Take Off :: April 10, 2017

Guatemala... corn, beans, corte, offf tune singing, chickens, rain, colorful houses, tamales, tuk tuks, pues, primero dios, mosquitos....

Guatemala has become my home and will always have a very special place in my heart. Although I love Guatemala and am going to dearly miss it, I know that what matters most is not where I served but how I served and who I served. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

These last 18 months have been exhilarating, beautiful, difficult, and faith promoting. My life has been forever changed. I am now heading home, still me, but with an unshakeable testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ.

I want to testify to all of you that Jesus Christ lives. He knows us perfectly. He loves us. Because He loves us so deeply, He gave his life for us.
He also called a prophet in these latter days to restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth. I know that the church is true. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I testify that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet. I know that God's ways are perfect and if we follow Jesus Christ, we will become like Him one day.

I love this gospel. I know it is the way to true happiness!!! Every single day, we can repent. Repentance is a joyful process!

Although I will deeply miss the beautiful Guatemalan people, I am very excited to see all of you.

See ya on the other side....



XOXO
Hermana Jessop

Missionary Work :: April 3, 2017

Hi Everyone!

Great week. I loved General Conference, especially President Uchtdorf's talk about fear. It really amazed me. I want to live by love, not by fear!

I love being a missionary. I have really learned a lot lately about how important our relationship with God is. Many times, we want blessings, like we want to be richer, more attractive or fit, get a certain job, etc. I feel like many times in my life, I have tried so hard to achieve things by my own strength. What I am learning more than anything lately is that Jesus Christ is the answer to everything. Everything is spiritual.. even temporal things! Things that have helped me to strengthen my relationship with my Father in Heaven are daily scripture study, prayer, and striving everyday to be humble and do the Lord's will.

I know that true confidence ONLY comes from a strong relationship with God. We feel sure, happy, open, loved, and calm when our relationship with the Father is in the right place. This is an answer I have looked for for a long time and hope it can help someone else too!

We are teaching some really amazing people named Abril, Alan and Claudia. They are a very special family. They love going to church and reading the Book of Mormon.

I hope everyone has a great week! Love you all!!!

XOXO
Hna Jessop

Photos...
Amazing baptism for the most prepared family in San Francisco, Mazate
Fruit Season
200 Quetzal Bill
The Gonzalez Family
Alan, April and Claudia, some of our investigators. LOVE THIS FAMILY

The Best Kind of March Madness :: March 20, 2017

It has been a great week. It has been super busy, but really great! The best kind of march madness. I have been feeling a lot of gratitude lately. I am grateful to be a representative of Jesus Christ, serving the most amazing, loving Guatemalan people.

Everyday, I am learning more about the importance of talking with everyone we meet, teaching with spirit, and studying the Book of Mormon daily. My testimony of the Book of Mormon has especially grown. We have been focusing a lot on studying the Book of Mormon, reading at least 15 pages a day. Every time I read the BOM, I feel a special power come into my life. I know the BOM is true!

We are seeing a lot of miracles in our area! On Wednesday morning, my companion and I had a really great study and then prayed to have the spirit testify through us and lead us to the prepared people. Our first appointment was with a guy named Marcello. We had contacted him the week before but he didn't seem very interested. We went back for the appointment to see what would happen and when we got there, he was waiting for us, having read his pamphlet about the Restoration. He said that he has been looking for answers for years and wants to find relief from his sins! He said that we came just at the right time and that he wants to learn more, that this is exactly what he has been looking for. We were able to teach him all of the Restoration. The spirit was very strong. It was a lesson I will never forget. Definitely an answer to prayers.

Later in the week, we contacted a family in the street and then made an appointment to go back with them later on in the week. We went back on Saturday and the family was waiting for us and had read the whole pamphlet! It was a miracle! The spirit is working through us. I love being an instrument in the Lord's hands.

