Aleluya! (Mar 28, 2016)

[This is transcribed from a handwritten letter, so excuse any errors]

Monday has come again!  It’s kinda funny how before the mission, everyone dreads Monday, but on the mission, Monday is just what the doctor ordered.

To start off, I’m gonna tell you about a new investigator named Esperanza.  She is really the best!  She is just a little whipper-snapper!  Her name is Esperanza Rubio, and she is single and happy!  She’s like 75 years old, more or less.  She was a member reference.  Anyway, we found her last Sunday, and she has already come to understand all about the Priesthood and the Apostasy!  When we talked about the Apostasy, she gave us a history lesson of the Catholic church.  She got some revelation there.  We presented the Book of Mormon.  She looked at it and was like “I’m gonna start at page one and read this whole thing.”  And I was like “great!  Let us know how it goes!”  She got really excited.  We took her to church today.  When we showed up at her door, she was waiting outside all ready to go so that we could be early.  It was too cute!  She has this old lady shuffle and it takes us 10 minutes to walk down the street a little.  She is very opinionated and says her mind!  And totally gets away with it!  We were in our Gospel Principles class and she answered all the questions and the questions of other people and was cracking jokes the whole time.  Too cute!  We were talking about the Priesthood and she says to the class, “My friend Guzman is a Priest.  Who knew?!”  I was kinda super proud to be sitting next to her.  I just love this lady and have only visited twice!  What a Rockstar!  She asked us how much longer we will be in Peru and we told her.  She said to Hermana Giler, “You go.  Hermana Joyner and I will be together till the end but you’ll be outta here soon!”  It was kinda the greatest moment of my life.  

Thanks for the Easter package mom and Sis. Ritz!  You’re just the best!  

So conference this past Saturday was pretty legit!  Usually it’s just a pep talk about how great us women are, but this time they actually put forth a call to action.  I liked it!  But I also felt really out of the loop with the world news (and you know, Dad, I like my world news).  What’s happening to make refugees a conference topic?  Fill me in folks!  I love it when Sis. Neill Marriott speaks because it reminds me of home.  SOUTHERNERS ARE THE BEST!

I am so pumped for this weekend!  I LOVE CONFERENCE!!!  And for some reason, it’s even better as a missionary.  What is the Lord preparing for us?!  We have 4 sessions to find out!  All 4 sessions really are awesome and important.  One thing that I have found to be super helpful and meaningful for conference or whatever meeting of the the church is to take questions.  Pray about them beforehand and then take notes during conference.  I promise your questions will get answered in one way or another because mine always have.  I learned that principle from Bro. Whiting my Freshman year in Seminary.  There are a lot of things I take from all my Seminary teachers and apply them here in the mission field.  Really Seminary is the best thing ever!  But back to conference questions.  ¿Lo Horá?  Will you take questions to conference?  I sure hope so!

Easter was yesterday.  HAPPY EASTER!!!  Here in Peru, it was just another day.  No one talked about it at church yesterday.  A bunch of people were out and about as usual.  It actually made me kinda of sad.  But, don’t worry!  I celebrated!  I was reading Jesus the Christ about the resurrection and Mary Magdalene.  I put myself in her place.  To be sorrowed by the loss of her Lord.  She went to better anoint His body of the burial.  When she showed up, the tomb was empty.  How distraught and worried she was.  She ran!  She bolted to the Apostles to tell them, and then returned herself to the tomb.  She was so grieved with the loss of His body that she just started crying.  When the “gardner” asked her why she was weeping, she was prepared to take the body of Christ herself and find another place for Him.  I love that what snapped her out of it was the Savior saying her name. “Mary”.  With the tender love and affection that it had been said before He died.  What joy she must of felt!  She went in for the hug but was stopped.  She probably had so many emotions going through her mind and heart at this time.  How would you feel to be overcome with sorrow only to turn around to the resurrected Lord.  Your Savior and Redeemer.  Standing there in front of you.  His hands extended so you could see the marks in His palms.  Just wow.  My heart couldn’t and CAN’T contain the joy, the relief, the gratitude!  HE LIVES!!!  My favorite words in the Bible, “He is not here, for HE IS RISEN!”  HE IS RISEN!  I know it!  And because He is risen, we too can rise.  OUR family is forever!  ALELUYU!!!  ALELUYA is the Easter video from the church this year.  I loved sharing it with people.  ALELUYA!  Ėl encontrado una vida nueva.  Solo es por medio de Jesucristo.  Si que Ėl vive.  Se que Ėl está aquí para ayudamos si permitimos.  Se que por medio de Ėl, y su expiacion podemos llegar a seu limpios de los pecados que tengamos y las no son tan buenas.  Ėl es mi Redentor.  Se que esta es su iglesia verdadera.  Siguelo y encrentra una vida nueva!!!  

