Righteous Traditions

In summary, this week was incredible. As is every week in the mission it seems ha. But you really can't complain when you see so much growth in yourself and others and see how many miracles God really puts in the path. We had the privilege of going to the temple before meeting for Concilio as sister and zone leaders. It was an amazing session and we learned so much during Concilio. Today, we will be headed up to Otuzco (the mountain area here) for Zone Conference. We will be talking about The Family Proclomation and the worldwide missionary broadcast that was viewed a few weeks back. Those two topics that were addressed have changed the way we prepared investigators to make their first covenant with Heavenly Father. The work is hastening!! (:

Congratulations to Hannah Egbert by the way who just got back from Canada!! Sister South and I are cheering you on for a great mission served with honor!! (: (*yes to the peanut butter bars BTW)

So in our work this week, we have started a ward tradition on Saturday nights from 6-7 to go visit less actives as a ward. We all meet up at the temple at 6 and divide out the visits. We saw how inspired this activity was from our own visit to the Chavez family. They are a family of about 9 people and 3 of them are members. In our visit we talked about prayer and the good and evil spirits that invite us to obey or disobey. The spirit was especially strong because of the members that accompanied us and invited the Chavez family to church the next day. They showed up despite their insecurities about their energetic children and stayed all 3 hours! For the first time in years they came and the members were great to make them feel welcome. Righteous traditions can provide a way for us to make the transition from being members of a church to followers of Christ. What are your family, cultural, or religious traditions?

Here is the scripture we shared with the Chavez family. It's from 2 Nephi 32:8--

8 And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.

 9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.

Well folks, that's about all that I've got this week! I attached photos from our trip to Laredo last Pday of me and my comp on top of the hill. The wind was blowing like crazy, but the view was so sweet! Until next week!

Love,

Hermana Furness

This week...

It was so busy this week that I haven't wrote in my journal ONCE. I can't believe how quickly January flew by and I have a thousand and five things on my mind. But today is Pday and we're headed up to Laredo as a zone to explore the "huacas" of Hna. Smith's old area. There apparently undiscovered to the public but her old bishop is willing to take us up there because he hopes to get more attention there to turn it a bit more touristic. Until then, I don't think I've got any fun pictures to send home this week! Sorry to be so boring :]

But even though it's a pictureless week, it was beyond priceless the experiences that we had. I've grown so much and learned a huge lesson about being more direct. We had a great intercambio with Huanchaco-my old area-and we will be going to the temple this week for concilio! On Wednesday Hna. Smith and I had the most incredible experience with a taxi driver who's listening to the elders in another part of Trujillo and this is what I wrote:

 We also had a great experience with a taxi driver this week named Mariano. He's receiving visits from the Elders and told us he feels like there is something missing in his life but he can't quite find it. He has been spending all his time working in taxi but wants to be closer to his family and show his love to them. We challenged him to keep the Sabbath Day and he expressed concern in being able to make enough money. I asked him "Hermano, ¿piensa usted que Dios puede efectuar cualquier milagro, incluye con dinero?" And he thoughtfully said "sí, claro." I then asked him "entonces, ¿piensa usted que si usted sacrifica tiempo para adorar Dios que Él no va a bendecirle en su trabajo?" So he understood at that point exactly what faith was. He not only commited to keeping the Sabbath Day holy by being with his family but he commited himself and said "i'm going to take up on what the elders have been asking me to do. I'm going to go to church on Sunday!" and we felt the spirit confirm that he really meant it and is really going to do it. 

As I mentioned, I learned a great lesson about being direct. Sometimes I, as well as others, tend to beat around the bush or tread lightly when we speak or act because we don't want to offend others. From that, however, we become too weak to speak for what we believe or don't say things how we really see them and then feel that others dominate our lives. But my comp has taught me an invaluable lesson in knowing how to boldly speak by the Spirit and be direct while still showing love. Just within 2 days, I have seen a markable difference in the unity of our companionship and spirit during our various missionary responsabilities. I feel liberated as well in being able to speak without hesitation and learn to lower pride when making a mistake. Learning how to be more like Christ doesnt mean spoiling others with all the things they want, it means doing the will of the Father through the Spirit's loving influence. I love the changes we can find in the mission!!

Because of lack of time, I've gotta call it good here. Hope everyone can kick February off to a good start and that we can develop Christ like attributes. Take care!! 

Love,

Sister Furness

20 kind of week

So the way that the educational system grades things here in Peru is based on 20 points. So scoring a 20 is the A+ 100% equivalent in the states. This week was a 20 for sure!! We had so many incredible experiences--including an intercambio with the hermanas from the area of the stake center, Primavera. We also attended had.....A BAPTISM!! Hno. Efraín (in the attached photo with his wife Vanessa and son Fabricio), was baptized on the 23rd and confirmed during sacrament meeting on the 24th. He was SO prepared to be baptized and I feel that he is 100% converted to the gospel. We are working to help him get ready for the temple to do baptisms for the dead and prepare to be sealed in the temple in 1 year with Vanessa (who was rescued just recently and is stronger than ever!!) (: (: (: It was the best baptism I have ever attended and we sang Nearer My God to Thee as a companionship.

