May 23 to July 25
JULY 25, 2016
Hey Everyone!
I hope that you are doing great! Many things have happened this last week. This last week has definitely been a week of change and we are looking forward to what it will bring! We had special meetings with President Godfrey, and also we had our interviews! There were many things that he counseled us to do and what we have seen, it makes the difference!
So P-day was pretty chill. After sending our emails, we ate at Plaza Norte and then my companion and I went to our pensionista`s house and ate brownies and watched Jesus Christ, the movie from the temple. It was pretty inspiring and if anyone has the chance to see that movie or series, I would highly recommend seeing it!
On Tuesday we had our Zone/District meeting and president was there and it was great! And then later in the afternoon, President had a special meeting for all of the zone leaders. He is putting in place many things that will help out the mission and that afternoon my companion and I did it and wow was that inspired!! We are super excited for what is to come with our mission! The focus is on how we can teach more efficiently and find more people. We feel the Spirit super strong when we teach the first lesson and seeing if they want to repent and come unto Christ. We have been teaching the district leaders and they are on board. We will be doing more practices with them this upcoming week. Our verification has improved by leaps and bounds. I feel like we are finding the problems and now helping the district leaders to find the solutions.
On Thursday, we had interviews and wow were they a lot different! The Spirit was so strong and the love that President has for us and me is remarkable! We talked for a good time and one of the office workers said that I had the longest interview hahaha. But he had so much good advice and afterwards I noted everything so that I won`t forget anything! That morning I was also with his wife to do room checks and that was pretty cool see all of the missionaries` rooms. She is such a loving person and very kind.
On Friday, we had a member from another ward come with us to work. His name is Daniel and he is a remarkable man! He is about thirty-five years old and is from Uruguay and only has a month here in Lima. His story is inspiring on his conversion, on how he served a three-year mission, and how he moved here on inspiration and he`s found his future eternal companion. He is the most humble person that I have ever encountered! I believe that he has some social problems but is such a loving man. He told us that every day since his mission he has woken up at 6:30am and has done his studies! He is also the happiest person that I ever seen! It is no coincidence that it comes from the Gospel!!
So besides that everything is great! My companion and I are really gelling and we are teaching with the Spirit! I love you guys and are always in my prayers!!!
Love,
Elder Langfoss
JULY 18, 2016
Dear Family and Friends,
This week has been a great learning experience. There have been many challenges in our area and as well as in the zone. But whenever there are times like this, the Lord is always wanting something for me to learn. Just to let you know that I am doing great in every aspect and there is nothing to worry about.
This week we have received much revelation to help the zone. We have found that our missionaries are excellent missionaries and are super spiritual. On Tuesday we did all practices to help the zone. We felt like it was a lot more effective but there are some refinements that we have to do to present it in such a way that the missionaries have the fire when they leave. That will be our challenge. But we know that if we, as leaders, do these things and improve on it, we are really going to help the zone. For that at times it's frustrating but I know that is opposite of faith, so I will be optimistic with it all and I won't let Satan win! I think of it as of Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove, how at first there was a huge opposition but then when he gave all of his strength to call out to God, he was visited by Our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesucristo. This story really makes an impact on me to just keep on having the faith!
My companion and I are doing great! He is really helping me and I once again feel like I am becoming like my Savior when I am with him. But then when I am not with him, I really feel my progress. It is so awesome!!
This last week we were able to baptize a woman that her husband is a recent convert. We broke the streak of 7 months without baptizing. What happened with this sister, Gilberta, was something really spiritual that I won't forget. The husband never gave up on helping and preparing his wife to make this covenant with Our Heavenly Father. How he kept up the faith and endured it all, is something truly inspires me. She had many problems with her family and at times with her husband. And many missionaries have tried to teach and baptize her but none of them could do it, and even my companion. But when I first taught her, about three weeks ago, she told me everything and I felt a strong impression that she needed to pray and ask God if she needs to get baptized for that day. She prayed and asked God and afterwards there were tears in her eyes and she said, “you convinced me!”
Now during these last three weeks there have been many struggles but she was able to overcome them all. But my testimony is waxing strong in that God really does answer prayers and He loves each one of His children. Her baptism was super cool, her husband baptized her and the coolest part is that he's a blind man, but he still could do it, and as well as to confirm her. So that was a first for me and my companion, a blind man baptizing. What happened this last week changed their lives completely because the wife says that the bad things and resentment went away after her baptism. And really if you saw her, you would think that she is a completely different person. That experience helped wax my testimony even stronger in the importance of making this covenant with God!
So that was a spiritual experience that happened to me that I wanted to share. Just know that I love you and am always praying for you!!!
