Fasting for the people of Pucallpa - Nov 10, 2014

I just talked to my companion yesterday saying that we need to fast again. the mission only lets us fast 2 times every month, but everyone just does it once at the beginning of the month. I KNOW good things happen when we fast. but bueno, I never really had enough faith to fast specifically for miracles, because i didn't
1. want to be disappointed and
2. change the will of God.
But if its good, and IF I have that faith, why wouldn´t He deliver those miracles.
its a deal. We´ll fast this weekend, we´ll fast for miracles. thanks dad! also, I love sister boss and especially her talk. I like that people can teach with analogies like that and apply them so well to the gospel. It's what Christ did. He noticed everything from His surroundings and from it testified of the doctrine found.
Dad, I love the Gospel. I know God loves His children. Those who do not accept His existence, do so, not because they don´t believe in Him, its because they choose not to follow Him. It´s impossible to reject the existence of God, those who suffer, who make bad decisions just choose to put higher priority in the things of the world.
 When I lived at home, I NEVER put my clothes away, they went on the floor or the closet, or my bed. when grandma came over I stuffed them all under the bed or in the closet. they were out of sight. I made it appear like the clothes didn't exist, but they were still there, and when grandma left, Those clothes didn't just disappear because I hid them....in the end I had to answer for those clothes. They were always there.
ok, a bit dramatic, but that's how I feel at least about the people here in Pucallpa. They have a bible. they have the light of Christ, a conscience, they have us, and they have neighbors who are their examples. They know God exists, they know He is always there, always watching, always protecting them, but they choose not to listen. They choose not to change, They turn the blind eye, and THIS is what they will have to answer for in the final day. What are they waiting for?!? Dad, just explaining this to you, breaks my heart. It brings bitter tears to my eyes.....I love these people. I know every single one of them was created with me, next to me when we learned of Christ´s sacrifice, of God´s plan. I knew them before we came to this Earth, but it makes me very sad to see them putting higher priority to the things that don´t matter over our loving Heavenly Father.
Please pray and fast for the people of Pucallpa, of our nation, of our family. I hope they don't wait too long to change, I want to see them again someday, and I know that God does too.
dad I have to go! but I love you!
and stay safe! follow the guidance of the HG!
Hermana Talbert

Taken by Tarzan - 29-Sep-2014

Seems like the jungle took me captive for a bit, I don´t have TONS of time to describe ALL of the adventures we´re been having, but i want to share the  most important. It´s about miracles.

The miracle rescue
Jaime is our recent convert, and lately he´s been busy with work, and studies, and he hasn't come to church! but the other day he was driving his motokar around, and found two elders. He picked them up dropped them off, and they tried paying him. He said, no, it´s free. and Elder Henriquez immediately asked him...ok, what ward are you from? Primavra said Jaime. haha, then he said he felt as if God was pulling on his ear, letting him know he had another responsibility to fulfill. two seconds later he called us, after being lost for like 2 weeks, i received his call, he said he wanted to take us to our appointments at night and it didn't matter how far. Well, he was an answer to our prayers and pockets. We had a family home evening with a family that lives practically on the border of Peru and Brazil, so its far, and we aren't doing so hot money wise. he got us there and the family felt blessed to be visited by the members too.

The miracle find
through contacts, and through the mercies of our Heavenly Father, we have been finding FULL families who want to be baptized and join the church. They had testimonies. they are reading the Book of Mormon, they are coming to church! and they want to by married! We have tons of famliies like this! and we dont have enough time in the day to visit all of them! and i feel like such an instrument in the hands of the Lord. He brings us to these people. and them to us....one family, we found based on a small impressioni had. We were walking about Saturday night, ALL of our appointments fell through. no one accepted us into their homes, and it was already 8;40 at night. something told me, visit hermana Marlith. which was strange..she´s already a member, and her family is REALLY active. but we went, and siting under a light post, right next door was a woman, i knew Heavenly Father wanted us to talk to her. So we contacted her, and we´ve taught her already. She and her twin sister want to get married with their spouses and be members of this church. We bring them a book of mormon tonight. I love this work. and i love these people. and i LOVE having the spirit with us.

