Okie Dokie Arta Chokie.... are you ready for this rollercoaster of another week? Actually we don't need an amusement park here in PR because every road, especially in El Tuque the other area we serve, is our own personal free rollercoaster where the car is in a complete, un-normal angle. It's intense. I always wonder if we are going to flip over..... But anyways today was transfers and we had no idea what was going to happen because Hm. Angel has been here forever and I had only been here for 1 transfer, and we had the new changes in the area. So we were completely clueless. Anyways we had to drop the other Hermana's at a different chapel in Ponce for their district meeting and then we headed to ours. Problem was we were running late, and note last transfer we heard the changes 10pm the night before and had to be somewhere to move at 8am, so we figured if anything we would hear later. We arrived at the chapel for our meeting and lo and behold I hear "Hermana Comoletti" in the voice of the almighty man, President Alvarado. I was like uh oh we're late, the only time we have been really late for our meeting. LOL... anyways he was like how's it going and chatting.... I really love President Alvarado (we do have a special relationship, I think LOL, but probably all the missionaries feel that way).... we talked and he kept asking us if we were happy..... we were like yeah... it was kind of strange he kept asking us this, and we were like what is he going to do.... then he was like (to Hermana Angel) "do you realize how much you are loved in Adjuntas. People there love you so much." The stake President is best friends with President (Alvarado) and so is his wife. The president and his wife are in our ward and they have been able to get to know Hermana Angel well. Apparently President had been praying tons and tons and he wanted to move both of us out to other areas and make Adjuntas an area for Elders, but with his prayers and the comments from the President’s wife about Hermana Angel, he kept us together for this transfers in the same area. They were going to completely change us, our area, and elders. Crazy huh.... so it was cool to be able to stay with Hermana Angel and try another transfer here. I'm still trying to get used to it, and its hard cuz the people seriously love her so much and know her well, and I'm still a stranger ya know. But wow that would have been insane if I was transferred, that would make me wonder if I was a trouble maker or something..... jk (just kidding)
(Please note that Jessie has only been in Puerto Rico for 12 weeks. She was transferred after the first 6 weeks (they do transfers every 6 weeks for all missions around the world) and she was almost transferred after her second 6 weeks. That’s highly unusual. The norm is that missionaries stay in their assigned areas for at least 2 or 3 months. That’s why she would’ve been inclined to think she’s a troublemaker or something. J)
Okay so there are many, many, menos activos (inactive members)..... Hermana Jimenez and I were doing our normal searching for people because I'm the one with the car. LOL (which by the way we only used 787/900 miles this month which I don't know how because we traveled tons this month, and will be blessed for our good behavior from Elder Pietz (senior in charge of cars) that we can use our extra miles for this month that means we'll probably have 920 miles this month YEAH!!!!! shhhh don't tell anyone this, but possibly less bike usage. LOL..... anyways it’s really sad cuz this week I have heard and somewhat encountered a couple menos activos with sad stories. First is one that we were trying to find and we found her, we have a return date with her.... but she has been endowed in the temple and right now she is a pastora for the Presbyterian Church, another who I didn’t meet is a witch, and the other is one that Hermana Jimenez and I visited this Monday. SO SO sad, that these people who have had the gospel have turned to things this serious and deny the gospel WOW!!! Anyway back to the story.....with Hma Jimenez
Wow mom this woman is intense, the menos activo in El Tuque. She wasn't very happy I was there and not the other sister missionary and she apparently is someone they have been working with for a while and is always hard. Hma. explained that she wasn't sure what we should teach because it was always something new or this woman had a lot of needs. I didn't know what to expect, but I was like okay let’s do this..... wow it was intense. We got there she wasn't liking me, then first thing she started explaining that she had been really studying the Bible and find out two things that were kind like eye openers for her. 1st: None of the churches here are true. The Bible is the key, but none of the churches teach completely everything correctly. Like our church had many faults, one of them she was explaining was a rumor about Joseph Smith and having multiple wives, and she got mixed up with the fundamentalist church and junk like that. 2nd: are you ready for this one..... Adam or Miguel is Jesus Christ. Hma Jimenez and I were like WHAT????!!!!! Where did she get this.... so as she is explaining some of this Hermana Jimenez was trying to search her scriptures about some things about Adam and trying to clear things, while Nancy was trying to throw evidence. THere was definitelty some tension. And a lot of the time Hermana Jim... was like let’s sing a hymn, but then Nancy would keep trying to talk. We talked about some things before the hymn because I think Nancy wanted to get out what was in her mind, which is understandable. It's sad too cuz her son was recently baptized and her husband has a baptismal date.... anyways. We read some scriptures and she shared