4/27/11

All I can say is……..I thought the internet must’ve gone down in the library in PR because she was there one minute and gone the next.   As a result, not much info this week!   Probably less than last week’s postcard.   LOL.   Then (as you’ll see at the end) she was back and I got some more info.   Tres bizarre!   Here’s what I got:    

Hey mom i know this is a rough start to our chat but i just found out Lou went home.   (Her friend from Key West serving in NY.)

I didn't know he had the impressions to return back.  I'm so heartbroken because he fought so, so, so hard to get on the mission and bam he's back, he needed to be there. I know he is sick, but how sick..... ………….  I found out the idea he had at our Easter conference and today I received an Easter card and it explained that he was home.

Please keep in touch with him, help him have the desire to go back :)   (Did you see that Lou?   It’s my job to encourage you to go back when you’re well again.    Beware!   LOL.)

And I just saw about Jason.  How stinkin’ cool, they are booming there with baptisms.   (Our friend, Jason Carr was just called to serve in the Dominican Republic.   Jessie was in the MTC there for 6 weeks before reaching PR.)

…… that is just so fun and great for him..... Is he excited?.....  (Are you excited Jason?)

and thanks so, so, so, so much for the delicious goodies, they were the bomb and your letter was amazing!!!!!  ………… 

……….we had an Easter conference at the mission office. We did service projects, another singing thing at the mall, a concert, a fireside, and yep a LUAU and I got to dance in front of the whole mission :)

Here are some photos from our Easter conference (they never came).   I had a blast, loved it...... and we didn't do anything for Easter, no dinner, nothing, just a normal day.

(The following came an hour and a half later.)

Hey we got kicked out of the library and we returned, but now we have to leave again because Hermana (Beltran) doesn't feel too good. Sorry the pictures didn't go through.  I will send the sd (memory card)..... sorry.  Can't wait to talk to you and Kyle soon. LOVE YOU SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SMUCH!!!!!!!!!!!   (Missionaries get to call home twice a year……on Christmas and Mother’s Day.   That’s in less than 2 weeks.   Yahoo!!!!)

Wow!   This came AFTER the last email message.   I don’t know what happened but everything was way weird today.   At least we got more info.   J

So of course I am in a mission that does not tell you anything until seriously last minute..... so we drove to Bayamon (1.5 hrs.) and we were a little late cuz we had to do our family foundation before we could go. We ended up having 4 sets of missionaries coming to our area to help us out (pathetic), but hard because Hermana Beltran was sick. So we were planning to be at the office at 2pm and then at 12:45 we receive a call from President. I was like, oh I hope all is good. We missed the call, so I called him back and he started saying things I couldn't really understand. Then all of a sudden I could understand and realized he was greeting me Poly(nesian) style. I was like what - how random. I love my President. Then he explained that he heard the rumor that I danced at the PCC (Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawaii) and he wanted (me) to dance for the conference. I was like really I can do that?  LOL...... so we ran for it to make it early at the mission home. We practiced with a Poly family who came from some Caribbean island to help us with the luau. Then I came late for our singing practices cuz we were going to do the singing thing (random singing splurts in the mall). .... we went to a stadium in San Juan and cleaned trash (with bare hands, ew) in the parking lot, and then we changed and walked to the mall, sang, and returned back to a chapel. At the chapel we played games and got more gross. We were all so extremely disgusting. Then I practiced, then we got to dance Tahitian, me and the family... I have video clips on the disc when I send it to you. It was so, so, so much fun and I think I really needed that. The mission was super impressed and were like, I didn't know you did that.  LOL. One of the elders, the one that recognized me from Hawaii who is from there, did a fire knife dance and he did canoe and night show (at the PCC before), he's super cool. He also gave me randomly a lavalava that he had for me 3 transfers ago. I thanked him and said, “ahh it made my day and I wanted to bring mine on the mission, but didn't”, and he was like, “yeah I figured you didn't bring any”. It was great, and the food was divine!!!!!!!!

Easter we just worked, it was sad that no one invited us for dinner. I think PR doesn't celebrate it the same way, but still.

Question could you buy from the dollar store those reading glasses.... just one?

President wants me to stay a week longer on my mission so I can dance again for the Luau.   (What?!?   For real?)

