The Beginning of the End - June 17, 2019

I call it the beginning of the end because this week marks week 1 of my last transfer in the mission... It`s been a pretty crazy week. It`s been crazy since we`ve had leader`s counsel, zone conference, and we`ve been helping out with some sisters that went home today, so it was really fast and really slow at the same time. 

One of the many things i`ve been learning is that it`s more important what the Savior thinks of you than what everyone else thinks of you. We`re never going to be perfect, but we just need to try to do our best, and "He makes up the rest". I am so imperfect, it`s one of the things that i`ve realized most as a missionary, but I know that I can be better, and I`m trying to use the atonement to be better little by little.

I`m grateful for my family, I`m grateful for your support (as friends and family), and most of all I`m grateful for the Lord Jesus Christ. I know He lives. I know He loves us and wants us to be happy. I know the He atoned for us and that he understands every difficultly, pain, temptation, sickness, etc that we could ever feel. 

I hope that everyone has a good week. We can always make the coming week a better one than the last :)

(Talking to her today made me grateful for the new communication guidelines!!  She cried for most of the call.  I am so grateful that I could talk to her and remind her of all her good qualities, and that the Lord loves her.  She has been with this companion for 12 weeks and found out on Sunday that she will finish her mission with her (another 6 weeks.)  I think she was kind of hoping to be transferred and have a new area or companion.  She said she has enjoyed a lot of good times with this companion but they have also struggled a lot.  She was able to speak frankly with me and tell me about all of the troubles as she hadn't been able to in past calls because her comp was not sitting next to her.  From what she described this comp has made her feel bad for wanting to be obedient, and that anytime she (the companion) is mad at Jessica it is her (Jessica's) fault.  It was super hard as a momma bear to hear her cry.  I know that she will bounce back because that is who she is but it was also heart breaking.  I reminded her of her happy, loving, obedient self and told her that she is not responsible for the way her companion feels.  I told her also that she can set boundaries with her comp.  She does not have to allow her comp to yell at her (ya, that has been happening...)  We talked about ideas to help her have a good transfer.  She is going to try to journal her feelings more, focus on her own obedience and set boundaries.  We talked about trying to find what the Lord would have her learn from this transfer with this companion, and to find the balance between working hard these last 6 weeks and reminding herself that she only has to put up with this comp for another 6 weeks.  I am soooo looking forward to my hug from her!!  

She also slammed her thumb in a car door this week.  They have an investigator with a baptismal date and she is excited about that.  Missions are hard! )

Con amor,

Hermana Rowe

Una Semana Loca - June 10, 2019

This week has been super crazy! We´ve been all over the place doing everything! We`ve had 2 intercambios, during both we had to go to other areas to help out other hermanas because they have been sick, so our area has been suffering but we`ve been loving the ability to serve! It`s sad because a lot of the investigators that have been progressing a lot have stopped progressing, gone to other countries or just disappeared. But the good thing is that we can always keep searching for others! It`s been interesting because the majority of my mission i`ve been in "harder" areas (the people aren`t as willing to learn or they are more prideful) but i think it`s something that has humbled me and made me better. Sometimes I get frustrated because i see other missionaries in other areas have 2 baptisms every week, that always have good numbers, etc. But! I`m happy to know that even just helping one person to come unto Christ is fulfilling the calling that the Lord has given me. I`m grateful for the many things I`m learning every day. :) 

(Jessica was put in charge of having zone sweatshirts made.  She had to find the sweatshirts and the aguayo (native woven fabric) and find someone to make them.  The aguayo is on the front pocket and in the hood.  She also had each missionaries name put on the back.  She said it was a big responsibility but it turned out great.  It is apparently a thing in south american missions to get matching zone t-shirts, or dresses and ties.  Some have worked out better than others.  She is really happy with these.  For p-day she went on another hike.  She had been to this place before but hadn't ever found these waterfalls.  She is excited to find out about transfers this Sunday.)

Con amor,

Hermana Rowe 

Sick Week - June 3, 2019

So i ran out of time because i talked a lot with the family, but basically my pensionista (the person who cooks 1 meal a day for her and her companion) gave me food poisoning and i was pretty sick this week. And we also changed pensions because we were done dealing with the way she treats us. (She said she is very excited about the new pensionista.  She understands what it is like to be a missionary (she and her husband both served missions.))

But! Even though it was kinda sad, we got to do intercambios and i was with Hna Mercado which was the best! and also with hna vara the kid of my kid in my old area.

And today we went and saw a catholic convent and did a tour. but we didn´t take pics for the most of it cause they said we had to pay if we wanted to... at least i have my memories. the photo that i´m sending i had taken before the tour, before i knew so...

