Merry Christmas

Dear family and friends,

The week of Christmas always leans a little more toward the fun side of mission life than the work-like-a-dog side. We didn`t have as many lessons as I would have liked, but we did get to visit a LOT of members and help them feel the Spirit of Christmas. We had seven invitations from members to eat on Christmas Eve, and yes, we did go to all seven. What we couldn`t eat in the moment we packaged up and took home. By now, I only have a few leftovers left.

It was great to see my family on Skype on Christmas Day! I felt a little odd, though. My little brother has turned into a tall, deep-voiced teenager. My little sister is also tall, and is becoming a beautiful young woman. Time sort of freezes while you`re in the mission. Missionaries have a tendency to forget that life goes on as normal at home. We`re so completely wrapped up in a whole different world that we forget the old world. At least, I have forgotten a lot about what it was like to live in Utah, USA. It`s a bit of a culture shock to talk to your family and see the inside of your house, and everything.

I hope you all had GREAT Christmases! This week I only want to make on invitation: look around. Take your eyes away from this screen a moment to see who is by your side, or to think of all the people that surround you. They are your family, your friends, your neighbors... hasta the little old lady in the grocery store. I invite you to look for the needs of those people. Be Christ`s hands in blessing the sick, comforting the sad, and strengthening the weary. Even if you think you yourself are in need of a blessing, or comfort, or strength, focusing outward instead of inward will help you feel the Spirit of God, and will bring you happiness.

I`ll be doing it too, this week. We will see miracles.

Love,

Hna Henrie

1. Hna Ortega made baleadas for a family home evening last Monday. They were delicious! This foto is her making the dough for the tortillas.

2. part of a delicious pan con pollo. We ate about five of them this Christmas season. They`re basically just chicken sandwiches. This one had chicken, lettuce, tomato, remolache (I don`t know what that is in English, but we have them in the States too), cucumber and mayonnaise. It was super yummy!

Dios obra milagros (God works miracles)

 I let Hna Ortega doll me up this week, with one condition: that she teach me how to do it. Haha never thought I`d let anyone but Sara teach me to put on makeup.

Dear family and friends,

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I`m very pleased with how we worked this week. We had an AWESOME week. We found another investigator just as positive as Jovinh! His name is Kevin, and he`s the boyfriend of a member. We also improved in every key indicator and talked with almost EVERY single person in the street. I`m excited to move forward this week as well.

Things are great in San Miguel. I`m enjoying the 90 degree weather to the fullest, and I`m enjoying the work a lot.

I love you. Have a safe, and very happy holiday this week!

Hna Henrie

President and Hna Vasquez came to San Miguel this week, and we gathered together as 7 missionary zones to celebrate Christmas. There are only 4 sister missionaries working in the Oriente: Hna Hall, me, Hna Ortega, and Hna Sagapolu. We played games with the elders, performed skits in our zones, and bore our testimonies to each other about our Savior Jesus Christ.

changes :)

Dear family,
I got the packages from my family, from the Draper family, and from Dan Wilson. I also received what I assume will be my last pack of DearElder letters. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE letters!

Continuing.

pues sì, we had changes of course. Hna Fuentes finished her mission on Wednesday while I picked up my new companion, a hondureña (not from Graig`s mission), Hna Ortega. She`s a lot of fun and I think I`m going to enjoy the next six weeks a lot. I`m also going to eat well, because she cooks yummy things, la mayorìa vegetables. QUE RICO after so much time of eating arroz and carne with pocos vegetales. (mmm she made a great pasta yesterday for lunch... whoo obviously I`m writing you hungry)

The funny thing is, Hna Ortega and I came to El Salvador juntas. Meaning we both go home in January. Meaning our area will be given away to missionaries that will have to re-open it after we leave. I`m not sure why the Lord did that, but if there`s one thing I`ve learned in the mission it`s that God has a reason for everything He does. So although I don`t yet understand why, Hna Ortega and I are companions for a reason. I`ll let you know when I figure it out. :)

Ironically, Hna Ortega and I will also be abriendo area in this our last change, because yesterday we met with the bishop, the ward mission leader, and the elderes to re-divide our two areas so that the divisions make more sense. Hna Ortega and I ended up with three new colonias (we lost more than we gained), plus a lot of houses that I don`t think have ever seen missionaries because they`re a bit far away from the city. It should be a lot of fun!

As far as progressing investigators go... Jovinh is our one shining light. The goal for this week is to find 100 more just like him!

I hope you all had GREAT weeks, and that you have a BETTER one coming up for you! Remember who Christ needs you to be--a stalwart witness of Him, especially in this Christmas season.

Love,
Hna Henrie

San Miguel is so pretty: D

I have no words to describe this week

I love Hna Fuentes a lot. I`m going to miss her. 

On Sunday night she gave me a really tight hug and we cried a little. I like this picture of us.

Dear family and friends,

There are no words to describe this past week. `Amazing,` `incredible,` `miraculous,` `special,` just don`t do justice to how great this week was. It was all those things and more. We met an escogido this week. His name is Jovinh, and he`s the most pilas investigator I`ve ever had. We met him on Friday night and invited him to come with us to an activity at the temple in San Salvador the next day. He said yes and was there in our meeting place at 5:30 AM. He had a great experience at the temple and learned a ton about the Church. He felt the Spirit and already knows this is the true Church of Jesus Christ. He asked me on Saturday afternoon as we were getting on the bus for the 3-hour return trip to San Miguel what he had to do to prepare for baptism, and what he had to do to BECOME A MISSIONARY. (He`s 20 years old, so he could totally do it!) On Sunday morning, he was 45 minutes early for church. He participated in all the classes and understood a great deal of what was taught. Later that day, he was with us again at 6 pm in the chapel, where we talked about what he had learned at the temple and in the church meetings until the Christmas Devotional began. He doesn`t drink coffee and keeps himself sexually clean (two of the most common desafìos we have with new investigators), and he accepted a baptismal date in January.