her comments and she kept reading from this little book that was clarifying the Bible.... but the things the book was saying were not clear.....and this is still before the hymn LOL.... and I asked her what is the book you’re using. Duh Duh Duh... TESTIGOS DE JEHOVAH aka Jehovah’s Witnesses ( I can't remember the name in English) LOL..... So we were like uh huh.... anyways so we finally sang and prayed and were like okay let’s look in the scriptures and find why you believe that Adam is Jesus Christ... we looked at many and you could tell it was starting to click where her misunderstanding came from.... It was amazing our teamwork and our spirit went from contention and stress to completely calm. We could see a change in her face and personage. Then the other day I was studying in one of my resources and usually I don't study from this. I had read it to do something different in my studies, and had looked in the references to learn more. I found a scripture in Romans 15: 30-31 I think that is cool cuz it is evidence that the Book of Mormon is necessary. I was like cool.... and mom there was a perfect moment to share this with her, I shared Romans and then the first paragraph in the BOM (Book of Mormon) introductory and they matched perfectly, then we found another scripture that was perfect..... I explained to her something that I learned on my mission with Hermana Miller and with myself how at times our minds and hearts fight with one another... making it hard for us to really understand things. Many times people listen with their minds with knowledge and such, not allowing themselves to listen in their hearts. She was like yes exactly you understand me... then I testified what I knew and things that I have been experiencing lately and the spirit was strong, calm, and the atmosphere completely changed. We told her not to use the Jehovah’s book and the Bible she had was incorrect, so we are going to give her a better one. Mom it was really crazy, but very powerful experience... I hoped this helped her!!!!
Wow mom this woman is intense, the menos activo in El Tuque. She wasn't very happy I was there and not the other sister missionary and she apparently is someone they have been working with for a while and is always hard. Hma. explained that she wasn't sure what we should teach because it was always something new or this woman had a lot of needs. I didn't know what to expect, but I was like okay let’s do this..... wow it was intense. We got there she wasn't liking me, then first thing she started explaining that she had been really studying the Bible and find out two things that were kind like eye openers for her. 1st: None of the churches here are true. The Bible is the key, but none of the churches teach completely everything correctly. Like our church had many faults, one of them she was explaining was a rumor about Joseph Smith and having multiple wives, and she got mixed up with the fundamentalist church and junk like that. 2nd: are you ready for this one..... Adam or Miguel is Jesus Christ. Hma Jimenez and I were like WHAT????!!!!! Where did she get this.... so as she is explaining some of this Hermana Jimenez was trying to search her scriptures about some things about Adam and trying to clear things, while Nancy was trying to throw evidence. THere was definitelty some tension. And a lot of the time Hermana Jim... was like let’s sing a hymn, but then Nancy would keep trying to talk. We talked about some things before the hymn because I think Nancy wanted to get out what was in her mind, which is understandable. It's sad too cuz her son was recently baptized and her husband has a baptismal date.... anyways. We read some scriptures and she shared her comments and she kept reading from this little book that was clarifying the Bible.... but the things the book was saying were not clear.....and this is still before the hymn LOL.... and I asked her what is the book you’re using. Duh Duh Duh... TESTIGOS DE JEHOVAH aka Jehovah’s Witnesses ( I can't remember the name in English) LOL..... So we were like uh huh.... anyways so we finally sang and prayed and were like okay let’s look in the scriptures and find why you believe that Adam is Jesus Christ... we looked at many and you could tell it was starting to click where her misunderstanding came from.... It was amazing our teamwork and our spirit went from contention and stress to completely calm. We could see a change in her face and personage. Then the other day I was studying in one of my resources and usually I don't study from this. I had read it to do something different in my studies, and had looked in the references to learn more. I found a scripture in Romans 15: 30-31 I think that is cool cuz it is evidence that the Book of Mormon is necessary. I was like cool.... and mom there was a perfect moment to share this with her, I shared Romans and then the first paragraph in the BOM (Book of Mormon) introductory and they matched perfectly, then we found another scripture that was perfect..... I explained to her something that I learned on my mission with Hermana Miller and with myself how at times our minds and hearts fight with one another... making it hard for us to really understand things. Many times people listen with their minds with knowledge and such, not allowing themselves to listen in their hearts. She was like yes exactly you understand me... then I testified what I knew and things that I have been experiencing lately and the spirit was strong, calm, and the atmosphere completely changed. We told her not to use the Jehovah’s book and the Bible she had was incorrect, so we are going to give her a better one. Mom it was really crazy, but very powerful experience... I hoped this helped her!!!!
