Baptisms Planned

June 17, 2013

So exciting news Ruben and Jorge are getting baptized the 7th of July and I am so excited for them! This week has been good. We had some really neat lessons with our investigators and I got to extend the baptismal invitation for Ruben and it went so well he said, “I would love to”,  how neat is that! This week we went on splits with one of the leaders of the sister missionaries’ and she was sick so now I have a nice cold but hopefully I can recover soon because there is no time to rest.  There is lots to be done and people to help.

Last Monday we visited Santa Lucia. Enjoy the  pictures of my adventures.

So challenge to everyone this week read the General Conference talks. They are so amazing. I love reading them and I learn something new every time.

So here is a shout out to my Dad.

I'm a little more grown-up now, but I'll always be Daddy's little Girl!

So my dad is probably the best dad out there (sorry to all the other dads) but he really has been a role model to me and an example to me my whole life. I am so thankful he has been a righteous example to me and has protected and taken care of our family. Love you so much dad!

So yesterday was my companion Hermana Rivera´s birthday we had a fun day and celebrated her birthday at the house of our mission leader. He is great and helps us do our job more efficiently. She turned 23 and she really is a great comp. I really enjoy learning from her and we really teach well together. WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR RUBEN AND JORGE they are progressing so much and are excited about their baptisms.

Well I hope ya’ll have such a great week. Know that I love you so much!

Hermana Jennings

Nighttime in Santiago

Plan of Salvation

May 10, 2013

SO this week was so amazing! I have learned a lot about life about the gospel and about people on my mission and I would like to share what I have learned. 

1. It is all about how you view things and looking for the diamond in the rough

If you would have asked me about my sector El Golf like 2 months ago I would have said it was great halfheartedly, but in reality I didn’t have much hope for this area.  There had not been any progress for years.   There was one baptism, but she basically got baptized into inactivity.  We have worked and walked and worked and walked some more and nothing. Well this week can I say that we have 2 solid investigators and one of them has a date for baptism. I don’t know if I would have believed this a couple months ago. So anyone out there who is in a time in their life that is hard or that looks like there is no silver lining just hold on there, because there is always a diamond in the rough. Things will get better or you will become better and stronger. Look past your circumstances and focus on the one, focus on what you are doing every moment of everyday and look for opportunities to help others feel important and to love everyone you meet. Live the gospel in the hard times and the good times and remember the Lord in all your blessings. I have a testimony that the Lord places us in certain places for a reason -  there is a person we need to help or something we  need to learn. Sometimes I wonder why bad things happen in this life and then later that day I get to teach someone about the Plan of Salvation http://www.lds.org/topics/plan-of-salvation and I am reminded of the great mercy of our Lord and his perfect plan for his children that he loves dearly. If anyone out there is having a hard time or a big change has come into your life -  one that is a hard change then study the Plan of Salvation this week and I promise that you will feel Gods love for you and you will feel that where ever  you are whatever you are going through has a purpose to help shape you into the person God wants you to be. 

2. The impossible is not impossible with the Lord on your side

So this week I got a phone call from Elder Fisher, the mission Elder who is over all the finances, and he told me that we were paying too much for our apartment and asked if we could find a new one,  in one month that was around $600 a month and had 3 or 2 bedrooms in the nicest part of Chile. I am thinking shoot all the ones we have been looking at are around $1200 a month and everyone laughs or gives us looks of unbelief when we say we are looking for an apartment for around $600 a month in this area. Then I remembered whose name is on my name tag and thought you know what if you pray and I pray then I know the Lord will provide.  So we have started the housing hunt so if ya’ll would pray that we can find a house that would be great cause if we don’t I get to experience what it is like to be homeless ( ok I doubt they would actually kick us out on the street, but it would be an experience to say the least).  I know that if it is the Lords will then we will find a place to live. I think that is some of the most important things to consider and remember when we pray is to ask for the Lords will. sometimes we want something so bad that we ignore or don’t even considered the Lords will and when this happens we miss out on blessings and sometimes great sorrow follows, but always remember that the Lords hand is stretched out still.  He is always waiting for you and for me to turn to him grab his hand and accept his will and then we will live the life that God wants us to live. 

