EMAIL 7/27/11

I'm not sure how much time I really have because the libraries are closed and I'm at a member's house and it's only one computer and we started late....

1. Crazy menos activo, who was on drugs.... we had a dangerous situation happen this Sunday and threatenings.... some elders had to leave the area, really sad..... I can explain more next week, it’s crazy.

2. Everyone here in Puerto Rico apparently have dreams all the time with Christ speaking to them, apparently everyone has seen Christ but me.... really strange.

3. One of my favorite members (single woman) so funny is always looking for a man..... she saw a photo of dad and was like he's so guapo I want to be his friend on Facebook.

4. Way too much gossip in my area and that is one reason my area isn't growing.

5. It's almost 1 year (since) I've been endowed (this week).

6. One of my other favorite members knows I love ice cream and bought ice cream for the next time I visit them. They were so excited.

7. We have investigators practicing Catholics, really nice and the kid who is 12 is so smart with religion.

8. We are going to have a ward activity so people will invite friends.

9. I think it could be a possibility that I have Diabetes....it could be why I'm so tired.

10. It's crazy to meet other missionaries (from other churches) and hear what they have done and know that our message is true. It's sad because they are doing a good cause, but changing and destroying the hearts through apostasy.

I gotta go.... I love you so much and miss you and I'll try to tell you more next time.... oh wait maybe we can't we have a conference again.

(I know many of you wish Jessie would write a letter back to you.   Problem is…..she really doesn’t have the time.   As you can see, I don’t get much information myself.   The bullet points are great because at least we have an inkling of what’s going on, even if we don’t usually get much detail.   She hasn’t had PDays the way they were designed to be.   Instead, she goes, goes, and goes without the rest she could use.   Please be patient with her.   She LOVES getting letters from people, she just can’t find the time to respond.   Thank you for keeping in touch with her.   Your letters bless her life and strengthen her.)

EMAIL CHAT 7/20/11

We started with a little chit chat and I told her how hot it’s been here.   Then I told her that her brother and the dog were having a good time being lazy this week……..

yeah for real they are good at being couch potatoes........ It's super hot here too so it has been sometimes hard to work cuz it makes us so drowsy.

I then commented on the heat making people drowsy (I’d just been discussing this same issue with someone at work) and I wondered if that’s why some cultures have siestas built into their everyday life……….

Oh yeah I wouldn't be surprised if that is why they have siestas.... man I need one so bad on the mission cuz seriously I'm am a walking zombie. Sometimes I think I'll have just one day to stop and do absolutely nothing, but that is impossible for a missionary. I've been learning that the hard way.... missionaries work as if they aren't humans, but fact is we are so human. Tiredness, bathroom breaks, energy, stress, the whole shebang.

Okay well let’s see if I can type this all up.... we haven't really had a Pday in like 3 weeks so that is why you haven't really heard from me.... sorry.....

We'll be also missing another one on the 3rd....

1. We had a transfer meeting where all the missionaries went to Guaynabo and they explained who was leaving and where. So those that had to pack and leave had their bags but knew nothing to what was going to happen to them. Also they called us on Sunday and transfers were on Wednesday... but on Sunday night they called and said that both of us had to pack, which I figured because during interviews president made it seem like we weren't going to stay together. Then our leader told us that the whole district was leaving.... I was like what that is nutz.... long story short... they made everyone pack so they would clean their extra junk and the houses. Not very nice, but good news we are together again!!!

2. The sisters didn't find out if they were transferring until yesterday when a few will be leaving including Hermana Jimenez and Hermana Curl. Hermana Jimenez will go to Guaynabo with Hermana Christianson and Hermana Curl back with Hermana Angel. We will be moving apartments so you can maybe mail things to the office. I haven't been receiving too much mail from anyone, but just in case tell everyone to mail the office until I know where we are going.   (The next transfers are on August 17^th, I think.)

3. Hermana Christianson and her new companion (new Missionary Sister from California) went to St. Croix... the first week for this new sister (and) was in St. Croix. Lucky girl, eh.... it sounds like little by little they are opening up the islands for the young missionaries. There are elders in some islands now, yah, so pray I can go to one during my mission.

4. The Twix man heheh good story... sorry need to make it short. Here in PR there are beggars who knock at windows at lights while people are waiting for the light to change. So one day Hermana Garcia was eating her favorite candy TWIX and she offered me a piece and I didn't want it. So she was enjoying it licking her fingers because it’s hot and was melting. All of a sudden at the light a man taps at the door and we gave the sorry motion.... then he tapped again. And we were like no sorry.... then he pointed and we were like what is he doing we can't help him. Then he pointed and I was like Hermana Garcia I think he wants your Twix and then I pointed at the candy and he shook his head yes.... and I was like he wants your candy.... we gave it to him and were dying of laughter. Talk about the Law of Consecration.  J

***The sisters are leaving on Sunday and I don't know when we are moving and we had a sister’s conference on Tuesday and Wednesday last week.

