20 Years Later (March 31, 2014)

I thought a lot this past week about where I have been. 6 months ago I was in Tumbes, Perú learning a new language, learning how to teach the Gospel of God, and following around a 22 year old Peruvian from Mokewa. That felt like a lifetime ago. But to go back just one year, I was sitting in my dorm room in BYU studying for finals and stuffing my face with fast food due to college-life stresses. Now if I go back 5 years, I was in high school with different goals, different challenges, different ambitions, different attitudes, etc.

And now.

I am a Gringo missionary in Capullanas, Piura, Perú serving as a leader of a district of missionaries as well as training a new missionary from Cusco, Perú. I have 8 months in the mission, I am más o menos fluent in Spanish, I enjoy eating aji de gallina and tuna (a red, spiky fruit native here in Perú), and my goal is to help people come unto Jesus Christ. How things change in 20 years! 

To keep the B-day message short, I invite all of you to check out General Conference this Saturday and Sunday. It is a broadcast from Salt Lake City where the living prophet of God (like Moses, Abraham, Enos, etc.) will speak to the world along with the 12 modern-day apostles (like Mathew, Peter, John, etc.). They is literally nothing like it. If you have a question or challenge in this life and you need guidance, write down this problem on a piece of paper, go to conference, and as you listen carefully, you will receive the revelation to answer your needs. Pretty cool, huh? The best part is it works! So, after the awesome party on Friday (wink) I invite you all to watch a session of General Conference.

I hope you all know how much I love you all and pray for you. I pray that you back home will recognize the Lord's hand in your life. He lives and loves His children. That is the fact I know more than anything else in the world.

Muchísimas gracias. ¡Cuídense mucho, amigos y hermanos!

- Elder Dax Rich