Are there miracles in our day and age? There are DEFINITELY miracles in this day and age! God is not dead, nor is He simply an uncaring being looking down upon the atrocities of the world and passively shaking his head. He LIVES. He wants to be part of our lives! He led us to talk with Jovinh in the street, and He touched Jovinh`s heart while we were standing outside the temple--His Holy House.

The temple activity was really neat. President Vasquez (and I`m not sure who else, but I`m sure there were lots more people) put a lot of work into it. Everyone in our WHOLE MISSION invited investigators to come to the temple on Saturday, December 6. It was very well organized. The San Miguel group arrived about 10:30 at the temple. (Hna Fuentes and I got to see a couple people and missionaries from our past areas!!!)

The activity started with a bienvenida de Pte Vasquez and a virtual tour of the temple via photos. Then we divided into four smaller groups and took the investigadores through a series of classes. Hna Fuentes and I were in charge of teaching about the Church`s auxiliary organizations--Priesthood Quorum, Relief Society, etc. At the end, there were refreshments. And then we all got on the bus to go back home.

I hope you all had great weeks, and if not that the coming one is mejor. I know God loves me, and I know He loves each of you. In good times and bad, He is there, and He cares.

Time FLIES when you`re having a blast as a missionary in El Salvador!

Love you mucho

Jess

Carnaval

Buenas dìas!!!

I`ve got a cultural note for you this week. On Saturday in San Miguel everyone was celebrating in the Carnaval. One of the members explained to me that several years ago (if memory serves, more than a hundred) the volcano erupted. All the people in San Miguel prayed for protection, and the lava came out on the opposite side of the city (and into Usultan, but no one mentions that part. haha). In their gratitude, the people erected a statue of the Virgin Mary, who, if I understand correctly, is the patron saint of San Miguel, and began celebrating the last Saturday of November as the Carnaval.

Fast forward a hundred years, and the Carnaval is less a religious thing and more an opportunity for everyone to dance and drink. Hence why we were forbidden from leaving our house on Saturday. Most boring day of my life... but we got lots of things done en la casa.

This change is going by so fast. Next Wednesday is change meeting. My companion will be going home, and I`ll be bringing home a new companion. Tenemos que aprovechar el tiempo.

In other news, our investigator Victor passed his entrevista bautismal and everything is set for his baptism on Friday!!!

Take care. Keep the faith!

Love,

Hna Henrie

On Saturday we were forbidden from leaving our house. We spent the time deep cleaning... then writing what felt like a hundred thank you notes for members... then inventing a spaghetti with hard boiled eggs and mozzarella cheese on top.

The other picture is from last Monday. Presidente came and we had a super pday del oriente. The three zones del oriente came to play soccer.

Surprise, Hna Henrie!

Buenas dìas, querida familia y amigos.

We had a great week. We were able to bring three investigators to church :D and find some prepared people who expressed desires to prepare for baptism.

The most unusual thing that happened, happened yesterday. We were in Sacrament Meeting at church. The deacons had just finished passing the sacrament, and I was getting ready to go sit with my companion after having played the piano during the hymn. The bishop got up to announce the speakers, and I heard:

´Our speakers will be Hermana Henrie, followed by Elder Belk...´

I whispered as soon as he had sat down again, ´Es en serio, obispo?´

He only looked at me. ´Sí,´ me dijo. ´Elder Acosta no le avisó?´

...so I got up and shared a personal experience and my testimony. Hna Fuentes told me it did make sense, so hopefully somebody got something out of it.

Just goes to show, we should be prepared for anything! Make sure to eat your spiritual cornflakes today. :)

Love you!

Hna Henrie

88 degrees

Hna Fuentes and I are feeling the holiday spirit. :)

Hola, According to the thermostat on MyLDSMail, it`s 88 degrees and I`m feeling mighty fine. :)

I. LOVE. San Miguel.

We had a great week. A couple things that happened were... Yesterday afternoon, the ward mission leader accompanied us to show us a part of our area that we aren`t familiar with, which was a lot of fun. As Hno Edgar said, `Today we`re going to abrir area!`

...We had a POWERFUL lesson with an investigador on Saturday. Hno Ricardo, who was visiting with us, and also my companion Hna Fuentes both shared their conversion stories. It was very neat. I loved Ricardo`s comment that when he was with his member friends, he always heard the comment that `I know this church is true,` and he always wondered how those people knew. His desire to receive his own divine answer led him to ask God and skip a soccer game in favor of going to church, and he felt a powerful peace, unmistakably the Spirit of God telling him the answer.

I hope you all are doing well. Take care. Remember that everything God does is for our benefit. There`s a scripture in Doctrine and Covenants that says that with our mortal eyes, we can`t see the complete design God is making of our lives. Trust Him, and carry on!

Love,

Hna Henrie

Christmas in the mission rocks.

El volcàn Chaparrastique, a.k.a. el volcàn de San Miguel!

Still loving San Miguel

Dear family and friends, We had a funny experience this week. Hna Fuentes and I were sitting in the bus and a man got on waving bookmarks with Bible verses on one side and a prayer you can say to `accept Christ and be saved` on the other. He passed out his bookmarks and we didn`t accept them in the first go-around. As he was talking, Hna Fuentes (in the aisle seat) was fanning herself with a folleto of la Restauraciòn. I wasn`t really paying attention until the man stopped by our seats, snatched the folleto from Hna Fuentes` surprised hand, and offered us bookmarks again with a smile, saying, `Sabidurìa por sabidurìa. ¿Està bien?` (`Wisdom for wisdom. Okay?`)

It was hilarious, and well played. We accepted the bookmarks, stuck them in our mochilas, and laughed between ourselves.

San Miguel is great! My favorite feature of the landscape is the volcano sitting just west of our area. (Don`t worry, it`s not currently active. And if there were any doubts about an eruption, President would take us out of here, like he did way back in January with the missionaries when it looked like the volcano was going to erupt.) My favorite part of the area is the humility of the people. There are lots of things that remind me of Apopa.