The miracle companion
If i haven't already mentioned. i´m training! and hermana Reyes is SO humble, so likeable, so polite and she always has a smile on her face. She is forgiving and she always the atonement to work in HER life, as well as everyone else's. we are seeing miracles here. and she´s only just begun this work!

The miracle Sunday
This one´s pretty obvious. it was Fast Sunday after all.
First of all, we woke up to rain! Heavenly Father watches out for us. When we fast here, i don´t do it halfway. The mission says we can drink water too. but i´ve stronger than the average sissy. So we fasted the full 24 hours, and waking up and NOT finding heat, and NOT finding sun.was SUCH a beautiful blessing from the Lord. THEN we continued to knock doors, so remind our investigators we had church. Hermano Hernan was already. he had his Book of Mormon all wrapped up in plastic, and we headed to church with Kiara, a 14 yr old. who was baptized without her family. (we´re teaching them and getting them married this november). At church our baptisms from the last night came! (thank goodness and thanks to Heavenly Father) they were confirmed, and then! we realized that Cesar, couldn't sign his own baptismal register. HIS PARENTS had to!!! woops. He´s the one that lives near the river that seperates Brazil and Peru. (exaggerating a tiny bit, but really, Brazil is like right there). We didn't have money, nor time to go, and whats more, if we got there, and his parents weren´t there.....likewhat!?! Two minutes later, his cousin walks in and told us that his parents were outside the chapel waiting to take him home!!!!!!! we ran out of relief society, and his parents signed his register.
all is well that ends well.

There are only a few of the moments that the Lord has let us have. and it is sufficient. We´re praying, fasting and working for more! I love this work, and i know this church is true.
I have traded 18 months of my life for this. and i am willing to give it all, all that I have, to show Him I love Him. I will teach it from the mountaintops, from the wooden huts, or at the corners of the grifos. I will testify this, that I know Jesus Christ is my Savior, and that He lives, and that we are in His work, that God has a plan for everyone of us, and we can understand it too. I know everything will be alright. I know that this life is more than the things we can have, it´s so much more beautiful than that.
I know this church is true, the Book of Mormon is the word of God and anyone can find happiness in this book, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that Thomas S. Monson speaks to God for the benefit of us and our families.
i love you all too! and i hope that you can see the miracles that God gives to y´all this week!
Hermana Talbert

I love Peru! 22-Sep-2014

While we are missionaries, we must learn different things and lessons and get to know certain people that can help mold us to be the people we need to be for the Lord and for our future families. I know i am learning those things here, through the people, lessons, the place and the challenges. 
This week i`ve been thinking a little bit too much about that family, a tiny bit distracted in lessons worrying about them. but this morning, as i prayed to know if the LDM is true, and if Joseph Smith was a prophet, i also wanted to know if they would be ok, their family and they will be. i felt it, and i have faith, i have hope that God knows why. Their family will be ok!
i love you dad! and i love our family everything is good here. never forget me and my comp. in your prayers!
oh yea, and please pray for her family! only her sister is a member. and her mom, recently is listening to the elders!!!!! Pray that her heart changes ,and that she will be baptized too! Cristina Reyes, and her family from Ecuador! 
I`m doing so awesome here. I love Peru. I love the freaking hot sun, I love this gospel, I love seeing the gospel change peoples lives. I love it when they ask God and get an answer. I`m learning SO much about life here, about the family, about poverty, about how harmful drugs are, about how selfish people can be, and then I learn how much love a mother can show to her children, about how much faith can do. Literally, it can move mountains.
take care! I love you a lot!
read your Book of Mormon
Hermana Talbert

Mangos, spiders, and snakes - 11-Aug-2014

its always summer here. we have two days of rain la lluvia de san juan, nd la lluvia del dia de ...another saint, i forgot. So it rains one day every june and one, no two days every August. and then its just hot and sunny all the time. so.......i really couldnt tell you what season wé´re in. haha i DO know that the season of the mangoes is september and october, which is GREAT because we just changed houses nd we have like 3 mango trees. ooops. theres a downside to mango trees, the mango trees have the biggest spiders, but whats worse....do you know what eats the big spiders? venomous snakes. best combination no?
one day we were sitting under a mango tree and a woman started screaming! and so we ran away from our sitting post and we spotted a thin little green snake, they told us it was venomous....then killed it with a machete.
in the house we havent seen any snakes, nor do we see anymore spiders..........but just to know. thats a thing.
oh what a after-Eden world I live in. with sweet fruit by the plenty, come spiders and snakes. the two things i have the MOST fear of.  cool.

