EMAIL CHAT 11/23/11………..

okay so things have been kind of interesting....

1. First off what is your phone number I don't know it?   (I guess it’s official…….she’s been gone a long time if she can’t remember my phone number.   LOL.   She needs it to arrange our Christmas phone call.   Can’t wait!)

2. We had an interesting experience the other day regarding saying our prayers....we were heading to a project to see if one of our investigators was home. She lives on the 14th floor, so we take the elevator. We ended up entering the elevator and it was hot and smelled like urine. So we pressed the button. We waited, and waited, and waited but could still hear the voices of the people from the general floor. We also didn't feel the elevator moving. As we were waiting we were pushing the general level button hoping we could just leave.. but that didn't work either. Then we started knocking and nothing. I saw a cockroach on the door and I smacked it with my shoe and then someone smacked the door. So we were saying help, but still nothing. Then we were like let’s try calling our investigator. We called no answer, the phone wasn't even functioning well either. The elevator was shaking and we had no idea where we were, we figured still the level because we could hear the people outside... but we had a few calm-ish drops. At this point Hermana Rodriguez was nervous and I was just hot.  LOL.  Anyways I was like let's pray (about 10 minutes stuck) I said a prayer and immediately after I said "Amen" the doors opened. We were up in level 15 we were going up... it was wild and I think a trial of faith because we warned the family who wanted to enter about our problem and they were like it's okay... we later saw them when we got done and everything worked perfectly for them. Talk about a trial of our faith and ability to pray LOL.... it was nutz.

3. Our activity went well.... it was super slow in the beginning,... everyone waited 1.5 hours for it to start because of complications, but once it started it went well. I think LOL we had more investigators than members. The food was amazing and the talents were great! In the end everyone had fun!! Also we got to do BOMBAS!!! Puerto Rican songs that happen near Christmas time. You should check it out on Youtube they are fun!

4. Jose and Janet are still doing well.... but they still haven't gone to church. They really seem like they want this in their life, but they need a ton of prayers.

5. We are going to have a wedding on 17 of Diciembre... it should be fun, we won't be able to attend the whole thing because we have a singing concert, but at least we can for a little. After her and her new husband will get baptized on the 22nd. We are trying to help her daughter get baptized too, pray that she will please!!! Their names are Elia, Ricardo, and Chanalit.

6. I ended up going to Ponce for one day with Hermana Ghersi. It was a good experience and I got to see Hermana Lopez and Hermana Beltran ...........They changed areas... they are in a different ward and serving in El Tuque.

7. I am getting fatter and blonder.   (Oh brother!   LOL.)

8. HAPPY THANKSGIVING MY DEAREST MOTHER!!!! You are the biggest blessing anyone could have. Mom, aunt, friend, everything you are truly INCREDIBLE!!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND MAN MISS YOU TERRIBLE!!!! I am so eternally grateful for you and every sacrifice and love you have done for me and given me, I honestly have no way to express how much I am grateful for you and love you!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

9. I can't wait beyond measure to talk to you guys soon. I got some serious Christmas fever this year ask anyone.   ;)

We have two citas tomorrow (Thanksgiving).   One at 2 and the other at 5.    Wow! mucho pavo (turkey) tomorrow yum.   (I was surprised they ate turkey and I asked if all the rest was the same.)   Yep they eat turkey and rice and beans and pasteles.... you can ask President Hall what those are.... and it will be full meals I think.   Wow!.... Hermana Garcia was here last Thanksgiving and ate 7 meals.  I hope that doesn't happen.  LOL.

Well I have to go, Hermana Rodriguez is waiting but I love you tons and hope you enjoy your THANKSGIVING.... enjoy the time together!!!!!! LOVE YOU TONS

EMAIL CHAT 11/16/11…………

I'm sorry I'm going to be boring today...not much has happened this week....

1. We had our zone conference: it was good we talked about how people need to understand the principle of tithing first hand because it's such an important commandment. And that is one of the biggest problems here in Puerto Rico is the members do not pay tithing. We have 22% that attend and 12% pay tithing... NOT GOOD.... but we are going to try to focus on teaching this principle earlier with our investigators so they know how important it is and how to properly keep this sacred commandment. We also have a new assignment to do... study 5 attributes: sacrifice, obedience, diligence, virtue, and consecration. So that should be good. I've come to realize I like to do assignments like this in the scriptures and things because I always look at it in a different perspective than I understood it before.

