Fam!

How are you? Seems like everything is going well for you! Well, this week has been completely focused on how to get this ward into shape. We have found that many things are very disorganized and we are trying to get everything in order and do as Pres. Monson has said, to work with the members! It has been a challenge but I know our work will be worth it in the long run! This week we met with each of the leaders of the organizations and set goals as missionaries and leaders. Especially, we are trying to get all the names of the less-actives in each organization so we can work together in order to get these people to remember their covenants and come back to Christ. We really focused on the less-actives this week. There are so many in our ward. It is unreal how many of these people were returned missionaries, counselors in the bishopric, or relief society presidents and now, deny that they really have faith.

There is one family that we went and saw, Familia Rivera. The entire family has the desire to go to the temple and is super strong in the church but the dad wants nothing to do with it. It was surprising that he let us in this last time. As the lesson started we were prompted to talk about temples. And this may have been a little harsh but I was prompted to ask, “Do you have the same desire to make this sacred covenant with your wife? Do you believe Christ will provide a way for you to read this goal?” He began to explain how he had forgotten what faith is. He has been waiting his whole life, even when he was a counselor in the Bishopric to find a life of peace and comfort, and it still has not come. We began to explain to him that faith begins when you ACT. And, letting him into his house what a small act of his faith. Satan is really trying to taunt him into thinking that he has no faith, same with the rest of us. In this moment my comp pulled out a BOM and we explained that if he would exercise his faith and start reading this book he would be able to find the peace and comfort that he has been searching for. This last Sunday he came with his entire family! Wow, God really creates miracles.

Same with two other families that we have been working with. Familia Rojas has not been coming for over a year but yesterday we knocked on their door and they were all ready to go in their Sunday best! Also, another man Hno Suniga has not come to church for over 2 years. Returned missionary and everything but just slowly began to forget the special covenants he has made. All we needed to do was remind him and the spirit did the rest! This made me realize that we all have to be extremely careful to never forget our Lord and the promises we have made with him!

We had an amazing lesson with Jose Maria this last Sunday. He came to church for the second time and is so excited to learn more and more. Our lesson was extremely special. As we walked into the lesson prepared with a lesson, however, my comp was prompted to ask, “What do you want to learn about?” And surprisingly he said, “The spirit world.” Well, ok. We started with that but someway and somehow the spirit led us to the topic of the temple. I had no idea why because he was 16 years old and this is usually a topic we discuss with older members, not usually with investigators. However, the spirit was so strong as we started talking about the sacredness of the temple. The next question we asked was, “What is your biggest fear in this life?” Weird question but it was of the spirit. And he answered, "Loosing one of my family members." Now we knew why the spirit led us to the topic of temples. At the end of the lesson we asked him, “Do you believe that this is the correct path for your life?” And he answered, “Yes, I do, without a doubt!" Ahhhhh such a miracle. He is one who was completely prepared and ready. Pray for him!

Well this week our ward was talking about activities we could to do to get the ward united. Haha And by the end they had concluded that I was going to teach classes in English each week haha! This should be a lot of fun. I’m not really sure how to teach it but hey, I am going to try!

Well, this week has been great! I hope it was great for you too! I have been thinking a lot his week about Joseph Smith and his trials. Especially the scripture that says "Your trials will be but a small moment but if you endure it WELL, ye shall be exhausted on high." Through our trials we need to not only endure but endure WELL. Whatever trials any of you are going through just remember the example of Joseph Smith and know that through the atonement you can not only endure but endure WELL your difficulties. I love you alllll soooooo much. I feel your prayers each day! haha I hope the Biggest Loser contest is going well. I’m pretty sure I am in last place! Anyway, talk to you next week! Love you!!!

Love, Jess

My crazy zone leaders

Hma. Flora from my group at the CCM

Fam!

Well, this week has been bitter-sweet....like all the weeks in the mission are haha. On Saturday we had the baptism of the 10 and 12 year-olds. It was so special to see these little boys dressed in white...waiting in a completely spiritually-hyper way to enter into the waters of baptism. But the real miracle of the day was the father who is separated from the family and never goes to see his kids because he works all day everyday.....He came! The mom talked to him the day before and he said he wouldn't come but right as the boys were walking into the font he walked in! What a miracle, it meant so much to the boys and as they were being baptized I looked back at his face. I don’t know what but something touched him and I hope in a way this experience allows him to remember the covenant he once made.

