A Week in the Life of . . . a Missionary Couple

So what do we do as proselyting couple missionaries? Here are the highlights of what we did each day during the past 7 days in the Peru Lima East Mission.

Tuesday, January 6. We went to visit Hermana Eli, a less active member, but she wasn't there for our appointment. Her 20-year-old son was there, so we invited him to church. He said he would come to church on Sunday, but he didn't.

Hermana Magdalena saw us walking by her little sidewalk market booth. She called to us, and asked if we would walk to her home with her. She walked up the hill with us, invited us inside her home, called her inactive son to sit with us, and left. We gave a message and said a prayer with Enrique, and invited him to church. He said he would come to church on Sunday and he did.

In the evening we went to the home of the Alvites family. Hermano Alvites and his wife are active, but most of their children and grandchildren are not (about six families in the extended family live in the house). We had prayer and a lesson with about 10 members of the family. We told them that we were representatives of Jesus Christ and we had come to invite them back to church. They all agreed to come to church on Sunday (but only one of the children and none of the grandchildren came. We set up an appointment for next week and will bring an activity for the children.

Wednesday, January 7. We went to the temple, where we met a sister from the Tarma District who was returning home from her mission. Scott gave this sister missionary her release interview. Then we took the three Office elders (who had picked the sister missionary up at the airport) and the sister to breakfast at the temple cafeteria.

Then we went through an endowment session with Beverly's family names. We served as the witness couple. Beverly struggled a bit with the Spanish during the session, but we had an enjoyable time.

In the afternoon, we went to the home of our ward Relief Society President. We had an appointment with her and her son to meet their nonmember neighbors and teach a discussion. No one was home.

Thursday, January 8. Beverly spent the day preparing materials for teaching children. We had family home evening with the Dinklang family. The father is a recent convert, and we are reviewing the missionary discussions with the family.

Friday, January 9. We went again to the temple with Sister Dinklang (it was only her second time). Again we were the witness couple. Again Beverly went through the session in Spanish. Again it was difficult for her--but she's learning.

After the temple, we went to the Mission Office, where we picked up some church magazines and Books of Mormon. In the evening we wrote in our journals and Scott prepared a priesthood lesson that he was giving on Sunday.

Saturday, January 10. This was supposed to be our preparation day, but Scott spent the morning interviewing members from Junín (a small branch in the Tarma District) and signing their recommends so they could attend the temple.

In the afternoon, we had appointments with two less-active families in our ward. Hermana Eli wasn't home (again), but she came to church on Sunday. Then we visited the Acevidos where we gave a lesson and a prayer, and invited them to church on Sunday. They all came!

On our way home, we met Hermana Zenobia. She invited us to her home where she poured out her heart about her difficulties in life. She doesn't have money to give her son the training he needs to enter the university. We are going to check into the Perpetual Education Fund to see if he qualifies. The bishop had told her that her son had to be 18 before he qualified, but he's only 15 (although he is a high school graduate).

Sunday, January 11. We attended our La Molina Vieja ward. Scott said the opening prayer in Sacrament meeting, for the third time in less than three months, and gave the priesthood lesson. Beverly played the piano for Sacrament Meeting and Relief Society.

After Church we visited the home of the Álvarez family, whom Scott baptized 43 years ago. We gave a missionary lesson to the son Blas (who is inactive) and to his nonmember wife. We had a great lunch and a wonderful discussion; however, Blas and Maria don't think it's the right time in their life to think about religion. Scott told them that this was the best time in their life. We bore testimony and challenged them to read our testimonies in the front of a Book of Mormon that we gave them. They agreed to read a few verses.

In the evening, Elder and Sister Lamb (Perpetual Education Fund missionaries) visited us. They said there probably is something the Fund can do for Hermana Zenobia's son. We'll relay the information to her.

Monday, January 12. We went to the Mission Office to attend the office correlation meeting. It was late starting, so Beverly took down all the Office Christmas decorations. President Leyvia asked us to go to Tarma so Scott can interview brethren for the reorganization of the district. So we made arrangements for our trip. We will leave on Saturday.

In the late afternoon, we went by Blas and Maria's flower shop to pick up Scott's camera that we had accidentally left at their father's home. It was an opportunity to talk to Maria for a few minutes.

In the evening Scott made more calls to Tarma and to the other counselor in the mission presidency to make sure everything is arranged for our Tarma trip.

So that's our typical week (if there is such a thing) in our life as missionaries.