My companion is great as well. Hna Fuentes had a very spiritual experience where she KNEW she needed to serve a mission. She`s a little older than the typical missionaries (she`s 25) but I really admire and respect her. She`s about to finish her mission in December, but she`s not in the least bit baggy, as we say here. We`re working hard together. I love her.

I know this Church is true. I know that when trials come, and challenges arise, God is right there by our side. He knows we`re strong enough to handle the hurdles that life throws our way. But there`s a catch--we`re only strong enough if we have Him to help us through. I think the biggest reason God allows us to be tried is to help us learn to trust more in Him.

Ohh, how could I forget? We had a BAPTISM this Saturday!!! It was beautiful. I felt the Spirit very strongly. The hermana that was baptized is my age. Her name is Saraì. She will be the first member of the Church in her family. She has a boyfriend who`s a member that came from San Salvador to support her in her baptism. We`re so excited for her!

I love you all!


Hna Henrie

I had cambios.

My new companion, Hna Fuentes! 

Dear family and friends,

So much to tell you. This past week was incredible. On Monday I had the funnest Pday of my mission when Hna Merrell and I both suddenly had ganas to buy some souvenirs (we weren`t baggy at all after writing to you... no... we just suddenly realized how unusual it is to be the companion of someone who won`t judge you for blowing $20 on souvenirs... In El Salvador, that is a lot). On Tuesday, ALL of our citas fell through, until the last one. And what a lesson that was. Her name is Maricela, and she is PREPARED.

Later that night, our district leader called. I had cambios. I`m so grateful that God allowed me to be in that lesson with Maricela, because I could leave Cojutepeque tranquila, knowing that Hna Merrell would continue teaching her. She`s definitely getting baptized!

As for the cambios, I am now in the hottest region of our mission where hermanas misioneras are sent. The city of San Miguel, in the departamento SAN MIGUEL. I am LOVING it!

One time in the CCM, I remember telling Hna Broadhead about my experience in sending my missionary application. As I waited for my call letter to arrive to tell me where I would serve, the only two things I asked God were these: PLEASE, let me speak Spanish. and PLEASE, don`t send me somewhere cold. Because of this very specific prayer, I always suspected God would send me to the hottest place possible in our mission. When I arrived in El Salvador, I discovered that place was San Miguel.

Elder Graigry Henrie is serving in Paraiso, Honduras. I like this map because it shows how close they are to each other.

When I saw my photo and name appear under `San Miguel` in the reunion de cambios together with my new companion Hna Fuentes (another Guatemalteca! and she`s wonderful. I`m so lucky), I just started to laugh. But when I got off the bus four hours later in San Miguel and got to work, I was filled with an incredible LOVE for this beautiful place and for these wonderful people.

Hna Fuentes is excellente. I`ll tell you more about her another time, but she`s already impacted me in grand measure.

God sure loves me. And I know He loves you, too.

I LOVE SAN MIGUEL! and I LOVE YOU ALL, too! Take care,

Hna Henrie

Hna Abadillo and me in the reunion de cambios. She finished her mission and went home to Guatemala. (Hna Infanzon, my companion from Apopa, finished her mission the same day, but the picture is only on her camera. I`ll have to get it later.) In the background: Hna Chom, who also finished her mission that day, and Hna Escalante, my former companion from Apopa as well. :)
On my last Pday in Cojute, I bought a souvenir shirt. Hna Merrell already had a cool shirt she bought in a different area. We took a picture together.
I really loved being Hna Merrell`s companion. She`s great. I`m glad we don`t live too far apart. Just a hop, skip and a jump to Rexburg...

The Week

Dear family and friends,

What a week, as my friend Ryan frequently says. We won some and lost some, found some new investigators and left some old ones. In short, it was a very normal missionary week.

Today I´m starting a brand new agenda. You return missionaries know what that means... change meeting is this week! Hna Merrell and I don´t know yet if we have changes. The district leader will call us tomorrow night with that news. (Fun fact: a missionary agenda is basically just a daily planner, personalized for missionaries. Each one has space for only 6 weeks: the duration of one cambio.)

The most positive investigator we taught this week was a middle-aged man named Jesus. He´s religious but doesn´t attend a church regularly. He wants to change his life to be closer to the Savior Jesus Christ and was very receptive to our message. We have high hopes for his personal progession. The challenge will be finding him, because he works a lot, and doesn´t have a fixed schedule. But with God´s help, things will work out. :)

I hope you all had great weeks! Enjoy Halloween when it comes. El Salvador doesn´t celebrate it or Thanksgiving, so we´re already moving on to Christmas here. That Holy Night, when our Savior was born!

Much love,

Hna Henrie

Good times in El Salvador

This week, we had an AWESOME lesson with an investigator family. They are the Martinez family, and the reason the lesson was so awesome was because of the members that were there supporting us, Hno. Antonio Rodriguez and his wife.

Members make such a difference!

We talked about the Articles of Faith. The Rodriguez couple bore their testimonios about every single one. (We only shared the first 6; there are 13 in total.) It was such a faith builder to me to see these faithful members share their powerful testimonies with their friends. They´re definitely eating their spiritual vegetables, that is to say, reading the scriptures and praying every day, because the Spirit was strongly present when they spoke. David, the head of the Martinez family, was very affected by their testimonies and felt newly committed to ask God if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true.

The blessings of the restored priesthood authority and restored Gospel fulness, found only in this Church, are so much greater than many of our investigators can even comprehend! I´ve been reminded over and over again of something President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said in General Conference. He gave an example of how our more advanced technology has enabled us to study the universe much more accurately, and that before we had this technology, we foolishly believed our galaxy to be the only one in the universe. (or something like that.) It´s the same with the gospel - there is so much more to God and God´s Plan of Salvation than the majority of people realize.

It is a great blessing to be a part of this Church. I know it´s true. I know it´s God´s kingdom on earth today. I wish everyone knew it. If they would only open their eyes. If only they would just take that leap of faith and ask God if our message is true. Here in El Salvador, I have met many, many very intelligent people who have studied Christ´s life and doctrine a TON. But even so, in the beginning it´s always hard for them to understand that there´s MORE. There are more blessings and understand available to them, if they would just ask God.

