Training!! (July 20, 2015)

Hey Family!

Thanks for another great email! It was so fun to hear all about your week. Thanks for the pictures as well. It was fun to see Emma with her cheer squad, the house, and its crazy that Miles is already home. I am going to complete 6 months in the mission soon and I can't believe it!

Ok about my companion.... I am training!!! Before this transfer a lot of people teased me that I was going to train but I didn't believe it because I only have 5 months. But, when we got to transfers on Tuesday I knew I was going to train before President told me. I just had the feeling. Hna Beatty is also training, and the Latina sister in my group is also training. There are only 3 hermanas in my group and the three of us are training. It's honestly crazy because we have very little time. Hna Guzman is also training.. again. However, this time she is training a Latina so it will be a little easier than training me :) 

So my "daughter" is Hna Ricconi. She is from Argentina. She is 19 years old and just the cutest. The truth is, she already knows a ton. She worked a lot with the missionaries in her home ward, so she has a little bit of an idea of how the mission works. She also loves to dance! She was studying dance before she came on the mission. We are really similar so it has been a really fun week. I just hope I can train her and that I know enough to help her progress. It is scary now because I am in charge of my area. I've always been the younger companion, but now it's up to me to report everything with the elders, make sure we have investigators, and find solutions to everything. Pres Erickson has a lot of faith in me, maybe more than I have in myself. We had a training Friday with the President and all the new missionaries. It was fun because I got to talk with Hna Guzman for a while. I realize now how blessed I was to have her as a trainer. She is a wonderful missionary. It seems like yesterday I was at that exact same training with her. I honestly believe that because of the wonderful training she gave me I am able to be training now. It's crazy that I'm still in my first area and already teaching someone else. Even though my Spanish still isn't great, my goal is to be completely obedient so that Heavenly Father can help my touch the hearts of our investigators though the language of the Spirit. I KNOW this is going to be a transfer where I learn a lot, as well as Hna Ricconi. Spencer, I know you trained Elder Gibby. Any advice on training? 

So for this Saturday... we have 6 baptisms! It's honestly amazing. F and A (the family) and their two sons will be baptized. There are also two youth, C and E who will also be baptized. F is the man that fell last week and hurt his head. He is doing so much better, and after an interview with the Zone leaders on Friday, their family of 4 can be baptized. Each time we meet with A, I am reminded why I am on the mission. She has truly become converted to the church through the Book of Mormon. She tells us each time we meet what she has read, and how she knows this book is true. My testimony of the Book of Mormon has grown so much in these 5 months that I have. I wish I would have studied it more before I left for the mission. Make sure that you guys are reading every day!!! 

I am learning a lot to rely on my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know this transfer I will have to trust him more than I ever have. Because I am still new in the mission myself, my goal is to be obedient so that I can be worthy to receive the help of the Spirit in every lesson. If not, this transfer will almost be impossible. But I know that the Savior knows what we can handle, and President Erickson as well. I am just going to remember all that Hna Guzman taught me because I look up to her a ton. 

Next week is the " week of Peru" so each house has the Peru flag out front and its so fun to see everyone celebrate their country. Hna Carmen (the mom of Gypsy) already planned lunch for us one day next week to be able to try all the traditional food of Peru. I really love this country. The people are so loving. Hna Ricconi told me she was shocked that people on the street actually listen to us. I guess that is not something that happens in Argentina. But I have grown to love contacting people because everyone has a different story to tell. There are some really hard days in the mission, but when I remember why I am here, I can't help but be happy. 

Sorry this letter is a whole bunch of random thoughts, but its kinda been a crazy week. Please pray for our 6 potential baptisms this week, and as well for me :) haha I love you all so much! Thanks for your constant example and love. I am so blessed to have a family that supports me in all I do. 

Much Love!

Hna Vernon 

 

With a few sisters in the mission. Two of them are my sister trainer leaders and one is a sister in my zone. 

Hna Guzman and Beatty. It was so fun to reconnect with them during cambios 

Last photo with Hna Torrico 

This is my new companion. I am her trainer! Her name is Hna Ricconi and she is from Argentina. Pres Erickson photobombed this picture... 

Gypsy left this week. Her mission is the mission of Hna Ricconi! They were able to meet each other and Hna Ricconi sent a few things with Gypsy to give her family 

 

The Power of the Holy Ghost (July 13, 2015)

family!
First, I am so glad you got the package! Kayla was so sweet to take it for me. I'm so glad everything made it safe and I hope you like your gifts. I will work on sending another package soon. It was so fun to have the efy group here and it was a tender mercy to be able to send the package with her.

So this was my last week with Hna Torrico. It was a crazy week. The good thing is, we worked really hard. We had another baptism this week! It was the baptism of T.  She is 14 years old. It was a beautiful baptism with a lot of support from the ward. The ward of Independencia never lets me down. They are always there when we need them. We are also working with the sister of T and she will be baptized the 25th of this month. The next step is to get her parents in the font as well! 

Because Hna Torrico leaves tomorrow she had a ton of meetings in the mission offices during the day. So once again Gipsy was my companion. I feel like I am losing two companions this week. She is so prepared though. She teaches me so much when we are together. Her testimony is so strong. She is really nervous to leave her family, but I told her that is normal. However, the Lord will help her family and protect them. 

So last night was a real test not only for my Spanish, but for how well I can react in scary situations. We were visiting T so that Hna Torrico could say goodbye, and our investigator A knocked on the door. She was crying really hard and said that her husband F had fallen and was bleeding very bad. We ran with her to where her husband was to help her. When we found him he was with his two kids and a lot of the neighbors had gathered around. Someone had already called the ambulance and they were arriving to help. However, A and F are very poor and don't have money to go to the hospital. So they bandaged up his head and left. While Hna Torrico was talking to the doctors I was busy trying to call the bishop. The bishop told me he was going to send someone to give F a blessing. Luckily, one of our converts, A, lives very close to A and F. He pulled up in a taxi right at this moment. I explained to him what had happened and he invited F and A and their two kids to stay in his house for a bit and have something to eat. It was such a blessing to have A show up because we didn't have any food to give them and it was really cold. We waited there in the house with them until two other members came to give him a blessing. I am so thankful for the priesthood power. 

