EMAIL CHAT 2/22/12……….

I’M SO TOTALLY STOKED AND THRILLED WE REALLY ARE GOING TO HAVE A VACATION YEAHHHHH!!!!!!!

(We’re taking a long dreamed of family vacation when Jes gets home.   I can count on less than one hand the number of family vacations we’ve had together in her lifetime.)

… I'm going to be beat...... we will make a deal...  

after we get back, no one wakes me up for a week. LOL.   (Agreed!)

That will be amazing tho.   I just can't wait.   I am so, so ready for some fun!!!

But I'm not going to lie this transfer is good... I have seen some mercies of the Lord and Hermana Curl and I are literally sisters, so that helps a ton. Things have been going well and I truly hope that we'll have that chance to finish together... how cool would that be?    Start and finish the mission together!

1. Alvero is so stinkin dinkin close, we can hear the fresh water filling up the tank. He has been preparing so much and progressing in an incredible pace. His faith is growing and his repentance/conversion is real. He still won't set a date, and we tried for this Saturday, but he didn't agree. We are still praying that he will. It's funny because he keeps asking questions about the baptism and he asked again when we were leaving. It was funny it’s a joke amongst us already that he'll become a mission president.... it's really amazing to witness this. This is what is making the mission worth it, seeing this progression and love he is gaining for the gospel. You can literally see and feel the difference of his growth.

2. Still haven't heard from BYU-Provo which is making me wonder if really Hawaii is the answer... how do you feel about Hawaii?.... I'm feeling good about it...

 

3. The car has been a wonder.... seriously we can see the difference it is making in our work. We have had progression and the ward members are doing a great job. We have met people in interesting ways that have been helping us find investigators... we are still seeing if they will progress, but at least they are potentials....

4. Every companionship in our ward (there are 3 comps) had an investigator or 2 in church.... it was awesome... in the zone we had 2 last week (us) and this week 13 investigators attending church... it was awesome hearing those numbers and knowing that some of them are ours. We had a reference of a members (served in this mission while I was here) of his older sister and family. Things seemed rough to start with, but we finally found her (Joannie) and we taught and invited to church.... she actually came, it was awesome..... And Alvero well he's a regular now ;)

5. We are going to be a part of a student's photography class project.... she is going to spend the day with us and take pictures of us doing what we do... cool thing is that she isn't a member and her grandmother is... good way to hear and learn of the gospel ehhh.... so I'll let you know how that goes, we will be doing that on Friday.

6. Aymie who is a 20 year old girl in our ward, she's great and always comes with us, received her mission call and we got to go to the opening of it. We even saw Hermana Encarnacion who served here with us, and she asked me to say the opening prayer.... she is going to serve in the Monterey, Mexico mission, it was a complete shocker for her, but I know she'll do amazing there.

7. It's great to feel the Spirit a lot more now.... both Hermana Curl and I feel that we have been receiving more revelation lately for our work and investigators and then we have been seeing the results from acting upon those revelations..

8. I am now marking up and studying more in depth my patriarchal blessing and wow marking it up, reading and studying word by word makes a huge difference and really helps you to understand it more clearly....

9. I'm fatter now.... not gud....

10. I can't wait to see you guys soon... I'm so stoked!!

Also forgot to mention... a reference from the elders, a single menos activo we found, we found out that she's a hip hop/ break dancer and is super good and belongs to a crew.... cool eh?

It will be a sinch to drive in Utah compared to this place...

Hey gotta go love you a whole bunch!!! Thanks for the card!!!!

 that was on the toilet when I first started here

Yeah pretty huh that was at a members house.....

Aymie opening her mission call to Monterey, Mexico.

Hermana Comoletti and Hermana Curl

EMAIL CHAT 2/15/12…………

I'M SO HAPPY!!!! I'm sure Hermana Curl is like okay okay I get it now. LOL. jk 

(Jessie had a lot of good news when she opened up her emails today.   The itinerary for her return home came and she was re-accepted into BYU Hawaii, plus she got news about our family vacation coming up.)

So this week has been very adventurous, surprised backed and interesting....

