No letter this week .... traveling to Arequipa

Elder Pond, Elder Jones, Elder Sitton, Elder Foster

Hna. Cunningham, Hna. Mahas, Hna. Smith, Hna. Flora, Hna. Riverin,

Hna. Huish, Hna. Hubert, Pdte. Gonzalez, Hna. Gonzalez, Hna. Bowers, Hna. Kingsford

Family!

Wow! Today has been a super crazy day. Just 5 minutes ago I got back from my last temple experience for the rest of my mission. It has been a pretty emotional morning....but I was able to soak it in the temple for 3 hours which was such a blessing! The temple has grown to be unbelievably special to me...especially here because it is an escape from the chaos out on the streets. The peace is tangible. It was sad to think that this was my last time but, today as i sat in that small, intimate and gorgeous celestial room...my heart flashed back to the day I entered into the celestial room at the SLC temple with each of you. I was overwhelmed with joy and tears----realizing I can give the people of Peru that sacred experience. Allowing them, like I did, to look into the eyes of their siblings, spouses and parents and know with assurety they can live with them forever......just like I can with you. That promise is unbelievable to me!

Right after this we are going to "interpool" to get our Visas....it may take all day haha. Soo....we will see if I will be able to stay in the country!

It has been a great week! But nothing too new has been happening here....we are all just counting down the single digit days until we get out into the field next Tuesday! I can’t even imagine that right now. I am definitely going to have to learn how to be a professional at Charades with my Latina companion because my option to take a break and speak English just goes out the door! It will be super hard to leave the people here at the CCM because it feels like I have gotten to know the Latina sisters and elders, the teachers and even the cleaning people. For example, there is one cleaning guy who we call "chocolate"....because every time we do service (cleaning) he asks us if we want chocolate....and we get super excited----then he hands us a rag an  says "mmmmm yummy....come back when you are done and I’ll give you more". The people are  so loving here. I am super scared to leave but all I need to do is trust the Lord as I hop on that steep learning curve. It will be great!

 The classes are awesome mostly because the teachers are amazing. I swear they are all going to be general authorities soon. Each week we get a new investigator...so right now we are teaching 3 "fake investigators a day" which is sometimes a little bit crazy. But some days I have 4 lessons because the Elders always ask me...have no idea why?... to be the "RS pres" or "member" in their lessons. It’s pretty fun though!

It is insane being the oldest group here because I definitely don’t feel like it! But a new group of 32  North Americans came in on Sunday. They were supposed to come on Thursday but because of the weather they had to come later! In that new group was my really good friends Sarah Stringham from Olympus. It was so exciting when I saw her...and actually... her companion is from Skyline and we played against each other in bball. I know it’s bad but right when I saw her face ii just got a flood of bad memories haha. That Oly/Skyline rival never really goes away I have found! But she is super nice and we realized we hung out a couple of times...small world!

My though of the week was sparked on Sunday....we listened to a devotional at the Provo MTC by Elder Anderson...titled "First love, then sacrifice". At the beginning of my mission I felt like letting go of the comforts of life, my friends, and most importantly you guys...was a burden and a trial. But gradually through this CCM process that state of mind has changed. And Neil Anderson said it perfectly when he said "as we sacrifice for the things we love, we begin to love to sacrifice". And those "things" I love are my Heavenly Father and you, my unbelievable family! Thank you for being the root of my love because.....because of that I am able to find joy and love in the things I have sacrificed and will continue to sacrifice on this mission. And Anderson goes on to say that as we begin to love sacrifice.....our love for the things we sacrifice for will magnify! That couldn’t be more true right now. My love has magnified for the Lord and each of you through sacrifice. I love you!

Anyway....it is insane that the next time I will talk to you....I will be in my mission. I am nervous but as it says in Alma 26:12....With the lord, I can do all things! And so can each of you. I feel your prayers for me in my every step and I hope you know I am praying for each of you individually each night and morning! I miss all of you! But just keep smiling!

Love, Jess

Sorry this is the only picture I have for this week because today was kinda crazy but....happy late valentines from our district! Love you!

These are our roommates....the one right next to me is the girl Amanda knows

This is our entire district with our teacher...Hermano Huita...who planned to meet us while we were out!

Sister Flora is on the right and Sister Smith is on the left....we are going to Arequipa together!

a little sneak peak of the sunsets in Peru...this is the view outside my window

Family!

 

Happy Valentines week! I love you all soo much! This week has been really good! Our district is now the "advanced group" here at the CCM...wow...I don't feel advanced at all but as I look back at my first week....I've realized how real the gift of tongues is, if I work hard. But I have found that working hard doesn't always mean sticking my head in language books but drawing closer to Heavenly Father in my personal study---allows my Spanish to flourish. However, I am talking as if i know a lot....it really don't. I realized when I went proselytizing this week that our teachers talk extremely slow (making me feel super accomplished when I understand). But outside the CCM walls...I have no idea what they are saying but it is all good...as long as they can feel my unbelievable love for them---that is all is needed. The language will come!

 

Lets see....the food is my weakness right now....oh that rice, its dangerous. But after my teacher who went to Lima South on her mission said she gained 45 pounds. Oh man. I hope that isn't my destiny haha. But hey if it is...that poundage is evidence that I loved these people so much...right? However, for the past few days I have been substituting rice for the giant bananas and mangoes which are unreal----but I am not worried right now because physical activity is allowing me to work it off. But it is funny...ever since the Latino elders found out I play basketball they come find me everyday and say "basket..today...si?" haha I love it. Its not only a physical relief but a comic relief...watching those Latinos dribble a basketball but I am sure they feel the same way when I try to play soccer....

