Monday, June 23, 2014

Updates from Equipetrol

June 9, 2014

Hola hola!

So I have lots to tell about this week! On Monday we had a super actividad con 4 zonas.  We had a huge group of missionaries and we all went to this big beautiful park to play sports.  There were games of soccer, basketball, volleyball, and ultimate Frisbee.  I played volleyball most of the time, and ultimate Frisbee.  It was super fun to be with all these missionaries, and to just be having fun together.

Then Tuesday and Wednesday were my last days there in Jardin, which we spent teaching investigators, spending time with members, and making cake!  Then we got the call Wednesday night that I would be leaving the next day to the area Belen, in la estaca Equipetrol.  So I was up late packing, and the next day my zone leaders took me to my new area.  I met my new companion Hermana Lopez.  She is from Guatemala; she is 21 years old, and so short.  Ha-ha, I´ve always been with a short companion, and she told me she´s always been with a tall companion, ha-ha.  Anyway, she really nice and funny, and I think we will get along well.

I arrived at the house and to the joyful surprise that we live with two other Hermanas, one of them being Hermana Judd! My companion from the CCM, and one of my best friends I´ve met here on the mission, So that made me really happy. Anyway, so that day we didn’t have any appointments, so after lunch we made brownies with our pensionista and with the other Hermanas. 

On Friday it was a super good day.  Practically all of the people we wanted to visit were home, and we were able to have a lot of really good lessons.  I feel like my companion and I teach really well together.  Also I feel like I have so much more confidence in my Spanish, and in my teaching. 

Anyway, I feel super blessed to have come here at this time, because we had a baptism this Saturday.  It was a young boy whose parents were less active but are now coming back to church.  It was really nice, and there were a lot of people.  Also all of the baptisms I had in my other ward we did absolutely everything to get the baptism ready, from filling up the agua to cleaning the chapel to arranging the refreshment and everything-  but here the ward took care of everything, and all we had to do was show up.  It was so nice.  Also, not only did we just have a baptism, but we have two more for this Saturday.  Also, two jovenes whose mom is a member but less active that is coming back to church.  So I´m really excited for them.  Please pray for them, Alejandra y Jorge, and their mom is Lidia.  Thank you. 

Yesterday it was a bit overwhelming to come to a new ward, especially because it is so much bigger than my other ward, but it seems really great. 

Anyway, I feel really good about being in this area.  I will miss Jardin so much, because it really became my home, and there are so many people I love there, but I will never forget them, nor all the experiences I had and all the things I learned.  I really feel so grateful for all the adventures I´ve had here on the mission so far, and I´m excited for my upcoming adventures.
Love you all,

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Tijerino

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June 16, 2014

Hola,

This week was really good.  My companion and I worked really hard and had a ton of lessons and a lot of great experiences, and best of all we had the baptism of Alejandra (18) y Jorge (15).  They are both so amazing.  Their family has been through a lot.  The mom, a member, married a non-member, and he never let them go to church and wouldn’t let the kids get baptized.  About 2 months ago the parents separated, which of course was really hard, but also meant that now the kids were able to get baptized.  After their baptism, the mom bore her testimony about how she´s been waiting for such a long time for this day, and I felt so blessed to be able to be a part of it. 

I am still struggling to get to know this area and all the people because it is at least twice, if not three times the size of my last area.  But I really love it and all the people here and my companion.  We laugh a lot and we also feel the spirit in every lesson.  So generally it’s been going well.  Thank you for all your prayers.
Con mucho amor,

Hermana Tijerino






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June 23, 2014

Hola! Hola,

This week was another pretty good week.  My companion and I get along really well.  She likes a lot of American music and movies, so we have a lot to talk about.  She also likes practicing her English with me, so that’s nice too.  My other companion never wanted to talk in English.  (It’s a rule that the Latinos have to learn English).  So anyway, we are becoming good friends, and we laugh a lot.  She thinks I’m hilarious.  We also teach really well together.  We have a lot of investigators, and recent converts that we´re teaching.

I´m getting to know this area and bit more and more every day.  This area is actually a bit warmer than my other area, so it’s not been too cold. But now is the big news.  This morning the other hermanas here in Belen, got a call that they have cambios de emergencia (emergency transfers) and they are both leaving.  And we are now going to get their area.  So in one day our area just doubled in size, and just when I was getting to know my area which already so big, it is now HUGE! So this week is getting been rough and we´re going to have to work super hard to get to know all the people in their area too.  I will need your prayers this week! Also my comp has been in this area for over 6 months, so for sure after this cambio she´ll be transferred, and I’ll have to train my new companion and we´ll be the only hermanas here, so that will be hard.  I guess I still have 3 weeks to get to know EVERYTHING.  Ha-ha-ha, well wish me luck! Yesterday there was a leadership training meeting that we went to in the stake and it made me realize how we are all so important in this work, and that this work is bigger than we could imagine. 

Anyway, besides that I feel really happy.  I´m excited every day to go out and work, and my Spanish has improved so much, and I generally feel a lot more confident and happy.  There are still challenges, but I feel so grateful and blessed to be here. The members in this ward are so amazing and do so much to help us.  They bring investigadores to church and give us references, and have noches de hogares with us, and are really super great. 

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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