5 months (last week!), templo, Mercado de Papas, Antonio!

Mis querida familia y amigos!!!!! 

Oh buddy...how I love you all so much!!! :)

This week we were able to have a really neat Capacitacion de Zona (Zone Conference) on Wed. I was able to participate in a special musical number with Hna. Smith and Hna. Afoa...we incorporated singing, violin, and piano with the hymn "Come Come Ye Saints"! It was neat to be able to practice and perform with them! I actually sang a solo...it was only one line...but hey! Spence y Hunt...ya proud of me? :) What a blessing! In our meeting I learned lots about how we can better plan and study! Wow! Also how we can have more excitement to contact everyone about this amazing gospel message we have to share! The same day of our conference, Hna. Huayton and I were able to put into practice lots of the great things we learned and our day was amazing! We both felt so great by the end of the day because we had worked really hard and we had seen miracles! We were able to find many new investigatores by contacting and by serving! We were in a part of our area...Mercado de Papas...which is very humble....but I LOVE it! We were able to help a woman, Eurestella wash her clothes...she was super sweet and we were able to laugh and joke with her and share about the gospel with her! Her neighbors were pretty surprised that we were washing her clothes for her and they started joking and yelling out..."Hey!  Everyone! Bring your clothes for these girls to wash!" jaja! What a neat feeling...I sure love service! And how neat when the people actually ask for your help! How humble...what neat examples to me! 

Hno. Antonio came to church yesterday!!!!! Remember him...we ran a couple times with him and his sister Lucero way early in the mornings...Whoooo Hooooo! He is also taking Mission Prep classes at the Institute building! What a neat and amazing miracle! He has opened up so much in our lessons! I LOVE seeing the change in people´s eyes and countenances when they start following the commandments and are able to receive the blessings of this incredible gospel! How neat and special! He is really thinking about a mission...how amazing! 

This week we went to the temple to pedir referencias (get referrals) for the last time...what a blessing it has been to have this special calling this cambio (transfer)! We sure were able to have some neat experiences with contacting people...because a huge cemetary is right next to the temple and so we are able to share the Plan of Salvation with this people. I was able to talk with a sweet woman who lost her son 9 years ago...I told her about my brother who had passed away also...almost 12 years ago. I have a pic of Hyrum (as well as all of you :)) in my scriptures...because I love showing people my family when I can! So I was able to show her the pic...it is still hard to convey all of my feelings in Espanol...but I made sure to give her an extra strong and loving hug to make sure she felt my love for her! :) 

Also we had an intercambio (went on splits) this week with our hermana leaders...and I was comps with my AMAZING MOM (they call their very first companion their "Mom") once again! So fun to be with Hermana Guevara again! She gave me some good tips and it was so neat to actually be able to teach better with her in comparison to my first couple of weeks! What tender mercies when we can see our progression, right? 

RANDOM:

-Holy Cow...I totally crave Coleman Classics here! I really should try to make them one of these next couple of P-days! :)

-Mail Update: Mimi y Papa, Sis. Gunnell, E. Longhurst, y PACKAGE FROM FAM!!!!!!!!!!!! Whooo Hooooo! We sure loved all the goodies! Holy Smokes! Hna. Huayton was so touched and excited about all of HER gifts too! Thanks so much! 

-Dogs and kids were a difficulty in our lessons this week...but 'tis ok! No se preocupe! :D

INSPIRATIONALS Y FUNNIES:

-Hna. Huayton and I love to sing hymns together and sometimes we randomly go into lovely opera voices! Gotta love it! As we are walking down the street...most people prob think we are really crazy! :D

-Yesterday I was frustrated with Hna. Huayton...because after church we kind of had a little disagreement, and it is always hard in these situations to explain myself in Spanish...well, while she was in the bathroom...I opened up my scriptures to where I had left off and this was the scripture I read.

Alma 34:31..."Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, IMMEDIATELY shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you."

Wow! Wake up call...I was being prideful and I needed to soften my heart. Also..."immediatey" was boxed in red...i needed to act then not wait! What a testimony builder that the scriptures are for US personally!"

I sure love you all so stinkin much!!!!!

Love,

Hermana Coleeeeman :D 

Week #22 -- La Clinica...monos...piedras en mis zapatos! (The Clinic...monkeys...little rocks in my shoes!)

March 9, 2015:

Que tal mis familiares y amigos maravillosos (How are all you marvelous friends and family)?! 

I sure do love you all so much! Thanks for all your prayers and support! What a blessing!

