July 27, 2013 Como Vuela la Tiempo

Honestly I truly appreciate the flag-flying you´ve done haha. Thank you! That flag looks great there at the house. And really i would love to be there for that dry heat. It  is so cold here!! freezing. I can´t even believe it every day I get out of bed in the morning and just start doing my exercises to keep warm, and then we all run and fight for the showers because the first couple people get hot water. But really the wind blows and i think just freezes our 17th floor. And we wear our sweaters every day. Never thought Peru would freeze my face off in July.

So this week, we had a great blessing on sunday. We taught this man named Cesar. We found him through his son, who´s 14. He (the son) has been going to church for a couple years when his uncle who is a bishop helped him get baptized. But recently he dad found the ward here and had him come to our ward, since sending him there far away was always a little scary. So we go to their house and find out that he has already been reading the liahona, he son gave him one. He is a  great investigador. Then, the best part, we get to the part about the book of mormon, and he goes, oh yeah I have that too! im on page like 80 or something. (right there I look at elder Durfey and our jaws drop) He said he keeps flipping through it when he has a little time in his taxi. So we committed him to be baptized and he accepted for the 17 of august. I am so happy and feel so blessed, because with out little time to proselyte, we really dont have many opportunities to find prepared people like that.

So I finished the book of Mosiah recently and I honestly love it so much. I see it as like three civilizations, all of them contemporary with each other and they each get a different experience (according to their own actions). And we look at the individual experience of Mosiah, Alma, Noah, Benjamin; all the individual characters in the story and right there we can learn a ton about repentance, consequence, misery, FAITH, and other things. It is so great. I urge you all to read it. (it was kinda fun for me imagining the geographical descritptions having just come from a beautiful site very likely tied to the book of mormon in some way. It is really interesting to read it all.)

The work continues as always. The mission is moving forward. President is seeming happier and happier all the time. The numbers look better, the Elders are keeping their rooms cleaner, they aren´t as sick as usual.

The other thing is that we finally made it to the temple after 8 months of not going. I had forgotten a couple things, and really loved going. Super rewarding. Super interesting as always, and we sat in there with a huge CCM group. There are so many new missionaries! And many sister missionaries. It is so good to see the work always moving forward. 

That is the story for semana 52. 

Los amo a todos!

Elder Hartvigsen

July 22, 2013 A trip to Nazca with President

 Heat seems to be a common factor lately. Nazca is HOT! And this is the cool season. Wow.

The trip was great. We got a lot of good work done. Doctor Bramwell and I made a lot of trips to various clinics and hospitals trying to find better ones to send sick elders to. We had a great time, and friday was a blast seeing one of the coolest sights I have seen here in Peru.

Cahuachi is a really really old site of an old temple that was buried in sand. There are many giant mounds of sand and stone that turn out to be an old set of buildings and structures. We went down there with the district president of Nazca (like stake president). He told us all kinds of interesting things about the site and what his personal beliefs are. They keep escavating every few months, finding new buildings and making it bigger and bigger and the site really is huge. It just felt really spiritually to be there and hear this district president bear their testimony about how they believe it to be something related to all the familiar stories in the book of mormon. I strongly felt a spirit there and know it was something important that needs to be better understood. Mark my words. One day Cahuachi will be on the major tourist route right along with Macchu Picchu. The site is growing bigger and bigger as they uncover stuff constantly. And it was discovered only like 25 years ago! Super recent. We´ll see what happens..

Also those acueductos are really interesting. It´s totally this tiny little underground river running 30 feet below the ground, through the nazca valley in the middle of the desert! The farmers aparently used it to supply water to the fields, having slaves line up along the edges of the spiral-like wells and pass buckets up full of water. (According to the theory.) I thought it was so amazing how the people did that and how they could have found the water and built those little tunnels way out there.

The Lord works in mysterious ways and there is no reason we have to understand it all…

But it really has been an enjoyable trip. Fun and interesting to be with president and sister douglas as they run a mission. See how it´s done. We learn all kinds of things in the mission and most of them come out of the blue and you have to take advantage of the moment. I think life is like that too. Hmm…

Sounds like you all are enjoying summer.
Soak up the sun.

Elder Hartvigsen

P.S.

