November 5, 2013
No I cannot believe I have been out for 12 weeks!! That is crazy! Everyday seems to be super long but the weeks and months fly by. Things are going good here in San Ramon. This week was kind of a slow week. We spent a lot of the week walking around to visits that fell through. It takes us a while to walk to different places so it was hard at times. But I still felt like it was a good week. This week also was Cambios. I was really worried that my companion would leave and that I would get a new companion. But luckily we didn’t have to change! =) We are blessed that is for sure. Only one companionship changed this week. We got another gringo from Idaho. He is super excited to be here in San Ramon. It was really nice to have someone come that couldn’t speak very much Spanish (that sounds mean to say, but I was able to see my progress because I started out just like him) I feel like I understand quite a bit and I feel like I am just now starting to be able to have conversations with people. Poco a poco that is for sure.
We have been teaching a lot of youth. One girl is 12 years old and comes from really humble background. She was doing really well with the lessons, but then she started hanging out with this girl that does not like the church. So now she doesn’t want to listen to us. It was really sad. It was sad to see how fast someone can change because of friends. The scripture of the week is D&C 12=8. It doesn’t say that we have to speak perfectly or even speak the language to assist in the work of the Lord. We just need to be humble, patient, and hope ect.. It has really helped me and my companion this week. My companion and I are doing well. She is awesome and has a huge heart. I feel like we have been able to understand each other better this week.
Halloween is a lot different here. My companion said that it is bad to dress up as a witch for Halloween because it symbolizes the devil. Also veryone goes to the cemetery all day with their family. They eat food,play music and talk with friends. They just chill at the cemetery for like 2 days. It was hard to teach people because they were always going to the cemetery.
The food has been good. I feel like it is thanksgiving dinner every meal. I can hardly finish my plate some days. We had to change pensionistas for breakfast because she didn’t have much time and was making the same things. Leche and pan... cada manana. But it’s okay because we are eating with the elders pensionista for breakfast and the rest of the meals with our pensionista. Our pension has a store across the street from us. We eat there for most of our meals. Our apartment is one big room and our little bathroom I sent a picture of. We don’t have a tub. We also do not have a kitchen. We are not suppose to cook anything... sad right?? I think I miss that the most. I like making food. But sometimes we are able to help our pensionistas cook. We eat a lot of rice. Every day. It is a good thing I like it! I love the fruit here. It is my favorite. We live on the second floor.I will try to send pictures later. Okay my time is about up. I love you all so much! Sorry this email is so short and that I didn’t write yesterday=( We finally got a phone so hopefully communication will work out better.
I love you soooo much. Thankyou for your prayers and for always supporting me!
Te Quiero mucho!
Hermana Jones
November 11, 2013
I think the thing I miss the most is homemade cookies or treats haha. But I don’t know how you will be able to send those. Oh also more no-show socks would be great. Other than that I am doing just fine and dandy... like a hard candy Christmas =) (lyrics to Dolly Parton’s Christmas Song) My companion gets the money to pay for rent, pensionista and the lady that does our laundry. Right now we have 4 separate people to pay. We go to one place for breakfast and another place for lunch and dinner. Then we pay 2 other people for rent and laundry. All I have to worry about is money for taxis and my personal money. I really don’t spend that much money. Only when I find something cool to buy. Also I have been making money every day....by walking. =) I find money all the time in the streets. It’s a joke between me and my companion, I have probably found around 10 soles in the street haha. My companion is jealous of my finding money skills. I just tell her it is a way that God shows that he loves me :) So no worries about money I am good :)
It is hot as can be here. We get really excited when it starts to rain because it cools us off a little bit. I guess it should we should start to have raining season here. I am excited for it.
We have been teaching tons of youth. One of our recent converts Luis has a friend that we are teaching. He is going to be baptized on the 23rd. We have 2 others getting baptized this Saturday as well. The work is moving along! I just need to open my mouth more... :)
My body is still not use to the food here.. So that has been fun. I like all of the food. It is yummy. I like the fruit most of all.
I cannot think of any crazy story.. My companion and I laugh a lot. She is funny and always has a good attitude. I am trying to help her with her English.
I can feel like the Lord is putting people in our path every day. I hope that I can learn better how to recognize the spirit in my daily life. I love this gospel and I am so grateful for this opportunity to share it here in Peru!
Anyway this week has been fun! It went by really fast. I love you all lots! I have to go!
Peace and Blessings! (paz y bendiciones)
Love,
Hermana Jones
November 18, 2013
I love you! This week had its ups and downs. I started out doing well, but then in the middle of the week I got sick. My stomach just isn’t use to the food. I was really dehydrated too. So i ended up having to stay at home one day to get over everything. I took like a 5 hour nap. Luckily we have some awesome ward members that were willing to stay with me. But I am all better and I have lots of energy to work. The first day I went back to work I was surprised how much energy I had. I think I was just use to being weak from being dehydrated.
All is going great with the work here. We had a baptism this Sunday!!! yippee! The Elders baptized 2 people and we had 3 baptisms. Perla (the mom) Karla(daughter) and Alex ( the cute little boy) The mom was actually baptized for a second time.. don’t ask me how that happened because I still don’t fully understand haha. I am just trusting in the authority of the bishop haha. It took 4 times to baptize Perla because she is scared of drowning. We have two more baptisms planned for this next week. Elio, and Joselyn. Both are jovens.
Elder alexander (the tall gringo) is new. He is awesome. It is fun speaking in English with him and helping him with Spanish. I gave a talk this Sunday in church... YIKES! It was only 5 minutes so that was nice. I really like the ward members here. I am able to talk a little more with them. Still just a little though... Poco a poco. The baptismal font is outside. It’s like a little pool. I will have to take a picture of it to send and of our church building too. Okay the internet is being really dumb and I don’t have much time left =( I love you and I will try to write more next week. Things are going good. I love the people here and I am so grateful for this experience that I have to teach the gospel here in Peru. Spanish will come, I just need to keep focusing on the investigators and things will work out.
I miss you all and love you to pieces!!!
Love Hermana Jones