Tuesday, November 16, 2010
November 8.
Hola everyone,
For halloween we dressed up.... as eachother.... thats about as exciting as a missionary gets on halloween. we wore eachothers name badges for the day. uruguay, or maybe just south america in general is just now starting to catch on to halloween. there were a few little kids out dressed up, pretty much all the boys were devils, grim reapers, or were wearing a scary mask, and ALL girls were witches, haha they are givin it a try, pretty cute though to see all the kids in their costumes.
we had a really good week and found some really amazing people. i told you about the familia Izaguerre last week who has four little kids, they are amazing and are progressing so great. they are going to be baptized, well the parents and one of thier children, this next week! They have had some changes that they have had to make within their family but their faith has been really amazing and they have really been applying what they learn. they are super cute but super shy so at the end of our lessons we have been playing uno with them to get them to open up a bit and it has worked magic!!! haha, they have a little girl that is two that was so silent for the first little while and now she wont stop chatting, so cute.
i dunno if you remember me telling you about mario a while ago, he was scared of water so he wouldnt be baptized. he has been taking swimming classes, just so he could go through with his baptism and finally this last week... he went under water!!! so he will be baptized this next saturday.
we had a wonderful zone conference with our mission president this last week and the message he gave was really powerful. first his wife spoke to us on improving our personal and companionship study times and how we really need to focus our time studing for the needs of the people we are teaching, and not for our own benefit. she also talked alot about obedience and how when we are disobedient it is like a parasite, we do small things that build until soon it has taken over. Presidente Da Silva talked about the atonement of Christ and how he suffered for each individual pain, affliction, sin, temptation, and sicknesses so that he may be able to understand and succor us when we are in need of comfort.
well i have a really great quote i want to share with you from the church magazine that was given in an amazing talk about the love of God. It says ¨for what we love, determines what we seek. what we seek, determines what we think and do. what we think and do determines who we are and who we will become.¨ and another part i really loved states, ¨Think of the purest most all consuming love you can imagine, now multiply that love by an infinite amount- that is the measure of God´s love for you. God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that he doesn´t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely, though we are imperfect, he loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God´s love encompasses completely.¨
well i love you so so much!!! keep me updated, sounds like the fam is having a bit of trouble right now. my pictures didnt all load but enjoy the ones that are there!! one of me and my comp and the other is of Andrea who is 25 and her fam. her and her daughter alexandra who is in front of me are recently baptized. love you love you love you!!! -jess
For halloween we dressed up.... as eachother.... thats about as exciting as a missionary gets on halloween. we wore eachothers name badges for the day. uruguay, or maybe just south america in general is just now starting to catch on to halloween. there were a few little kids out dressed up, pretty much all the boys were devils, grim reapers, or were wearing a scary mask, and ALL girls were witches, haha they are givin it a try, pretty cute though to see all the kids in their costumes.
we had a really good week and found some really amazing people. i told you about the familia Izaguerre last week who has four little kids, they are amazing and are progressing so great. they are going to be baptized, well the parents and one of thier children, this next week! They have had some changes that they have had to make within their family but their faith has been really amazing and they have really been applying what they learn. they are super cute but super shy so at the end of our lessons we have been playing uno with them to get them to open up a bit and it has worked magic!!! haha, they have a little girl that is two that was so silent for the first little while and now she wont stop chatting, so cute.
i dunno if you remember me telling you about mario a while ago, he was scared of water so he wouldnt be baptized. he has been taking swimming classes, just so he could go through with his baptism and finally this last week... he went under water!!! so he will be baptized this next saturday.
we had a wonderful zone conference with our mission president this last week and the message he gave was really powerful. first his wife spoke to us on improving our personal and companionship study times and how we really need to focus our time studing for the needs of the people we are teaching, and not for our own benefit. she also talked alot about obedience and how when we are disobedient it is like a parasite, we do small things that build until soon it has taken over. Presidente Da Silva talked about the atonement of Christ and how he suffered for each individual pain, affliction, sin, temptation, and sicknesses so that he may be able to understand and succor us when we are in need of comfort.
well i have a really great quote i want to share with you from the church magazine that was given in an amazing talk about the love of God. It says ¨for what we love, determines what we seek. what we seek, determines what we think and do. what we think and do determines who we are and who we will become.¨ and another part i really loved states, ¨Think of the purest most all consuming love you can imagine, now multiply that love by an infinite amount- that is the measure of God´s love for you. God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that he doesn´t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely, though we are imperfect, he loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God´s love encompasses completely.¨
well i love you so so much!!! keep me updated, sounds like the fam is having a bit of trouble right now. my pictures didnt all load but enjoy the ones that are there!! one of me and my comp and the other is of Andrea who is 25 and her fam. her and her daughter alexandra who is in front of me are recently baptized. love you love you love you!!! -jess
November 1, 2010
Hola!