3. I love the people here so much

I really have come to love my ward here and my investigators and it makes me so sad that I will have to leave them someday and I will probably never see them again, but as my parents always say somethings have to end.  I think friendships never have to end because one day we will all meet again in heaven but all in all goodbyes are always hard.  Remember that meeting a new friend and touching their life is amazing and that the Lord sends us where he needs us in the moment he needs us. 

4. Visa run

This week we got to go to Plaza De Armas and do the very long process of getting my Visa it was fun cause this part of Santiago has old buildings and reminds me a little of Italy and I loved every minute of it. One of the problems with my visa run was that there were Elders that spoke English and I talked to them in English all morning and then with a Realtor about an apartment that afternoon and when it was time to speak Spanish again it was rough.  Like it was so sad one of my investigators said I sounded gringo.  That night and I was so sad,  I learned a lesson that I was called to speak Spanish not English and that I need to always speak Spanish  It is important that I speak Spanish because the people I teach speak Spanish and in need to speak well so that they can understand me and feel the spirit and learn about the gospel.  That is my purpose and it feels terrible when you can’t communicate well. So all in all we all make mistakes but let’s learn to learn from them and better ourselves. 

5. Piano

This week my comp and I have been practicing piano before district class and before church and it is so fun I love it so much.  I could kick myself for not taking it more seriously when I was younger, but i don’t think my time for piano is over.  I know that it will be harder to learn now but I have a goal to learn to play the hymns so that I can serve in the church for those who need a piano player.  I still have a long ways to go but I can now play 4 hymns haha oh ya... ok we all have to start somewhere right?  haha  I’m writing this to ya’ll so ya’ll can keep me accountable for this new goal!  it won’t be easy but it will be worth it.

Well I love the mission so much and I love teaching our investigators and we had 2 come to church this week again and it was amazing and they loved it. I know that the Lord has prepared these people and it is just a testimony to me that the Lord loves and watches over all of his children. Love ya’ll and have a great week

Hermana Jennings

Lots of Rain!!!!

1. It rained and rained.....AWESOME

So it really rains here like a lot! haha but I sent a fun picture of the lake I got to stand by, oh wait that was the Street! haaha It was super fun and my boots are legit mom no water and it rains a ton! We work hard whether it is rain or shine.  

2.  Jorge Came to Church

So this week we had 2 investigators come to church.  It was the first time I have had an investigator come to church my whole mission. Shoot I was so nervous like I was running all over the place.  Then he came and I was freaking out inside and praying that everything would go good and it went well.  The Ward was so great and they just took Jorge under their wing and made him feel right at home. He is really progressing.  We went to his house to watch the Joseph Smith movie with him.  We taught him the Word of wisdom like a month and a half ago and just recently this week were able to teach him lesson one and then when we went over for the movie. He told just he had stopped smoking and drinking tea and coffee for 3 days and that he was never going to drink them again or smoke.  We really didn’t do anything, he did it all himself.  It was so amazing. I am so excited for him it is so neat to teach him and he really values what we are teaching him and is excited! This gospel really does change people and I am so excited to be a part of this work I love being a missionary so much!

3. Soladad´s Angel

This week we went and visited a sister in our Ward who is inactive. We had a thought to share all planned but when we finished singing the hymn I just starting talking and it was not what I had planned, it was definitely one of those times when it was the Spirit talking. I really don’t remember what I even said but we really got down to what she needed that night and it helped her so much. She said that I was her Angel and that she knows that God has sent me into her life to help her. It was such a neat experience. She came to church the next day. I have a strong testimony that the spirit is the one that changes lives and tells us what to say and we are only the tools that God uses to bring about his work. So live worthy to feel the spirit and act on the promptings -  just open your mouth and the words will come.

4. Baptism after Church

After church this Sunday one of the little girls in our ward was getting baptized and we went to it and so did Jorge.  He said the experience was beautiful! (he is next!) I had the neatest experience when she got confirmed with the Holy Ghost I could feel the spirit so strongly.  It was like electricity surging through my body and I could literally feel the power of the Spirit. I know that the Holy Ghost is real and that it testifies to us of the things of God.

