Sister Jessie's Mission

Family!

Well, this week has been a combination of about everything. Many frustrations and disappointments yet, many tender mercies and mini miracles. The two people who were going to get baptized this last week fell through. Jiorgina...the older lady....her son found out that we were teaching her and refused to let us come back. I honestly don’t know why. And the other young girl won’t answer our phone calls. This made me really sad but then I remembered what Elder Holland said in a talk, #When you are rejected, you are standing shoulder to shoulder to the best life this world has ever known.....Why should we think it should be easy for y him?# I have found that this work is not easy because Salvation is not a cheap experience and Satan truly wants to take anyone he can....but the light of Christ is stronger. These baptisms that fell through were hard to see but Heavenly Father led us to more who are ready and willing. 

One is a middle aged woman who has a tumor and lives with her family in a very small house. She was a reference from two elders. They came with us on this visit. The four of us sat in front of her and began to talk about baptism and God’s plan for her personally. Her face slowly began to brighten with desire...we all noticed it...and we all looked at each other and just smiled. The next moment one of the elders asked her to be baptized and she answered without hesitation, #With all my heart#...sorry this computer doesn’t have quotes haha. We then asked her to go in her room and ask her Heavenly Father what date He wanted her to be baptized....and she decided April 5th! Amazing! After this, the elders were prompted to give her a blessing of health for her tumor. The spirit there was so strong. And as I stood there, I realized this is why I am here. Not to see these people as a baptismal statistic but to take upon myself the burdens of those in need and point their souls toward Christ. 

Another mini miracle is a family we contacted about a week ago. They didn’t give us their direction....so we just knocked and knocked on metal door after metal door to try and find them. When we were about to give up.... we knocked on one last door....and through the rebar we saw three little sets of eyes peeking through. Haha I recognized these little eyes.... these were the little ones we contacted the week before. They willingly let us in and we got to know them just a little better. The mom is married...which is extremely rare here. As we began to teach all the little kids gathered around and listened intently. As U looked into their little faces I remembered something my CCM teacher told me to do when teaching.... imagine these people in all white and see them as what they can become...such as a bishop, stake president, RS prs. So that is what I did....and I got the distinct impression that we need to get this family to the doors of the temple in the future. Fam, please pray for this family....because I want to do everything I can to lead them to the temple!  Because as I looked at them....something told me #This family needs to get to the temple#.

On Saturday, we had an extremely successful activity that our whole zone put together for our stake. The theme was #The Tree of Life#. We created a giant iron rod with pipe....and ran in through the entire chapel. We blind folded each person and there were three worldly rooms....the disco room....the cinema room...and the poker room. And as the people entered, all of the elders began to taunt them like in the great and spacious building. It was quite a hit haha. Afterwards we had testimony meeting in the chapel where the tree of life was placed. This stake is so strong...and as I listened to their testimonies I couldn’t believe how amazing the members of the church are in Peru! The vision of missionary work in South America is growing so fast!

Well this week I have built a testimony of prayer...like I never have before. You never have an appointment with the Lord....talk to him whenever and express your every fear, doubt or worry. But especially this week I have found something. I had asked myself, #If god has all power to heal, why doesn’t He just heal me right now?#  Well, he does have all power but because his goal is our eternal happiness. He allows us to discover our answers through experience.  Express thanks when he withholds an answer because he is allowing you to struggle and to act on your own faith without prior confirmation. The power of prayer is REAL and I know that for a fact. He is conscious of our every need, and no matter how alone you may feel...you can KNEEL.

I love you allll so so so much! I can feel your every prayer and giving power to move this work forward. I miss you more than ever but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I pray for each of you every day. Talk to you next week! Remember to just keep smiling!

Love, Jess

My Penchanista (the Bishop's wife that does all of their laundry and feeds them)

Trail run for p-day last week 

What I eat all day! She buys bushels and bushels for me!