Sister Jessie's Mission

Hey fam!

How is everything going? I hope that the 24th of July was a blast! Today is Independence Day here in Peru and no one is working so we are planning on just hanging out with different members today, which will be super fun! This morning we went over to the capilla to help clean with all of the members there. They tried to teach us their national anthem as we swept haha, which was a blast. I cannot stop talking about these members and how unbelievable they are! Also, for this Independence Day one of the members invited us over for lunch, some kind of traditional fish dish, which will be super interesting but hey no worries-- ya gotta try everything here!

This week went well! We have just been working really hard this week to get this baptism of three all sorted out with the interviews and everything! All three of them are so ready and have such strong testimonies. The mom also has such a desire to get baptized, but yet she is not married. So we set a date for them, the 21 of August, which is the "mass wedding” here--it is a lot faster and cheaper! But she accepted this date and we are going to try to start to work with the husband also. However, he is a little harder to teach because he only comes home every once in a while. But he is going to come to the baptism this Saturday, so I am praying that he will have a strong spiritual experience there! This family is unbelievable and I know that they have the potential to go to the temple in the future. I felt I have known them for a long time. Funny thing--I was talking with the mom the other day and she said, "So, my husband and I are going to Cuzco this next week and we wanted to take you two." haha Seriously? These people here are so giving--even when they have practically nothing. I am learning more from these people than I ever thought possible.

I don’t know what Heavenly Father was trying to tell me this week but for four days in a row at four different occasions our members mentioned the amazing story of John Tanner. As they all lovingly brought this story up in our lessons the spirit of Elijah burned within me, knowing that his blood runs in my veins and in YOURS! As a family we truly have a responsibility to carry out the legacy and life of John Tanner--to consecrate our lives completely like he did. I know as we try to carry out this legacy the spirit of Elijah will burn inside of all of you. Our members now want me to do a "John Tanner Night” in order to share his story in more detail which will be such a blast!

Our other investigator took a complete 360 and accepted a date for this next month! We had a lesson with her this last Monday and she accepted to separate from her boyfriend! She is so amazing and I cannot wait to see her life keep changing and the atonement working through her, slowly changing her heart.

This week we met an amazing single dad with a one-year-old child. They were abandoned by her mother about when she was born. And now, he is searching for a light, a hope in his life. He is so ready to accept this amazing message of the gospel.

Apparently on the 28th of August Elder Neil L. Anderson is coming to Peru to talk to all the youth! I am hoping that we get permission in order to go because that would be such an amazing experience!

Well, this week has been good. There is always something MORE that we could be doing, because we are all eternally indebted to our Heavenly Father. I have learned this week that we can all have spiritually, enlightening revelatory experiences through the most miserable times of our lives. Every experience can become a redemptive experience if we remain bonded with our Father in Heaven through that difficulty. "Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity." Heavenly Father can turn the "jails" of our lives into "temples" if we let him! I love you all so, so much and miss you more than you know! Keep smiling. Until next week!

Love, Jess

Cleaning the church with the members

Our Bishop cleaning - he's such a goofball!

Cute ward members

The Bishop's daughter, Nicol