, I picked up that bucket of water. When I started to truly defend the book against the doubts of others, and against my own carnal mind, It began to grow. I can say now that my testimony has grown to hold it´s own weight against the wind and wear. It is not yet a mighty oak, but I have watched it grow and augment in size and strength, and that in itself is a beautiful gift from God. I will thank him forevermore, and in that spirit of gratitud, will water the tree unceasingly. I know that the book is true.

I invite you all to read 3 chapters that are filled with study on change and repentance. Mosiah 25, 26, 27. The greatest change that ever takes place, is the change that happens in the heart of fallen man. The change that happens thruogh the purifying, and ennabling power of the death, suffering, and resurrection of the Son of God. Yes, the Atonement, is the the power which cleanses man, and turns him good, and makes him holy. I urge you all to find a way to use the atonement in your life to change from what you are now, to what God wants you to be tomorrow. I promise the future is full of bright hope and sturdy light. 

And if you do not yet know how to use the Atonement, find it in the Book of Mormon. The study thereof is a beautiful tool God uses in the process to turn the coal of enlightening personal experience into the gleaming diamond of a true conversion. Remember that the growing of the testimony is found in the tough and trying in-between, which is: the trial of your faith.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Hartvigsen

Dec. 21, 2013 Merry Christmas (Multizona Navidena)

So we had our annual Multizona Navideña (christmas zone conference) which was pretty fun. We exchanged very comfortably priced gifts, watched the movie Facing the Giants, which we've seen which is that one about the football team that learns to trust in God and they play better for it. And there were some musical numbers too, which turned out pretty good believe it or not. Our mission is filling up more and more with sister missionaries, so we really do have some good singers. Also, we elders from the office (the secretaries and the AP´s) sang a couple christmas hymns in parts, which was fun. I still have my big bass voice! And everyone else in the office can actually sing a part, so it turned out good. We practiced for a total of 25 minutes before going to bed the night before, after finishing all the arrangements and travels and craziness of transfers. Everything went smooth.
Today we were stopped in the city plaza, about 5 times before walking one block. I am truly amazed at the widespread interest there is for the church. It was shock you how many times we run into Mormons when we go places like the center of Lima where there´s a lot of people. Every once and a while we get a taxi driver who´s a member, and members always come up to us on the street. 
So today, this four college kids came up to us and asked if we could do an interview with them in english for their english class, (which has happened to me like 4 times already) and we happily obliged. So the one girl films me and the guy talk for a minute or two in english, and he did pretty well. So she turns to film my companion talk with the other kid, and I naturally started talking about the gospel with the kid I had just been interviewed by. So then, the girl who was in the middle of filming, heard me talking about the Book of Mormon, and motioned rather frantically for her friend to take the camera that was recording, so she could give me her full attention and listen, as if she didn´t want to miss even a single word. So they asked what the difference is between the mormon church and the catholic (they are catholics) and I, like always, tried to be kind and not remind about ALL the wonderful truths that we have that the Catholic church conveniently misses, all in one second but tried to give a quick overview. I talked about the book of mormon, and how Christ came here to the Americas. Which, realluy is always a great tool. You come here to peru, and tell them that Christ came here, and they will never argue or deny it. Their eyes just light up and they ask for more. It´s quite a fulfilling experience to be the guy who gets to tell them that for the first time, and its amazing what a believe people they can be. 
And well, she ate it up. Turns out she´s been really interested and wants to know more, (she herself told us she is very interested) and she happily held on to that book of mormon when we said she could have it. Unfortunately she´s from the Central mission, but it´s all the same really. :) I was very happy, because I saw in her a very strong future member, possibly YSA representative, possibly future missionary, who knows. I literally saw that as a possibly path her life could take, and know I just hope that this is her time, and the God will work with her circumstances so that it can all work out and she can find her way back to the House of Israel. i was reminded of what a wonderful feeling you can get from a really good contact. 

I know this Church is true. I know that I am nothing without my fathers guiding hand. i know that I need my savior Jesus christ. I know that I will simply NEVER reach my Full Potential, if i can´t lean on his atonement for second chances, and I thank him for that. Please remember to always read your book of mormon. In that book , is where you´ll find these pure truths in more abundance, and clarity, then anywhere else, I promise. Don't even try to mess, it´s true.

Feliz Navidad, y mucho amor para con todos! Les amo mucho!

Elder Hartvigsen

also: a letter to mom

Wow Mom. You guys sure are busy. It´s really funny because when you get out here,  things really change. I honestly think about it, and the things I miss, or maybe get small moments of homesickness about, are things like snowboarding with dad and chase and cole, or going to football games with them, or family vacations, (and of course writing music). But that´s it. I don´t for one second miss having my own cell phone and texting and stuff. There is now longing in me for that, like there is for other things. There is no longing for any other material thing, except maybe for a grand piano or beautiful guitar (which is probably more connected to the experience I have while using them, and not the object itself) and that is very interesting to me. I know that those things don't matter, and while I maybe thought i would miss my iPad, or my phone, or my computer, I simply don't. It´s a strange thing. Chase will probably find out about that when he gets out there. Those things really don't matter, so when you talked about being stressed about buying gifts, and about me maybe feeling bad for not receiving anything, I just grinned.

Dec. 14, 2013 We will become perfected in Him

making completos with a family in our ward

Chileans love to make these hotdogs (completos)

With the Bishop in his office

Sister Douglas doing inspections, we passed!!

So it´s transfers already. You know what it´s like, work work work, stress, stuff to do. But I think we´re already ahead on certain things so I feel pretty prepared. I don´t have much to say this week. Angela got baptized on Saturday! It was truly a spiritual baptism. I felt the love our father and Jesus Christ has for us. She gave a great testimony.

President was just teasing me a minute ago, that he´s pretty sure he knows where I´m going when I leave the office. He said I don´t want to get you exited, but where you´re going is an amazing place. And he didn´t say anything else... It´s killing me! The righteous desire of my heart is to go to Nasca, which logically is possible (looking at who would be my comp and the time they have there, and all the factors) so I´m hoping.

I truly wonder why the Lord blesses me so much sometimes. I dont even think I deserve all the things he gives me, and has given me, and yet he still does it. I think he put me in this office, to learn alot about who I am when faced with a problem. I have been fronted by very tricky situations and solutions are demanded from me, and I have learned so much about what makes me tick, and what I can be good at. I testify that Our father in heaven knows exactly which character traits are our strengths and weaknesses. He puts in situations that will refine and polish our talents, and literally hammer us where it hurts, jabbing right at the weaknesses, proving to us that if we look to the arm of the flesh, we will fall miserably, but at the same time showing us the miracles that our God will work through humble men. He proves to us that it may be your absolute achilles heel, and if you are humble, and broken´hearted and humble spirited, he will take you in his hands and literally turn those weaknesses into strengths. (Ether 12:27) It is incredible.

May we all be humble this Christmas season, and remember that he loaded 100 percent of fear, folly, and failure onto his perfect shoulders, and beat them. He can guide us through anything. He has the capacity. He has the Love.

I bear witness that Jesus Christ is the long-awaited Messiah. He came to redeem his children from their weaknesses, if they but believe on Him. He will come again for us to give out reports, and he will judge us, worthy or insufficient. May we all humble ourselves, so that he can make things strong unto us. We will become perfected in him.

(Moroni 10:32,33)

Elder Hartvigsen