Things are really changing. It has been really interesting to see the wards changing. We mainly attribute it to the training that came out a few weeks ago. Many bishops all over have recharged themselves and their ward leaders and are making missionary work a new focus. Ours is doing so well. He has only been baptized like 4 years I think. But he has jumped on board with missionary work and tried really hard to keep it going. Our ward is changing. People are more exited to share the gospel and it honestly seems that something is in the air. We are really excited and trying to catch this wave before it leaves us behind.
Although.. it seems like something is going to happen. I think I´ve simply heard it too many times to put it aside without taking notice, but everyone thinks something big is going to happen. This change in attitude and ward workings is definitely part of it, but it still feels like there is more to come. If something community-affecting happens, just know we saw it coming. In the area and in the mission, we are getting all emergency plans in order and making sure Elders have water in their room and stuff. I guess there is no excuse to be unprepared, so the preparation is happening right now. Keep praying for us that we can ride this wave and come out on top. I hope the work keeps growing, but faster and faster!

Elder Hartvigsen

July 15, 2013 Tremors

Hello Hello.

Life is crazy. I am literally sitting down for the first time today, after a day of trying to get stuff done to prepare for my... trip! President has asked me to come travel ´al sur´ (to the south) with him and sister douglas, and the assistants and The area doctor and his wife. i am really quite exited because it could be the only time I see all of those places. 

I will spend some time each day with Doctor Bramwell checking out hospitals and clinics and trying to find out more and more information about our usual places to go to get help. AND, President mentioned us going to Cahuachi, this super old temple in nazca on the last day of the trip, and no one really gets to go there except those who go with President himself. (usually just the AP´s and his family). I will fo sure send pictures.

Yeah we finally got to see the Finals. Loved it. LeBron is the man. Honestly he hits a great 3. haha President invited us over to his house and Sister Douglas had made us brownies and guacamole with our doritos. Let´s just say P-Day well spent.

So with the new changes in missionary attire, I am honestly pretty exited. Being a missionary is fantastic, BUT when it comes to fashion, ... you get bored. Check this out mom. 

https://missionary.lds.org/dress-grooming/elder/dress/slacks/?lang=eng

There could be a slight change of wardrobe in the life of Elder Hartvigsen very soon. Those slacks are sweet and i am dying to venture into the world of sweaters colored something other black. and i need a new satchel. They are going to ban backpacks!

That is about it for now I think. I hope you have a great week all of you! The mission is changing. I have lived through so many rule changes, and the wards are changing. President is constantly talking about the ´jump´he knows we are going to make very soon. He has created an almost campaign in the mission of ¨riding the wave¨ from Elder Nelson. We have made special reference cards, and he has changed the missions focuses and Things are simply changing. My Bishop, (Baptized only 4 years ago) has renewed energy and the ward is ready to help out and take on their role. We keep having tremors. Not to frighten you Mom, but they are super cool! they come out of no where and just shake the entire building. We kinda joke around that we feel there is a major earthquake coming. It would be sweet!!

But anyway, that´s how it is. 

Elder Hartvigsen

PS hey you gotta let me know if these emails are all getting through. I keep getting strange automated responses. Thanks!

July 15, 2013 A celebration

Hello Family.

I apologize for the time it has been since I last wrote. You all know it´s busy here. This is what happened this week.

Saturday, we had the celebration for the creation of stake #100 in Peru. We were all bussed to the big university stadium where we watched a super cool cultural celebration with dances from Ayacucho, Puno, and a few other cultural areas of the nation. If you go on

http://www.noticiasmormonas.org.pe/articulo/celebración-por-la-estaca-cien-en-perú-en-vivo-al-mundo

you can see pictures of the event. If you look at the picture of those hermana missionaries walking at the camera, they are all from my mission. I know them all! And the one of Elder Christopherson from far away, you can see President Douglas and Sister Douglas seated to the far right. He has his legs crossed. But yeah it was a fun thing to go to. You could feel a very exiting sort of spirit there. They also showed a super cool video about the history of the Church in Peru.

But then Monday went crazy. So everything was going fine all day with my first time on my own (Elder Dunn had already headed up to Ayacucho). But we got to the airport and everything got really bad really fast. One of the ending elders missed his flight, another elder who had gone home earlier in the day had actually missed his flight as well, but never thought to call us or anything. So we got a call from his stake president who was expecting him to have gotten there, and he hadnt. And we had to pick up a north american who was just arriving that night.

We ended up arriving home and going to bed at 2.30am, only havin two hours before we had to wake up to 1 take the first elder to his taxi to catch another plane, and 2 get ready for the meeting we had the next morning with the huge group of newbies coming in. Let´s just say I was extremely tired  driving there that morning.