5. Ruben, the Lord truly does prepare people for the gospel

So the other day we got a reference and we contacted a man named Ruben.  When we started the lesson we were just talking about his general beliefs and what he has heard about the gospel. He told us he has read the whole Book of Mormon and is almost done with Doctrine and Covenants. We were like, that is awesome, he is really prepared and is looking for more in his life. I know that this gospel is the thing for him. It was amazing because I think we have come into his life at just the right moment. The thing I learned from this is: 1. Be patient and the Lord will bless you 2. the Lord has a time and plan for all of his children and that we much trust in God’s timing.

Well I love the mission so much and I pray for ya’ll every day! Smile and go make someone else smile!

Love,

Hermana Jennings

Missionary Work Progresses

So this week has been such a great week! My new comp is great and we really teach well together.  She is a great teacher. She has taught me so much already and it’s only been a week. So it’s been fun to have a new comp she is new to the area and doesn’t know anyone or the area so I pretty much plan everything and get us place to place.  This has been a neat experience for me because I can actually do this.  I have had to rely on the Spirit a ton more to be able to know what to do next and this has led us to some pretty neat experiences and some new investigators.

This week we had to take it a little easy because my comp is recovering from surgery but she has been such a trooper that’s for sure! She really does all she can but we really have been blessed with success this week even though we couldn’t work the whole time all the time.

Teaching Jorge

So Jorge is an old investigator that we were teaching. We had only taught him one time and then he was never home, but this week we randomly went to his house and he was home.  It was a miracle and he was excited to have us teach him.  We taught him lesson one and about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. It was so neat to watch him learn whenever he would learn something new,  he would be like,  “Really I never knew that,”  and he was fascinated.  It was neat to see. It was funny cause he was the only one home so we taught him in his outside patio area where there was a light but it was a movement censored light so every 5 minutes the lights would go off and we had to raise our hands above our heads for the sensor to detect and then the lights would turn on.  It was really quite funny, but it didn’t interrupt the lesson and we were able to teach and feel the spirit. We are going to watch the restoration movie with him this Friday and I am so excited cause he is really excited about it. He wants to learn. I pray that he will join the church and that he progresses.  He is such a great guy and such a fun person to be around he has a fun personality, full of laughter. Ya’ll would really like him.

Splits with Cristal and Lesson for Thina

Cristal from  our Ward

So this week we took Cristal, a 15 year old girl in our ward who is so strong in the gospel and such a stud,  with us to a lesson with Thina.  It was such a great lesson. Thina is so golden, but it’s a bummer because she does not live in our area.  She lives in Puente Alto but she works in El Golf so we teach her. She was so neat because we taught the Word of Wisdom and she was like I drink coffee but now I won’t drink any more coffee.  It was amazing!  She is such a sweet lady and she is in Alma in the Book of Mormon. It is such a bummer we can baptize her or even challenge her to baptism as she lives out of our area.  The Elders who work in her area are going to visit her next Sunday so that is great.  It was so neat to have Cristal there she really has such a strong testimony and she shared a personal experience that really added to the lesson.  It is so important to bring members to lessons.  So members go to the missionaries this Sunday and ask when you can go out on splits with them cause it makes all the difference.  We all have a responsibility to help with missionary work and don’t be scared because the Lord is on your side. Love ya’ll and be brave and help bring forth the work.

Teaching Thina

Dinner at the Bishops House

Funny times in the Subway

So this Sunday we had dinner at the Bishops house after church and that was so great because they brought 2 investigators for us to teach. The thing that was so great was that another family was there and there was lots of people, lots of food, and lots of love.  It reminded me of my home when we would invite people over for dinner and then have a game night afterward it was so fun and I felt that I was at home with all of ya’ll eating have enjoying good company. One of the investigators wanted to listen but the niece of the Bishop was not really sure.  She said she would think about it, but the Bishop is going to keep working with her and we are going to have a family home evening with them soon.  Pray that she can have her heart softened and listen to our message because she was almost baptized when she was 15.

I just love my ward so very much there are just some really great people in my ward. They feel like my family here.  There is one sister Hermana Alarcon - she is like my mom here.  I call her mom and she calls me hija (daughter) It’s the best!  I just never want to leave this place it is so true that when you serve people you just love them so much more!  I love the mission so very much and I am working hard every day. I pray for all of you all the time and hope that you all are doing so very well. Don’t forget how much God loves you and that you are all important!

