Sweet note from another Hermana who returned home from her mission!!

May 18, 2015:

We received the following facebook message from Hermana Asencio. (She has returned home from her mission now and lives in Peru.)  She wasn't ever Jennesa's companion, but she was in the other companionship that ate all their meals with Jennesa for the first 24 weeks of Jennesa's mission in Peru!!
Here is her note translated into English the best I could with help of my broken Spanish and Google Translate!! :-)

"Jennesa is doing very well.  Before I left, I got to see her.  She has lost a little bit of weight, but that is because she is doing exercise, not because of being sick.  She looked really good.  In fact, next week, I'm traveling to Lima to go buy her temple clothes for her. I will send them to her.  But don't worry.  She is doing very good.  She is now training and is my favorite missionary!  I cried A LOT when I said goodbye to her.  All the members love her sooo much!"

Hermana Guevara, Hermana Huayton, Jennesa!, Hermana Ascencio!!

Another Surprise and Tender Mercy for us!!

May 18, 2015:
We received the following letter on our email this morning!!

"Hi . . . This is Ray Hansen from Utah.  My son and I visited the Trujillo Temple Open House last week.   Your daughter was our guide translating what the regular tour guide was saying in each room of the temple.  She just radiated the spirit and was so helpful the hour we were at the temple.  When she spoke to others in Spanish, it seemed very natural for her.  As you can see in the attached photos, see is a healthy, happy, servant of the Lord far away from home.  She made our visit to the temple so very special. Thank you for your sweet missionary daughter.

Sincerely,   Brother Hansen"

This is one of the pictures he sent us!  It's always so fun to get pictures!!

What an answer to prayers this email was for me!!  I had been worrying about her being sick and praying that she could start feeling better and was just pleading with Heavenly Father ever since we talked with her on Mother's Day!  This was such a comfort for me!  Bro. Hansen truly was an instrument in the Lord's hands in answering my prayers!

Week #32 -- I LOVE the temple! :), paciencia (patience), show curtain!, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD! :D

May 18, 2015:

Wonderful friends and family!!!! :D

I sure love you all! Thanks always for your prayers, your thoughts, and your sweet emails, letters, and packages! Enserio (Seriously) ! 

All of the Sisters in the mission who get to help serve at the Trujillo Temple Open House by giving tours! (Jennesa is standing on the left side, second row in the white shirt!) 

Whelp...it seriously is incredible how tired we are at the end of the week due to all our time spent in the temple! But seriously...what a blessing! :) I seriously have had such a neat time being able to talk to people about their experiences in the temple and helping them realize that this gospel is for them too...and that the temple is the GOAL! :) We were able to go to the temple with a big group of members, investigators, and menos activos (less active members) in Obispo (Bishop) Monzon's combi! (van!) :) So neat! :)

Another picture in the Visitor's Center of some of the Missionaries who will be helping with the Temple Tours!

A really neat thing is that I have been able to see so many fun people from my last and first area...Laureles! So amazing...because with transfers we hardly have any time to say our goodbyes...so it has been so neat! I kind of freak out when I see people and have to control myself...so I don't scream or squeal too loud ;)...this week I was able to see Gissela...remember her? (her daughter, Valentina and her future husband, Joe)...Hna. Guevara and I were working with them to get married so Gissela could get baptized) but it was so fun to see them! We took some pics and it was amazing to see her and Joe together! :) 

Some of the crowds waiting outside the temple!!

The temple is such a blessing...but it is a little tough to not have time in our areas, or time to clean, or time to write in our journals...but it is SUCH A BLESSING! I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity...this is just perfect for my patience...because I sure do need to have more! :) Always...what a great blessing that our Father in Heaven is patient with us...I just need to be patient with myself...and with everyone else! :) 

Look who else Jennesa saw?  Hermana South (her first companion from the MTC!!)