So I should explain a little more about A and F. (I think I did a little last week as well). For their job they watch over the cars in their area. They have a home, but it is really high up on the hill and they don't have much there. So they are always out on the street with their kids. We didn't know it before, but they usually don't have food to eat. F has had problems in the past with drinking and recently has been trying to stop. For this his body has been really week. Between trying to overcome this addiction, and not eating, this is when he fainted and hit his head. We went to visit him again this morning and he was doing ok. His face is super swollen and his head is wrapped, but we gave them breakfast and he is going to be alright. I am thankful for the Holy Ghost and the guidance it gave us last night during this experience. Also, I know the Holy Ghost guided A as well. She didn't know where we were, but she had a feeling we were with T. She is a woman of a lot of faith. She is so humble and I feel very blessed to know her. She, her husband, and her two kids will be baptized the 25th of this month as well. 

I don't have a ton of time to write anything else, because I have to go with Hna Torrico to the offices again today. But I will have a big letter next week letting you know all about my new companion. The truth is the transfer has been hard, but I have learned a lot of important lessons. I'm excited to see what this next transfer will bring. 

I loved all the pictures this week! It looks like you guys are having a fun summer. Dad, I liked the story about Grant Taylor. This is a lesson I am learning as well. I love you all so much and miss you like crazy. However, I am also very happy to be here and to be a missionary. The work is hard, but so rewarding. 

Hna Vernon 

 

T's baptism

Hermana Vernon and Hermana Torrico

Investigators F and A

 

Pure Love of Christ (July 6, 2015)

Hello family!
What was a great email. It sounds like you guys had a very full week. I hope the 4th of July was fun! Here in Peru it was just another day. However, I did sing the Star Spangled Banner to myself haha.

So for the past two weeks a group of kids from the US have been here in the ward. They are here as an EFY group. Its been really fun because they have attended church here in the ward and have had the chance to get to know the members. They have also done Noche de Hogar with us Monday nights in the members homes. I have had to translate a little as well so that has been a real test to my Spanish. But it's been fun. There is a girl here with the EFY group that is the cousin of Caleb Clark. It was fun to make a connection with someone back home. SO I sent a few things with one of the girls from EFY to give to you guys. She is going to have her family stop by when they are driving home from the airport and give to you. I wrote down your telephone numbers and I believe she will be calling you the end of this week. The kids go home Thursday just so you know. 

I learned a very big lesson this week about the love of Christ. Here in our area there is one hill that is a little more dangerous. We never go there at night just to be cautious. There is a man that is ALWAYS outside when we pass and always greets us. I will be honest I was never very friendly with him because he scared me a little. However, this past week Hna Torrico stopped to talk with them. His name is F and his wifes name is A. They have 4 kids. For his job, he stays outside and watches the cars for people who live in this area. (Its like a big cul de sac with hills). Because of this he is always outside with his wife. They are very humble people. We began to teach them about the importance of prayer and F began to cry. He has dealt with problems with drugs, drinking, and much more. However, he told us he has always felt the love of our Heavenly Father. His wife is wonderful as well. She told us she has listened to a lot of people talk about God, but no one explains it like us. After the lesson they told us they wanted to go to church with us on Sunday. 

Sunday was a crazy day. Hna Torrico had permission this day to visit one of her old areas. So Gipsi once again was my companion. Hna Torrico left at 5 in the morning. Gipsi was so sweet to sacrifice her Sunday (very early). Every Sunday before church, we pick up our investigators to help them attend. There were a ton of people to pick up yesterday! We picked up three young women, F, A, and their two young boys. They all live in the same area so it wasn't too much of a hassle, but I felt like a mother hen as they all followed me to the chapel. Once we got there, there were three more young men that we are teaching who had come with their friend. 10 investigators! I was really nervous at first because Hna Torrico was gone and I had to help all of them find their classes and feel comfortable. But even though I was a little nervous, I was so happy. My testimony of church attendance grows each Sunday. The ward really took in all the investigators and it was beautiful to see them feel welcome. The bishop told me ¨Hna Vernon, Dios esta feliz con su trabajo¨. It was beautiful to see the fruits of the work that Hna Torrico and I had done this week. Hna Torrico got back around 5 pm Sunday and we continued working hard until the end of the day. 

So we are teaching a girl named T. She is 14 years old. She has a date to be baptized this week. After the first lesson we had with her a few weeks back, she asked us when she could be baptized. haha I love this response. She has felt the truth of the gospel and wants to be baptized. It's not because it's something her parents want, or something her friends are doing. Its because she KNOWS the importance of this convenant with God. 

Thank you for the package! I love my scarfs and sweater. Haha I feel a little more like me again. Also thanks for the snacks. Gipsi had never tried peanut butter so that was really fun. She went through the temple on Friday! I am going to miss her a ton. She will be my companion again on Friday when Hna Torrico has a training for all the missionaries that are leaving. 

We also did splits this week with the Sister Trainer Leaders. I went with Hna Toscano to her area. She was Hna Beattys first companion. She is a wonderful missionary. I learned a lot with her. I am so thankful for the leaders that president Erickson gives us to help us grow as missionaries. It was also fun to be in a different area for a day. It made me realize how wonderful Independencia is. I love the people here so much. I'm thankful that I know I will be here for one more transfer at least when Hna Torrico leaves. Independencia is super close to the mission office. It's a very strong stake as well. The people are very humble, but because of this I think they are a little more willing to listen. 

The spanish is coming. Its still nowhere near fluent, but I am studying each day and talking a lot. I know with time and hard work I will continue to improve. 

I love you all so much! I hope you are able to get the few things I sent you. Thanks for updating me on Shawna. I will keep her in my prayers for sure. 

There are really hard days in the mission, but there are always beautiful days as well. I am very thankful to be in the service of our Heavenly Father. 