ZONE CONFERENCE - November 2011

2. Our baptismal dates, we need to push back and we don't know exactly what is going to happen with them.

3. Hermana Rodriguez and I are doing well... things have been normal but I have figured out something that maybe we can give her for Christmas. It seems like she loves bath and body works. So I don't know if they will have great deals, but something from there I'm sure she'll love it. Also she loved her birthday things, we decorated a table in the chapel before we planned for the week, it was cute and she loved the necklace.... we do very well picking gifts.

4. We found a good Chinese restaurant that is near the house... yeah normal Chinese... because here it's weird and they eat french fries and rice with it.

5. Alma 24:30 is pretty intense and I want to make sure I can help people who have had this problem to really realize that they aren't only effecting themselves and causing condemnation, but as well they are sacrificing the happiness of their families. It explains that those who have a knowledge of the truth, reject it or not live it, will have harder hearts than when they didn't know the truth. And sadly I have seen that many times, and it made me realize that this life is literally the only true chance that we can use the Atonement in the way that ALL our sins and transgressions can be forgiven. Whatever the sin may be, we can fix it in this life. It is only this life here on earth that we can receive the full effect of the Atonement to save us. I don't understand why people who have made covenants allow temporal things or sins get in the way of their family’s happiness and only chance to live completely together forever. How selfish and sad. It really made me think, I want this hard hearted people who have made this choice, to stop and think and really use the Atonement in their lives, so they can receive the eternal blessings of exaltation with their families forever. That is the whole point that we are even here!!!

6.   All is normal .... LOL

7. We are singing a super hard but cool song for the program with a bell accompaniment "La Primera Navidad".

I asked her if she was fed every day like the missionaries in other areas get fed (by Church members, usually).   This was her response:

No, not really. Sometimes investigators or menos activos but not much with members. We randomly get food or offered at the cita, we don't get assigned food... we don't eat too much from people.

Gotta Go, but I'm sending the photos (they never came) .... LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND MISS YOU WAY TOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!! GIVE KYLE A HUGE HUG!!!!

LOVES

Email chat 11/9/11………………

Today I will write the letters....I have been thinking about it... it's hard because sometimes we have our PDays full and it’s the only day we really can write. So then I also have to wait another week.....

So I have been sick for 2.5 days now... bad cough and congestion in my chest and sore throat not too fun. Today I'm going to buy medicine and hope it will pass by.... Hermana Rodriguez caught a flu during her birthday and was miserable, but we later made up for it and took her to get ice cream and sang. I'll pick her package up tomorrow. (I sent some party stuff, but didn’t have enough time to get it to her by her birthday.   2 days notice from Utah……..didn’t work!   J)   But she is better and now I am sick.  LOL....

1. Hermana Rodriguez is super cute, we get along great, better than I thought we would. I also heard that Hermana Lopez is doing great in Ponce.

2. We have some good people we are working on.... we are trying to help two couples get married before the end of this year. Then we plan to baptize them.

3. We found an awesome couple named Janet and Jose. They’re not married and right now they are staying in a hotel because their house is getting fixed up. They are friends of a recent convert and they were just at her house. We got to talk to them and teach about the plan of salvation and they were totally into it. Then we invited them to get baptized and they said yes .... yeah so now we have to help them with a few things that are super important, but they really want to be baptized. We have to marry them (they are willing to get married) (to each other J) and he smokes and may drink (but he wants to quit) so pray real hard for them because they seem to really want this.

4. Hermana Ghersi is a trainer this transfer. Hermana Heffen came last night and she seems really cute and her Spanish is pretty good. We are trying to only talk to her in Spanish, but oh how English tempts me.  LOL.

Later Jessie said………… She is from MAssachusetts, but studied in UVU. (Utah Valley University in Orem, which is next to Provo where BYU is located.)   Also Hermana Heffen totally recognized and was excited to see the JDawg sauce.   (Jayson…….your sauce is truly FAMOUS!!!)

5. Tell thank you to Chris for getting the scriptures (cases). Yeah they are kind of dull looking, but it's okay they work and it was still thoughtful of him to grab them. I haven't heard from the case guy (in the DR).

6. We were doing contacts and there was a man who was mentally ill passing by with his parents.... then as I was contacting someone else he was like I know you.... then after I decided to contact his family and then he started talking a lot to me. Then the big question popped up.... He asked me to marry him.. "quiere casarse conmigo".  I was trying to keep a straight face and the parents were trying to make him stop.... but hey first proposal. LOL.

Hermana Rodriguez (on her birthday), Jimenez,

and Encarnacon (who is leaving in December). 

