HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! Here’s to the third one I’ll pass in the mission (you know, because I celebrated it twice last year). We’ve got big plans! Here’s a funny story I forgot to tell you last week. One night in Cañete, we came home and it was my day to have the keys. So I go and open the door and my comps saw a kitten outside our door, so they started playing with it while I went in the house. All of a sudden, I hear a scream from outside. Hermana Russell, “Hermana Joyner, a rat just ran into our house!” Are you kidding me?! My comps come running in and I grab a bowl and join them. They look at me and Hermana Pereyra says, “What are you going to do with that?” “I’m gonna catch the rat.” “Bahahahah! Hermana Joyner, we said ‘cat’ not ‘rat’”. So, the baby cat ran into our room and kept running beneath beds and I have a video of us trying to catch it. But in the end, who was the winner? SOY YO!!! I caught the cat. HIGH-FIVE SISTER JOYNER! I just love those two wacky sisters. Anyway, like I said last week, I had cambios to Villa Maria del Triunfo. I made it back to Lima one last time. It’s about 15 minutes away from San Juan and from the Mission Office, is about 30-40 minutes (I think, I haven’t tried yet but San Juan, it was 15-20 minutes, so I just added a little time).
I’m still doing that family history thing. My companions and I are actually starting the program here in our Zone. They did it before but they travelled all the way to the Sisters in San Juan. Now we are bringing it back here. So this past week was awesome! So many miracles! First, off, the barrio Union is AWESOME! All of the members are super excited to have sisters here. It’s been like 5 years or more since Hermanas have been in this ward. Everyone wants to accompany us and introduce us to their friends and the Bishop and Ward Mission Leader are great and our pensionista is just the cutest with her little kids. God had led us to so many people who have been really excited to receive us.
Here’s a fun story. I had to move houses for the second time in my mission. This time, we just let the Elderes do it while we sat outside and watched the car while they went up and down the stairs. Alex, as I said last time, CLEAN YOUR HOUSE!!! But, we are place now and our pensionista lives down stairs and brings us food sometimes. I like food. Fun fact, there is a hill in our area where almost all the new converts live that is like 350 stairs. Guess where they live. Stairs numbs 315-350. It’s just so Peruvian and I love it! It will keep me workin’ hard till the end!
So this past few weeks, I’ve been working on Christ-like attributes. This past week was paciencia (patience) and this week is humility. As I was studying those two yesterday and today, I found a scripture in the Bible that talks about how from tribulacion (tribulation) comes paciencia which is followed by hope which is followed by faith which is followed by knowledge which helps you progress and grow. So then that brought me back to 2 Nefi (Nephi): 2:11 and how opposicion (opposition) is necesario (necessary) in all things. We are here to learn and to grow and the way that it happens sometimes is by passing through the refiner’s fire. We had a brother accompany us to a lesson with a new investigator who has passed through some really tough stuff. He talked about diamonds. They start out an ugly rock, but as it takes more hits and beatings by the Maker’s hand, the rough edges start to fall away and take form into a priceless jewel. But without the tribulacion, it could never get there. Just a fun thought for ya!
Well, I don’t have time to write much more. Just know that I love you SOOO MUCH! And I’ll be gettin’ a real big hug ready soon… (but not too soon…). Have a great week and TAKE TIME TO BE HOLY!
Love,
Hermana Elise Joyner
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