Wow...training is tough...but what a blessing to have Hna. Sarat helping me and having another opinion and more experience! Hna.Maydana is so sweet and loving...but she tends to get scared to be direct and invite people especially about baptism. Still she is working towards her goal to invite to baptism...in the two times we gave her the opportunity she didn't...she is struggling because she wants to feel the Spirit and it's tough because Hna. Sarat and I felt the spirit in the lesson...so it's hard because I'm not sure if she just doesn't want to...with nerves and all...or if she really just didn't feel that it was time. So we are working together towards this goal! She is doing great and working hard and being patient! :)

RANDOM:

-We finally got the hooks for our shower curtain! I took some pics to celebrate! :) 

-I SURE LOVED GETTING YOUR PACKAGE!!! :D Thanks so much for the probiotics...I've been taking them each day since...and the amazing temple recommend holders! :) Hna. Maydana and Hna. Saratwere so excited! :D

-The sweet pensionista (cook) of the zone leaders is in our ward and I love her! After Sac. Mtg. she told us she needed to talk to just the three of us in one of the classrooms...a little weird...but then in the classroom she took out a Tupperware with three big slices of BANANA BREAD for us!!!! Holy Cow! So sweet! 

INSPIRATIONALS Y FUNNIES:

-I loved this thought in Principios del Evangelio (Gospel Principles) this week from Elder Bates..."We don't work in the church, we serve in the church."

-My pics are my funnies for this week! :) 

-Quote from PME (Preach My Gospel)! "Every morning...missionaries should get on their knees and plead with the Lord to loosen their tongues and speak through them to the blessing of those they will be teaching. If they will do this, a new light will come into their lives. There will be greater enthusiasm for the work. They will come to know that in a very real sense, they are servants of the Lord speaking in His behalf. They will find a different response from those they teach. As they do so by the Spirit, their investigators will respond under the influence of the same Spirit."

LOVE YOU ALL BUNCHES! :D

Love,

Hermana Coleman :D

Week #31 -- Wow! So fun to SEE and TALK to you guys! :)

May 11, 2015:

Mom, Dad, Spence, Caden, Hunt, Bree, and Jar! :)

I sure love each of you so stinkin much! What an amazing blessing that I was able to actually talk to you all! 

We were able to get ready for our new missionary for 2 days before we met her! We weren't sure what language she spoke...so we did things in both! :) So fun to get her desk all cute and ready with treats and notes and her bed too! She loved it! We had so much fun doing it together too! Hermana Sarat is the best! And so is Hermana Maydana!

Wow...so there are days that I feel like wow...my Spanish is doing really good...but there are also moments, or lessons, or even days where I am pretty sick of Spanish and I just wish I could talk in English and express EVERY SINGLE THOUGHT that came to my head...without having to think of the words I need to ask how to say or describe one word that I don´t know...with about 10! ja ja! Oh buddy...it sure is a struggle at times...but that is how we are able to be molded in the hands of the Lord right?! :) 

So training...what an adventure!



Jennesa with the other Elders and Sisters in the mission home--called to serve as trainers (to train a new missionary)

  Jennesa smiling on the third row waiting for her new companion to be assigned (ended up being Hermana Maydana from Bolivia!!--on the front row in the light blue blouse on the far right).  It appears that she and her companion, Hermana Sarat, will train Hermana Maydana together this transfer--and then Sister Sarat goes home to Guatemala and Jennesa will finish the last six weeks of the 12-week training period!

 What a blessing to have Hna. Sarat with me helping me with her experience...cuz like a told you all...she has had 2 other daughters! :) I have realized that I need to be much more patient with Hna. Maydana...because she doesn't have trouble with the language...at times I forget that she is a greenie and I just think that she should know everything about the mission life. I really need to think less about myself and more about her. Being in a trio is tough...it reminds me of the good old elementary school days when I had a group of 2 friends playing at our house and ALWAYS someone was left out...well not always...but ya know. So it definitely has it's struggles...but it has it's benefits too! :) And it kind of bugs...because Hna. Maydana is really touchy...she is soooosweet...but she loves to hold onto my arm or stand really close to me or even lean on me while we're standing while working on the temple grounds...it sounds dumb...but it really bugs. So I'm really trying to work on my patience! :) 

At the temple with our new missionary! Hna. Maydana! She is 21 and from Bolivia! She is super sweet and so loving and willing to learn and work hard! What a neat experience to be able to be guided through the temple by Presidente and his sweet wife and to be able to take some fun pics afterwards! :) WHOOOO HOOO! What a blessing temples are! :) I sure love you all!

Oh so after I put forth all my might and pushed the "end call" button on Skype all these different things came to my mind that I forgot to do or say! 

Here are the ones I can think of right now...

-Play my violin for you...mom especially for mothers day

-Show Bree that her awesome bracelet is still going strong! I have been wearing it ever since you gave it to me Bree! Are you still wearing yours?

