In Junín, we are some of the fortunate few missionaries who make our own breakfast. Why is that such a blessing? Firstly, we don't have to walk to our Pension every morning. It's also nice to actually choose what to eat. Finally, the 8 soles we receive daily to pay for the meal are hardly ever used completely, which builds up quite a fund near the end of the month. My first Junín companion and I fondly called it "fondo brekky" and took to using the money for a fairly expensive restaurant outing to buy American popcorn chicken in Tarma. Unfortunately, with the President's new mandate that forever confines us to our own areas on P-Days, there's no way to use the money effectively. We have no other choice but to make up for all the stingy breakfasts we made and buy whatever looks good.
One morning, as we made our way to a Plan C after a service project fell through, my companion asked me for five little chocolates I'd recently bought. I encouraged him to take half the bag; fondo brekky was ours to enjoy. He took five and shot back toward a family pushing a man in a wheelchair. He gave one to each and we walked them home. The old man with the bad legs loudly and emotionally declared his faith and we gave him a blessing. Afterward, we hoisted him up on our arms and walked a little with him around the room. The family not only promised to come to church the next day, but actually came. In my four and a half months here, I believe I've seen one other investigator visit the church. To make the experience all the more surreal, the old man's name was Gubercindo. It was a very happy day, and made me thankful for my companion following through on a prompting. As the Lord said to early church missionaries in Doctrine and Covenants 61: 3, "It is not needful for the whole company of elders to be moving swiftly...whilst the inhabitants on either side are perishing in unbelief." We can always have time for the few whom we are passing by. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.