Love,
Elder Langfoss
JULY 11, 2016
Hey Everyone!
This week has flown past. There have been many good things that have happened and we are really excited to bring souls unto Christ. I am doing great physically, mentally, and spiritually. My companion and I are really getting along great! He is really helping me to become a better leader, missionary, and disciple of Jesus Christ. I feel that I have so much spiritual progress whenever I am with him.
This last week was pretty cool, it was the fourth of July, my birthday, and I hit the 16-month mark. My birthday was cool, in the zone meeting we ate cake and celebrated there. Then that day a family that we are baptizing gave us dinner and cake for my birthday. It was something special for me. I just can`t believe that I am now 20 years old. It really hit me, I am not a youth any more. I have been thinking about this day for a long time but now that it's here I feel a lot different. But it's cool!
Also this last week I hit the mark of 16 months! It`s crazy and soon I will be home, but I honestly want the time to slow down a little and enjoy this time that I have here. It will be the only two years that I can give it all to the Lord and I am loving it!!
Our area is really progressing like crazy. We had 16 people committed to going to church but only 7 went. But each week we will be baptizing in our area now! This is an area that hasn`t baptized now for seven months. We are working hard with them and we know that this upcoming week, we will surpass that potential and get more. We have a great platform in how we are working by sectors and we see many fruits from it.
We have a family of four that we are teaching and they are really progressing but they just lack going to church. They are really a family of gold but the only thing that gets in the way is the husband`s work. He works so much but they really want to progress to baptism. We are really trying to help them. This last week was really cool. We were able to teach many powerful lessons, and my testimony is growing so much with each one of them! We are helping about 5 families to get baptized for this upcoming month!
So this was my week! I hope that you guys are doing great and just know that I love you!!
Love,
Elder Langfoss
JULY 4, 2016
Hey Everyone!
I am sorry for not having a letter last week, there was just so many things that I was doing and I really just ran out of time. But there are no excuses and this week I am writing first. So many things have changed, and I feel awesome! Just know that I am doing great in every aspect! I am excited for Tuesday with my Birthday and I will write you guys on how it went.
So these last two weeks have just been a blur. There is so much I have to do now as a Zone Leader. I am quite honestly just loving it! I feel so much more love for the missionaries, I understand the mission better, and I feel myself becoming more like my Savior, Jesucristo. I am with Elder Parra and he is great! He works super hard and efficient, we are having so much success in our area and zone, and he is from California. His parents are from Mexico but was born and raised in America. He and I are so much alike and it's pretty cool because we liked the same things before the mission and he played water polo as well! We laugh all the time and I am truly happy! And above all of that, he is helping me become more like Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for this time that I have with him, and he is also finishing his mission so he's teaching so much.
This last week I also got to meet the new president of the mission, President Godrey. He is an awesome guy! He is so much different from President Erickson but I am loving him and his family. President Godfrey is 46 years old and has a family and three of their kids are living here in Lima. They are really awesome and I was taken back on how intelligent President Godfrey is. I am really happy and am looking forward for these next 8 months in the mission with him!
Well, there has been so much more that has happened but these things are the big news that has stuck out for this last week! I appreciate all of your letters and I love hearing from you! Just know that I love each one of you and am always thinking about you!
Love,
Elder Langfoss
JUNE 13, 2016
Hey Everyone!
I hope that everyone is doing great! This week has been a pretty awesome week! I have been enjoying all of the Reese’s that you sent and I really enjoyed the letter and everything else you gave me. So this week, I have also hit 15 months!! It’s crazy and especially that this change is coming to an end next week, I can`t believe it!
So this last week Elder Rasband (Seventy) came and that was on my anniversary for completing 15 months. That morning we got up at 3:30 a.m. and we headed out to the stake center in Los Olivos. We got there and we did some waiting in the chapel for a while and then he came! It was awesome! You could feel his presence so strong, and he made it a point that he was going to shake every missionary`s hand, and there were over 600 missionaries there. There was a Seventy, Elder Rasband, that gave a great talk. Our President gave his last testimony and his wife talked. Both gave powerful talks! There was so many things that I learned and one thing that I need to say is that I have not felt so much love! It was such a great moment, I can`t even describe it! Just know that it was one of the best experience ever and I want to testify that he is an apostle of Jesucristo!
This last Saturday was a really cool because I had one of the best baptisms from one of our converts. His name is Lorenzo and wow was that such a spiritual day with him and I have many pictures. But it was definitely that I will never forget!!
Well this week has been a great week! And just know that I love you!!