-Dad..I felt bad...you really didn't have a turn to talk! :( So sorry! 

-Take a picture of you all! :( With me! Bummer! I even ran back to our apartment to grab my camera.

-Wish you mom and dad a happy happy anniversary tomorrow! Hope you have a wonderful day! (23 wonderful years down and forever to go!)

-And probably more...I wish I could have talked to you each more! But ya know! I still LOVED every single minute of it! :) I even went over 10 minutes! yipes!

Wow...another thing that is so stinkin hard on the mission is time! There is so little of it...especially now with the temple open house! We have 6 hour shifts everyday except for Fridays and Sundays! Oh my heavens tabesty! I love it...but it is tough for our areas...for our studies...and things like that! I also have fallen into the ugly pit of not writing in my journal...ughh! But what a blessing that I have emails...and I use a 3x5 card and try to write the things that happened that day by scrunching it into 2 lines...then at least I have those to write and catch up on my journal...but it stinks cuz I don't remember all of the neat experiences I have...so I need to make time...but really...I don't know how! :/ Dad...any advice? Cuz we are also supposed to be reading the LDM (Book of Mormon) to finish it in the 6 weeks...so 20 de mayo like Hna. Marler told us...while circling the references of Jesucristo. I love it...but yet again...little time! But PACIENCIA (patience)! :) What a blessing to have the time I have as a missionary here in good ole Trujillo!

RANDOM:

-So the zone leaders bought us a shower curtain...and we were so excited right? Cuz it was cute! And we went to put it up but they bought it without the rings to hook it up...so yeah...our water still sprays and gets our floor all wet...ja ja! (ha ha!)

-Hna. Maydana is a great teacher...so amazing that she hasn't even had a week yet!

INSPIRATIONALS Y FUNNIES:

-Oh my heavens...both of my comps think my eyes are scary sometimes...we were talking one time and Hna. Maydana said they look like eyes of a dog with rabies! ja ja! oh dearest!

-Love this thought!

"Don't walk...RUN! to receive the blessings of our Father." "How we live our religion is much more important than what we say about our religion" -Robert D. Hales

Mom...I would love any cute blouses you can send! :) yeah...like the 3D flowers or things like that! :) You are the best...you all are the bestest ever! :)

Thanks for praying for me and worrying about me! My stomach...will get better! Lots of prayers and I need to be better about taking my medicine! :)

SO MUCH LOVE!!!!

Love,

Hermana Coleman :D

A surprise for us!!

May 12, 2012:  Our Facebook Miracle!!

Landon posted the following on his facebook:  "This week Jennesa will begin to serves six hours every day except Friday and Sunday giving tours in the newly completed Trujillo Peru Temple . . . use link below to have a beautiful video tour and imagine Jennesa walking through this sacred temple!  The tour is so peaceful and beautiful . . . truly one of God's houses on Earth.

http://ldsliving.com/story/78863-feel-the-spirit-of-the-trujillo-peru-temple-in-video-tour

Well, a day or two later, Landon received a message from facebook with the following pictures!! 

It was a note from Sister Costa.  She had seen some of their mutual friends "like" his post about the Trujillo temple.  She sent us a little note saying that she was on her way to the Trujillo Temple Open house when she saw it!  Then she said, "Guess who was the first Sister I saw when I walked in the temple?...Sister Coleman!!"  She was so sweet and took this picture with her!  It absolutely made our day and we felt so grateful!!

 

 Hermana Coleman with Hermana Costa (wife of an Area Seventy who connected the video link above that I put on Face Book to our Hermana Coleman!

Tender mercies of the Lord!!

She also sent this one of Jennesa with her two new companions serving in the temple giving the tours!!

Jennesa with Hermana Maydana (from Bolivia) and Hermana Sarat (from Guatemala)

What beautiful young women serving the Lord valiantly!!

Mother's Day Skype with Jennesa!!

May 10, 2015:  Mother's Day Skype with Jennesa!!

It was sooo much fun to see her and hear her voice!!

We even got to meet and talk with her two companions!!

Hermana Coleman with Hermana Maydana and Hermana Sarat!

We always cry together!! :-)

She shared such neat experiences she was having while giving tours for the Trujillo Temple Open House!!

We had to get a "thumbs up" picture!!