well I have exciting news.... well for me anyway!! My comp and i had to get up at five to come to Montevideo this morning so i could sign my visa papers, finally, and we were being really quite getting ready because there are two other hermanas living in our house, dunno if i told you that or not, but anyway when we left she was like i wanted to tell you something but i didnt want you to scream while the hermanas were still asleep but you were SLEEP TALKING IN SPANISH!!!! and but of course i screamed because i was really excited!!! exciting huh!!??? and she said that what i was saying actually made sense haha. one step in the right direction i guess!!! haha so ya that was really exciting.
we had a really great week once again and were able to have Cristina´s baptism, it was so special and she was so so happy. she was really nervous that something was going to go wrong again with the baptismal font and said that she was going to take that as a sign that it wasnt supposed to happen if it fell through again haha, so we checked on the font probably five times during the day to make sure it was actually filling this time. i will send some more pictures next week, we are in montevideo right now so i cant hook up my camera
my comp and i are teaching this really amazing new family that is adorable!! they are a young couple that is married (which is really rare here) and they have four kids. They are so so sweet, they just moved into our area. We have only taught them once but ill let ya know more. They have two little little girls that remind me of my murd girls, man i miss them!!
we are still teaching those three women Gloria, Estella, and Karin. We had the most amazing lesson with Karin and she said an amazing prayer at the end of our lesson. She is a really great mom and really wants to make a great family for her son.
well i wanna tell you more but our bus for Maldonado is leaving in like ten minutes!!! But i love you so so much and look forward to hearin from you next week!!!!
Jess
well I have exciting news.... well for me anyway!! My comp and i had to get up at five to come to Montevideo this morning so i could sign my visa papers, finally, and we were being really quite getting ready because there are two other hermanas living in our house, dunno if i told you that or not, but anyway when we left she was like i wanted to tell you something but i didnt want you to scream while the hermanas were still asleep but you were SLEEP TALKING IN SPANISH!!!! and but of course i screamed because i was really excited!!! exciting huh!!??? and she said that what i was saying actually made sense haha. one step in the right direction i guess!!! haha so ya that was really exciting.
we had a really great week once again and were able to have Cristina´s baptism, it was so special and she was so so happy. she was really nervous that something was going to go wrong again with the baptismal font and said that she was going to take that as a sign that it wasnt supposed to happen if it fell through again haha, so we checked on the font probably five times during the day to make sure it was actually filling this time. i will send some more pictures next week, we are in montevideo right now so i cant hook up my camera
my comp and i are teaching this really amazing new family that is adorable!! they are a young couple that is married (which is really rare here) and they have four kids. They are so so sweet, they just moved into our area. We have only taught them once but ill let ya know more. They have two little little girls that remind me of my murd girls, man i miss them!!
we are still teaching those three women Gloria, Estella, and Karin. We had the most amazing lesson with Karin and she said an amazing prayer at the end of our lesson. She is a really great mom and really wants to make a great family for her son.
well i wanna tell you more but our bus for Maldonado is leaving in like ten minutes!!! But i love you so so much and look forward to hearin from you next week!!!!
Jess
Sunday, October 31, 2010
October 25, 2010.
well its becoming more and more like summer here!! we are still wearing sweaters almost all the time but it is getting really nice, finally!!! i am nervous for another winter though!!!! so i will just have to enjoy the heat while i can. i hear that there are TONS of mosquitos here during the summer and that it is extremely hot and humid, so i guess i am down for another adventure of a season. oh here is an interesting fact about uruguay... there are three cows to every one person here, weird huh.
this past week was so great!!! my comp and i really had alot of success finding really amazing people to teach about the gospel. I had told you about Cristina this last week and how excited she was for her baptism this past sunday but guess what... our zone leaders went to the church to fill up the baptismal font at three am so that it would be ready by nine and my comp and i headed to the church at about 8:15 to get everything ready and we walked into the church, i was locking the door and just heard my comp yell that the font was empty.... yup empty, the water was running but somehow the drain was on and the water was draining as fast as it was filling. we were in a panic and didnt know what to do, but we couldnt really do anything because it takes 6-7 hours to fill so we were out of luck. Cristina came just shortly after and we had to break the news to her. she was really sad but we rescheduled it for wednesday so its all good, just have to wait a few more days.
