HAPPY BIRTHDAY...MERRY CHRISTMAS...HAPPY THANKSGIVING??? (Nov 23, 2015)

MOM! GUESS WHAT! I got my birthday package this week! It made me so happy! I loved the "birthday in an envelope." It was funny because the front was stamped September 8th and I got it November 17. Also, I got a Christmas package from Aunt Julie. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!! I've started sharing the goodies with the kids we visit and they just love it! I also gave the stocking to my comp. She took out the doTerra oils and got so confused about what they were. It was a really funny conversation trying to explain what they are. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

GRANDMA!!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! 29 is still lookin good on you! I love you sooooo much and think about you every time I load up my laundry bag and head over to the lady who washes our clothes. I am so grateful for you and all that you have done and do for me. LOVE YOU!!!!

Next week is cambios again, so I probs won't write until Tuesday. Heads up! There is a possibility that I will get transferred this time, so we will see...

Here is just a funny little thing from yesterday that lets you know I am in Peru. I was walking down the street yesterday and just see this guy crossing the street with a llama on a leash. In Lima that doesn't usually happen, but in the mountain area of our mission it does. It was just funny!

I'm gonna ponderize real quick here! Cole, I was so impressed with your scripture! I like how it talked about how we can prosper and have success. THe scriptures really do hold all the keys to help us be the best that we can be. When we can ready study and meditate on the things we read and apply them, Satan aint got no power!

This past week, I have been working really hard trying to help Cristian and Magaly work on Family History. We were able to help them find names and were able to go to the temple with these names on Saturday so that they could do baptisms and confirmations. It was awesome! Cristian did it for his Dad. He just came out with the biggest smile on his face and said that he felt the spirit so strongly. That made me so happy because of how hard we had to work to get him to be baptized. It was just an awesome morning! 

So here is a funny story to let you know how far off I am. Me and the gringas in my zone have been super excited for Thanksgiving. It's usually the 3rd week in Nov right? Which was this past week. We don't have a calendar to tell us otherwise, so we celebrated it this past week. We had a grand Peru version of el dia de gracias! It was legit. But I guess we will just have to celebrate it again!!! YAY!!!!!!

That's all I got time for this week! THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE GOODIES AND LOVE!!!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!

Hermana Elise Joyner

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAYNERSSSS!!!!!!!!!! (Nov 16, 2015)

Dayne, as they say here in Peru, "IT'S YOUR HAPPY!!!!!!!" I recorded a spanish song for you but it is too big to send, so oh well! I may just record it again in bits and send it to you next week. Ya fue. I don't know.

First, I want to ponderize: I liked how the scripture says in your mind and in your heart. A lot of times, we think things through with our minds and come to conclusions. BUT the way that the Spirit works is through our minds and our hearts. AND when we open our hearts to the spirit, we can be converted. We read a talk by Elder Bednar before he came to prepare that talked about that. I think it was called "Learning By Faith." You should look it up. And that is where the part with verse 10 comes in. Faith. We gotta have faith to get anything done. Another talk by Elder Bednar, "Ask in Faith." Read it. It talks about this and is a pretty legit talk! As for "trifle not" refer to D&C 6:12. Trifle not with sacred things. Revelation is and should be a sacred thing.

I don't have any stories this week (or time). We are working hard and trying our best to be exactly obedient. 2 more weeks of this transfer. HOW FAST!!!!!

Hermana Trejo and Hermana Joyner

LOVE YOU ALL!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Hermana Elise Joyner

Temple This Week (Nov 9. 2015)

Hey there family! 

First of all, I want to answer Mom's question. We have one hour to report our weekly numbers, read the pres letter, write presidente, read our own email, write our family. The hour goes fast, so that's why I don't usually have long letters. That's not to say that you should stop writing me or write less, because I love it and it makes me happy to hear from you. It's only that I dont have a lot of time to share everything that I want to. I'll fill in the details on Christmas when I can talk faster than I can type. Plus, when you compare it to Alex who writes a book because he can read the emails all week, yeah, I don't write like anything. SORRY!

Sounds like everyone is keeping busy! Especially Dayne. Remember, slow down every once and a while and don't forget to eat dinner. You have time to do that, even if you think you don't. 

I want to share an experience we had this past Saturday. We went to go set an appointment with an active family in the morning (we are going around the ward members and sharing the first vision with them to try to excite the ward more with regards to the work). When we went, the active members weren't there, but the mom, Nelly, who is less active was. We went in and shared about faith. We asked her to say the closing prayer, and she just started crying. Her daughter just moved to go to school, and the mom is having a really rough time with it. In Peru, the families live together basically always until they have been married for a few years and need to move to their own home. So, her daughter leaving is kinda a big thing for her. She said that she hasn't been in the house much lately and that it was a miracle that we came at that moment when she was home and that we were able to share the message with her. It just shows me that the Lord is guiding us to people who need His help. His hand is in every part of this work when we do it His way.

PONDERIZE: Ok, so Mom's scripture from Alma.

42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.

 43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.

This scripure is something that I have been learning this transfer. Right now, we are planting seeds. We might not have a ton of appointments, we might have walked around for 7 hours straight without sitting yesterday, but we are developing faith. We are practicing diligence, patience, and long-suffering. And one day, we will see the fruits of our labors. It may not be within this transfer. It may be when I stop by San Juan on my way home next year. I don't know. But like Papa always says, "count no days lost." 

This week- the one Dayne picked from D&C!

Here's a fun fact for you- WE GET TO GO TO THE TEMPLE FRIDAY!!!! YAY!!!! The only thing is that we don't get pday today. Off to work we go! But it is so worth it! 

Sorry, that's all I have time for! I know it isn't much, but it's more than last week! And Mom, if you want to send me questions, do! I'll answer them within a month. One question per week sound good? I think I can do that.

Well, LES AMO MI FAMILIA!!!! Hasta la proxima semana,

Hermana Elise Joyner

It's a Short One! (Nov 2, 2015)

I have like 5 minutes, so sorry! 

These past two weeks have been... faith building. Heavenly Father is trying to teach me something. I just don't know what yet... We plan our days and have set appointments every day, and then we go out and NOBODY is home, except maybe one person. So basically, we have been just walking around our area every day for 5-7 hours every day without stopping. I'm learning. Poco a poco. And training is interesting... But it is good! And being a missionary is awesome!

I'm out of time, but I LOVE YOU!!! I'm gonna ponderize mom's Alma 32:42-43 this week.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Hermana Elise Joyner