January 2015 | mission

January 5, 2015

Well things here are going well. We had transfers this week.... we were really worried about it because my companion Hermana Overly will have 4 transfers here in this area, so we were sure that she would leave. But she stayed !!!!!! We are really happy about it! So it looks like she will be my last companion! It is really nice not having to pack stuff up and having a new companion my last transfer in the mission. We are going to try and do lots of fun things. We didn’t do a whole lot for New Years. We just went to sleep. I didn’t even wake up when the fireworks were going off. I guess I was really tired.

So this week is a really big party week here in Ambo. It is when the negritos dance with their fun hats and masks. Remember the pictures I sent last year? It is fun being back here in Huánuco during this time of year. But it also means that the streets are packed of people... and their form of party is drinking. So we are visiting a lot of members this week. We also are going to Huancayo again for the leadership counsel. I am not that excited about driving, but it will be fun seeing everyone!

There is a new elder in my ward he is from Colombia. It looks like we will do a lot more activities, it should be a fun transfer! The members here are a lot more excited. The work is going really slow here. We are hoping that it will pick up after the parties are over.

The women here are normally the only ones that cook. But when it comes to making pachamanca the men usually help out. It cooked for about 1 hour on the hot rocks.

I love my pensionista. We talk to her all the time. I feel like she is my older sister. Her little boys are so cute. She is a single mom just trying to get by. She is living with her mom to help her mom out because she lived alone. I will try to take a picture with all of them. The other day we were in Huánuco and we went out to eat with them. They are like my family.

This area has been kind of hard when it comes to investigators. But we are trying to stay positive and help the members out as much as we can. We are hoping to rescue a few less active families this month. I love being a missionary. I know that this is the work of God and that he has his hand in this work. It is sad to think that I finish so soon. But I am so excited to see my family.

LOVE YOU!!!!!

Hermana Jones

January 12, 2015

Today is going to be a good day. We are planning on making chocolate pudding and crushed up Oreos and hanging out with my pensionista. She is the best. This week our leadership training went really well. There have been a lot of new changes with the sister leaders and I got to see a few sisters that I have not seen in forever. It was really fun. We made cookies with Hermana Henderson. My favorite part of consejo is staying at president’s house and talking with him. He is hilarious. I also LOVED seeing Hermana Araya. I feel like she will be my lifetime friend. I think I will have one more consejo in Feb.. like the week before I go home. The day we got back was my pensionistas Birthday. We bought a cake in Huánuco and surprised her. It was fun.

This week the Negritos have started having their parties and dancing. It is really big in our area.. we are always having to pass by them. But we got some fun pictures. At night there are a ton of fireworks and music.

We also had interviews this week with president. It was nice to be able to talk to him. He gave me permission to look up my classes. We were talking about the mission and about how sometimes I look back and think.. have I done everything I could have? He said that a lot of times we want to be perfect. But he told me that God has a lot more charity than we think he does. That has really stuck with me this week. I feel like we don’t realize that God loves us and is happy with us as we continue to try. I am so happy that I am a missionary and that I am able to share this gospel with the people here.

These next few weeks we are going to do a lot a divisions with the sisters. It will be a super busy time. Our area is progressing. We had a great activity the other night. A few of our investigators went and really enjoyed it. We talked about missionary work and one of the elders and my companion shared a little bit about their life before the mission so that people can see that we are normal people, but that we have a great calling. We then played missionary tag. It was really fun.

We have a new investigator named Christian. His girlfriend is a member, but less active. He expressed to her how he was looking for the truth and she shared the gospel with him. The next Sunday Christian, Yhomira and her whole family came to church. She told us that sharing the gospel has really helped her to realize the truth that she has. So now we have a less active family coming to church and a new investigator that is progressing. The Lord really does prepare people!

! I hope you have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Jones

January 19, 2015

So this has been a very crazy week. Monday night around 10:30 our zone leaders called us and told us that we had emergency transfers. Hermana Overly left Ambo Tuesday morning. It was really sad because she didn’t have much time to say goodbye to anyone. Hermana Weixler came here to ambo and is my new companion. It was crazy! It is kinda crazy that Hermana Weixler is my companion because I feel like we are like the same person. We are having a lot of fun together. I did divisions with her a few times in Huancayo so it is fun that we are companions because we know each other really well. She is from Salt Lake, she has been on the mission for about 14 months. She is awesome. The only crazy thing is that I have to teach her the area in the next few weeks and we have about 2 divisions every week. So we have a lot of things to do! It will keep me very busy!

Our ward is getting a lot better. We have an awesome ward mission leader. He is very excited about the work. There is this family that we are working with. They are less actives but they are starting to come back to church. They have 3 girls one that is 23, 19, and 12. It reminds me a lot of Kjirsten and Breanne. We are also teaching one of their friends that will probably get baptized on the 7th of Feb. Right before I leave! So now that the ward is back up and running I think ambo will start to progress!

This week I got sick... I have a sore throat and a cough.. But I think I am getting better little by little. The funny thing is all of the silly Peruvian tips. For example, I would DIE if I eat or drink anything cold when I have a sore throat.. ice cream would make me die. Or that if I do not put a scarf on my cold will get worse(it is so hot outside... I am not wearing a scarf). Or that I cannot take a shower until I get better. It is really silly sometimes.

Anyway, things are going good! We are just working hard. I love you and I cannot wait to see you in a few short weeks!

Love Hermana Jones

January 19, 2015

Mom that is so crazy! I am going to see you sooo soon! I cannot believe it!

Anyway, things are going good! We are just working hard. I love you and I cannot wait to see you in a few short weeks!

Love Hermana Jones

January 26, 2015

Wow I cannot believe how fast the time is going! I am going to see you soo soon! I am really excited to show you around Peru. I don’t really know the exact address of President.. so it might be good if you email the mission home.

So this Sunday Hermana Doris, my old pensionista and her grandson Aaron came to my ward here in Ambo to visit me. I almost cried when I saw them. They are so excited to meet you. She is planning on making us lunch one day when we are here. She is going to love you all. I also got permission to call and coordinate who we will visit when you are here. So I hope that will make the plans go smoothly.

This week has been a crazy one. We are working really hard here in Ambo. We had 2 divisions to do. So we were not in our area for very much time. But the times that were there we were able to work hard and get things done. We have a baptism coming up on the 8th of Feb. Right as I am ending the mission. I am not sure if I will even be there for it because we have to travel to Huancayo. But he is so ready and I am so excited for him. His name is Christian. He read until chapter 14 in the Book of Mormon and learns everything pretty fast. We are going to focus on his prayers and making sure that he can really feel that this is the right step for him.

We have been working a lot with less active families. This Sunday we had 9 less actives that came to church. One of them is Marcos. He is a kid that is preparing to go on a mission. He tries my patience a lot, but I feel like he is my little brother. I will be so happy the day he goes on a mission.

We also had the opportunity to speak in a stake meeting about a new key indicator that we have in our mission. We are now going to help with the visiting teaching in these wards. I think it will really help build up these wards. It was weird because I felt so comfortable standing up in front talking to all the relief society presidents... It is a huge difference from when I came on the mission..

I love my companion. She understands me. I love how we can laugh and have fun even when we are stressed out by all the work we have to do. Really the Lord has his hand in this work. There have been several days where we did not have enough time to get everything done that we needed to. After saying small prayers in my heart the Lord made enough time. Miracles sure do happen every day!

Thanks for everything. I love you and miss you!!

Hermana Jones