Hna Vernon

Lunch with the Stake President

 

June 1, 2015

Hello family! 
So it feels like forever since I have been able to write you guys. Also the internet wasn't working this morning so I am writing you now. We already know about transfers. Hermana Guzman has a transfer which means I will be getting a new companion in the morning. AHH my mom is leaving me! I am honestly really scared but also excited for a new adventure. I have learned so much these three months with Hna Guzman and I know her next companion will be very blessed. 

SO a lot has happened in a short amount of time. First, S was baptized! Her baptism was very beautiful. She was the only person that came from her family. But the ward here is very supportive and it was wonderful to have them here to support her. We were worried no one would show up besides us and the elders at her baptism, but we were wrong. The ward truly has become her family and I was so happy to have them help her make this covenant with the Lord. 

So the past p day we had mundial. This is why I wrote you on Saturday. The whole mission got together and we played soccer. I got to see Hna Beatty which was sooo great. It's like seeing someone from my family when I get to see her. She is doing very well and her companion finishes her mission this transfer so she is also getting a new companion. It was super fun to be able to talk in Spanish with her. We haven't seen each other in weeks and being able to see each other really showed our progress in Spanish. The spanish is coming. At this point I can practically understand everything. Talking is getting better too. I have a lot more confidence and finding myself actually wanting to talk haha 

This week we also had the marriage of J and N. They were super nervous and a few days before we thought they might not go through with it. But thanks to the support of the ward once again, they were married Saturday morning! It was a beautiful reception at the mission office and 15 couples were married. They will be baptized this month and right now they are kind of our main focus here in the area. They have a hard time being on time to things (like all of Peru has this problem actually) so getting them to church is a little hard, but we pick them up at their house every Sunday morning and help them. It is so important that investigators can attend church. This is where they have the chance to meet members, learn more, and most importantly partake of the Santa Cena (sacrament) and feel the spirit. My testimony of the importance of church attendance has grown a lot. 

This week was also a big week for the ward of Independencia. Two of the youth received their mission calls. One of them is Gipsi who is pretty much my best friend in the ward here. She is always doing splits with us. She is going to Argentina and the other youth is going to Mexico. Also cool story-one of Hna Guzmans recent converts just got called to be the Young Mens president. He has only been a member for about 5 months. 

Overall I am doing very well and the work here in Independencia is progressing. I have a lot of fear for this next week, but I know if I am obedient and continue working very hard I will see success with my new companion. This next group is huge so the president has said that we have to work harder and be an example for them. 

I loved the videos this week and the email. Sorry the email is a little shorter this week, but I am sending a lot of pictures. 

I love you all so much!

Hna Vernon 

Elder Johnson. He went to AF with me and we graduated together. Little weird to see someone from my life before the mission here in Peru 

Hna Beatty 

Gipsi received her mission call! here we are with the other hermanas and the family of Gipsi. 

Jean Pierre, Narya, and Jose Maria 

INDEPENDENCIA 

Mundial with Hna Guzman 

Samanthas baptism 

May 23, 2015. Early Email

Hello family!

So I know it's Saturday and I'm writing, but it's because this Monday we have something called Mundial. It's when the whole misión gets together and we play soccer. Mostly it's just an excuse to get to see everyone. But due to this, we have to write today. We didn't know until after last P day so don't stress about me not receiving a letter this week.

Anyway, it's been a big week here in Independencia! First off, right after we finish writing we are going to S's baptism. Yes she is getting baptized! We spent a lot of time with her this week and we ended up talking to one of her sisters. Her sister has given her permission to be baptized. Her mom also found out. Her mom doesn't support her, but she is letting her get baptized. S has some great friends in the Ward and I know that is going to help her stay involved after her baptism. If it weren't for this, we would probably have decided to wait a bit longer for her baptism. But anyway, yeah, she is getting baptized today and she is so excited! Our District Leader, Elder Nelson is going to baptize her and don't worry I will send pictures next week :)

This week I have been fighting a terrible cold. Luckily now I am feeling better. That has made it hard to stay super motivated this week because I have had like zero energy. But I found some cold medicine that has really helped. Everyone is getting sick right now because the weather is changing. Some days it's super hot, and other days it's cold. Hna Guzmán has been like my mom making sure I am taking my medicine and keeping warm so my cold doesn't get worse. So don't stress mom. I've got a mom from Bolivia watching over me right now :)

So this week was a hard week, but a good week. All of my leaders here (district leaders, sister trainer leaders, and hna Guzman) have been pushing me every week to contact more people. haha I don't really like contacting, but we have to contact 100 people per week. Hna Guzmán and I have been a little short of the goal the past few weeks. Due to this, my leaders have been giving me goals each day. When Hna Guzmán and I had our companionship invetory this week we talked about ways that I could overcome my fear. We decided that she isn't going to contact at all, and I have to contact our 100 people for my last week of training. We also have been searching for more opportunities to do splits so that I can have more opportunities to teach without her. I will admit this week has been super hard, but it has also been such a good learning experience. I am learning to rely less on Hna Guzmán and feel like I can really contribute. She has also been having me answer all the calls from the district leader. So overall I have been doing a lot more. We are trying to prepare me so when we have transfers, I can really feel like I know what I am doing.

 So we are working with a less active in our área to try to help her get married. She was super active in the church all growing up and then ended up having a child with a man that isn't a member. They have two kids now and she still comes to church quite often. But her husband doesn't want to listen and wont allow for her kids to be baptized. However, she knows that she is breaking one of the commandments not being married to her spouse. She is scared to talk to him about marriage because she knows it's something he doesn't want to do. We have tried to talked to him, but he doesn't listen. So we decided to bring the elders with us this week for a little more priesthood power :) Elder Nelson taught a really good lesson on chastity and we could tell her husband is starting to understand that marriage is something his wife really wants to do. It was really cool to see the spirit work through Elder Nelson and through us to know how to talk to her husband.