.-..But this is the happy story that finishes it all. Elder Durfey and I (Its super funny cuz we never would have though we would be companions. Back in the CCM, in Ayacucho, and we ended up together as the two personal secretaries) were driving in a taxi to get to that meeting at like 6.30am with two hours of sleep needing to be getting ready to feel the spirit and teach, and we were given a blessing from heaven. We had an extremely quick conversation with the taxi driver, in which the spirit escalated and Elder Durfey ended up inviting him to be baptized, and as i heard the word yes come from his mouth I literally felt the tears in my eyes and couldnt believe the love the Lord has for us. 

--We stepped out of that taxi, and I simply felt the lord saying, Stop worrying. Things are hard. But this is worth it. There are people everywhere who need this message you preach. the work you are doing is valuable. 

I testify the Lord loves us. It would frustrate the entire idea of a world for learning, if God was simply right there by our side to give us all the answers. This is right. This is true. The plan worked, and we have to simply to jump on board or watch the train drive away. I testify the Jesus Christ is the lord Jehovah and that he came to earth to complete something very important. I know this is true because of the test of the Book of Mormon, and because I cannot deny all the logic and witness all around me and in my mind either. All things testify of him. I am honored and privileged and happy to be a small part of it. And I share things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Hartvigsen

June 26, 2013 Celebrating the 100th stake in Peru!

Alright

Sorry I never sent any letter this week. We´re sitting in the week before transfers, and it is crazy. Especially because saturday is the celebration of the 100th stake in PERU!! but the saturday before transfers is super vital, AND president said that he wants us to be able to take an hour and watch the heat game, since chris (President´s son) got sick last week and we couldn´t.

BUT

I have a couple things i would like you to do. Read this talk

Character of Christ by Elder Bednar. 

It was never general conference, so you cant find it on lds.org. But its fairly easy to find it online. It is literally one of the greatest talks I have ever heard. Day after day I love the doctrinal teachings of Elder Bednar, and I just love that he didnt even flinch when he read my last name (minor detail, but very important.)

Adversity by Pres. Eyring is another good one.

I will let you all know how the celebration goes. I think its supposed to be kinda like when they dedicate temples, with a cultural celebration and stuff. But anyway it should be super cool. They say peru is only the 4th country in the world with 100 stakes after (not sure this order) USA, Mexico, and Brazil.

I am doing fine and I just want you all to keep studying the spiritual things. I absolutely treasure 8am to 9am more than anything because these days I have less spiritual experiences with investigadors and stuff.

But anyway, have a good few days and we will talk again soon!

Elder Hartvigsen

June 15, 2103 Blue dusts

New Presidency and bishopric!! Wow. What a cool thing it is to see the keys moving along like dad said. We see the keys moving here while working in the office. I love being in the middle of it and seeing President make decisions and receive promptings and stuff. Of course we only actually notice a fraction of it, but it´s still super cool. 

This week president and sister Douglas took us to Burrito Bar for Elder Durfey´s birthday, which was mexican as ever and oh so needed after a week of stressful stuff. Elder Topham, the elder that cut his hand up in Ayacucho and had to get tetanus and antibiotic shots and emergency room care all right there in the tiny hospital in ayacucho, is staying with us here in lima becuase the doctors here have to do certain things on the hand that cant be done up there. And that story, together with the following make me feel so blessed that nothing bad ever happened to us while I was up there. 

...So the ayacucho zone at the minute has had some disobedience and the Elders are always asking permission to go on super crazy fieldtrips like that lake razuhuilca way up in the mountains, for their p days. But president has to be super careful about giving them permission, since those mountains are where the shining path was born, (according to what they´ve told us here in the mission.) So this last week the elders asked to go up there AGAIN and president said no, and it turned out that almost the same day they were up there, there was reported terrorist activity. i know, freaks you out. Like i said, how blessed i am to have been protected up there!! 

The other thing president is doing with his keys...(stinking awesome.)

  So,... President and sister douglas have been way into the NBA finals this last week, and sister douglas really momishly (affectionately) tells us stuff every here and there. haha almost nothing, but she´ll throw out little thought about what has happened here and there and president will try to stop here from doing it. But... when we were at burrito bar, president told us that for us, the elders in the office, he is going to record the final game and let us come to his house to watch it on a p day prob next week!!! I am unbelievably exited, and together with the rest of the elders slightly skeptical. We keep expecting him to take it back as a sick joke haha!! But so far so good :D I´ll let you know how it goes!

That is way cool about President Butler as I think about it. He set me apart, and I still read the blessing very often. probably have read it some 50 times in the mission field, or more. And what a group it will be to go back to, the bishop who sent me off included!! cool.

