Jessica and Goliath

 Can I just vent for a hot second. 

I am trying my hardest! To understand, to ask questions that they understand, to speak and to ALWAYS feel the spirits direction. and to try to trust and love my companion. But this last month, she told me has been the least successful of her entire mission.  haha, wow. sweet, thanks, i{m glad i can share this joyful experience with you too.

This is my first taste of a mission, idk if she realizes how effectivly this is painting a picture in my mind for the future. but, regardless, I have hope. Right now that is ALL that I can have, because we are poor, destitute, pretty little faces that no one, NOBODY, takes the time to listen to. For the past month we have been teaching over 50 people including families. and we haven´t had a baptism yet. because they dont keep their commitments. we ask them if they would like to change. like to pray, like to follow the commandments of God. Si si, claro hermanas....yo qiuero yo quiero......(yes yes, of course sisters... I want to I want to) but after 6 weeks. nothing. It really gets my goat that they don´t realize no one can change their circumstances except for themselves.

And this is our Zone before the missinoaries in front left! Hermana Alvear,
and Elders Woolsehenulm (spelling, sorry) and Anderson left for home! 

Now for the stinger. As I was pondering this message last night before bed.....I was always told writing begats thinking...well, I have a testimony of how true that is. We are having a hard time finding people, refinding these people to teach and then being obedient missionaries. Our circumstances aren´t missionary picture perfect, we don´t have a lot of the tools to be ´THE DISTRICT¨ missionaries. I want to follow every rule all the time, but its hard to be punctual to be this to be that and so on. so many excuses. I am SO frustrated with myself and a veces con mi companera (sometimes with my companion) and con los personas aqui (with the people here). This is my investigadores feel like. and it hurts. Literally, my heart aches! Each of us knows what change looks like, and we are told how we can do it..but we don´t know HOW to do it for ourselves, and apply this change in our set in stone lives. The decisions we make day to day impact our eternity. 

The people here have taught me so much. Today, after this, we´re going to go find out los cambios (transfers). Who stays, Who goes and so on. If I stay I know it´s because my investigadores, hardhearted as they may be, have potential, or there is someone here who needs me......or I need them.

If I go, I go, and I will always remember my mistakes I have made, to mejorar(improve) myself as a missionary, teacher and companion in the next area. 

Elder Nina, ENRIQUE, Elder Henriquez. Enrique is a giant.
giant head, giant feet, giant hands...
but he´s not even that tall by American standards.
 His heart though, probably the biggest of all!

Also, let me tell you about the rama! the branch here.  Elder Henriquez and Elder Nina baptized a gem of a person this last Sabado (Saturday). Enrique Isquierda is a motokar driver. His mom was baptized years ago, and left his family for the US. Throughout his entire conversion he has faced oposition mostly by his family. His mother, called him the day of his baptism and told him she didnt mean to be bapstized in that church, she was practically pushed into the font. and lots of other things like that. He has a lot of regrets, but we alll reassured him that the atonement takes care of all of that. Want to know how we found him? One evening, Herma. Martinez and I were LATE like so late to the noche de missional friday night, so we took a motokar, we had a rough lesson, so I was just praying and sitting in my solitude, she shakes me shoulder and says, where are we? where are we?! the motokar guy was taking us a wierd way to the church. my first thought, hm, i wonder if we´re getting kidnapped. but mostly bugged that was interupting my conversation with God, I said, calm down, i{m sure he knows where hes going.....so we make it to the church, and invite him to church, and to the activity then and there. To our surprise he said yes! and told us he had taken some missionaries here before once. It was elder Henriquez and Nina! So he walks in, and we tell him about the reuniones and stuff, and Elder Henriquez, comes and is like hey! remember me?  Can we come teach you? and the rest is history. He has the strongest testimony, and so much faith in prayer. One day before his baptismal date, he had just finished talking to his dad, who said we get payed for every baptism and all this other crap. He was alone, it was a rainy day and he was eating a muffin by his motokar. He said he was praying to see Elder Henriquez, just for comfort, for answers, and lo and behold, all six of us missionaries come walking down the road coming back from a service project at another families house. He said he only asked for Elder Henriquez, but he got all six of us in return. I hope when he moves to the other side of Tarapoto this week, he always remembers that the Lord listens to him. I will never forget his testimony and his desire to follow the example of Jesus Christ.