1. We had zone conference and I talked with President Alvarado....

2. President explained to me two revelations he received about me and my future husband...

3. Zory and Marcano were planned to be married and baptized on Saturday. Their wedding time passed and I just figured I wouldn't go because I didn't hear anything... well we arrived on our bikes to our night stake conference with Bishop McMulllin of the General Authorities because Alvero was there. We walked in a few minutes before all sweaty and said hi to Alvero then President pointed at us and asked us to come up to the pew. We went up and he was like right now in Guaynabo Zory and Luis are getting baptized, and then he handed us keys (to a car to take to the baptism) ....  we made it 5 minutes before they were baptized. It was awesome and then he sent a text saying be back at 9:05 enjoy. We tried leaving early, but of course everyone talks and stuff.. we left and every place with a light it was red. We were kind of stressed, but we parked the car exactly at 9:05. It was awesome and then we came in and accidently improperly saluted the Bishop because we didn't recognize him and we were so excited to give president the keys.

(Bishop Keith McMullin is the second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.   There are individual Bishops for each ward or congregation, but the presiding Bishopric is responsible for many of the temporal affairs of the Church.   “These have included involvement in receiving, distributing, and accounting for member tithes, offerings, and contributions; administration of programs to assist the poor and needy; design, construction, and maintenance of places of worship; and auditing and transferring records of membership.”)

4. We returned home and saw a parked car in the front of the house and we thought, “who would put their car in front of our house? Good thing we don't have one”.... then almost before we went to bed, President called and explained that he was impressed to see our bikes parked at the conference and that we were obedient and that the car keys were inside on the back seat. We were thrilled he gave us back our car. (Tender Mercies of the LORD eh?!) It wasn't that they felt bad, it was actually because the stake president was frustrated that there wasn't progression. LOL., Now pray that we can have progression.

5. We had a conference with the mission with Bishop McMullin and it was very good and interesting.

6. Lilian Garcia... who we were on the brink of dropping attended the conference and told me that she was going to leave early to attend mass... well she stayed the whole two hours and when president talked, he mentioned about her and the members and we both looked at each other with shock, but then it got normal-ish.  LOL.... and Alvero attended 2 of the stake conference sessions and a special youth fireside that night and loved it all.

7. Alvero is progressing a ton and explained that he has seen this change in himself and can feel peace and is having a conversion in his heart. Yesterday we went to fax something at their house and we brought them pizza to eat with us and we ended up talking and then he invited us to read with him and his wife for their normal night reading together and then he asked us questions about baptism and the baptismal interview questions which was our intended lesson plans for him (revelation) and he answered and invited us to come back tonight. Please pray that he will get baptized this month..... He's doing great!!!!!

8. We had a nutty Family Home evening (noche de hogar) with a senior couple service missionaries with Alvero and another couple. He talked about satanic spirits and how many are around us and how important for us to be faithful... it was a lot of math and super not important. Alvero felt uncomfortable and explained to us that when he does noche de hogares he wants them to be edifying and spiritually for the family and with scriptures. We were laughing because that's exactly how we felt. We were like wow he's great!!!!

9. One of our areas the streets are names of places around the world, so we are going to travel around the world for a bit in less than 80 days.

10. Bishop McMullin explained that children should see their parent’s Patriarchal blessings....

11. We were singing the song ‘Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel’ with Hermana McMullin with the mission and she had a special way of singing it... one group sang the chorus and the other sang con fervor the whole time.... we were singing con fervor and we were finishing the song, and accidently Hermana Curl kept singing it was super funny... a little too excited eh?!

 
I love you so much and Miss you tons.... GOTTA GO MUAh!!!!!

EMAIL CHAT 2/8/12……….

It's good to have the Curl back.....we really do get along well.....

Here are some things from this week:

1. We still don't have a car.... my hips now kill me and we will be hitting our one month walking soon! So I truly hope we get one soon, it's affecting our work.

2. Give Mare my email so she can email me.   (Jessie’s friend who came home from her mission in January.)

3. We celebrated our sweet 16 together. This Monday Hermana Curl and I had the chance to celebrate 16 months on the mission. We ate pancakes and then for lunch we went to Chili's.   (You may remember that Jessie and Hermana Curl were companions for all 9 weeks of their MTC experiences.)

4. Alvero went to church this Sunday for the second time and will be attending the stake conference this weekend.  YAH!!!  Pray for him that soon he will be baptized, especially this month.............

5. Zory and Marcano from Trujillo Alto are getting married and Baptized this Saturday..... FINALLY....took long enough and enough missionaries... but the day has come.... we are waiting to see if we can receive permission to go to the wedding and their baptism. She said she wanted all the missionaries... they're even Skyping the ones who have already left. Crazy eh....

6. I am still sick with a bad cough.... very mucousy and green.... I have had a nasty cough my entire mission....

7. We were walking and we had a man in a truck honk at us and then he turned around and stopped. We were a little nervous, then he offered a ride.... then we were like no, and we noticed he had his daughter in the back. Then he said oh I figured you needed a ride to church cuz you were all dressed up and I'm going to church (Pentecostal).... at least we got to contact him.  LOL.   It was a nice thought!