Adding on to that, Hna. Smith is the BEST ever. She is consecrated to this work and is an amazing Christ-like teacher. Not to mention, we have a hoot laughing and having fun together on our down time in the cuarto. She loves the south and has an amazing family that has raised her in a gospel filled home. Love being with this girl!! (:

I was reading in Alma 5 this morning and came across a verse that I love and have heard before:

26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?

When I feel close to God, that's what it's like. I feel like singing or bursting from within but know that there's no way to adequately express myself. It's the biggest inner peace but the most fiery joy and excitement ever. The only way I can feel to express it is being the kindest I can be to everyone around me. I feel such joy that I just want to cheer up all in my path and rejoice together for how good life is. I can understand why feeling the Spirit and becoming converted makes us want to share the gospel. I hope to continually be converted and share the gospel all my life!

Have a fantastic week all! Let the Lord hear your song of how His love makes you feel! 

Love,

Hermana Furness

Pressed for Time

Today I hope to be brief because I am pressed for time, and have to say that this week all we do we have done in the breath of being pressed for time! We got crackin' down on the study sessions with the hermanas in the zone and being an hermana leader has already taught me so many incredible things! Of course I seem to forget them all when I come to the computer, but I have to say that overall I have learned where to best spend my energy. My sister Hillary talked about that in her email (thanks by the way! (: ) and I have to say amen to her thoughts. With more responsibilities and just nothing for time, I have to learn where my priorities are and planning sessions become my life saver. If there is a plan, all the chaos is organized into distributed times, but if I fail to plan or fail to plan well, I'm left at scrambling here and there to get it all done. With a plan there's peace! And in the plan of salvation we DEFINITELY find peace. (:

Quick scripture reference-no kidding. Quick spiritual experience. So this week we were on the street talking about how to be better guided by the spirit (because our citas fell through and we were a bit stranded because our plan b's fell through too) and we started to walk past a lady who was looking out at the taxis passing by with a concerned look on her face. I thought, "well, this is a moment to find out if she needs help. Maybe the spirit's guiding us to her!" so we stopped, asked if she needed help, and found out she was looking for her daughter who should have returned back from the beach hours ago. Hna. Smith asked her if we could say a prayer with her to ask for comfort and she agreed! She said that we must be angels because God directed us to her and she was amazed that we knew we should stop. It went to show me that the Spirit speaks SO softly and slightly and if we choose to ignore it, a great experience can pass us by. I hope that we can visit her and her daughter who DID return back just an hour after we talked with her. 

Anyway, times up for this email. I attached my goodbye photo with the Gordon Family and another of the temple that's just outside our cuarto. Blessed beyond belief!

As Sisters in Zion

Monday, January 11, 2016

Well have I got NEWS. Lots of crazy things that went down this week. We had the best and I mean THE BEST zone training meeting ever this week. We talked about repentance, the Atonement, retaining through the temple, and improving our studies. Elder Bailey, from our zone, did 10 pushups for each donut that was offered to every one of us. He ended up doing 150 in total and was nearly dead by 100. It was so heartbreaking to see him struggle and think that this is just a sliver in comparison to Christ's suffering. Whether or not we accept it, He suffered for us. Would you let His suffering be in vain? Would we be too prideful to accept that gift? Something to think on. 

But some news on things that happened this week--I got super deadly sick saturday night but made a miraculous recovery for Sunday and gave my last talk in Huanchaco. Wait, did I say last talk? That's right! I HAVE CHANGES! And major ones too. I've been called as a sister leader in Villa del Mar with Sister Smith that I knew from the MTC! I received my training on Sunday with Sister Marler and the assistants. It was a great experience and I learned a lot more about how serious the work of caring for our fellow sisters is. Equally to the Relief Society, the temporal and spiritual well being is placed in our hands and this means that we are to provide TESTIMONY building experiences that might just determine the salvation of each soul. WORK OF SALVATION YEAH!

Oh, and Villa del Mar is the area of the temple, and President said I will be ending my mission there. Spoiler! 😋

I studied some scriptures for a great investigator we're teaching tonight who's name is Carmen. I read scriptures about the Restoration and I like one that I found in Corinthians 12 that testifies of the original organization of the church:

28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

 29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

 30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

 31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

I wanted to include the verses that ask questions about the spiritual gifts because those are what made me think about the purpose of a prophet. I'm sure God would love to give all He has to all His children--referring to all the spiritual gifts He could give us--but D&C 46:12 explains why He won't do that. Besides having cool super power like gifts, prophets use these gifts for the salvation of God's children. Maybe that's WHY it's like a super power. But as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we understand the importance of revelation and prophecy. Without a prophet, we are left at personal revelation--something that could guide us an individual but as a group--as a FAMILY--we need a leader who can receive revelation for everyone. As I've heard, salvation might be a personal issue, but exaltation is a FAMILY issue. I know that if we listen and live according to the prophets' words, we will not only obtain immortality and live in the celestial kingdom, but we will gain eternal life and live in the highest glory of the celestial kingdom, with our Heavenly Father. 

I'll be writing this week about my new adventures in Villa del Mar. Have a safe and fun week all!