Today we went to a main center part of Lima, where it is super modern and there is this big public bus system with a central station two floors under the main highway with a connection to I think the biggest mall in the country.. And we ate at the food court. I ate pizza hut and a hot dog. I love office life!!  But after wards, we went to Polvos Azules, (Blue Dusts) weird name, I know which is a huge huge market packed with tiny little booths where they sell EVERYTHING. I want to take you guys there, or at least to a place like it. I grabbed a couple keychains and small little stuff like that. They sell anything from bracelets and wallets and crafts stuff, to sweaters and shirts and shoes. All kinds of jerseys as well from soccer, nba, football, tons of nike and addidas stuff. Way fun.

Hmm.. Things learned in Perú... I dont even know where to start nor how. I think more than anything I am learning more about myself and how I react and how I act and most importantly, how to change that when it needs changing, and how to magnify it when it´s sitting well. In the office, I learn all kinds of leadership skills, and even more, decision-making skills. It can be stressful, but very rewarding. President will give me personal, challenging tasks, and I simply have to figure out how to get them done. Or the world will throw us curve balls, as we like to say when passports get moved from elder´s apartments to the office, or when companionships need to be changed al toque (instantly). It is always fun here ha. I am learning to put aside fear, and be proactive. I try to make my own decisions, and I definitely have to take the consequences when i mess up. But it´s super cool because President does not get angry when I take responsability and just fix it myself. He is teaching me what a true priesthood leader does. 

And many more things. I hope that letter was sufficiently long enough hehe. Anything else.... hm...oh yeah 

Being a missionary has changed my desires. some of them have entirely changed. Some of them have been born in my heart while being here. Some of them have literally been set aside and left behind. IT is strange, but I see myself changing, and I note that as my father in heaven guides the whole process, it is ALWAYS FOR THE BETTER. And something else very interesting is that I usually cannot see the outcomes, --As I act in faith, and continue in hope, the right outcomes simply come out-- do not let fear stunt your growth, because inability only exists as long as you retain your perspective in the moment. And that is not a good idea.

Elder HARTVIGSEN

June 8, 2013 I cant believe I lost my phone!

Bueno.

hmm where to begin. This week I learned a couple things. Ready..?

1. 8 hours of sleep a night is more of a luxury here. 

I got another 4:00am call this week from a companionship of hermanas. They were waiting for their ride, and of course the hermano fell asleep... AGAIN. So I took off with one of the AP´s and we went out to grab a taxi, go get them, and take them to the airport, because the part of the city where the airport is happens to be very dangerous. So I spent another night in the airport in my sunday pants, but with a t shirt and jacket on. and we bought Mcdonalds, again so that was fun.

2. Check your cell phone every time you get out of a taxi. 

I lost mine. It was bad bad bad. And I realized it right after I got out of the taxi, and we totally had the guy´s number cuz we contacted him, and he didn't answer for a half hour, until he said, well.... I heard something going off and then I picked up somebody else, and then it wasn't ringing anymore... And then someone really had turned my phone off, so ... Someone stole it. Pretty sure. Ugh that was so bad bad bad. But we got another one, and its actually something that happens more frequently than you would think, so .. President didn't really get mad at all. He´s a great guy.

But yeah the food is great. Although I already fear this a little, because the food consists of KFC delivery, Burger King delivery, or McDonald´s delivery right to the office, almost every day. !!! But I try to eat this other thing called pension which is rice and chicken and the usual stuff, every so often as well.

And... there is this super secret restaurant called Burrito Bar hidden in the middle of the city. And they make really good real life mexican-american burritos just like I love them!! So fantastic, and president is going to go with us for lunch on friday.

Nothing else really to say. We don't get to work too much, it has been super busy this week. But the cool thing is that elder Christofferson is coming again for a special fireside because they are going to organize the 100th stake in Lima, Peru!!!! how awesome is that! wow. so that will be the 29 of june pretty sure.

favorite scripture of the week, D&C 50:24. Watch the videos that are like Elder Bednar patterns of light videos. super cool. And also I would recommend studying up on the light of christ and the influence of the Holy Ghost.

Elder Hartvigsen

June 1, 2013 a busy week in the office

Well, life moves fast.

This week, we had a couple crazy moments that I think you´d prob share a little laugh with me upon hearing them. 

