Dustin's May 30th Letter

2011 May 30


Mom,

My week was pretty good. A little short seeing as I wrote you 4 or 5 days ago, but really good. It is incredible how the time flies yet so many things can happen. On Saturday we had a baptism!!! Our first (of many) here in Iquitos. I baptized Jean Carlos Tecco Celis, a young man of 18 years who in one short year will be a great missionary. Yesterday his brother Raul confirmed him and he will receive the priesthood in 2 weeks (cause this week are the presidential elections in Perú, so no church :( but he is a great convert to the church. We couldn`t quite complete all of our goals this week (I could come up with a ton of excuses but that never does us any good) but we had success and will have more this week :) I`ll be sure to send pictures of the baptism. It is weird to think that you guys are entering summertime (finally) cause we are too, it gets hotter and hotter every day and it is starting to rain less, but it still rains quite often, I mean we`re in the RAIN forest, what else can you expect. I love being a missionary and I love being in Peru and I love MY FAMILY!!! I always loved those weekends when we could all get together and enjoy time together doing seemingly meaningless things like eating more than necessary, talking about sometimes nothing and playing video games, but all these little things is how our family is so strong and how we overcome every little and big thing that gets in our way. It is great to know how well the family is doing and that the only changes that have happened are for the best. In no time I will be able to join in again and fulfill my role as son and brother doing the things that matter most, but that seem to the world like they don`t matter at all. You are the greatest and never give up the small things to things that seem bigger and greater and of more importance. ¨by small and simple things, great things are brought to pass¨ (I think it is something like that in English) I love you and can only attempt to put in words the feeling I have for my family.

Love,

Elder Divis

Dustin's May 25th Letter

Dear Mom,
My week was excellent!!!! Sorry I couldn`t write on Monday :/ We had a tri-zone conference and then on Tuesday we had trainings. But my week was truly amazing. We now have 4 baptismal dates and we had 21 lessons with members and 13 others and people are still coming to church. We still have a lot to improve but we are progressing. When we got here a month ago we didn`t have any investigators, we didn`t know the members and it was tough to open this ward but with a little bit of diligence and patience we are getting the success that the Lord promises us. Now we just have to work even harder to maintain what we have and grow even more. The potential that we have here is huge and from the hints that Pres. Blunck told me, I will be here for at least 6 months!!! Woo-hoo! You might have to pray even harder for me because we are going to be relying and them and the Angles of heaven to lift us up and make miracles happen. I am truly excited for this great opportunity to be a missionary here in Iquitos, Peru. Sounds like you are having similar problem that we have been having here, eh? But the water is going down more and more every day and in a couple weeks it shouldn’t be a problem, but that means that it is getting hotter and hotter here in the rain forest. Wish me luck. It is great to hear how well the family and everyone are doing. I know he blesses each of you for you faithful service and obedience. Say hi to grandma and grandpa Chipman for me! :) And thanks for the package!!! (Maybe I spoke to soon... but I will let you know when I get it :) Have a great week and keep up the good work!
Love,
Elder Divis

Mom,
I have a couple minutes left so I figured that I would write a little something extra. In the trainings and conference that we had the last 2 days I learned a ton. Pres. Blunck talked about ¨la formula de tener 100 bautismos en su misiòn¨ he talked about Cantidad y Calidad. (Quantity and quality, how we have to have both.) We have to have at least 100 contacts (quantity) cause that is the only why we can find new people. And that we shouldn`t waste our time with the contacts and new investigators that aren`t progressing. It is something that Elder Zuniga and I were already applying but it opened my mind to many different things. Like that we can improve the quality of our contacts and as we will find better quality people cause the spirit will be able to guide us better. The pres. is a little worried cause only 3 companionships in the whole mission (95 companionships) had 18 or more lessons with members. The stats that he shared with us let me know that Elder Zuniga and I are working effectively and a ton. But that doesn`t mean that we can or will relax. Quite the opposite. We are going to work harder because we understand when President says that as a mission we are not reaching our ¨potential¨ as a mission. I love our president. He is a man inspired by God and I have learned, am learning and will learn much from him.
Just a little update on the mission and the conference. Have a great week!
Elder Divis