We have another investigator, I think I told you about him. His name is Jose Maria ad he is 16 and is already going to a university studying electronic engineering. And his final goal is to move to the United States and work for NASA. Not only is he super intelligent in this area but he is also spiritual. He knows just about every detail in the Bible, however, he is completely humble. He is extremely receptive but has told his friends in the ward that he doesn't want to be pressured to be baptized. So right now our goal is to gain his trust. However, our last lesson was amazing. We centered our message on the BOM and the spirit was so unbelievably strong as we testified of its truthfulness right next to the bible. Wow, this week I think I have testified of this book more than any other subject in the gospel. And I realized something. Elder Holland said, "Pay attention to what you are telling your investigators because it may be that these things are the very things you need to work on." I think sometimes I forget about the convincing power the Book of Mormon contains, and this power changes hearts. I pray it will start to change the heart of Jose Maria slowly.

We have a family we are working with right now who are a little hard to crack. Let me give you a little taste of how they are. At our first visit, the 7 year old walks in and says, "There is one thing I want to tell you. I am catholic, and you can’t do anything about it" then walks out of the room haha. Wow! But that didn't surprise us because that is the disposition of the majority of the people here. With this family, the mom is a teacher in the Catholic school and is super hard to work with. However, the husband is completely receptive and has had these lessons before when he was a teenager. When we walked in he had his BOM ready to go. I’m not sure how long he has had it but obviously for a reason. During the lessons when his wife leaves the room he starts to ask many many questions with such desire in his eyes. HE WANTS this but doesn't want to go against his wife. We are going to work really hard with her. We have hope and like they said in conference, "We know they accepted this gospel in heaven, so we have to have faith that they will accept it here."

Two fun facts:

1. My companion snores like mom plus dad times 8! haha I get a little taste of home each night.

2. I ate my first food with teeth, eyes and finger nails intact. Wow, what an experience. It’s actually pretty good once you get passed the presentation.

This week has been hard and amazing at the same time! I have learned a lot about the atonement of Jesus Christ, especially of its enabling power to allow you to do things beyond your capabilities. Also, I have found that through our difficulties we cannot pray for our circumstances to change but to gain the strength through the atonement to overcome our circumstances! The atonement is the POWER. I love each of you so so much! I can feel your prayers each day and they help me move forward. Don’t forget to keep smiling!

Love, Jess

I ate my first food with teeth, eyes and finger nails intact. It’s actually pretty good once you get passed the presentation.

This is CUI.....aka RAT....my pench has them as pets then cooks them haha. Eat up! 

Jessie's apartment in Zamacola from Google Earth

FAM!

This week was a little crazy getting to know my new area and all the new investigators but it was great! It is unreal how different an area can be when it is only 10 min. away from my last area. I don’t know what it is but the people here in Zamacola have a completely different feel to them. They are a little less open here...haha.  I got rejected more this week than I did in my 6 weeks with my last companion. It was really hard to for me to see people immediately reject something that is so special to me and something that I know can change a life completely and bring eternal joy and happiness into a person’s life. However, when I start feeling this way...I am led to the words of Elder Holland in his conference talk. I’m not sure exactly the words but it was something like "You will have moments of abuse and rejection right now and in the future just because you are a member of this church...but...be ready to stand STEADFAST. This is the cost of discipleship."  I realized I will encounter this rejection everyday on this mission bur this is part of the being a disciple of Christ. However, I am also grateful I never got it as bad as the sister missionary in Elder Holland’s talk...who got food thrown at her. Wow. haha But maybe this could be in my future, you never know. But all we need to do is stand steadfast as members of this church in these last days.

My companion is an angel...she is from Chile, 20 years old, she has a very soft spirit and a soft voice but she is an amazing missionary. She has more patience than anyone I have ever known. She loves asking me questions and talking and laughing all the time. She actually speaks pretty good English. My Penchanista is a second mom pretty much....she always has our food hot and ready when we come and she is always calling to see if we are safe.

I haven’t gotten a true feel of the ward yet but they seem great. There are a select few that are always willing to go to our lessons with us, which is great! However, as I said before, this ward hasn’t had a baptism in 5 months...and through talking with the zone leaders...they said that Zamacola has always been the hardest batch of people, with rejection, etc., compared to all the other areas. And from this week I can see how that could be....but it’s all good.  We ARE going to CHANGE that. We have a goal as a companionship to be more bold because our characters are more on the shy side.

This week we had a lesson with a 12 year old and his younger brother who is ten. The mom is less-active and doesn’t really want us there. Hna. Rivera has been teaching them for a while now and we went to teach them this last week. During the whole lesson we talked about Joseph Smith and these two boys are just infatuated with him, wanting to be as he was. As we were wrapping up the lesson I was prompted to explain that through Joseph Smith the authority to baptize was restored and right then I asked them to be baptized for this next week! Even though they are young...they accepted with full hearts and the spirit was so strong as they shared their simple simple, but amazing testimonies with us. These boys are so on top of it.  We have been visiting with their mom and after several calls and visits we got her permission to baptize them. We feel that this is not only going to change the lives of these two boys but also allow the mom to remember her sacred promise she made with her Heavenly Father. And through her boys she, we believe that she will start coming back to church! She came to church this last Sunday with her boys! Wow, Heavenly Father is amazing.

