"If it's not fun, it's not the Gospel!" 9-15-14

President Archibald is a GENIUS! That was the line of his letter to us this week. Goodness, he is so great. I love President and Sister Archibald!

We really did have a lot of fun this week. Hermana Kim and I decided to make a new commandment for ourselves: Thou shalt not enter thy house in the nighttime without having contacted ten people. So we contacted up a storm and have started already to see the fruits of our labor! In the five days since we set that rule we've made 56 contacts. Not all accept, of course, and that's a whole different story, but there are a lot of possibilities here. There are a lot of prepared families!

I think the biggest struggle with investigators in this area is keeping their commitments. We have taught some seriously hardcore lessons in which the Spirit was so strong, using the scriptures and examples and parables and relating the commitments specifically to the investigator. You know, we teach people, not lessons. But then they don't show up to church, or we go back and find out they didn't read or pray after we left! So that's pretty frustrating. Therefore we are working on finding new ways to teach and invite and verify commitments. Will you pray for us to receive inspiration on that?

I'm really grateful for priesthood power. A ward member came with us to visit a less active sister on Tuesday and her aunt, who she was very close to, had just passed away. He instantly offered to give her a blessing and it was beautiful! Men, always be worthy, ready, and willing to use your priesthood authority to bless God's children.

We talked about why we should never go swimming as missionaries. D&C 61:14.

 14 Behold, I, the Lord, in the beginning blessed the waters; but in the last days, by the mouth of my servant John, I cursed the waters.

Also, a recently reactivated sister who accompanied us on Thursday taught us some phrases in Quechua. 

MANANKANCHO: There's nobody here.

HAKU RIPUNA: Let's go!

IMAYNAN KASIANKI: Hello. How are you?

PANKANKI: Who are you?

Ah también. Hermana Kim asked me to cut her hair this week, so I did. It's pretty darn cute. I was living vicariously through her as I cut it short (missing my short short hair but accepting the fact that I would probably receive hate mail in Spanish if I did that here), and if she hadn't started to throw a fit I would have cut it shorter. Anyway, we were eating lunch later on and she just couldn't get the length of her hair out of her head. She sometimes calls me Hermana Hedwig...I don't really know why that started...but she stopped to look up from our game of Uno and simply said, "What a shame, Hedwig. What a shame."

She loves me.

On Friday we were knocking doors in the morning and as we passed a certain house, she began to explain to me in English, "In this house lives a señor..." I gave her the word in English. "Gentleman." She smiled and said, "Sí. A gentle señor."

Also we sang some good old My Chemical Romance walking to an appointment in the afternoon. Hermana Kim got really into it and started whisper-yelling, "WHEN I WAS A YOUNG BOY MY FATHER TOOK ME INTO THE CITY TO SEE A MARCHING BAND..."

We ate some delicious soup with weird meat in it. She asked what it was and I said I thought it was the fat. She grimaced and said, "Of what, MONSTER?"

Also, we contacted a man while we were standing waiting to make copies in a corner store. He was really nice! He asked where we were from and I said I was from Cajamarca, a part of Perú where a lot of gringos live. He didn't believe me and I told him the truth. We invited him to church and he said, "Look, I would love to, but I would just go and debate with all of your doctrines." I asked him what doctrines and he started to tell us that we didn't believe in Jesus Christ and God having the same purpose. I explained very simply the Godhead and he was like...Oh! Alright! Great! And without too much hesitation he made another joke about Cajamarca and slowly walked away laughing. We discussed later the how clear it was that the Spirit had testified to him of the truth of what we said and he was kinda stunned. Never forget your testimony!

Also, yesterday was real trunky in church. Everything was about eternal marriage and the family. I took notes and cried. It was just so darn sweet. NONETHELESS. I'm going to come home and hash out that epic feat of finding my exaltation in just a little less than FOUR months, and UNTIL then, I am STILL CONTACTING FAMILIES so that they can figure out theirs.

I am really happy.

One more thing! We started out our district P-day early today and spent three hours hiking around in the clouds. I'll send some pictures. It was the adventure of a lifetime. HARD because we got lost and the hills here are extraordinarily steep and lacking in trails, but so much fun! Our district is very close and I feel so blessed.