(She was telling me about the history of this convent.  It was quite sad apparently.  When it was in use (a long time ago) the girls were taken from their parents (at age 13 or 14) and forced to become nuns for political reasons (to keep their parents under control.)  Jessica said she was trying to imagine what that was like.  In the tour she learned about how they lived and the rules/commitments they had to follow.  The structure was beautiful but the history of it was sad.  (I'm sure not all the girls who entered the convent were forced, that is just what they talked about in the tour.)  It made her very grateful for the ability to make choices and to worship how she wants.

She has a number of people that she is working with.  Alejandro was supposed to be baptized this week but isn't feeling ready so they are continuing to teach him.  Sulma and her daughter are in Miami for a few weeks (i believe to see family.)  They have another person who they are working with who has set a baptismal date (I don't remember the name.)  Aside from the food poisoning she had a good week and felt that they were able work.)

Sorry that that`s it but i love you all :) God loves you and wants you to be happy. You can find true happiness through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Hermana Rowe

Not so cold - May 27, 2019

So last week I said in the title that it was cold or something like that... it just gets really cold in the evenings and overnight and in the mornings. But during the day the sun is SUPER strong, so we have to bring layers.

This week has been full of ups and downs. Last week for p day we hiked up the Christus statue to see the sun rise, and our legs have been hurting all week long. It´s a kind of pain that i know from track training and things like that, but my comp had never experienced that type of pain before , so we looked for things to do in the house for a few days while her legs recuperated. We fixed up everything in the area book, we did weekly planning, things like that. This week has also been kinda hard because a lot of our investigators have been telling us that they don't want to be baptized or that they don´t want to meet with us anymore, and this is the first area that has been like that for my comp, so i think it´s been especially hard on her. (I guess i´m already used to that since this is my second area in a row like that) 

A highlight of this week, we went to the temple!! And OH how we needed that!! I was so grateful to be able to go. I know the Lord gives us things like that to rejuvenate or lives, because he loves us. 

Aaaand I love you all. :) I hope you all have a good week!

Hermana Rowe

when i wanted to wear my hair natural and then i saw my bangs...

i love the temple

So so Cold!! - May 20, 2019

So it´s been a pretty fun week, but it´s also been crazy. We started out this week with an awesome intercambio in Quillacollo, we both went there to help out the sisters since they are opening their area, so we contacted and tired ourselves out. :) It was awesome. The next day we had interviews with President, which is always awesome. We did weekly planning that day and we got to talk with a few people. On Friday we went and visited a sister in the ward who cuts hair for free for the missionaries, so i let her cut it... it was a little traumatizing because she parted my hair in the middle, took a piece of it and started chopping it... it´s not terrible, but i hated the way she cut my bangs short... i´ll send a pick of how she styled it. The rest of the week has been pretty quick. One of our investigators that was doing really well dropped us this week, so that made us sad, but it´s ok. :) Today we got up early to go see the sun rise. We are tired, but it´s been a good day.

I hope everyone has a good week. The gospel keeps on spreading, even if it spreads a little slow sometimes :)

Hermana Rowe

We found the snow! - May 13, 2019

This week has been a little crazy... we did a WHOLE lot of things. For example we cleaned out our entire house this week in preparation for all the people who were going to come stay with us during the week. (It was transfers on Tuesday.  She and her comp are staying together for 6 more weeks.  They are happy about that.  They have worked through some personality differences and are doing really well together.She will only have one more transfer after this one.  We will see if she stays in the area for her last transfer or goes somewhere new to end her mission.)  On Tuesday we had to go pick up some new sisters who had just recently gotten to Cochabamba from the MTC, so we fed them trancapecho *i´ll send a pic* that is super good, and then in the morning we made them pancakes and sent them off to go find out who their trainers were. Then that morning we had to watch a bunch of safety videos that i guess the church has put out recently, but there are 12 of them so we only watched a few and will slowly but surely watch them every week. 

These are from zone conference last week.  Proof that she wears pants occasionally...

We got to visit a few people on Thursday, and it was cool to just contact in between appointments and see all the cool people we could meet. Right now in our area we don't have a ton of investigators, but those that we do have are progressing pretty well and we are super excited for them! We had our first intercambio of the cambio (transfer) this week, and it was cool because literally ALL of the appointments we had fell through, but we contacted a BUNCH of doors and i am SO excited to do follow up with these people. I really felt like we contacted a street of gold! So cool! Aaaaand of course on Sunday we had church, we ate lunch with the bishop and then chatted with the fam because it was Mother´s Day! I hope all of the wonderful mothers I know had a wonderful day :) We had a Family Home Evening afterwards that was awesome because 2 of our investigators went, and it was SO COOL because we decided to do a testimony meeting and the members shared things that our investigators NEEDED to hear, and they didn´t even know the situations of our investigators. So so cool. I love how the Spirit uses us in ways that we don´t even know. Today was fun because we road tripped up the Tunari *it´s a mountain close by Cochabamba*  with a bunch of other missionaries. Some of them have never seen snow before *like my comp* and got to see and play in it! Super cool

It was a pretty good week, I know God blessed us so much, and i´m excited to see what blessings he´ll send and the miracles we´ll see in the next one. :)

Hermana Rowe

Semanas de Locuras - April 29, 2019

It´s been pretty crazy here in Cocha this week. 