Stay true to the faith! Remember, even though in comparison to God we are nothing, for God, we are everything. (That´s from another quote by President Uchtdorf.) It will all be worth it!

Love you lots,
Hna Henrie

Rainstorms :)

We´ve been having some intense rainstorms. In El Salvador, it typically rains hard for 30-40 minutes at a time, then drizzles for a while or stops raining for a while. This is how it looked on Thursday as we headed out to work after lunch.

Dear family and friends,

How great to hear from you! Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to send me a note. Or a picture. (shout out to Aunt Connie, who always sends lots of pictures :D)

This week, it´s been raining a lot. People tell us we´re nearing the end of ´winter,´ meaning the rain will stop soon, so I´m enjoying it while I can. It´s funny, because technically we´ve been in ´winter´ time for months now, and it hasn´t rained nearly as much in all that time as it did in this past week. I love the rain. It cools everything down and calls down the fog from the top of the mountain.

Man oh man, but Cojutepeque is beautiful.

Funny moments of the week: when I went on intercambios with Hna Huamani (I served with her in Apopa), we got to talking about Apopa and missed the bus stop to Hna Huamani´s new area. We basically just jumped out of the bus while it was at a stoplight and ran back to where we were supposed to be. :) Then the next day, on our way to change companions again, the same exact thing happened. Only this time we were on the freeway. Luckily, buses make stops on the side of the freeway all the time here, no biggie, we just made the bus stop and walked alllll the way back up the hill toward our meeting place.

Other than that, and the rain, it was a very normal missionary working week. I love love LOVE being a missionary. I also have new respect and love for my companion. Hna Merrell did many small acts of service for me this week. I´m grateful to be serving with her, in Cojute, El Salvador! As my friend Hna Boren often said in her letters home: God is good.

Love you all!
Hna Henrie

I had an intercambio with Hna Huamani!!! (I served with her in Apopa) She finally got transferred out of Apopa and is now one of my Hermanas Líderes! It was one of the best days. I love and admire Hna Huamani a lot.

Our cocinera gave me a dress. I chose to wear it today.

General Conference

Dear family and friends,

The big event this week was General Conference. Five wonderful sessions of soaking up the timely advice God has for our lives. Some of my favorite themes were: 1) stand up for what you believe in. Do you fear man more than God? 2) Don`t jump out of the ship of Zion (a metaphor for the Church of Jesus Christ). If we stay strong, she will carry us safely into the harbor. 3) Actively `come unto Christ` by making time to pray, study the scriptures, teach and strengthen your family, and attend the temple. As we develop these habits, peace will fill our lives. There is NOTHING we can`t overcome with the Savior`s help.

Hna Merrell and I also experienced many tender mercies of the Lord this week. Here`s one of my favorite stories:

We met Hno. Jaime and his wife purely by chance. They`re an older couple (probably in their sixties or seventies) and we found them when we contacted the wrong house by mistake. As we attempted to explain lesson one (as typical señores, they had many comments that didn`t have anything to do with the lesson), we were stunned when Hermana Rosalinda said out of nowhere, `Josè Smith was a prophet of God. Mirad, vos, in this picture, Josè Smith is receiving the Priesthood.`

It turns out, Rosalinda is a member of the Church! It`s just been a while (years) since she last attended. Jaime, on the other hand, is not a member, but he readily accepted our baptismal invitation. Then they committed to attend Conference with us.

At the end of the second visit, we asked if they were ready for tomorrow. We meant to attend the Conference, but Jaime said, `Yeah, for the baptism, right?`

`No, la Conferencia,` we replied.

He said: `Oh good. I was kind of worried. Baptism is serious stuff, and I wanted to be more prepared!`

My jaw almost literally dropped. This man has so much faith he was willing to be baptized the same weekend in which we met him. He felt the Spirit strongly during the Conference (they attended the Sunday morning session) and is moving forward con todo.

Needless to say, we feel really blessed to have found him and we look forward to more miracles in this coming week.

I hope you all have seen miracles in your lives this week! I love you!

Take care,

Hna Henrie

La casa del Señor :D

Hna Merrell and I with the temple

Dear family and friends,

For me, everything changed this week. We got to attend the temple on Wednesday, and the experience was very humbling for me because I was reminded of how great and powerful the Lord is, and how small and weak I am in comparison. I realized I`ve been trying to rely too much on myself and relying too little on Him. Once I realized that, my way of thinking changed. My attitude changed. And I felt the grace of Jesus Christ almost physically pick me up, straighten my shoulders, and push me forward.

Forward, to talk with the throngs of God`s children that flock our area, which is the center of Cojutepeque. Forward, to the next house, feeling animated even though the previous contact had just refused to let us share our message.

I love the temple. I hope all of you women were able to hear the women`s broadcast on Saturday night. It was full of inspired messages, including one by one of the Lord`s chosen Apostles alive today: Dieter F. Uchtdorf. The theme of the broadcast was clearly the temple, why it`s so important to strive to be worthy to enter the temple and the great blessings we may receive when we attend the temple.

I know making and keeping temple covenants brings us closer to God, and they are essential for us to be able to live with Him someday. I loved something my dad shared with me from the recent Ogden Temple dedication: `Recommends are not entry tickets but are a show of your eternal character.` (Donald L. Hallstrom)

Also, GENERAL CONFERENCE is coming up! Before the mission, I heard someone say that General Conference is like the Superbowl for missionaries. Since I`m not really a football fan (I freely admit I still don`t understand all the ins and outs of football, much less know anything about any team), I`ll provide a different example: For missionaries, General Conference is better than Christmas.

This is a precious opportunity for each of us to have our testimonies of Jesus Christ strengthened by the Lord`s prophet on earth today, Thomas S. Monson, as well as his counselors and the Twelve Apostles. Don`t miss it! Listen to every session you can! And pay attention as if it were the Lord Himself speaking to us, because it is.