I have to go, I love you and I have more, but we are getting kicked out I think....
 
Love you tons!!!!!!!

Well, as you’ve seen……..it’s all rather random and mixed up, but at least we know she’s well.    Until next time…………

Postcard received 4/23/11

Dearest Mother of Mine,

I am still alive!   Our P-day was shortened to 2 pm and all the libraries in PR are closed because this weekend is “Semana Santa” – Holy Week for Easter.   Also we did not have time to write, so I’m very sorry.  At least nothing really happened this week, only a few things I can explain next time.  I hope everything is going fantastic for you guys and oh how I miss you guys terribly.   I love you guys so, so much!   Have a marvelous Easter and week!   Happy Easter!  XOXO Me

4/13/11

Today turned out to be a crazy, busy day for Jessie, so she didn’t write a letter or chat for long.   Basically all she did was send a few photos, and tell me the following:

Hermana Angel was transferred to a new area today and Jessie was kept in Adjuntas.   She has a new companion named Hermana Beltron, from El Salvador.   Hermana Beltron is a former companion of Hermana Miller (Jessie’s first companion in PR) and did not know Hermana Angel before her mission (both from same country).   Apparently Hermana Beltron was supposed to go to Ponce, but she doesn’t drive and can’t ride a bike because of an injury.   Jessie says she’s “super cute and seems nice”.

Jessie also says:   “and yes my bites went away (ant bites), I have a few marks, but much better….oh do the zeeters love me here…..awful……and this week went pretty well…….Hermana Angel and I ended on a very good note”.

That was it!   The extent of Jessie’s communication today.  Oh well…….at least we know all is well and she’s still in Adjuntas.  Hopefully she’ll get to see Nestor and Juan get baptized.   Thank you for all your prayers and letters!   You, her loving friends and family, are THE best on the planet!!!

Jessie with Tornita 

making a poster of Lehi's dream 

It says "I'm smiling" in Spanish (but it's spelled wrong). LOL. 

with an investigator and Hermana Angel 

with Hermana Jiminez and a wild lizard

Email Chat April 6, 2011 …….exactly 6 months since she entered the MTC

oh mi madre..... interesting week..... first off the interview with president was interesting, intense, good, and spiritually uplifting.....

Jessie went on to explain some of the more personal parts of the interview which I have not included here, then she said…..

Also every letter that I write him every week I ask how his family is doing and he showed me a picture of his 16 year old daughter - complete cutie.... and the picture was her with a medal.... apparently she had done awful with her grades and her worst subject was math.... but through the prayers and help of the missionaries his family has been so, so blessed and he explained other family personal stories and with this picture she had won the school math excellence award and now has a 4.0 and is asked to be a part of the national honor society. I thought that was cool that he would share that with me, but I think it really hit me after the interview.

He also explained that the missions are to prepare us to be mothers and good wives and how we are to be supporters for them, helping us be those examples for them. How this was my choice  not an obligation like the elders.... and many more things....also how I need to learn how to be happy and it hit me that's one of the things I also need to work on BE HAPPY ..... I'm happy for the family, friends, jobs, and things like that but not really happy for myself. It's not true joy I have its all small moments, so I need to learn how to be happy.

So that was my interview. ... also Hermana Mejangos (Guatemala) explained that the mission is tons harder than when she started... and it’s going to get harder. I was like oh great.  LOL.... they changed our goals .... instead of 140 families and 20 lessons a week its 140 families including (mom, dad, and child) in same moment and 20 lessons with that too.... wow in PR that is impossible. So that has been interesting and more stress who knows. ....

Do you know when the Rome temple is planned to be dedicated? I have made the choice during conference (worldwide annual LDS General Conference broadcast to millions) that I am going to attend that temple dedication, I don't know exactly why I had this idea but when they were explaining about it the idea came, I need to make the goal to make the dedication. Talk about incredible conference, can't wait to get it written down in the Ensign (church magazine). Thank you for the Ensigns, LOL, but I already have them.  They give them to us in the mission so no need to send any materials, we have them all. Also thanks for the books, but I'm actually not allowed to have them and I don't have any room in my bags. Thanks a bunch. Also did you by any chance send the hymnal for Nestor? ………….. Today is my 6 month mark.

