This is a great experience that Jeff had while visiting the zone of Quillabamba which is a little zone of 8 missionaries 5 hours north of Cusco high up over an Andean pass and nestled in the jungle. It is known for growing cocoa beans and coca leaves and is one of the most beautiful cities in our mission. I thought I would add a few photos to show you the missionaries and the chapel at district conference time so you can get a feel for the area. They call it ceja de selva which means the eyebrow of the jungle or just onthe edge of the jungle. I was up in Utah when this occurred and so I missed being there for this great experience but here it is in Jeff's words! This is a wonderful example of how the lamanite people receive revelation---it is easy to see why they are the children of Lehi for he was a dreamer too...
Chapel in Quillabamba at conference time
We always have to take a silly shot after we take our serious shot!
Here's the serious shot
Jeff doing what he does best--teaching--only the assistent seems to be falling asleep it may be because he has heard this talk at least 6 or 7 times!
Hard not to be silly!I had a great experience the other day I will just share with you. I was giving a zone conference in Quillabamba and I had been teaching the missionaries how to present the Book of Mormon in a powerful way. I reviewed 2 Nephi 30:3-6 with them and as I was finishing a man came into the chapel and sat down in the back. I thought he was a member and that he was waiting to talk to me so I went and met him. He said that he was walking down the street and felt that he should come in. I went and got a copy of the Book of Mormon and the restoration pamphlet and a little tract we have on 3 Nephi 11 and came back and started to teach him. He lives two days into the jungle and comes into Quillabamba about once a month. For about 30 minutes I got to know him and basically presented the first lesson with a powerful presentation of the Book of Mormon. He seemed totally amazed at what I was teaching him. At the end I invited him to read the tract of 3 Nephi 11 and told him that if he came to the meeting the following day, and if he had read the tract, I would give him a Book of Mormon. He looked at me and he said. "I saw you in a dream last night." I knew that you were a foreigner and that you would teach me many things that I had never heard and that I needed for my life. I was trying to figure out where I could find a white man in Quillabamba and as I walked down the street I felt impressed to come into this chapel." I told him that that was the Holy Spirit directing him to the message of the gospel. We knelt and prayed together. I prayed first and then he prayed. His prayer was very sincere and very humble asking the Lord to forgive him and to guide him. At the end we hugged and he looked at me and told me that we hugged in his dream as well.
The next day was Sunday and I presided and spoke at the branch meeting at 8am. I did not see him. We had three confirmations during the meeting and so I felt impressed to teach about the great privilege of the gift of the Holy Ghost and how it speaks to us. Because so many of these sons and daughters of Lehi have revelatory dreams and because of the experience I had had with this man and many others I taught them of the importance of these revelatory dreams. Well, because I had two other branches to visit I excused myself before the final hymn and prayer so I could go to the other sacrament meetings. What I did not know is that my investigator was there. After the meeting the missionaries noticed him and they asked him if he had read the tract. He had and he said that he wanted to get baptized. (3 Nephi 11 talks a lot about baptism.) He was introduced to the branch president, he got his Book of Mormon and we invited him to come by or call any time he was in town and we would continue to teach him and prepare him for baptism.
Now, it just does not get any better than that!