Preachin' in Peru! Poco a poco...: 2014

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Christmas Program in Trujillo!!

Dec.19 and 20, 2014--Trujillo Christmas Program!

The entire group of missionaries performing the first night!

(Jennesa is in white on the left side, front row, behind the kneeling Elder)

Cute Jennesa listening as Hermana South plays a song!

Practicing for 3 hours before the performance!

Watching as others perform....

Snapping along to a song!!

They performed for over 2,000 people

in the city center of Trujillo!!

The entire group of missionaries performing the second night

(Dec. 20th!)

(Jennesa is in the maroon sweater on the second row, a tiny bit to the left of the center!!)

A Thumbs up from Jennesa during the Sat. night rehearsals!

(We found out later, that she started getting the flu and was sick this night for the next 3 days! Hermana Guevara (on the right of Jennesa) was an incredibly loving companion and took such good care of her! What a tender mercy!)

Here is Jennesa's letter from this week...

Dear lovely fam and friends!

Wowzers...as I am writing this...I am kind of sweatin up a storm from a stinkin fever that I have had since Sunday morningish! :/ It has been tough being sick on a mission...because the whole time I have been feeling so bad that I am affecting my comp and my investigators! :( yesterday I basically went to sacrament meeting and then laid in bed all day...I started feeling a little better after some time...so we went out at 7:00-9:00 pm but by the end of those two hours oh buddy...my body just ached and my head was pounding...we got home and yet again I had a stinkin fever! My amazing comp has been such a good mom to me! She stayed up with me till about 12:30am last night checking my temp and wouldn't go to sleep until she knew my fever was gone. We call them my favoritas...these clothes that she wets with cold water and puts on my forehead! She is the best! OH and our sweet pensionista came over yesterday with soup and wheat bread for me and she calls to check on me. Mom I realized how much I depend on you when i`m sick...but I realized that I have different mom`s out on my mish! What a blessing! Hopefully this will pass! :)

We were able to have some neat noche de hogars (family nights) this week! I love getting to play my violin with families! The little kids love it and really want to learn all about it...even though I play really simple songs out of the hymn book...what a blessing our mission has instruments for us to use? Who would have thought I would be playing the violin in Peru? :) Well heavenly father knew...what a blessing that he has a plan for our lives!

Speaking of violin...this Friday and Saturday night we had a huge Christmas show in the huge central park (Plaza de Armas) in the center of Trujillo! Wow was it so neat or what? I played in a quartet with Hma. South, Elder Davis, and Elder Hakkey. and then all the missionaries sang some hymns, there were videos, dances, poems, and other special numbers! So many people were watching! It was sure a neat experience and I am so grateful I was able to be a part of it! The spirit was so fantastic!

Really sad...Karen our investigator who was planning on baptism on the 27th wasn't at church yesterday because she had a fiesta and didn't get home till 3 in the morning...stinkin fiestas! :( :) So new meta (goal)! Whew! But we did see some little milagros (miracles) this week...we were talking to a group of boys in the street and I wasn't saying much...but I had a strong feeling to ask them if they knew some English because they learn in school...they knew a little bit but got really excited and we told them about the English class we have on martes en la noche (Tuesday nights). Frustrating . . . we planned a noche de hogar with an investigator...and we brought a member...it was muy (very) far...so we got there and she was gone...but we were able to find a new investigator that night! :)

RANDOM:

-Sometimes it smells like dog food really bad!

-Last preparation day we made la causa...potatoes...with tuna, carrots, and peas, and more potatoes! so good! (see photo below)

-We love our 13 days of Christmas! Each time we open a new decoration for the tree my comp says wow! mucho pacienca (lots of patience)! Each little thing colored and cut out!

FUNNIES AND INSPIRATIONALS:

-Oh gosh I was giving out a tarjeta (pass along card) to this menos activo (less active member) who always laughs at my Spanish...and a drunk guy walks up behind me with a bike. He is crying and starts talking only to me...I was so caught off guard that I didn't really understand what he was saying...later my comp told me...he said...Jesus was coming in 3 years and we needed to prepare...repeated! Then I love you all! and he left! :/ muy raro (odd)!