Nester and Jose - Oh boy more news.... so we found out that Jose really wants to be baptized and he is super sad to think that we would possibly leave (fear he has) because he's pretty attached to us, but is also good with the ward members. He is a musician, so his career is playing for contracts (parties, families, etc...) and so usually the weekends are the days to be booked. Usually they don't have contracts on Sundays, but ever since he has had this (baptismal) date they have 4 Sundays in a row with contracts. He loves church so he's bummed that he's missing it and also he can't get confirmed because he has a contract. So long story short, he has been trying to find ways to fix the problem, but he doesn't know what to do so he will not be baptized this Saturday. And if we are moved we can't attend his baptism like he feared when he does get baptized (transfers are this coming week……..you never know when you’re being moved). VERY SAD..... every person mom I have invited or prepared I have not seen their baptism or they don't get baptized.... how depressing for a missionary, LOL, but normal I think. And with Nestor we were teaching him again the principle of the law of chastity and he was good with it and then I decided to share a scripture that we have shared before and I explained and testified at the same time and then he stopped me and said when can I be baptized or when is the other brother getting baptized.... we were like what??? Anyways we talked to him and he had improved his smoking and explained that he could quit and that the law of chastity he could as well..... it was one thing he explained that was holding him back that he hadn't explained to us.... and that was tithing. He felt awful that he didn't have a job to pay tithing and he had been waiting for money to pay tithing. First of all we explained that he doesn't have to right now because he isn’t a member and then he is retired so he doesn’t even have to pay. So we were like okay we can help you have an interview and prepare you for baptism on the 9th. Yesterday we called him and he is still smoking, not nearly as much as before, he has improved leaps and bounds, but he is still having the problem and will not be ready for the 9th, so basically we won't have any baptisms. If I leave I'm afraid they will be lost and they will not be baptized and they really want to and in all honesty they are ready except for the contracts and smoking.

President Alvarado said this to her:

oh yeah he wants me to be Jessie.... not just a missionary (Hermana Comoletti), but myself Jessie

We were talking about General Conference attendance:

So we had to make our goals in less than a week to attend.... but fortunately we made it... then we received a call the night before from our leaders saying can you Hermanas come to Ponce and help the other Hermanas get their foundation?  We helped them and it was a long day LOL... the first session (of Conference) was in Spanish, understand but not completely, and then English the others... so grateful, I love English when I have the chance to hear or speak it. I have difficulties with English. LOL.

Hermana Angel and I had some really tense moments (stress, living together 24-7, need personal time as a girl), pride, my emotional stress, misunderstandings in Spanish, whinings, and more all just piled up and we were exploding. We couldn't handle it, we had a day were we talked but with attitude and cried the whole night. Then I said can we have a companion inventory.... so we talked and improved, this is exactly why they have companion inventories as a rule and part of preach my gospel…because it is necessary. It's when we really can talk about our companionships, weakness, and strengths. Powerful tool within a companionship....also thanks for Boston's blogs, they are great and interesting.....

………….Also before our interviews (with President Alvarado) he was talking about the sisters who were leaving this transfer (5) and how some areas need to close for sisters because there aren't many. So basically we don't know exactly what is going on………………….

Okay I have to go, but trust me I am so so so so so so so so so so so so so glad that I could talk to you today. I needed to talk to you and can't wait for Mother’s Day!!!!!! (We get to talk on the phone twice a year………Christmas and Mother’s Day)   Love you and have a fantastic day mommy!!!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Love your bipolar missionary (jk)

LOVE YOU TONS Te Amo!!!!

Give Kyle and Cody big hugs!!!!  (Kyle is her brother and Cody is our dog)

Me

ABOUT LOU (her friend from Key West serving in the NY NY North Mission:

..... he seems to be doing better, I haven't heard news about him returning home..... he is such a bum face... he wrote me a letter and I have no idea why I believed him, but it was for April fool's about his mission closing and how all the missionaries were moving to different missions and how he was called to PR.... no idea why I believed that, but I did for the moment and there were many laughs…….. hehehe

Email received 3/30/11

Hey mom..... so it's kind of sad you’re not on today (to email chat), but it's okay next week like you said.  It was great to read your post and so glad that Carolyn had a successful, nice wedding, you have a complete RS, Kyle has those substitute parts. I will try to mail you the receipt today and the photos, and thank you for the money……….

