WINTER IS COMING!!! (Apr 11, 2016)

Hi family! I hope you all had an AWESOME week!  Spring-breaking, BYU’ing, siendo minionero, and whatever else you folks are up to!

Anyway, a little update on some happenings here. Esperanza agreed to be baptized! The only problem is that she won't put a date to it because she might have cancer and wants to get that figured out. So if you’d pray for her, that would be cool. I know your prayers helped Magaly and Christian make it, so they can help her too! 

This week we did some family history Skype training with some of the zones in the south. Two of the zones have senior couples who recently arrived in the mission. They are the cutest! I love Senior missionaries. But boy! Is Family History keeping us busy! Lots of things to do. 

This week has been pretty uneventful. Just doing the missionary thing! And I love it!!! I was reading in Alma 29 this morning. Alma is talking how his only desire is to preach the gospel for the rest of his life. I'm living Alma’s dream! I get to go out and preach the gospel every minute of every day! In the end of the chapter (it’s not very long) Alma describes and talks about the success he and his brethren and have had. I especially love verse 13! "God hath called me by a holy calling, to preach the word into this people, and have given me much success, and the which my joy is full.” Lately, I've been feeling like I haven’t having much success as a missionary. But as I listen to conference (especially Elder Holland) and read this chapter, I have come to realize that the only success that matters is that which comes from God. And in that “my joy is full”.  I really do love being a missionary and can't imagine my life without this experience. How lucky am I?! 

So!!!  GREAT NEWS!  THE WEATHER IS CHANGING!!!  In the days when we are out and about, it is still grossly hot. BUT at night and when we wake up, there is a little chill in the air. I even started sleeping with the sheet again. I’M SO EXCITED!! I have a new appreciation for air-conditioning.

So yesterday was kinda fun. I got sick Saturday night (DON’T WORRY MOM. I’M FINE). So for the first time in my mission, we stayed in on account of my health. But yesterday was different here in Peru. It was election day. On election day, it is law that everyone has to vote. To make that happen, it is also a law that you can't have formal, organized meetings. So we didn't have church yesterday. We stayed in during the morning and left to work after lunch. All missionaries had to be in their houses at 7:30 PM last night so we were in early. It was a weird day. When you get sick here, you have to drink this super gross drink. It's 1000 mL of sterilized electrolytes. It's gross. Bleh! I don't recommend its taste.

I ain’t got nothin’ else to say, so here are thoughts on General Conference. I really liked Elder Anderson's talk about the children. I'd say that one of the hardest rules for me is to not pick up the children. I just want to hold them them and hug them and give them the love that some of them don't get from home. But you better believe that I do what I can within my limits! I also like Elder Ballard's talk about family councils. It made me want to have a family council because talking to my family is fun! I thought that what Pres. Monson chose to say was interesting. Choices are important. I loved all of Sunday morning! I really liked Elder Hale’s talk about the Holy Ghost. It pretty much helped answer a lot of the questions I had. And then of course, Elder Holland's talk. That also answered a lot of my questions. I like how he said “The great thing about the gospel is we get credit for trying, even if we don't always succeed.” We get credit for trying! Gosh I love conference!

Basically, I came on my mission at a good time! In August, we had Elder Bednar. We just had Elder Robbins. Wednesday, we will have Elder Godoy. And in June, we will have Elder Rasband. If Maddie came two weeks earlier, I could see her at Elder Rasband’s conference! But unfortunately, she will just miss it.

Anyway, that’s all I got for you this week!  Hope you had a great week and that Dayne is gearing up for all those finals!

Love you!!!

Hermana Elise Joyner

PS. Thank you Perschkas for the Easter Card!  It was a pleasant surprise!

PPS. The picture is of these snow man dolls a less active made for us. She wouldn’t let us leave while she made two dolls and then went into her back room and pulled out two different ones to give to us. It was too funny! She’s cute!

Hermana Joyner, Hermana Giler, and the Snowmen!!