5. Our space for parking is ridiculously hard sometimes to back up.... this whole time I have been good, but the other day I hit the car against a fenced gate and I chipped the paint of the side of my door and the rear mirror was half detached..... the missionary leaders were okay with it and fortunately I don't need to pay for it. Then she made the comment to me oh no worries everyone at least once does something to their cars on the mission... I did in St. Thomas she told me and I was like don't be tellin that to all the missionaries.  LOL.

6. Elder Garfield of Springville, UT is in my district.... and I went to school with his sister, Sarah.

7. Yesterday we were contacting at the Pier in Ponce.  I love contacting there.  It’s on the ocean and there are families, only bad thing is there are killer mosquitos that suck more than a drop of blood. LOL. jk (just kidding)..... so we contacted 2 men and a kid.... they were giving us a hard time that the photo of Jesus Christ is the Father and all that jazz... then one of them was like excuse me and forgive me for saying this but you seem like a person who has gypsy Spanish blood. Then he started explaining who they were and how I seemed a lot like one. (of course I understood nothing until Hermana Garcia explained after).... and he explained how I was a strong person who defended for what I believed in, but also let others be free for what they believed in. Then he kept telling me forgive me I don't want to offend you, forgive me but I will repeat again... how I was superior and basically someone that needed to give him permission to talk to him, like royalty. Hermana Garcia was like he was treating you like Esther.... like I didn't need permission to be in anyone’s presence, like I had the right.... then he was like in 3 days you will have something better happen in your life, you will be at a higher level. It was bizarre and then he was, someone who is in your life right now, who is not at your level or hindering my progression will leave my life and I will be at a better place..... in 3 days. Because I totally didn't understand I was thinking he was saying things super rude and obnoxious because he kept apologizing and then I was like we are all children of God and He wants us to be happy and a random testimony to change the subject. Heheheh. We were laughing hard after cuz I had no idea what was happening.

8. We had 2 menos activos come to church on Sunday and it was great to see one of them. Our old investigator that we handed to the elders has a baptismal date and went to church. Things are going slow but we are still trying to get people going and recognizing the beauty and blessings of the gospel!

9. Elder Wilfred Anderson is coming again to have a conference with us!

Hey, so the mission is super hard for me... and I still feel a lot of the same as last time.... just keep praying for me and helping me...... also I think I will be able to be set apart here (she meant released) and maybe fly into Florida if that is easier (referencing our planned vacation when she’s released.)

10. People have been asking me if I'm from South America or PR sometimes because of my accent. Cool eh?

Yeah this is literally the craziest mission in the world. LOL ..... our days are not normal missionary days.

 

gotta go.... LOVE YOU TONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Email received 7/12/11

Not only did Jessie sign on a day early, but neither of us had time to 'chat'.   Here's what I got:

Hey I'm sorry I don't have time to talk this week but next week I will try to mention some things more in detail.....

1.Man from street take Hermana Garcia's twix bar

2. Transfer meeting

3. 2 menos activas come to church... Becky and Evangeli

4. We go to Adjuntas and baptismal interview

5. New girl comes and first week in St. Croix

6. Menos activa returned missionary gives us a smackdown about church

7. someone in Adjuntas is getting baptized.

8. Hermana Garcia is starting to get trunky

9. We can contact on a pier in Ponce and has starfish, other cool sea creatures

10.watching 2 sisters in the ward do Zumba

As you can see, it's not much and I have no explanations for any of it.   Hopefully next time......

 

LOVE YOU TONS AND MISS YOU TONS xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxox

ME

7/6/11

So today is transfers... they told us on Sunday we had to pack so I thought okay I guess we are getting transferred... then my leader said everyone in my district was going to be transferred I was like wow crazy.  Then they told the entire mission to pack their bags... I was like wahoo we are finally all going to take a vacation. Then we received a call that when we finished packing that night we needed to call because maybe we would be transferred before Wednesday. We were like what craziness.... anyways long story short we are staying together and only 3 people in our district are leaving. We have a new sister who will be coming here on the mission yeahhh.... and I get to kill Hermana Garcia her last transfer... I'm so so happy!!!!

(I asked about that and she said…….yeah they call it that when you send home a missionary. LOL.  and I'm super glad too she is seriously my best friend on the mission.... weird phrase, huh?)

We are all staying in the house and it will be great.... well for now that's what we know. They wanted us to pack so we would have a clean place but it ended up being worse.  Now we have to drive to Guaynabo for a conference with the whole mission.... I love you and need to go....

Also we are going to the Adjuntas ward every Sunday for church... crazy eh.....