Not too much has happened.... we had a sister come visit us who is companion’s with Hermana Curl and she is doing a little bit of training for all the sisters in the Western side of PR. We spent a day and a half with her. Her name is Hermana Mijangos and she is the one that served in St. Thomas and knew Bonnie and Adam. She is from Guatemala and her English is perfect.... at first it was hard adjusting our lessons with three people, but at the end we got the hang of it. She's a cutie and it was good getting to know her better. She leaves this transfer.

I received a letter from Jenny Hubble and she is so sweet always sending me letters. Tell her thank you from me. It was interesting in her letter because she explained about how you talked to the sisters about menos activos and how she wants to help them out. How cool eh... and not just that but her husband wrote a letter too and he served in Adjuntas as well. It's funny because he has mentioned a name of a member when he served and we have been visiting them a little bit. Sad thing is they are menos activos. Small world.

We have 4 baptismal dates..... I hope I can at least see one of them because I have not had one baptism of my own yet... so I'm hoping for Jose I can. He has accepted a baptismal invitation for April 9 right before our transfers. He is working hard and is doing well. Pray for him and that he will continue to have the desire to be baptized. Nestor we still work with him, but unfortunately he is not improving... it’s been very painful for us to see this. We did interview questions with him and apparently he is still breaking the law of chastity as well as smoking. Oh Nestor. ... The others are 2 boys whose dad is a recent convert and the Quorum President. The boys had gone to church with their dad when they visited him. Recently the mom of the boys moved to the US and the boys are living with their dad... meaning we can baptize them. They are cute. One is 14, Rodrigo, and the other is 10, Rodorick. They accepted our baptismal date of April 30^th so unfortunately we won't be there for their baptism. Also our 20 year old (Edgardo) investigator, we haven't really had much time to work with him, but he goes to church and reads the BOM is getting baptized on April 30 as well same branch in Utuado. Pray that these people will keep their commitment to baptism and realize the importance of baptism. It's so interesting because baptism isn't just a covenant, not just a thing we do to become a member of the church, but it's those that really want to live in a higher, better place, the celestial Kingdom with our Heavenly Father. This is why baptism is important and special.

Oh man I had something else to tell you but I honestly can’t remember what it was......I received a blessing from my stake President yesterday because things were bad. The blessing was in Spanish and English and I understood it. It’s sad because I could understand the blessing, but remembering it is hard. I know that what he said contained things I needed to hear and I had a confirmation that my Heavenly Father truly knows me and listens to me. It was interesting because in the blessing he had mentioned 3-4 times that my Heavenly Father loves me. Wow I think my Heavenly Father wants me to know that He loves me, and I know that.... i just need to remember it. It was a beautiful blessing and I am so, so grateful for it.

Mom I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true... I really do, especially every single time I read the Book of Mormon I think wow this has it all. How blessed we are to have the Book of Mormon. It's hard to comprehend our lives without it, but look at how many don't even know it exists. This is the gospel and church of our Savior, Redeemer Jesus Christ. He wants us to be ready when He comes so that He can say "It's time to come back home with our Heavenly Father"... and that is what I am trying to do.... prepare myself and others to be ready for Jesus Christ. I know that Jesus Christ is my brother and He lives. He gave me the best thing I could ever want or ask for. He gave His life which He didn't have to, so that I could be happy, free, and back to my loving Heavenly Father. I know that my Heavenly Father lives and He wants what is the very best for us. That's why we are here. We are His children, every single one of us is a divine, genuine child of God. I am so grateful I have the chance to live with you and Kyle for the eternities and also with my future family. Thank you for always being there by my side, teaching me, and loving me in every way possible. You are a true angel from my Heavenly Father given to me. You are everything to me and I am so happy you’re my mom. I love you so, so, so much and want you to be happy as well!!!!! I want you to know this is my testimony in the name of my beloved brother and Savior Jesus Christ AMEN!!!