hey, but i´m doing fine. i´d appreciate more money :) or letters. or peanut butter marzipan, but prayers too.
i always pray for our family. you guys are seriously such an example to me, and now the people i teach. because i learned how to tell stories in spanish! haha, take care this week mom, REST! and recover
hermana talbert

It´s in spanish...sorry.... - 28-Jul-2014

Wrote to the president about my week. I want you to know what happened to......but i dont have time to translate it....loooooo siento!
Woof Presidente Gomez,
Esta semana, yo sentia especialmente estresada. Elder Ramero debe ser muy muy muy estresado, porque Hermana Gutteriez, su companera y yo y imagino mucho mas sentian el pressure de el esta semana. Yo entiendo que el no tiene un companero esta semana. Yo entiendo cuan dificil es.....pero yo sentia tan solo esta semana. Mi corazon dwele mucho por el dolor de mi companera, y ella no pudo hacer nada. Yo tenia que buscar cada dia una o dos companeras para mi y ella, y cuando nadie llego, sentia como estaba gastando el tiempo del Senor. Sentia como una mala misionera, y todo de esto sin el apollo de ningun lider. Todos estaban frustrado, o mas occupado con otra cosas. Presidente, fuimos a la clinica cada dia esta semana, lo  siento mucho por los numeros. Yo esforce mucho que yo pude,pero disculpama, no era todo que pude hacer. Mi companera es muy biena, solo que siga mal. Ella quiere trabajar y caminar, pero cuesta mucho. Puede caminar un poqito, pero cansa rapidemente. Como puedo ayuderle....
En otra noticia, tengo mucho tender mercies del Senor esta semana. Fuimos Jueves en la noche a un cita con Hermana Surma Quispe. Ella es un menosactivo, su hermano fallecio en Junio, Beans. Extranamos Beans. Esta noche me fui con Hermana Grazzli, su amiga, y mi companera de esta dia. Solo encontramos ella en su casa, no habia nadie mas, o nadie mas queria escuchar, uno de los dos.....Presidente, que paso era una experiencia, que nunca me voy a olvidar...Antes de empezar la oracion por hma. Grazzli, yo estaba llena de amor por Surma. No le conozcgo muy bien, su hermano si, pero ella, casi nunca hablaba ni conocia....pero en esta momento,yo estaba llena, todo mi cuerpo y corozan de amor and entendiemento por ella, y no era de mi parte. Al orar, y compartir yo, y mi companera testificamos sobre el amor que Dios tiene por su hijos. Presidente, ni un palabra era de mi, casi no puedo recordar que yo decia, pero yo recuerdo el sentimiento. Era veracidad, era sincera y era amorosa. Le dije que Dios le ama, y nunca le deja solo. Nos dijo que sentia muy solo esta mez pasado, Beans murio en una manera muy grotesque y sin signas....Comparti el historia del hombre que esta caminando en la arena del mar, en la orilla, Dios esta caminando con el, y puede ver dos parejas de pasos de pies, pero cuando el pasa por tiempos dificiles y tristes, por mirar, solo hay una pareja de pasos de pies. En el fin  de su camino, esta hombre dice el Senor,porque me dejo solo. Porque en mis momentos mas duro, mas triste, porque tu me dejes? El Senor,respondio, no te deje solo. En los tiempos cuando solo vio una pareja de pasos de pies, eran mios, le carge en mis brazos. Nunca voy a dejarte.
Cuando yo cuento esta historia, estaba lleno hasta mis ojos del Espiritu. Tenia un poder que brillo a fueda de mi. Nos terminamos en una cancion, y oracion. Cuando terminamos la leccion, su otro hermanos aprecio! Uno por uno hasta su familia estaba alredor de ella. No pudo ser una mejor ejemplo de que solo segundos atras fuimos testificando que Nuestro Padre Celestial nunca va a permitirnos estar solo. Su familia estaba con ella. Yo siento que los angeles estaban con nosotros ensenando. Tenemos un Padre Celestial quien nos ama, y un hermano mayor que hecho posible por nosotros tener esperanza y fe en todo. Siento que Beans estaba en la leccion con nosotros, el era el amor enviado por Dios que yo necesitaba a tener por su hermana.
Yo amo esta obra, y sabe que Presidente??? Fuimos a visitarle de nuevo iyer, y tiene un hijo que no es bautizado! Ya le invitamos a ser bautizado, y vamos a rescatar hermana Surma, y preparar su hijo a hacer un convenio con su amoroso Padre Celestial.
Yo se que mi Senor vive. Puedo tener desafios en la mision, puedo sentir solo y estresado, pero nada puede frustrar el obra del Senor. Estoy muy agradecido por mis desfios, por ver mejor mis bendiciones, no soy solo y todo estara bien.
Woof, what a week Presidente. Muchas Gracias!
Hermana Talbert