[Here the general idea and translation - her handwriting was a little hard to read in Spanish - He found a new life.  It is only through Jesus Christ.  I know He lives.  I know that He is here to help us if we let them. I know that through Him, and His atonement, we can be clean from our sins that we have when we are not good.  He is my Redeemer.  I know this is the true church.  Follow Him and find new life!!!]   

Les Amo!!!

Hermana Elise Joyner

HE IS RISEN!!!! (Mar 21, 2016)

Family History Sisters from El Salvador and Ica

Easter is this week and General Conference is the next! IM SOOOO EXCITED!!!!! What are you doing to prepare????

MADDIE IS COMING TO PERU!!!!! YASSSSSS!!!!!! Peru is just something special! SHE'S GONNA LOVE IT!!!

I also don't have a lot of time, so I will paste my Pres letter and then explain more about Hermana Esperanza next week when I write out a letter (she is a hoot and a half!). 

"This week's miracle comes from a reference from a member. We went to visit an active family and share the Aleluya video. When we asked for references, the brother, Hermano Guzman, gave us a reference of one of his friends from the local market, Hermana Esperanza. She is an older lady who lives alone and has a lot of questions about religion. We went to contact her immediately and set up an appointment. There was a special spirit when we were teaching her as we testified that God is our Father. We invited her to come to stake conference and her answer was "well why not?! when will you pick me up?" She was so excited to come with us and was ready waiting at the door of her house when we went. She felt a feeling of family in the Stake Center. She said she couldn't hear many things because the volume wasn't that loud, but her response was, "when we come next time, we have to sit right up front!" She is already planning for church next week! This is a miracle to me. That we found a receptive investigator who came to church. We haven't had much success with investigators in the capilla [chapel] lately, but Hermana Esperanza came!" 

PONDERIZE!!!!!! Oh wait. There is no scripture this week... Next week???

I was gonna tell you something else, but I literally cannot remember for the life of me... oh well, I will write it next week. Hopefully something crazy will happen so that I can liven up my emails a little more. Sorry!

LOVE LOVE LOVE,

Hermana Elise Joyner

After an exhausting day!

Matrimonio de los Gatos (Mar 14, 2016)

Well, this week I hit 9 months!  CRAZY!  I feel like I just left, but I've met so many amazing people and had so many wonderful experiences.  I've had my eyes opened to so many blessings that I have in my own life and how our Heavenly Father loves ALL His children.  I can't imagine how my life would be without coming to Peru.  And I can't wait to see what these next 9 months hold! AHHH!!!

So you probably want and explanation of the subject line....wait!  I wanna tell you about the Walker family before I jump into that.  The Walkers.  They are pretty much my favorite family!  I even named them myself.  Outside our house, there is a little parquecito [small park], like all the other homes in Chorrillos.  Anyway, every morning there is a family that leaves to go walk around this park.  They wear the same clothes, walk in a line in the same order every day, and always have the same objects.  Pam (the daughter) is always in front with her yoga pants, purple jacket, and a giant cup with a straw in it.  Right behind her is her mom, Judith.  Judith is a little shorter and stouter.  She always has this fuzzy brown jacket and a giant PVC pipe.  Following here is her son.  Wilson Walker.  He has a rocking sweat suit.  Gray with blue stripes.  He is all about the posture, always with his shoulders and head held high.  I think he glued his hands in his pockets because he never takes them out.  Bringing up the rear is our dad, Bob.  He always wears the same gray jacket, zipped up all the way, and these black shorts with the most rockin tennis shoes.  He has a hat and walks with his head down and his hands held behind his back.  And there you have it!  The Walkers!!!  How punny and I?!  It makes laugh every morning when we see them.  One day I'm gonna talk to them and covert them!!!