I don't have a ton of time to write today due to the baptism. but all is well. I love you guys! Thanks for the quick emails. Hopefully next week my emailing time will be a Little more nomal :)

Hna Vernon

Letter from May 18th, 2015. I ate guinea pig this week.

Hey family! 

So this week was a crazy week. First off, the email is a little late because this morning we took a little trip to Lima Central. I don't remember if I told you, but right now we are working with a family and trying to help them get married and baptized. Their names are J and N. They have a little two year old boy named J who is just the cutest. We contacted about a month back and have been teaching them. They are super hard to get visits because they are busy, but we have been persistent. We visited them last night with our zone leaders to try to encourage them to get married. They have been thinking about it for quite some time and finally agreed to get married. The mission is holding a marriage ceremony on the 29th of this month so we have to go today to write up all their papers and stuff in Lima Central. and guess what.. I'm going to be a witness for their wedding. Haha another thing I never thought I would do. But yeah everything went well this morning and they will be married on the 29th! They will be baptized a few weeks after. I love working with this familly. Hna Guzman and I have talked about how the Lord has been preparing them. They have also had a lot of trials since we have been meeting with them. J lost his job, but they Lord is providing a way so that they can keep His commandments. 

Ok now about S. So She wasn't baptized this week. And it's kind of a long story. Saturday morning she was supposed to be baptized, we passed by her house that morning to make sure she was ready and we find her older sister. She told us that S never returned the night before. We could tell her sister was super worried because S lost her cell phone a few days earlier and no one had heard from her since she left for a party the night before. We spent most the day searching for her. We finally found her at one of her friends house about 3 pm in the afternoon. Long story short-due to the fact that her mom and sister don't know she was going to be baptized, she was really scared and didn't go through with it. She told us she slept through her alarm but we believe that the real problem is she doesn't feel quite ready. Hna Guzman and I talked and we think this might be better, because we were both a little timid about this baptism due to her parents not knowing. So we are going to continue to visit S and hopefully with time we can understand what is best. This week was another reminder that the Lord knows what is best for each and every one of his children. S has a grand testimony, and I know with time she will be baptized. 

This week we had another training with Pres Erickson. I love every chance we get to learn from him. This week he talked about raising our voices (in a good way). We can't be afraid of our own voices. There are many scriptures in the Doctrine and Covenants that talk about sharing the gospel like a trumpet. So after his training, we did practices where president walked around and told us if we were teaching with a loud enough voice. Haha so I am learning how to speak up. President Erickson is very loud ( in a good way though). He is always yelling with love, as he calls it. But he said something very interesting. When we talk louder, when we talk with power, we feel the spirit more. Which is so true. I have been experiencing that this week and it has  made a very big difference. This is a funny story about Pres Erickson and his loud voice. He was doing a training in a different area at a chapel and was talking really loud. I guess the doors of the chapel were open and someone outside heard him speaking. Anyway, the man entered the chapel and stayed the rest of the day to hear the lessons of Pres Erickson. Now he is receiving the missionaries in his area. As missionaries we are sharing the restored gospel-the truth. We can't be afraid to speak with the voice of a trumpet.

So this week I caught the flu. Yay. It's because the weather here is constantly changing. But I'm pushing through and trying my best to take care of myself. Don't worry mom I am taking my vitamins. 

So this week if you guys could pray for N and J that would  be great. They are such a great young family with so much potential, and they really want to do what is right. 

Thank you for another great email. It was fun to get a little paragraph from Sarah. I will be honest, I'm jealous she gets to spend time with you guys, but tell her I say hello. Emma tell Haydn I'm excited for him! I love you guys a ton!

Im still eating a lot of chicken foot. Also I ate guinea pig this week. 

Con mucho amor

Hna Vernon 

Letter from May 11, 2015 "La Hermana de Marte"

Hey family!

It was so so fun to Skype and see you guys this week! I loved seeing all your faces. You all look happy and healthy. I'm sorry the connection wasnt great. But it was really the best we could find. Hna Guzman liked seeing you guys and meetig you. Mom whenever I show a picture of our family, the people always say that you are so young! So just so you know, you have still got it :) haha 

So you guys already know about S, but yeah she is getting baptized this Saturday! Its really hard to see her not have family support, but her testimony is so strong. We actually had a quick lesson with her this morning and she is so ready for baptism. 

Thanks for keeping me updated with what is going on with Grandma Fernie and the family. I'm glad grandma is doing well and I know she truly appreciates all the help she is receiving. 

This week on Thursday we had a special training with President Erickson. It was our zone and three others. President Erickson is very strict, but very loving as well. He talked about how all of our actions start in the mind. In order to be productive missionaries, we have to have a firm mind. If we are doing what we are supposed to, but our mind is back home, or not focused on the work, we are going to have a hard time really having the Spirit with us and the ability to help the people we are in contact with. I really liked this training and Im thankful for a President who can guide the mission. Hermana Erickson also talked with us. Haha she reminds me of a little librarian. But she talked about as a mission, we are a family. We have the responsibility to follow all the guidance and rules the president gives us. We read a lot of scriptures in 1 Nephi about how Nephi was always following the council of his father. This is part of the reason he became so strong in the gospel. As we heed to the guidance of President Erickson, we are going to see the fruits of our labors. After the training, they fed us hot dogs. haha all the gringos were happy, and the Latinos were a little upset. 

So when I was skyping you guys, I dont know if you guys could see, but there was another girl in the room. Her name is G, and she is a member in the ward. She just submitted her mission papers and she is probably one of my best friends here. Her brother was baptized the week before I got here, and we are working on getting her dad active in the church. He was baptized, but doesnt have a testimony. Also, he was a pastor in a different church. SO whenever we teach him he always has a ton of questions. However, Hna Guzman knows her Bible very well. He is now reading the Book of Mormon and is starting to accept the book. Its amazing to see the Spirit work through him. 

Well thats about all I have for this week because I was able to talk to you guys yesterday. But once again, it was sooo good to see you guys and I know I always say this, but thank you for the prayers and support.

