Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Email Chat 2/16/11

Jessie with Hermana Angel, Hermana Jimenez (from the Dominican Republic) and Hermana Estrada (from Guatemala).   Hermanas Jimenez and Estrada serve as companions in Ponce, PR.

Jessie with Hermanas Jimenez and Estrada in Ponce.


So how have things been? I received the letters and package and they were all fantastic -gracias!!! I decorated the room for her birthday (Hermana Angel’s) the day before Valentine’s because things have been so crazy, time is becoming more and more limited. It's really frustrating, cuz we are just so, so drained. People and leaders think that missionaries are super humans and the fact is we are not at all. Anyways.... Thank you. I loved the things and so did Hermana Angel. It was a great surprise. She knew I was up to something, but thought it was for Valentine’s. By the way HAPPY VALENTINES DAY MI AMOR ;p
So we had a fiesta and it went well.... so crazy things have happened this week..... on Sunday we had people tell us they were coming to church; one a menos activa, and the others investigators. So we were like okay we are supposed to go the Utuado branch today, but we will go for the sacrament meeting in Adjuntas and then leave to work in Utuado. We found a ride for the menos activo, but we were not able to find a ride for our investigator... so we went to find the menos activa and she didn't want to go and we couldn't get a hold of the person we wanted for our investigators who didn't have phones. So long story short we didn't have them come, but we did have one of our menos activo families come to church which was super cool.... so we ended up driving to Utuado and staying for the services like Sunday school and sacrament. After the services we were planning to work in Utuado until 7ish.... while we were in our services we ran into a missionary who ended his mission this January. I had his mom in my ward in Guaynabo, and he was serving in the same stake as his mom, and they saw each other during stake conference.  Crazy Eh!! (I double checked and Jessie confirmed he’s from Puerto Rico).  Anyways he was there and now he is engaged to Pres. Alvarado's sister.... but he knows our investigator who didn't get baptized that one time and knew where he actually lived. We didn't know where he lived cuz we would meet with him at his gf's (girlfriend’s) mom’s house and every time we called him, he wouldn't pick up, so we were starting to think he was a lost cause. And it was weird cuz not this Sunday, but last Sunday he was at church and acted like nothing happened.... strange, and we still hadn't learned where he lived and every time we wanted to make an appointment he wouldn't answer.... so this ex-missionary helped us out. We all went and found his house and he wasn't there, then we called him and he finally answered and said oh meet me at 3:30.... so we were like okay we will do contacts.....we arrived and he wasn't there, we were like "does he think this is a joke?".... we decided to go find other people, and as Hermana Angel was writing a sticky note, the (former) missionary started talking to the next door neighbor who was cool and knew tons about the history of the church. We started to talk to him too a little, inviting him for us to return and clarify and teach more. As we were talking to the neighbor, guess who shows up.... we chatted and it's interesting we aren't for sure if he really feels the Spirit. By the way this is Juan.... he is great, knows the gospel, but I don't know how much he really feels. He said that he truly has a desire to be baptized and we have him for the same baptismal date as Nester, Feb 26. So we have two baptisms on Feb 26. We also have one this week, with a young girl of a menos activa who is turning eight. We have been teaching and reviewing the lessons with her, just to make sure she realizes the importance of baptism and understands more of the gospel. Nester is doing great.... he has been so dedicated to changing. He wants to be completely ready on his birthday Feb 22 and he is really changing and progressing. He has dropped coffee, slowly dropping smoking, and he had a problem with the law of chastity, not a problem anymore. Mom seriously he is doing great!
……………my area is a small mountain town with nothing like Walmart, or other stores.  Did I tell you we are getting bikes : $90.... but, I don't know when we have to pay and get them.... not happy about that.  LOL.   I have no idea why they want bikes. We live on a giant rollercoaster, seriously really steep hills, we have a car, and our area is huge. All the sister missionaries are getting bikes.

I'm doing alright.... not amazing but alright..... thanks for the scripture (I sent  her Helaman 10:4-5), I'll definitely look it up!!! WE don't get to do anything on P-days but clean and email and shop for food. We are lucky if we have 20 minutes to write or sleep or eat.... seriously it is ridiculous. We have 6 in my district and none in my area but us. We all live about 30-40 minutes away from one another.  (She’s talking about the missionaries in her district.)

So every Tuesday Hermana Angel and I will be going to Ponce (35 minutes away) and serve in that area with the sisters (pictures) for only that day. It's a new program/revelation thing and my whole zone is doing it....  I don't have much time to explain right now, but remind me next time and I can explain the details with you....

I have had 5 comps (companions) and 3 areas in 4 months dang.....
I still can't understand them (the Puerto Ricans), my Spanish is awful.  LOL…...

(I commented that I thought Jessie would have a darker tan by now.   This is what she said:)  No, I'm still super white.  I don't really tan here.

No comments:

Post a Comment