Thursday, November 24, 2016

ICAAAAAA,HOT, HOT, SUN AND HAPPY MISSIONARIES

HALLO familia and friends.

ZONA DE ICA

FELICES MISIONEROS!!

Seeing that the last letter I wrote was on Thursday, this one will be a little shorter than usual. These last couple pf days have been good. Especially we were able to work hard with the members to make sure that our investigators with baptismal dates could make it to sacrament meeting. However now we have a new focus, helping investigators and less active members stay the whole block of church. Ironically, my companion and I both gave talks on the topic this sunday in sacrament meeting, and still manny of them took off after the sacrament meeting or after the gospel principles class. Our goal is to make sure our commitments include staying for the 3 hours and our plans for church include someone to stay with them in each hour aswell. Well beyond that weve been working hard in the sun, and discovering new parts of our area, where weve been able to find new investigators and less active members. One specific place is called Cachiche, which is VERY different from the rest of our area; its not very developed, and there are no roads and the houses are all made out of adobe. But the people weve been able to teach and contact have been very receptive so were excited to see this part of our area start to progress. Well beyond that this week my companion and I could see our teaching together improve, as we practiced more on what we had observed needed improvement in the lesson. This week the spirit was strong in our lessons, and I know the Lord is beside us at every moments. 

QUEREMOS PASTEL!!!

well today were off traveling to Lima for another training. Im gonna be honest, I am now a regular in Soyuz, the bus company, and all the people on the buses know me (the drivers, the ladies who sell snacks haha).
But yes that was our week!
Hna Mostert

Thursday, November 17, 2016

LATE GREETINGS FROM.................

First of all SORRY MOM for writing so late in the week. Transfers were monday so our pday was tuesday, but the missionary portal was done tuesday, and we had a training in lima on wednesday, so that is why im not writing until today, thursday.

FOTO DE SU PLACA

But guess where I am, this final transfer.....ICA!!! Yes thats right folks, going on a solid 6 months in Ica, and yes I am beyond excited.

BAUTIZO DE MARTIN.

This week Martin, the brother of a less active sister (well now newly rescued) Lourdes, was baptized! Really just another great miracle. At the begining of this transfer to be honest I wasnt sure if we were going to keep visiting Martin. We had been visiting him the past 2 transfers and his progress was very slow. He was reading his book of mormon on and off, and coming to church now and then. So when my new companion arrived and our lesson with him came, I told her that during the lesson wed figure out if wed keep visiting him or not. We had gone decinding to teach the word of wisdom, we felt the prompting to do so. This lesson the spirit was so strong, as for the first time he was able to open up to us and share that he had an ongoing addiction to cigarettes. And thats when everything changed, when we were able to apply the gospel to help him over come his addiction, thats when miracles occured. He started reading (and rereading) every chapter we left him in detail, he started arriving early each sunday for church, all in his ethusiastic prepartion for his baptism the 12th. In the end his testimony flourished, and his addiction was overcome; after more than 30 years of smoking packs each day, Martin has now been tabacco free for 3 plus weeks. This saturday he was able to share his testimony and his baptismal service was truly a spiritual experience.
This week kept working with the members with a focus on what we realized we needed to improve last week, refferals. We were able to ask for reffereals in every lesson and in every moment and were able to recieve and contact many. Many of last weeks and this weeks finding efforts and successes are thanks to member and investigators refferals.  So this week and every week well continue doing the same!

well take care everyone, love you all!
hna mostert

Saturday, November 12, 2016

ICAAAAAAAA IS THE BEST

BAUTIZO DE LA FAMILIA CHAVEZ

Let me say that really this week has been wonderful. It has just strengthened my testimony that the gospel blesses families. This Saturday we were able to witness the Chavez Family, who my previous companion and I found by contacting the mother in the street, enter into the waters of baptism together. I cannot begin to express my love for this family, for each one of them; Julio, Monica, Valerie and Antonella. Each one of them was able to share their testimony at their baptism, and their words and the spirit felt, testified that they were truly converted unto Christ. It really is amazing looking back, and now seeing them as members of the one true church. I still remember the first day Hna Lawrence and I taught them; they were very receptive and curious. I also remember how Hno Julio kept repeating how he knew all the things we were teaching were good, but that he had been catholic for the past 64 years of his life and that for him personally it would be hard to change. Fast forward two months, he is now baptized, confirmed and even gave the closing prayer in Sacrament meeting yesterday!!! This is the true church, only that is how the spirit has been able to soften this familys hearts and led them to conversion. Really, and what makes us even happier is that they are already signed up to got with the ward caravan to the temple this 3rd of December. The end in mind! That is what the gospel truly is for, eternal families. 

FAMILIA  CHAVEZ Y LAS MISIONERAS 

This week besides the excitement of the Chavez family{s baptism, our other progressing investigator Martin, took some very big steps in the gospel. For the last 35 years of his life, he has been smoking many, many cigarettes per day. These last couple weeks weve been helping him all we can, and so has the ward. Hes received a priesthood blessing, and much of the ward and him were able to fast for him. Hes been reducing the number of cigarrettes these past couple of weeks, but this week the miracle occured. On wednesday when we went to visit him, he told us that on monday he woke up and just didnt feel the desire to smoke at all. He said he had even bought candies to eat when he had the erge to smoke, and then proceeded to take a handful of them out of his pocket. He didnt even feel the desire! After 35 yeard of smoking, this whole week he hasnt smoked a single cigarette. The gospel, and really faith does that. He was also able to pass his baptismal interview this week and will be baptized this saturday. 

The work in our area is going good. Although we have been finding alot of new investigators and inviting them to be baptized during our first visits, we have realized that many of our investigors arent progressing and arent accepting baptismal dates. But do not fear, my companion and I have put goals for this week to work on that to continue to find those chosen people who can progress toward baptism. 

Well transfers are this week, and anything could happen. I really hope Ill stay but its all up to where the Lord wants me!
love you all.
Hna Mostert

Saturday, November 5, 2016

HALLOWEEN DE ICA,ICA, ICA!!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN Familia and friends!

FELIZ HALLOWEEN DESDE ICA

CARAPULCRA COMO ZONA!!!

This was a good week, well every week in the mission is a great week! We faced many challenges this week with many of our lessons falling through, but were able to see miracles thorugh working with members. Really I have a great love for all the members here in the our ward, they are always willing to accompany us and are worried for our investigators. We were also able to recieve many refferals this week from members, and contact them too. Not to mention I think one of my favorite things was the wards incitative to visit during the week, our family of investigators that are going to be baptized on saturday, Familia Chavez. They really have made  familia chavez feel like a part of the ward family, and its really helped their progress in the gospel, and i know it will help them when they become recent converts or new members in the church soon. We were also very happy this week that all 4 of the chavez family passed their baptismal interviews this week and are beyond excited for their baptism this week. We love this family so much! Personally I am grateful to my heavenly father for the blessing he has given me to be a witness to their conversion. Really, the gospel is what changes individuals and brings families closer together then ever before. I cannot begin to express all the changes Ive been able to witness in them from the moment the gospel entered their home and from the moment they allowed the spirit to enter their lives. The Lord is great and this is His one true gospel, no other doctrine can change behavior or lives the way It does.

HERMANAS BALDERRAMA Y  MOSTERT

Well wish us luck this week, and keep Familia CHavez in your prayers, because satan is sure to get at them this week leading up to  their baptism.
love you all!
HNa mostert


MMM!!!!!!COMIDA PERUANA