Oh one more quick story. So Tuesday night we were at the church helping a family with their family history. They have a young daughter who is about 10. Anyway, I was talking to her, and she told me I talked funny. haha it really didn't bug me at all because I am very use to people commenting on my Spanish. But the funny part of this story is she then continued to tell me that I am "la Hermana de Marte". Which in English this means I am the sister from Mars.

 So "La Hermana de Marte" sends her love! 

This picture makes me laugh because Heather appears to be standing on the wrong side.

This looks better. She is standing with the other Hermanas haha. She said one of the members is a clown and came to their training and told several jokes.

Letter from May 4, 2015

Thanks for the email. Mom and dad I loved seeing the pictures. Looks like you guys are having a lot of fun. Mikey is also in Hawaii this week, so I got a lot of pictures from both of you :) 

OK so YES I GET TO TALK TO YOU GUYS THIS SUNDAY. Mom I already sent you an email about this, but yeah it will be sunday night I think around 7:30 my time. I might be able to call you this week as well to confirm. But no promises. I will have about 45 minutes to talk. I know its short, so lets try to get all the crying out BEFORE we make the call :) 

This week was another full week of adventures. Every cambio (so every 6 weeks) we have a day that we do visitas de trabjo with the sister trainer leaders. Pretty much its when we split up as companions to work with them for 24 hours. This time I stayed in my area and one of the sisters came to join me. I was super nervous to be in charge of my area without sister Guzman, but it was such a good experience for me. The sister trainer leader that I worked with is Sister Karratti. She is from St. George and reminds me a ton of Sarah Judd. (which I heard she is engaged and that is crazy). It was fun to have a north american companion for a day. Anyway, she gave me a lot of great tips and told me not to worry. For the time I have in the mission, she says I am doing just fine. It also made me realize that in 4 weeks, Im not going to be one of the "new missionaries anymore. There have been missionaries that have trained after their first 3 months. And the group coming in next is huge I guess. So Hermana Guzman has really been pushing me to prepare me for whatever will come next transfer. Sometimes its super frustrating cuz I just want to say in english "I dont know what Im doing!" But I simply open my mouth and try my absolute best. I dont know if people can understand me, but Im talking. haha 

This week we found a family! Which is awesome because we have had trouble with that lately.

They are a younger couple who has one kid. We taught them and they were very receptive to the gospel. They have to get married before they can be baptized, but they already had plans to be married. So we are trying to help them. So if you guys could pray for J and N, that would be great :) 

Overall, I am starting to adjust more and more each day. And I am gaining more confidence. Every Sunday night we do splits with members of the ward. So last night I went with Allison. She has her mission call and will be leaving in June. Anyway, like always, we did more contacting in the street. I felt an impression to talk with a mom that was sitting with her two kids. So we started talking and she called her husband over to listen. They were very interested that I was from the United States and had left my family to preach the gospel. Like you said in your email dad, as missionaries we really are set apart from the world. We have a light with us wherever we go. haha so I am trying to just keep smiling and praying that the Lord will guide my words. 

This sunday Hermano E got to bless the sacrament! That was so amazing because he has become a completely different person than who he was when I got here. His family is so much happier and whenver we visit them, we can see the difference the gospel is making in their lives. It was also fast sunday and a ton of the recent converts bore their testimony. Sometimes the simplest testimonies are the most powerful. I was sitting by one of the converts during church, Hermana Leslie, and she said someting really profound. She is 19 years old and speaks pretty good english, so she loves to practice it with me. Anyway, in her broken english she said something along the lines of "isn't it cool you can come to Peru and feel the same spirit as you felt in Utah?" and thats the absolute truth. I am in a country where EVERYTHING is different. However, the gopsel doesnt change. The gospel is the exact same all around the world. I have found so much comfort in this the past 2 months in the field. The Savior understands every language, and most importantly knows our hearts. 

I love you guys and love reading your email every week! Thank you for the pictures as well. 

The house looks great :) haha 

 

mucho amor

Hna Vernon 

Letter from April 27, 2015

Hey Hey familia! 
Thanks again for another great email and pictures! Emma you looked so pretty in your dress! I love your dress. That's a great color on you. It reminds me a lot of my senior prom dress :) I always LOVED school dances and I am glad you could go to prom. 

Ok so I know you all want to know! I am still with Hna Guzman. We have 5 more weeks together. Which I am very grateful for. She knows the area so well and the people here adore her. She is very good at focusing on people and not lessons. I am trying my best to learn from her so when she leaves I can do my best to carry on the work we are doing here in Independencia. We also have two new missionaries in our zone. One is an elder from South Jordan, and one from Colombia. The truth is, it was fun to see how much I have improved these past 6 weeks when talking to the new elder. It's hard to see progress when we are measuring it day by day, but I have realized that the Lord is truly with me every day as I work hard. 

Thank you for your prayers for S. We met with her mom this week. Haha Hna Guzman compared it to talking to the father of Lamoni. I couldn't understand all that was being said because her mom was talking super fast, but I could see the spirit working through Hna Guzman. S has permissionn from her dad to be baptized so the truth is she can be baptized. She just wants her mom to agree as well to the baptsm. When we left after talking to her, she had softened her heart a bit, but we are stil praying daily that she will accept the baptism. However, S passed her interview and has a date set for May. She has a very strong testimony. We also have a date set for another investigator named C. He is 18 years old. We are also having problems with his parents, but he is old enough to be baptized without permission. He is the boyfriend to one of the girls in the ward so he has a lot of support from her family. The truth is, there are a lot of youth who don't have the family support in the church. When they hear that all of my family is members, they are usually shocked. We are very blessed. 

Overall, I am adjusting really well. I will admit it has been so so hard. And there are still some days where I question what I am doing. But then we go to work and I feel the spirit so strongly that I cannot deny that I am in the service of the Lord. We did splits again this week. I went with a girl in the ward named S. She leaves in 2 days for her mission to Guatemala. She is super nervous and she asked me if I was nervous before I left. I told her, the truth is, I am still nervous cada dia.  Sometimes I feel like no one is listening to my words. But I remember the story in Mosiah about Abinadi. He stood as a witness of God, even when every one around him wanted to kill him for his beliefs. But because of his testimony, he was able to reach the heart of Alma. We dont always know who we are helping or how our testimony will help them. But if we dont share it, then there is no chance. I am trying to remember this when I have fear to talk or bear my testimony. 

