Partake of the Fruit‏

26 Octubre 2015

This week was one of those weeks in the mission to figure out why we are really are in the mission. This week has been harder than usual, but we have been able to draw closer to Heavenly Father and recognize what is our true purpose as missionaries here in Bolivia. This week was full of difficulties -- lessons falling through, investigators falling through, and confronting personal weaknesses -- but I have to say that it is a privilege to be here in the mission. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, it says that there is a time and place for everything under the heavens -- this is my time to be working here -- to be learning, growing, laughing, be challenged, smiling, crying, teaching, helping, and progressing along with those who we are helping here.

Something that I loved about this week was the opportunity to learn more about the vision of the tree of life (which is found in The Book of Mormon, First Nephi chapter 8 and 11). Through studying this, I could really see the purpose we have as missionaries and as members. We have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life -- which is the love of God or the path to eternal life -- and having tasted of the fruit we naturally will want others to be able to taste of the sweetness and greatness of this fruit. As a missionary, I feel like I am inviting others to come unto the iron rod, helping them to hold on. People still have the choice to follow the rod and to taste of the fruit or to choose other paths, but as a missionary (and members :D) we can help them to feel the importance to continue through. I know without a doubt that through following the iron rod (the guidance of the gospel) and through reading our scriptures, praying, going to the church, opening our hearts to the spirit, and turning our will over to the Father we can partake of this fruit more sweet and delicious above all other.

Sorry, but I don’t have much more time to talk, but I love you all! Keep up the great work and keep sharing the joys that have been brought into your lives with those around you!

Love ya!

Hermana Mather

How we get home every night -- exhausted and climbing up the stairs ;D

We didn't have water in the house for a few days - and my hair as a result ;D

We played futbol today! wooooo

Christ is the Center of Our Message

19 Octubre 2015

This week has been an amazing, exhausting, full, miracle of a week. Hermana Monteza (mi hijita! [my “daughter”!]) is such an amazing missionary who I am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to teach with, help out and learn from!

I don’t have that much time to write this week but I just wanted to share something with you guys that I have been studying about is about Christ! I love reading and learning about Christ, because he is the center of our message here in the mission! Everything that we teach about includes Christ. Something that I was studying is that through His atonement Jesus Christ really can help every single person and every child of God because he suffered it ALL. He suffered all of our pains and sorrows and sins. He can and will help us in every single situation. He can comfort us and carry us and keep us going and at times he can bring us back to the right path. I love that He is a part of all of our lives.

There was a story that one of our recent converts told us about a church video about our journey here on earth. We all have our own crosses to carry in our lives. There was a man that was carrying his cross through the journey of life, but at times the cross got heavy so the man thought, “I can cut a little bit off here and a little off there.” So, he cut a little bit here and there along the way so that it was easy to carry. However, at the end, there was a precipice that they had to cross by way of putting their cross over the cliff, he could cross over to the other side. I love that through Christ and through the hard times that we go through in this life. We can get over harder times and we can really see that through this we can learn and grow and become better!

Well, that is all the time that I have this week! I´ll write more next week!

Love you guys!

Hermana Mather

My area from the Cristo de la Concordia statue!

In between citas! eating a pear from our recent convert!!!

Going to the temple as a zone.
Picture with my hijita, Hermana Monteza!

The view from one of our investigator's house.

Intercambios at the temple!

Me and my compi, Hermana Monteza!

Making tacos today in our pension!

Mi Hijita!‏ [My Daughter!]

12 Octubre 2015

I officially have a daughter in the mission (we say that when we are training a new missionary- that we have kiddos in the mission) and she is AMAZING! Her name is Hermana Monteza and she is from Chiclayo, Peru and is such a blessing to me and to our area! We have only had a few days together, but I already just love her and we have been having such amazing lessons together! I know that this is a change for me, but it is going to be so good for us and that we are going to learn soooooo much together!

I don’t have much time today to write, but in the spirit of training another missionary (and being so scared to do such -- having a good or bad effect as their first companion @.@) I wanted to talk about being a consecrated missionary, because that is what I truly am trying to become. To be consecrated in your life, in your calling, your marriage, your family -- whatever and however you can apply the word consecrate -- you have to work for it. It takes your focus every moment you can. It takes real desire. It takes sacrifice. but, in the end, it is so worth it. It is as if your efforts have been doubled. If you will be able to see the results here or in the heavens -- they come.

As missionaries, sometimes we don’t know why a rule is there or why we specifically have to follow that rule, but God knows. He knows what is best for us and that is why he gives us commandments and advice to do what we need to do.

To really consecrate yourself to something, you have to make sacrifices. To become a consecrated missionary I am putting 18 months of my life, my obediencia, my faith, my might, my heart, my repentance, charity, my will, my strength, my hope, my mind, my knowledge, my energy and everything that I can to the `work of salvation`. I truly am not perfect and surely won’t be for a very long time, but I am getting better every day through the enabling powers of the atonement. Through Christ I can be consecrated!

Well, no more time for this week, but I love you all and just think about what you can do to better use the enabling power of the atonement to consecrate yourselves!

Love you all!

Hermana Mather

New missionaries' meeting at the Cristo de la Concordia (Christ of Peace)
statue of Jesus Christ located atop San Pedro Hill, to the east of Cochabamba, Bolivia

At the Center of It All‏

5 Octubre 2015

Wow... How can I even begin? Can I just tell you guys something crazy? I`m going to train [a new Hermana/Sister missionary] .... AH!!!!

These past few days have been a whirlwind of things... and now that I know that I will be training, I have to tell you the truth... I am very nervous. I am humbled that the Lord has the confidence in me that I can help to train a new missionary. I know that it is so important to have a good trainer. I just hope to do all that I can to help this new missionary to fill her potential and really know her purpose here in the mission. If I have learned anything from General Conference this week, I know that through Christ all things are possible and that this work really isn’t my work, it is His. So, if I follow His spirit and His will, pressing forward with faith, I really can do this and help a new missionary to adjust to missionary life.

With leaving Hermana Vara, I just have to say that I am so grateful for her and the difference that she has made for me and for my mission. I have learned more Spanish (which I hope to do for my entire mission), to show my love for people in different forms, and to really help people draw nearer to Christ. I have really learned what true friendship is where you worry and care for other people not just when you are happy with them or when it is convenient for you, it is showing the true love of Christ. I don’t just have a companionship with her I have a best friendship. I know that she will LOVE being in Sucre and will be able to help many other people and missionaries in her time there as a Sister Training Leader. I am so grateful for the time that I have been able to spend with her and learn from her!

In the spirit of General Conference (where we got to hear from our living prophet and apostles this weekend), I just wanted to share a talk that I LOVED. The talk by Elder Richard J Maynes really touched my heart. First of all, I love with all of my heart making pottery and he told a wonderful story that relates to pottery when making ceramics on the potter’s wheel, the clay must be perfectly centered to be able to make something beautiful and fulfill the full potential of the clay. The same is with us! We have to be centered in Christ in our lives and balanced to bring out the best results. I know that through Christ, we can be perfectly centered and we can truly be shaped by the Master’s hands to fulfill our full potential.

Through Faith in Christ 'it will all work out'.

Thank you for reading my ginormous email this week! I love you all! Take care and enjoy the autumn weather for me!

Hermana Mather

Arroz Chaufa (a Peruvian dish) woooo!
Its like Peruvian fried rice ;D 

I was playing around with some glasses the other night... thought you would appreciate it ;D

Me and my lovely companion, Hermana Vara!
I love her and will miss her!