-Alman 1:1 "having warred a good warfare, walking uprightly before God"...I want to feel this way after my mish! :) and during! :)

Love you all so much! Thanks for all your support! :)

Love,

Hermana Coleman :D

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡OH AND FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gringa probs...Trujillo temple...and lovely (stinkin' actually) mosquitos!

We appreciate all of you who pray for Hermana Coleman (and her companion Hermana Guevara) and the service they are giving in Peru. Thank you for those who have sent letters and packages! She mentions those below. Merry CHRISTmas to you all and your loved ones!

We invite you all to enjoy the brief Christmas video below (less than 3 minutes). He is the Gift!

Me and my amazing comp...Hermana Guevara! Gotta love her so much!!!! :) This was on the way to the Trujillo Temple!!!!! :) We got to go with our ward council this week...we were able to see it and take some pics! They still don´t have the dedication date...

but hopefully soon!

Gotta love Navidad! Feliz Navidad! :) Gotta love turtle necks when it is pretty hot outside...totally worth it though! (She rolls up the sleeves so she won't be so hot!) :-)

We LOVE our Christmas socks! They hide my nasty legs too! ;)

(Mosquito bites!) Haha! Gracias! We also started our 13 days of Christmas from both you and Mimi and Papa! So fun!

Jennesa's Letter for the week....

Familia and marviollsa amigos!!!!! :)

Thank you to all who email me and write me! I am amazed at the support and I love it! I´m so sorry I don´t have time to write you back..I'm doing the best I can and am still trying to figure out the best way to do it...but don't ever think I don't read your emails and letters...because I do and I LOVE THEM!!!!!! :)

Oh my heavens ta Betsy! Another week has come and gone...it is so strange to think that Christmas is so soon...and yet I´m sweating and getting some nasty mosquito bites...oh yeah...it's summer here...well spring I guess. Anyway...yeah I have about 21ish lovely mosquito bites on my legs...and they aren't really normal...but ya know! ya just gotta love it and live it and have lots of faith to get through it...right?

On Monday we were able to make mac and cheese Peruvian style! Super fun! it turned out kind of bland...but we added some yummy Peruvian sauce and it was just great!

We have been contacting tons of people with special cards entitled..."El es la Dadiva!" with a neat video link...navidad.mormon.org! I'm not sure if you have heard of this but it is incredible! Every missionary is supposed to be handing out 10 of these every day and the goal is to contact about 220,000,000 people (I think) this Christmas season! What a neat thing! The video is so neat...please go and watch it if you haven't already...and share it with someone who you feel needs it! :) WhoooHoooo the Christmas season is so awesome! Love it!

Speaking of the Christmas spirit I was able to wear my sweet Christmas turtle neck on Friday...for our special Zone meeting! haha! oh and my papa noel (Santa Claus) earrings! :) Our meeting was so amazing! I was able to really feel the spirit and it was exactly what I needed! We talked lots about when we feel discouraged...depending on how long we feel the discouragement it is a sin...but when we feel discouragement and react the right way it is OK! Because everyone gets discouraged...we just need to have faith and turn to the Lord in these times...which is way easier said than done...but we can all try right? :)

Oh and after our special zone meeting I seriously got an early Christmas!!!! I GOT MAIL!!!!!! TONS OF IT!!!!!!! :) Thanks to everyone! Wowzers! I was seriously overwhelmed!!! :) Letters from the following:

Bree and Spence-15 Oct.

Grammie-dearelder

Heather mills-dearelder

Mom-""Oct. 21

Else y Isaac-16 Oct

mom y hunter-20 Oct

Bro. Welch- Oct

Sis. Melanie Jorgensen-12 Nov

spackman fam-25 Nov

fam!-25 Nov.

dad, jar, hunt- 24 Nov.

and...A PACKAGE!!!!! from Mimi y papa (3 Nov.)

Holy smokes! Thanks so much everyone!!!! i am so grateful for all the support i have had on my mission so far! thanks so much! :) you are all incredible!