Back to the "Matrimonio del los Gatos" [marriage of the cats].  First, I'll explain what that means and then why it's the theme of this past week.  There are these things called mototaxis (Google it) and sometimes they will put giant megaphones on top of them and drive around playing advertisement on a loop.  There was like a week or two in San Juan where a moto drove around announcing "Matrimonio de los gatos! Come see the matrimonio de los gatos! Parque Rojo! Matrimonio de los gatos!"  It would go all day, especially during personal study.  I wanted to throw a watermelon.  It drove me crazy!  Anyway, this week reminded me of that.  Everywhere we went it was like MARRIAGE!  We got to watch the first hour of the YSA Face-to-Face with Elder Holland this past Tuesday.  Basically, they talked about marriage.  It was cute but also kinda weird to listen to because it was like "I'm a missionary".  It was good though!  Dayne, you should watch it if you haven't already.  And then this Thursday, all the Zones here in Lima (and with a few other missions) went to a meeting with Elder Lynn G. Robbins from the Presidency of the Seventy.  And what did he say?  "Elders y Hermanas, ustedes estan en la clase pre-matrimonio 501!"  [You are in the class pre-marriage 501]  It was pretty legit!  He spoke really good Spanish.  He talked about how we need to study the attributes of Christ in order to be ready for marriage.  And then he was like, "Don't wait too long after your mission."  I was just sitting there like "what is this?"  It was a great meeting but a little weird as well.  And for that, my subject line is "matrimonio de los gatos!"  AHHHH!!!

Ponderize!  Alma 37:38-44

These verses talk about the Liahona and how it guided Lehi and his family, how it showed them the way in the desert.  It worked according to their faith and diligence.  It helped them find their way to daily miracles in their journey.  In verse 41, it says that these miracles came when the family did the little things, when they remembered the Lord, prayed, went to church, read their scriptures, had faith, were diligent, etc.  But when they didn't do this, they couldn't progress, both as a family on their trip and individually.  But I love verse 44!  How easy is it to pay attention to the word of God!  Which leads us to a direct course of eternal happiness!  Shows us the way to the promised land!  Si tan solo prestamos atencion!  If we only pay attention!  If we do the small and simple things, we get a straight shot to Eternal Life with our families!  Tan facil es!  How easy it is!  We just gotta do it.  We just gotta start today.  Pick one thing that maybe you aren't doing or maybe aren't doing diligently.  Pick it, pray, and promise to Heavenly Father to do it.  I promise He will help!  I've seen it in my own life and in the life of those we teach.  Gosh!  The Book of Mormon is so neat!

Well, that's all I got for right now.  I'll probably think of more things I wanted to say 20 minutes after I finish interneting.  It always happens.  But for now, that's it!

I hope you have an AWESOME week!

Love Love Love,
Hermana Elise Joyner

P.S. Happy Birthday Papa!!!

Spanish

English

Another Monday! (Mar 7, 2016)

Another Monday! Gosh, time is flying by! And lots of crazy news to open in my email! Mostly coming from Dayne. Glasses, Canada, what's next! Hahahahaha, I'm glad you all are finding new adventures. 

This past week was busy but not. We had to lead a workshop about family history in our leaders council this week and then do it again for our zone. As far as our lessons and area, we've been walking a lot. A lot of our appointments have been falling through and so it's just been one of those weeks. Every time this happens, I make myself and Hermana Giler say one thing that we are grateful for and one miracle that we had that day. Can I just tell you how much it lifts your spirit when you focus on gratitude rather than complaining and pitying yourself? Really, the grace and miracles of God are all around us if we just look. 

We got some good stuff coming up! Tomorrow, we get to participate in the Face-to-Face with Elder Holland (if we bring someone that we teach with us). Thursday, the Zones here in Lima will have a conference with Elder  Robbins from the Presidency of the 70. And then GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!!! And then we are going to have another training by an Area 70 within the first couple weeks of April. I'M PUMPED!!! Good stuff is happening!

Ponderize! I don't have time to write out paragraphs, but I really liked the scripture this week.

This week: Alma 37:38-44 (I don't remember if i have used this one or not).

That's all I got time for, but I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE,

Hermana Elise Joyner

LEAP DAY!! (Feb 29, 2016)

Family dearest!  Happy Monday!  The first week of our super cambia [transfer] has already flown by and tomorrow is March!  HAPPY LEAP DAY!!! I asked Hermana Giler about Leap Day in South America or even what you call it in Spanish and she said it’s not a thing.  Oh well!  Another very important holiday here in the mish.

So, I’m sorry but I don’t have any fun stories for you this week.  We basically walked all week because our citas [lessons] fell through like everyday.  But that’s OK! That’s when God builds your faith and fills your agenda for the next week!