The leader of our zone knew I have had a bit of trouble finding the courage to speak. So he has given me a challenge that I need to personally contact at least 8 people a day on the street. He told me he was going to check up with me at the end of the week. Well yesterday because one of our lessons fell through while we were doing divisions, Solmyra and I decided to go to the park and contact. We contacted over 20 people. She was super nervous so it was fun to do it together and help her. When I reported back to Elder Nelson that I had in fact reached my goal every day and even contacted 20 people that night, he was very pleased. He told me that the secret to being happy in the mission is fulfilling our goals. Its the truth. I am most happy when I am being completely obedient to the tasks I have been given. 

So even though the language has been hard, I havent had a problem enjoying the food. They serve us soo much here. Im scared I have gained a few pounds, but every time I tell the people I want to eat less, they say I need to enjoy the mission. Also its completely normal here to call someone fat. Its part of how they describe people. 

Its starting to get chilly here. The nights are colder. But the mission has provided us with blankets. I think today we are going to buy jackets. My watch that we bought me broke. So I only have the only that you guys gave me for Christmas. I love the watch, but I am worried to wear it on the streets sometimes. So I am going to buy another. We didn't have warm water at all this week. So I have been taking cold showers. ALSO they had to shut off the water one day.and of course it was right during my shower. Luckily we had buckets of water in the bathroom. So i ended up washing out my shampoo like I was a pioneer. Each day is filled with so many different adventures. 

I love you guys so much and thank you for your examples! Its so nice knowing I have my own little support system back home. All my love from Peru!

Hna Vernon 

Hermana Juhl. She was the only gringa besides me but she was transferred. I will miss her. 

Our Zone before transfers.

My new mission bag.

I can't always speak, but I can Love!

Hello family! Thank you for another great letter. Congrats Emma on making the cheer team! Ah I am so excited for you! I know you will be great and I'm proud of you for trying different things through high school. I loved being involved with the school. Hannah that's cool you got to be in Hope of America. I never got to do that and Im a little jealous :) Also I'm glad you are able to finally ride your electric scooter outside and not around the house anymore. Tell Starszy I say hello and make sure you are doing his tricks with him. I miss that crazy dog a lot. The dogs here aren't nearly as cute or well trained as him. Dad I'm sorry you were feeling sick, but it's good to hear you are doing better. Thank you for the little lesson in the email. I look forward to your words each week. You always know what I need to hear. 

OK so now about my week. This week was another week full of hard work and new adventures. I say adventures because each day I am doing something new or experiencing things that I never thought I would. 

Hermana Guzman is a hard worker. She loves to keep our schedule full. So this week we were pretty booked with lessons. Because of this we had to do divisions twice. I've done divisions before, but it has always been with other missionaries or members of the barrio who have a lot of experience. But this week was different. 

(OK back story) Remember me telling you guys that there was a girl on my instagram from my mission that left a comment like "we are waiting for you Hermana Vernon?" Well yeah I met her this week! Her name is Romina Bosa and she lives super close to my area. I was at the capilla (I think Wednesday night) and right as we were walking out she grabbed my should and said something like she couldn't believe I was already here. It took me a second to realize who she was, but it was really cool to meet her. She also speaks fluent English so that is really cool. Anyway she gave us her number and said she would love to do divisions with us. So we called her Friday and I did divisions with her while Hermana Guzman went with a girl in the ward. Romina is just the sweetest girl. She is 17 but acts like she is 20. She has done little missions so she has some experience. She and I are friends on facebook and she said she has been seeing the pictures that you are posting of me.  She said that you guys are very proud of me and she can tell we are very close as a family. haha I will admit I got teary eyed when she said that because I know it's true. I am so so blessed to have you guys. Mom you can add her on facebook. She said she would love to keep you updated with how I'm doing. 

Anyway, so I did divisions with Romina on Friday night. We had lessons planned, but practically no one was home. So I kinda had to make different plans. We ended up visiting a family that is less active and we had a really good lesson. i am gaining more confidence to talk (slowly, but its coming). Also, we contacted probably half of Independencia. The truth is…..I dont like contacting, but it's becoming much easier. 

Last night we did divisions as well. I went with a girl named Allison in el barrio. She has her mission call and will be leaving in Junio. We taught two lessons, and then went to the park to contact. She is really nervous to contact. haha I told her I completely understand how she feels. But we ended up teaching a woman in the park about the restauracion and I was amazed how much I could actually say. I have SO much to learn. But I can see myself improving. 

So we spent a lot of time with our recent converts this week. We had dinner with Ema and Jordan Saturday night. They complimented me on my Spanish and said they can really see an improvement. That made me feel really good :) Ema studied in Italy for 3 years and knows Italian. So she told me that she understands how I feel trying to learn a new language. This week I feel like I really started to bond with our converts and investigators. haha its probably because I am starting to understand them. But now the work is easier when I have love for the people I am teaching. That is what has been my goal. I can't always speak, but I can love. My patriarchal blessing talks about me being a person who has the love of Christ. I am really trying to work on this and I have felt the help of the Lord. 

Also the little kids in our barrio love me. Probably because I am gringo as gringo can be, haha but I've made friends with the primary. They are also easier to understand and like to help me try to roll my Rs. Which I still can't do, but it is coming. 

So right now we are teaching a girl named S. She is 15 years old. She really wants to be baptized, but her mom is hesitant to give her permission. So would you guys pray for S and that her mom may be touched by the Spirit to let her daughter be baptized?