First, I actually talk with more north americans or english speakers than you would think. We are right in the very pretty, very nice business district of San Isidro, and we walk the streets and usually buy lunch at Wong (like a mini sams club) many days and speak with lots of gringos. The other day we spoke with a guy with a strange accent. Elder Thinks it was Australian, I think it was southern as in Georgia or something. But we are both super confused, and it has been so long since we have last heard accents like that in english, that we cant decide which of us is write, or if we are both wrong haha. But yeah we think he was inactive, because he said he is a member. But we only got to talk for one sec in the street, and we hope he felt the spirit or at least had a moment to remember his covenants. And I got to talk with a hispanic family, pretty sure peruvian, who are from San Fransisco California. The guy started talking to me in slightly broken english on a bus, and then I spoke with his teenage daughter who speaks better; I asked if they were here on vacation, and they told me they were here for a funeral :(, and they did not seem to be super happy. But in just maybe 75 seconds, I got them a pamphlet about the gospel of Christ, and Invited them to go to church there in the states, and they seemed grateful, so I hope it turns out to be something. 

Second, I am super tired, because this morning, we had to send off an elder to the airport because he had a flight to ayacucho at 5:15am. But the hermano, or the member who we always use to shuttle elders to and from the airport, forgot and slept in. So we realized standing there in my pajamas at 4am, while taking the elevator downstairs that we were going to have to take him ourselves, so Elder Burgos an AP  from chile and I, threw on our plaques and pants and jumped in a taxi with the elder. So i am fairly positive we looked super funny walking around the LIma airport looking like that. But whatever. As we say here, ¨normal¨ haha (pronounced in spanish, but it means the same thing and you say it for ´whatever´) That was an adventrue

...

This week Elder Torres, a seventy, is here in the mission taking a tour of all the areas and teaching conferences with president. It is super cool, but stress for all of us in the office, trying to plan everything and make everything work out. One thing he taught us, that keeps getting drilled into our heads over and over again is the need to be a Doer. and not just a listener, or studyer, or thinker or anything like that. We have to move, before God can guide our actions. And one thing he said, which i really liked was something like this. ´I feel that this mission is just on the brink of finding much success. But if there are miracles to be had, and i believe there are, they will come by your hands, the hands of the elders.´  Some thing to that effect. But really it was cool. I enjoyed the conference a lot.

Well...... ya no tengo nada que decir. Los amo a todos, y espero lo mejor para cada uno de ustedes. Por favor, estudien las escrituras más de lo que piensan que sería lo necesario. Escudríñenlas. En mi tiempo acá en la oficina, me doy cuenta de la importancia del estudio personal. Y lo estoy extrañando cada vez más. Lo amo al Salvador, y deseo que ustedes se acerquen más a él todos los días. 

Les Amo!

Elder hartvigsen

May 25, 2013 The oficina

Alright. The investigadors I left, whom I wanted to keep teaching were a grandma Maria and her granddaughter Alejandra. The little granddaughter goes to church ever sunday (she lives super close) and takes her littler brothers (she is only 10) and I had pretty much found myself affectionately thinking of her as my own child... :P I had to wake up sometimes and be like, woah. Hartvigsen chill! you don't have a daughter! But I really wanted her to be able to be baptized, because it was what she wanted!!

So yeah alejandra is super good and reads her book of mormon all the time with her grandma (who cant see well enough to read) but her parents are very catholic. why? because the catholic church allows parties and drinking, it is the funnest or most popular church, so everyone likes it.  So yeah I will be following up on them with elder Mainasa, trying to find out if she ever makes it to the font with her grandma (the grandma was loving the BOM and getting ready for baptism, but she is not quite ready to make a jump away from the catholic church. and not so much because of bad habits (she doesn't like drinking either) but more because of long had traditions that are very hard to leave behind.)

So yeah Elder Dunn and elder Durfey are the two personal secretaries to the president, and I am replacing elder Dunn in five weeks when he leaves. he is super ansy to get out and get teaching again, so I learned very quickly what the downsides of the office are. ha.. But I do love it.

So President is traveling in nazca this weekend with Elder Durfey, because they have to reorganize the districts of Nazca (president happens to hold the keys for the stake of Nazca, so he does that. no big deal. and he also interviews and sets apart missionaries that come from there. its super cool. haha.) So yeah he is gone, and i havent seen him in here yet, but elder Dunn says that there are always moments here and there (you can plan for them, but they come) in the which President instructs and teaches us. I hear they become priceless teaching moments and the elders that work in the office seem to be grateful for those moments of teaching and cool stories that he´ll randomly tell us. So I am exited for all of that. 

one thing I had a good time doing was translating for sister Douglas when she talks about health to all the newbies. I had kinda a flash-forward moment with regard to career selection, and had some thoughts about possible translation work. I dont know. but it was super fun and I really am not a bad translator. 