LOVE YOU TONS!!!!!!!

(That was it………neither of us had time to ‘chat’.  Next week it will probably be the same.)

EMAIL CHAT 6/29/11

In my weekly letter to Jessie I told her about the changes in our dental insurance plan and told her when she could go and get her teeth cleaned.   This was her shocking response…..

I just read about the cleaning. I don't think we are allowed to do things like that...... I've never heard of anyone getting their teeth cleaned.

I know the mission covers doctors, but I don't know about dentist..... who knows? I can check, but I’ve never heard of a cleaning and we did it longer in Massachusetts.  (when we had no insurance J).

This was my response to that statement:  “Yes, I know we went for years without cleanings, but now that we have insurance it’s important for us to keep up with them.   Besides, tarter build up causes bad breath, which is something missionaries should avoid since they’re talking to people all the time.   LOL.”

hehehe that is true

So this week has been somewhat boring and somewhat not. LOL....

 1. We have been doing a lot of clean up at houses and I keep receiving free stuff... yeah for free things, problem is I don't have any room for everything. One of the things was an abalone shell earrings and necklace love it and using it now.

 2. I found someone who made me a leather scripture case... it is different than I expected, but it's nice and one of a kind. It's hard to find someone who can make a scripture case like mine, so it is special. The man who made it does leather key chains and belts and wallets. Then he stamps pictures of PR things or names. We talked to him and he really didn't want to do it, which was interesting, and he kept explaining things. He even sent us to someone else to check something. LOL... anyways he was like it’s expensive and I was like okay how much, it's expensive ... okay how much... I think like 30... and I was like that's fantastic. LOL... so we talked and he was like but I need your scriptures for 4-5 days and I was hesitant, but then I gave them to him. He had our number so he could call me to pick up my scriptures. Then the next day he called me and was like it's ready. I was like wow he made that super fast, especially because he was like it’s not my first priority. LOL. I think it became his priority. So he explained on the phone that the work was great and the leather is nice, so he would charge 50 but because he is a man of his word I would have the same. So I was like great that wasn't my plan, I figured he would maybe switch. So when I verified he was like it will be 35 only for you and no one else, and don't have people come to me. LOL.... so in the end I got a $35 leather case personalized. LOL.... 

I was super blessed to get the case.

3. My zone leader right now told me to tell you to send me a package and I asked why cuz you want food?  And he was like no cuz you’re an awesome sister missionary. LOL.  funny.

(I asked her to clarify………)   The zone leader is the one who gives me the packages. LOL.  And he is from Washington. he is very kind and the reason I said about food is cuz every time I get a package they ask if it’s food. LOL. It’s like an elder thing really funny. They think sister missionaries are here for cooking them food.

4. We went to Adjuntas for church... in one week I've visited all my areas (where she’s already served on her mission).  It was great to see the people in Adjuntas.

 5. We had Elder Anderson of the Seventy come and speak in Adjuntas.  And he spoke in Spanish and it was a great talk about the Spirit or God inviting us to do things.

 6. We had a lot of help from the Lord for our family foundation goals this week.  We met our goals.

7. We went to an iguana park and there were tons of huge iguanas.  (I asked if it was a conservation place or something……)   No it’s just a park with a ton.  We saw a huge mama with a ton of babies. LOL.  (Then she sent pictures.)

8. The elders in Adjuntas found a woman who seems to be like a golden investigator who is from Mexico and she wants her family to go to church next Sunday and she really felt the Spirit. I also got to see Jose at church.  Jose is okay, not great but okay.  Unfortunately, Nestor doesn't go anymore.

9. We received breadfruit from a painter who is a friend with the elders.  (I asked for some clarification……)  The first time I ate breadfruit was in Joel's parent’s house in Hawaii and it tastes like potato.  (I asked if the man was with the elders.   It doesn’t sound like he was.  He recognized the girls as sister missionaries.) The man gave it to us in Ponce.

10. The specific elders gave a blessing for the first time in Spanish with someone who says we have to change her husband first before we can change her.... uhmmmmmm

(I asked what ‘specific elders’ meant………..)

Not specific, but Elder Hargadon of my group and Elder Moody and yeah she's a tuffy.  LOL.  But really appreciated the blessing... she's great.

(Finally, I received confirmation that Hermana Curl received the JDawg’s special sauce I sent her……….) oh she loved her sauce so much and she took a picture with it. LOL. She was so happy and shocked that it was her package. LOL. And you might not believe it but I'm almost done with mine yummm.

Love you bye LOVES ALL AROUND!!!!!!!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxox

Photos received 6/29/11

Jessie in Ponce 

iguanas at the iguana park in Ponce

with Hermana Garcia.........enjoying Jessie's favorite daily snack.