APOCOLIPSIS

*SOUNDS OF EXPLOSION!!*

Crazy!! What a crazy and amazing week this was! In less than 1 day, me and my companion will belong to the Trujillo Norte Mission!! We also have another baptism date with a great investigator who has been prepared by the Lord. Woo! We are going to be housing three more sister tomorrow in our cuarto. Woo! We made fried chicken, fries, and chocotejas today. WOOOOO! I wrote my first letter to our new president today. Woo President Marler!

Alright haha truly Hna. Tomanguillo and I are PUMPED for this week! It has been crazy and will get even more crazy this coming week. There are meetings, changes, preparations, and adjustments to do--and it is a huge blessing from the Lord that we have animo for all that is going on. Serving in the Chiclayo Mission has been such a great blessing in my life and I cant wait to know more missionaries and gain experience from working with a different President! I feel so blessed! (:

I also hit 9 months in the mission. 0_0 what?? (attached is my 9 month "pregnancy" photo!)

As far as scripture study, I am devouring the area I am at now in the scriptures: REVELATIONS!! (or apocolipsis in the Spanish edition of the Bible.) Ok, people say Revelations is cool. NO. REVELATIONS is THE BEST. I cannot believe all the things I have been studying and if you havent cracked open the new testament, DO IT NOW. RIGHT NOW. 

Mostly, I have been studying the heck out of Revelations because of a left over manual I found in our apartment titled "The Life and Teachings of Christ and His Apostles." I am seriously loaded with a mountain of things I could share, but I decided to pick the letter addressed to the Laodiceans in chapter 3, specifically verses 14 through 18:

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

One thing I read in the manual is that the area of the Laodiceans is known for lukewarm water in the city because of the environment. Ironically, the Lord addressed them as "lukewarm people" for their inability to agree on anything and sustain the works of the church (and not to mention a HUGE lack of personal commitment) --the EXACT opposite of the saying "AMEN." (What we say to agree and sustain any work, and how Jesus Christ is the Great Amen, final touch, and agreement to ALL saving actions and ordinances in heaven and earth.) 

Basically, they were acting as FENCE sitters, and if we are not FOR the Lord, we are truly against him. Whether by small degree or by apostosy, we are against Him if we choose not to follow Him. 

Truly, in all of the 7 letters to the 7 churches in the first parts of Revelation, each obscure reference is actually a direct attack on the people or the circumstances of these cities. What is even BETTER is the 11 celestial promises found in chapters 2 and 3. DARE you all to find them. 

Ok. this email is achieving novel status. I better go. But Love you all, I love the scriptures, I love my two missions, and I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. Take care all!

Love,

Hermana Furness

Come With Me and You'll See

A statue of our lady the Virgin Mary :3

Haha hope you all caught on to my play on words from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. 

So we finally climbed the Virgin Mary hill here in Guadalupe! I attached 2 photos of our adventure this morning. She IS grand--I dont think the photo quite captures how big she is. 

But in more important news, Happy Fathers Day this past Sunday!! I already gave a shout out to my family in another email, but just want to pay tribute to all fathers, father figures, and future fathers out there. The Trujillo temple dedication couldn't have been a more perfect day to think about families and Fathers. I was so filled with the Spirit the entire day that I am still coming off the spiritual high. We are so lucky to have God as our Heavenly Father!! (:

Our investigators are going great! Maybe too great because during weekly planning my companion and I noticed that we are slacking on lessons with members and less active visits. It is so true, what President Williams taught us in the multi zona meeting that passed, that we have to expand our efforts to working intelligently and not just working harder. Finding a way to juggle hundreds of lemons just becomes easier when we start making juice out of it first (:

4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

My weekly verse is from the 3rd epistle of John verse 4:

Can you all feel the tender father speaking from this great apostle named John? EVEN the mightiest prophets and apostles and leaders all have their young ones in their mind at all times. John didn't say "I have no greater joy than to listen to Christ speak directly to me in His perfect loving way" nor "I have no greater joy than when I preach with the brethren about His resurrection." John, our beloved apostle, recieves the highest amount and greatest quality of joy when he hears that his children are strong in the gospel. Don't you all think that this is a pretty good verse for Fathers Day? I think so (:

Looks like the time is run out. But I'm sending my love and wishes for a good week to you all! (: 

Love, 

Hermana Furness

Good News Guadalupe!