Yo se que el evangelio de Jesucristo is verdadero... Realment creo eso.... especialment cada vez leo el libro de mormon pienso wow este contiene todo. Que bendicion para nosotros a tener el libro de mormon. Es dificil comprender que nuestras vidas sin el, pero mira como muchas demas quien no le tienen y no saben que lo existe. Este es el evangelio y la iglesia de nuestro salvador y rendentor Jesus Cristo . El nos quiere que estemos listos especialment cuando el venga aqui y diga " Es el tiempo a vuelve a su hogar con su Padre Celestial." ... y este es la cosa lo que you estoy tratando de hacer... me preparo y las demas a estar listos por Jesucristo. Se que Jesucristo es mi hermano y el vive. El me dio la cosa mejor podia querer o pregunto. El me dio su vida lo cual no necesito hacer, para que pudiese ser feliz, libertad, y regresar a mi amoroso Padre Celestial. Se que mi Padre Eterno vive y quire la mejor por todo. ....

LOL that's all the Spanish I'm writing.  LOL it's probably totally wrong...

I LOVE YOU SO SO O SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!! xoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

LOVE ALWAYS -

YO

oh yeah another thing i was going to mention ... we have this rule that we need to have 140 contacts and 20 lessons taught by Saturday morning and if we do that we can go to conference, if not we don't get to attend.

Email chat…….sort of…….3/23/11

Okay so I'm guessing that right now you are having a wonderful, yummy lunch with Maria Carr... tell her I say hi and wish them the best, also I am very grateful for her letters. Thanks for your letter, I always love reading them, I always feel like I know what is happening over there. It is so crazy cuz I see people living real life, but I feel like I don't know how to live that way anymore. It’s hard to explain, but it's like I'm losing memory of living a normal life. LOL.

Oh boy, have things been insanely awful!!!! The stress is just ridiculous and the changes in this mission are a constant go. We never know what is happening until the night before, and the efforts for those things to happen are big. It's a very stressful mission to be serving in. I'm sorry I'm always complaining to you, but it’s just that you are the only one I can really talk to. Yes I can talk to Hermana Angel, but dang it’s all in Spanish. Man do I miss English.  LOL..... (I don’t think she really wanted me to put this on the blog, but it’s SO Jessie and I couldn’t resist the “it’s all in Spanish” line.  J)

So not too much has happened, just stressful changes as usual…….

I have a sticky with information of things I need to mention to you and its funny cuz I read my letter, and within my letter from you, you explained about my debit card. That was one of the things I wanted to talk to you about... 100 would be fantastic.... to be honest with you the amount they give us in our mission card is 200 a month and is not enough sometimes. I hear that some missionaries suffer while others have a ton of money in their cards, I don't know the secret, but I need to learn what it is. It could be that I pay for ice cream and it's expensive here. LOL. jk (just kidding).... but anyways sometimes I use my personal card when things are tight with the other card. Also my bike was 90 and the supplies for it were 60, so that was a good chunk. Other reasons are supplies (paper, tape, pens, hair stuff, I bought a thing of perfume because mine is dwindling and I need to smell good, and some souvenirs for some people), these are some of the reasons I have spent money, so you know.

Good news we have a limited amount of miles every month... February was a miracle for us.  We had 200 miles left from our limit which is rare for my area. So when we received the bikes everyone in the mission had a minus of 100 miles so it went from 900 miles to 800. We were like oh great we have 4 different areas that are very far.... but we told the elder in charge of miles that we had only 760/900 and he was like "WHAT THAT IS AMAZING" and we were like yeah we know, how cool eh....

Remember how I was telling you about Ponce and the new project that we had?  Well apparently the results weren't great, so for now we are not doing it. In a sense it's a relief, but at the same time, poor people having so many changes of missionaries teaching them. No one is going to trust anyone. It's sad, but if the leaders feel like it’s the right thing, then I guess we are going to do it. This mission just has so many changes, it's wild.

Things have been tense with Hermana Angel and I lately, I think it's just the stress and some of the communication and a bit of girly attitude. We are trying, but at the same time, we both have so much weight on our shoulders. And by the way almost every missionary I have talked to have a problem with PR people, I love them, but don't at the same time. They are different than the other cultures, very, very worldly, confused people, no values.

