Sister Jessie's Mission

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