This week was interesting...with ups and downs...but as we say...es la vida de la mision (That's missionary life)! :)

We were able to have a really neat Multizona (multiple zones of missionaries) on Tues...and I was able to play my violin...we had a bit of a misunderstanding and I thought I was only playing one musical number...but I found out right before the meeting started that I was supposed to have a solo ready and play with the elders I talked to...oh buddy...luckily I had an English hymn book in my case and was able to play Be Still My Soul...what a tender mercy! :) In our meeting we talked about how to become a Consecrated Missionary. Oh while walking into the meeting we were given a handful of small rocks or piedras to put in one of our shoes...oh buddy...not comfortable at all...so neat though. These small rocks were symbols of the small sins we have in our lives...and how sometimes we try to shuffle the rocks or small sins around so we feel more comfortable but we don´t take time to take the piedras (small rocks) out. So interesting. Hermana Marler had us stand on the foot with the rocks and jump around...oh buddy! Whew! What a neat meeting!

A Picture of the Entire Multi-Zone Conference!!

(Jennesa is under the basketball rim, a little to the right, with a light aqua green dress on!)

 Hermana Coleman playing the violin to accompany

a duet in the zone conference meetings.  

A close up of the zone photo with Hermana Huayton (Jennesa's current companion in white) and Hermana Guevara (Jennesa's previous companion in a black dress that Jennesa gave to her) :-) 

 Hermanas (Sisters) Coleman and Huayton

at the Zone conference being funny! :)

On Wed we were able to have a really neat lesson with Antonio...a menos activo (less active member)...who we ran with him and his sister early in the morning a couple of times. He was really serious and pretty intimidating honestly during our lesson...but it was neat to really have to rely on the Spirit to help me with my Spanish and to tell me what I needed to say...or what Antonio needed to hear. The Spirit was so powerful. Afterwards he asked us if he could accompany us to the road because he couldn´t tell us what he wanted to in his house with all his family members around...while walking he told us that he was going to come back to church...this coming Sunday!!!!! But he wanted to keep it as a surprise for his family...holy camoly...what a milagro (miracle)! :) So special! We were both so excited...when we separated at the street Hna. Huayton and I both did our excited screams!...well quietly! But we were so excited! :) 

We were able to go to the temple again this week...this time at night from 5:30-9ish...the temple is so beautiful at night! Loved it! I did have a frustrating night that night though. The language has really been bogging me down lately. It is so hard to always be positive and keep smiling when person after person either laughs at you...acts like you are invisible because they don´t think you can understand of talk...tells your companion (with pity) that you can´t understand...or doesn´t understand you over and over and over. Whew...paciencia (patience) is a real virtue. This past week Hna. Huayton and I made a goal to focus on this attribute of Cristo (Christ)...and it seems like we have been given many ways to practice it...but practice makes better right?

RANDOM: 

-We were able to help Laura (MA--less active member) and her mother in law cook their lunch...fried fish with rice and potatoes. They fry the whole fish and it is a little grody when you have to handle the whole dead fish with blood and all...but it was surely an adventure! :)

-I have been having lots of stomach issues...but guess what?! I don´t have any parasites as of now! :)Yhoooo whoooo!

INSPIRATIONALS Y FUNNIES:

-We made handouts for our Consejo de Barrio (Ward Council Meeting--the leaders in the congregation meet and talk about how to help lift and serve the members of the ward) and on the back we put a quote by Pres. Monson about service and helping hands...while I was copying it i noticed that i had been writing monos for hands instead of manos! monos are monkeys! oh buddy! luckily I caught it before hand...we were able to have a good laugh though! :)

-Alma 32:24...I sure needed this when I was struggling with feeling left out because of my Spanish and being the only gringa (North American missionary in our small meal group) now without Hna. Mathis. What a neat book the Book of Mormon is! 

I sure love you all and I love this church! What a blessing it is in our lives! 

Love,

Hermanita Coleeeeman! :D

Alma 32:22-27

 22 And now, behold, I say unto you, and I would that ye should remember, that God is merciful unto all who believe on his name; therefore he desireth, in the first place, that ye should believe, yea, even on his word.

 23 And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also. Now this is not all; little children do have words given unto them many times, which confound the wise and the learned.

 24 And now, my beloved brethren, as ye have desired to know of me what ye shall do because ye are afflicted and cast out—now I do not desire that ye should suppose that I mean to judge you only according to that which is true—

 25 For I do not mean that ye all of you have been compelled to humble yourselves; for I verily believe that there are some among you who would humble themselves, let them be in whatsoever circumstances they might.

 26 Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.