So good news we had 5 investigators at church a family, Nestor, and Jose. Jose is really progressing and loves church. He can sense the difference of our church to others and is always expressing his gratitude to us. I think going to church helped open up his eyes a bit. It’s interesting because we were going to drop him as an investigator, then he went to church at all. He calls us when he can't make it or change of plans with lessons... also he walked to church in the rain (things that PR's do not do). He's been great and we are hoping to invite him to be baptized tonight. We invited him before and he said no... we mentioned it again and he said probably, so now we are hoping the answer is yes. J The family that we have been teaching is very interesting and very difficult to teach. We have heard rumors that they have mental problems, but we don't know the facts... but it doesn't matter because everyone needs the gospel and to be baptized. It's interesting I have been thinking why (we are) so persistent in baptism (and) the need to wait til they have a firm testimony, so they really understand the commitment (which is true), but I read a talk that explains another reason of why as a missionary my purpose is to baptize. It's because every good person can go to heaven. They can either go to the Telestial kingdom or Terrestrial, but we don't want people just to live in those kingdoms, we want people, every one of God's children to achieve eternal joy, eternal happiness.... this is why we baptize people and find people for baptism as a missionary.  To help people have the chance to live in the Celestial kingdom with our Heavenly Father. I was like why it’s so true, so now every time I think of baptism I'm going to think of that concept.

I FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON!!!!!! It's my second time and wow what an eye opener for me. Before I read it, but now I can say I understand it. I love the Book of Mormon, there is so much good information, love, doctrine, stories, and guidance. It really is a special book... right now I have been reading the bible, BOM (again), and D&C (Doctrine and Covenants) and wow (the) BOM is easier. LOL....

The missionary tag I was talking about is the "future missionary" for kid’s plaque, in English. Don't buy them, but how much are they?

Oh mom I know that when I come back, I'm going to need a Disney vacation with the family. YEP CUZ I NEED IT NOW LOL......

.... I got your envelope with the pictures of them love them and love how Kyle is smiling, thanks for sharing……………... I pray for your guys every day. Kelly how scary but cool she's getting married. I'll keep praying for her. I want to send them a postcard too.  It’s the only way I can write to people, LOL, because I have no, no, no time.

Congrats on your tacos and St. Patty's award. LOL..... and our next transfer is April 13, I think (Wednesday) and I'm guessing I will be moving.

I have not received the hymn book for Nestor, we have ours... which thank you.   LOL. Hermana Angel keeps leaving hymn books at people's houses (it's kind of becoming a joke) and so now she has one thanks to you. LOL.....  (I sent one for each of them with their names engraved.)

We only get to go to General Conference if we get all our contacts, which is 140 families in a week.... sounds easy, but it’s not.

The end of this month Lou is going to find out if he is going back home or staying in the mission because he is sick.... please pray for him   (her friend from Key West)

Email Chat 03/16/11

Is Kelly okay? I just finished reading the letter.... I have a postcard that I want to send them, once I finish.... it's so hard because I have so much I want to share and write to people, but there is seriously no time whatsoever to write, you I write in emails, and I try real hard to be regular with Lou.... which I don't know if you know, but he might be going home (from his mission in NY) because his health is really bad.... Poor thing!!!! Such a hard worker!!!  

(Please pray for Lou.   He is a friend of Jessie’s from the Key West, FL branch.   His father passed away when he was young causing Lou to become the ‘man of the house’.  He is a convert of 4 or 5 years.   His mother is not a member, but his 12 year old brother is.   Lou didn’t get out on his mission until he was 23 because he had health issues which he thought were resolved.   Things surgery was supposed to take care of.   Lou and his family need the blessings of his service.   Please pray for them.   Thank you!)

Speaking of health, I had a little bit of a health scare, not serious, but a little bit.... so we finally rode our bikes, horrible!!! The streets here are miniscule and there are potholes the depth of a volcano.... anyways so we were riding and usually people mistake us as Jehovah's witnesses, but when they see our plaques or we tell them then they know we are Mormons. Heheh who needs a plaque when you have a bicycle.... yep I think every soul in Adjuntas knew that we were Mormons. Girls in PR don't usually ride bikes, so that was something new for them and then the moment they noticed skirts, yep they knew who we were. I’m surprised we didn't cause accidents because every eyeball was focused on us, every conversation was about us on bikes, and we even had someone help us. Hermana Angel fell a little in a very crowded, trafficy place, and a man stopped the traffic, and tried helping her, and she was nice, but in her head "Por Favor" I'm okay LOL.... very interesting... then later we parked our bikes in some railings. I stepped down to lock my bike, and all of a sudden I had serious jolts of pain in my legs. I thought I rubbed my leg against a bush with thorns or pricklies... nope I stepped on an ant hill with good sized ants. I was attacked and I was slapping myself, and so another reason for everyone  to check out the Mormons. The health issue was (not as bad now) was my legs were getting red and puffy around the spots and then they were painful, not itchy, but aches in my legs (different pain) Then they were bruising around the spots, so I talked to someone about this and they said my legs were infected.... I took pain killers and it helped.... good thing is they are better and I don't think its infected.