HOMEWORK:

please listen to and study Elder Hollands talk on the book of mormon, his testimony (pretty sure 2007) and pay attention to how YOUR OWN PERSONAL OPINION AND BELIEF IN THE BOOK OF MORMON is affected by his both logical and spiritually professed testimony thereof. it is awesome. I find it to be sound logically, spiritually, and it simply seems perfectly correct to my mind. have a go at it.

love you all. I will try to send pics next week. I simply havent taken any this week. super crazy week!!!!!!! AH!!!!! 

Elder Hartvigsen

May 22, 2013 Big Changes, Serving as the personal secretary to President douglas

hey so I had another transfer. Im now working in the office as president´s new personal secretary, so life is a little crazy, but super exiting. tomorrow I'll write you guys because after an extremely exhausting two days of new missionaries coming in, and missionaries going out, dealing with lost suitcases and flight tickets and such, and after all of us in the office including the ap´s and including presidente, he told us to have a forced p day today. cool. so we´ll be relaxing in the room.

but

I will write all of you tomorrow a little better. thanks!

Elder Hartvigsen

Hello.

Alright, like I said there have been a few changes in my daily life here in the mission haha. I am now being trained as president´s secretary, and wow is it a job. So, first of all we have a new house. We live with the AP´s and the financial secretary and the other personal secretary (who happens to be none other than my great friend Elder Durfey from American Fork) in a 17th floor apartment in a building right next to the office. We live in an area called San Isidro, which is honestly one of the nicest areas in Lima. There are all kinds of business people, all kinds of really tall skinny, really fair-skinned people walkin around. We went to a Wong yesterday, which is kinda like Costco, and everything was super expensive and everbody was super duper rich and everyone has the nicest clothes haha. It is SO different from San Gabriel. 

Also, my shoes are still clean from when I cleaned them... THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY. I know, its unbelievable, but believe it. They stay clean. Ha. 

So I love working in the office. My companion is Elder Dunn from LA California, (we are the only full gringo companionship in the mission of 250 missionaries. I never would have thought it) and he is really good. He is super smart and is teaching me how to handle all the different stuff we do. Some of those duties include flights and travel info for all the missionaires coming in and going home from the mission every six weeks, and that is why we have been utterly exausted this week. Also why president forced us all to take a half day p day yesterday haha which was nice. 

The other big thing is health. ANY time anyone gets sick, they call me first (I do have a cell phone with unlimited minutes and texts, something else I never imagined to have out here) so that means I get calls in the middle of the night sometimes. But I´m already learning the blessings and duties of the job, and the importance and responsibility the lord has put on my shoulders. Also, as Elder Dunn says (he´s pretty funny) ´anytime anything goes wrong, we fix it.´ 

Also, we do have an area to proselyte, but we only get one or two hours at night (after travel time, and after everything in the office is done) and there isn´t really a lot of time to have personal study in the morning, so I am honestly feeling a little sad missing that hour of study every day... (but i do have internet, and my own desk and computer and our rule is that we can look anything up if there is a purpose, which means i can use the church website and mormon.org and stuff anytime I want to study anything or read conference talks or anything. It is super cool.

But yeah. Nothing else really to say. 

p day is now saturday, so expects emails then. 

thanks, 

Elder Hartvigsen

Ok so the apartment is like four rooms four baths and we have a laundry machine and a dryer to do laundry. the main room is huge, and has an entire wall of glass windows, so yeah the view is super cool. giant buildings and you can see far. the only thing is that lima is super foggy in the winter, almost every single day.

president only comes in here a couple times each week. we are here always making sure the mission runs. 

typical day is working in the office until about 6 pm when we leave , take a bus for 20 min and go to proselyte, if we can get anything done in 2 hours...

havent been to the ward yet

April 29, 2013 Elder Bednar was AWESOME!

Ok. Elder Bednar was awesome. He starts off by telling everyone to please not write down anything that anyone says, and then taught us to listen for the spirit. He talked about writing our own personal small plates, and not large plates (see Nephi), which I think I´ve heard him mention before. But then we began the discussion, him asking us questions and elaborating the answers, and then answering our own questions. He taught absolutely powerfully, teaching by the spirit and directing any attention to him, away from him. He told a few really cool stories and i have a bunch of high class one-liners that I broke the rules and did write down exactly how he said them. 

One cool thing he taught was a lot about agency and acting in faith. He taught that there are two things that god created, agents and objects. All life is and are agents, us animals plants, and the objects or materials or substances are what we use. He taught that we need to act, and not be acted upon, therefore turning ourselves into objects. And that in like manner, our investigators need to be agents, and not objects to be acted upon by us. We have to teach them how to act. 

