FAM!

Hey fam! Sorry I don’t have tons of time because my comp has to do a lot of things today in order to be ready to leave to Arepuipa tomorrow! It is so crazy that she is going home this week! She has been such a blessing in my life.  During the first part of my mission she was my MOTHER and now still she continues to help me grow spiritually. It will be really hard to see her go but I know that we will be in constant contact after!

This week has been really special. We had our sister conference and we talked about REMEMBERING; remembering what we have promised in accepting our mission call and the way we should magnify that calling here! It was awesome to be there and hear everyone’s testimonies in how they decided to go on a mission!

Also, this week we had interviews with President which is always fun. He told us something really surprising.  He was talking to one of the 70 this past week asking him, "Hey, when do we get to see the first cornerstone put down for the temple in Arepuipa?" and he answered,  "I’m sad to say, not yet" Because according to Elder Waldell many think that temples are built according to the number of members there are but no it is according to the work the members do in sending in names through family history work and the members in Arequipa still haven’t shown their interest in this! So, this week my companion and I have been teaching in almost every lesson about family history and it has been such a spiritual experience for me to see all these people connect with the spirit of Elija!

We have been working with a less-active family these past few weeks and the wife really wants to go do the temple. "I will go tomorrow, if I can," she says.  But the problem is the husband.  He has parted from the church for a very long time and he doesn’t feel like he is ready to enter. But last night we had a FHE with them and he opened up to us and told us a very personal spiritual experience that he had had lately making him realize the urgency of his call as the father of the home to take his family to the doors of the temple! And we made a goal with them.  We are going to be with them constantly and they will start to go to temple prep classes! Such miracles.

This week has been great. I can’t wait to see what this week brings! Thank you so much for your love, prayers and support.  I couldn’t do this without each of you! Keep pressing forward with a smile on your faces always!

Love, Jess

Saying goodbye!

Sister Conference!

Fam!

It sounds like you are all doing great! This week has honestly gone by so so fast.  It seems like I talked to you guys on Skype yesterday! Everything goes so fast! This week has been a spiritual adventure full of ups and downs but at the end MIRACLES!

The biggest one that we saw this week was in our sacrament meeting.  We have been struggling lately in having many members and less-actives come to this hour for many months now. And we have been fasting and praying with our Rama council in what we could do in order to help the families here in Pedregal renew their covenants. We set many goals with them but one of these goals came from a promise that President Zobrist made to all the presidents of the Rama, bishops and missionaries of the Mission Arequipa, that if the leaders and the missionaries get to sacrament meeting 15 minutes early in order to meditate and prepare to take the sacrament we will be able to see the progress in our members and we will see the assistance grow. Well, we put this promise to the test these past few Sundays and THIS Sunday was the Sunday that the answer came.  There were so many members, less actives and investigators there that we didn’t have enough chairs or space to fit everyone, many were doubling on one seat. My eyes filled with tears as I saw this and I know that through small and simple things great things can come to pass and if we have faith that heavenly father keeps his promises we will be able to see the results if we look for them!

In the sacrament meeting the mother of our mission leader has not gone to church for eight years and when she walked in, I couldn’t believe it. So powerful!

This week we have been working with a less-active family. The father has been president of the Rama a few years back but now they are not going to church. We had a FHE with them the other night and I couldn’t believe what their little 7- year-old said in her prayer at the beginning, "Please father forgive us we have not been going to the church, which is a commandment. I hope you can forgive us.  We will go tomorrow and forever.  We feel so bad father, help us be better." What an angel, and we didn’t have to be too direct during the lesson because that little "burn" from their daughter. So pure. So special. And the next day, their entire family was at church right on time with their dresses and ties!

This week has been amazing. And I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for us this week! Thank you so much for your love and prayers.  I couldn’t do this without each and every one of you! I LOVE YOU! Keep pressing forward with faith and with a smile!

Love, Jess

FAM!

Hey, it was such an unbelievable experience to talk to each of you and see your faces! There is such an amazing power that comes from the family. I have an even added strength and motivation to work! I feel like I felt a little bit of what heaven will be like when I was talking to each of you yesterday.  I will never forget it!

This week was really tough but really special at the same time! The other day we went to La Joya (which in an area that is two hours away from ours) to do a service activity as a zone. We went to a farm of a less active in that area, an old man whose name is Hno. Damason.  With our giant metal claws in hand we began to clear out all of the dead branches (and giant spiders) from his crops haha.  I felt like a little weak link working next to this 80 year old man practically cutting trees down with his own blade. Even though it was hot and dirty I could feel the spirit so strong. And at the end, Hno. Damason thanked us and began to cry because his wife had just died and he needed to feel love during this time. Such an amazing experience!

The other day we were walking around with a list and a map that our branch president had given us of 18 year old less- actives that have the potential of going on a mission.  We went to about six houses and none of them were home.  Getting a little bit discouraged we went to the last one. We knocked on the door and an older kid came to the door and said that Jason(the less-active) wasn’t there but he was his brother (who is 21) and he invited us in! It turns out that his brother and his mother are members and he went to church practically his whole life but was never baptized. And he told us that lately he has felt that he has been missing something but he didn’t know what. We challenged him to pray in that moment and even though he said he forgot in the middle of the prayer he stopped in silence and could feel the same feeling that he had had in the past praying to his heavenly father. It was such a miracle to see that change and to find him that day!

We are working well with the branch.  The branch president is one of the most dedicated and loving leaders I have ever seen on my mission. Now, I have such a higher appreciation for leaders that magnify their callings even if their work and acts of love go unnoticed!

Thank you all so much for your love and your testimonies yesterday.  You are such a motivation to me, my family! Keep looking forward with an eye of faith with a smile accompanying it!

Love, Jess

Fun dress ups with my comp in Arequipa!

The mission home!

What do you notice that is different?
My comp forgot her plaque so i gave her mine and I used Anna's haha. Thanks Anna!