Love ya’ll

Hermana Jennings

Farewell Chinese Dinner with Sister Cisneros

Transfers & a Bloody Nose

May 20, 2013

This week has been a crazy one full of adventures and lots of change. So here’s what happened.

Splits with Hermana Valeriano

This week I had the opportunity to go on splits with my companions old companion from the MTC, small world in the mission! Ya that was fun, she is a sweetheart and it was neat to be the one calling the shots in my sector again and it was a great day. We taught an investigator Pablo and his mom Paulina but sadly they are not progressing and I am not sure if we will go back.  It is heartbreaking because at the beginning they were so golden and now I just don’t know but all I can do is listen to the spirit and visit them and pray. We also had the chance to visit a less active member named Andrea. She is so sweet and is from Australia so she talks to me in English sometimes which is fun. She committed to reading the Book of Mormon everyday so I hope she does cause she is the best.  All and all splits are fun but I missed my comp.

Another Embarrassing Story, but a Spiritual Experience at the Same Time

This week we had interviews with the mission president. I was pumped because I really love my mission president and his wife they are great people. So after my interview with president I asked him for a Priesthood blessing. While he was giving the blessing I started to cry because it was such a powerful blessing and it was exactly what i needed to hear. As I was crying I tasted something salty.-.... and I was like no..... yep I opened my eyes ( I know this was probably bad but it was necessary) and looked down and my hand was covered in . . . yep you named it blood. Like my nose randomly started bleeding during the blessing.  I bet that was a first for president and people reading this letter too!  Yep so I just held my hand over my nose and when the blessing was over I hopped up and said,  “My nose is bleeding”,  poor president he was all flustered and we ran to the bathroom and then he got my comp. haha It was really random and funny and I really am not embarrassed because lets be real stuff like this happens all the time. So don’t be embarrassed just smile and laugh with others and just feel good inside.  There is never a need to be embarrassed or feel dumb cause we all make mistakes and it’s going to be ok. It was an experience I will never forget.  For me it was a blessing because the words in that blessing were exactly what I needed to hear, like exactly! Now I will never forget what he said because of the crazy story that happened but it is a blessing to be able to always remember this Priesthood blessing and what was said in it because I can gain strength and comfort from this blessing every day. Yes I now feel bonded with president haha but yes I hope ya’ll enjoyed this one.

Cambios

OK this is the part ya’ll were probably wanted at the front of the letter.... Yes my comp is gone... sad day indeed. She is a great missionary. What went down was we thought we had made it because it was 11pm at night and we were celebrating that we were still comps when the phone rang.... let’s just say we were not excited to talk to pres. My comp went to a new area and is training 2 new sisters and I am still in el golf.  My new companion is Hermana Rivera.  She is from Honduras.  Mom, dad I am sure the name of this country is bringing back fond memories of me and Sean and the other Sean almost getting left in Honduras... sorry again but hey on the bright side if that ever happens again I now have a friend from Honduras haha Yes she is almost 23 and she can sing amazing (well I have just heard this I have yet to hear her sing) She has a big family and she just recently had an operation because she had some cysts they had to take out so we have to take it easy. Poor thing she is in pain and walking is rough for her. El golf just got bigger yep my sector doubled in size because President doesn’t like Elders and Sisters in the same ward so the Assistants left and now we have their area also. Yes dad I’ll probably be walking like 24 miles a day now, just kidding.  Ya it’s crazy it’s  like getting 2 areas and a new comp and I need to teach her everything about El Golf, but it will be adventure.  She is super chill and sweet I love her! When we finally find another place to live president will put more sisters in this area so pray we can find a place to live that doesn’t cost a million dollars a month cause either there are no places to live or they cost too much, but that is just what comes with this sector. 

I am excited to work with both sides of El Golf now which is huge!  It has 7 metro stations and so walking here we come with micro and metro.  We have some promising investigators that we have found on the street and I am hoping we can visit them this week. I have high hopes for El Golf. I just love, love, love the ward and all the people in it.  They are so sweet and loving and I feel so lucky that i got to stay.  How sad it is going to be to leave these people.  I have a for sure 6 more weeks here to work hard and help the work progress.

