December 1, 2014
Things are going good here in Ambo. We started to do divisions and more running around helping girls. We went and did surprise visits to get to know the girls (and to bring them chocolate haha). Now we are getting a lot more calls from the girls because they trust us. On Thanksgiving Day we had everyone we visited write something that they are grateful for. We also washed clothes for our pensionista. We had a lot of fun taking pictures with the bubbles, but we did get a little burnt from the sun. That night to celebrate thanksgiving we slept on the roof!! The roof is part of our apartment. It was like we were camping out. It was a lot of fun. I have pictures. The next day we wore black for black Friday. It has been fun being together and celebrating the little things. On Monday we hiked up to the Cross in Huánuco. It was fun but my legs were sore for the next few days.
We are going back to Huancayo for consejo... I am not excited about making the long trip. But it will be fun seeing my entire sister leader friends.
My area is doing pretty good. We are teaching this girl names Marcia. She is golden. We almost think things are going too perfect. We are trying to focus on the members and helping them in their different organizations. We are going to help visit the youth and Visiting teaching sisters. I am excited. We are trying to connect more with the families here.
I am sorry I don’t have much time to write... this computer is really slow and the key board is dumb and is sticking.
Love,
Hermana Jones
December 8, 2014
So this has been a crazy, but great week. We left for Huancayo Monday after internet and got there late at night. We ended up staying at the El Tambo house so I got to see my old pensionista! I was really happy to see her and her cute little grandbaby! Consejo on Tuesday was really good. The topic was Charity. I learned a lot. I love going to training meetings.
After the meeting we went to president’s house and talked. Then Willy Baltazar and his wife Loysi (from the El Tambo ward) came over to presidents house and we played the Cello and violin for President. I was so happy to see them again. Hermano Baltazar works at the hospital in Huancayo. I guess he has helped the mission a lot with medical stuff. So it was great to see them. It was also really fun to see other Hermana leader friends.
We then traveled back on Wednesday... We were so tired when we got back. But we went to visit people in our area. We bought ice cream and shared it with our ward mission leader and the elders. The mission leader thought it was weird. The next day we did divisions with some of the sisters in Huánuco. It takes a while to get there.. (about 30 mins) from Ambo. We also made some visits the next day. So we were basically in our area 2 full days this week. But in the days that we were there we found some great people! We started teaching this guy who lives out in a little pueblito about 10 mins out of Ambo. His wife is a member. I think that he will progress. We have also been visiting a less active member named Diesy. One day we went by to visit her and her mom was the only one there. We asked if we could visit her and she told us that she was busy. So we went on our way. But then she came running out to call us back. When we went back her husband was there and told us that he is very sick and he wanted us to pray for him. We explained to him about the priesthood and how there are men that can give blessings. The next morning we came back with the bishop and he gave him a blessing. It was a really special experience. They are so nice and humble. They are going to start to listen to the discussions. It just shows that when you visit less actives you can find great investigators. He told us that he was going to bring us a chicken from his chacara to eat. haha I am really excited about it.
The ward here in ambo is struggling. But I am excited to work and see it progress. There is lots of work to do!
Okay to answer your questions:
What interesting food did you eat? We ate a whole fish. Head and everything. I was really sad I didn’t bring my camera.
What do you like about your companion? I love my companion. I love how she knows what I am thinking. Normally I just look at her and she knows. We also make funny faces at each other in awkward situations.
What is your favorite thing about Ambo? All of the cholitas! There are tons of little Peruvian ladies that always dress up in the native wear. They are so cute!
Well I love you so much!! Thank you for everything!
Love,
Hermana Jones
December 15, 2014
I know right... 16 months... where has the time gone???
To answer your questions: it is starting to get warmer here, but we are starting rainy season. Sometimes it rains all day. I like the rain, the only bad thing is that the water that comes out of the faucets is basically dirt... and that is if we have water. We have this huge bucket where we store water because it is normal to be out of water for a day or two. I have learned to take bucket showers! =)
Anyway this has been a pretty good week. We did divisions with a sister that Hermana Chire trained, so it was like I was with my granddaughter in the mission. It was really cool.
Our area is doing alright. We are trying to make plans with the ward to rescue some less actives. One of the less actives that we are visiting was at church on Sunday and he blessed the sacrament. I almost cried.
I also gave a talk in sacrament meeting. I talked about the love of God and how we must love one another. I shared the story from general conference about the lady that went to church with her husband for 12 years and still wasn’t baptized and then after she started being kinder he was baptized within a month. I felt the spirit really strong. I started crying at the end. I am such a Larsen! But it was the first time that I didn’t write my talk out.. I was able to just speak my thoughts in Spanish.
This week we have decided to buy things for some of the families here for Christmas. There is a recent convert here that is really struggling. She lives in a very humble home and does not have a lot to eat. We bought a whole bag of food and brought it to her house. She was so happy. I felt so happy and sad at the same time. I have so many blessings in my life. We hope to do a lot more things like that.