One of our investigators!

Karen: 21, is actually starting to care I think. She is fun to talk to and tries to help me with my Spanish when she can understand me. She is taking English classes so sometimes I am able to help her with her studies. we went through most of the baptismal interview questions with her and it was amazing! :) She came to all hours of church yesterday! Wowzers! :) She is working towards her date of baptism which is 27 Dic.

Last night we had an amazing stake meeting with tons of missionaries...we had mormon messages, special musical numbers, testimonies from members, and more! It was so neat! I was able to play violin! :) with Hna. South, and Elder Davis...Elder Hackey was on the piano. But afterwards...Sis.Chu-Jon was there!!!!!! Oh my heavens! (she is in my home stake!) amazing miracle! so fun to hug her and see her!

RANDOM:

-WE have to really have paciencia (patience) when crossing the streets!

-kinda gross...but we don't flush our toilet paper here...

-I LOVE galletas (Peruvian crackers/cookies)! :D maybe that's why my skirts don't fit...jk!

-This week we walked a ton!!!! Wowzers!

-Learned how to make scones Peruvian style

-Needed a black skirt for the program last night...my smelled like campfire...so I was resourceful and used my perfume to make it all better! haha!

-Totally used a ruler to cut this interesting fruit...

-I ate fried fish eggs...:/

FUNNIES AND INSPIRATIONALS:

-Was telling Hna. Guevara about how I made my sweet jungle shorts when I was fifteen...but i said "when I was 50..." oh dearest...numbers are so stinkin hard for me in Espanol!

-Mosiah 27:25-26...(gotta love the story of Alma the younger)

25 And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations,kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;

26 And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

-I am so sick of being whistled at, getting the creepy "hello" responses, and "oh...gringa!"...but just gotta love it! Whew! paciencia! ;)

Love you all so much! Brighten someones day this week with a kind thought, note, or just a simple smile! Ahhhh Christmas is close! :)

Love,

Hermana Coleman :D

Practicing for Christmas Show, lost my voice and following the spirit!

Dec. 8, 2014--Week #8
Wonderful, spectacular friends and fam!!!!

Wowzers! This week was sure interesting!

We are practicing for our HUGE Christmas show in the center of Trujillo...Hermana South and I are playing a duet, Away in a manger accompanied with the piano! And we are also playing in a quartet with 2 other elders! We have had practices the last two p-days...wowzers!

Practicing in her quartet!

A fun moment during practices!

Oh buddy today at the mission home during one of the practices I was walking down the kitchen stairs with my violin to grab a little choc. chip cookie...and I kind of slipped WITH MY VIOLIN...mind you! :/ Oh buddy...my E string totally broke and my pride kind of broke and I have some nice bruises...but all is well! :) Haha! Gotta love these little adventures!

Another big group singing practice!

(Can you find Jennesa? She has her excited face on peeking through the middle of the picture!)

This week i have been pretty sick...no worries though....just with lots of gross stuff in my throat and my nose...and in the middle of the week my voice was pretty much gone! So yeah...the language is hard as it is and the people hardly understand me at times but without a voice? uh yeah...struggle! but ya know...ANYTHING is possible with God...even speaking a different language voice with the voice of a man smoker! ;)

Okie dokie cute experience from my journal:

"WE visited hno. Paulino and hna. isidora again! there two girls are so cute! They get so excited when we come! neat expereince...we were running late so i grabbed two packs of crackers for hna. guevara and me and an apple...but it ended up we ate dinner anyway...so we just kept the food in our bags. well during the lesson i noticed the shiny apple and crackers in my bag and had a feeling to give them to the sweet girls! (5 & 7) it is crazy how fast satan works trying to make you doubt promptings because right after i had the thought all these funny doubts popped in my head..."oh, it will distract from the lesson"...or "there isn't enough for everyone"...but i went ahead and gave the girls the apple and cracker pack and man did they love it! hna. Guevara also gave them her pack that i had given her! They immediately ran up and shared with their mom and little sister! :) So sweet!