8. It Rains brutally every day.

9. I'm getting fatter. Go figure.  I walked miles every day. LOL.

10. And I don't know what more

(I asked if she ended up getting a ride from the man……)   We didn't get a ride because it was single man and we can't.

(About the ‘getting fatter’ comment………..)   And we eat a ton of junk food. LOL..... we compared it to tithing... considering how much we eat we should be fatter... so the Lord makes us fat by 10% and then we receive the blessings of eating a lot of junky food with only 10% fatness.  LOL.

I figured that out when I estimated really how much chocolate I eat and how I'm not obese.

HAPPY VALENTINE"S DAY>>> I LOVE YOU.   LOL.

16 month celebration with Hermana Curl

sharing the word of God with all the world

EMAIL CHAT 2/1/12………..

We just got on now because it was transfers unfortunately, but good and sad..... Hermana Eteaki left me :(   I truly love her and she has been a blessing for me here.... but drum roll I have Hermana Curl now... so she'll help me stay sane.  LOL....

1. Transfers with Hermana Curl without car.

2. We ran in the dark down hills and in rain trying to make it for our hula class and thank goodness for the Bishop and his wife picking us up.

3. Janet in Trujillo Alto I found out is baptized yeahhhhh.... and Zory and Marcano are getting married and I can go to the wedding!!!!

4. Alvero, our 20 year investigator, went to church and also agreed to do a fast with his wife sometime .

5. I gave my first talk on Sunday and it went pretty well, I was blessed because two of our mini missionaries returned back and helped me correct it.

6. I have some serious bad luck lately.  It's been a very intense week in different aspects: Got splashed by passing cars, Getting my police report, and setting my wreck inspection appointment (horrible experience).

7. I don't really know what else to say.

8. The Lord answers our prayers definitely, found Him helping us with the whole car and police situation.... and a little prayer will do!!!

9. And I don't really know what else honestly.

I think I have to go soon..... Sorry it’s short..... BUT I LOVE YOU TONS.

EMAIL CHAT 1/25/12……….

1. Our bodies are starting to hurt now, our hips and feet, I think we might get arthritis when we are older.  LOL...

2. I now know how to make scripture covers with a plastic craft square material and yarn. They’re cute and super easy... I think I now have somewhat a skill to share with people. LOL... we want to make them for the sisters and those that help us.

3. We had our dancing class and it went really well.... the sisters are picking it up super fast and we are doing the Lilo and Stitch song. The sisters are loving it and feeling the burn. LOL.... cool thing yesterday someone brought a non-member (point of the class) and she wants to return next week because she enjoyed it. Cool eh.... please pray that this transfer next Wednesday we don't change. Also crazy to think after this transfer I have two more.  (transfers … and then she comes home)

4. Someone who is an investigator, Arlene, whose daughter and granddaughter are baptized made us skirts. This family has taken such tremendous care of us and I truly love them. We have seen so many acts of kindness from ward members with all sorts of different things. I told her I would wear the skirt for when I return home.  It’s a rosy skirt. Also we are going bowling with Beatriz and her husband. Yah something fun!!!!

5. Yesterday we had a cool lesson with a member and her non-member family.... we had walked miles to go visit her and she hadn't been answering her phone....so we arrived at her house and she was sitting on the steps of her sister's house on the side of the street with her niece... we talked to her and the niece didn't seem too interested, then we asked if we could share and we put some seats down. We asked if we could sing and the niece didn't seem like she was going to, but while singing we could see she was singing too. Her name is Joseline and the member, Bettania, is from the DR. Then we prayed and some other family members came from somewhere. They started listening and we decided to share about the BOM (Book of Mormon) it was cool because all participated and the Spirit was there. Then before we had met with Bettania, next to her house was a family brother’s with small kids. We contacted them and then went to Bettania's. Her sister's house sold limbers which are a PRican frozen treat. One of the brothers of the contacted family came to buy a limber and then stayed and listened to us. We felt like street preachers on the sidewalk.  It was super cool feeling that those walking by were kind of listening to us..... so we will be coming back and sharing some more with them hopefully. Unfortunately they'll probably be the Elders investigators. But it was still good.

6. We found out some things that triggered Lilian, who is an Elder's mom who is our investigator, that hopefully would help her gain a testimony. Out of the two years of being an investigator she hasn't been taught the commandments... so we taught her the law of chastity and we're going to do the rest. 