Another cool thing was that he said about revelation, why do we expect to know when the spirit is directing us? too many people wait for giant answers and stuff, when we need to act in faith, believing that the spirit is directing us, EVEN IF WE DONT REALIZE IT. he also said that Revelation, interestingly enough, comes quick when we ask for others, and slowly when we ask for ourselves. Not always, but almost always. interesting right??

And to end, since there were only about 150 missionaries, those in Lima from the south and east missions, he had us come up after and all shake his hand. It was super cool, and I am proud to announce that he looked at my tag, and without hesitating or thinking, pronounced my last name perfectly and said with a big smile, Elder Hartvigsen, nice to meet you. then his wife asked if I was from Rexsburg, but I didn't have a ton of time to answer and just said no and the line moved on, but yeah it was super cool. He has a powerful soul stare. (if you guys remember)

And no, I did not get to see Brett. I think that the day before his entire group had left for their missions, because there was no one in the meeting from the ccm. bummer.  But yeah I learned a lot from Elder Bednar and urge you all to read his talk on being converted to the lord. It is on the difference between testimony and conversion, it is from the last conference in Oct if I am not confused. But yeah he bore testimony to us at the end and blessed us that if we pray fervently and with real intent, the lord will give us assurance that he is pleased with our work. 

That is what I will be doing.

Elder Hartvigsen

When we started to ask him a question, he said don't ask me where the three Nephites live. I don't know, and I don't care. And then he taught us what inspired questions are. It was super funny, ...and still kinda mysterious.

that fruit in the pic is called chirimoya

April 22, 2013 The story of two Beds

OK, so bed number 1, mine. I hate it!! I woke up today and I cant move my neck because I slept wrong and the mattress is awful and now I feel like I have a neck cast on!! hahaha

bed number 2, NAR. BEDNAR. BEDNARLY-no just kidding. But yes Elder Bednar is coming on wednesday, and yes I will be going, and no I will not be camping out. (I would be, only... the mission won't let me.) And I might see Brett!! We´ll let yáll know how it went afterwords.

Yeah so mom requested a few daily details, so ..

hmm... mornings are nice because they always fly by. I do my workout (I have two routines: push ups and sit ups, or exercise band stuff, alternating every other day) from 6 30 to 7 (funny note, I no longer need an alarm. We haven't set it for two weeks, I simply wake up at about 6 24 every day. like every day without fail ha.) then i eat breakfast, kinda. ham and bread, or nothing. depends on if i have ham and bread that day. (don't worry i have some new personal goals) then we study at 8, which has become a blessing and something very looked forward to in my life. I read the Book of Mormon 30 minutes a day (mission rule) and then study whatever else, be it PMG, or Jesus the Christ, or the bible dictionary. It varies. 

Then everyday except tuesday and saturday, we have something at ten in the morning until lunch, so, mornings go so fast. Sunday church, monday P-day, wed zone meetings, Thurs service, Fri weekly planning (dreadfully long and boring but absolutely necessary).

Check back next week for our special on afternoon missionary life.

This week I wanted to share a couple things. 

1 A couple in the ward (still fairly young, both returned missionaries, he served in miami speaking english, and she served i think in northern peru)  We ate lunch with them yesterday and just chatted about the mission and stuff, which was nice, but she said something that touched me. She said, ´I would honestly give anything just to go to The Salt Lake Temple, or The Sacred Grove for one day. Just one day.´ Wow, what a heart-hitter. How blessed are we, and how we take it all for granted!! Many of the members here would agree one hundred percent with the sister. Just don't take it for granted, ok? Chase, I love your goal of temple week. awesome.

Quick thing! Grandma, thanks for the package, I loved it!! My comp as well. he loved the ghiradelli chocolates, or however you spell them!

2 quick shout out to Ellis Chaffetz, and the Chaffetz family, Ellis I came across your christmas letter read it again the other day, it actually meant a lot that someone, not family, took the time to write me!! I will write you guys, I swear, but there simply isn't a ton of time to go search for the nearest post office.. (it´s not near) also I would love to hear some details about Max!!

3 I don't know. 

But thanks to all, and I hope you all enjoy the spring and the snow that is left. It is still very humid and very hot here. (it has cooled down at night, so that is pleasant.)

Chau

Elder Hartvigsen

April 15, 2013 Happy Birthday Brady!!!!

Hello

Ok first of all, Elder Mainasa is his name. He is from Puno, in the cusco mission to give you an idea, and he is a great missionary. He has been waiting for his visa to go to mexico. 