I know Jesus lives and loves us. I know, as President Uchtdorf said in his talk Saturday, that God is constantly showering blessings upon us. It is up to us to close our umbrellas (aka, obey His commandments) and enjoy the fulness of the rain.

I love you! Carry on in hope and faith! Remember, faith is the antidote to fear.

Hna Henrie

temple grounds (sigh... I love beautiful El Salvador)

Sigo en Cojute (Still in Cojute)

Dear family and friends,

As the subject line says, I continue in Cojutepeque! Meaning I didn`t have cambios. (And neither did Hna Merrell, so we`re still together. We`re both happy about that. :) )

We had an awesome lesson about the Libro de Mormon with our miracle investigator Yoana (pronounced JO-anna). She did everything she could to get Sunday morning off work to be able to come to church, but unfortunately it didn`t work out for yesterday. Hna Merrell and I hope she`ll be able to come this week. She is so prepared in every other way, I know the Lord will provide a way for her to keep the commandment of dìa de reposo (keeping the Sabbath day holy). She (and we, as missionaries,) just need to have faith and patience.

We had to stop visiting some investigators this week because they didn`t have the desire to progress to baptism. It`s always a little sad when you have to explain to an investigator that you won`t be visiting them anymore (or vice versa, when an investigator asks you to please stop coming by), but we must continue in faith that we will find other investigators that the Lord has prepared to hear our message.

Sometimes that`s how the mission goes. There`s a lesson in this for life: sometimes life just doesn`t go our way. Things don`t work out, or we face difficult challenges and problems. But I have learned over and over again every time I start to feel a little burdened down by our sinful world, that the only person who can make things all right is our Savior Jesus Christ. If we can truly humble ourselves in prayer and ask God what He would have us do, we will receive the strength and/or the guidance we need to carry on.

As the Mormon pioneers once sang, as they walked a thousand miles to a place none of them knew: All is well, all is well!

Love,

Hna Henrie

el Dìa de Independencia

Dear family and friends,

Happy Independence Day! (15 septiembre here in Central America)

Presidente changed p-day to Tuesday for this week only because of Independence Day yesterday. I don`t know exactly why, I only obey.

Independence Day was tranquilo here in Cojute. They had a parade in the morning (which we did not attend) and the rest of the day was just like any other day, with the only addition of almost everyone having the day off work and school.

Hna Merrell and I had a decent week. We found new investigators, left old investigators that weren`t interested in progressing more, and worked diligently to accomplish our goals. The highlight of the week was hands down a lesson we had on Sunday with a brand-new investigator. Her name is Joana, and she`s new and rather alone in Cojutepeque. All her family and friends live in San Salvador, she only moved here to be closer to her new job.

Long story short, she was definitely prepared to hear our message. When we shared the story of Joseph Smith and recited his own description of the vision in which God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him, she rubbed her arms and commented that the story gave her goosebumps- but good goosebumps, accompanied by a warm feeling in her chest that she`d never experienced before. We helped her recognize that feeling as the Spirit testifying to her of the truthfulness of the message. She committed to ask her boss for Sunday morning off so that she can attend church. It was a neat experience.

In other news, remember the Ventura family? The mother accompanied her kids to church for the first time this week! We`re hoping to help the father come too, on this coming Sunday.

I hope you`re all doing well, and are happy and healthy. Take care, and remember to make time for the spiritual things. God is all-knowing, and we should always evaluate ourselves to be sure our testimony of His doctrine is sure. Helaman 5:12. Believe me, it`s not worth questioning Him, even on seemingly little things. And we cannot pick and choose which parts of His doctrine we believe in. It`s all or nothing. Celestial Kingdom or bust!

Love you lots!

Hna Henrie

Miracles of the week

Making pizza with Hna Ramirez, our cocinera

Dear family:

This week we had a zone conference, where the zone leaders Elder Cardoza (Honduras) and Elder Tabango (Ecuador) taught us to be more direct when we teach the message of the Restoration. They also asked us to start presenting ourselves as authorized servants of God before we even begin teaching, from the moment we contact someone on the street. It was truly inspired counsel, because as we applied it in our area, we saw some immediate results.

One miracle happened yesterday evening. We were visiting a Catholic family for the second time, and when we asked if they had read the pamphlet about the Restoration or prayed to know if our message was true, they said no. So we started over with lesson one, explaining in a very direct manner how Christ had restored His true and complete Gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith. Hna Merrell concluded, `Hoy en dìa, la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias es la ùnica que tiene esta autoridad para enseñar y bautizar. Es la ùnica iglesia verdadera de Dios.` (Today, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only church that has this authority to teach and baptize. It is the only true church of God.)

That got their attention. The husband of the family, Edgar, asked us, `Are you saying that the baptism I received in the Catholic Church wasn`t done by someone with God`s priesthood authority?`

We answered: `Your baptism was great because you were showing your faith in God. But showing faith isn`t the only reason we need to be baptized. We need to be baptized so that we can be cleansed from sin and start new lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. The only way you can be cleansed from sin and born again is by being baptized by someone holding the restored priesthood authority of God. The only church that has that authority today is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.`

He was left thinking. After the closing prayer, he followed us to the door and said, `Look hermanas, several years ago I had a classmate that goes to your church. Right now he`s serving a mission, like you, in Panama. Before he left he gave me a Book of Mormon. But until now I didn`t really understand what it meant, or that I could pray and ask God if your church is true.`

It was a great experience. It strengthened my testimony and my faith. Earlier this week, I had been feeling a little down because even though we`ve been contacting like crazy, we hadn`t found very many people that were really interested in listening. But when we taught that very direct lesson to Edgar and his family, the Spirit testified to me (at the same time it testified to them) that what I was saying was true.

I know it is true! God has confirmed it to me, time and time again, through the power of the Holy Ghost. I know it`s true, and you can know, too, when you ask Him. Matthew 7:7-8. It will make all the difference in your life.

In other news, WE HAD A BAPTISM! Gilberto, Jr. (I may have mentioned him) was baptized Saturday night by his younger brother, Edwin. Then his mother shared her testimony. It was a beautiful service. This Gospel is such a blessing to families! The family truly is ordained of God.