Kayra Santiago is the girl and is the elder’s baptism.

 and Maria (Negron) finally got baptized yeah...... (next to Jes). 

On the right is Hermana Lopez.

The Mormon Church it says.... it’s the bus stop in front of the chapel in another city.

And forget to tell you we are having a Thanksgiving dinner with a talent show in the ward soon fun, eh?

Yeah I want to write them all (everyone who has been writing to her).  I think of these people, but I'm just bad at writing... let them know I am thinking of them.

Yeah we are all roomies (Ghersi, Heffen, Rodriguez) ... poor thing she probably couldn't sleep last night because I was coughing all night, LOL, but not talked much yet (about Hermana Heffen from MA).

Sorry I gotta go I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND MISS YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE..... LOVE YOU!!!!!!!  Adios

Hermana Rodriguez (Mexico)

Jessie eating her favorite snack.

 

hard at work 

 Top Row:  Jessie, Hermana Rodriguez, Hermana Jimenez

Bottom Row:   Hermana Encarnacon, Hermana Ghersi

EMAIL CHAT 11/2/11……….

and drum roll please.... SURPRISE..... I got transferred from Ponce a week early from transfers... actually many hermanas transferred yesterday.

Halloween did not feel like Halloween.... some houses were decorated, but here isn't as big of a deal. We saw a few kids in front of our house, but we worked until our usual time.... many people don't feel that it is safe, so they have their own parties. One of the wards had a trunk a treat, wanted to go, but we didn't have any investigators to go. Then someone in the ward had one, but we didn't go there either (we were limited in decisions within the companionship).

We haven't rehearsed for the group. Don't know what's happening with that....  (the touring musical performance group some senior missionaries were starting…they used to be in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir).

I got my SD card and soon I will send my other.... also I keep forgetting my camera cord to bring and that is why I haven't sent the one picture.

okay so here are the details....

1. Monday night we received a phone call.... I had been waiting to receive one about us and if we were going to switch early.... then it was wild cuz the call was to say that the hermanas were going to have their transfer early. She told me to pack and that we had to be in San Juan at 7am. It took me hours to pack and make everything fit in 2 suitcases, my carryon and my backpack.... not easy I have a lot of things. Anyways I finally finished and thought it was sad I couldn't say bye to anyone... usually we might know a little before... I had no idea. So I'm going to miss some people from Ponce, I made some good friends. Anyways we headed out in the morning and sadly we were very late for our meeting (traffic). We ended the mission home and President had already started long ago eeek.... we had a great lesson about womanhood, our importance of being sisters and woman and our responsibilities. Then he explained about we are making differences even if we can't see them. Then he told us our changes.... I am in Trujillo Alto which is in San Juan. Now I am with Hermana Rodriguez from Mexico.... she was the other trainer that we switched comps. Now we're together. LOL.... but it seems like it will be a good transfer. We will be together for sure until January. Her birthday is this Saturday.... third bday with a companion. Also I have been given the responsibility to help Hermana Ghersi to travel sometimes with her and help her visit the sisters. So not all the time, but a few times I will be traveling with her to see the sisters (like Hermana Garcia and Christianson). So that should be super amazing and a great experience. I love the sisters and traveling. We have a training meeting this next Thursday. Also she will be training a new sister in Guaynabo who is from Belmont, Mass.

In Trujillo Alto there are two couples we are working with to get married and baptized.... pray we will be able to help them make these choices....

2. Ponce 2 had 2 baptisms.... finally the little girl Kayra Santiago got baptized and Maria Negron. Poor Maria... she was terrified to get baptized and then when it was time for her to enter the font had trained a bit, and it takes forever to fill the font.... so everyone waited for the font to be filled up enough.... then she got baptized.. YAHHH and then all of a sudden the little girl who had been hard to set a date because her mom wanted her to get baptized in a river made the decision to be baptized that same night. The elders ran over and interviewed her and then after everyone waiting for the family to come, the little girl got baptized. Unfortunately she didn't come on Sunday to receive the Holy Ghost.....

3. People say I look skinnier, but I don't think I am

4. We dropped off Hermana Ghersi in the airport because she is visiting the sisters in St. Croix and there was a Del Sol in the airport.... (Jessie did an internship in Key West, Florida for Del Sol before her mission.)

5. I drive a new car again yah...

yeah Hermana Ghersi left with president, so we didn't really check out the store. LOL.... and it's sad about the baptism because it's not valid if the person doesn't receive the Holy Ghost, so pray she'll go this Sunday.

and I will be sending you a package of stuff I can't hold on anymore because it takes up space (letters and things).    