We also taught a young 16 year old boy who is super smart and already has a firm belief in Christ. As we talked during this lesson, once again we were prompted to be BOLD and challenge him to be baptized at the end of this month if he comes to know that these things are true for himself.  And he ACCEPTED! I can’t wait to see this gospel change his life because I can see such potential spiritually in him!

Wow, this week has been a little crazy but it’s all good! Even though this area is hard I just have to remember what Mike said in a letter to me once...."change the world...one soul at a time!" If I focus on one soul at a time Heavenly father will do the rest.  Whether that person is an investigator or a taxi driver, I need to talk to all to find that one! I don’t think Ii have learned how to rely COMPLETELY on the Lord so much in my life than while I have been out here. Fam, just know that I know with allllll my heart that GOD lives and know each and every one of us personally, more personally than we could ever realize. Pray to Him always and wait patiently for His answers, because each of the words you speak have been marked with "his seal and testament" and they WILL be answered. I love you and miss you more than you know. But our family bonds is what is giving me strength the press on! Talk to you next week! Always remember to keep SMILING!

Love, Jess

My new apartment

The view across the street

My new Penchanista

We found American chocolate!!!!!

I had to go with my companion to do all her visa stuff today, with all the Chilean group.  This is one of the crazy Chilean elders

Hey Fam!

I got transferred to Zamacola this week.  My new companion is Hna. Rivera, from Chile.  It is a little sad because I fell in love with the people in my ward but I know that Hna. Hubert going home, Hna. Zobrist being prompted to call and all of this was guided by the hand of the Lord and I will willingly go where he wants me! Hna. Rivera is so sweet and I know she will help me so much in becoming a better disciple of Christ! This area is 15 minutes away from my last area and it hasn’t gotten a baptism in 4 months so I am ready to work super hard!

General Conference was unreal! I am so grateful....our zone has 6 gringos in it and we got permission from the president to watch it in English! I can’t tell you how much the words of the prophets and apostles lifted me. I honestly can’t pick a favorite, each of them had an element I needed to work on. However, I did sense an overall feeling of urgency in each of the speakers voices...warning us of the future that lies ahead....it’s getting close you guys. "The world will not glide calmly to the second coming of the Lord"....We need to choose now to show our faith and not hide it under any circumstance...and stand STEADFAST....holding on to the rock our redeemer (I don’t think I have heard a scripture repeated so many times in one conference). This is our 4 minutes to stand STRONG....and the only way we can do that is through faith, obedience, gratitude and most importantly the atonement of Jesus Christ.  We cannot carry our "loads my ourselves." If we learn of Him and take advantage of His atonement we will gain the spiritual traction to stay on the path.  Even if in the near future, the fierce winds of evil beat upon us. At the end of each of the apostles talks, I noticed more than ever before, their words as they testified of their PERSONAL testimony of Jesus Christ.  They truly know Him and I know that without a doubt! Study their words and you will not go astray!

We had a baptism this week.  It wasn’t in our ward, but Luz Maria called us and asked that we specifically come! It was such a beautiful experience. After she was baptized we went in to the bathroom to help her change.  I asked her, “How do you feel?”  And she said "I feel like a completely new person."  Wow, this experience was amazing. It was a long road to get her to this point and was able to participate in this special day of hers. Also, this week a lady in our ward that we have been teaching has been coming to church for 1 year and hasn’t been baptized.  For a reason I cannot say. But yesterday after conference she talked to the stake president and he told her she could got baptized this week! This was such a miracle I won’t be there which makes me sad but it’s all good! This lady has endured through so much and the Lord showed her mercy and now she can officially be a member of this church! Such miracles. 

We definitely felt the earthquake! It was about 3 minutes....and it practically felt like the street turned into jelly haha. I held on to my companion saying in my head....is this it? The second coming? haha. It was scary but no worries, I’m fine! I have my emergency pack to live off of for a month if needed....moms package...hehe  Thanks mom...I loved it! And thank you all for all of your sweet notes! 

Well this week has been one of many changes but I believe they are for a reason! I love and miss you all sooo much!

Love, Jess

The Zone

Luz Maria baptism

New comp Hna. Rivera is 2nd from the left

one of our rescatadas in our ward - less active for years and now is active again