RANDOM:

-it actually rained here on Dec. 4th and Dec. 5th! it never rains here! :) i tried to enjoy it but it was on a tough day where no one was letting us in...but ya know!

-haha! Hna. Licha our pensionista one morning...came out with her make-up while we were eating breakfast and started trying to put it on us. apparantley we aren't the cutest missionaries. ;) she got as far as perfume with me and perfume and eyeliner with hna. guevara! oh buddy! i was laughing so hard!

-So...seatbelts are a thing of the past...and the taxis we ride in i am pretty sure that some of them are going to break down right in the middle of the road as we are driving...but seriously the Lord protects his missionaries!

-We served an investigator and helped her prepare her cena...fried fish...and i mean the whole fish! oh buddy! it was really interesting to see her prepare it...without a sink...running water...and a dishwasher. They love the heads of coy, fish and the feet of chicken...they think they are rico! :/

-Piano! :) in sacrament meeting...solomente the right hand with some chords but it was something. The holy ghost helped me have courage to get up and do it!

-Sad day...when two of my skirts don't fit anymore! :(

-Found 1ST COIN ON THE GROUND ON DEC. 6!!!!! :)

FUNNIES AND INSPIRATIONALS:

-Pretty sure in a lesson...i said the following: "i know that joseph smith WILL SEE jesus christ and heavenly father."...but in spanish...ugghhh!

-"mama!"-hna. guevara always says this when there is a creepy dog...or when we run across the street! :)

-Alma 31:37 (my goal...to stay in the present with my thoughts and keep them clean and pure)

-I have to remember we are planting seeds...even when people see us and start running for their houses...real life experience ;)

Love you all so much!!! :)

Love,

Hermana Coleman :D

Monday, December 1, 2014

Laureles Area!!

First Area!! Laureles 3: With Hermana Guevera!

"It is really big...it is one of the nicest areas, I've heard...

pretty crazy because it is one of the rich areas.

But, it still astounds me when I see some of the houses! :/

The Laureles and Central Zones!!

(Jennesa is in the tourquoise colored dress and white sweater in the second row!)

District: 1 set of Elders, 2 sets of Hermanas!...us included...so 6 people total! We eat with the other set of Hermanas!

Zone: Peru Laureles; 20 personas (people)...so 10 sets of missionaries...we have meetings each Martes (Tuesday)!

She tells about the Ward she is in: "Laureles...so good! the members are great! Our ward council...wow! Church is so hard, though...when it comes to understanding...whew! Sundays are probably the hardest day! We meet at 8am."

Sweet Hermana Marler hugging Hermana Guevera

while Jennesa cheers her on!

"A selfie from today in our room!

hugs and kisses!!!"

(Notice, the Christmas tree on the wall behind her!!)

Standing in front of the Trujillo Temple!

("So pumped! We will have the dedication date in 2 weeks! Yooooo hoooo! I've learned they say that instead of whooo hooo here in Peru!;-) Gotta be a latina instead of a gringa!"

She describes her apartment: "Nice...one room with a bathroom (we have a switch for hot water for the shower), closets, dresser, 2 desks by window looking out to a park, and our lovely bunk bed! We're on the 3rd floor of a complex...lugging my bags up all those stairs was sure an adventure that first night!

Describing her bed: (for Dad and Jarr :)): "Bottom bunk...facing the window...my sheets were like a sleeping bag and didn't cover the mattress...got some other ones. I have my lovely pink blanket and blue soft comfy one. Pics of fam on my wall by my bed!"

The Grateful Turkey they did on their wall!

Jennesa wrote, "This was so much fun to make with Hermana Guevara! Thanks for the fun idea, Mom! We gave the rest of the cute napkins to our amazing pensionista! :) She loved them even though we don't celebrate it here!"

At a Zone Training...

"Love you all so much! Just know that a little gringa is thinking about you in good ole Trujillo! :)"

Here are some other fun random facts she tells us about in response to our questions...