We have cambios today but we dont find out until later. However, I have the feeling I have one more cambio with Hna Guzman. Our district Leader, Elder Segura goes home tomorrow so this morning we had breakfast with the missionary couple in our area and all the missionaries in our zone. We had pancakes and scrambled eggs and all us gringos were in heaven. I have really bonded with my zone and it will be sad to have cambios this week. But I know President Erickson knows exactly where we need to be. Elder Segura shared a scritpure in Mosiah 28. The first few verses are about the sons of Mosiah and how they have a desire to serve. Verse three talks about how their hearts would ache if they couldn't have the opportunity to help souls come unto Christ. It was really cool to see how elder Segura has developed this same want on the mission. As missionaries we have the opportunity to be representatives of Jesus Christ. I'm trying not to waste a single day of the mission and take full advantage of the chance I have been given to help the people here in Lima Norte. 

Mom I promise I am taking care of myself :) and yes I am excited for the cooler weather. I will be honest I miss my sweaters. If you haven't sent another package yet could you send me one of mine? Just to have a little bit of home with me :) also possibly some scarves. I miss those as well. 

I love you all so much and can't thank you enough for you love and support. I am blessed with the best. 

Hna Vernon 

Selfie in apartment

Heather's feet! Is it a tan or dirt? Maybe a little of both.

A Week of Miracles (April 13th)

Hey Hey Hey Family!

Wow, what a crazy full week here in Independencia!

There are 3 new members in the ward! E, E, and D were all baptized Saturday night and it was really beautiful. There is a faunt here at the chapel so we didn't have to go very far. E was baptized by her husband J. He has been less active for a few years so while we were teaching E we were helping re activate him as well. They were also married on Friday, so they had a very full week. E was baptized by one of the brothers in the ward. He is about 35 years old and has one son. His wife is also a member and it's beautiful so see their family come together through the gospel. D was baptized by his brother. His brother was baptized a few years back and they are the only members in their family but their mom came and she is supportive. We didn't really have to plan the baptism because we have a ward missionary who is wonderful and helps a ton. He did a lot of the planning and we just had to make sure the people got there. Being able to see these people make convenants with our Heavenly Father was amazing. It helped remind me why I am here. Why I wanted to serve a mission in the first place. Also, the baptism was very beautiful in the Spanish language. I am to the point where I can understand quite a bit so hearing the covenants and also the testimonies after was beautiful. 

Sunday in church I had to give a talk. I usually don't get nervous talking in front of people, but yeah this was scary. I spoke on missionary work and how it's important for the members of the ward to be missionaries as well. There are some really great quotes in Preach my Gospel that I used. I also talked about in Alma where Ammon talks about being full of joy because he had the opportunity to be an instrument in the Lords hands. I felt really good about my talk and the members of the ward said they could understand me so thats a plus haha. 

I also had to do divisions (splits) twice this week with members of the ward. I was super nervous because it would be my first time going with a ward member. The first time I went, I went with the Young Womens president. She was a lot of help and a wonderful lady. Mom, she kinda reminded me of you. Then last night I did divisions as well with a girl in the ward that is preparing for her mission. She LOVES to talk and it was fun to be with her. We did a lot of contacting because we had extra time. I will be honest….I dont really like contacting, but it helps my Spanish a lot. 

The Spanish is coming. Slower then I would like, but its coming. However, whenever I teach or talk, people say my Spanish is really good for the time I have been here. I need to learn how to be more patient with myself. This isn't something that I have ever been good at so the Lord knew I needed to learn a lesson. I am gaining more confidence to talk and really starting to love the members of the ward and our investigators. 

Transfers in my mission are every 6 weeks. Hermana Guzman has been in Independencia for 6 months. There is a high chance she could be getting a transfer but we aren't sure because she is training. If she does transfer, I would get a new trainer who doesn't know the area. I would really have to step up my game and help. I am interested to see what President will do. 

Mom, my health is doing alright! The pills really helped my stomach but now that I am off them I am having a little pain again. Nothing terrible, so I am going to wait it out. If it gets worse, I will talk to Hna Erickson again. I think it's just my body adjusting. Lunches here are huge. That is when we eat the most and that is really different for me. I am really missing dance classes, but walking everywhere (with a million stairs) is helping me keep the weight off. I can't even begin to tell you about the mountains of rice I eat each day. 

Overall, I am doing better! This month has been crazy, but I have experienced things and felt the spirit like I never thought I would. 

Thank you for your email. Its great to know what is going on back home. 

I love you and pray for you!

P.S. I am getting the chance to play the piano a bit. I am the only one in my zone who does, so I get to play at meetings. Thank you mom and dad for making me take lessons :) 

Earthquake!

Hello family!! I send my love from the wonderful country of Peru! Thank you for the wonderful update on all that is happening at home. Ok so to answer questions about conference. We got to watch all the sessions which was really nice. It's a little different here and everyone in the Stake comes to the capilla (chapel) to watch. Obviously, it's all in Spanish and there is a translators voice over whomever is speaking. So I will admit, I missed hearing the prophets voice, but it was exciting to watch conference and see how much I could understand. Haha and you might wonder how much I could understand... well I could understand the overall message of each talk, but I definitely missed parts. So I would love the talks in English if possible. How amazing that the apostles focused so much on the family! Not a day goes by that I am not reasurred that my mission truly is a mission focused on families. It's truly amazing. Also, it was really exciting when they had two of the speakers speak in Spanish on Sunday. When that was announced everyone in the capilla sat up a little straighter. The people in Peru really do have so much faith. After conference one of the girls in the ward was asking me if I had been to conference in the conference building. When I told her yes she was so shocked and wanted to hear all about it. It's easy to take for granted what we have around us (there was a conference talk on this) and being here has taught me how blessed I am. 

OK the earthquake. Haha mom when it happened you were the first person I thought of. I knew you would worry, but all is fine! We were in the middle of our companionship study when it happened. Hermana Erickson has had all the missionaries prepare a mochilla (backpack) with food and water just in case there is ever a serious earthquake. So when it hit, we grabbed the backpack and stood in the doorframe like we have been told. It only lasted a few seconds and it really wasn't that bad. But it definitely was scary!! Hahah honestly I am having experiences here that I never thought I would have. 