 

On Saturday, we went proselytize out in Lima North---I actually went to the same exact place I went before which is rare people have been saying. But I thought is was super neat because I was able  to recognize specific people from the last time and they actually remembered me which was a surprise. I was paired with a Latina from Argentina...she was super sweet but shy---which forced me to talk a lot more. I'm not sure how much of it made sense but the people are soo loving here and they just smile and nod. Our assignment was to go around and visit the less-active members in the area----we visited 3 but one of these was a family that actually met before. They own a small little shop...and they live in the storage area in the back of it. As we cam e in we were greeted with kisses on the cheek and loving hugs from the kids. Right when we asked them if we could share a message with them...they immediately closed up shop (which would never happen in the USA) and sat down to listen intently. In their small shop with cloth ceilings...we began with a prayer and proceeded to ask them why they haven't been going to church. After a lot of excuses...I was prompted to ask them how they felt on their baptism day. As they each spoke...they became extremely emotional. Even though I couldn't understand a lot, the spirit there was tangible. After a minute of silence...my companion asked...Do you want to go to the temple and be with your family forever? They confidently said yes! There was a reason I was prompted to attend the temple often because Heavenly father knew that this family needed to hear my "Spanglish" testimony of it. This was a super special experience for me... and I realized that the difference between traditional missionary work and the work of salvations is leading these people to the temple.

 

After we came home to the CCM... we had free time for like 30 min. So our district decided to lay down on the grass watching the sunset---they are unreal here---and talk about our experiences which was amazing. But because it was getting dark one of our teachers came and acted like he was telling a ghost story in a scary voice...but it was actually the Joseph Smith story ahah. Our teachers are hilarious...but...they know how to whip us into shape when it is time to get to business!

 

Today we weren't able to go to the temple again but we just decided to do a bunch of contacting in our Spanglish. Our companionship gave a pamphlet to a police officer who said he "has always loved Jesus"....and afterwards he wanted us to sign it ahah. He was such a sweet man.

 

This week has been great! And the things Heavenly Father has allowed me to see and experience has been unbelievable...more than I could have ever imagined. I am going out into the field in two weeks which scares me a little bit but I know that the Lord is my side in this work. He is laboring right beside me in this work. I just want you all to know how much I love you! I wouldn't been here if it wasn't for your influence and your prayers. Our family gives me strength every step of the way. I pray for your each specifically every night! I love you and miss you all so much! Just remember to keep smiling!

 

Love, Jess

 

Family!

This week has been great! The other day we had to say goodbye to the group of Latina sisters that we have grown so close to, which was so sad. Our district re-arranged the hymn "God be with you till we meet again" to sing to them before they left. And when we did....the love in that room was unreal....followed by hugs and many kisses on the cheek haha...I love that. I think it should be a law in the US.

The new group of "gringos"(they call us) came in on Thursday....and wow even though they are all the same age as me they just look like babies. They all had that deer in the headlights face I had the first day I got here. Katie Johnson, a girl in my ward down at BYU, came in that group and it was so fun to see her. Also, my new roommate speaks Spanish but she has live in Salt lake her who life and has known Amanda Bennett since elementary....small world! And she is also obsessed with essential oil....mom, you should be happy because I get a dose of it every night....as she spreads it all over herself haha.

My companions have been great which is a blessing because another companionship in our district had to switch around because they absolutely loathed each other which was hard to see. But I am positive I will be given companions like that....but I'll just have to kill them with kindness! Easier said than done haha.

The classes have been good...but there is so much to learn with this language. But I have to just tell myself that I will not be overwhelmed and have to remember that I have been called and the Lord will kit the task to my capabilities. Now, I am always telling myself "don't stress" which is something I never could have done before my mission----all of you know the worry and stress side of me too well. But it goes to show how God can change any weakness into a strength.

Sunday was amazing...I got a little dose of familiarity on that day here. We were able to have all our regular meetings and afterwards we watched a devotional by Holland. It was probably the most straightforward....hammer down...in your face Holland talk I have ever heard and that is saying a lot. He expressed that he expects superhuman performance out of the missionaries and that we are never again allowed to go back to who we were after our work is finished in the field. He definitely got close to the "singe my eyebrows a little" and whip me into shape. If you have a chance to listen to it.....it was at the Provo MTC on Feb. 28, 2012----its kinda long but totally worth it!

I was really bummed today because the Lima Temple is closed for the next couple of p-days I am here...so I am pretty sure last week was my final time for my whole mission. But its all good....this is not a time for me but the time to shift the eyes of the people here to the temple. So....instead of going to the temple we went out to shop which was fun to get another taste of the culture. Another sister and I didn't want to buy anything so we just started to walk around....giving people who would listen to our "Spanglish" a pamphlet. I loved it...I just need to learn Spanish haha so I can answer their questions.

Well, there isn't too much else to say since I am not out in the field experiencing the culture. But I just want to thank our whole family for making me who I am today. I am so thankful for homesickness because, as a result, I have obtained a motivation to give the people of Peru the foundation of the gospel in order to build a family as powerful as ours. There is no greater gift than family. I miss you all so much....and I cant tell you enough times how much I love you! Thank you for your prayers...I can feel them strengthening me each day. I pray for all of you individually each day!

Love, Hermana Mahas

Sisters from my district going to Arequipa with Elder Sitton and Elder Jones

All the Hermanas in my District that are going to Arequipa