we are teaching this really amazing woman named Estella that is so faithful, i just love her!! she has really great insight on the gospel and has really been working hard to apply it to her life. her grandson bruno, who is like two, is always there when we teach her and man is he a stinker!!! the whole time we are there he will switch off between my comp and i and hitting us, trying to pull down our skirts or take off our shoes. this past week i was talking and he just came up and slapped me in the face!!! hahaha. when we were praying he threw a ball at my comps head and was pulling on my bangs. oh man he is so funny, he just really wants attention i guess but man he is a naughty little kid.
the woman i was telling you about, Gloria, who doesnt read or know how to write, had a really hard trial this last week when a friend of hers that we have met died in a moto accident. it was really crazy that it happened just days after we taught her about the plan of salvation or where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going after this life. it really gave her alot of peace of mind to know of God´s plan in such a hard time.
well i gotta go!!! but i hope you know how much i love you!!!! you are always in my thoughts and prayers! i want to share a little scripture with you that i just love. i came across it this morning during my scripture study. i love scriptures about being greatful during afflictions which is kinda odd i guess but they always seem to help me. this is a prophet speaking after he had been through a great deal of trials, i really think that it is amazing how he much he trusts in the Lord always and that he faith is so unwaivering no matter what he has been through, it says ¨My God hath been my support, he hath led me through the wilderness, and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh...Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, oh my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul. Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strenghth because of mine afflictions. Rejoice, oh my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say, Oh Lord I will praise thee forever, yea, yea my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation... Oh Lord I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh, for i know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm. Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if i ask not amiss, therefor i will lift up my voice unto thee yea, i will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and my everlasting God.¨
I know that is a bit long but i love it!!! hope you enjoy!!! look forward to hearing from you next week!!! love you love you LOVE YOU!! -Jess
this past week was so great!!! my comp and i really had alot of success finding really amazing people to teach about the gospel. I had told you about Cristina this last week and how excited she was for her baptism this past sunday but guess what... our zone leaders went to the church to fill up the baptismal font at three am so that it would be ready by nine and my comp and i headed to the church at about 8:15 to get everything ready and we walked into the church, i was locking the door and just heard my comp yell that the font was empty.... yup empty, the water was running but somehow the drain was on and the water was draining as fast as it was filling. we were in a panic and didnt know what to do, but we couldnt really do anything because it takes 6-7 hours to fill so we were out of luck. Cristina came just shortly after and we had to break the news to her. she was really sad but we rescheduled it for wednesday so its all good, just have to wait a few more days.
we are teaching this really amazing woman named Estella that is so faithful, i just love her!! she has really great insight on the gospel and has really been working hard to apply it to her life. her grandson bruno, who is like two, is always there when we teach her and man is he a stinker!!! the whole time we are there he will switch off between my comp and i and hitting us, trying to pull down our skirts or take off our shoes. this past week i was talking and he just came up and slapped me in the face!!! hahaha. when we were praying he threw a ball at my comps head and was pulling on my bangs. oh man he is so funny, he just really wants attention i guess but man he is a naughty little kid.
the woman i was telling you about, Gloria, who doesnt read or know how to write, had a really hard trial this last week when a friend of hers that we have met died in a moto accident. it was really crazy that it happened just days after we taught her about the plan of salvation or where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going after this life. it really gave her alot of peace of mind to know of God´s plan in such a hard time.
well i gotta go!!! but i hope you know how much i love you!!!! you are always in my thoughts and prayers! i want to share a little scripture with you that i just love. i came across it this morning during my scripture study. i love scriptures about being greatful during afflictions which is kinda odd i guess but they always seem to help me. this is a prophet speaking after he had been through a great deal of trials, i really think that it is amazing how he much he trusts in the Lord always and that he faith is so unwaivering no matter what he has been through, it says ¨My God hath been my support, he hath led me through the wilderness, and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh...Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, oh my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul. Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strenghth because of mine afflictions. Rejoice, oh my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say, Oh Lord I will praise thee forever, yea, yea my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation... Oh Lord I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh, for i know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm. Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if i ask not amiss, therefor i will lift up my voice unto thee yea, i will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and my everlasting God.¨
I know that is a bit long but i love it!!! hope you enjoy!!! look forward to hearing from you next week!!! love you love you LOVE YOU!! -Jess
October 18, 2010.
well this past week was really good!!! we have found some really amazing people and are really excited to teach them. there is this really awesome woman named Estella that has been in contact with missionaries before and loves the teachings of the gospel and wants to progress and improve her relationship with God. She is a really awesome and sincere woman and we are really excited to work with her.
we have run into quite a few people this week who are illiterate and can´t read or write. we are actually teaching a woman named Gloria right now that is illiterate and it has opened a whole new way of teaching for us, we really have to be simple and clear with what we say and teach. we had a really awesome experience with her when she prayed with us and she told us that she really had an overwhelming feeling of comfort and peace with her prayer. goes to show that the Spirit can touch all and testify of the truthfullness of the love of God.
