FAM!

Hey! It was so fun to see all of your beautiful faces on Christmas. I loved laughing and feeling of your love! Seeing and talking with you guys truly gave me strength to move forward and work hard to flood the earth with this gift we have been given, Jesus Christ! It was an extra special week for my companion and I. We had two baptisms and they were both extra special!

The first baptism was on Saturday with Ana Nuñes. Our zone leader interviewed her and said that he has never seen an investigator so firm in her testimony of Jesus Christ and this church. And she truly does, her testimony is stronger than mine. haha She is already in 3 Nephi and started three weeks ago! Her baptismal service was extremely special but apart from that we saw another miracle with her husband. Yesterday Ana was sitting in the Principles of the Gospel class and all of the sudden her husband walks in. She turned to me and said, "I did not invite him today, he just came." And as we continued to talk in the class right then we began to mention about eternal families and my companion asked him directly,"Hno., do you want to live together with your wife for eternity?" and he said, "Yes, that is why I am here." It was so amazing to see him change because before he didn’t want to listen to us at all but now he wants to some to church with her and he invited us to his house to teach the family. Such miracles!

The second baptism we had was with Edson. He is 18 years old, and so amazing. The day before his baptism we had a lesson with him and he told us that he had so many doubts and was really worried about his decisions. So right there we got on our knees to be able to pull these doubts out of his head. As we finished he told us, alright, I’m ready to make this promise with the Lord. Satan does not have any power over us if we pray! As Joseph Smith did, praying fervently so that Satan would depart! Edson has an unbelievable testimony and spiritual soul. After his baptism he got up to give his testimony and he said, "I felt like as I was falling back into the water I was falling into the arms of my Father in Heaven. I feel completely clean and I can feel the joy." His testimony was short but so powerful. I will never forget. Edson’s mom and his aunt came, who are not members, and came up to us after to ask us if we could visit them! The bishop, the same day, got everything figured out in order to give him the priesthood and get him on the track for the mission! He is already ready to serve the Lord. We are not going to stop working with him until we see that call come!

We also visited another less-active who is 17. He was extremely confused about what he wanted to do in the future so we each got on our knees and asked the Lord if it was His will for him to go on a mission. Right after that he looked up and said, I know that the lord wants me to serve Him. This was such a testimony builder to me of the power of prayer in our lives.

Well, this was my week! I am so grateful for the things that I was able to see the hand of God each day. Thank you so much for your love and prayers. These miracles wouldn’t be happening if I didn’t have each of you at my side! I love each of you so much and miss you like crazy! KEEP SMILING!

Love, Jess

Baptism of Ana Nuñes

Baptism of Edson

Turkey dinner with the fam

up on the roof to see the fireworks for Christmas Eve!

Skyping on Christmas day - Jessie in Peru, Megan and Mike in Salt Lake and the rest of us in New Zealand

Hey fam! How are each of you doin!? It sounds like you are all doing great! Sorry I don’t have tons of time today to write but it’s all good we will be able to talk on Christmas! I am super excited to talk to each of you and see how much you have changed -- especially the little ones! This week has been a good one. It’s finally nice to have a companion at my side. Hna. Bazan has been great! This change from Tacna to Moquegua has been really hard for her emotionally. It really took a toll on her. But it’s all good, we have set goals for this next week in order to help the sisters in our zone and to see the work of the Lord press forward!

This week we had our Christmas party in Tacna which was really fun. We went down there for the day and six zones got together to eat, do skits and to listen to President and Sister Zobrist talk. It was so special. We did some games, each zone did their own skit-- and they were hilarious, I can’t even tell you how hard I was laughing. After, we all ate PANETONE and hot chocolate which is the typical food that they have here for Christmas! It was so fun!

Yesterday we had such a special lesson with Edson about missionary work. After he gets baptized this week he wants to prepare to go serve a mission! In this lesson he began to cry because he was going to be able to serve the Lord full time and he has always looked for a way to do so in his life until now. He is so unbelievable. He is going to be one of the most amazing missionaries I know. He hasn’t even been baptized yet and he already has a firm testimony of all the principles that we have taught him -- especially the Book of Mormon. Ever since we gave it to him he has read a half hour each day and he says after he is done with all of his studies at like two in the morning he starts to read the BOM for hours! I am so happy for him!