Dustin's May 16th Letter

2011 May 16


Mom,

I love reading your emails and knowing and realizing how much the Lord is blessing our family. It gives me new strength and comfort. My week was excellent! The last week we worked super super hard and still didn`t have anybody progressing. This week we worked even harder and more effectively. We had 32 lessons this week and half with members; we got 16 references and 18 new investigators. 7 people attended church and we got another return missionary and a ward mission leader. This week we are going to work even harder and even more effectively. The number of excellence in the mission is 18 lessons with member and 18 others, 15 references, 20 new investigators, and 100 contacts. All we needed is four more lessons two more new investigators. And the best part about all of it, is that we didn`t focus and just worry about numbers but at the end of the week we added it all up and our work paid off. I was a little surprised so I had to go back and count again to make sure. The Lord is the Master!!! All we have to do is put in our best, our very best and live worthy, and He picks up the slack and we become true instruments in His hands. My companion and I have a lot to work on and I know if we keep doing our very best to improve we will become excellent missionaries.

I love you all and I am inexpressibly grateful for all that you have done for me, do for me, and will continue doing for me. Sorry if the letter is a little short but I will be sure to write more next week. Just know that I love you mom and that you give me the strength to keep fighting for my salvation and the salvation others.

Love,

Elder Divis

Dustin's May 9th Letter

2011 May 9
Dear Mom,
It was great to talk to you too!!! I really enjoyed talking to the whole family, I felt like I was right there with you guys. I have to say sorry to Mariah because the phone cut off when I had 1 hour, but that life, Di? I love being on the mission and serving in Iquitos, Peru!!! I will always work my hardest here and never give up on anyone, anything, or for any reason. This week was great! We had 31 lessons and the investigators are reading the Book of Mormon and are praying, it`s just that they didn`t make it to church for one reason or another. Which kinda made me a little sad but I just have to work harder and help these people come unto Christ and find new people who are searching for the truth. And yes, I still have to sleep with a mosquito net cause dangue is common in the winter time here. Our ward gave the mothers little flowers made of this foam stuff that looked pretty cool in a miniature vase thing. It is always great to hear about and from the family and sorry if this letter is a little short but I can`t think of much else to say cause we talked just yesterday. I enjoy being able to talk to you and know that I love all of you. It is always cool to talk in Spanish with James but I fear I bore the others listening cause they can`t understand :/ woops. I truly do love you and I hope that you enjoy the pictures that I sent.
Love,
Elder Divis

 A family in Pucallpa the day before I left. At the far right

is a member that got baptised 3 years ago and always help us out. He

is an awesome guy and will be a great missionary in a few short

months. I gave him my soccer shoes when I left and he is like a little

brother

 My companion Elder Zuniga in our pensionist (were we eat)

The sunrise from our apartment window here in Iquitos

Dustin's May 2nd Letter

2011 May 2

Dear Mom,
My week was great! as always, just with a few disappointments. But your week sounded like your keeping busy and having fun. I can`t wait to see Trissa and Laura`s new houses, from the sound of it they are both doing well and I am happy to hear that! I love having a great big family that loves and supports me. It makes me super happy to hear about Charlotte Jean!! I am really excited for them. And you also said you went to a duck pond and it sounded like it belongs to Laura and Craig, or did I misinterpret that part? Who knows? And one more thing: It`s still snowing there?!?!?! That is crazy. I am pretty sure that here it doesn`t get below 75 degrees, even when it’s raining and people say they are cold. I think I am accustomed to this weather though :/ cause when we go to a church that has air conditioning and it is set to 24 degrees Celsius, I feel cold! What temperature is 24 degrees Celsius in Fahrenheit?
To answer your questions about if we have cell-phones: that would be a big NO. haha ha. the zone leaders have one but that`s it. My week went good. We taught 28 lessons and we found a bunch of new people to teach and a few that want to get baptized. And the week was going perfectly but on Sunday,.... Nobody came to church; well some people came but not our investigators. I still have hope for them I just have to improve my teaching skill so that they understand the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy and going to church. The ward is great!!! there are 22 return missionaries in the ward and 7 that are at the age to go on the mission (only 2 are active, but that`s why we`re here to support them) I don`t know if I told you in the last e-mail but we don`t have a bishop but we have a ton of support from the ward and we will have a bishop soon :) I love this ward, and Iquitos, and Peru!!! But most of all I love being immersed in the Lord`s work.
I love you mom and hope that all goes well. I still have not heard anything about our mother`s day call but I am sure you`ll receive a pre-call from me sometime this week. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!! and happy birthday to Jordan :) Hope all goes well at home. I am doing great.
Say hey to everyone for me.
Love,
Elder Divis

P.S. I saw the Amazon River, and I have been living in the amazon rain forest for over 6 months. No big deal :) haha ha.