I hope you all have great weeks!

Much love,
Hermana Henrie

Last p day we de-iced the fridge with a hair dryer, a knife, warm water, and our fingers. haha :) It is now a beautiful, very clean fridge.

We found a beautiful family

Dear family and friends,

I have seen many blessings this week as Hermana Merrell and I hit the streets hard, talking to as many people as we could. We visited 36 new houses this week, following up on prior contacts and inviting them to listen to the message of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

One of the many people we found this week was the Ventura family. They live in a messon, which is basically like an apartment building, where many different people live together in rented rooms. We knocked on the door looking for a different contact, but we ended up teaching them instead because the other person wasn`t at home. The parents are young, they don`t look much older than 25 to me, and they have three wonderful children of 9, 5, and not-quite-one years.

It just so happened that the father is the nephew of Concepcion, the member who was working with us that day. Yesterday Concepcion went by their house on her way to church and brought the two older children to church. They were very well behaved in sacrament meeting and thoroughly enjoyed the following two hours of Primary class. Kevin (the oldest) said his favorite part of Primary was when everyone sang.

We shared the Book of Mormon with them yesterday afternoon. Hermano Ventura was a bit familiar with it already, and helped us teach his wife that it is sacred scripture and complements the teachings in the Holy Bible. We talked about how reading the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, will strengthen their love and family unity and invite the Spirit to their home. They committed to read at least one page of the Book of Mormon together as a family every day this week.

I hope you are all staying healthy and happy! Remember when we put God first in our lives, He blesses us grandemente! In what ways can you remember Him throughout your day?

I sure love you, each and every one of you. THIS MEANS YOU! Take care!



Hna Henrie

oh, p.s., a big thank you to all my family members who wrote me letters from the family reunion at Snowbird! I got them this week and really enjoyed them! Keep on being great!

Aprendizaje de Elder Ochoa

Hna Merrell and I at the monument Salvador del Mundo (the back side)

Hola, buenas dìas, familia y amigos!!!

This week we went to a GREAT multi-zone conference with Elder Ochoa (a member of the Central America Area Presidency), our mission president and his wife. Hna Merrell and I received so many new ideas to put into practice in Cojutepeque. Personally, I learned a ton that will help me be more converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as well. We talked a lot about the Atonement (the sacrifice Jesus Christ performed for every single person on earth), a lot about diligence, and a lot about faith.

I left the meeting really buoyed up by the Spirit, and that evening and the following days in Cojutepeque we had some of the best, most spiritual lessons I`ve ever had in the mission. We`re excited to keep going strong this week, despite a sad phone call when one of our most `golden` investigators suddenly told us he doesn`t want us to come teach him anymore. We will respect his wishes, trusting him to God, and continue in our ever-going search for the people God has prepared for us to teach.

I love being a missionary. I`ve learned so much about myself, and about the Savior, in the time I`ve been here in El Salvador. I know I`ll continue learning a lot throughout my whole life, because I`m only just beginning to understand how much I still don`t understand. I don`t understand God`s perfect love. He loves His children even when we make terrible mistakes, or do awful things to one another. He sees us as works in progress, and He will give us every possible chance to change our lives and draw closer to Him.

God is real. I know He is there. He continues to work miracles in our daily lives. His Son Jesus Christ is actively directing my mission, and this Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The fulness of His gospel, as well as His divine authority, are found only here. I invite you to learn more, and ask God for yourself. If you really desire to know and do His will, He will be more than happy to give you the answers you seek. I`ve seen it happen not only in my life, but time and time again with my brothers and sisters in El Salvador. Just ask Him.

In what ways have you seen God`s hand touch your life this week?

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Henrie

Making pancakes for dinner last night

Hna Garcìa and Hna Cano were also at migraciòn! Our thumbs are blue because they take fingerprints. :)

We asked permission to take photos in front of the government immigration building.

In front of the statue Salvador del Mundo (the front side)

Bendiciones

My new companion, Hna Merrell! We took this foto in the mission president´s house because we had another conferencia de hermanas this past week. It was GREAT.

Dear family and friends,

Wow, have I been blessed this week. Top of the list is the following news:

THE LAST MEMBER OF THE ROMERO FAMILY IS GETTING BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!

To remind you, the Romero family is from Apopa. I had the privilege of teaching them, and seeing Hna Rosa and her daughter Hna Celina enter the waters of baptism. While we were together for a conferencia de hermanas misioneras this week, Hna Infanzon told me Rosa´s husband Ismael has accepted a baptismal date, too. (Mom, prepare yourself now, because we will be attending a temple sealing in El Salvador in approximately September 2015!) I love this family dearly. I am grateful beyond words for the privilege to have been one of their missionaries. They are making important steps that are bringing them closer to God, and qualifying them to return to our heavenly home.

This news renewed my determination to share this beautiful, restored Gospel with everyone I come in contact with. Stay strong, family. It is hard sometimes to make consistent correct choices, but with our Savior Jesus Christ on our side, it is very possible. And when we make mistakes, because nobody is perfect (last of all me), He gives us hope for forgiveness.

I love being a missionary because it´s so easy to remember what life is all about. I remember that before the mission, all the tasks I had to do every day often distracted me. But I now understand that true strength to press forward comes when we remember who we are: children of a loving God. Every time we sin, it´s because we´ve forgotten that divine nature. I promise the only way we can find true peace and lasting happiness in this crazy world is by holding tightly to the values and teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I love you all! Take care!

Hna Henrie

Rainstorm in Cojutepeque, there was hail too, we helped bail out the house we were in. Fun stuff! :D

Cambios in Cojutepeque

Notice the subject of the email is NOT `Cambios FROM Cojutepeque.` Read on.

Dear family and friends!

