Plan B & C

Hola familia and amigos queridos!

We had a crazy week. Crazy meaning lots of plan A`s fell through and we ran around accomplishing plan B`s and C`s. Saturday in particular was very busy. On Friday night during daily planning, Hna Gonzalez, Hna Winters and I planned to clean the patio of a member`s home Saturday morning. Then the zone leaders called and said we were having a zone service activity painting a children`s hospital, so we scratched out our plans and put theirs. Saturday morning we all arrived at the children`s hospital to find out the member that had all the paint wasn`t home and the hospital didn`t need any more help other than with that. Everyone split up except for the Hnas and I, Hnas Bowers and Walstrohm who live in our casa with us, and our district leader and his companion, Èlderes Best y Teyul. It was with this group that we went to the member`s house and cleaned their patio after all. I love this member family. They`ve been a huge help in la obra misional, inviting their friends to noches de hogar, going teaching with us, to do. They`re an example to me of selfless service.

After that, we had a ward mission activity where we opened the capilla for guided tours. Each organization (Young Women, Young Men, Relief Society, Priesthood, Primary) decorated inside the room they meet in on Sundays and explained their organization to the people we (the missionaries) brought. It was amazing to see the unidad del barrio as they set up their rooms and bore their testimonies about the inspired organizations of this Church. We had several investigators and less active members attend.

After the activity, we went teaching as usual. We did a lot more standing on Saturday than we usually do, and all three of us slept like rocks that night.

Last night we had one of the most spiritual family home evenings (noches de hogar) I`ve ever had. We met with la familia Parada, and we did not follow our preplanned lesson por nada. Hna Winters felt what we had planned wasn`t what they needed in that moment and on the fly shared a scripture about how the Lord strengthens His people in their trials. The Spirit came immediately, boom!, one of the strongest times I`ve ever felt it. We asked the family how they had felt the Lord`s support and bore our testimonies about how He has strengthened us in our own lives. It was a beautiful experience.

The Lord has taken good care of us this week. We have cambios (transfers) on Wednesday. We`re all terrified we`re going to leave. I had no idea cambios were such a big deal, but I think my companions have run through every possible speculation. haha by this point, I just want la reunion de cambios to be over. I know President Glazier will put me where I need to be. I have complete trust in the Lord even though I don`t want to leave this area. But I don`t like speculating about an uncertain future. Drives me crazy... whoopee.

I know Christ lives. I know every trial and difficulty that we experience has a purpose, that God doesn`t allow His children to suffer needlessly. I know that He is always there with an outstretched hand, more than ready to strengthen and help us if we only ask. It`s important to remember, sometimes He provides a solution to our problems when we pray for help and sometimes He only consoles us and guides us to find our own solutions. (What better way to learn?) But He is always, ALWAYS there.

Con mucho amor (with much love), your missionary (and His),
Jessica

The inside of our fridge. My food is on the bottom right. :) Fatten up before the mission, my foot. Haha I don`t starve por nada.

At Pizza Hut with her Zone