Christmas came and went...

Hola! I hope everyone had a good Christmas! Last week was really hard but things have been getting better since then.  Last Monday after emailing we were able to go shopping and buy all the food we needed.

On Tuesday it was Christmas eve, and we decided to go knocking on doors and we made copies of the Living Christ, and so we gave them to people to help them remember why we celebrate Christmas.  It was hard at first, but we were able to find a couple of people that let us in and we were able to testify of Christ to them, and now we have two more investigators! That night, at the member’s house that we are living with they invited us to have dinner with them, so we had empanadas and Paneton and cookies, and it was all really good.

 

On Christmas day, it was pretty much a normal day.  We woke up at 6:30 AM and then we got ready and we had the other hermanas that live at the same place as us come over for breakfast and then we gathered around our tiny little tree and we opened the presents we had from each other and from the family that we live with.  I opened my package that I got from my parents, which was really nice - thanks mom and dad.  Then during the day we visited members and delivered Christmas cards that we made.  That night we had dinner with a less active family, and of course I got to call home, so that was really nice. 

This Christmas was the hottest Christmas I’ve ever spent!  anyway, so it was good.  Then on Thursday it was the day of all the meetings.  On Friday my companion and I were both sick because we ate something bad, so we stayed home for most of the day, then on Saturday we were back on our feet teaching investigators and less active families.  We have this new investigator Felipe, and he is so awesome, we taught him the first lesson and he was so interested and had so many questions about everything and I think he will be a really good investigator.

Yesterday on Sunday, it was the primary program, and it was so cute, the kids here are the cutest things ever, I love them.  Anyway, things have been better because once I started to love the people, then I started to be happier and remember why I`m here. Also my relationship with my companion has been a lot better, so that helped a ton.  I`ve also just realized that even though I have a lot of challenges right now and a lot of changes and new things I need to learn, the Lord blesses his servants.  Little things have happened that have made me realize that the Lord is looking out for me.  I am really grateful to be here and I’m trying to love the people and serve them as much as I can.

Love you all,

Hermana Tijerino

I'm actually in Bolivia.

Hola! Finally I can email! I've been in Bolivia for a week now! On Monday night at 7:00-ish we left the Bogota MTC and had a long night of traveling through till the next day; we arrived safe and sound except for our luggage... 

There are three of us girls together; me, Hermana J. and Hermana B, and I`m so glad I had them to travel with.  From Tuesday night until Thursday we were staying at a hotel.  On Wednesday we went around going from place to place getting all the immigration stuff done and signing papers, showing our passports, and that kind of a thing.  Then on Thursday we gathered with all the missionaries at the mission office.  There we finally got our luggage, which we had been waiting three days for! and we got our companions, and then left to our areas.  My companion is a North American.  Her name is Hermana M. from Bountiful Utah.  She`s really great, and her Spanish is really good.  She`s a really hard worker, and a really good missionary.  I feel so overwhelmed to learn everything.  Not going to lie, these past few days have been really, really hard.  It’s a new place, new culture, new food, new language, new people, new lifestyle, new everything.  And there is so much to learn, about the investigators and the members and the lessons and of course the language.  So it’s been a lot to take on at once. 

Here`s a little about Bolivia.  It’s definitely the poorest country in South America.  The living conditions are so... I can`t even describe it.  Our area it’s really dirty.  Everywhere there`s sand or dirt roads.  And it is SO HOT! I`m a hot mess all the time, ha-ha.  We also walk so much.  So much.  And there are lots of bugs, but so far we haven’t found many in our house.  I have about 20 mosquito bites so far though.  We`re living with a member, but we have a separate living space.  We`re in this room that has two beds, two dressers, two desks, a little tiny kitchen and a small bathroom, and that’s it.  but it’s actually really nice.  The family that we live with is really nice.  Last night when we got home they invited us in and we were singing Christmas songs with them.  Also, the lady that makes our lunch for us every day is super nice - Hermana J.  So far the food has been pretty good.  But we have no food at our apartment.  We`ve literally been eating saltine crackers for dinner. There`s a lot of rice and bread.  And really good fruit! We were given some mangoes from an investigator`s mango tree. 

