General Conference!

Every 6 months we have the opportunity to listen to a prophet of God. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is directed by Jesus Christ, through a living prophet. Today`s prophet is named Thomas S. Monson, and like Jesus Christ, has 12 Apostles that help guide the church. This weekend, April 4 and 5, is general conference, and the prophet and other leaders of the church have prepared messages to share and help us. They will talk about a lot of things, share life stories, give counsels to help us grow closer to God, and more than anything, talk and testify about Jesus Christ. If anyone would like to watch it, it will be online at LDS.ORG, or you can ask my mom if you can watch it with my family in my house! :)

Also, a video came out this week from the church for Easter. It talks about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and all of the blessings and help we can receive through him. You can find it on helives.mormon.org . It really is beautiful, and I invite everyone to watch it!

This week was the woman`s session of general conference, and we had a really fun activity with all the sister missionaries in Cochabamba. We took a yoga class and a self defense class. It was really fun! Also, as missionaries in the area I am working in, we did a ward activity! We had a game night, and watched the video that came out for Easter. It was really fun, too!

I am doing really well here in Bolivia. I love my area and I love my companion. 

I hope everyone is doing well!

Hermana from Dayton, Ohio too!

Voting Season

Well, it`s voting season again here in good ol`Bolivia. Which means we can`t go to church this Sunday! Because you can`t have meetings in big groups the day of, or the day before, elections. But, this time we are allowed to leave the house and visit people like normal.

My companion has been sick this week with stomach stuff. She has some bugs and an infection. Stomach problems are pretty common here... It stinks. But we went to the doctor and are working on getting her better.

I am doing well here. I love my area, and I love the members here. Ema, who was recently baptized, went to a church activity Saturday that was all women, for the Relief Society anniversary, and she had a great time! All the sisters that were with her said that she danced like crazy! Haha. She is making new friends and really happy to be a member of the church.

I hope everyone is doing well!

Look what Sydney Found! No Dairy Queens in Bolivia that she has heard.

Bienvenidos!

She received her Bolivian Visa!

So, this week, in the area I am serving in, two missionaries came home. Like, One Sister and one Elder finished their 18 months and 2 years of missionary service and came home. It is really exciting! They are HOME! And we live with the family of the Sister who came home, and they are all SUPER happy to have her home. obviously.

It is kind of weird, because it makes me think a lot more about when I will be going home. Like, it still is a while away, and I am very content here in Bolivia. But, you just can`t help but think about going home to see your family, when you see someone coming home and seeing theirs! Haha.

But I am doing really well here. I really like the area I am in, and I get along really well with my companion. She is really funny.

This past few weeks I have been studying a lot about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. (The sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us, taking upon himself all of our sins and afflictions, and giving us the opportunity to repent and be worthy to return to the presence of God after this life.) And I have been feeling and recognizing more and more everyday the love that Jesus Christ has for every single person. This huge sacrifice He made, because He loves us.

I have been thinking a lot about how I don`t only want to have this spirit and energy to share His gospel in this
mission. I want to keep it going my whole life. A lot of things in my daily life will change when I get home, but my testimony will not. I am learning so much here, and I keep learning and strengthening my testimony every day.

I hope everyone has a great week, and can really try to recognize all of the blessings God gives us every day!

Ema

This week Ema was baptized! It was really special. Ema has had a pretty hard life, but has always had a lot of faith in God, and has really seen miracles in her life. The first time she went to church, she said she had a dream before about the building, and knew that it was where she needed to be. She has a lot of faith, and a lot of desires to learn more about the gospel. She is really special.

Also, A., who was baptized a month ago, blessed the sacrament this Sunday. I was seriously so excited/proud! He also is doing really well. He shared an experience with us that after we taught him about service (which is something we practice a lot as member of the church) that he helped someone who`s car broke down, and when they asked him how much they owed him, he told them not to worry about it. He did it because he wanted to help.

This week was my companion`s birthday, and D`s family threw her a little birthday party. It was really precious! And we have been teaching D`s older sister a lot recently, and she seems really excited and interested to learn.

Everything is going really well! I love my area, I love my companion, and I love being a missionary.

I hope everyone has a good week.

Ring, stone you can only get in Bolivia.

Ema Baptism

Walking to the internet cafe

View on the way to internet cafe.

1 Año

Sydney is the internet cafe" Emailing family and friends.

I have officially been on a mission for 1 year! I left home Feb 25, 2014. I left my home, studies, my friends, and my family to serve the Lord for 18 months. It`s been a hard year, but I absolutely love it.

I honestly have learned so much during this time. SO much about myself, about the world, about different cultures, and more than anything about my Savior Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father. Everyday I have the opportunity to study the scriptures (The Bible, The Book of Mormon, and other church materials.) I`ve learned a ton more about the gospel. But, I've also learned a lot more about how to trust in God.

I`ve had a few not so great experiences in my mission. I was pretty sick for a long time. I`ve learned 

My companion and Sydney.

from my companions. My great grandpa, who is one of my favorite people of all time, passed away. But I have learned so much, and I know that everything I have experienced has helped me grow, and I have really felt the comfort of the spirit through all of it.

I have also been able to witness changes in the people I have met here in Bolivia. I have seen other people grow in the gospel. I have seen people enter the waters of Baptism and make covenants (promises) with God. I have seen this gospel change people`s lives.
 I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church of Jesus Christ. I know that Christ suffered for our sins. I know that He knows us and He loves us. I know that we are not alone in this life.

I am grateful for everyone who has been supporting me during this time, with emails and letters and prayers.

Bolivia mission ring