 The journey up Ensenada Mountain begins.

 Feeling pretty accomplished!

 Our district (minus Hermana Kim...she was taking the picture. There weren't exactly a ton of other people up there)

My attitude about weekly planning

The sun came out for the first morning in months this week! Then it went back into hiding.

I love you all! Make good choices!

Hermana Hewitt

*Pictures "We don't take no for an answer" 9-8-14

Happy P-day everybody!

I found my Doppelgänger on a wall this week…

doppelgänger |ˈdäpəlˌgaNGər| nounan apparition or double of a living person

This week we were in search of revelation. When I arrived at my new area I found that there were no progressing investigators; in fact, our area had not seen investigators in sacrament meeting for weeks! Having left Pro with several progressing, I was excited to get some new life in San Diego.

Welcome to San Diego (I don't know why this is written in English)

Then we both almost died of a stomach infection. So we went out and worked and drank a LOT of Bismutol and (hahaha did I mention that Hermana Kim thinks Limp Bizkit is Limp Bisquick?) used some of Granny Mary's magical essential oils to help out with the headaches and found some new investigators. 

Hermana Kim and I are CONSTANTLY laughing!

And also we almost got robbed by a couple lost sheep (I had originally typed in creepers...just so you all know. I am working on my charity. I was once taught that there is indeed a white-out/delete key for life, and that is repentance.) when we were contacting in exactly the area the Lord had directed us to. 

Guess what that means?

There MUST be families there! 

2 Nephi 2:11. For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.

Therefore, I decided that it was better to be obedient to God than Satan and we marched back into that place with three YSA members of the ward (all of which are preparing to serve missions, two of which are tall and somewhat intimidating if you ignore the glasses and the conservative ties) and an army of angels. We taught a bunch of people and indeed found more families to teach this week! 

One of my favorite finding ideas is to offer help with English homework. We have tried to teach English classes but sometimes they just end up being ward activities or utter failures. However, almost every Peruvian child has to take some sort of English course in elementary school. 

So we had gone out with a member and she mentioned some old investigators who had gone to church but hadn't been visited in awhile. We knocked their door and the mom came out. She was so sweet! But she didn't have a lot of time and her angry mother-in-law was there and she didn't want troubles. We talked to her for a minute in the doorway, made an appointment, and were about to leave when she asked if I could help her little son with a project. So we entered their house and they presented us with a play farm. She handed me a sheet of paper with a few sentences about "the chicken" scribbled on it. Our new little friend needed to practice his pronunciation so he could present the chicken. Here are the sentences:

"The chicken is yellow."

"The chicken is beautiful."

"The chicken is delicious."

"The chicken drinks water."

"The chicken plays with me."

Look, I don't know what they are trying to teach these kids. Are chickens friends, or food? Or both? Does that mean we should eat our friends? My awful companion started to crack jokes all the time! I found a post-it note in my agenda from Wednesday that says: "Felices 14 meses en la misión. The chicken is yellow, drinks water, and is freaking delicious if it's roasted! #joytotheworld"

That's why we are best friends.

These are cookies from the chicken project. Mine was missing an eye. They were delicious, just like the chicken.

Also, we had some less-than-favorable experiences that left us giggling. Lots of people who just don't need us (see Alma 5:51). 

 51 And also the Spirit saith unto me, yea, crieth unto me with a mighty voice, saying: Go forth and say unto this people—Repent, for except ye repent ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of heaven.

And a whole lot who personified 2 Nephi 29:3.

 3 And because my words shall hiss forth—many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.

I LOVE THE BOOK OF MORMON.

I also really love being a missionary. I cried on that 14-month mark because I realized how much I don't ever want to leave Perú. I'm going to be trunky for the mission when I get home. 

Last day with Hermana do Santos

But don't worry! The Lord has His due time for everything and I will cheerfully accept His will, even when it means I have to return to the real world. And I will give you all a big abrazo. :) 

I love you!

Hermana Hewitt

Quote of the Week goes to a short conversation between Elder McAllister, Elder Payne, and I:

E. McAllister: "So Elder Payne, did you play sports in high school?"

E. Payne: "I played 2 years of football...and soccer...they cut me from the basketball team. I was too slow."

Hna Hewitt: "What?! But you played soccer!"