So right now we are teaching two investigators, and a lot of less active families.  I want to tell you all about them, but I don`t have time.  All I can say that it’s been amazing to actually be teaching and testifying to real people.  One of the investigadoras, Hermana J. lives out in this jungley area, and she wants to get baptized, and as soon as she gets married to her boyfriend, who is a member, then we can get her baptized, so I`m really excited for her.  And the other people we`ve been teaching are all so great. 

So for Christmas, at first we didn`t have anything to decorate with, but then an investigator gave us some Christmas lights and bows, and then another gave us a little Charlie Brown like Christmas tree, so that was so nice.  And the Hermana J. gave us some Christmas cookies too.  The members are the best!  Yesterday there was this stake activity with lots of music, and all the missionaries sang “O Noche Santa”.  Then this morning all of the Hermanas went to the president`s house and we had a breakfast with Hermana Zambrano and we had a gift exchange.  I`m saving my gift and the package to open on Christmas.

Anyway, so it’s been crazy busy, every day filled with lessons or contacting or visiting and planning and praying and reading, and all these things.  there is just so much to do.  Today we can finally go shopping for food and do our laundry and everything.  Thank goodness for P-days!

Also, if you guys want, you can send me a letter through dearelder.com, and then they will print those out so I can have more time to read them. 

Anyway, Love you all. Feliz Navidad!

 Here are some my most recent pictures since I arrived in Bolivia:

The four us that just arrived in Bolivia

On top of the Hotel building with the city on the background.

With one my Latino Sister missionaries

Nice tropical vegetation

Ready to go out to work.

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NOTE: In order to protect their privacy the names of my companions, members and investigators will be omitted and their name tags obfuscated.

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© Jennifer Tijerino and Mission Adventures in Bolivia - 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material and posted photographs without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jennifer Tijerino and Mission Adventures in Bolivia with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Last week at the Bogota MTC. Ready for what is next.

Hola!

Ok, I have lots to say so hopefully I will get through it all.  So last week on the district...haha. 

On Wednesday night my new Latino companion arrived! She´s from Ecuador and she´s 19, and she´s the sweetest thing ever!  Her name is Hermana O. She is like a little sister, so cute and nice and so patient with me.  

On Thursday it was orientation for most of the day, and then we got put into our Latino districts that evening.  Friday was the first day of classes, and it was so hard.  There´s only me and one other North American in my district, and it´s really rough. I felt like crying all day.  Everyone talks so fast and I felt like I had no idea what was going on.  Saturday was also really hard too.  But after talking to the guys from my old district, they all felt the same way.  I´m so glad also that I have Hermana B., because she´s always there to talk to and make me laugh.  We also talked to our old teacher Hermana M., who we LOVE, and she helped encourage us a lot too.  We´re also starting to have a grammar class with her for an hour a day to help with our Spanish. Overall I think my Spanish has improved a lot, but I’m still not sure how I’m ever going to become fluent... but anyways.

  

Sunday was really good as always.  That evening, we were able to get together with all the North Americans and watch a movie in English.  It was so nice to be back with them, and talk in English for a little bit.  It was also hilarious because we watched Legacy, and the acting is so cheesy, we couldn’t help but laugh the whole time.  Also Sunday night, my roommates and I had a giggle fest.  I seriously love all the girls in my room.  There´s me and my comp, Hermana B. and her companion Hermana L., and Hermana L. and Hermana Y., who are both so cute and hilarious.  Actually, this past week, every night we are laughing about something, and can´t stop.  I love it. I also just love all the girls here.  I feel like we all became friends from the start, and that’s really nice.

On Monday, my companion was sick, so I was with Sister B. and her companion for the day.  On Tuesday we went proselytizing, and that was really fun.  We weren´t getting any luck until the very end, when we found this sweet old lady and her daughter, and we talked to them for a while, teaching them about the gospel and bearing testimony to them.  I gave her a book of Mormon, and she seemed really interested in reading it.  The older lady told us she was very sick, and we simply told her that heavenly father loves her and can help her, and she started crying.  It was a very sweet experience.  We left her with the missionary´s info, a book of Mormon, and a pamphlet with the address of the church too, so I really hope that that goes somewhere.  Also that day I felt like I really started to connect with my district.  A lot of the guys are so hilarious.    