ENSERIO?!?! :D (Seriously?!?! Happy face sideways)

May 4, 2015:

We waited all day and then received this e-mail and 2 photos from Jennesa!!  She was in a meeting with all of the Sister Missionaries about serving as tour guides during the open house for the brand new Trujillo Peru Temple (see photo below).  The open house will go for weeks beginning on May 8th.  During this time the Temple is open to the public for tours.  On June 21st, this Temple will be dedicated.  Then it will be used for sacred ordinances like baptism for those who have already passed on and the sealing of couples and families (eternal marriage).  What a blessing! 

Dear amazing and fabulous family and friends!

Holy Smokes...it is SO crazy how quickly things can change in our lives...just wait for the news! :)

Oh my heavens! Today we were able to have an incredible experience as hermanas (Sister missionaries)...ALL of the hermanas in the whole mission were able to have a meeting together in preparation for the temple open house that is.....THIS WEEK!!!! 8 de Mayo (May 8th)!!! Holy Cowages! And the most amazing part was that as hermanas we were able to WALK THROUGH THE TEMPLE...not around it...not by it...THROUGH IT! With Elder Uceda, Elder Richards, their wives, and President Marler and Hermana Marler (Mission President and wife)! What an incredible and unforgettable experience...it is so beautiful...I didn´t realize how much I missed the wonderful feeling in the temple...the feeling that we are not in the world! :) The paintings are SO beautiful and I noticed that there are so many with Christ and the women that he helped and blessed in His life. 

Also Wow!!! so uh last night we received a CALL from Elder Brown (one of the assistants to President Marler). We knew that we were going to be receiving two new hermanas (Sister missionaries) in our zone and district so we were just awaiting to hear who the new hermanas in Laredo would be because they are going to be living with us! Which is going to be fun and interesting. What a huge and gigantic surprise when we found out that we would BOTH be training a new missionary! :D (sideways smiley face) We both experienced and are still experiencing all of the feelings imaginable with this special calling. I just need to always remember that the Lord has a plan for each one of us and He needs me to be a trainer along with Hna. Sarat at this time. What a humbling and overwhelming feeling but we were able to have a neat training this morning...we will see who our greenie daughter (new Sister missionary arriving from the Missionary Training Center this week, that we will train to be a missionary in the Peru Trujillo Mission) is on Wed! So excited! So 5 hermanas will be living in our apartment! :)

This week we were able to get really excited about the temple open house with handing out invitations we have...it is so much fun to be able to talk to so many people each day! And these invitations have totally helped us in our goal of contacting 4 personas cada dia (four people every day) ...this is a struggle for us, because it always seems like we are running from one appointment to another. So we are doing better! Love it! :)

We were able to receive more strength this week in helping Hna. Dali...we prayed and are still praying that we will be able to talk to her parents about her decision to be baptized...because she has the desires...but they want her to be more mature. Her dad told her that she could probably be baptized in the next baptismal service. Poco a poco (little by little)...we are not going to give up. 

Wow...I am overwhelmed, excited, and nervous all at the same time for the many changes that are taking place...but I know that the Lord has a plan for me and He knows that I am ready to be molded some more in His hands to become a better working instrument...possibly a violin. ;) 

RANDOM:

-This week I brought out my fuzzy socks and wore them with my sandals while we were waiting for cambios (transfers) and working on updating our Area Book! 

Ha ha! I wanted to be comfy and finally use my fuzzy socks that I LOVE SO STINKIN much...it´s been so hot lately so I haven´t used them...but it sure felt good! :)

-We were able to enjoy bananas with condensed milk! Oh so delicious!

-We were able to RUN...more like jog...every morning this week...menos Domingo (except not on Sunday)!

INSPIRATIONALS Y FUNNIES:

-We were able to take some fun pics this week of our reactions after we received THE CALL! :)

-Sweet Hna. South wrote me a handwritten letter and I got it this week...in it she talked about this scripture...that I LOVE! :)

John 21:25 "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen."

How incredible right?! It really is all about the little things! Because by little things are great things brought to pass!

Sure love you all and remember that you are all making a difference in the lives of others...whether you know it or not!

Loves,

Hermana Coleman :D

I am so excited to get to talk to you all this Sunday! How quick time flies! And what an amazing blessing that Pres. Marler lets us talk for a whole hour!!!! :)