Happy Holidays :: November 28, 2016

Hi! It has been a great week! There is not a lot of time to write today, but I have included some photos. Things are going really well and we are working hard. Thanksgiving was fun because my companion and I with the zone leaders made lunch for the 30 missionaries in our zone. It was a lot of work but gave me a lot of respect for my mother! I don't know how she does it every year.

I hope everyone has a great work and a great beginning to the holiday season. 

XOXO
Hermana Jessop

Some of the sisters we work with

Sunset

Jorge and Florida lma, Investigators

Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner

The Zone

Hna Meza and I are together in a zone again!

P-day Slip-N-Slide

Mini Missionaries and Guatemalan Gratitude :: November 21, 2016

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I cannot believe how quickly this year has gone. It is fun to reflect and think that last year at this time, I was here in Guatemala. A lot has changed in that time, but many things are the same. The Gospel is still true, we have a Savior who loves us, and I still love being a missionary. I have been in this beautiful country for over a year. Reflecting on how fast the time goes and has gone, I have been asking myself lately if I have really lived every moment fully, if I have really taken every opportunity to learn and grow? When time is passing so quickly, are we waiting for time to pass or are we living every moment?

I have the deep impression and promise that all is as it should be, that as long as we try our very best to live the gospel, the Lord helps us use every moment and live to the fullest. There will always be things we could have changed or done better, but if we do our best to live in the moment and be grateful, the Lord teaches us what we need to learn to be who HE needs us to be. We partner with God to co-create our lives!

So, in each moment, I hope we can ask ourselves if we are truly are living in the moment, if we are truly cherishing life and showing gratitude for all we have. This is something that has helped me a lot when times are hard... just trying to live in the moment with God and be grateful for all I have.

We are so blessed! I am grateful to be alive, to have the gospel, to wake up everyday and be a missionary. I am grateful for my family, friends and life in general! Thank you all for being part of my life.

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!

All my love,
Hermana Jessop

My district

Also, photos of the sisters in our zone. 

Photos... this week, we had the opportunity of having 4 mini-missionaries work with us. They are 16 to 17 year old members who went out for 4 days to work as missionaries. It was fun having them with us this week! We also were able to give a short lesson at the conference. 

Some sisters from our district, Sister Wright and Sister Rementeria

The School of Life :: November 7, 2016

Hi everyone!

This week has been one of much reflection and learning. It has been a powerful one, but also a very challenging one. When new trials come, I am always reminded about how the Lord throws us outside of our comfort zones so we can learn and become who He needs us to be.

I am learning that the Adversary is real and tries to influence us daily in our thoughts. He does not have a body, but if he can influence our thoughts and change the way we feel and act, he is happy. He tries to put as much distance between us and the Lord and he can so we don't accomplish all the Lord needs us to accomplish.

Overall, this week, I have been reading a lot about how we can take more responsibility for our spiritual growth and be powerful to resist Satan's temptations. I am learning that the first step to accomplishing something and allowing the Lord to help us (and to withstand Satan's temptations) is deciding what we are going to accomplish. One of my best friends sent me a quote that really helped me this week. It says:

"Most people fail at whatever they attempt because of an undecided heart. Should I? Should I not? Go forward? Go back? Success requires the emotional balance of a committed heart. When confronted with a challenge, the committed heart will search for a solution, The undecided heart searches for an escape. A committed heartdoes not wait for conditions to be exactly right. Why? Because conditions are never exactly right. Indecision limits the Almighty and His ability to perform miracles in your life,. He has put the vision in front of you--proceed...."

Once we decide what it is that we need to accomplish, it is important to act with faith and courage. Once we know we have chosen a righteous desire, we can have the assurance that the Lord is going to help us achieve it. Many times, we are the ones standing in the way of our own potential because we use our agency to give into Satan's temptations. If we feel timid to go forward, it is important to ask ourselves, What would I do if I let go of all fear? That is something my mom and sister both sent me that really impacted my thought process this week.

We are strong with Christ. We cannot fall. As we take responsibility for our own spiritual well'being and growth, choose righteous desires, and move forward with faith, we will accomplish great things. I know it with all my heart!

I love my Savior and am grateful to learn and grow here in the mission field. This church is true. The gospel is what we need to find true happiness in this life and in the eternities.

What would you do if you lost all fear?? If you knew you could not fail?

Think about it.

I love you all! Have an excellent week.
Hna Jessop

Catarina :: October 31, 2016

Hi!

This week, I had transfers and am now in an area called Catarina with Hna Harris (from California). My companion is really awesome and we like our area a lot! The members are really supportive and the area is big, so we have the opportunity to do a lot of work. The area is about 30 minutes from the Mexico border and also the hottest place in the mission, so it is kind of funny that I am coming from the coldest place in the mission. I feel like I came from mini-Spain and am now in mini-Mexico. I like it here!

That is all for now! Have a great week, everyone!
Hna Jessop

Happy Fall! :: October 24, 2016

Hi Everyone!

I am still loving the mountains, my area, my companion, everything! Yesterday, Ami received a calling in the young women's presidency and both of her sons passed us the sacrament. It was so cool!!!!! They are loving reading the scriptures, praying, and serving in the gospel. I love this family with all my heart and never want to leave them!