A couple of weeks ago, Mario was baptized. Mario is a 26 year old who sells ice cream! We found him one night just sitting outside of an investigator's house. He looked a little down and when we talked to him, he wasn't extremely receptive, but accepted a return appointment the following day. When we went back, he had read his pamphlet and said that he was ready to change. He, to me, is an example of a very prepared person. From that moment forward, he began to diligently study the Doctrine of Christ, repent and leave old habits, and prepare to be baptized. He then entered baptismal waters. He brought 6 investigators to his baptism and asks us how he can share the gospel!

Mario is still progressing very well. I am really grateful to be a part of his conversion. He received the Aaronic priesthood this past Sunday and is excited to participate in passing the sacrament. We also challenged him to read the the BOM and we thought he would start out reading a few chapters, but when we came back a few days later, he had read up to page 61! It was amazing. He has such a desire to learn and grow.

We are also enjoying sharing the gospel with youth. Every Sunday, we have been doing a small meeting with youth in our ward. It is just an hour and we talk about personal conversion and the missionary lessons. We also make them do missionary practices. It is fun to see them be missionaries! Then, after the meeting, they go visit their references with us. It is one of my favorite times of the week.

Everyday is not perfectly easy. People reject us, it is hot outside, there are a lot of bugs, we are tired, but, I wouldn't change it for the world. I get the best job in the world... I am a representative of Jesus Christ. My testimony of Jesus Christ is unshakeable. I know this church is true. I know my Savior lives and leads and directs the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Thank you all for supporting me!

XOXO
Sis Jessop

Mario's baptism 

P Day waterfall activity

MARZO! :: March 6, 2017

Happy March!

This week has brought many lessons. It has been the busiest but also one of the best weeks of my mission. I just started my last transfer of my mission here in Guatemala. Crazy!

Maria Jose was baptized this week! She is such a sweet little girl who just wants to choose the right. Her mother is a member but has not been to church in a while. It has been really amazing to see how her family has supported her during her learning and preparation for her baptism. We pray that her desire to improve and grow will help her family to also come unto Christ.

I said goodbye to my two companions, Hna Hill and Hna Hopper. They both ended their missions. We got to have Hna George stay with us her last night too! It was so awesome being with some of the best missionaries I have ever known on their last night of their missions! We all were at the baptism together. What a beautiful evening!

My new companion is Hna McGuire. She is from Oklahoma. I am amazed by how patient, calm and happy she is. I have so much to learn from her!

We are still loving it here in Pedregal. Mario is an investigator who we found contacting a couple of weeks ago. We had been teaching his neighbor, who didn't progress very much, but it turns out that we needed to be over there so we could meet Mario! He loves church, the Book of Mormon and has a strong desire to change his life. I am amazed by him! He has such a willing and strong heart. He has accepted to be baptized the 18th of March.

One of the other weekly adventures was that we had to take a bus to the capitol on Saturday night and then came back Sunday morning. We were nervous that we wouldn't make it back on time for church, considering it is a 4 hour bus ride from the capitol to where we are at, but the Lord worked it all out. We got to the church 5 minutes before it started. It was such a tender mercy!

There isn't time to list all the moments from this week, but what I want to testify is that Jesus Christ lives and knows us personally. Even when we have a lot to do and life is pretty crazy, if we lean on the Lord, everything works out. When I feel exhausted, I feel the Lord carrying me. If we do our part, He does his. He wants to bless us!

I love being a missionary. I love my Savior.

Well, that is all for now.

I love you all!

XOXO
Sis Jessop

I Know :: February 20, 2017

Hello!

This week, we had a visit from an apostle of the Lord, Elder Rasband. It was a historic day for Central America because an authority hasn't been here for many years.

I prayed all week that I would simply be able to receive the confirmation that he was a prophet of the Lord. It is something we always invite our investigators to do, but I don't think we do it enough as missionaries. As members of the church, we need to constantly strengthen our testimonies and pray for these confirmations.