I definitely brought my JDawgs sauce. Hermana Ghersi saw it and freaked out with excitement. We are going to have a JDawg night. LOL.....

okay forgot to mention when we had the meeting with president and the sisters, we also ate a Mexican breakfast that Hermana Jimenez and Hermana Rodriguez made (tacos, lettuce, more like lunch food) but it was good and then we received a new RS book (manual) "Daughters in My Kingdom" which seems like an amazing book. I'm excited to read it.

 I think you need to read it and meditate in it.... It really seems like an inspired book for the woman. I just started today, but in the first page I could feel the Spirit.

and sad news the people who we were working with in Ponce, they can't really work with them anymore, cuz the area is strictly one urbanization and the people live outside (the area).

please pray for them...

Maria Negron

Maria Rivera
Miriam Pacheko
Evitte Arroyo
Joann
Rosa

gotta go LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND TELL KYLE THE SAME>>>>>soon we get to talk on the phone....  (for Christmas…….Yahoo!)          XOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXoXoXXO

EMAIL CHAT 10/26/11……..

Hey so I won't probably have the time to chat much because we now have library rules of 1 hour on the computer....

I love reading your letters.... I feel at home which I need many times....

Well, not much has happened....

1.  …………………..

2. I got to see Hma. Jimenez and it was great. She is doing already and we both miss each other terribly LOL.... we had a training that turned out really good. I learned a lot and I wasn't really the one meant to be trained. LOL.  So many of the sisters were at the meeting and it was fun to see them all. I learned how important it is to look for the chosen investigators. I tend to allow my investigators to linger and not just let them go. It's hard as a missionary you just have faith that the person will have potential and in any minute progress. But many of ours never progress and we stay with them anyways. This helped me to realize that I really need to find chosen ones who are ready to hear and be baptized.  Also different ways of teaching I learned as well, that I want to definitely try focusing on.

3. We visited with Miss Mirna. She will have her operation in Nov 11, Becky's bday, yuck eh. She says she is nervous about this one because before she had breast cancer. She is one of my favorite people and it was the coolest thing the other day when we talked with her. Awhile back I gave her a challenge and a promise. I asked her to start reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning and spend like 5 minutes a day, and promised that she would learn new things and grow to love the book in a different way. Not just to read, but to understand it. She testified that she has been reading every day and she totally understands it better and loves it. She has said it's helped her through this and when she waits in the hospitals she reads it. I was like YAHHAHHHHH!!!!!! And her family, who aren't members, want to go to church with her before she gets operated. Let's pray for that, that would be great. Her husband went to church.

4. No the little girl did not get baptized in the river at all yet... we are still waiting for that. The family is super cool, but they have a lot of issues that come up in the family.

5. Maria with the dogs.... we haven't been able to see her, but our plan is to visit with her tomorrow.... she just lives super far away to visit frequently, but we do have a cita tomorrow. She is super sweet.

6. The reference from President has been an impossible person to get a hold of....

7. The other Maria she and her kids went to an activity this Saturday (with the stake, saw Adjuntas) and they didn't want to really participate, but we got them goin’ and playin’ and after they had fun. They also attended a baptism, missed the baptism part, but saw the other part. The plan is that Maria will be baptized this Saturday (please pray for her).

8. The international night was awesome and lasted for a very long time. We didn't get to finish seeing it, but it was great! They had different tables set up (almost all Latin countries, LOL) and then each one presented their country and had a food from it that everyone could taste. Some people presented dances and songs. It was fun!!! and I explained a little about Hawaii....

9. Also these aren't our baptisms, but Ponce 4 has not had baptisms for 2 years and this last Saturday they had 2 baptisms... men (priesthood) cool eh?

10. I'm losing my tan. LOL.  I didn't know what to write for the last point.

Sorry I think I have to go soon.....  it (the international night) was supposed to be a missionary tool, but not many investigators came, LOL, and it was outside.... the temple night sounded great from Tricia (cousin serving a mission in California),  and the dog got in a fight when it has no teeth and apparently ears bleed a lot when it’s not serious. (see photo)

The girl in the white shirt is Hermana Peterson... she is awesome... and she was the one who gave me the backpack...

the food is pinon, white rice, and amarillos (Puerto Rican food)

 ... and yeah the dog was okay after.... and the activity was fantastic

I love you so much gotta go and you are the best I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND TELL KYLE THE SAME!!!!!!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Hermanas of PR Mission