Here Comes Goodbye

"Too late, my time has come, sends shivers down my spine, body´s achin all the time.  Goodbye everybody, I´ve got to go, got to leave it all behind and face the truth."  I feel like that´s a pretty on spot description of the whole "finishing the mission" thing.  So this is it.  I´m not really one to express my feelings, I´m sure after 18 months of email, you´ve all realized that.  But I am grateful for this opportunity I´ve had to serve the Lord here in Peru.  I have a love for this country and the people that will never die.  And I have a love and gratitude for our Heavenly Father for the testimony and  miracles that I´ve received for my time here.  I know this is the true church, with all my heart and my mind.  I will never get over the truthfulness of the gospel, everytime I read the scriptures and hear the words of the living prophets, "I stand all amazed" at the glory of God here on the earth and how blessed I am to be a part of it.  I would not change a thing about my life, I know that God lives and loves us and that each of us has the potential to become like Him.  I love you all and am grateful for the prayers and emails I´ve received during this time.  For those at home, my homecoming talk will be the 17th of January, and the 16th (Saturday) there will be an "open house" according to my mom, for those who want to come see me and just chat from 5 until....probably about 10:30 because I´ll want to go to bed at that time lol ;)

 Our Christmas Eve dinner.  Christmas Eve seems to be more of the big deal than Christmas.

Merry Christmas to us - we did stockings for each other.

Happy New Year's 2016

 Our Zone

Mission Life:

Shopping Trip to Plaza Norte - a HUGE mall.  Awesome Displays:

More pics from the Mall:

 Not sure where this is, but I thought it so clever (Janell)

 

 

Christmas Skype and all

So Hna Ahern didn't send a group email today.  She is getting close to the end of her mission, and says she is lazy about writing now.  She is still working hard, and said they had found a couple of new investigators this week.  And there are a few baptisms set - but not until after she leaves. 

Our Skype call on Christmas was a little crazy.  She called in right on time - from the church building in her area.  We managed to get all her siblings on the call, and that lasted about 5 minutes, and we lost her.  We waited, finally having everyone hang up, and "we'll call you back when she comes back."  We tried her a few times, but with no success.  Then about a half hour later, she comes in again.  We start to try and get everyone back on, and lose her again.  So we all get off and start to wait... and wait...and wait.  Finally a few of her siblings get on to Skype each other.  They finish and still no call from Jenna.  About 3 hours later, the computer dings and we jump on and there she is.  Long story, short.  They had not been able to get the computer at the church to work again, so they had gone to a couple of member's home to try.  No luck, at the first one, so they went to another one.  They finally deleted the Skype program, and re-installed and then were finally able to get through, but were afraid to try the big group thing again.  So we had a nice short visit for about 15 - 20 minutes and hung up.  It was fun to hear her and see her (sunburn and all) and know that we would get to really see her in a few more weeks. 

I expect to get 1 more email from her unless she emails as she leaves Peru.  Can't hardly believe it is that close. 

She has had a wonderful experience - hard, good, all over the board!! But it has definitely been worth it.  She's grown and become a better person and has a stronger testimony. 

Merry Christmas to All!

Merry Christmas to all!  Hope everyone has a very lovely day celebrating the birth of our Savior.  I know he was born to give us all the chance to return to our Father in Heaven.  Accept Him and He will show you what you can become, because He knows better than us.  I love you all and am very grateful for your love and support during this time here serving Him

Jenna sent lots of fun pictures, but I can't figure out how to upload them on my iPad, so I will do it later when I have my computer back.

This is the Hermana that Jenna trained, Hermana Luengo, and now she is training, - so 3 generations.

 

The rest are from the zone Christmas Activity.  Looks like they had a great time!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Tidings of Great Joy

O Come, Emmanuel-The Piano Guys

 

Guess she didn't have much to say today.  She did send a picture of their Christmas Tree.  I can't believe she will be home in 4 weeks, and she doesn't want to believe it. But I am grateful she has loved her mission, even the hard parts! 

 

 

It´s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

  So this week started with my companion saying goodbye to all the people here, then we were off to transfers.  I got to see a few friends while there.  I became a grandma because my mission daughter is training.  And my new companion is Hermana Coca, from Bolivia.  SHe´s 22 and has been in the mission for 9 months.  And she´s super cute.  We get along really well so far.  She was actualy in this area before I got here, so it´s nice to not have to try and get her up to speed, we can just hit the ground running.

  Learned how to clean banana leaves for tamales and I´m also sick and can´t hardly speak without sounding like a rooster getting attacked, it´s a good time.

   And today we spent all our money on Christmas decorations, because it´s Hna. Coca´s first and last Christmas in the field and her family doesn´t do much for Christmas in her house so we decided to make it special.  So I may come home 10 pounds lighter from lack of food but at least we´ll have a nice Christmas ;)

  Well everyone have a splendid week  Love you all!

 It's the Hermana Reindeer!!

Hermana Ahern and Hermana Coca

 

It`s the Final Countdown

So I`m staying in my area to die, but my companion is getting transferred :(  We had a good last week together.  We taught lesson 1 with Star Wars playing in the background it was one of the greatest moments of my misison.  :´)   We have an investigator that is supposed to get baptized next week but is very stubborn and wants "something more concrete"   Had a fairly normal Thanksgiving.  I cut my companion`s hair, that was a good learning experience-even though I didn`t do anything, she was telling me what to do every step.  I learned how to salsa a little bit this week, that was a highlight. And made maple syrup from scratch...I`m pretty crafty.  And to top off the week, accepted a ride from strangers....who needs safety rules anyway?  So that`s a wrap of my week.  A lot of homemaking preps. XD  Well everyone have a great week!

 My favorite Colombian duo

 

And our thanksgiving dinner....as usual, no one touches the green salad XD

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here´s a video to celebrate thanksgiving and start the Christmas season!  Love you all!

What Shall We Give? Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Jenna didn't have much to say today.  She and her companion are singing in church on Sunday.  I wish I could be there to hear that.