Just another great week in Bolivia

 Hola!hola! everybody,

A lot has happened this week!  We had a few successes and also experienced a tragedy.  Ok, first.  We had intercambios this week (splits) and I went to another área called Hamacas.  It was closer to the city so it was a lot nicer, but I wouldn’t trade it for my área, because they don’t have any investigators.  I didn’t realize how lucky we are because we are teaching about 12 investigators right now.  Although it is hard to get a hold of some of them.  One of our investigators (Hermana Juana) officially has her date to be married and her baptismal date the day after, the 31st of this month is the wedding and her baptism on the 1st.  Woot! Also this Sunday my companion and I had to give talks.  On Saturday we always go around to every one of our investigators and less active families so we can invite them to church.  Usually they still don’t come, but we had this family come finally, and it made me so happy! They slipped in the back right as I went to go give my talk, and it made me so happy to see them. It was like a huge weight that got lifted off my shoulders.  So my talk went well after that.

Anyway, now to the tragedy that we witnessed this week. After we were walking back from a lesson, we passed our pensionista´s house, and her two dogs were playing outside.  One of them started following us, and we just keep walking as usual. It went off in front of us, and we went to cross a busy road. We didn’t realize that he was going to cross the road after us and... We heard a car screeching and we turned and looked back and saw him being tossed under the car. The car kept going and the dog was left lying in the middle of the road.  My companion bravely stopped traffic and went back and picked up the dog and carried him back home, where he was suffering from a torn up bloody leg, and eventually died later. It was the saddest thing ever.  We both felt so bad for their family, because they are the closest thing to family to us.  After that we learned a lot of things, and were able to talk about the plan of salvation.

Also things this week has just made me so grateful to have the gospel in my life.  There are a lot of people back home that I love and miss, but I am so grateful for the chance to love these people.

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 - 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.

An update on my last two weeks in Bolivia

January 6, 2014.

This past week was New Years Eve, and it was pretty much a normal day, except that we did service for a family by helping them set up for the Ward party, although we had be back home early so we couldn’t stay.  It reminded me of the New Years Eve party with my dad’s family in Arizona, and man I miss that! I want to go again when I get back. 

One thing I love about the people here is that although they are so poor and don’t have a lot, they know how to party! Food and music and people.  I love it. My companion and I made goals for this year, and I think that’s going to help us a lot. I’m having a hard time with Spanish still, but I guess it’s only been a couple weeks.

One thing I have learned that the Spirit is the teacher, it’s not us.  When the investigators read the Book of Mormon or say a prayer or when we bear testimony, the spirit is there.  We have five investigators right now, and there is one that is really progressing.  His name is Cesar, and he has 7 kids, and he`s great.  He`s beginning to grow a testimony, and this week he is going to pray about baptism, so hopefully he will receive a witness of the Spirit that this is what he needs to do.  Same thing with a few others of our investigators.  We know that if they truly read the Book of Mormon and pray, they will come to know these things are true.  After fast Sunday yesterday, my testimony has been strengthened, because I know that even all the way out here in Bolivia, people have such strong testimonies of this restored gospel and I am so happy that I can share this with other people.

 

I have come to love the people here, and I hope that love continues to grow; the members are so kind and generous. They have so little, but always give us something to eat or drink, or give us a ride, or come with us to lessons or just let us come in and rest.  They are wonderful people.  Even though I have my challenges, this year my goal is to try to serve with my whole heart, might, mind, and soul.  Thanks for your support and your emails and I’m sorry if I don’t have time to respond to every one, but I read every email and appreciate them!

Love, 

Hermana Tijerino

January 13, 2014.

Hola everyone! It’s been a month since I left the CCM, crazy huh?!

So this week was really good.  There still have been challenges, but also so many blessings. My relationship with my companion has been continuing to grow, and so has my relationship with God. Little by little I am better understanding Spanish and able to say a little more.

This week has been kind of crazy.  It’s been raining a lot.  And when it rains here, it RAINS. The clouds come in so fast and the wind starts to pick up and it will get dark and a few drops will start to fall and then BOOM! It’s pouring.  One time we were outside a less active families’ house that we haven’t been able to go in, but they let us in and we taught a good lesson.  The other time we were close to an investigator`s house, and they let us in and we were able to teach them as we watched the lighting across the sky.  Also walking home after it rains is always an adventure, because the roads basically become rivers.

Also, three fun things of the week.  I ate cow liver.  We have a pet lizard in our house.  And we found a giant cockroach in the bathroom.  So much fun!  I`ve realized there are so many things we take for granted at home.  Like having a working toilet, air conditioning, food that we don’t have to worry about making us sick, a car, couches, paved roads.  The list goes on! but still, I am so happy to be here!

Anyway, we have a lot of investigators right now, and things are going well, although we haven’t been able to get anyone to come to church.  Two days ago a really cool experience happened.  All of our appointments were falling through and we were trying to decide what to do, and my companion suggested we knock on this door we were outside of, so we did.  We met this lady named Hermana Juana, and as we talked to her, we found out that she just lost her son a month ago, and right now her husband is really sick. She is going through so much pain I can’t even imagine.  We shared a little bit of the plan of salvation and made an appointment to come back and teach her more.  I so badly want to tell her that there is hope and that amidst all the sadness, we can find peace, because of this gospel and the knowledge we have that we can be with our families forever.  My testimony has grown a lot this week, because I feel so happy and privileged to have the gospel in my life and to be able to share it with others. 

Ok that’s all I have time for today.  I want to send pictures but it doesn’t work very well, so we`ll see.  

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 - 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.