We changed pensionistas yesterday. We are excited about the new family that we will be eating with. It is a single mom that has 2 kids and she lives with her mom. Her mom is less active and is sooo funny. I am always laughing with her. I feel like her little boys will be my little brothers. I am so excited.
This week we have the Christmas conference with 4 zones. I am going to see Hermana Chire, Hermana Sidan, and Hermana Duarte! All of the people that I have trained. I am excited. These next few weeks are going to be very very busy! We are going to do a skit and my companion and I are dressing up as Peruvians! I am excited.
I love you mommy!
Hermana Jones
December 22, 2014
Merry Christmas!!! WHAT?? I cannot believe that it is actually Christmas! Time is flying by! Christmas in Peru is very different. Christmas is very simple. They eat paneton and drink hot chocolate.
So much has happened since I have been here in Peru! I got your letter with the Christmas card. Reading the letter made me realized just how much has actually happened since I have been gone. Crazy!
So this week we had our multi zone conference. We got together and had a devotional with President. He showed some cool Christmas clips off the internet about Christmas. It made me think of home. We then did a gift exchange. I bought a little paneton to give and my companion bought a pineapple. It was hilarious. One of the crazy elders got her pineapple. It was super funny. Then each zone presented a skit. Our skit was so funny. We did a version of the 12 days of Christmas but with the things that happen in the mission. My companion and I dressed up as Cholitas. President thought it was really funny. Everyone was laughing the whole skit. I just loved dressing up in a cholita outfit.
I was able to see all of the sisters that I trained. I saw Hermana Chire, Hermana Sidan and Hermana Duarte. It was so nice to talk to them and see how they were doing. I hope I will see them again before I leave. After the skits we ate food. Then we went to this park and the elders played soccer. I just talked to my old companions. Hermana Duarte called my old pensionista and she came to see me. We both cried when we saw each other. I gave her the apron you made her. I guess she heard I was in Ambo and spent like 3 hours looking for me in Ambo. She is crazy. Then my two converts came. I felt soo blessed to be able to see them and to know that they are active and great. Best Christmas present ever.
The next few days we did divisions and tried to keep our area up and running. It is a hard time during the holidays because everyone is pretty busy with everything. But we are still working hard. You have probably heard of the movie about Christmas that the church put out, well this week we got a copy of the clip and we have been showing it to all of our investigators. We had a really cool lesson with one lady. She has been going through a lot in her family and we could tell that she was really sad and stressed out. After the movie we were all in tears. We testified how Christ brings peace and happiness into our life. I think it was more a testimony to me that the Savior lives and knows each one of us so perfectly.
We are planning on doing more Christmas gifts for people this week. It should be fun!
We also changed pensionistas this week. I love them. Our pensionista is a single mother. Her sons are starting to be a little rebellious. But they love us! I feel like we are supposed to be there to be their big sisters.. I just love them. We plan on putting together my little ginger bread house with them=) that would be awesome if you could bring another apron for her. Thanks mom!
Anyway that was my week. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! I am excited to skype you in a few days!
Love Hermana Jones
December 29, 2014
I love you! It was so fun to talk to you guys for Christmas. I was really happy that we were able to do a three way call. It was so fun. My companion said that our family is really funny. I thought the same. I miss you all lots and I am excited to be seeing you soon... I just don’t want to leave Peru yet haha.
This week has been a pretty good one. We got to celebrate Christmas with our zone. We ate pizza and played games. We played hide and go seek.... but in companionships haha it was really funny. We slept in Huanuco with some of the other sisters. At 12 at night everyone outside was shooting off fireworks. We tried to sleep but we couldn’t. So we took some pictures of the fireworks.
The rest of the week we went and visited families in the church. We bought them Paneton and my companion had a few nativity sets to give to the families. It is cool being able to be here for Christmas. The ward had an activity in a little pueblito (town) about 15 mins away. We played volleyball and had a good time. They made pachamanca. What they do is they heat up rocks until they are really hot. Then they put potatoes and sweet potatoes and meat with the rocks and cover it with leaves and tarps. I sent you a picture. It tastes really good. It is just really weird how they cook it in the ground.
We have been working hard with a kid named Marcos. He is 18 and has been a member for a while. We are trying to help him so that he can go on a mission. He is a really funny kid. He reminds me a lot of Kjell.
We are also teaching a family that is really interested in the church. Their son passed away in July and they are looking for answers to a lot of questions about life. We had a really cool lesson with them introducing the plan of salvation. I hope that they continue to do their part to learn about this gospel!
We have transfers coming up tomorrow... I feel like my companion will probably be transferred. It is really sad because I like my companion a lot. But we will see what happens!
Have a happy new year!!!
Love,
Hermana Jones