E. Payne: (awkward silence) "I was the goalie."

Oh…

We had a conference with Bishop Davies and I was reunited with my favorite Australian New Zealander, Hermana Hooper. Elder Urmston decided to adorn our photo.

Welcome to San Diego! 9-1-14… pics

Well everybody, President finally got fed up with me and decided to send me away to San Diego. Not even home to Logan...just to San Diego.

aren'tyougladit'snotalcatraz?

My favorite thing ever is to show people the photo I have in my scriptures of the San Diego temple and say LOOK! This is where I'm going to get married! In San Diego!

And then they start racking their brains to remember where in this Lima suburb they have seen such a building.

Yeah so San Diego is part of the Zona Prolima. Literally next door neighbors with Los Olivos. Also literally the LAST ZONE I EVER WANTED TO GO TO. I have made jokes about it my entire mission. "Hehehe just as long as they don't send me to Prolima!"

So everybody got a real good laugh when my picture showed up there in transfers. Good stuff. 

My companion is a riot! Hermana Kim. My second companion from México! But she's from Merida, which is in the south. She said it's by Cancun... pretty sure we are going to have a companionship reunion at HER house.

HOLY COW our zone leader just said we only have ten minutes...sohohooo I will tell you all the details later. Ah man I am frustrated now! It's alright.

Anyway so we have EIGHT missionaries in our ward! Our zone leaders (Elder McAllister and Elder Quenta), our district leader (Elder Hernandez and his comp, Elder Poma), us two sisters, and Elder Payne, who is training Elder Gillies (AKA the guy who sings "Joy of Life" from the 2013 EFY album. He is so funny. Still working on the whole missionary distance thing, but he'll get there). There are 5 brand spanking new missionaries in our zone! And there is not a single missionary in my zone with whom I have shared a zone during my whole mission. So I have felt a little homesick from time to time, but then again I am so excited to have all these new friends!

Los Olivos District - the "old crew" before transfer

Alright so Hermana Kim speaks pretty good English, and she also likes to hashtag everything. Here are our hashtags of the week:

#jewifiable (Malea Moody will know why this is funny...)

#gringa (a taxi drove by and simply said "gringa" into his speakerphone)

#fatricia (to keep us from eating too much)

#storytime (companionship inventory)

#corazonserrano (the most popular and annoying musical artist in Perú)

Also, we had the worst night ever on Saturday. There was a crazy dance party going on ACROSS THE STREET from ONE in the morning to EIGHT in the morning. We slept very little. And the three times I did fall asleep, I had nightmares about Hannibal Lecter. Also we both got food poisoning. So that's fun.

Also, Hermana Do Santos is now senior companion in Pro! YAY.

I wish I had more time to write but unfortunately it escapes me. I love you all! I'll update you more and send the tons of photos I had prepared next week!

Street painting that "showed up overnight"

Hermana Hewitt

Letter to the Pres… 8-25-14

Alright, so I told you all that this was going to be an AWESOME email! Well, we were planning the baptism of a family of four, who we had to leave about a month ago because they weren't progressing at all, and then suddenly came and said they were ready. So to explain simply without having to rewrite everything, I copied and pasted part of my letter to President Archibald. I invite you to be understanding of the short time I have to write. :)

"This week was a bit of an intense one. We had everything planned for the baptism on Saturday, all the ward had been invited, the ward council made plans for baptismal clothing...everything. And we went to check up on the family and it turns out they didn't let us in the house. The dad went and talked to the bishop and said that they just have too many problems that they need to resolve and so on and so forth. President, we did everything in our power to help them, but in the end they used their agency to not accept. Try as we might, we cannot and should not force anyone to use that agency wisely. It's contrary to the Plan of Salvation. All we can do is teach them accurately and thoroughly and invite them to accept the gospel. I was so sure that they were going to make it to Saturday but the Lord found a way to correct me through the scriptures. I read on Friday night Moroni 6:1-3, which explains that no one should be accepted for baptism who does not have a broken heart and contrite spirit. The Lord prepares His children in His timetable, and we need to be attentive to His instructions so that we might act accordingly to that master plan. It's a lesson I had learned before, but am learning again in a new light. 