Hey, did you know I´m teaching english classes here every saturday? Elder Henriquez helps me teach, he´s from Arizona. But it´s been fun, haha, i´ve been teaching simple verbs, grammar, how to pray in english and other random words. A veces, we´lll get the students that just want ot know how to say, i like you, i love you, will you go out with me.......yea, entonces (anyway), we´re just sticking to Gospel topics. haha, I love the miembros (members) here. They are SO intelligent, all of them are in summer classes an they always want to learn. They try to speak engligh to me sometimes, which is sweet.

 A giant snail I carried home from our pencionisto´s house we named him Goliath

Don't Count Every Moment, Make Every Moment Count

Spanish is for Spaniards and Mexicans. They speak Castellano here. Quien Supa (who knew)?

Like the apostles of the Bible, or the missionaries in DyC (D&C), we have been promised that we will  have sufficient for our needs. This is true, seeing as I am still breathing, but in all honesty, we are living just barely above poverty. For days, my comp. and I have had no money, because we both spent the rest of our personal accounts for this month, and the missionary fund money ran out the 2 week after paying rent and food. We get by, and we´re not suffering, but this is definetly a humbling experience. So that´s the sitch ahora (now), and esta bien (it's good).

Last Friday was noche de missional, it´s like a mini mutal every friday at 7:30! the Missionaries direct and have a message, a mini lesson, then games and refreshments. This week, Hma. Martinez and I were in charge and the Bishop asked us to teach about fasting. So we showed this hilarious video from the 80´s about this guy fasting. and WOW, it was me about a million times when I have been fasting. Obviously, I´ve learned through the scriptures and through example that we fast with smiles on our faces and end with simple meals, and what not. but the one scripture that I learned the most from...is in the LDM (Book of Mormon), I think in Alma, it talked about the sons of Mosiah, fasting. It´s cool, because even as missionaries, who have dedicated all that we HAVE. literally our time, comfort, sanity, money, pride and dignity to this work, we still need to work even more for the help of the Lord. That´s how important this work is to Heavenly Father. The sons of Mosiah fasted for miracles. We need miracles in this area. Our area of Morales 2 has NO members. 0 help 0 references 0 people coming to church when they said they would. But I little by little, I know our fasts, our prayers and our work will be answered. In fact, this Sunday we except 6 poeple to come. we called and waited. they didnt show, but in sacrament meeting were 7 people in our area, that had come, 7 people who we hadn´t even met! and one was a family we taught once. Hma. Martinez was a little glum that our progressing investigadores didnt show up, because that means their baptisms are delayed. but the LORD asnwered our prayers. idk about her, but I really was just waiting for the poeple of our area to show up. and indeed they did. We don´t command God. He commands everything in this world. When we fast for miracles, I have a testimony and the faith and the HOPE, that miracles we will receive, no matter what form they may be in. 

So anyway, after the lesson we were excepted to entertain around 30 jovens (youths) with a game! They can be a tough crowd, especially with us, because we´re knew, and we´re sisters. BUT, don´t you worry, I won their hearts with a good game of ´do you love your neighboor´or ama su vesino....something like that. So I explained the game to Hma. Martinez last night to explain for everyone at the noche de missional, haha, and no one understood. So I got up and tried to explain it and everyone was like, oh! ok, now we get it. So now, whenever soeone tries to explain something vague, they just say, ask the gringa to explain! Not because I{m just so much more eloquent, but because I speak in terms of a child right now, and so if a child can understand me, anyone can. So that was fun, especially since I was always running around because i never knew what they were saying, so I lost probably 10 times. Something they do here, with with people who lose a game more than 3 times, I was def. one of these, they bring them to the front and have them do the pato. It´s like the chicken dance, but the duck dance. we all looked silly and you look dumb doing it, but  if it makes the people happy...

Thank you a million times over for everyone who has given me little pieces of advice, of comfort and of guidance. Everyday has its struggles, and everyday, I know that the Lord will let me capably survive the next day after that. I shared what Charity told me with the branch in noche de missional, and roughly translated it into spanish for them. It lost its charm, but not its significance. She told me that, I should not count every moment, but to make every moment count. I likened it to fasting, and I liken it to my days, my weeks. 