Nester... oh Nester.... he is interesting, great, and we worry about him LOL.... we set another baptismal date on March 26 and pray that will be good for him, he is still struggling with smoking and I think I'm going to buy him gum LOL.... he's trying. He is even a mini missionary for us.
Okay another thing... so the mission right now has had a billion changes and tasks that seem impossible, but through miracles we have made things possible. For example, we really only have 2.5 days to work in Adjuntas and 1 day in Utuado. In total 3 days to fulfill our foundations which includes 20 lessons and 140 contacts a day. It may not sound too bad, but it’s not extremely easy, especially when people are not at home or in the streets. Anyways we were really stressed not knowing how we could get it done this last week. We worked hard and tried our best, praying, and doing what we were supposed to, and on Sunday afternoon a little after church, we had completed our foundation and even had extra. We thought it would not be possible and we were really scared about being stressed, but this week we were like no more stress and we will just see how things go. It was a huge blessing and miracle because early and extra we had finished our goal. It was wonderful, it’s like how the Lord has trust in us, more than we have for ourselves. When we think we can't do anymore, there we go proving that we can. It's so interesting cuz seriously if you knew all the things the mission are asking of us you would be like uh how can you do that, when do you have time.... they believe we are super humans, but at the same time the Lord is definitely helping us try our best and he knows that when we prove that we can accomplish one thing, he gives us something harder, making us stronger. Step by step, line upon line, precept upon precept. It's not fun, it's extremely intense, but it’s possible and a step of faith and trust and dedication!!!
The story of the little girl- Her name is Nychelliz and her mom is a menos activa.... she is our next door neighbor, I don't know if you knew that we live with members. We live with the first counselor of the branch presidency (downstairs)....anyways, so the mother of the daughter only went to church once since Hermana Angel lived here. We started teaching her daughter some of the discussions cuz her daughter went with her grandma to church and wanted to be baptized. But because the mom is a menos activa we needed to teach her daughter, it was a debatable topic cuz we didn’t know if the mom would support her daughter. Then one study after teaching her once, the family came to church with another, the mom's sister and her kids. Apparently she hasn't gone to church either, but used to be very active, one of the best in the branch. And she drifted away for 7 years and the missionaries never had the chance to get an appointment with her or find out where she lived. So we saw the mom of the girl and were like what this is great.... everyone in the ward was shocked. We kept teaching and helping the daughter become prepared. The mom kept coming to church.... and the sister. Then we wanted to search for some more of the family and they all came for her baptism. It was wonderful and Nester went to the baptism. At the baptism we asked if we could come over to the house of the sister and she gave us her number and directions to her house. We found her house, taught her about the importance of the BOM and she accepted another visit with us. She explained that she felt the Spirit at church and thought of her baptism when she saw her niece get baptized. She said she wanted this for her family and it was really neat. So lately they have all been going to church and have been somewhat reactivated. There is still a lot of work with them, but we are seeing some progression. It’s amazing. It’s like this little girl was the example and the key right now. With her and our efforts the family is hungering for the gospel just like Enos 1:3 He hungered in his soul.... so we'll have to see, but it’s definitely neat!!!!
SOME OTHER COMMENTS FROM OUR EMAIL CHAT:
I don't want people to worry about me, but at the same time I am extremely stressed. Man I wish I could talk to you in person cuz I just never have time to write to you sorry. I try but i just don’t know how to get it all to you. ... I have learned a lot of things spiritually, but yet I'm still experimenting and learning.
ahhh man I wish Ii could just talk with you it would be a millions times better to share things and probably less time LOL
Can you put the name "Judith Medina" in the temple prayer roll?
.... I just read Tricia's email it was really good this week (Tricia is Jessie's cousin who is serving a mission in California)...... and sorry my blog is boring I just don't feel like there is enough time to be funny and clever....
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