On Tuesday we had Leader´s Council, and I loved that they talked about how we need to be missionaries that are better at giving challenges to investigators and always be extending commitments to investigators, members, and ourselves. It was awesome :)

This week my hija hna muñoz (the sister she trained and is serving in a neighboring area) was really really sick and had to go to the hospital for a few days, so we took a pic together the night that i spent in the hospital with her:) (As part of her duties as a sister training leader she and her companion help other sister companionships when they are struggling.  In this case she was on an extended intercambio so that the work could move forward in both areas.  While she stayed with Hma Muno her companion was with the other Hma and worked in both areas.)  

Then we had our district meeting which was kinda funny because the elders from that chapel were going to have a baptism that day and the font overfilled and we all cleaned up the water. Also, my leather scriptures cases got delivered, (it is a thing there to have leather scripture cases hand made.  She has been talking about this for a couple of weeks) and they are so cool! I love them.

One of the days we were basically with the elders the whole day since there was a primary activity that the ward asked us to help out with which actually turned out really awesome because they gave us a bunch of references of the moms of the kids that other kids had invited, so we took a pic together. Also, that morning (Saturday) i cut my comp´s hair. :D 

That night the people that live next to us had a bunch of parties late into the night. The music was so loud that we literally could not sleep, our windows shook and everything. Sunday we were super tired, BUT! we had 2 investigators come that are AWESOME!!! they are so prepared for the gospel, they already are talking about how they want to come every week, now all we have to do is reaffirm their baptismal date and they´re in jaja!! (This is the woman and her daughter that she street contacted at the beginning of this transfer (so almost 6 weeks ago.)  

Jessica said she felt impressed to talk to her and she (the investigator) cried when she told her about the Book of Mormon and gave her a copy.  The woman taught sunday school in her own church but was feeling like something was missing. Jessica said they felt very welcomed at church and it felt right.)

Today hna navarrete and i basically went shopping for our p day. It was fun to spend time together without a bunch of other missionaries. I bought a hat that i´m thinking about giving to my dad (if he likes it...) when i get back. But meanwhile i´m going to use it :) 

I know it´s short but i´m out of time. Sorry i can´t seem to get in a full letter since they started up the whole skype every week thing. I love talking with my family :) 

¡Qué tenga una semana super chala!

Hermana Rowe

100 Days Left - April 22, 2019

(She said she is not counting the days but other missionaries keep reminding her of how long she has left.  She doesn't seem to be trunky.  She is trying to focus on the work and finish up strong!)

Happy Week!! (And Happy Easter!!) Wow I am so happy that I could talk with ALL the members of my family today!! That was the best ever. (She got permission to call late (8pm her time) because they went as a zone to the jungle.  So the kids were home from school and I was dropping Ella (a niece) at home and so she got to say hello to the Jorgensens too.)

This week was Holy Week for Catholics, so they had a lot of school and work off, so it was a good week to go find people :)

This week we had 2 intercambios, and for one of them i got to be with my hija (mission slay for the girls she trained), Hna Muñoz! That was a super fun day. It was fun to see the trust we have in each other, that it´s still there :) The other intercambio was with another sister who is finishing her training this transfer. We had kind of a mix up about what are new investigators and what are contacts, so we got all that straightened out and we had a great time :)

Today for p day we went to a place called la jungla in villa tunari (basically we went to the jungle) and we had some fun times :)  (She went on a "zipline" and a rope swing.  I am pretty sure neither of them were mission approved... She said the zone leader said it was ok so... You know Jessica... always up for an adventure!  You can probably see from the picture why I put zipline in quotes...)

It´s been a good week, I love you all, and I hope your week is filled with love and spiritual experiences.

Con amor,

Hermana Rowe

Happy 13 Months - April 15, 2019

This week has been crazy, we had 2 intercambios and i´ve been a little stressed and now I´m kinda sick. But! The work of the Lord keeps on going with or without me, so i choose to try to keep up with everything. :) 

This week was Kids Day in Bolivia, so we went and did a service in a poorer part of the city where we brought them food and toys and we painted faces. It was super fun :)

I´m so sorry for keeping it so short but today was dad´s 48th birthday and my grandparents were there to talk too, so i haven´t had time to write because i talked so much... i really am sorry. I´ll try to be better in the coming weeks :)

We are entering winter right now since there isn´t really fall here, so...  (We are finally having some sunny days so we asked her about her weather.  She said it is chilly in the morning and gets hot in the afternoon and cold at night...)

Lots of Love and Bipolar Weather from Cocha,

Hermana Rowe

Pics from the intercambios 

These are some things she found funny...