Christina is going to have her baptism this coming Sunday before our steak, or several wards in one, conference. We had an awesome lesson with her this morning and she is very excited to be baptized, she prayed for us at the end that this week would go by fast because she is so excited. she continues to struggle with the death of her son, as i could only imagine, but is doing amazing on relying on the Lord for comfort and peace during this time.
i had my second interview with my mission president this week and it went really great!!! he asked me probably three times at the beginning if i was concerned with anything... i was almost forcing myself to try and think of anything, but i just said ummmmm no everytime, guess he just really likes to make sure that we are doing okay!!! he is such a great mission president, really strict but thats all the better, it really helps us to stay on track. oh and i did my whole interview in Spanish!!! haha last time i didnt say one word in spanish so i guess that is an improvement.
well i better go yall. i love you oh and of course i wanna leave ya with a little scripture!!! i found this during my study this morning when i was actually studying about taking upon us the name of Christ in baptism, it led me in a bit of a different direction for a while but i definitely needed to read this, amazing how that happens!!! its in 1 Peter 2:20 which reads, ¨for what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.¨ I love this so much, it is our trials in life that make us strong, that make us the people that we are sculpted into. we grow and learn from our trials in preparation to live with our Heavenly Father again some day. every trial will pass and we will be exhaulted on high if we endure them well.
I love you ever so so much and will be praying for you always. much love!!!! -jess
we have run into quite a few people this week who are illiterate and can´t read or write. we are actually teaching a woman named Gloria right now that is illiterate and it has opened a whole new way of teaching for us, we really have to be simple and clear with what we say and teach. we had a really awesome experience with her when she prayed with us and she told us that she really had an overwhelming feeling of comfort and peace with her prayer. goes to show that the Spirit can touch all and testify of the truthfullness of the love of God.
Christina is going to have her baptism this coming Sunday before our steak, or several wards in one, conference. We had an awesome lesson with her this morning and she is very excited to be baptized, she prayed for us at the end that this week would go by fast because she is so excited. she continues to struggle with the death of her son, as i could only imagine, but is doing amazing on relying on the Lord for comfort and peace during this time.
i had my second interview with my mission president this week and it went really great!!! he asked me probably three times at the beginning if i was concerned with anything... i was almost forcing myself to try and think of anything, but i just said ummmmm no everytime, guess he just really likes to make sure that we are doing okay!!! he is such a great mission president, really strict but thats all the better, it really helps us to stay on track. oh and i did my whole interview in Spanish!!! haha last time i didnt say one word in spanish so i guess that is an improvement.
well i better go yall. i love you oh and of course i wanna leave ya with a little scripture!!! i found this during my study this morning when i was actually studying about taking upon us the name of Christ in baptism, it led me in a bit of a different direction for a while but i definitely needed to read this, amazing how that happens!!! its in 1 Peter 2:20 which reads, ¨for what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.¨ I love this so much, it is our trials in life that make us strong, that make us the people that we are sculpted into. we grow and learn from our trials in preparation to live with our Heavenly Father again some day. every trial will pass and we will be exhaulted on high if we endure them well.
I love you ever so so much and will be praying for you always. much love!!!! -jess
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Pictures from Oct. 5, 2010
okay here goes the pictures again!!! the first pic is of me and my mtc comp Hermana Grow, she is darling huh... she just barely had to get her gallbladder out here!!! crazy huh. the next one is me and my little ecuadorian comp Hermana Alvarez and our foot long ponchos, hot dogs, there is literally someone vending them on every street corner. the next few i think are just me, one with my third busted umbrella, yehaw, uruguay knows how to rain and wind all at the same time that is for sure. one of my comp and her hillerious rain jacket, gotta love it. and the next are my favs with the cute fam of Paola and Richard, Jaque is on my left, Dameon behind her, and Juan on my right. arent they precious!!!!??? oh and then the last is just of Dameon and Jaque before their baptism.