7. I'm finally giving a talk on Sunday, this Sunday, about the doctrines of Christ. I'm going to apply it with the Atonement, a personal study that I did in Ponce. 

8. We got rained on and people wouldn't let us in.

9. Sisters are out of the islands now.  (There are Caribbean islands included in the Puerto Rican Mission and the sister missionaries were recently allowed back in.   Apparently it’s quite dangerous for them.)

10. I don't know what more... Hermana Eteaki looks like a testigo de jehova "Jehovah's Witness" with her umbrella cuz it's hot. LOL.  They use umbrellas in the sun, trademark thing.   (I told Jessie I thought that was funny because Hermana Eteaki is Tongan.)  She's more Mexican than Tongan, LOL, and she's a Californian, one truly converted to California....  (To me this is triple funny because all her ‘heritage places’ are sunny and warm.)

Oh forgot to tell you I have Elder Hargadon and Elder Campbell from my groups again in my district... this is Elder Hargadon's third time with me, crazy eh... and Elder Campbell’s 2nd time as zone leader.

They are two elders that I have a lot of respect for and I get along super well with.... Elder Campbell was my plane buddy every time we flew. They were in the same district as the sisters we were rooming with in the Provo MTC who were going to Argentina. So I met them before we left for the DR. Elder Hargadon wants to go to BYU Hawaii... surfer Californian dude and travels a ton.... super cool.... and Elder Campbell is super sarcastic. Elder Hargadon and I left our first transfer to the Ponce zone and he was the Elder who got smacked in the face by the druggy, remember.... and then transferred here to the Caguas zone while I was serving in Ponce. He was in my ward and district. Then Elder Campbell came and became my zone leader in Ponce. Then I came here and Elder Hargadon was in a different district than I, but just recently the Elders had changes and now they are both in my district and Elder Campbell changed as our zone leader here, I have seen them a ton on my mission. I'm glad we all get along well.... and Elder Hargadon is rooting for Hawaii. LOL.  (Jessie’s re-applied for entrance to BYU-Hawaii.  Please say a prayer she gets back in!)

Hargadon is going to UVU first and then going to apply for Hawaii. His sister is applying for Hawaii so I told him if we both get there his sister and I can meet up.... and Campbell originally from Cali but moved to Utah.... and they're not comps.

(In the picture) ….it’s a lizard he caught, biting his ear.   (I asked how it got there and Jessie said he put it there “on purpose.   LOL.”)

Elder Hargadon  

Oh yeah true story.... the Elder that almost died here in our mission, literally a miracle who should have died falling off of a cliff, is now in our district... he returned.

Also forgot to tell you we went to another funeral this week... the funeral was packed 460+ people and we got contacts that day.... but no addresses it was sad……it was an interesting setting and way of contacting, if we knew we could have planned better.... she was a loved person apparently and a school teacher.... we didn't know her.

The coqui frog of Puerto Rico.

 

the dog is the funniest sweetest dog on our walking path.... she says hi every time.

rain in Caguas

preparing to celebrate the New Year

having fun with the mini missionaries

Hermana Eteaki

Hermanas Medina and Eteaki

EMAIL CHAT 1/18/12……..

... let me explain to you why it took us a long time to get on..... we don't have a car anymore

Sister Missionaries preached as they walked and walked and walked and walked......

This is a small gist of our week...

1. Our gas went out for cooking and we went and bought one (mini mart) and then tried installing it at night, but for some reason couldn't because there was a leak. So we decided to turn it off and try again.

The next day Hma. Eteaki found that it was broken, so we walked back to the mini mart switched it and now we have been cooking.

2. We had to go to a training meeting for Hma. Eteaki and it was in Guaynabo. We left at 7:45 to head over there. We were on the left side of the right lane driving and Hma. Eteaki was drinking some juice. Yum, Yum and singing to a church cd.... a little ahead of us was traffic.... one note: in PR no one knows the laws, your own ideas are the laws. They don't follow them. Well someone in front of us from the right side of the right lane tried cutting a U-turn on a double yellow line. So lucky us we couldn't brake hard enough to stop and in any direction we went we would have hit someone. There was his car and another on our right side. We hit his side and the juice went flying everywhere. Everyone is okay, we did get whip lash, but from what I know all is okay. It was his first car wreck too (Jessie’s first too) and he was driving to a job interview.  His name is Joshua Vasquez and he had beautiful eyes and very attractive. LOL.... actually everyone was calm and the situation was better than it could have been. Heavenly Father was watching out for all of us. His cousins came over to see him and the police came. We will not be having a car for a month, not because we just crashed, but there aren't any extra cars in the mission to give to us. We have been walking and it's been intense.  The mission that one week had 3 car wrecks and other situations nutz eh..... We ended up getting picked up and went to the meeting.

