May 5, 2014
I HAD CHRISTMAS THIS WEEK!!! =) I got both of your packages! I was soo excited. I love, love, love the shoes! and all the clothes and candy. Thank you soo much! I also got a cute package from the primary. They sent me letters. My favorite letter said, "you must be really hungry without American food." I just about died laughing.
Things this week have been going really good! Monday night we had a long talk with Lister about their family moving (I even started crying about it... I am such a Larsen.) haha So they decided to look in our area so that their kids would not have to start over in making friends in the church. They found a place!!!!! They are still in our area! I am so happy. BLESSINGS! Lister and Raul have decided to stop drinking and they both got blessings so that they can overcome the addiction. Lister told us the other day that the blessing worked and he feels a lot better.
Lister and Melita have accepted another date to be married. Right now we are working on a service activity so that they can work for the money to get married! They will be making juanes to sell (juanes are rice and chicken cooked in plant leaves.. they are actually really good) We want to help them to learn how to be self-sufficient. We are excited and working hard with them every day.
Juan, Claudia and Gianmarco have a date to be baptized this week! We are working hard to make that happen. We have a new ward mission leader because our other ward misison leader left on his mission. Our new one is awesome. He was recently reactivated in the church and is doing so good.
We will be going to some caves today. I am excited!
Hermana Jones
May 13, 2014
Where do I start? I loved talking to you all this week! I am glad all is going well!
This week has been a crazy one. It started off with the baptism Friday. We were going to have 3 baptisms… but one of the baptisms decided that he didn’t want to get baptized. We are still working with him.
Saturday we had a multi- zone conference. Our Misión President talked about following the promptings of the spirit and also about gossip. They were both really good. Saturday we also had the adult session of stake conference. It was all about ward council. Our investigators Raul and Lister showed up. They hardly understood because it was focused on the members.
Sunday we had the normal session of stake conference. Claudia (one of our converts) wanted to go early and sit in the very front row to listen to the speakers. She was so excited and loved the meeting. Elder Godoy of the 70 spoke and also our Misión President. Our Misión President is so funny. Hermana Henderson also spoke in her broken spanish. It was very powerful. They talked a lot about family, and how to be better parents. It was all really good. Elder Godoy talked about a lot of different things, but one thing that I loved was about the miracles of Jesus Christ. After he explained the miracles that happened with Jesus Christ he talked about how one of the greatest miracles ever is when someone has a change of heart. I loved it. Repentance is real. I love watching this type of miracle in my investigators.
Monday we went to Tingo Maria. I loved it. It reminded me a lot of Tennessee and my first area. I sat by Hermana Vergaray and we talked almost the whole way there. I just love her so much. She is my Peruvian sister haha. On the way there, there was a land slide so we had to wait a couple more hours than normal. We went to the caves in Tingo. It was so cool. But my favorite part was talking to my missionary friends. I loved it.
Anyway, that was my week. There is so much more that happened but I forgot haha. We are doing good and trying to work really hard these next few weeks. We have cambios coming up in 3 weeks. It makes me a little nervous.
LOVE YOU!!!
Hermana Jones
May 19, 2014
Yeah it is crazy to think that I finished 9 months! CRAZY!
Tingo Maria does look a lot like Tennessee. I love it! It was a little humid when we went. Just like the south!
Things this week have been pretty good. We had another baptism this week! We baptized Maria the mom of one of my recent converts (Rosario). She was so happy. Not many people came to the baptism but it was a nice spirit filled baptism.
Claudia one of our recent converts is on fire! She loves everything about the gospel and about the church. She has so many challenges and difficulties in her life. But she is so happy and is so enthusiastic about going to all the activities and reading the Book of Mormon. Seeing her enthusiasm makes me want to be a better person. It is really amazing how we can help others come unto Christ and have a huge change in their life. Sometimes it is hard for me to comprehend how we come in contact with the people who really need our help. I know that as we are living righteously and as we are continually trying to improve ourselves the spirit will work with us and guide us.
I love being a missionary! Sometimes it is hard. But it is so worth it!
Transfers are coming up within the next two weeks. Sometimes it is hard to think that I won’t be here in this area, or that I will have a new companion. But I am trying to work hard and not think about it! haha.
Today we are getting together with all of the sisters and watching the movie frozen!!! I am so excited! We will probably see it in Spanish... but it is okay =)
I love you all and think about you often. Keep working hard and sharing the gospel with everyone!
Love, Hermana Jones
p.s. this week a little girl came up to me and asked me, "Cómo nacÃo blanco?" or how where you born white? It was the funniest thing ever!
May 26, 2014
This week has been a crazy one. Right now we are preparing two others for baptism. Saul and Margarita. They are both awesome and accept everything that we teach. They are so prepared to receive the gospel in their lives.
My companion has left for Lima for 3 days for her visa. I thought that I would be here in my area for divisions... BUT......
I got a call from the assistance two days ago... and I have been called to be a new Hermana Leader! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH haha So I will leave tomorrow in the morning for Huancayo to go to the leader meeting. I was shocked when I found out. I lost all the Spanish in my head and only could think of things to say in English. All the sisters and elders in my zone are so excited for me. It was one of those times where I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. haha But I am excited for the new adventure. I know that it will help me be the missionary that I am meant to be.
Transfers are coming up next week. I will more than likely get transferred because I have about 6 months here. I will start being the Hermana leader this next transfer.
I am going to miss this area a lot. But I know that the lord has a plan and I need to accept it. haha These past few weeks have been pretty good, but I have felt like Satan had been working hard to get me down. And now I know why. I have so many emotions and thoughts running through my head but overall I am excited for this new adventure.
haha Don’t worry mom. I am really safe and I have never ever got mugged. Normally I just have drunks following us and telling me that I am a pretty gringa. That is the craziest that it gets. haha
LOVE YOU!
Hermana Jones