I cannot explain the strong, sweet, peaceful spirit that was present as Elder Rasband spoke to us. I cannot explain the spirit I felt as I shook his hand. I know he is a prophet of God. I testify that God loves us so much that he calls living prophets to lead and guide his church. I testify that God calls prophets the same way He called them when Jesus Christ was on the Earth. He prepares and calls ordinary men to do his work. 

Just as He calls prophets, He will call all of us to play a grand part in his work if we are willing to do our part and sanctify our hearts. I testify that the same spirit that speaks to prophets, seers and revelators can speak to us individually. We cannot receive salvation without personal revelation (Joseph Smith). Everyday, we can have spiritual experiences as we diligently study the scriptures and fervently pray. This same spirit is the way we are lead and guided, comforted, edified, taught, etc. This spirit gives life to our bodies and without it, we are further separated from God's love, peace, and joy.

I know my Savior lives. I know He loves me. He wants us to have JOY! That is our purpose. I know that as we follow modern prophets, read the scriptures, pray fervently, and are humble, constantly striving to be better, we can have joy and peace and truly reach our potential! Heavenly Father has a plan for each one of us.

I love you all!
Have a great week.

Sister Jessop

February Fun :: February 13, 2017

Hi Everyone!

Happy Valentine's Day!

This week has been really great. We are seeing a lot of miracles in the small, hidden moments and details. I love being a missionary. This week, Elder Rasband comes to our mission! I am very excited to see him speak and receive the confirmation from the spirit that he is an apostle of the Lord.

I have been learning a lot about repentance lately. Many times when we think of repentance, we think of repenting of big sins, but repentance also changes the little details, habits, thoughts and actions that we are constantly doing. We sometimes think these things are just our nature and that we can't change. But, repentance changes our very nature. WE CAN CHANGE. That brings me a lot of hope.

If we come unto Christ, we can literally be born again and have a complete change of heart. We have the opportunity to use repentance every moment of every day to constantly be found acceptable before God and retain a remission of our sins. Incredible, isn't it? All possible because of Jesus Christ. I love my Savior.

I hope everyone has a great week.

XOXO
Hermana Jessop

Photos from P-Day trip to the beach

Joy! :: January 30, 2017

Hi Everyone!

Today, I have been on my mission for 16 months. CRAZY!!! You have to enjoy every moment. Time flies!

What a fun week! It has been a week full of changes. We had a worldwide missionary broadcast on Wednesday and we have some changes to the missionary schedule ( we do the same things but can choose when we do them) and the way we count the missionary work that we do. I am excited about these changes because they allow us to be able to use our agency for good and not be commanded in all things!

This week, I learned a lot about the power of prayer. Last week was a hard, stressful one and at moments, I felt like I was spinning around and didn't know what to do. I was reading in the Book of Mormon in the book of Enos and read about how Enos wanted so deeply to be forgiven of his sins. His soul was hungry to change.

As I was reading, the spirit taught me about how sometimes, when we are struggling, it is because we are not relying enough on the Lord. We have to rely on the Lord and be hungry for this change. As I reflected, I realized that I was trying to do too many things on my own. As I focused on having more meaningful prayers, I started to feel better and to realize that life does not need to be so complicated or stressful.. it is meant to be joyful! The only way to have joy (2 Nephi 2:25) is to live the Gospel.

So, if anyone is feeling overwhelmed, overly stressed, worried, or just simply is not feeling the joy that we are supposed to feel, reflect on what you can change in your life to life more in-line with the Gospel path. The Lord wants to bless us but fear, doubt and sin keep us from receiving the blessings and happiness He wants for us (Pres. Uchtdorf). Life can be simply! We are meant to have joy!

I have felt joy this week in teaching the gospel, letting go of things I can't control and loving where I am and who I am with. Live the Gospel, in the moment and just choose happiness!

Love you all! Have a great week!
Sister Jessop

Photos
Exchanges in San Marcos
Sisters in training