So the Spanish. I am to the point where I am understand quite a bit. Which is a big blessing. Speaking is taking more time, but I am starting to become more comfortable. We had interviews this week with pres. Erickson. I asked him about this, and he said (like you guys) we simply need to open our mouths. We as missionaries are set apart from the world, and with that, we are given the gift of the Spirit to help guide our words. When I remember this it's easier for me to open my gringo mouth. The help of the Lord is very clear in helping me learn. 

So you have asked about my laundry. Every Tuesday we take our laundry and drop it off at the capital (chapel). Someone ( I dont know who) picks it up, washes it for us, and we get it back on Thursday. It's actually really nice and they do a wonderful job. The only downside is hauling our laundry sack full of clothes through the city. But hey, it's better than washing it ourselves. 

I received the package! Thank you! Oh it was so great. Don't worry I am not eating all the candy at once. I shared the cadburry eggs with some of the elders in my zone. They are from Peru so it was their first time trying it. Haha it was so funny to watch. The absolutely loved them. Thank you for the shirt mom! it fits great and I love it. 

I talked to Hermana Erickson about my health (stomach issues) and she got me on some medication. It has helped and my stomach is feeling much better. So no need to fret! I am adjusting to the food and actually really starting to enjoy it. It's still rice every meal and a lot of that purple corn drink. But it's better here in Peru than the stuff I tried before I left. 

So we have three baptisms on Saturday! E, D, and E. They are all very ready. Would you guys pray for them this week? Even in the short time I have been here it's amazing to see them accept our Savior. 

I love you guys! Thank you for your prayers and your love. Each day is getting a little easier. With the help of our Savior, all things are possible. 

Much love

Hermana Vernon 

These are two other Hermanas in our district. One is from Colombia, the other from Michigan.

This week Hermana Guzman taught the young women how to make empanadas from Bolivia. This is in the capilla. Yes, we used a ping pong table.

There is a mall really close to our area where we go on p days. This is what fast food looks like in Peru. It's called lomo saltado. 

I am trying my best to be brave! Letter from March 30th.

Hello my awesome family!!

Wow, what an amazing letter this week! Thanks so much for your words of encouragment. You guys always know exactly what I need to hear.

So good news this week... I am starting to understand a lot. I have a lot of fear to speak, but I am trying my best to be brave. Thank you for the reminder about the story about the bear. It put things into perspective a little for me. Nothing is going to happen unless I simply open my mouth. I have found when I do, the Lord is always with me and I am much happier. So my goal this week is to just talk and talk and talk.

So a little bit more about Hermana G. She loves to cook. Every time we go to someones house for lunch she is always telling them different recipes and how things are made in Bolivia. So not only am I learning the gospel and a different language, but I am also learning how to cook. Haha it's literally like she is my mom. I am very grateful for the chance I have to learn so much from a companion who has so much experience. She knows her scriptures so well! Because she does know so much, it is sometimes hard for me to even feel like i can speak because she usually says it all and then turns to me, and I feel like I don't have a ton to say. I know as I get more comfortable with talking, we are going to be able to split up the lessons more evenly.

So here in Peru, no one likes to get married. You will have families who are very happy, but simply don't want to be married because it is a really long process. So the problem we have a lot of the time is getting couples married before they can be baptized. Because of this, about every month we hold a civil wedding ceremony in the mission office and chapel. We got to help with it and it was really beautiful. There were 20 couples that got married. I didnt have my camera with me, but next time we go, I promise I will send pictures. It was fun to meet other missionaries as well. Talking with the other gringos is always fun. They promise me the best way to learn is to simply try and try and not to be afraid to make mistakes.

I was able to watch the Womens Conference! obviously in Spanish, but I understood the overall message. Mom is there a way you could send them to me in English? I could tell they were wonderful talks and I would love to read them. We will also get the chance to listen to General Conference. It will be in Spanish, but I am excited to see how much I will understand. We will be watching it in the capilla and we are taking some of our investigators with us.

We were supposed to have a baptism on Saturday, but there was an emergency. Hermano Es grandmother had to go to the hospital. However, we sent some elders over to give her a blessing and she is doing better. We rescheduled his baptism for the 11th of April. We have three baptisms that day! The other two are D and E. D is a 14 year old boy, and E is 22. Her husband is a member and he will be able to baptize her. Also, Ds brother is a member so he will be able to baptize him as well. It is so cool to see families come together through the gospel. I am starting to connect with my investigators. The first few weeks were really hard because I didn't understand what they were saying, or respond. But it's an amazing experience to start to feel the love for them and truly want to help them. I am also starting to love the ward I am serving in. The people here in Peru are very loving and are being very patient with me.

Ok so here are a few facts for the week!

-Whenever you greet someone here in Peru you kiss them on the cheek. So I am probably giving more kisses here on my mission then I did at home. Sometimes the men will go to kiss us on the street and we simply have to stick our hand out for a handshake. Haha we have had some close calls.

-You can't really find milk here. They have something very similar, but it comes in bags. So that has been a shocker for me.

-Sometimes we have the opportunity to ride in moto taxis. Haha and they drive crazy!! I feel like I am in a game of Mario Cart.

-Men don't believe in shirts here. I don't know why, but yeah. Shirtless men everywhere on the street.

Even though these first few weeks are hard, I see the hand of the Lord in everything I do. I was reading this morning in the first chapter of Jeremiah. I don't remember exactly but it talks about how he felt very young and like a child. That's how I feel some days. But the lord says not to worry and simply open your mouth and he will provide the words.

The spanish language is simply a tool. The spirit is the teacher.

I love you guys!

Hermana Vernon

P.S.  Mom, I am still having trouble with my stomach. Hermana Erickson is coming by tomorrow to inspect our apartment so I am going to talk to her.

All my love!!!

Members of my ward after the Womens Conference

My District

My District

I climb these stairs several times a day. I feel like I am climbing the stairs by the Richards building on BYU campus.