Lots of pictures

Hermana Talbert while she was still in the MTC

"The temple in Lima. It looks a lot like the Chicago temple"

"This is more Christmas eve! Hermana Smith is SO hilarious"

Hermana Ransom Jess in their Christmas PJs

"We did secret santa, did I tell you! So I bought and wrapped the COOLEST peruvian soccer ball. and i wanted to keep it for myself, but I actually wrapped it...which is really hard....then gave it to Elder Geddes"

Elder Geddes with his new soccer ball

"our district hung our socks, for santa aka all of us to secretly fill them for each other"

Jessica (snowman sock) and her companion

Elders in her district

Before she left

These are post MTC pictures 

"this is a picture of a man doing some yard work"

Jess and her newest companion

La Vida es Mejor

Two months away from home yes. but really i´ve only been a missionary for a total of 3 weeks. Haha, it´s seriously so hard to learn how to be a totally different type of person, in another language. It´s posible.  i´m doing it, but imagine being trained to be a doctor in...Mongolian. and you´re just put right into the operating room. That´s how it feels to be me sometimes. I´ve already learned so much here. Mentally, temporally, physically, spiritually.
I{m serving in Tarapoto Peru. I{m in the Partido Alto Rama, branch, área. Morales 2. It´s like Lafayette, tarapoto, versus west Lafayette. our área is less city like, and more country like. a part of our misión is across the Cumbaza river, and it is just SO far away, and SO in the valley. Its muy tranquila, but the work is harder over there.
Teaching, is improving. Where is that scripture that says, first will come understanding, then your tongue will be loosed??? It´s hard to speak, because my gramar is so bad, sometimes people hear me, but dont understand. thats frustrating! but Little by Little, i can understand people more! At first i only mirrored their body language, and now I can understand what they mean.
Last night in fact, we went to teach the Ruiz familia and the two girls and father were baptized a few months ago. their oldest sister hasnt been yet. we´ve been teaching her. but she was absent last night....and the father is having drinking problems. he didnt come to church yesterday because he knew he wasnt worthy to take the sacrament. my companion and the member spend literally an hour, almost arguing with him about the commandments. I opened up Moroni 6 and mateo 18.20. I wrote a note to him and his family and stuck it in those scriptures and said, read this when we leave. think about it. If you dont read that, i{m not coming back. (obviously we would return, but i wanted to scare him) after my companions had talked for ages, and it was time to leave, WAY past our curfew, He said, now let hermana talbert talk. He explained, that even though ´she doesnt have very much to say, many times when she speaks, it touches me, i feel her words. So I then told him to read the note and so on. and that he can has the help of US our HF and the holy ghost. They had a goal to go to the temple together. Its really sad, because of his mistakes, his weaknesses, you could tell his WHOLE family was really really contentios and upset. I wonder if every parent realizes what an example they are to their children. In good or in bad ways.
That sounds like a great talk! I think I forwarded the misionary address.

Hermana Talbert

First Week Out

hey, so i am struggling SO hard core. i was moved to the Tarapoto Zone, its south. and its still jungle. so for the plane i had to downsize my stuff by 100 lbs....so i have less tan half of my things and i know that the lord will take care of my needs........but its hard to consider the lillies while i toil and spin over here. i{m always wet with sweat or rain. which is fine...but i{m getting a Little sick. i need to buy a blanket. but my money for the missionary card doesn't get into my account until tomorrow! but we{re not allowed to shop accept on, p days, today. .....so another week. i also forgot my contact solution. i{ve been using purified water. it hurts. but it Works. my glasses sweat off my face, so thats not always an option. my companera is sweet. but she doesn't speak any English. so i never know whats going on, or where we go or why we go there. i have no clue how to be a missionary! and i{m not really learning very quickly. we{re trying to fast, but they do it differently, and i{ve been drinking wáter because were supposed to in the jungle mission. its MUCH needed, but it doesn't feel right. nothing feels right. and like everything is too different.  i feel unprepared because of my lack of essentials, my lack of English companionship and most of all my lack of knowledge! knowledge of the language, knowledge of what the heck is going on. i am just her dog, i follow her around and i never know where were going, or who were trying to find. maybe contacts, or less actives or going to teach a lesson???? who knows. not this missionary.
ok, well. that being said, i receive tender mercies from the members here
the other day the príncipe family celebrated the birthday of their two children and me! i told them i had it in December. and they just celebrate birthdays by the month. which is swweet for me. we had cake, and inca kola. wow. i love that stuff. anyway, good stuff....um, well they give us food alot. which is cool, except i{m getting fat. um.....uh oh. the other day we drank some juice, because they always give you refreshments! and we were hot. so we tried it .EW! so nasty. but we kept on sipping to be polite. yuck, when we left my companion told me it was fermented banana stuff. YA KIDDING ME! why she didnt try slapping it out of my hand idk. we told our DL, but he said we{re fine. just be careful and ask next time. woof.
if only i could read spanish and know the rules here, i{d love to follow all of them. oh yea, i{m NEVER punctual. because no one does anything on time here.
i love you, i{ll figure out a way to make it better. i know that the lord will help me, its just really difficult until that happens, because i don teven know how to put in my effort. anyway. i love you all, bendiciones. i pray for you always, and i know the Lord will keep you guys all safe because i am here serving him...or trying to! adios