3. I found rootbeer, which is great because PR it's not common.

4. It's been impossible to find anyone to teach.  I swear I have a missionary curse, even Hma Eteaki is starting to believe it. I come to an area it starts off great, than bam I'm here and all disappear and no success... so not cool

5. We had our first hula class... it went well only 5 came, but hey little by little and the five did great and learned fast. We hope it will become a success....

6. We had another bad, embarrassing moment, but a dear member must have been inspired, but when something happened with our cita, she took us to Baskin Robbins.

(About the accident…..) it was completely his fault. I couldn't have done anything else....  (Jessie didn’t get a ticket or anything.   All is well for her driving record.  J)

I have just 10 minutes left then gotta go.... sorry I couldn't explain more with you. Next week I hope is better and I can talk more with you..... have better positive things... I've wanted to mention about the hula class, visiting teaching and sharing the message of the rest....

EMAIL CHAT 1/11/12………

Oh the same as always.... I always start off in a run with the people that have worked in the area before me, but then when it's just me and my comps for a little more time all dies.... no citas, no progressing investigators, and nothing..... it's just hard……..

Hermana Eteaki was like “Wow I've never had this before”, and this is all I know.....

1. Things are getting better with us. We are finally getting the time to get to know one another because before we had the mini's with Hermana Medina, mini's, and now just us. We have a cool idea that President loves. We just need to talk to the ward about it. We are going to have a Polynesian dance workshop to involve members, investigators, and menos activos of all ages. Then in the end we will have a concert of the dances we've learned. …………

2. Unfortunately I had to attend my second funeral. One of the recent converts named Aida died. I got to know her sweet husband, but not her because she was sick. A member told me she is going to do the genealogy for her, so her work can be finished in the temple. Then she told me I can probably do her work in the temple when I return back.

3. Funny Chinese experience.... we decided to order Chinese food (which by the way, we ate Chinese on New Year’s (family tradition), and made hats for the minis (mini missionaries)) and so this was yesterday. I decided I could call and order doing it in Spanish. I didn't have the menu on me only the number.... so I called and it was like impossible, because she just wasn't understanding what I was saying.... so I told her we would go there to order. So we went there to order, we did it and waited. Then she comes up to me and shows the menu trying to explain what it’s called and then showing how I could order on the phone... she recognized it was me.  How embarrassing.   LOL…

4. Did you know that Fast Five was filmed in PR?

5. Sisters can leave at 20 now (it’s been 21 years old)

6. We have people that have potential, but many times they like to back out or cancel. We have one investigator named Irelssie who has a ton of problems and is 23 with 3 kids oldest is 8. She is great....but a challenge. We met her and the first thing she told us was "who sent you" as she smoked a cigarette.... she was a past contact of the elders and they had worked a little with her. She was living with her violent boyfriend that didn't want her to get involved with the church. Anyways long story short she let us in... asked a billion amazing questions and we started visiting her. She has been reading and remembers and understands everything. She prays and everything.

She was going to go to church, but Satan got in the way with the influence of others. She really has a ton of potential, but the acts of herself and others are preventing her progress to her fullest potential. She hasn't been there for our last two citas.

7. Alvero our 18-30 year investigator is doing well. We had an amazing lesson with him where we found out his true problem. He wants a full repentance process before he will be baptized. The lesson we had was great about repentance and basically he taught us. We are hoping to meet with him tomorrow.

8. When there is a holiday in PR all is dead..... closed and locked inside the house with no outside interferences... including us. It was tough because everyone was gone and all was empty.

9. I'm going to type my essay. It's awful, but you can look at it (school app)

10. We have a member in the ward who is absolutely amazing. We are going to teach her how to teach and contact her friends.... she's great her name is Beatriz

Also forgot to tell you I got to go to the opening of our mini's mission call... we even spoke at it... she's going to the New York City South mission Spanish speaking and they have someone from that ward serving there too.

Yeah it was from the kit (I sent Jessie a ‘make your own snow’ kit in her stocking.   She made the snowman from it.) 

... and yeah it was great to see her open it... we got special permission. She was excited and not at the same time. LOL (the mini missionary’s mission call)

I forgot to tell you that we had our conference for the holidays and it was like a normal mission conference, no fun unfortunately....

LOVE YOU TONS!!!!!