In the mission I have truly felt the true reason for Christmas. I can especially feel this spirit when we contact on the street. We have been carrying around our little DVD player with the video He Is the Gift and as we see families in the park or people waiting for the bus we sit down and show them the video. It has been so amazing to see the faces of the people when they see this video, forgetting about themselves and the material things that we often focus on, focusing completely on our savior, Jesus Christ. Especially during this time we need to do as the first presidency says, “FLOOD the earth with this gift of Jesus Christ.” And as we do I can testify that we will feel the savior right by our side!

I love you so so much! Sorry the computer is going to shut off and I need to send this! See you soon!

Love, Jess

at the christmas party with the Pres

my comp and I at the plaza in Tacna

my zone at the christmas party

A message from Hermana Bennion's mom:
I spent a few enjoyable days with your daughter in Moquegua when I was picking up my daughter from her mission. I got to stay in their apartment and I thought the bathroom with its shower head over the sink was worth photographing. The night gowns were pretty cute too. I was impressed with the discipline and goodness of your daughter. She's doing great things in the ward and with investigators. It looked like a pretty rewarding life as a missionary.
-Rebecca Bennion

Here are a couple more photos. We were served a delicious Sunday lunch at some member's home. The other photo is in front of our daughters' last apartment. 

FAM! 

Hey how is everyone doin down in freezing Utah? haha I’m kinda jealous of the cold you guys are having.  Here it is unbelievably hot.  You hardly ever feel a moment of cold. It is really funny walking around at night seeing the Christmas lights in the widows of each of the houses and at the same time sweating bullets. Everyone here in Moquegua has an amazing spirit of Christmas and I love it. In fact, yesterday my companion and I put together a Christmas music recital and it turned out to be amazing! I don’t know if I told you before but we had been working and practicing this entire month with the missionaries, ward members and primary kids to put together eight numbers with narrators before each number. It was tons of work.  We organized to go on the radio in order to announce it to ALL of Moquegua. Pres. Zobrist came down to talk at the end and the spirit was so unbelievably strong.  We had about 400 people there and the missionaries got many references which was our objective! It was great!

This week has been a little bit crazy because my companion left for the entire week but it was all good.  I decided to take advantage of the time that she was gone to go on splits with the two sets of missionaries that we have in ILO. These two companionships live in the same house so I got to know them very quickly. And it was super fun to get to know them a little bit more. I had many special experiences with them and learned from each of their talents and gifts!

However, I wasn’t alone for the whole week.  Hna. Bennion came back on Saturday and Sunday with her mom to be able to direct the music recital yesterday, which was super fun to be able to get to know her mom.  While Hna. Bennion was playing the piano for the sacrament meeting I sat with her and translated what the speakers were saying which was kinda fun. It kinda gave me a flash back to when we went to Mexico to visit some of the people Adam taught and we had no idea what was going on.  But she told me that she could feel the spirit even though she couldn’t understand. She was able to sit in on a lesson with Hna. Bennion and I where we challenged Edson (19 years old) to be baptized and he said yes! Hna. Bennion’s mom was able to share her testimony and we translated. Edson is so ready.  He has understood each lesson we have taught him and he learns extremely fast. He is one of those old souls who knows everything spiritually but we are just here to remind him of the things he has already learned before this life! He is going to be such a powerful missionary!

Ana Nunes is still planning on getting baptized but has been having a few complications with her health lately and had to go to Arequipa to figure everything out. But we are planning on getting her interview ready this next week.  Just help us pray for her spiritually and physically. She needs our prayers!

This morning I went to pick up my new companion Hna. Bazan from Panama. Here is a little view of what she is like.  I walk into the terminal. She sees me, runs toward me as fast as she can and hugs me, almost knocking me over haha. She is the cutest thing ever.  She is always happy, smiling and laughing but when she talks about spiritual things her testimony is so strong! I knew her for one day (we both trained at the same time) so we got to know each other at the mission home a while ago. I am really excited to work with her and to learn from her in this next transfer!

Well, that is it for this week. This week I have truly felt the love of my savior Jesus Christ and the sacrifice he made for each and every one of us. If we truly take time this Christmas to find the true purpose of giving rather than receiving, it will be a Christmas that we will never forget. REMEMBER the true reason for Christmas and find your testimony of HIM. I love each of you so much.  Thank you for your love and prayers.  I couldn’t do this without the power of my family! Keep smilin!

Love, Jess

 

Went on Divisions with the girls in ILO. They are adorable.

Traditional dance show that we had at our ward.  So cool!  They preserve their culture so well here!