This week we had some Elders and Sisters in our zone go home as their missions came to an end. Gosh that was so sad because who knows if I’ll ever see these wonderful people again. It breaks my heart. That is the sad thing about the mission because you meet so many amazing people but you have to leave them when it’s all said and done.  Thank goodness for the gospel and that I will see them again, if not in this life for sure in the next.  As my MTC teacher always said we will meet under the tree (1 nephi 8).

Love ya’ll with all of my heart! Work hard each day smile do your best and don’t worry if you aren’t perfect cause no one is!  Just make someone else smile and I think you have done a pretty good job. Love ya’ll and remember you are always in my prayers.

Hermana Jennings

Robbery!!

May 13, 2013

So first off it was so so so fun to talk to ya’ll last night! It was the high light of my week so here are some stories from this week. (we got to Skype Lauren for 3 hours on Mother's Day - it was great to see her and talk to her!)

1. ROBBERY!!! Scared for my life!

Saturday night my comp and I wanted to buy some fruit for breakfast the next morning and so we were close to a convenience store and we were like lets go check in there real quick. It was late and we were on our way home so we went in and find the fruit.  As I am looking at it I hear shooting and 3 men run into the store.  When it happened I really didn’t know what was going on because it happened so fast!  My comp grabbed me by the arm and we hid behind an isle and watched as the three men stole all the money in the store.  It was so scary - even the music playing in the store at the time was like the kind of music they play in the movies when there is a robbery scene. So ya we are huddled behind an aisle praying and shaking with another Chilean woman.  I was just a little scared they were going to hurt us.... but after they stole everything they left and after then we left too! We ran all the way home it was so crazy. It was even crazier because we live in a nice area and I so didn’t think a robbery would happen in this area, but it just goes to show that we really never know was is going to happen so just be prepared always. (P.S.:  Dad I did have my little pink Swiss army knife if they tried anything -  hahah lol hahah)

2. Street Contacting= Golden!

One day this week we were walking down the street and we stopped this lady and when we did I really didn’t think she would listen.  This was bad of me to prejudge but when we started talking to her she said she was on the way to church and that today randomly she decided to take another route to the church that she doesn’t take normally. We told her that is was because she needed to meet us and then we gave her a Book of Mormon and she started to cry.  She was so touched.  It was an amazing experience because usually people are angry or don’t want to listen or are nice.  They aren’t interested but she was truly touched that we gave her a Book of Mormon.  We are going to visit her today so I hope she has read some of it. Lesson learned don’t judge a book by its cover,  you really don’t know what people need or what they are going through by looking at them. Love everyone and help them through this journey called life.

so this is always by the entrance to the metro and we love to write stuff on it so we wrote nemo and cheese cake.I have no idea what they have to do with before we die but we sure love us some nemos and cheesecake hahaha!

3. Inactive Family

This story is a sad one but I am telling it because we could all learn from this story and become better because of it.  One day this week we visited a family in our ward that is inactive. The reason they are inactive is because no one in the ward will be friends with them and they feel that when they do come people say hi but they feel as if it is all fake. It was so sad to see the mother cry as she told about the hurt and the pain she felt and how her children don’t want to go to church and she is worried about her family because she knows the gospel is true but she doesn’t feel loved at church. It is so hard – and they are sealed in the temple too. This story broke my heart and we are trying to work with the members and set up family home evenings with this family so others can get to know them better and be fellowshipped. What I learned from this story was that I never want to be the reason anyone stops coming to church. it is our job to love everyone and to love them genuinely.  Going to church is not about who is liked.  The most it is about looking for that one person that needs lifting up that day and then act on it.  If everyone went to church and looked for one other person to help hug or share a laugh with someone who was down then church would become more and more like heaven and more and more people would want to come and stay. This Sunday go out and find someone at church who needs your love and friendship and don’t forget about them during the week and i know that it will change your life and the lives of the people around you.

4. Thina Came to church
This week we had Stake Conference and we brought an investigator to the Saturday adult session.  It was so neat because this was the first time I have brought someone to church and she loved it and the people. It was so great and the messages were really uplifting.  The bummer thing is that Thina doesn’t live in our area she only works here so we can set a baptism date or anything.  We just teach but she is so sweet!!!!