So, this week I printed out and read a talk that President Nelson gave as a devotional at BYU-Hawaii recently.  It’s pretty legit!  I suggest reading it or watching it (especially Dayne).  It talks about us here on earth at this time and is geared more toward us at the “Millennials” (I think that’s how you spell it. You’ll have to forgive my English).  I love the part that talks about our potential.  He says that if we could see even a small bit of our potential of the plan that God has for us, we would never be the same.  And then President Nelson goes on to say how we can pray for that understanding and glimpse of our divine potential.  How neat is that!  Our Father has so much in store for us.  We just have to let Him work and mold us.  

PONDERIZE!  Ether 12:6 “And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.”

I love the part that says, “dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.”  I use this scripture a lot, together with Alma 32:27 to talk about how you have to act and the Lord will help.  A lot of times, we have to show our faith by taking a few steps into the unknown.  BUT, if we do so and if we act on even a desire to believe, our Heavenly Father will help us out and show us the way.  FAITH!  YEAH!  

I kinda don’t know what else to say.  Sorry, this letter is kinda short.  Maybe I’ll have a crazy experience this week that I’ll be able to share next week.

Well, I LOVE YOU!  HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!

Hermana Elise Joyner

P.S. Happy Birthday Melon!!

I'M ALIVE, I PROMISE! (Feb 23, 2016)

So, sorry about the email system last week. I wrote a ton of emails to people too, and none of them got sent. Well, they said that they sent. Just, no one received them. 

Shout out to the Hobbs and the Whitings and the Young Women! Thank you guys so much!!! I will definitely be using everything you guys sent me! And that's super neat that Maddie went through the temple and is working on her papers! Maybe Peru Lima Sur could get another kid from Athens...

So transfers were yesterday! Hermana Giler and I are still together here in Las Villas! I'm super pumped! We work really well together and have fun. It's a good thing too, because this transfer will be 8 weeks long to accommodate the change in the MTC for missionaries speaking their own language. But, yeah, we are still moving the work forward here in Chorrillos. 

This past week, I went for a little trip to one of the areas in the Zona San Juan. I had an intercambio (exchange) with Hermana Stodtmeister for Family History. It was so weird to go back. Even though I wasnt in my same area, the look and feel of San Juan is the same all over. It definitely has a special place in my heart. This week, we were also super busy doing Skype trainings, taking people to the temple, and doing all the last minute things that needed to get done for Family History before the end of the transfer. Then, on Saturday and Sunday (and even a little bit yesterday), Hermana Giler was super sick so we had to stay in while she rested. It was the first time I have stayed in the house my entire mission. I just read a little bit and did some of the little things that I haven't had time to do. So, that was my week (don't worry mom, I'm happy and healthy)!

PONDERIZE! 

Proverbs 3: 5-6

5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

This was the first Old Testament Scripture Mastery that I memorized and I made up a little song to go with it so I still remember it and it pops in my head from time to time. I love this scripture! When we trust in the Lord with ALL of our heart, He will provide the way. I promise that His way is ALWAYS better than our's. Trust Him! He's got lots prepared for us if we TRUST Him! Also, verse 6 to me says that we need to be humble. We need to acknowledge that we can't do this alone. POR NADA! We need Him!

That's all the time I have today because I had to go back and resend a couple emails, but hopefully you receive this email.

LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!!!!!!

Hermana Elise Joyner

Farmers Tan on my Neck and Arms. Farmers Tan the Secret of my Charms! (Feb 15, 2016)

[Note from Elise's Dad - apparently the email servers were down last week, so we received this email a week late]

Well, I am sitting outside on the temple grounds, waiting for the recent converts and rescues who are inside the temple doing baptisms and confirmations.  There are clouds in the sky blocking the scorching sun and a really nice breeze going and I am just as content as can be here as a missionary in Peru Lima South.  I’ve been promising a letter and here it is!  I know I’m not great at this whole writing thing, but there is never enough time to write everything that I want to write.  I’m always filling out forms or planning for something or other.  But this week, I’m sending something of substance.

So a couple of weeks ago, we participated in the world wide missionary training.  The missionary department reminded us of our purpose as a missionary - preach repentance and baptize converts.  It was an awesome reminder of what I’m really here in Peru to do - invite others to come unto Christ by helping them follow His doctrine.  President McGinn has been helping us re-focus on this as well.  We’ve had several trainings and meetings with him in this past transfer where he has helped us learn something new about the doctrine (like what I wrote about repentance last week. I really did love that new point of view!).  I’ve been trying to focus more recently on how I can teach this doctrine body, clearly, and directly.  As missionaries, we shouldn’t be timid to invite people to do hard things.  These hard things are what are going to help them change their hearts to come more unto the Lord.  It’s what we are called to do!  So I say, “Arrepentíos!”  Being a missionary is great!  Doctrine is great!

