Fam!

Hey how are you guys! It sounds like everything is going well back at home! Everything is going well down here in Peru! Sorry I won’t be able to write a novel today because I spent most of my time today sending in forms and stuff to the mission office. But this week, again, has been filled with miracles and also challenges. But, do you remember I told you guys that we had a fast of the mission this last week? Well, this week I truly saw the blessings came from this sacrifice.

During the fast my companion and I prayed to know how many less-actives Heavenly Father had prepared for us to rescue for this week.  We had two names that we knew we could rescue, however, the both of us had the impression that Heavenly Father had three people prepared to bring back into the fold. So we followed this prompting and wrote down three for our goal even though we didn’t know who it was. That day we left with the faith that we would find this person. Well, on our way to an appointment we contacted a man named Angel who told us that he was less-active and wanted to return but didn’t know where to start. What an amazing answer to our fast! But it did not stop there. When we went to his house for the third time during the week we walked in and three of his nieces were sitting there waiting to listen to the message of this restored gospel. . . non-members! Angel told us that he has always felt a prompting to introduce them to the missionaries but because he was inactive himself and he didn’t feel worthy to do so. But now, we are working with these three amazing sisters and Angel in order to bring them into the gospel!  These are blessings that come from fasting! So as Elder Holland said, "Live the law of the fast!" You will see miracles as you make this sacrifice!

This week we also met a family of five who are the cutest things in the entire world. And as a companionship we feel very strongly that they are going to progress unbelievably well!

This week we had a little birthday party for President Zobrist. He came to our district meeting and we sang to him and had a little party. I can’t tell you how much that man has blessed my life through his words and his example. Once again, I know that we are not just sent to the place we are called but to our mission presidents also!

This week I have learned about how it is our reaction is our CHOICE. The true test in this life is in the way that we react to the challenges and tests that come our way each and every day. Just because we are on the Lord’s team doesn’t mean that we are not going to have challenges.  Actually, quite the contrary, challenges are given to the righteous because, like Elder Anderson says, these experiences send righteous truth seekers to their knees to plead for divine revelation. And through this, our testimonies become purified and strengthened. But it depends on us in the way we react to the challenges that Heavenly Father blesses us with!

I’m sorry I couldn’t go in to more detail this week due to sending in forms and stuff but I hope you know how much I love you! I can feel each one of your prayers pushing me along each day! P.S. Next week there are changes and I’m not sure what will happen but I will let you know next week. But until then, keep smiling!

Love, Jess

Rebel Sisters!

Zone Leader being ref

Fam!

Well, it sounds like everything is going great back at home! Thank you so much for your words of comfort and motivation each week, it means so much to me! Well, this week has gone well. I am learning and growing more than I ever could have expected. We have seen many miracles this week, especially with our less-actives and recent converts.  They have all completely forgotten the reason they were baptized. But, as we have been teaching them the lessons again it is amazing to see the spirit that has been dormant for a while reawaken. 

The other day we had a lesson with one of less-actives.  His name is Edward and for some reason in the morning we had the feeling to teach him about the word of wisdom.  When we started the lesson we asked him if he was keeping the word of wisdom and he said, "Yes, I am reading the wisdom of the wisdom of the scriptures each day." He had no idea what it was! So as we explained it his eyes began to be filled with fear and began to tell us that every morning and every night he needs to have a cup of coffee to stay awake.  As we explained a little more and challenged him to keep this law he said a little doubtingly, "Yes, I will try." However, we knew that Satan was still going to work with him and tempt him in this way so we told him we are not going to leave this house unless you get up right now and get all of the coffee packets and give them to us. He resisted for a long time until he got up and gave us the 20 packets he had and right then my comp and I threw them in the trash outside. It was amazing to see the atonement work through him in that moment in order to give up something in order to come closer to his Savior.

We also had an amazing experience with one of our investigators this last week. As we taught her about the plan of salvation I truly saw the evidence that we are all born with the light of Christ and as missionaries we are only here to reawaken this knowledge that they knew before this life. As we explained the fall of Adam and Eve, explaining that is was part of the plan to eat of the fruit, the spirit reawakened the light of Christ in her and she said, "Oh yeah, that makes sense. I think I have heard this before." So amazing how powerful the spirit is and it is unreal to realize that each person that we see on this earth CHOSE to follow this plan but they just don’t know that.  It is our responsibility as members of this church to make our brothers and sister remember!

This week the president felt impressed to have a mass fast with the entire mission in order to receive revelation as to how we can better this mission. It was such a beautiful experience to know that the entire mission of Arequipa was fasting, one in purpose, and I am positive that miracles occurred because of it.

I learned a lot this week about how Heavenly Father is in absolutely every detail of our lives and there are two ways we can live; believe that miracles happen rarely or to believe that EVERYTHING is a miracle. If we look at life with an eye of faith and gratitude we will slowly begin to see that every step that we take is a gift and a miracle given to us by our Heavenly Father. 

It has been a great week. I hope everything is going well back at home! Find ways to be a missionary at every moment! I love each of you and pray for you each night. Until next week....you know what’s comin.........keep smilin! :)

Love, Jess

Hey fam!

How are all of you! Sounds like you are all doing great which makes me so happy! My prayers individually and the prayers in conference are truly answered "to bless the families of the missionaries to have comfort and peace"(sat morning). We have seen many miracles this week, especially with our recent converts and less-actives.