(Here is Google Translate's version of this:)
This week, I felt particularly stressed. Elder Ramero must be very very very stressed because Sister Gutteriez and his companion and I guess they felt the pressure much of the week. I understand that does not have a companion this week. I understand how hard it is ..... but I just felt this week. My heart dwele much pain my companion, and she could not do anything. I had to search every day one or two companeras for me and her, and when no one came, I felt like I was spending time in the Lord. Felt like a poor missionary, and all of this without the apollo of any leader. They were frustrated, or more occupado with other things. President, went to the clinic every day this week, we feel sorry for these numbers. I tried hard as I could, but disculpama, it was not all I could do. My companion is very goog, just follow evil. She wants to work and walk, but cost much. You can walk a little but rapidly tired. How can I ayuderle ....
In other news, I have a lot of tender mercies of the Lord this week. We went Thursday night to a meeting with Sister Surma Quispe. She is a less active, her brother passed away in June, Beans. Beans miss. Tonight I went with Sister Grazzli, friends, and my companion on this day. Only she found in his house, there was no one else, or anyone else wanted to hear, one of the two ..... President, what happened was an experience I'll never forget ... Before starting the prayer for hma. Grazzli, I was filled with love for Surma. I did not know very well, if your brother, but she rarely spoke or knew.... but this time, I was full, my whole body and heart and entendiemento love for her, and it was not for me. When praying, and sharing me and my companion testify about the love God has for his children.
President, not a word was to me, I can hardly remember that I was saying, but I remember the feeling. Truth was, he was sincere and was loving. I told him that God loves him, and never leaves you alone. He told us he felt very lonely this past mez, Beans died in a very grotesque way without slogans .... He shared the story of the man who is walking on the sand of the sea, on the shore, God is walking with, and may see two pairs of foot steps, but when going through difficult and sad times, look, there's only a couple of steps away from feet. At the end of his road, this man says the Lord, because I leave you alone. Because my hardest, saddest moments, because you miss me? The Lord, answered, do not leave them alone. In times when you only saw a couple of steps feet were mine, they carge him in my arms. I'll never leave you.
When I tell this story, to my eyes was full of the Spirit. I had a power shine fueda me. We ended up in a song, and prayer. When we finished the lesson, his other brothers appreciation! One by one until his family was long around her. Could not be a better example of that just seconds ago we were testifying that Heavenly Father will never allow us to be alone. Her family was her. I feel that the angels were teaching us. We have a Heavenly Father who loves us, and an older brother who made ​​it possible for us to have hope and faith in everything. I feel like Beans was at the lesson with us, the love was sent from God that I needed to be at her sister.
I love this work, and know that President?? We went to visit him again iyer, and we have a child who is not baptized! Now we invite you to be baptized, and we are going to rescue sister Surma, and prepare your child to make an agreement with your loving Heavenly Father.
I know my Lord lives. I can have challenges in the mission, I can feel lonely and stressed, but nothing can thwart the work of the Lord. I am grateful for my desfios, for better watch my blessings, I am not alone and everything will be fine.


also, here are some picutres from our baptisms! We had three :)

