Good times this past two weeks.

April 14, 2014.

At the zone leaders meeting.

Hola hola hola!

This week was full of good times!  On Tuesday we had a meeting with all the zone leaders and hermana capacitadoras and I learned a lot of things about being a leader.  Afterward the president took us all to this really nice restaurant called Puerto Madero, and it was super good.  Then on Friday we had a special activity for all the Hermanas at the president´s home.  We made cinnamon rolls and watched the broadcast of the women´s general conference, and that was really good because I was sad we missed it.  The best part was that I finally got to see Hermana J. and Hermana B., my best friends from the CCM that I haven’t seen since December.  Hermana B. is one of those people that is so happy and so fun to be around, and definitely lifted my spirits. 

Sister B. and Myself at the zone leaders meeting.

After we watched the conference we all went to this other super nice restaurant called Casa del Camba, which is also where we went when we first got here on the mission.  So that day was really fun.  Then on Saturday we had the baptism for Kevin and Melani, and it was a little stressful to get everything ready, but it turned out really nice.

The joy of getting baptized

Before the baptism of Family C.

 Afterward their family invited us over for dinner.When we were all sitting around this small table under a tin crooked roof with a dirt floor under our feet and just a dim light bulb to light up the table, and eating a nice dinner of rice and chicken, I just felt so close to their family and so happy to be there talking and laughing with them.  I am so grateful to have been through this journey with them because I love them so much and they feel like family to me.  I am ever grateful for the blessings Heavenly Father has blessed me with for this opportunity to be here serving his children.

Having dinner with Family C. They look so happy.

Love, Hermana Tijerino 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 7, 2014.

Hola hola!

So this week was pretty good.  We´ve had been teaching the Familia C. almost every day this past week to get them ready for their baptism THIS SATURDAY! I´m so excited for them.  They are such a great family, and the kids are so great.  They´re a little nervous, so please pray for them! This week we cooked for the bishop and his family and that was really fun. I made chocolate chip cookies and everyone loved them.  The week before we made chocolate chip cookies with the Familia V. and the Hermano Richard went crazy over them! It’s so weird because nobody here has ever had chocolate chip cookies before.  Anyway so I’ve been using my talents in baking and in English.  

There´s this less active family, the Familia G., and the two grandchildren Camila and Nicolas have been getting ready to leave to move to the United States to live with their dad in Florida, so these past couple of week’s we´ve been visiting them and I’ve been teaching them English.  We´ve gotten really close to them and this weekend they left, so that was sad to see them go, but they promised us they are going to find the church there and continue going to church.  So speaking of the language, it’s so weird because I feel like as I have been learning Spanish I’ve been forgetting some of my English at the same time! And when I took notes for general conference, all my notes are in Spanglish.  A line in English, a line in Spanish.  Haha, I feel like I’m right in the middle of two languages, and it’s so weird I can’t even describe it.  

Anyway, but one thing I got out of conference is something that’s been coming about for a long time, that the world is growing more wicked, and times are harder, but that is the reason we need to stand stronger.  Everything the prophet and apostles say take on a new meaning as a missionary.  I know these entire things they say and all the things I am learning here on the mission are all the things I need to learn to help me later in my life to stand strong against trial and adversity, and are the things that bring us everlasting happiness. 

Love you all, Hermana Tijerino

______________________________________________________________________

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© Jennifer Tijerino and Mission Adventures in Bolivia - 2014. 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.

Missionary life and its ups and downs

March 31, 2014

Hola,

This week was a little hard, and I was struggling a bit with the language and with other things. On Wednesday night I knelt and prayed and asked Heavenly Father to help me.  The very next day on Thursday we had a multi-zone conference.   The Mission President came and spoke and said everything I needed to hear at that time.  Time and time again I am reminded that Heavenly Father is looking out for me and hears and answers my prayers. 

Yesterday was another amazing Sunday.  The Familia S. (investigadores) came to church.  The Familia C. came to church again.  Hermana M came to church.  And Hermana J who hasn’t been coming to church the past couple of Sundays, also came yesterday.  To see all of these people made me so happy!  It was fast and testimony meeting and I love hearing all the testimonies of the people here.  They are so amazing. 

Also, the weather is absolutely LOCO. Within five minutes it could be raining, and then sunny, and then super windy and cold, and then back to sunny and hot.  It is so unpredictable I don’t even know what it is going to be next.  Gotta love Bolivia!

I am so grateful to be here serving these people and learning so much.  Thanks for all your support.  

Love,

Hermana Tijerino

______________________________________________________________________

March 24, 2014

Everyone,

I feel so much happiness.  The start of the week was a little rough, but I just decided to keep pressing forward and I can say that our hard work has paid off.  Recently we´ve been teaching this family; Familia C., the parents are inactive and the kids aren’t members and we´ve committed their 2 kids to be baptized We have a date for them the 12th of April.  Yesterday the whole family came to church and I was so happy I thought I was going to burst.  Also Hermana M came back.  She´s this little angel that is a golden investigador, but she was moving and now we found out that she´s actually staying. I’m so excited that we can teach her and get her ready for her baptism next month as well.  

ALSO we had this other investigador at Church yesterday named M. A., and he is so interested in the church. He is so awesome because he came to church all on his own.  And let me tell you, it is so hard to get investigadores to come to church.  Anyway, yesterday I was really happy.  Also we taught the Familia S., which is a family I just love so much and we´ve been teaching them for a really long, and they finally decided to get married (because here almost no one gets married) and now we´re working toward their wedding and baptism at the end of April.  April is going to be our month!  Time and time again Heavenly Father has answered my prayers.  At the beginning of the week I was praying to be able to be happy because I was a little down, and I realize that these people are what bring me joy and I am just so happy to know these people.  And there are some members that we´ve been spending a lot of time with too, and I just love them so much.  My companion and I have been getting along well and I’m starting to be more myself.  Despite all the challenges, which are many, focusing on these people and realizing that they are all Heavenly Father´s children and being able to serve them, is the greatest joy.

Love, 

Hermana Tijerino

______________________________________________________________________

March 17, 2014

Hola,

This past week was cambios, but I wasn’t transferred, which makes me so happy.  I was not ready to leave this area yet.  I love the people here so much.  Even though I didn’t get transfered, I got a calling to be a Hermana Capacitadora, which is kind of like a leader over the girls, and I think it means that I have to train a newbie in the future.  But anyway, my companion stayed too, and the other hermanas as well, which makes me really happy because we´ve all had been getting along great and I just love them.  

As my Spanish is getting better I’m able to be sassier and joke with them a bit more, and with some of the members too, so I’ve been laughing a lot this week with them.  Also I´ve been able to use my English skills to help two different families’ kids with their English homework.  I feel very special because I’m the only one in our area that speaks English.  Also this Sunday we were able to have two different inactive families come to church, so that made me really happy.  My companion and I had to give talks, and like what happened the last time I had to give a talk, when I looked into the congregation and saw these people in the sacrament meeting, all my nervousness went away. 

Anyway, things have been going well, and I’ve been able to feel the spirit a lot this week, especially in church yesterday.  I know this church is true with all my heart, and I’m so grateful for this opportunity to share the joy of the Gospel with others

Love, 

Hermana Tijerino

______________________________________________________________________

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© Jennifer Tijerino and Mission Adventures in Bolivia - 2014. 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.