I think this letter will be short, because I have told everyone everything in their personal letters, I think... But yeah the area is good. We have some crazy high hills way up there and the people live in their teeny tiny little houses built on very steep sides of the gigantic sand dune mountain things here. The people are very poor, so that is a struggle for the ward. Most of the people who are inactive, simply dont attend because they cant sacrifice sunday, one of the best days to sell, to go to church., They cant sacrifice it, or they wont have enough money for the week, so its a struggle. But the people are good. The chapel is big and very pretty, and there is an electric piano from the church, one of those with the hymns and stuff!! I love it. Oh yeah!!!! there is very high probability that we will be going to a devocional with none other than David A. Bednar, of the big 12, this 24 of the month. So I am super crazy pumped, and I hope it will be amazing. but it is not totally totally confirmed yet, so we shall see.. I think it will be at the stake center which is on the ccm property. so... there could be a chance to see Brett. 

Anyway, I hope you all have a great week and thank you mom for the package!! I opened it last night, and it is perfect!! chocolate!!! Thank you so much, and thanks for the letters everyone. I will be back next week!!

Elder Hartvigsen

April 10, 2013 Transfer to San Gabriel

This week has been wild. Once again, I had a transfer, and am now in SAN GABRIEL, in an area called Miguel Grau. The craziness is that I was with Elder Camez for such a short time, 1.5 weeks, and it seemed like it was such a big calling and important duty. But I Have to belief that the Lord is in everything.

Sorry for not writing until wednesday, but every sixth week will be like that from here on out. (I will let you know the week before)

So yeah. New area, new ward, and new companion and new investigadors, again. But we will conquer!! This are is way cool, we´re are way up on the hills, far from the center of the city, and these people are all living in their tiny little prefabricated wood houses (brick if you´re down where the richer are). Most of the little areas are invasions, or where the people come in and simply build a house on the hill, regardless of land title or anything crazy thing like that. But it is interesting because you find people willing to work, people who live by their blood sweat and tears, as literally as the word literally can possible be.

I will send some pics next week because the area is way cool. Tiny little plots of land that they carve out of the hill and then lay a cement block as the foundation, and then build the house on top. 

Also, NEW RULE. We can now talk with friends from home through internet. I know, I dont know why the church is trusting us, yet more, but they are. We now also have one hour and a half for internet every week. its cool because the church wants us communicating with our converts weekly, even after we have a transfer. SO, please feel free to write me.. anyone!! :D Mom and dad, you can give out my email if anyone asks.

Conference.

What a great conference weekend. I dont know how many weeks I´ve been counting down, and now that it is another six months away, I am saddened and distraught, but then again edified and ready for the war. I absolutely loved the talks. President packer illustrated for us the reality of the devil in our lives, and what we have to do to prevent it. And of course, Elder Holland. I will not be surprised if a fan page for Elder Holland pops up on facebook somewhere. ...(mom, if it does, add me) he is just so passionate and such a wonderful speaker!! Waiting for his talk until the LAST session of conference, I felt a little like I was back sitting on the soft cinemark parking lot at midnight waiting for harry. But yeah I think Elder Holland is cooler.

Not much more to say, we´re gonna get the work rollin here in Miguel Grau, and I will let you all know of anything cool stuff that happens. Please take a sec to read Alma 7 and Alma 12. Take a look at the difference between the message given from God through his prophet to a repentant people ready to learn, and the mesage given from God tthrough his same prophet to a wicked people. The word of God, as we learned this weekend can be something edifying, enlightening and literally beautiful to the ears of the heart. But it can be something very frightening and harsh to the ears of those who might be called ¨happy¨ or ¨rich¨ or whatever. Never forget that the repentant heart is not a perfect one. it is willing to change, or even better, BE CHANGED and molded by the hand of the master. 

Alma 7:12 is a scripture I have kept close and memorized in english and spanish .

    Y tomará sobre sí la muerte, para soltar las ligaduras de la muerte que sujetan a su pueblo. Y sus enfermedades tomará Él sobre sí, para que sus entrañas sean llenas de misericordia, según la carne, a fin de que según la carne, sepa como socorrer a los de su pueblo, de acuerdo con las enfermedades de ellos.

  Remeber, Alma believed in something that was going to happen. The same thing we believe already has happened. But yet, regardless of the time setting, it is so powerful, and aplicable to him who simply believes. I love the Lord and Believe with all my heart that he let his children take his life, so that he could give it back to them.

Elder Hartvigsen