 27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

Got some PICTURES and a LETTER in the mail today from Jennesa!

Mar. 7, 2015:

Hermana Guevara and Jennesa

"We love platenos!" (bananas)

Walking down the street in Trujillo, Peru!

Hermana Coleman and Guevara having a photo opportunity in the mirror building across the street!

"Ya gotta love tracting!!"

Week #21 -- Ojos para milagros (look for miracles)!, 5:10 AM, Lima con HNA. SOUTH! (to Lima with Sister South), Templo (Temple)!

Mar. 2, 2015:

Dear incredibly amazing Familia y Amigos (Family and Friends) !!!!!

Just wanted to let you all know that I love you all so stinkin much! And I am so so stinkin' excited right now because I just read that Spence got into the Y!!!!!!! And that Erin Kelly is coming to PERU!!! The mission right next to mine...and we actually might be in the same mission because of the split this June! Holy Cowages! :)

Anyway! :)

This week we were able to run really early in the morning with two of our menos activos (less active members), Antonio (21) and Lucero (16). Lucero is basically an alma rescitada (a reactivated member) because she attends church each week with all her little siblings...but we still need to teach her most of the lessons. Her brother Antonio had a bad experience with the church a few years ago when he was getting his mission papers ready so he really doesn´t want anything to do with the church. Well we had a NDH (FHE--Family Home Evening) with their family last Lunes (Monday) and afterwards Antonio got home from a run...he hurriedly said hi to us and went to his room...but my lovely comp kept continuing the conversation by asking him questions...because he could still hear us. Gotta love her! We found out he liked to run...so we decided that we would all run in the morning...but Lucero had school at 6:30 so we had to meet at 5:20! Whew! Sacrifices! So worth it...little by little Antonio is beginning to open up! The Lord sure knows us and loves us! 

This last Viernes (Friday) I was able to go to Lima for my visa with our group in the CCM (MTC--Missionary Training Center) !!!! Hermana SOUTH! (my companion from the CCM), Tonga, and Hansen! It was so fun to talk and spend time with my sistas! Hermana South and her comp were able to sleep over in our room for two nights...so that was super fun too! ...on the plane ride back I was able to sit by a stranger instead of another missionary...which was a huge blessing! I was actually able to have a conversation with him and tell/show him pictures of my family and talk to him about the gospel! We talked about the temple, a summary of Lesson 1...with the folleto (pamphlet)...y otros preguntas (and other questions)! It was really neat! He was actually pretty receptive and was very kind and patient with my Spanish! :) I always feel so good when I can share this neat gospel with others! 

Hna. Huayton and I were able to go to the temple this week...we sit at a booth in front of the temple and contact people who walk by and also answer questions! It was really fun...we brought along our investigator Karen and an amazing member, Tania, who is getting ready to put her mission papers in! It was super fun! I was able to bring along my violin and play hymns and I love to see the temple! What a fun blessing! 

So Domingo (Sunday) we went to pick up our golden investigator, Mishell for church! She was a reference from las hermanas (the Sisters) and she is amazing! She is 13 and the first time we were able to contact her was last week on Sabado (Saturday)...we invited her to church the next day and she accepted! Last week she was so cute and got all ready WITH a skirt and everything! She is so sweet...and we have been able to meet with her! Well we went to pick her up yesterday and her grandma...who is basically her mom because her mom didn´t take care of her when she was younger...answered the door. She is really intimidating and she basically told us that Mishell couldn´t come with us and that when she was old enough to choose for herself she could choose...but now was not the time. The part that ripped out a part of my heart was when I saw sweet Mishell in the back ground all ready with her skirt on and everything! Please pray for Maria for her heart to be softened! And for sweet MIshell! :)

RANDOM:

-We switched pensionistas (cooks)...kind of sad...because Hna. Licha was like my second mom...but everything has a reason! :)...now my pensionista is Hna. Rosa! :) She is very sweet...isn´t a member...YET! :)

-Tons of rain on Miercoles (Wednesday)! Whew! :)

FUNNIES Y INSPIRATIONALS:

-When Hna. South and I got back from the airport it was about 11:30pm and we didn´t have keys so we had to yell our companions names...luckily our window was open! :) Hna. South´s comp yelled back..."Somos catolicas (We are Catholic)!" haha! eventually they softened their hearts and let us in! :)

-Oh my heavens we were able to watch "Gracias a El" (Because of Him) the video with one of our family of investigators! That video is incredible! Goosebumps of the spirit everytime! Watch it! 

So much love you can´t even imagine it! 

Love,

Hermanita Coleeeeeman! :D