"On a brighter note, we do have two investigators who ARE very prepared! In sacrament meeting yesterday we had Paul, Sandra, Lurfia, and José. Lurfia has been devouring the Book of Mormon and when we visited her this week she was so excited to tell us about it. "He estado leyendo en su Libro...y ME ENCANTA! Siento tranquilidad y paz al leerlo, y siento que me levanto con diferentes ánimos. A veces me doy cuenta que estoy todavía despierta a la una de la mañana simplemente por qué no puedo dejar de leer!" 
"I have been reading in your book ... and I LOVE IT! I feel peace and quiet when I read, and I feel that I lifted with a different Spirit. Sometimes I realize that I am still awake at one in the morning just because I can't stop reading!" (google translator)
She also knows a lot of the members of the Relief Society and loved church. She is preparing to be baptized the 13th.

"José is the son of a less active who we had been trying to visit with for awhile...he is 23 and phenomenal! He had heard from the missionaries and even attended church several times when his dad was baptized about 4 years back, but he told us himself that he didn't take it seriously at that time and had never tried sincerely to receive an answer about Joseph Smith. We taught him the first lesson and invited him to read, pray, and attend church, as well as to be baptized the 13th of September. He accepted right away and promised to read 1 Nephi 1 that night. When we called him the next evening between visits, he said he had read 3 chapters in the Book of Mormon and the entire brochure about the Restoration and had watched the Joseph Smith movie and had prayed and felt like he felt totally different and so happy. Before we could respond he said, "That must be the answer I'm looking for!" We confirmed that, and he has continued to read and is marking the things he learns and excitedly preparing to be baptized and then go serve a mission. Our great YSA organization yesterday invited him to their activity and everything has just fallen into place. The Lord DOES prepare His children!

"It's been interesting to see how the things my companion and I study connect much better recently. We were preparing this morning to teach the Plan of Salvation with the principle of eternal marriage from Lesson 5 and Hermana Do Santos had been studying the Fall of Adam and Eve. She explained what she had learned about the necessity of the Fall so that we could come to earth and learn how to choose between good and evil, as well as how the Atonement allows us to become like gods. This tied directly into my study of D&C 132, which explains that in order to receive the fulness of the exalted state, we must be sealed and then stay true to our covenants. That is very well explained in Mosiah 3:19 - our eternal spirits are housed in temporal bodies which are prone to weakness; in order to perfect those bodies we have to strengthen our spirits in order to control those carnal desires so that we may be prepared to make and keep those glorifying covenants. It is only made possible in and through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ."

So there you go. An inside scoop of the letters missionaries write to their mission presidents on Monday. Well, at least those I write. Usually I'm a bit more organized, but I do write a novel most of the time. Thankfully Elder Larsen isn't here in Los Olivos to make fun of me anymore!

All in all, I am a happy camper.

When I came to the mission field (just barely over a year ago) I started reading a clean, $2.50 copy of the Book of Mormon with one question in mind: "How can I more fully place my trust in God?" I found many, many answers as I read that little book from cover to cover. And you know what? I am happy because I understand so much more thoroughly now how to put my trust in my Heavenly Father. 

I have become so grateful for my trials, so grateful for those opportunities I am given to hold on tight and exercise my faith. I am so thankful for the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Here I see in-depth what life is like without it, and it makes me want even more to open my mouth and invite others to come unto the Savior. 

We are SO blessed!

Remember that, and be thankful.

I love you and pray for you! 

Hermana Hewitt

Amazing week! 8-18-14

This was such an amazing week!

Firstly, we ¨rescued¨ a less active family, the Familia Lazo. They are a family of 5 who are preparing to be sealed in the temple in two weeks! Probably the richest people in our area, but some of the sweetest and most humble people I have met on my mission. It was so great - last Sunday Adrian, their 14-year-old son, was ordained a teacher and received the priesthood for the first time. When we had our FHE with them on Monday night, he talked about how excited he was to pass the sacrament and even more to go on a mission in 4 years. When we first started teaching them he wouldn't even consider it! 

