Week #47 A clear perspective on Christmas

I'm on top of the World!

 

                                             My companion goes home this week, I will miss her!

T'was the week before transfers, and all through Peru, not a missionary was safe from the thought of a move!!!! Wow it is so crazy fast the time goes by, this week was litterally just an insane blur of work. My companion is finishing her mission and we made tons of goals so that she could finish strong. We worked really hard. We taught lesson after lesson and contacted every person that looked at us. It was a really fantastic week. I felt like we were completely lost in the work, I looked up for a minute and it was already Sunday again. Even though we thought and talked a lot about what it would be like for Hermana Goulding to see her family again we worked every single hour.

 

I have almost been gone for a year now, it is 11 months I think. Its crazy that I havent seen my family or anyone in so long. With Christmas time approaching I  have feelings that are mixed. Part of me says that I miss my family and I want to be able to spend christmas with them doing things like drinking hot chocolate, reading books and watching christmas movies. But I think the greater part of me just wants to work. I am in the perfect place right now. What better way to spread the Christmas cheer than sharing the gospel and the pure love of christ. Helping people get the best gift of all which is salvation. Its so interesting here in the mission how our eternal perspective is so clear. Our purpose and our priorities are totally in focus. We need to go to church every Sunday, read the scriptures and pray every night, the easy primary answers. We also need to repent of our sins to receive a pardon. It is so clear to me as a missionary, but its interesting how in the "real world" we loose that clear eternal perspective. Even return missionaries can forget that going to church and keeping the sabbath day holy are more important than working all day. As a student last year, it was easy to forget that it is more important to read your scriptures than your school books. In the real world we are so cluttered and distracted by other things. Not that working and studying for school are bad, but we have to remember what is best. I love the talk by Elder Oaks that reminds us  of good, better, best choices. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/good-better-best?lang=eng

 

Now that every one is on vacation and they have to worry about finales or work for a while, its time to remember Christ and his sacrafice for us. Its time to get back our eternal perspective and to not waste this break and this precious time that we have doing unimportant things. In D&C we are taught  to not be idle. Its says" Cease to be idle, cease to be uncleanñ cease to find fault one with anotherñ cease to sleep longer than needfulñ retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary arise early that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated." I know alot of people think of winter break as a time to just stay in bed all day watch christmas movies and eat christmas cookies, but I think Christmas should be more fulfilling than just that. We should be endulging ourselves in the scriptures using this time that we have to refocus and gain a clear eternal perspective before we have to go back to work and to school. To realize that there are more important things in this life. More things that we have to do. I love the short video El es la Dadva or He is the gift. It is a good reminder of what christmas is all about.  http://www.mormon.org/christmas

 Love you all! 

See you next summer!

Hermana Huish

Week #46 sacrifice and humility

HOla Familia,

My mom asked me this week to respond to her question about how sacrifice applies to missionaries.

Honestly it is difficult to explain, no one can really understand until you have actually gone through it. Its just one of those things that people can talk about all the time but cant fully comprehend until you experience it.  I'll try to explain using a personal story.There was a time in CCM when I was frustrated with learning the language and all I wanted to do was to talk to my mom about it, but there was no way I could call, it is not allowed. My mom is always the person I go to for advice when i am having hard times, but that was something I had to sacrifice coming on the mission. Talking to my mom wasn't an option for me any more. A lot of times we deal with stress by either talking to our parents, playing sports, or distracting ourselves in some way like tv or video games. On a mission none of this things are allowed. So you have to learn to be creative and work with what you have. Leaning on my heavenly father  to support and help me during the difficult times has been the only way that I was able make these sacrifices.I have learned that putting my confidence in him and having faith that everything will be okay is sometimes the only tool we have for coping and certainly the best one.  The scriptures are another tool we can use. At times it can be really hard to give up everything that we have, everything that is familiar and comfortable but honestly we just have to learn to rely on God and be creative.  I think also a good way to sacrifice is to humble yourself. I have  learned a lot of humility in the mission. 