What are you looking for? - 09-Jun-2014

Our zone leaders gave us another lesson on being focused on the work. I think they really feel like our minds or hearts aren't here in Zona Centenario, in Pucallpa Peru. So Elder Peacock asked us what our desires were, setting aside what we were going to eat for lunch. As missioneries, we need to leave behind EVERYTHING to be something else, someone else here, an instrument in the Hands of God. Elder Limon asked us, which is harder, to leave behind your family, your car, your studies, your medical practice, or to wake up at 6:30 en punto. woof. They realy burned us in this meeting, but in a good purifying fire kind of way. Why is it SO hard for us to be obedient, to be diligent, to be humble? Well the answer is, if we are not looking to be obedient, nor diligent, nor humble, we´re not going to find it. Alma 29:4 dice la siguinte, ¨No deberia, en mi deseos, perturbar los firmes decretos de un Dios justo, porque se que el concede a los hombres segun lo que deseen......¨ The Lord gives to us, what we strive for, what we look for. But if we are looking for this or that, looking to sleep in till 7, or looking to only teach the attractive investigadores, or looking to be better than another companionship. We will acheive these things.
I had to ask myself, am I looking for the right things? Am i searching for treasure....or for trash? Because if i´m looking for trash, i´m not going to see the gold thats shining right in front of me!
This week we contacted a woman while she was raking out the tiny stream in front of her house, I stopped to help her while my comp. got her info. I told her jokingly, i wasnt going to stop until i found the treasure i was looking for. We laughed about it because i{m just really funny in spanish now, and because no one was going to find anything valuable in the muck and filth i was raking up. Like it was super nasty. But i was thinking about it later, and it occured to me that even if their had been something good there, no one was looking for it, so they wouldnt hve seen it anyway.
The gospel is like that. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the MOST precious gift from God. More precious and beautiful and sought after than gems, or gold. Tristemente, it´s apparently the most gaurded as well. People dont know what it looks like, sounds like, feels like. It´s a treasure that will REALLY bless people´s lives. so much in fact, that they NEED this gospel, but they arent searching for it, so they really can´t see it when its right in front of them!
Last week we thought it´d be fun to practice lesson 2 and contact in the cementary, so we walk inside, and waiting practically 2 steps behind the gate is a woman watching us. Im excited to run to the back and find people crying at the gravestones and preach eternal life....but my compnion walked over to this woman instead, with her two sons playing behind her. We started talking to her, i introduced ourselves as representatives of Jesus Christ and began telling her that we were sent to help her. She told us her husband died last month, his heart had just stopped working. He was a great, intelligent man, and she was still in shock. We set up a time to come teach her.
What happened is that houses here are impossible to find. But since this is an experience about finding treasures....
AFter a week of not being able to track her or her house down, finally one night she called us! My compnion was dead asleep, and i went to set our phone´s alarm to get up for church, I saw we missed a call from an unknown number. I called and i asked who it was, Nany! soy nany! OH! nany, wow, how are you? We wanted to invite you to church tomorrow. how are you doing? She told me she was not doing well. The following 10 minutes she was sobbing on the phone, she was sharing her testimony of her belief in God, but that she feels he abandoned her and took her life away from her. She told me she didnt want to lie, that she was drunk. She put her two sons on the phone, Rex (6 years) asked me if i was the hermanita from the cementary, si, i said. Ayuda mi mama, ayuda mi mama. ella esta mal, esta triste. This same boy hasnt eaten in weeks, he doesnt want to, he misses his dad. Nany put her other son on the phone to talk to me, he asked me to help his mom, and asked when we were coming. I asked him for his direction again, they told me they´re house was like gold, a yelllow one story house. I promised we´d come and take them to church.
After i hung up, i realize I had promised i´d find their home, after a week on NOT finding it. and that we´d find if before the church service at 9:00 am........I fell to my knees asking my HEavenly Father to keep NAny and her sons safe while she was drunk at home. I prayed that He would help me find this house of gold, and that i could keep my promise and help this family.
I have a testimony that the Lord gives to us what we ask for. The difference between looking for this woman´s house Sunday morning, compared to the rest of the week, is that I had the Lord´s help Sunday morning, and because I knew what i was looking for. We found them. Nany has lost her faith, her husband, and she didnt know how to find it, or what any of this looked or felt like. We are teaching her how to find her faith again, that she will see and hold her husband again.
Her story is a story of searching for treasure. I found her house of Gold, a real treasure and answer to my prayers, and she is finding her eternal family.
I know the Lord loves me, and loves this family. Even though we experience losses, the Lord still loves us. He has treasure, hidden in this life, that we need to only search for, and it will be revealed to us. But if we are not searching for it, we will not find it, we will not be able to see that it´s shining right in front of us.
I have learned to pray that those who dont know what they´re looking for will realize what this treaure is, and then i pray that we can be worthy to bring thise treasure to them.
I am not Jessica Talbert, runner, reader and what not student. I am a missionary, I am doing the Lord´s work. Jessica could not have found this house, nor found this woman in the cementary, just watching us. But Hermana Talbert, she can. I am trying every day to be someone different here, someone better. I know that the Lord will help me to help Him realize His work, and bring His treasure to those who are in need of it and searching.
Pray for me to be receptive to His spirit, to find these people.
Pray for those who are sick, who are suffering, who don´t know what this Gospel is like, that they may find it.
I know these things are true and I will never forget them.
Take care family and friends! I love you so much!!! Be kind
Hermana Talbert