Love,
Elder Langfoss
JUNE 6, 2016
Hey Everyone!
So this last week we entered into June and I can´t even believe it! Yes, I do know that each and every week I say that I am doing great and that the time is flying past. I would like you to know that statement is very true and I am going to say it again this week hahaha. But relating to my health, I am doing great! My companion and area doing excellent! I received the package and I love it!! I met up with Amelia this morning at 7 am and she gave me the package. We didn´t have time to talk much because the taxi was waiting but it was weird to meet someone that knows my family and they are here in the mission. Please express to her my gratitude for taking the time to deliver the package!
My companion is such an awesome guy and I am enjoying this time with him! We have the same sense of humor, and pretty much he is the Latino version of me. We are working super hard and our labors are showing their fruits!
Last Sunday a member introduced a family to us and they are so prepared! They are a younger family and the wife has been looking for us and the husband is awesome! On Saturday, the wife, Sarayda, told us about a dream that she had and the reason why she wants the Gospel in her life. When we taught them, the Spirit testified so strong to them! The name of the family is Aquino and they are preparing for baptism and they need your prayers. If you could do that, it would help out so much!
Well, I love hearing from you and I hope you know that I am doing great and I am loving the Lord´s work! This week, we will get the last training from President Erickson, and Elder Rasband, one of the twelve, is coming to our mission. I will update with you next week with how it went. I love you!!!
Love,
Elder Langfoss
MAY 30, 2016
Good Morning Everyone!
I hope that everyone is doing great! Another week just flew past. Last P-day was pretty fun, we played some basketball and it was so much fun to play real sports again ha-ha. That night we had a pretty awesome FHE with all of our investigators and they loved the lesson that Mom gave me. It was so much fun and they really enjoyed it, so a big shout out to Mama.
On Wednesday we had a fun service project of going to a member’s house and just hack away at the rocks on their lot.
This last week we were able to help Ana of making a covenant with God and it was really special. She has been remarkable and she will be so strong!
Then this morning our district had a little adventure. We decided to hike up the mountain. It was a lot of hiking but it was so worth it. We started out at 5am and it was super cloudy, as we ascended up the hill, it was really hard for us to see. But we found our way up there and when we reached the top, all of the clouds were underneath us. And right at that moment, the sun rose and it was so beautiful. I felt so good because there was so much space, and there was absolutely no sound whatsoever. It was silent and just BEATIFUL!!! That was such a cool moment for me and I took many pictures of it, but when I put my memory in the computer, another virus attacked the card. That’s two memory cards of all of my pictures gone. I´ll try to recover it somehow so that you guys will be able to see it.
But just know that it was awesome! So this week was pretty cool. I hope you have another great week as well! I LOVE YOU AND PRAY FOR YOU!!!
Love,
Elder Langfoss
MAY 23, 2016
Hey Everyone!!
I hope that everyone has had a good week! Many things have happened this last week. But first off the analysis with the doctors. It turns out that I had a parasite and an intestinal infection. They gave me medication and now I am doing a whole lot better.
This last P-day was awesome! We ate at Chili´s and Elder Von Gunten was there and we had so much fun talking and especially about cars! Then that night and many nights we have done Family Home Evenings with the families that we are going to baptize. All of them love the games and the things that Mom sent me, and for that thank you Mom! I have seen the difference that FHE makes on a family and I have a strong testimony that everyone needs and has to do it.
On Tuesday I did a work visit and I was with Elder Marino, the kid of Von Gunten, and it was awesome! We taught a family that is preparing for baptism and this lesson that we had was really spiritual and I can testify with all of my heart that the Book of Mormon is true and that Our Heavenly Father will respond to us if we ask with a sincere heart, real intent, and faith in Christ. The moment with that family, God showed me the power of that promise.
On the morning of Wednesday was awesome! Our district had the opportunity to go to the offices and study with President Erickson. It was such a cool experience to study with him and the Spirit was so strong and we all learned a ton!! He has really inspired me and he truly is a great man!
Yesterday was Stake Conference and it was amazing! President Erickson and his wife spoke, and also a member of the Seventy spoke. They were all fantastic talks but the Seventy´s talk was specular! Everyone loved it and it was just perfect for all of our investigators that went!
Just know that I am doing great and I am loving it out here. My companion is awesome and we are working really hard! If I could ask a favor for you, it would be to pray for these families: Fam. Fernandez, Fam. Reyes, Fam. Bautista, Fam. Tapia, Fam. Malasquez, and Fam. Ramos. I would really appreciate that and I know that they would too as they are preparing for baptism! I love you so much and are always in my prayers!!!
Love,
Elder Langfoss