(I asked her if previous sister missionaries rode bikes……….)

No the women here are girly girls and the roads are awful.  Who would want to ride bikes anyways? LOL.  They know cuz elders ride bikes.....

1. I've learned something very important this week.... the importance of less-actives. Mom you are the Relief Society president make sure you search for less-actives until they tell you or their visiting teachers no more. Rescue them, I've learned that so many reasons our less-actives aren't coming or are lost is because they don't have people visit them or people just gave up on them, but a less active should never be forgotten or given up on until they have come back and repented. I know that's hard for you to have a responsibility like that, but have the sisters in the ward search for the less active and do their visiting teaching with no judgments or rumors about that person.

2. Oh Nestor, love the man, but he's killing me..... he will not be baptized.... I think I have a curse with the people. Every time we have a date or someone progressing we lose them, they don't want to work, or be baptized (at all or until I leave).... that’s hard to take. We lost one and we lost our investigators in Guaynabo, a family in El Tuque, and now Nestor's baptism, and Pedro was baptized after I left, and all it's rough having that. Anyways smoking is still the issue and I tried helping him the other day. Nestor is special for me, but at the same time I'm disappointed in him. He is allowing the worldly thing like smoking stop him from receiving something like the will of our Heavenly Father and salvation. We are still working with him and still trying to help him. The other day I bought gum and brought tape to put the gum with his box of cigarettes. I wanted to tape them together to help him get in the habit of gum rather than cig. He didn't accept my gum and explained that he was a little bit offended and that he didn't want to offend me. I felt horrible beyond belief and this was before our lesson. He is prideful. He thinks he can stop if he says it, but isn't doing something different about it, and he won't let us help him. So I was hurt that he rejected my help. Anyways we had a lesson that completely changed from what we planned and ended up being about 3 Nephi 11.... and then we talked about listening to the voice of the Spirit and the importance of repentance and being clean for the second coming.... after our lesson, right before we left, he wanted my pack of gum

3. I'm almost done with the BOM (Book of Mormon). I am in Ether 7.

In El Tuque we had two baptismal invitations where the people accepted. I have a hard time believing people and giving invitations because every time has been a failure. Anyways One is to a girl the sisters have been working with and is pregnant at 15 years old, really sad... and the other is with the woman that is like a mom here (for Jessie). We invited her and her boyfriend, ex-husband.... and she accepted (but is strong Catholic so a lot of work to do) and the husband was like I was already baptized.... we explained about the priesthood and the difference. He was like “we'll see. I'm going to read this book (BOM) and listen to your messages.” We had him pray and ask specifically if the baptismal date was the correct choice. He prayed which was a great prayer, and actually asked specifically, which is rare for any person. He then meditated and it was long silence for all of us, then he said “my heart is clean, but I will learn this new gospel and change my life.”  He didn't quite accept the invitation, but he accepted to change and learn more.

Jose R. who was shy to go to church, went and loved it. We were going to basically drop him from our investigators, but then he showed up unexpectedly.  (Before I forget…the stake president talked with us and with all his dreams and desires, and has the crazy idea of having a stake in Adjuntas.  We told him, um we need a ward first.  LOL)  Anyways, he loved it and it was interesting because when he went to church and we went to teach him, his interest was better. It was like he wanted to accept the gospel more openly. We asked if he would be baptized and he was like probably. LOL. So we are hoping he will improve and will become baptized.

It's just hard because everyone around is seeing positive results from their work, and for me every person is falling, leaving, or disappearing.. OUCH!!!!  Anyways, I just want to have that desire to keep going, but wow no more energy left. I really need Disney and sleep, and a serious mom hug!

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LOVE YOU TONS!!!!!!