Hermana Talbert

Final Stretch

My dearly beloved,

Don't think I´m homesick when I say I think about every single 1 of you, in fact I really couldn´t not miss you more, but I always pray that you can all stay safe, healthy and happy I know HF answers my prayers.

¿Que tal? (What's up?)....

Stephen turns 8 in 6 days!!!!!!!!! Feliz cumpleaños Sunny D :)

Also, Padres, happy late anniversary. Thanks for getting married and having me.

In 7 days I fly out to the jungle, aka Iquitos.

I can kind of carry a conversation in Spanish. Prayers are TOTALLY appreciated, because I am still trying so hard to understand this language to no avail.

Luzitos de Cristó (Lights of Christ that she cares for)......

Mornos, non mormons, all christians alike, by the way you dress, speak act think and do...stick out! You already carry the glow of the Light of Christ in your facade. Know that you stand out. Stick out, stand out and be set apart from those around you. but " stick out, stand out and be set apart" in a GOOD way. become like Christ. That´s what this life is all about.

 

"My Words Never Cease" by Jeffrey R. Holland

Elder Holland explains that the LDM is another testament of Christ, just like the Bible, and it is true. "we invite all men..." Thats found in the intro. then read and follow Moroni 10:4 through 5 (And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true ; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power... 5And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.)
 (k, this is me now)  I DARE everyone, anyone to read the Book of Mormon, follow Moroni{s promse and still not feel and know that it contains a fulness of the truth of God. IT can transform your lives, if you are looking for a transformation. IT can improve your lives even when you think life can´t get any better.  Therefore, be ye humble. You can receive many blessings upon many more if you try. Yo promeso, con todo mi corazón (I promise with all my heart).

A Change of Plans...

This week was full of surprises, challenges and changes. 3 of our distritc´s Hermanas chose to switch into the Latino districts, so two thirds of my trio left and so did Hermana RAnsom´s compañera. I had to move rooms and I became Hermana RAnsom´s comp! She´s so intelligent acirca del Libre de Mormón y otra (about the Book of Mormon and other) Gospel principles. I still miss my old compañeras, but I´ve noticed that showing my loyalty and admiration fro hermana R. has really strengthened the unity in our companionship. DAD, all of you advice and letters really have helped me to realize my rose as her compañera. I always mean it or try to mean it, when I tell her, {Yo vivo para servir usted!} (I live to serve you) Our district is only 3 elders y 4 hermanas now. And all but 1 elder and 1 hermana were on the immigration list to visit Interpol to finish their VISA paperwork this week. Guess who the Hermana was....yea it was me. I don{´t know what this means for me at the moment, but I´m not too worried. Elder Largent and I split into different existing districts on Friday. He got to be with the 3 new elders from Norte America, pero I was blessed to find a comp. in a latino district. The day was easy, personal study, and fútbol but THEN we had classes....at this time in the day my district shouold´ve been arriving home already....but instead I was Proxy Hermana Benyo. The maestro (teacher) spoke muy rapido (very fast), but by a mircale (the gift of tongues. Moroni 10. 9 through 18) (8 And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of... 9 For behold, to one is given by the Spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom) I understood and participated! Since latinos don{t need grammar lessons, they just learn how to be awesome missionaries. Among the many insightful things the teacher mentioned, was that when we pray, we always kneel. His reasoning was that, when Christ suffered the pains, guilt and sins of the world, infinitely and entirely. He knelt. As a sign of humility and respect unto Christ and our HF, we kneel too. There´s always rhyme to reason in this church I´ve just barely noticed. Our "culture" is the way it is because of the teachings of prophets past and present. Mormóns typically don´t strive to tattoo their bodies, or have more than 1 piercing (girls). These seemingly trivial things though, are guidance from prophets, thus they are commandments. an dthere is a good reason for every single one of them, whether or not we know it yet.