Love,

Sister Furness 

p.s. we went to the temple this week with our recent convert Frances. She's possibly my favorite person I've met here in Peru!! 

Huaca del Sol y Luna

Monday, January 4, 2016

Happy New Years, all!

How did everyone's New Years pass? I can't believe we're already in 2016. Huanchaco had it's fair share of Sodom-and-Gomorrah-like activity for the occasion 😫 yuck. But we were tucked away in our cuarto and got to see the amazing fireworks that were blasting off in all the area of huanchaco, trujillo, and up to the esperanza we could see fireworks going off.

We had a lot of success this week in contacting references we've received within the last week or so. Just yesterday we found 2 GOLDEN families who I hope we can baptize. They are SO prepared and were nothing but the best to us. The Cruz Reyes Family is a reference from our zone leaders who contacted the father of the family in his taxi. His name is "Sugar Ray" who is a famous boxer apparently, and he is married, doesn't drink, smoke, and is a faithful husband and father. They've got 3 kids and his wife was so sweet to us (and she gave us the best chicha morada of my life 😋 ). The Salvatierra family, who we actually contacted the mother of the family (her name is Flor), has 6 kids and when we went to our cita with them, Flor was sleeping but her husband attended us. His name is Julio and he COMPLETELY understands what the Holy Ghost is. He has also had contact with the missionaries before and even has a BOM in english and spanish. Both of the families live in Huanchaquito, and I hope we can establish some more activity on that part of our area.

I love the scriptures I read in Mosiah this week. In chapter 4 I love the verses when King Benjamin asks the people: are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend on the Lord for our life and everything we have? Verse 17 sticks out like a sore thumb to me:

17 "Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—"

This verse hits cold to the heart. I cannot deny that I have passed someone homeless on the street and thought within myself, "perhaps he's had bad luck, but it's possible he's not trying to lift himself out of his situation." We are SO poor. We do not possess ANYTHING. We only possess that which was given to us, and nearly all of it is temporary and we will have to give it back. The only thing that I can think of that we won't give back is our agency and our experiences/memories. God is so good to us. Just look at what God has given us in our fallen state:

 20 "And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy."

Maybe we need to "pour out" and not skim out on giving what we have to others. We do it with prudence and with order (see verses 26 and 27) but what is not OURS we must give unto the Lord (our fellow men.) 

Oh. One more thing. We went to a historic site today as a zone. It's called Huaca del Sol y Luna and it's an old temple that archeologists discovered under tons of sand. It's ENORMOUS and we took a bajillion photos. I attached 1 of me in front of what's 7 stories of the temple. But the 7 stories are actually just 7 levels that compose the outer wall of 5 walls in total. Can't believe the work these crazy Inkas did. 

I also attached one of me and my hija inside the temple (:

Have a great week everyone!! 

*sorry family for not sending an email this week, I forgot to take photos of my journal and we are getting cut short today on our internet time!! :(

Love,

Hermana Furness

Feliz Navidad :D

Monday, December 28, 2015

How was everyone's Christmas? For the Huanchicas, it was a great year and although some trials befell us, we had a good week and are hoping to find success in the coming week. A bit of bad news: Hna. Irma was NOT baptized this week :( Despite all our efforts to make sure she was prepared and her own confirmation that she was ready just hours before the baptism, 5:00 rolled around on Saturday and Irma didn't show. When we called, she said that she was having a "proceso de asthma," and that because of the rain, her asthma was acting up. When we went to visit her yesterday, she seemed like it was more a problem of fear but she insists that she wants to be baptized. We will be working more with her this week and I'll keep y'all update :]

I have a TON of photos to send this week in comparison with weeks in the past--my birthday, the Christmas party, our seafood lunch with all the family of our pensionista, and other events have taken up the other half of my camera memory X) But I attached one of all the crazy seafood our pensionista's family prepared for Christmas. There's picante de pescado, chicharrones de pulp (those were the BEST!), ceviche, sudado de pescado, arroz con mariscos, and a whole other load of food. It was all super delish. And I also have a photo of us at the Mission Christmas Program where we had a talent show afterwards. I'm truly surprised at how much talent the Trujillo missionaries have! 

We had a great lesson with a less active this week about setting goals. The Spirit was bursting within the room and he could hardly contain himself from spilling to us what has happened to him lately and all his other comments. As we discussed the importance of goals and the importance of remaining hopeful, positive, and happy during the process of reaching goals, Fernando (the less active) truly lit up with hope inside. It was so amazing to watch the change within him as we filled up his "hope lantern," and he started to glow. In the mission I have seen how easy it is to get discouraged and know that there are always a hundred reasons to be down. But nothing good EVER comes from being discouraged; although feelinggodly sorrow is a sadness, it differs from discouragement in that we can feel sorry or guilty for our mistakes but still mantain hope and faith in the future and in ourselves. Don't mistake discouragement from sorrow, and pray to Heavenly Father when we feel the desire to move forward leave us. I heard a great phrase this week that applies to this very principle, that we must not be "creations of the situation, rather creators OF the situation." 

Have a happy new year everyone! Stay safe and keep away from the cuetes! :D

Hermana Furness