Then we started teaching the (very Catholic) parents of a 13-year-old girl who has been going to church off and on for years. No other missionaries had EVER taught them! WHAT! They had all begged permission for her to be baptized, but they had never actually received the lessons. So we taught them about the Restoration and the Spirit was strong. They didn't accept a baptismal date, but they did accept a return visit and to read the Book of Mormon. Pray for the Familia Ponce!

Ohoho also that same day we taught a widowed woman who we contacted about a month ago. She was never in her house but we finally caught her and taught her the first lesson and she accepted a baptismal date! A couple days later we went to remind her about church and I felt a strong impression to ask if she had shared with any of her children about the Church (she has 4 children between 10 and 28). She lit up and said, "Yes! I was telling my daughter about the Book of Mormon and she wants to know more!" So she went and brought her 28-year-old daughter, who just started asking us all these GOLDEN questions! It was so so so SO amazing! She also accepted to be baptized, buuuut they didn't get up early to go to church. :( However, we are going to keep trying with them! Pray for the Familia Lozano too.

On top of that, we had a beautiful lesson with Paul, the husband of a less active sister. He is so great! He just will not accept to be baptized! Literally he lives like a member. And he has had so many spiritual experiences. But there's always something little. We have him on a recipe of Book of Mormon stories and strong doses of daily prayer. Please pray for Paul.

Also there is another PF, the wife and mother of a less active family, who is going to be baptized this Saturday! Luisa. She's hilarious and I love her. You're invited to pray for her too.

OH I JUST WANT TO GIVE IT AWAY NOW but I won't. Just look forward to next week's letter. :)

Anyway a couple approached us in church yesterday and said their son is turning 8 on Thursday and is going to be baptized that day. They asked us if we would be willing to come each day prior and teach him the missionary lessons. Sure thing! So we went and learned he has Asperger's (sp?) and also that he is the most intelligent 7-year-old in the South American continent. He knew almost everything already! It was so fun teaching him. Teaching the gospel to children requires SO MUCH PATIENCE and a whole lot of resourcefulness. Teaching a child who only wants to tell us how it is and talk about origami dinosaurs is just plain FUN. Haha I am totally serious in saying that it was one of the most worthwhile challenges I have confronted in awhile. I am so thankful that his parents invited us to teach him!

I gave a talk in church yesterday about baptism. Just going to say... I enjoyed it a lot. Thanks to my bishops who made me speak in church ALL THE TIME. I really didn't like it before, but now it's a joy. I feel so powerful.

Don'tworryeverybodyIprayforhumilitywithgreatfrequencyandtheLordanswersprayers.

Alrighty well I love you all! Keep prayin' and readin' and livin' the truth! Remember who you are and make good choices.

Hermana Hewitt

P.S. My companion is the Peruvian equivalent of Debbie Downer on SNL. Yesterday she was telling me all about her puppy and how he offered his paw when you said Buenos días and how he always chased the rooster in the morning. "Ah, my puppy was SO cute. And then he died. He was poisoned."

#luvher

You can change. 8-11-14

Those of you who knew me well before I was deported from the United States know that I am a fervent advocate for the cause of journal-writing. I am quite certain that a good quarter of the weight in my suitcases as I return home will be pages and pages and pages of my life story. I thank my wonderful family for loving me enough to send me pretty little journals to write in, because I definitely did not bring enough paper. I am currently about to finish a journal which consists of a notebook I bought here in Perú, on which I pasted a great deal of my bus tickets as well as a McDonald's receipt in Spanish and some exotic candy wrappers. 

Still disgustingly creative. Eeee. :)

I bought a journal before I left from the brand "Quotable Journals," similar to one gifted me by my awesome stepmom Heidi (represent!) a few years ago. It is white and square, and on the front is printed a quote that has become woven into my mission and my life. 

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly."

Sometimes, as people with the inclination to doubt, we feel enormous weight as good things seem to come to an end. In our limited mortal experience and perspective, it is difficult to know why certain things happen. It is even more difficult to not even desire to know why. Many times we may rationalize that we don't even have the faith sufficient to START having faith! How could God expect us to walk forward boldly and confidently into the great unknown, remembering full well all those times that the leap of faith we took was directly over the edge of a spiritual cliff? How could He expect us to strip ourselves of pride, walking blamelessbefore Him and being sufficiently humble at any given time to know that we qualify for His kingdom if we are so called there?