This week we had lunch with our recent convert C. She shared her life story with us and it is amazing and very humbling. On the plateau we basically have everything we need. TV, carpet, iphones, food, and families. We really have everything. Carolina had literally nothing. Her dad abandoned her when she was born and her mom abandon her when her sister was born. Her grandmother raised her and her sister. But when C turned 10 her grandma died. She was left alone to take care of herself and her little sister. She had an aunt who did what she could to buy them clothes and food but they literally had nothing. C worked and studied really hard. She ran races to make a little bit of money. And finally she started studying here in Lima.  She bought her own little room with a table. She was constantly sending money to her little sister but was just scratching by. Finally she was able to meet her husband D. They started living together and making a little bit more money. Before she could get her title she had her first son. Now they are doing really well they are members of the church and have what they need to get by. When her son gets a little older C is going to go back to work. Her story is amazing to me. She came  out of nothing and really making something wonderful with her life. 

It is important to remain humble as we sacrifice. Its important to rely on your heavenly father, and its important to remember that sacrifice is to give up something good for something better. The sacrifices that we make to serve a mission for a year and a half are so small in comparison of what we receive. I couldn't imagine my life with out a mission. I would not be who I am today with out my mission. It has really impacted my life and I haven't even finished yet. The things we learn the experiences we have and the relationships we create with our heavenly father are priceless. 

Love you all,

See you next summer

Hermana HUish

Week #44 It is great to be busy!

Wow wow wow! So much has happened. This week was full and so busy!

Monday we worked hard all day. We didn't take a p-day because we wanted to go to the temple Wednesday. We taught 8 lessons in one day, it was awesome. We just went from one lesson to another and I know we were walking with the spirit because everyone accepted us! Nobody rejected us which is not characteristic of this area. Last week we went hours with out finding lessons, and this Monday it was just lesson after lesson, exactly what every missionary hopes for

Tuesday I gave a capacitacion on Albedrio in our Zone meeting. I didn't have much time to prepare but it turned out really well. Again on Tuesday,l I know that we were walking with the spirit because we taught lots of lessons and we found more new people to teach. We had a correlation meeting with our mission leader. Our mission leader is super cool. Hes 19 speaks fluent English, sings and his dream is to go to the united states and study at BYU. Hermana Goulding and I are really good friends with him. He has a hard life and is very inspirational to us, we are trying to do what we can to help him.  

Wednesday we prepared to go to the temple! We were so excited. We both woke up super tranquilo and we prepared to go. We left at 10 so that we could get back in time to work but nothing ever goes according to plan. We were about an hour into our trip to la molina when the Land Lord called us  frantic because she was locked out of the house. We had shut the door when we left and she didnt have her key. She was really concerned because her sick mother was inside with out anyone to help her. The only solution was that we needed to come back to open the door for her. So we jumped out of the combi and made the hour long trip back and then another hour back to La Molina.  Finally we made it to the temple and it was a great experience. I love the complete peace and happiness I feel there. For those little moments that we get to spend in the temple I know that no other worldly thing matters. As long as I am good with God nothing else matters. So often we forget that eternal perspective when we are out in the world but the temple is the best place to remember. 

Thursday we had a multi zone confernece. These conferences are so long. From 8 in the mornong until 4 in the afternoon. The president and his wife came with his assistants and they talked a lot about the importance of repentance. His talk was amazing. He spoke about the plan of God and the plan of Satan and how God is just and merciful. The whole point of his talk was that God cant save us from our sins if we don't repent from them. He has provided the way for us to be saved we just need to follow it. He cant save us IN our sins but can save us FROM our sins. He stressed the importance of focusing more on repentance to make sure that all of our investigatores are truly repenting of their sins.

Friday we had the wedding! WAHOO!!!! We got up early to help C get ready. The wedding was a matrimonio massivo which meeans that many  couples get married at one time. The marriage was held in the District offices so the district office was all decked out in balloons and flowers. Planning a wedding in Peru is about a million times harder than in the united states I think that is why no one is married here. There are so many prerequisits and papers that we had to get all worked out. It was really stresfull but we got everything done and were good to go for Friday. C, D and C were they cutest family ever! I was so happy to be able to help them with their wedding. They signed the papers and everything is official. There were about 15 to 20 other couples who were also there and so many missionaries. Later in the evening we had a reception. We wanted it to start at 7 so we could be there but in Peru time 7 means 9. Everything starts late, But tha'ts okay we were able to share a couple words before we left and we got to watch the couples dance!