-Eating: We have a Pensionista who cooks all our meals: Hermana Licha! She is seriously so amazing! Love her! Lunch is the biggest meal here...kind of weird to get used to! The food is good...they have this scrumptious drink called moca that is delicious. It is hot and is kind of like watery oatmeal...it sounds gross...but I love it!!!!

-A Bishop in the area washes our laundry each Wednesday.

-Shopping is on p-days at little local stores.

-Water: I've been brushing my teeth with the sink water...esta bien! We drink from water bottles that we fill up with big jugs we store in our room. I really should drink more water.

-Yep...we get up at 6:30 am...earlier if we exercise at the park across the street.

-We go to bed at 10:30pm...well this is our goal but it is really tough with all the planning and getting ready...whew!

-We are in our apt. by 9pm.

-We have the same amount of computer time as in the CCM...1 hora (hour)!

-Oh my heavens! That necklace is so stinkin cute, Mom! You can keep it till I get home...I dont want it to get lost in the mail!

-Oh...are you sending my mass email to my laurel girls? S. Dillon, Welch, Allen, Sterner?

-Oh and i have been dying for updates on Spencer's mission papers!!!!! :) so pumped!

-Oh and possibly could you send the dragon-fly story for my comp (maybe even translated into Spanish) if not no worries.

-Big bummer...my music doesn't work...my flash drive doesn't load for some odd reason...luckily my comp has some good music!

Whew! hopefully this answers some of your questions! I wish I could write so much more! :) We opened first two Christmas presents and we have the cute little green tree on our wall! Thanks sooooo much! Oh and the paper bag turkey...I'll try and send a pic of what we did on thanksgiving! It was an interesting day...not celebrated here...for lunch I seriously had a half a plate of beets...thought of you Dad! :)

RANDOM:

-I have a violin that they gave me to practice and use for street contacting

-Played with a little girl and a slinky! :)

-My comps b-day was on Wed... fun stuff! loved making it fun for her!

FUNNIES AND INSPIRATIONALS:

-Drunk men are a little creepy one walked up to me and looked at me like i was two people or a ghost...and said "un angele!"...con ojos azule!" (An angel with blue eyes!) Aaaaaahhhh! A little creeped out. So now it's a joke with us!

-I´ve really been thinking lots about just trying our best and when we can't do it anymore the lord will help with the rest!

WE NEED TO REMEMBER TO DANCE IN THE RAIN!!! :)

Love you all sooooo much!

love,

Hermana Coleman :D

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Arriving in Trujillo, Peru!

Tues. November 19, 2014---
Jennesa Arriving in her mission in Trujillo, Peru!

Coming out of the airport!!

All of the newly arriving missionaries with

President and Sister Marler!

"Wow! This is super hard...but all is going to be ok...huh?! :) With God all things are possible...I just have to keep reminding myself! I sure love you all and loved all the pics and emails that were awaiting me! Thanks so much! Your support is seriously amazing! :) Trujillo is certainly different from the CCM...but it's good. My comp is so sweet! and we are totally doing the cute turkey idea, Mom! Thanks for that sweet package...I got it the day before I left the CCM! Perfect timing! Wow! Church in Espanol (Spanish) is way hard...it made me miss meetings in English...but poco a poco (little by little)...right? :)"

Having a little break for fun on the swings!

(Look how much fun Sis. Marler is having! So cute!)

All on the bus heading to the mission home!

Playing games to learn Spanish!

Receiving training from Pres. Marler!

Jennesa with her trainer, Hermana Gueverra!

"Well...it was super hard to say goodbye to everyone in el CCM (The Missionary Training Center)...our Distrito (District) was sooooo close and I really miss them! I hope they're all doing awesome in their missions. It was super hard to say goodbye to my two amazing comps...no more trio...but my new comp is incredible! Hermana Guevara! She herself is a testimony to me of how Heavenly Father answers our prayers! I was really praying for a loving and patient Latina companion who would be patient with my Espanol--and she really is! It amazes me sometimes of how she lets me read scriptures in the lessons and how she turns to me when she has no clue what is going to come out of my mouth. I am so blessed!"