October 5, 2010
hey there fam-
this was definitely a week filled with Richard and Paolas fam. we had their wedding that we attended on wednesday which was really eventful because we were short a witness because they would not let us use our copies of our passports as id so we had to find someone in the street, luckily this wonderful woman that was passing by offered to help us and wha lah!!! they are a happy new married couple!!! gosh i cant tell you how much their family changed with this marriage, there is truly something so special that has bound them together and they have a whole new sense of commitment to their relationship, i really have never seen them so happy!! the next day we had their baptism which was such an awesome and powerful experience for me, they were all so happy excited. Richard left for Venezuela on saturday for his new job and my comp and i went to thier house right before they left to do a little family prayer and lesson with them. Paola was really sad with the fact that Richard was leaving, geez im sure i would be too if i were 8 months pregnant with three kids! but she has been amazing, my comp and i have visited them and they are doing great, jaque and dameon help out so much with juan and paola is a wonderful mother. its really amazing to watch them carry out the love of Christ within their home.
other than that i have been really sick this past week with some sort of flu so we had quite a bit of time in the house. mama you would be happy with what good care my comp took of me, she made me rest even when i was trying to force my way through it, which is all for the better because i am all healed up now. other than that we had change calls on sunday and....... my comp and i are staying together!!! yehaw, so we have at least another six weeks together which will be great for me, i am learning so much from her and she is really helping me to learn how to grow as a person through the gospel. i cannot tell you how much i love studying the gospel and im so happy that i have this short amount of time to dedicate my life to it.
we were able to watch the church´s general conference this past weekend at our steak center while everyone was there back home... really surreal to see beautiful salt lake city during the broadcast and not be there!!! but oh my it was soooo gooood. the very first talk was by one of the general authority´s of the church Elder Holland and wow i cannot tell you how hard it hit me. he was talking about selfless sacrifice, sacrifice given without expecting anything in return, a VERY LARGE part of that being our parents. I know you are probably sick of me saying this but thank you mom and dad. i know i will never fully recognize everything you have done for me but i know that i am who i am and have the opportunities that i have had because of you. the President of the church spoke on gratitude and how many times we take foregranted those who deserve our gratifude the most, i am so greatful for you and all the wonderful people in my life, i hope that i can live to be a more greatful person. one of the quotes that he said was, ¨to live with gratifude is to touch heaven.¨
I love you so very much. Hope to hear from you again soon!! Much love-Jess
this was definitely a week filled with Richard and Paolas fam. we had their wedding that we attended on wednesday which was really eventful because we were short a witness because they would not let us use our copies of our passports as id so we had to find someone in the street, luckily this wonderful woman that was passing by offered to help us and wha lah!!! they are a happy new married couple!!! gosh i cant tell you how much their family changed with this marriage, there is truly something so special that has bound them together and they have a whole new sense of commitment to their relationship, i really have never seen them so happy!! the next day we had their baptism which was such an awesome and powerful experience for me, they were all so happy excited. Richard left for Venezuela on saturday for his new job and my comp and i went to thier house right before they left to do a little family prayer and lesson with them. Paola was really sad with the fact that Richard was leaving, geez im sure i would be too if i were 8 months pregnant with three kids! but she has been amazing, my comp and i have visited them and they are doing great, jaque and dameon help out so much with juan and paola is a wonderful mother. its really amazing to watch them carry out the love of Christ within their home.
other than that i have been really sick this past week with some sort of flu so we had quite a bit of time in the house. mama you would be happy with what good care my comp took of me, she made me rest even when i was trying to force my way through it, which is all for the better because i am all healed up now. other than that we had change calls on sunday and....... my comp and i are staying together!!! yehaw, so we have at least another six weeks together which will be great for me, i am learning so much from her and she is really helping me to learn how to grow as a person through the gospel. i cannot tell you how much i love studying the gospel and im so happy that i have this short amount of time to dedicate my life to it.
we were able to watch the church´s general conference this past weekend at our steak center while everyone was there back home... really surreal to see beautiful salt lake city during the broadcast and not be there!!! but oh my it was soooo gooood. the very first talk was by one of the general authority´s of the church Elder Holland and wow i cannot tell you how hard it hit me. he was talking about selfless sacrifice, sacrifice given without expecting anything in return, a VERY LARGE part of that being our parents. I know you are probably sick of me saying this but thank you mom and dad. i know i will never fully recognize everything you have done for me but i know that i am who i am and have the opportunities that i have had because of you. the President of the church spoke on gratitude and how many times we take foregranted those who deserve our gratifude the most, i am so greatful for you and all the wonderful people in my life, i hope that i can live to be a more greatful person. one of the quotes that he said was, ¨to live with gratifude is to touch heaven.¨
I love you so very much. Hope to hear from you again soon!! Much love-Jess
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