Sister Jessie's Mission

Hey fam! How are you all doing! It sounds like you guys had a great New Year’s and Christmas! For New Year’s, as my companion and I were sitting in our beds (our apt is on the 1st floor right by the street) we were hearing all night a drunk guy arguing with a dog as fireworks went off. haha  It was a pretty funny start to the new year! I hope all of you have set goals for this new year in order to come closer to your savior Jesus Christ!

Talking about new goals, the new focus for our mission this year is the study of the Book of Mormon, so the day after New Year’s President Zobrist gave instructions to all the leaders to take an entire morning to read the Book of Mormon as a zone. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have had with the Book of Mormon. At the end of the reading session everyone stood up to give their testimony and many of them said that they had never read the Book of Mormon until right now in the mission and this experience to read for hours has strengthened their testimonies in order to have power as they bare testimony of the keystone of our religion!

This week has gone very well for us.  There were many miracles that we saw in our area. One of these miracles was just barely this last Sunday. Our recent convert, Ana, came to church and was sitting in sacrament meeting when all of the sudden her husband walks in from the back and sits down right next to her and after the meeting he came up to me and said, “Ah, I wanted to come early.  I didn’t know the hour changed”. That same day we went to his house and taught him the Restoration and he was so interested that he downloaded the entire Joseph Smith movie and as we were leaving his house he pushed play haha. They are going to be an eternal family and we are not going to stop until we get them to the doors of the temple! 

Also, this week we had divisions with Hna. Guymon and Hna. Mamani, also with Hna. Ango and Hna. Bassett from ILO. They are such amazing missionaries but we have seen that they have been struggling a little lately, however, we have plans to help them re-cover this urgency of obedience that we constantly need in the mission and help them recapture their purpose as soldiers of God´s army. It is amazing to have this opportunity to get to know these amazing sisters and learning from their talents!

Today my companion and I traveled to Arequipa to go to leadership council which is always an amazing spiritual experience. As we traveled here we had many experiences finding people in our path who are ready to hear the gospel here in Arequipa. My companion is amazing and she is teaching me something new each day!

This was my week.  It has been an amazing one! A good start to the year! I just want you all to know how much I love you.  I couldn’t do this work without each and every one of you! Stay firm and always KEEP SMILING so that all those around you can see the light of Christ that is in you!

Love, Jess

At Edson's house for Christmas!

In ILO for pday - by the beach

On the bus to Arequipa today - one of the families did not have a seat for 4 hours so we let their little girl sit in the middle of us.  Little cutie!