Saturday we found a new family who I feel is prepared for the gospel! This family is awesome Walter his wife Maria )who are already married thank goodness= and their two sons Johan )16= and Walter )14  We taught the restoration and they accepted it very well. I am really excited to go back next Wednesday to teach them again! 

Sunday we had ward conference and the baptism. The baptism was suppose to start at 4 but it really started  at 5:30, punctuality is just not that important here. The baptism was so beautiful. There were so many members there to support C and D. The messages and testimonies were beautiful. Hna Goulding and I did a special musical number and everything worked out really well. We gave time to C and D to share their testimonies, they talked about being and eternal family and how they want to go to the temple to be sealed together and how happy they were to be baptized into the church.This is the first baptism in almost a year in the ward! The bishop was very grateful. After the baptism hermana Goulding and I were basically dead. This week was so busy. We taught one more lesson that night and then headed home to get some rest. I have never slept better in my whole  mission. 

I wish that I was able to give more details and explain better but the time doesn't allow me. I Love you all and hope everything is going well in the states!

See you next summer!

Hermana Huish

Week #43 The Book of Mormon changes lives!

Birthday breakfast for Hna. Ramirez

Working lunch with the Elders

This week has gone by really quickly for me. We are working with a young couple C and D. They are getting married in the massivo this Friday, and I am extremely happy for them. C has been really strong and has a really strong desire to follow Jesus. I can tell that she is ready to be baptized, she follows through with all of her commitments and is becoming a member of the ward. It has been a little more difficult with D, but we are working hard to strengthen his faith through revelation, though the scriptures and through assitencia. He is a husband, a father and is always worrying about providing for his family. He has a hard time leaving work to come to church because he wants to for his family. We are working to increase his faith and teach him that if he puts his confidence in God, God will provide everything else.

We had a very great spiritual experience this week. I is the wife of a menos activo. She has been really prepared for us. She is always working and her schedule is crazy but she shared with us that the Book of Mormon is changing her life. She said she feels more peace, and like she is learning a lot as she reads. She also can feel that her personality is changing. She is a witness to the power that the Book of Mormon has to change lives. We helped her initiate the habits of family prayer and family scripture studies. I have strong faith that we are going to reactivate her husband and that she will be baptized.

I have noticed that unfortunately, in this area the people are very hard hearted. We have had a lot of rejection this week. More rejection in this one week then in my entire mission. At first I was really confused and thought that it was my fault, that I wasn't a faithful enough missionary, but I think what I learned is that I am doing my part and every one has the ability to accept or reject. I have noticed that some people get really focused on things that are not important. We have had several lessons this week in which our investigatores ask us questions that are not reaalted to the gospel basics or that do not have answers. When we are talking about these things I can literally feel the spirit leave the conversation. Its so important to stay focused on the lessons and the doctrine of Christ and nothing else, so that we can teach with the spirit.

It is a short post this week because we have been so busy. Busy is a good thing in the mission!
Have a great week everyone and see you next summer,
Hna. Huish

Week #42 Santa Isabel

Transfer Day

Saying goodbye to my old comp. Sister Frye

Zona Magnolias is #1

                                                          Goodbye to Magnolias

                     My new Comp. Hna. Goulding and Elder Rodriguez and Elder Sitton




Dear Family,

The rumors were true. I am now in Santa Isabel. It is a lot different here and so much has changed. My new companion dun dun dun! Is another GRINGA! I think president doesnt ever want me to become fluent in spanish because this is my third gringa companion! Just to have one is pretty rare, and now I have had three. Hna Goulding is from northern california and she studied at BYU provo before her mission. We acutally lived together at one point when I was serving in magnolias so we know each other really well. This is also her last transfer in the mission before she goes home. Thank goodness she is still willing to work hard. Our area is tiny!! In fact, its about 8x smaller then my last area!  Our room is so nice we actually have a kitchen and lots of space. It feels good to not  be crammed into a 10x10 little box like my last room. Along with a tiny area comes a tiny ward. We have about 90 people coming to sacrament meeting and many of those are less actives.  I know that while I am here I really need to focus on strengthening the ward, the members, and helping the bishop.  I am excited for the chance to use some leadership skills and really make a difference. I can see a lot of potential but also a lot of work that needs to be done. 