I also wanted to share some Gems of knowledge from 2 of the elders in my district. Elder Largent (Oklahoma) going to Cuzco, shared his testimony and talk on Sunday on our purpose of being here in Perú. With the Libro de Mormón, we are here to testify (2 Nefi 25:26) (26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.) and teach of Christ. Elder Boyd K. Packers said, " In a world ever more dangerous...The Book of Mormon: Another TEstament of JEsus Christ has the nourishing power to heal starving spirits of the world." Elder Largent said that " we cannot merely offer these people a crumb, we have so much more to offer! A crumb will not fill them, it cannot satisfy the hunger to know that they are beloved children of God and that they have a purpose here on this Earth." We must let them FEAST on the words of God. My cause for the next 17 months is to reduce spiritual world hunger. Without food we cannot live, without Hope we do not want to.

Another Elder (Allan from California) Piura mission, spoke about the HG. As missionaries we're expected to know the teachings of this Gospel. We must take every moment to treasure up in our minds the scriptures and principles of Christ, so we can fill the filing cabinets in our minds. When we teach, with the HG, it can search our cabinets and bring to the front of our minds and mouths, the perfect scripture for that exact persona  in that exact moment. The HG cannot find a file that doesn´t exist. It´s our job to stock it full, it is the HG´s role to command it when we teach and testify.

Con permiso,

love yáll!

Hermana Talbert

(I have pictures and I will put them up soon)

Bueno Bueno Bueno

Estoy un chistadora! (It is kinda like I'm a joker) haha, Hermana Benyo and I made up this wonderful word to say, like, JUST KIDDING, cuz theres no equivalent in spanish. The latinos used to be confused when we say it, now they just accept it and use it!!! IT{s spreading around the CCM like wildfire.

We did secret Santa, so I bought and wrapped the COOLEST Peruvian soccer ball. and i wanted to keep it for myself, but I actually wrapped it...which is really hard....then gave it to Elder Geddes. He LOVED it. haha, he was like the squirrel from ice age treasuring his precious, only one in existance, nut. He was happy with it, i was happy with his happiness. There{s just so much happiness in our Distrito. I got some sweet headbands, earrings, AND a little pan pipe. Im so excited. i{ll learn how to play it. Just you wait.

In other news, I{m sick. My voice has left me, but it comes back every now and then. The Latinos keep on telling us it{s because we like to pump the AC, so were not sweating bullets....but, we keep it on anyway. I love this country.My friends here really made sure I had a great day. It was a Happy 20th.

Well, many things happened this last week, pero (but), I just don{t have enough time allotted to me, while also obeying the rules....so, let me just tell you one experience I had this week. Our teacher pulled the trio outside, me, hma benyo and hma ogden, to just evaluate and give feedback our investigators. Maestro Meza told us what we needed to improve, and he also asked us what we were feeling. I didn{t like that question. I have a pretty effective, most of the time, philosophy that if you ignore it, it goes away. When I can ignore my feelings of frustration with a lesson, or an investigator, i figure it goes away....um, not true. When he asked us that, i just kind of opened up and told him, in broken caveman spanish how I felt that we weren{t progressing in our lessons and I was afraid we were just getting stuck on single topics lesson after lesson. I was getting impatient because I felt like the investigator was learning the first and second and third lessons over and over again.....but with no goal in mind? We were planning lessons and teaching just to teach.

My maestro (teacher) took a second and reminded me that we don{t teach....we lead to baptism in the true church of Jesus Christ. It was a total, hands to head, mind blowing moment. Right afterwards, I just scribbled down my objectives as a missionary. so i{d never forget why I was here, i wrote.

Who do I teach? Different people, with different knowledge of the Savior and His Gospel. ASK if they understand or have questions or worries. SHOW you love them.

What do I teach?

Why they should follow Jesus Christ

Why do I teach?

to invite to baptism. I must remember my objectivo (objective). Invitar a las personas a venir a Cristo al ayudarlas a que reciban el Evangelio restaurado mediante la fe in Jesucristó y Su Expiácion, el bautismo al arrepentimiento, la recepcion del don del Espiritú Santo, y preserverar hasta el fin. (Invite people to come to Christ by helping them to receive the Gospel restored through faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, baptism unto repentance, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, and enduring until the end.)

I pray for every one of you. night and day.

Have a great week, Stay safe, and make good choices.

con todo mi corazon,

Hermana Talbert

(So I have two pictures from Jess, but I am struggling, so I will try again later in the week. lo siento)