This week, my companion and I have been thinking a lot about our individual potential. Who were we before we came to Earth? How did we progress? Why are we here? What is our purpose? Many times, we sell ourselves short and do not think we are worthy of great things. We often do not push ourselves because we think we are meant to be ordinary or that we weren't made for great things. This is false, because we all have a great potential and plan for us. The only way to achieve this potential is to come unto Christ and allow Him to mold and change us. If we made our own life plan, it would be very different than His plan for us.

When we understand better who we are and where we came from, we are more confident AND humble before the Lord. There is a grand link between confidence and humility. Humility does not mean selling ourselves short. Humility means recognizing where our true strength comes from and that the Lord will prepare us for all He needs us to do. It means developing our talents and abilities to serve the Lord and our fellow men. We can be both humble and confident, humble and courageous, humble and happy, humble and everything!... all because we know we are children of God and He loves us immensely and wants us to achieve.

There is a talk that has really changed some things for me and I hope everyone reads it!!! The link is below:"Approaching the throne of God with Confidence"

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/approaching-the-throne-of-god-with-confidence?lang=eng

Hope everyone has an excellent week. Love you!!
Hermana Jessop

Ami and Family, Celebrating Alejandro's birthday

Synchronicities :: October 17, 2016

It has been another crazy, amazing week here in Valle Real. I have learned a lot in my time here and have seen the hand of the Lord in every step.

This week, Ami and her sons were baptized. I cannot explain the joy I feel and the changes we have seen in each member of the family. I love this family with all my heart. They are the most beautiful family and remind me of my own.

When we first met Ami, she wanted to talk to us so she could learn better english. At first, we couldn't really find her and didn't think she was interested in hearing the gospel. One day, about 2 months ago, we went to her house and taught the Plan of Salvation. I think that was a big turning point for her. She was amazed by the message and said that she never knew this plan existed. That Sunday, the week of my birthday, she went to church for the first time. Her testimony began to grow as she came to church for a while and was reading the Book of Mormon and praying. As her testimony grew, she wanted to get baptized, but had a lot of opposition from her family. She did not want to go through with her baptism without family support. She really wanted her sons to get baptized as well.

Her sons were shy for about a month of us teaching them and did not want to come out when we taught their mom. Little by little, they also started joining the lessons and learning about the gospel. Her oldest son, Alejandro, was baptized about 4 years ago, but has not been active for all this time. Through the process, he has been able to reactivate himself in the gospel. He has been a big blessing to his family as they have all grown in the gospel together.

I have seen how the gospel really does bless families. I cannot describe the changes we have seen. This is the Lord's work. As a family, they have all entirely changed. They have had some difficult family situations, but through the gospel, much of the pain they have felt has been healed.

Alejandro, the oldest son who is a member, about a year ago, had a dream that all of his family was dressed in white, being baptized in the church. He did not know when it would happen, but he knew that he would be reactivated and his family would come unto the Lord's church. Alejandro is now in mission preparation classes, filling out his mission papers, preparing to serve a fu-time mission for the Lord. On Saturday, he baptized his mom!!! This will be the first of many baptisms he will be part of in his life and on his mission.

Ami has a calling in the young women's presidency and Hugo (12) and Adrian (17) received the priesthood on Sunday. They will be blessing and passing the sacrament this next Sunday. They have already left with us to do visits and teach their friends who are not members. This is true conversion!

We went by their house the day of the confirmation and they were all so happy. Their light fills an entire room. Ami said that there is a hole in her heart she never knew was there and it has been filled with love, light and truth. Miracles, miracles, miracles. The Lord changes lives. I know that as we live the gospel, the Lord can make more out of our lives than we ever could alone.

I know the church is true. I love being a missionary because I get to walk alongside my Savior as He does HIS work. As long as we are diligent, obedient and humble, the Lord uses us to do all He needs us to do. It is a privilege to be here, serving for the Lord.

Thank you for all you do! Love you all so much. 

Hermana Jessop

Miracle Work :: October 10, 2016

Hi!

It has been a super week. I still love refried black beans and the mountains part of the mission. Missionary work is my favorite work. I love being a missionary. The most impòrtant thing is our own obedience and diligence. The Lord does all the work as long as we are wiling to be His instruments and do what He wants us to do. We are here because Jesus Christ cannot be. Serving a mission is the best thing I have ever done. I do not think I understood what happiness was before my mission.

Things I have learned this week...

• Creativity comes from the spirit
• There is a huge link between confidence and humility. Humility is not self -deprivation
• Don't ever sacrifice what you want for what you want right now
• The Lord always provides a way for us to accomplish what He asks of us
• The Golden Rule does not just apply to actions. It applies to everything. We should treat, think about, and love others in the way we want to be treated, thought about, loved, and judged
• If we are doing our best, the Lord's grace always covers us. We don't have to be perfect. We just have to try.

Ami and her sons are still progressing and are going to be baptized this weekend!!!! We are so happy because we have seen so many changes in their family. I cannot describe the joy from seeing them change and love the gospel.

Today for P Day, we played volleyball and had a barbecue. We wore our matching shirts from the woman's conference with our names on them. That was cool. Things are fun in the mountains because it is not so hot! It feels like Utah in the spring in the daytime.

Love you all!
Hna Jessop