We have some wonderful people that we are working with! Currently, we are teaching a family C D and their little son C. They are THE BEST! They truly were prepared for the gospel, golden invesigators. We have had lessons with them almost every night this week. We had a family night with them yesterday and I just don't have words to describe how awesome they are. They are totally motivated to come to church, to learn more, and to do what is right. They are not married yet so  this week we are focusing on obtaining all the requirment papers for their wedding. They tried to inscribe last Friday but it didn't work out. Their wedding date is the 21 and then their baptism date is the 22! wahoo its awesome!! And something even cooler is that the elders in our ward elder sitton and elder rodriguez also have a family that are being married the same day and the baptism despues. So we have been working a lot together.  This will be an exciting month. Although the area is really small,  I do have faith in this area and that we can help it grow. I am excited to be here and will try to make a difference.

So this is my little update this week.

Love you all and see you next summer!

Hermana Huish

Week #41 They do celebrate Halloween in Peru!

 

 

 

Week #40 The things that matter most

Another week has passed and transfers are coming up, I cant wait to see what happens. Part of me wants to be transferred because I have had  lot of time in this area.  I love it but I think I am ready for a change, new people, new streets, new companions. 

This week was stake conference, and it was really special because President Erickson and his wife came to speak as well as the Temple president. The temple president was awesome, he shared lots scriptures and reason why we should go to the temple. He also told the following story.

There was a women and an old man. The old man had a cave full of gold, silver, jewels,and jems, basically it was a giant jackpot of treasures. He told the women that she had 8 minutes to collect all the treasure that she could but the gate would close in exactly in 8 minutes and never open again. He reminded her not to forget what is most important. The women grabbed her bag and entered the cave. She quickly shoved all the gold and jewels into the bag. And just as 8 minutes was up she ran out of the cave and the gates closed. She was so happy that she was RICH! but after the adrenaline of collecting all of the gold passed she realized she had left her baby boy inside the cave. 

After the president told this story I felt haunted. The women was so preoccupied with other things that she forgot what was the most important to her! Her own son. It made me think about my life. Am I being to preoccupied with everything else that I am forgetting what is most important?. Where are our priorities?  Are they  focused on finding true happiness?  When we put our confidence and trust in God then we will prosper. Jacob 2Ñ18'19 says ¨But before y seek for riches seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain the riches, if ye seek them and ye will seek them for the intent to do good.¨ I love this. I know that If God is our first priority all of the other parts of our life will fall into place. Even if we have a million other things that are going on in our life we need to retain our focus on God.

 My sophomore year of high school I was taking tough classes. I had a lot of homework and never had enough time to study! I had commitments to soccer, piano friends and family. Basically, a lot of stuff to balance for a 15 year old. Normally  I saved up all my homework for Sunday night. I would be extremely stressed about studying for all my exams, finishing all my project and writing papers late Sunday night. I remember my mom sharing with me that on the Sabbath day and we should rest and remember God. Exod 20 8'10 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter...¨I decided that I needed to keep this commandment. That I needed to have a time to remember God within my busy schedule. I decided that I would not do my homework on Sundays. That I would keep that day as a day of rest. At first I was nervous that If I didn't do my homework on Sundays I would get bad grades and that the rest of my week would be more stressful. But what I found was the opposite! I ALWAYS had time to finish my homework and do all of the other things I wanted to do. I had a clear mind for all of my tests and I earned the best grades of my life that year. I know that if we put God first above all of the other things that we worry about that our lives will be smooth and that all of the other things will fall into place. We need to stop making excuses and do what we know we should do. I love the verses in Luke that state: 

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whither soever thou goest.

58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of their have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

 59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord,suffer me first to go and bury my father.

 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.¨Luke 957'69

We need to stop giving excuses like these people in the scriptures and always do what we can to put Christ first. 

As far as everything else in my life.  I'm crossing my fingers for a transfer next Monday. I have   a lot of time in this area so its a possibility that i get transferred but hermana pin doesn't know the area very well yet so maybe ill have to stay to teach her a little bit more. But I am just hoping for a transfer. 

Saul is getting baptized this week! Wahoo Ill send pictures next Monday!