If we were a little more like Nephi, we would remember in whom we could have trusted - again and again and again, cliff after cliff, mountain after mountain, trial after trial after trial. And we WOULD have trusted. And, perhaps, we have indeed trusted and we have indeed been led through the wilderness of our deepest afflictions. 

If God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, why would His arm cease to extend toward us even in the very hour that we think the world is over?

It is through every whirlwind and temptation that we are refined. As missionaries, our most spiritual experiences are almost always at the end of hard days and hard weeks. The miracles always come after the trial of our faith. And if we have faith like a little mustard seed, the Lord promises that we CAN receive those miracles. 

Mosiah 15:7 explains to us how Jesus Christ was able to perform the miraculous act of the Atonement as He humbly allowed His mortal will to be swallowed up (in Spanish, absorbed) by the will of His Father. God knew what needed to be done, and it was the loving submission of His obedient Son which made God's divine purposes come to pass. Christ's mortal life - His world - was over. It did end. But because He trusted in His Father's plan, look what He became! We cannot even imagine the glory with which He will return to this earth!

Here is the point. 

God has a plan.

If we trust Him, He will lead us, and we will fulfill His purposes among His children, and we will become perfect, even as He is, and even as His Son is. We will become the butterflies that we were always meant to be. 

Don't let your true self fade away. Be who you are, who you REALLY are, and you will be made even more. The only thing you have to change are the mistakes you may have made, and that is infinitely possible through the Savior.

This week I saw many people return to their God (Isaiah 55:7) and remember who they are. It is possible! It is true!

I love you!

Sorry this wasn't funny! I actually am in a really happy mood but these things take brainpower.

Okay I really do love you!

Hermana Hewitt

Light. 8-4-14

After a week of some extraordinary disappointments, I am sitting here at the computer, wondering how I can possibly be the means of providing encouragement and light to the folks back home. 

I think I explained the answer in a Family Home Evening that my companion and I improvised last night. We were with the former bishop's wife and two sons and mother-in-law and less-active sister-in-law, their neighbor and her 17- and 11-year-old daughters, and a friend of the 17-year-old daughter's. A very diverse crowd with very diverse needs. But as we opened up the scriptures to explain some of the Savior's teachings, meeting every last one was surprisingly easy. Well, the Spirit did that. 

We went to Matthew 4 and 5. 4:19-20 explain that Jesus called fishers to come and follow Him, and He told them they would be fishers of men. I made the jóvenes giggle as I asked if they were supposed to start catching people to eat...that would not be tasty...but we went on to talk about how we can follow Jesus Christ and help others to do the same. 

We read through the Bienaventurados (sorry I'm too lazy to try and remember what they're called in English) and then set our sights on 5:14. As we strive to keep the commandments and serve everyone - and I mean everyone - in our pathway, we become a light for the world, just like Jesus' disciples of old. We become fishers of men.

The Savior came to this world to do exactly as His name suggests - to save us. Every single one of God's children is so precious to Him that He sent His Only Begotten Son to suffer for every single one of our sins, pains, afflictions, trials, temptations, weaknesses, and crushing failures. I KNOW that this is true. And every single one of God's children NEEDS TO KNOW that this is true for them, too.

Your neighbor Mr. Rogers needs to know how to use the Savior's sacrifice. Please be a light to him. Your second cousin needs to know, too. Please, be a light to her. And if you don't know yet, please write to me and I will show you! 

THE FULL-TIME MISSIONARIES ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN SHARE THE GOSPEL.

Look everybody, I don't know everything. I still have so much to figure out. But I learned that God made me ME for a purpose, and if I don't let that light shine I am wasting His creation. We are expected to use what light we have received to guide those who may be lost in the wilderness. Read 1 Nephi 8! Read the book of St Matthew! Listen to the hymn "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy"! 

And the trick is in Matt 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

We are here to glorify the Father. He wants us to be US because He made us that way so that we could glorify Him. It all goes back to Him. If you're trying to be somebody else, stop! It doesn't work and it's not right! You are YOU and it is because you are supposed to use every one of your characteristics for God's purposes! Just be obedient and thankful and charitable and everything will be okay.

I PROMISE.

I love you.

Hermana Hewitt