A couple of weeks ago, I promised details about the baptism we had. Foreknowledge –Hermana Patricia has like bronchitis or something with the couple of other things. I don't know. So, we had been planning and preparing everything for like two weeks. We got everything ready– time and date, hot water, clothes, program, special musical number, people to come, etc. The most important part was the hot water. She needed it for her health and reminded us like five times a day. We had been told that it was all good and they had checked it and everything was fine and ready. Day of baptism comes. We show up to the church at 6 PM for the baptism at 7 PM. We get there and they tell us the hot water is broken and that an electrician is coming to fix it. He shows up at 6:20 and all the rooms he needs to access to fix it are locked. So, the solution the brethren came up with was to jump through the TINY window above the door and unlock it. So they stack chairs on chairs on the table podium thing and I thought there were going to fall and die.

Climbing Through the Window

They got it open and got to work. We had to push the baptism back to 7:30 so we could get hot water. Unfortunately, it didn't work that well. The water was still pretty cold, just not as cold as before. As for the clothes, our ward mission leader brought two dresses. They were both way too small for her, so we had to run around and try to figure out a solution to this little setback. After 30 minutes of looking for an alternative, Hermana Patricia finally told us that she had a white jacket in her bag that she could put over the dress that fit better.  So while we were working on the water and the clothes, our ward mission leader (he was called a month ago so it’s his first baptism) was trying to make a program on the computer.  So, 7:45 rolls around and we finally get the water (ish), the clothes, and the program.  What we lacked was the people.  The Bishop showed up at 7:30 and that’s about it.  We were calling all the members we knew like crazy.  We had like 7 more people show up.  But the brother who was going to baptize her was not one of those 7.  So last minute, the 19 year old Ward Secretary jumped up to the plate and helped us out.  As for the special musical number, the Relief Society was gonna sing a special hymn, but none of them showed up.  SO, Hermana Joyner and the 3 other missionaries sang a little impromptu Primary song.  We finally started at like 8:10 PM.  Oh adventures in the mission!  It was good though.  She got baptized despite the temperature of the water.  It was actually kinda funny because the kid who baptized her almost dropped her and they were both struggling to get up  The most important thing is that she made the covenant with God and is happy.  

Fun fact: Did I ever tell you that the Tapia Family from San Juan have a son here?  Well they do.

We’ve been staying super busy with Family History.  We have had a lot of appointments from people all over the Zone.  It’s awesome!  I love how excited they get when they enter the information into the computer and the green temple pops up and they can see that they have names to take to the temple.  It’s awesome!  I love being in this mission because we have such a unique focus on helping people get to the temple with their own names almost immediately after baptism or being rescued.  As Sister Leaders, we’ve been doing trainings via Skype.  It’s pretty legit.  Technology is connecting us! Yeah, Family History is the bomb.com and you should do it.

So mom was asking about our pensionista.  We started with one at the beginning of the transfer and then we changed a few weeks ago.  Her name is Hermana Carmen.  She cooks so healthily and I love it!  Her husband is less active and her son just filled out his mission papers.  She’s great and they treat us like their kids.  It’s super cute.  

Here in Las Villas, we have been working a lot with people who have problems  A lot of 20-year old single moms, people with depression problems, people who lost their job, people who have grown up in really hard circumstances.  I’ve really been able to see the peace and healing that the Gospel and the Atonement brings to us when we embrace it in our lives.  It also has made me reflect on my own circumstances.  I am so grateful for my family!  For my parents who have raised me in the Gospel and taught me the correct principles and how to depend on the Lord.  And to have all my siblings firm in the Gospel is a blessing as well.  It makes me think of Alma 17:2.  Next September (2017), we will have the moment that the sons of Mosiah had.  We will rejoice that we are still going in the way of the Lord.  And my grandparents who are such a great example to me of love and dedication to God and our family.  It I can become at least a small part of what the 4 of you are, I’ll be doing alright.  And my Aunts and Uncles and cousins and adopted family members who I put in there too.  I’m just super blessed!

Well, that’s all I have time to write, but I hope this makes up for at least a little for the other weeks. :)

Thanks for always writing me.  It makes me super happy to see your names in my inbox every week.  Thanks for your love and support.

I LOVE YOU!!!

Hermane Elise Joyner