5. Splits with Hermana Godfrey

So first off we are both gringos and we have the same amount of time in our missions and this was the first time I have done splits where I stay in our sector and someone comes with me. It was quite an adventure because there was no one who spoke fluent Spanish with us, but we were able to do everything and I understood everyone.  It was so neat and we didn’t get lost -  so it was pretty good! She is so great and it was so fun to be with her for a day and speak English all day too!  It’s a nice break, but I love learning Spanish. So now I know that I could make it one my own if I have too cause transfers are this Saturday and I am thinking Pres is going to take my trainer and put her with one of the other leaders cause they are supposed to be comps.  I have no idea what he will do with me.  I will keep all updated!

Well the mission is the best ever! Remember that we are all missionaries and give references to the missionaries when they come to your house! Don’t make them eat all the food either haha love ya’ll so much have a great day and remember to make your own sunshine (shout out to my sister Autumn)!!!!

Hermana Jennings

Teaching in English is a Challenge

May 4th, 2013

This week has been a good one as always. I love El Golf and the people also. This week was a little different because I slept 3 nights in other sectors.  One night because of a meeting my comp went to and then I went on 2 different splits with 2 amazing sisters.  I just love, love, love them. It was fun to travel this week and learn from the other missionaries. I swear I am the luckiest missionary to go on splits 2 times a week and learn the best from every missionary and be able to come back and try to apply it in my life.

 First was Hermana Skabelund, she is from Utah and we are like two peas in a pod. We had such a good time and became super good friends in just one day.  We sure talked and talked all day and we contacted and contacted. One of our new goals as a companionship is to always talk about repentance when we contact people on the street, because the scriptures teach that we should teach repentance.   We had realized that we never had contacted this way so I tried that for the first time with Hermana Skabelund and she loved it.  Now she is doing it too!  But ya I learned a ton from her.  She is super positive even though she has had some hard trials in her life, and I really look up to her. She knows why she is here and she works hard. I hope sometime in the future of my mission I can be comps with her.

 I also got the opportunity to go on splits with Hermana Sanabria, she is from Paraguay. She is the sweetest person ever and she really teaches with all of her heart.  We went to teach a 12 year old girl and it was such a powerful lesson because she finally opened up to us and told us about how she has struggled all her life to know that she is loved or not. When she said this I was not sure what to do, but I have a picture of Christ in my scriptures ready to give away - so I gave it to her and then read a scripture. Then I asked her if she wanted to say a prayer and ask her Father in Heaven if He loved her and she did.  The spirit was so strong and her prayer almost brought me to tears. I know that prayer is real and that we just need to pray and then we can receive the spirit more abundantly in our lives and we can be prepared to receive more blessings. We also went and saw a convert named Luis. I have written home about him earlier because the last time I went on splits in this area we visited him. He truly is golden. He has such a strong desire to learn and then to apply the gospel principles in his life. He speaks English so some of the lesson I taught in English and believe it or not it was hard to talk about the gospel in English.  Most of the time I just reverted back to Spanish. I love learning Spanish and I love the people here - they truly are angels.  We then went to church in the ward with President and his wife, that was fun to see them and I bore my testimony.  It was amazing to feel the difference because the first time I bore my testimony in Chile was my first week here and I practiced all day. This time I went up and just spoke from my heart. I know there is no way that I could learn Spanish without the Lords help.

(Lauren was at the Alcrencon's house on Sunday and they emailed me asking about Skyping for Mother's Day.  After she left we decided to try it out with them.  So yes we got to talk with this family in Chile - Let's just say their English was better than our Spanish, but we had a good time trying to communicate)

YOU SKYPED WITH MY FAVORITE CHILEAN FAMILY!!!!! After ya’ll Skyped the Alrencons they called me and told me that they had just talked with ya’ll.  That is so crazy awesome. They literally are my family here and I love, love, love them.  How neat you got to meet my Chilean family.  They are such a great family and do so much for us. I was so happy last night when they told me it was the high light of my day. 

This week was my comps birthday. It was so fun to celebrate it.  I filled the tub with balloons and signs so when she went to take a shower she was surprised.  I was the best ( the bathroom is the only other room in our apartment so it always gets decorated  on birthdays haha)  We made cheesecake and ate ice cream and went to members houses to celebrate.  We got matching pajamas. I will send pictures!

Well I love the mission so much.   We work hard every day. I can’t wait to talk to ya’ll this week.  I always pray for you!!!!!

Hermana Jennings