I can hardly believe another week has passed and it`s Monday again. I`m sitting here in Ilobasco (we`re having another activity as a zone) writing you all with a brand new companion sitting by my side. Hna Abadillo was transferred out of Cojutepeque on Wednesday (she wound up in my first area, Montecristo 2!) and I am now with an hermana I knew from the CCM... Hna Merrell! She was in Graig`s district in the CCM, so I don`t know if I`ve mentioned her before. Maybe he has. She`s 21, from Idaho, and I`m really excited to be working with her. In less than a week, she`s transformed the area by upping our finding efforts a lot. We feel really blessed because, although several important teaching appointments fell through this week, we found more very prepared people. It`s funny how a new companion helps you see your old, familiar area with new eyes. I know she`s going to help me reach my potential in some ways that I was lacking a bit, and I feel I have some things I can teach her as well, so we`re going to be a great team!

News from investigadores: Edwin finished the entire first book of Nephi and is starting Second Nephi. He wasn`t able to come to church yesterday but has committed to attend a church activity on Friday and also the church meetings this coming Sunday.

One of our most positive new investigadores from this week is a young woman in her twenties named Graciela. She has several friends who are members of the Church and says she has noticed something different about them. She was on the edge of her seat when Hna Merrell asked if she wanted to know what`s different about her LDS friends. We explained that after we`re baptized we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and this gift helps us live good, clean lives as we strive to follow the Savior Jesus Christ. She accepted a baptismal invitation and will prepare for a date in September. She was really excited to start reading the Book of Mormon.

Also, our investigator Gilberto, jr., is all set for his baptism at the end of this month! His testimony has grown so much since the first time I met him six weeks ago. It`s incredible. It`s come from his efforts to read the Book of Mormon every day, from praying every day, and from attending church faithfully every Sunday. While I was studying for him the other day, I came across a part of Preach My Gospel that I LOVED. It was basically a testimony that as we each strive to keep our baptismal covenants and live the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives, we grow in our understanding of Christ`s Atonement, which gives us faith, hope and happiness even during the trials of life.

The Church is true! It is directed by Jesus Christ Himself, through a modern prophet. It contains the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Its teachings are pure and divine, because they were restored by God.

I love you,
Hna Henrie

I am a happy missionary :)

Last p day with Hna Abadillo

Dear family and friends,

We had a great finding week. Last week when Hna Abadillo and I were on splits (meaning we worked with members in different sides of our area, her in Concepciòn and me in San Nicolàs) she found an incredible new investigador and I got to meet him this week. His name is Edwin, and in less than 24 hours after we gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon he had read all the introductory pages (which include an explanation of what the book is, where it came from, what it`s about and who wrote it) and the first two chapters of Nephi. He is very interested in the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and wants to be baptized when he receives a confirmation from the Holy Spirit that this Church really is the true Church of Jesus Christ here on earth.

During this same week we also met two new, young families who were also very impressed by the message of the Restoration. We are focusing on working with the members to help these new investigators realize that ´Mormons´ (the correct name is Latter day Saints) are normal people just like them, and to learn more about the Church.

I love being a missionary. I love the people of El Salvador. I love all my companions, current and past. I`m so grateful for the privilege God has granted me to serve Him here, full time. As Hna Boren often says, God is good. :) He truly is guiding every one of our lives so that we have every possible opportunity to grow, to find peace in this life and to have eternal happiness in the next.

I know that what I teach every day is true, because I feel the Spirit testifying to me of its truthfulness every time I teach. Let us carry on in faith!

Con mucho amor,
Hna Henrie

Baptism!

Dear family and friends,

We had a great week. Hands down the highlight was the baptism of Hermano Teodoro. It was kind of a crazy service. Because of a youth activity Saturday afternoon, we planned the service for 10 in the morning so we wouldn`t conflict. The member that had committed to bring Teodoro to the baptism fell through at the last minute and we had to go get him ourselves in a taxi (he has knee problems, which is why he couldn`t just walk). I almost wound up giving the discurso (talk) as well because it didn`t look like the member we had asked to talk was going to be able to come. But, as is true with all pruebas in life, we just looked for solutions to every problem and kept going. We started the service at 11, and it was beautiful. Hno Teodoro took another step closer to his Heavenly Father.

I love being a missionary. I love you all and hope you`re doing GRRREAT! Remember the Lord has a plan, and nothing will frustrate it. Just look for solutions to your problems and be patient in finding the answers. They will come in His time, in His way.

Con mucho amor,

Hna Henrie

Conferencia de hermanas!

Dear family and friends,

This week we had a conferencia de hermanas! That means all the sister missionaries in our mission, from Apopa to San Miguel, traveled to our mission president´s house for a special meeting. Both pairs of hermanas lideres shared messages, then the assistants to the president, then Hermana Vasquez, and finally Presidente Vasquez. There are 29 sister missionaries in total. It was a beautiful meeting.

The other great news we received this week was that Hno Teodoro had a great baptismal interview with our district leader (he also talked with the mission president, but that´s another story) and is getting baptized this weekend! He´s very excited and plans to invite all his family and friends. We´re excited because he knows quite a few people in his colonia. He´s great.

Also, when I was at the conferencia de hermanas, I had a chance to talk to Hna Infanzon a bit about how our investigators there are doing. Remember Orlando? She told me he was all set to get baptized on Saturday! He is now one of the newest members of the Church, and all excited to go to the temple and start the process that will make his family an eternal one. She told me Orlando has been golden all the way. He was just waiting for LDS missionaries to knock on his door again and give him an invitation to be baptized.

I know this church is true. It is the only church on earth that is guided directly by Jesus Christ himself. It has the power and authority of God. Everything good in my life, I have thanks to Him. I will never tire of sharing this message. I encourage all of you who are reading this to take a moment and check out mormon.org. It explains everything. It will be worth your time.

Take care, all! I love you LOTS!!!

Hna Henrie

The ´daughters´ of Hermana Gonzalez. :) taken at the conferencia de hermanas. me, Hna Winters, Hna Dumay, Hna Foster.

enjoying Cojute

Hola, buenos días, dear family and friends,

First of all, error correction: Cojutepeque is actually in the departamento called Cuscatlan. (Any of you who tried finding it on a map perhaps already figured that out. haha) It´s Ilobasco, from where I wrote last week, that is in Las Cabañas. Fun fact: our mission zone also includes areas from the departamento Sensuntepeque. Which means our two zone leaders get to travel up to two hours every time they have an intercambio with the elders.

