Viva Cusco/Puno

Hello everyone!

It's been a crazy and blessed week. Me and seven other misionaries from the CCM boarded a plane to Cusco, and arrived to a huge group of excited missionaries and our Mission President. I can't fully express how right it feels to be a missionary in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at this time. Heavenly Father is with me, and His blessings are everywhere.

After arriving in Cusco, us newbies took a tour of the city, and our tour guide - a member and Incan descendant - tolds us about the culture. Some of the things he explained was how the Quechua believe there are three things to live by in order to become more perfect everyday. They include no stealing, no lying, and not being lazy. They are also strong believers in avoiding all shortcuts and in doing hard things. Given their rich history, the Quechua have lived up to this. I've already love this people so much.

The next day was orientation, and I received my assignment to start a new sector with my companion, Hermana Chipunavi (She is from Bolivia). We are currently serving in the city Puno as the first sister missionaries in our area. It's a tremendous responsibility, but we have faith that the future is as bright as our hope and hard work.

I don't have much time to write everything that I would like, but let me just tell you that missionary work is hard. It is challenging, but the blessings include a kind of heavenly joy. I've already had my share of challenging, but I know without a doubt that heaven in near. Sometimes I wake up in the morning completely exhausted from the night before, and so I pray. A lot. And Heavenly Father keeps sending tender mercies every single day, which have given me the strength to endure. My companion and the people in this ward are also tremendous blessings. Although I cannot understand everything that i spoken in Spanish, I feel their spirits and the love that they have for the Savior and the Restored Gospel. This Church is true even in Peru, and I cannot tell you fully how much of a comfort this is.

I want you all to know that i have an abiding testimony of this Gospel. It is my rock, because Christ is my Savior, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His. I know this with all my heart through a witness I recieved from God. I've prayed about it, and the Spirit bore witness of this truth to mine - and it still does everyday.

Please keep my companion and i in your prayers. We need all the strength and help of heaven with us as we seek to bring others closer to Christ. 

I love you all! Make sure that you tell all the missionaries you see just how proud you are of them. Tell them that they are strong, and that they can keep going.

Bueno Fe

Hermana Arroyo