I truly learned the importance of a true conversion in a person. As we went and visited a less-active who is 14 and is the only member in his family he said something that truly hit me. We have been trying to gain his confidence this past week .and the other day he just opened up and said the missionaries that taught me just pressured me into being baptized because the one elder was leaving for his house so he said "Ah Ronald you need to get baptized before I leave." Wait, what? So falling into the pressure he got baptized and like he said the day of his baptism was, that he remembers, a little wet. However, we have been visiting him and he also came to the general conference and said, "Now I am feeling the change that I should have felt on the day of my baptism!" This really opened my eyes to importance of a personal conversion and its lasting effects on our lives. And as Packer said this last conference, "It doesn’t matter how many NUMBERS we have in the church but in the end we will be judged and measured as a church by the spiritual strength of our individual members". That is you! Please take the time to seek personal revelation in order to gain your PERSONAL testimony planted firm in this gospel and this testimony you create will lead you to you divine potential. Each needs a change of heart, especially the members of this church. And help other members make this change of heart also through visiting and home teaching!

Lizbeth and Claudio are continuing to get their paper together for their marriage. They are still so excited, waiting for this day to follow the commandments of God! Sadly, they weren’t able to come to the conference because they needed to go to Lima to have an operation done for their little baby. Pray for them!

Two other investigators of ours came for almost all of Saturday and Sunday! And what was so amazing is we were waiting for one of our investigators who is a young mom to come the entire day but didn’t so we just thought she wasn’t going to come at all. However, miracle, guess what talk she caught right at the tail end? BEDNAR! Which was perfect! I was so thankful in that moment to Heavenly Father for bringing her to the doors of the chapel in that very moment!

We have been working a lot and making a lot a progress with our less-actives this last week. As we have been getting to know these less-actives the first thing we always ask them is, "Are you reading and praying?" Almost always the answer is NO. Like Elder Scott said this conference, "As members, Satan makes us get caught up in the appendages of the gospel rather than the simple truths and foundations." We must not forget to do the simple things but at times we do not do it because of the simpleness of the way. But as Scott says, "We many need to prioritize our time to read the word of God. So DO IT!” It’s that simple. Haha love it.

Well, that was my week! I absolutely loved this conference. It inspired me in so many ways and allowed me to point out many, many of my weaknesses! But what really caught me was when they talked about our patriarchal blessings, "Are we living in such a way that we will receive the blessings that it promises?" We each have a divine potential as sons and daughters of God but it is not set in stone. We need to work for it! So I urge you to read you PB and make goals and changes in your life to reach your divine potential!

I love each and every one of you! Thank you for your prayers. I can feel them each day! Until next week...keep smiling!

Love, Jess

Conference!

Hermana Celia from our Ward. She is 92 and still walks to church every Sunday. She gave us her hats as gifts.

Hey FAM!
 
How are you all doing?! Sounds like you are doing great! Well this week was good, I learned more than I ever thought I could learn on this mission. This week there were many, many difficulties but through them our companionship was able to grow immensely and my personal testimony was strengthened!

We are still planning on having this wedding at the end of October. They are both so, so excited and are getting all of their papers ready to present this next week. This family is so special to us. There have been missionaries going to their house for the past two years and haven’t opened up until now. It goes to show that the other missionaries were preparing the way for us and with the strength and work of all of us we were able to accomplish this miracle of marriage for them. 

Do you remember the Baptist family that I was talking about the last time? Well, as a companionship we had the really strong feeling that we should cancel the lesson. We didn’t know why but we just did and the next day we called them and they said that they had their preacher there "ready to answer your questions." Which in other words is ‘argue about the differences we have which would have just ended up in complete contention’ and we all know what happens when contention enters. We felt good about our decision and knew that for some reason Heavenly Father didn’t want us there.

This week we had a multi-zone conference with the president three hours away from Hunter. So we took huge car together as a zone down there which was a blast! The conference was amazing! As I went into the conference I was expecting a talk about investigators, converts, etc. but it wasn’t that at all. Our president has gotten a huge prompting for us to focus on our family history personally and also use family history to draw others to the gospel of Jesus Christ. They did an activity where there were 10 people dressed in white sitting on the pulpit which represented the spirit world and the congregation represented the world. Each person in white told their history and at the end said, "I need your help. Does someone have my name?" And two things happened. Either someone in the audience jumped up and said, "I do!" and the other person running down giving this person who had their name a huge hug. And the other, it was silent. "Please help me. Does anyone have my name? Please." Seeing the sadness on their face. This presentation was so powerful for me. I could truly feel the spirit of Elijah in that moment. Making me realize that I have family in heaven and all they can do is WAIT. Wait and wait for us to find their name here on earth. It is OUR responsibility to find our family and save them from waiting anxiously in heaven. This spirit of Elijah is the key to missionary work! Please work on our family history fam! They need us and are waiting for us to find them!

The other day I went on splits with the sister leaders. I got to go to my old area in Zamacola for a day with Sister Skelton! It was such a special experience. I was able to show Sister Skelton the people that we were working with before in order for them to advance even more in their work. The sister leaders have only been there for two weeks and don’t know the area so I hope I helped a little bit! But it was super fun to see everyone again!

Well, this week has been a week of miracles and difficulties and through these experiences I was able to grow! More than anything this week I have learned how the pure love of Christ is the essence of this gospel! Like Pres. Monson said, through little things like a SMILE and nice word or a helping hand is what we fault in this world. Look to do these things each day and you never knew what life you could touch with your small act of love. Love you so, so much! Until next week! Keep smilin!

 Love, Jess

At the multi-zone conference

Zone Leaders

Cow heart........mmmmm

Splits with the sister leaders

Pit stop along the road coming home from zone conference . . . car overheated

Preaching to llamas . . . no luck, I'm afraid