Just the Bare necessities..... - 02-Jun-2014

Living in the jungle isnt as hard or primitive as it sounds. I´m still waiting for the day when I get to live in a treehouse...but thats fine. i´ll learn patience through that. Because of the nutso situation with my companoin and her boyfriends idea to leave her mission, i´ve been studying alot about the family.....and i learned this..
Excerpt from another letter that i want to share with the family:
I promise i´m not trunkie, haha, but this week in personal study i´ve have just been studying the CRAP out of the family, and marriage. Mostly because my comp. has issues with wanting to leave early to get married, and stuff like that. but I find it SO helpful when we teach these families. The scriptures are our manuel of ´how to live a happy life´. how to find happiness, how to study, how to be kind to our brothers and sisters, how to work and be successful, how to have a happy marriage and just any problem you´d ever have! I´m so far from perfect, but i am learning. I know i am progressing, because i honestly used to detest my companion, and now! i love her, i´m not worried or upset about anything. i honestly took a chill pill sometime this last week and the effects are marvelous. I can find the guidance of my HEavenly FAther MUCH quicker, and much more sincerely. So, back to my estudios. I´ve learned so much about HOW to be a parent. My calling as a missionary doesnt stop after i take this plaque off next year, We have been instructed as parents in Zion, to teach our children the doctrine of JEsus Christ. we are asked to teach them that they might understand, that they might develop a testminoy of their own and choose to be baptized and follow Christ. They will be our mini investigadores that we will need to teach, commit to read and pray and study, then help them to be faithful in the church. Mainly through our example i think, and through our teachings. With this companion, more than i´ve learned about marriage, i´ve learned about how to be a mom. And let me tell you, when I forget about myself, I honestly feel like i don´t have a burden in the world. When i carry someone elses burdens, sometimes it really  hurts. Sincerely, my heart hurt this past week listening to the stories and problems of others, and trying to help my companion get healthy..but i couldnt make a list of my problems to you right now. none come to mind! I am so greatful to have a FAther in HEaven who loves me, and gives me all of these experiences to be a better person and to learn to love unconditionally.
Thank you all so much for your prayers.
I´ll tell you once again, i love my mission. i love what i´m doing and i love the people here. Remember that the Lord has a plan for each one of us, and that this plan is unique por cada persona. But it all ends with the same purpose, in the same place, with Him. There is only one kingdom of God, only one Christ, our Savior, only one bautismo, one faith, and one church. That is the Church of JESUS CHRIST of latter day saints. His church was restored with all the same powers and purposes as when Christ came. I do not doubt this, and I know that by no other way, can we receieve all of the blessings God has for us and our famlilies, than by our membership, loyalty, obedience and knowledge of this.
I love Peru! and i love being a missionary!
Take care!
I love you al bunches
Hermana Talbert