3 Cheers for Temples!! 

I am so excited right now!! We just receive word that we are able to go to all 3 sessions of the Trujillo Temple dedication AND the cultural event broadcast this Saturday and Sunday!! Hermana Tomanguillo and I have been squealing for the past hour about the news. Hooray for temples and living prophets and apostles!! :D

I always find myself at a loss for words to sum up each week in the mission. This week is the same and I can't describe how great it was. I can't even remember bad things happening, but I know that we as a companionship are striving to do better every day. There are so many miracles and souls we are finding that have been prepared by the Lord. We are currently preparing a woman named Patti, whos mother is a recent convert, for baptism. She has been extremely prepared by the Lord and teaching her is nothing buy joy. She craves the information and I love studying specifically for her. Hermana Tomanguillo and I have made great plans for the area too and we are now starting our plan to work sector by sector day to day. So many exciting things are happening every day!! (:

I thought I would share a one of those cool verses that we forget the reference for. I was reading in Jesus the Christ this morning and was following a footnote about the reign of Saul, David, and Solomon respectively. In reading through Kings, I came upon the verse that talks about Solomon's temple and the original revelation for the baptismal fonts. In the chapter heading it says:

Solomon builds himself a house—Hiram of Tyre makes the two pillars, the molten sea, the ten bases, the ten lavers, and all the vessels for the temple—The molten sea (baptismal font) rests on the backs of twelve oxen.

and in verse 25 it states:

25 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

Cool cool cool. So if you all wanted to read a verse about temples from the Old Testament, I suggest reading about the details for Solomon's temple. 

Gotta jet! Love you all and wishing you a great week (:

Hermana Furness

P.S. Attached is a photo we took on the day of intercambios this week with the Sister Leaders, Hermana Blackburn and Hermana Arenguren (my old comp from Patapo! (: ) OH and our pensionista in the center, happy Olga

Ready, Set, Divide!!

Hey everyone!!

Woo! I am super happy! This last week was transfers and I got my new companion Hermana Tomanguillo from Lima!! She is the best and I love her!! We have seriously hit it off and every night we are seeing miracles from our work days. The both of us have strong desires to work hard and as of today, we have deep cleaned the apartment and area book to start off these coming weeks!

Since I am short on time, here is my highlighted scripture for today:

11 For this is the message that ye heard from thebeginning, that we should love one another.

 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew hisbrother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his ownworks were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

 13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

I like how direct verse 13 is. It is a testament to me that we shouldnt get too surprised here in the field when people reject us for our obedience or for our faith. Well, gotta go folks!

Love,

Hermana Furness

He's Waiting For US

Dear family and friends, 

What a great last week that I have had with my dear companion Hermana Mariano. Just yesterday, we said goodbye as she left for Chiclayo and I went to Chepen, where she will leave for her home in Lima and I will stay for a few days until I get my new companion. I just want to pay tribute to her for the amazing companion she was and inspiration her example was to me. The entire rama of Guadalupe will miss her dearly and I am so grateful I had such a prime example of Christ like love, patience, and compassion in my life.

Alright, since time is running short, I will get to gist of it. I read a fantastic verse this morning in my personal study from the second epistle of Paul, chapter 3. Verse 9 reads:

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

This verse just popped out to me! I immediately thought of the times when both I and many investigators sit inpatiently and naively for the Lord to fulfill his promises to us. Some of us do what the missionaries or the prophets tell us to do--we read and we think and we pray about the Book of Mormon, and there are crickets chirping around us. Some of us follow promises that if we endure our sickness our injury, it will heal. Still sick after a few months, years, etc. What this verse said to me is that the Lord isn't SLACKING on His end of the promises He has made to us. Rather, our decisions to refrain from humbling and repenting may be the very thing that is yielding our blessings. He does not let anyone perish without His permission, and he certainly won't take us before our time if we desire to repent. 

I hope this verse speaks to all of you as it has spoken to me! (:

Well, my hour just finished. I've got to go but I love you guys and wish you the best!

Love,

Hermana Furness

P.S. These are photos of me and my fabulous companion in our last week. Love you Hermana Mariano!! (: