Tuesday, June 3, 2014

May 5 to June 2 Updates


 I have not updated Jennifer's blog for the past four weeks and these posting are the posting from her letters from those four week. I hope you enjoy reading this blog and please when you get a chance write Jennifer a note, she would love to hear from you all.
Thanks,
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June 2, 2014
Hola,
So this week was pretty fun, full of lots of activities.  Monday the hermanas of the mission planned a surprise activity for Hermana Zambrano, because here "El dia de la Madres" is the 27th of May, so we put together a really nice activity for her on Monday.  Then on Tuesday my companion and I wrote notes for all the moms in the ward that we visited our less active and investigator moms too, and we bought chocolate from Hermana Yulissa to deliver to all of them.  Then we also made a cake for Hermana Miriam, ‘cuz we are always at her house and she always feeds us and gives us things, and is like a second mom to us.  
Then on Wednesday we had a multi-zone conference with the President, and it was really good and I learned a lot of things, especially about the atonement of Christ. Then on Thursday we had an activity with the relief society to make cinnamon rolls, so Hermana Nelson taught everyone to make them, and they turned out super, super delicious.  Then on Friday all the missionaries in the stake put on a noche de talentos, so we presented some skits and songs and other talents, and it was fun and turned out really well.  
So those were the activities of the week, and today we have a big activity with another zone, so hopefully that should be fun too.  I honestly love all the people here, all the members and our converts and the less actives and investigators we are teaching, but since I have been in this area my whole mission, I am feeling ready for a change.  This week are cambios (transfers) so I guess I´ll see if I get transferred to a new area.  
Also, the weather here is crazy.  It starting to get warmer again, but then a random rainstorm came on Saturday, so it is starting to get colder and now it’s just kind of in between.  They say that it will start getting colder though. It’s so weird to think that its June now!  I will be completing 7 months this week.  Crazy! Love you all
Con mucho amor, 
Hermana Tijerino
With the Latino sisters

With the American Sisters

Real Bolivian BBQ with M.

Zone meeting

Sisters at Zone Meeting

Sister J. and her girls.

In my room during a very cold day.

M. Baptism

M. Baptism.

Celebrating Mother's Day with Sister Z.

Investigator family.

M. Baptism.

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May 26, 2014

HOLA!
Ok so lots happened this week.  First I have to start out with my adventure last Monday.  We decided to do intercambios with the other Hermanas, so Hermana Nelson and I went to the Centro y La Plaza to go shopping, so we went and ate empanadas and went shopping and bought a bunch of cute souvenirs and got ice cream and it was super fun and nice to be able to talk in English for a change.  Anyway so when it was time to leave, we got in the bus and went on our way.  But what we didn’t know was that we took the bus going in the wrong direction! So after about half an hour we looked out the window and had no idea where we were, so we got off and got a taxi and told him where we needed to go, and we said we were lejisimo! We were like 45 minutes away from home, and we needed to be home in 15 minutes… so we called our companions and told them we got lost, but we were on our way home.  The taxi driver was really nice and told us places we were passing by, including the airport… ha-ha we were so far away! Anyway we made it home safe and sound though, just a little late.  Man we had some good laughs though.  

Then Tuesday was a really good day and we some really good lessons, and felt the spirit a lot.  But that night I got really sick, so Wednesday morning we had to go to the hospital again.  We were there for a while, but we walked over to the offices to wait for my results, and the Elders gave me a blessing, which was really nice.  Then we went back and finally saw the doctor and said that I have another stomach infection.  So awesome.  I got some more antibiotics and that was it.  So then we went home and I was able to sleep for a while, cuz I hadn’t been able to sleep the night before.  Last time I was sick I felt really alone, and so this time I prayed that I wouldn’t feel so alone, and on Thursday Hermana Zambrano called to see how I was doing and told me that the president had been praying for me and expressed how much they cared about me, and in that moment I knew that I was not alone.  She called a little later again to invite me to have lunch with her, so she took my companion and I to a little restaurant and we had a good time with her.  She is seriously such a loving and sincere person, and like a mom to all of us missionaries.  Anyway, then that night the frio came.  It dropped so many degrees and since then it’s been super, super cold.  We´ve had to sleep with all the layers we have.  The difference between the cold here and the cold at home is that it’s basically the same amount of cold, but here its humid and really rainy and windy, so the cold enters into your body.  And there is no such thing as heaters or indoor heating, so even in the house its cold.  So anyway, it’s kind of exciting in a way to be all bundled up in coats and scarves and mittens and everything.  And I was playing Christmas songs at our pensionista´s house, and for just a moment it felt like Christmas.  

Anyway, then this Saturday M. was baptized, and everything turned out really well.  I just felt so bad because the water was probably FREEZING.  Anyway, she is just such an amazing example to me, because none of her family lives here, so she literally came by herself in a taxi to her own baptism, with no one else there to support her, except us of course, and all the members, especially the young women.  But it is also such a blessing to have the support of the bishop and the leaders of the young women, and all of the ward really that welcomed her so openly and lovingly, and made sure that she knew that they are all her family.  That is one thing that I love about this church, is that we are all family.   I feel so blessed to be a part of that, and to have been a part of sharing the gospel with M. and bringing her unto the Lord.  
One thing I was reading in the scriptures in Alma 26 is something I was able to apply to my life here on the mission.  Despite all the afflictions that the missionaries faced, there joy was full to be able to bring souls unto Christ.  And I was thinking about how sick I had been this week, and the times before, and even though it was awful, it was all worth it even just to see M. being baptized, to be able to bring a soul back to Heavenly Father.  It is all worth it. 

 Love, Hermana Tijerino

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May 19, 2014

Hola, 

This week has been pretty good.  We've been focused on getting M. ready for her baptism which initially we were going to have this Saturday.  She just turned 16 last weekend, and we just finished teaching her all the lessons, but it’s been a little difficult because she hasn’t had much schooling, so she learns very slowly.  But she has a lot of desire to follow Jesus Christ and get baptized.  So please pray that everything can go well for her baptism this week.  
Also, this week we had an activity with the Relief society, and we made chocolate cake balls that turned out super yummy. 

Yesterday at church Hna. Yulissa gave a lesson in relief society about how the greatest gift we can give to our children is our testimony and knowledge of the Gospel.  It made me reflect on how much I've learned from my parents from their faithful examples of always having prayer and reading the scriptures a big part of the home, and their unfailing efforts to always go to church.  I also remember seeing my mom on her knees every night, and reading her scriptures before going to bed.  Her example means a lot to me now, and more than anything on the mission I have learned the importance of doing the small things, the primary answers we like to say, of praying, reading the scriptures, and going to church.  I know the kind of family I want to have, which is a family centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Yesterday we found this less active guy that is starting to go back to church, but in a different ward (because he should be going to our ward) and he let us in and we talked for a while and he shared some experiences he had on his mission.  And he told us that the mission we'll never forget not because it was fun or easy, but because it’s hard.  And the hard times we will remember because those are the experiences that we learn from, and that is definitely true.  And other things he said was really insightful, and made me realize reflect on other things.

I know this gospel is true, but I know that it isn’t always easy to live it, but with God, all is possible.

Love, Hermana Tijerino
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May 12, 2014

Hola,

This week I was pretty sick and I went to the hospital and they found out that I have an intestinal infection and they gave me antibiotics since I just finished taking them and I’m feeling a lot better now.  Because of this we couldn´t work a lot this week and that was a little hard to be stuck at home.  However, yesterday I felt a lot better, and we had 6 investigators come to church, so that was super good.  Then of course as it was mother’s day yesterday I got to talk to my family, so that was really good as well.  

This week I learned about trials.  Going through this sickness was really hard for me because I was having a lot of stomach pain, and I felt just so sick, and really so alone.  But our pensionista and my companion took really good care of me, and I got a blessing from some hermanos in the ward, and a lot of people were asking about me seeing how I was doing and I knew they all really cared about me.  I knew that through it all, Heavenly Father was always there looking out for me and that he was listening to my prayers, and he never leaves us alone.

As far as our investigadores, we´re working a lot with la Hermana M. for her baptism and with the Familia Y., they all came to church yesterday and are progressing a lot, but they just have to get married before they can get baptized.

Anyway I don’t have too much else to report from this week.

Love you all, 
Hermana Tijerino

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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 - 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.

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