On Wednesday we went to the temple, and that was a really good experience.  Yesterday was a pretty good day, and my feat was that I memorized D&C 4 in Spanish!  This morning we went to the temple again and that was really nice.  Probably the last time I’ll be able to go for a while.  

Also, two things I have discovered here at the CCM.  One, Latinos are so short! I am like one of the tallest people here, and that is a first! Also, I’ve never been so tired in my life! This is exhausting! But it has also been an amazing experience and I have learned so much.  I can´t believe that I leave on Monday!  Crazy! And I also can’t believe that its almost Christmas! It doesn’t feel like it. I´m not sure if I´ll be able to email before Christmas, so if not, FELIZ NAVIDAD! 

Love, Hermana Tijerino

Pictures of the week:

My current district

Me and sister B. being silly.

Me and sister B. being Happy.

Some of the sisters currently at the MTC

All the sisters at the MTC

Bolivian flag

Me and Elder M. from Peru.

Yours truly being pretty.

Me and my new companion Sister O.

Me and two of the Latina Sisters.

Sassy sisters?

Two companionships. 

Feliz navidad!

Sister Tijerino wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

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NOTE: In order to protect their privacy the names of my companions will be omitted and their name tags obfuscated.

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© Jennifer Tijerino and Mission Adventures in Bolivia - 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material and posted photographs without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jennifer Tijerino and Mission Adventures in Bolivia with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

A busy and adventure filled P-day

Hola everyone!

So the past few days have been really fun. On Saturday we went proselytizing, and we went back to the same area as last time in the city by this mall, and it was really fun.  We ended up talking to this man in a park, and then his wife and two little girls came, and we talked to them for like an hour.  They were such a cute family, and they seemed really interested in the gospel, and the wife even knew about the Book of Mormon and the plan of salvation, and it was so cool.  I really think that the lord had been preparing them to hear the gospel. we got their contact information and gave them the address of the church and the missionaries number, so I really hope that that goes somewhere!

Then on Sunday, it was another amazing spiritual day.  Monday was our last day of classes with our current district, so that was both fun and sad.  Today was awesome! We went to the Temple in the morning, and then went on our field trip during the day! We just got back a little bit ago, and we had Subway, and now we get to email, and later we´re watching a movie.  So a pretty fun day! 

All the Latino missionaries left today, and tonight the new North Americans missionaries are coming in, then tomorrow the new Latino missionaries will arrive, we will get our Latino companions! I´m excited, but I´m also scared I won´t be able to communicate very well... so we´ll see!

So on our field trip; we drove a really long time.  We went through the busy city and then into the countryside full of beautiful green trees and hills.  It was so cool to see some of Colombia! I couldn´t tell you exactly where we were though.  Finally we got there, and we see these HUGE castles and colorful buildings and museums and things, and we were so excited to go in... and then it was closed! We were so sad!  So then we went to the other place we were going to go next, a cathedral de sal, which is this cool salt mine which they built a cathedral in.  So we were able to spend a lot of time there, and it was really fun. Afterward, I bought this elephant magnet made from the salt, and then I also got this other little golden elephant :)

I have to say that I am super tired, but I´m so glad we were able to go out and explore, and spend some time with our district for one last time.  The pictures on this blog post are from today’s busy day and activities.

Love you all,

Hermana Tijerino

Angel at the Salt Cathedral in Zipaquira

Bogota Temple

At the Salt Cathedral

In front of the Bogota Temple

Salt Cross

Salt Cross

MTC Christmas Tree

Local attraction, we were not able to go in, because it was closed today.

Blurry photo of local site

With Sister B. in front of the Bogota temple

With Sister J. in front of Temple entrance

With Sister B. and Sister J.

With our two new Latina sisters.

With Sister B.

With Sister J.

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NOTE: In order to protect their privacy the names of my companions will be omitted and their name tags obfuscated.

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© Jennifer Tijerino and Mission Adventures in Bolivia - 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material and posted photographs without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jennifer Tijerino and Mission Adventures in Bolivia with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.