Hna A and I had another great week here in Cojute. We worked really extra hard yesterday to get Teodoro (remember I told you about him?) to church. And he came! He came, and he enjoyed it a lot. He´s committed to attending the district conference this coming weekend as well. (which, other fun fact, will be held in the departamento of San Vicente. I feel like I´m getting to know a lot more of El Salvador. haha) If he keeps this up, he will be super prepared for his baptism this month!

Also, we saw a miracle yesterday! There is an investigador named Gilberto Jr. that is the older brother of our branch mission leader. Hna Abadillo has been visiting him and teaching him for quite some time now, and he´s made progress in steps and bounds; going to church, reading the Book of Mormon, and praying. The challenge has been that he lives at military school during the week and is only home on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. He doesn´t have much free time at school which is why his progression has been one step here, a huge bound there. (¿Me entiende?) About the same time I arrived in Cojute, he started to be more constant. We invited him to baptism on two separate occasions but both times he said no, saying he wasn´t sure yet if it was what God wanted him to do. We turned our focus to recognizing answers to prayers. And yesterday, after two weeks of focusing on this, and having him be more constant in reading and praying, he told us: ´I know this is true.´ And he accepted a date for baptism, in August.

Just one last note:

President Vasquez had a meeting with all the leaders of the mission this past week. (It includes assistants to the presidents, zone leaders, district leaders, and hermanas líderes) Then we had a zone conference in Ilobasco on Friday where the zone leaders reported to us about their meeting. He is changing the vision of our mission from each mission companionship having at least one baptism a month (Pdte Glazier´s vision) to each mission companionship having at least one baptism every WEEK. As our mission president, he has authority to speak for the Lord, so really this vision isn´t his at all, but the Lord´s. And as the prophet Nephi says, when the Lord commands something, He always provides the way for us to accomplish it. (1 Nephi 3:7, Book of Mormon)

The Lord is hastening His work here! I feel incredibly blessed not just to be a full time missionary, but to be on the mission during this exciting time. This work is bigger than me. It´s bigger than all of us!

I love you! Hope you all have a great week!

Hna Henrie

Me by a fountain in Ilobasco 

(if you zoom in you should be able to see a plaque in the background that says ´Ilobasco´)

Countryside in Ilobasco. 

(The peaked mountain you see in the background is actually the volcano of San Vicente. Cool, right?)

feliz cumpleaños a mi paìs (Happy Birthday to my Country)

Dear family and friends,

Funny story from this week: I opened my agenda this morning to read my notes from last night about who I needed to study for and realized today is July 7! I completely forgot about the Fourth of July. The thought never crossed my mind. I hope you all had a fabulous Independence Day!!! And a big thank you to those whose sacrifices keep our country free. We will never be able to thank you enough.

It`s been a great week. I feel reasonably comfortable in my new area. I`m learning it a lot faster than I learned Montecristo and Apopa, I just have to work on remembering the names and faces of all the members and investigators. (That is, those we don`t see on a regular basis.)

Q and A with Mom:
Q: How about your new area?
A: GREAT! There are a lot of trees which means it`s not quite as hot as Apopa, and it`s beautiful. Like I said, it`s a lot more citylike that Apopa, and the people seem to be a little better off. There are a LOT of churches, maybe one or two on every corner, which makes it interesting whenever we contact people in the street.

Q: How do you get around? Is it very big?
A. We walk everywhere. I think this is one of the things that is really helping me learn quickly. The area is bigger than Montecristo but smaller than Apopa, and we almost always make our way from end to end every single day. There are only a couple places Hna Abadillo has yet to show me that aren`t part of our daily beaten path.

Q: Are there any famous landmarks around? Do you ever sight see on p-day?
A: There are lots of landmarks but I don`t think any of them are famous. haha The only sightseeing we`ve done so far is coming here to Ilobasco (oh yeah, today we`re meeting together as a zone in Ilobasco, a big center of art in El Salvador). I promise to take pictures.

Q: Have you met the new mission president yet?
A: Yes! We had a get to know you conference with him last Thursday. He and his wife shared a little about themselves and their family (their youngest daughter actually came here with them) but focused most of the time on strengthening our testimonies of the Gospel. They also came to our branch conference on Sunday. Presidente gave a talk on tithing and then gave an AWESOME Sunday School lesson to all the recent converts and investigators. They`re going to be GREAT!

Q: Tell me about your new companion.
A: Hna Abadillo is 20 years old. Her family are all members. Her parents were married in the temple. She has one older sister studying at BYU and most of her mother`s family actually live in Orem! (They attend a Spanish ward, so I don`t know if Grandma would know them. Familia Pirir, but she doesn`t know where in Orem they live.) She has another older sister who recently returned home from a mission in Costa Rica and a younger sister who`s just studying right now. :) She`s super pilas (missionary jargon for hardworking) and we are very happy to be companions. :)  She`s kind of a studious type, like me, but at one point in her life she also studied piano and enjoys music and drawing as ways to pass time. Before the mission she was studying to become a doctor, and plans to continue with that when she returns home the end of October. We`re both very practical, and really just all about la obra misional (mission work). She`s about my height.

Q: How are the members in your new area?
A: The members are very willing and excited to get involved in la obra, which I love! They have all been very welcoming and kind. There is a lady who cooks for us and washes our clothes. She`s a less active member that we`re working really hard to reactivate.

Q: How are your clothes and shoes holding up?
A: The clothes are holding up great! The shoes, truthfully, are getting destroyed more quickly than before because the rainy season has started and rain really takes a toll on shoes. But don`t worry about sending me more. I`m planning to buy some rain shoes here, it will be better and a lot cheaper. (They only cost about 2 bucks and last a reasonable amount of time.)

Take care, all! I love you!!!!

Hna Henrie