Its raining, and I love it!

Hello sweet family, 

I am in a normal companionship again its just Hermana Gomez and I. Hermana Quispe has a mini missionary working with her until the end of this transfer and shes super sweet! Shes getting real life mission experience before she actually leaves on the mission! I have loved hearing about all of my sweet friends who have been choosing to go and serve missions. It is so fun to see that we are all around the world sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Its just so awesome! :) 

This week we had a Zone conference with all of the zones in Iquitos, and it was super funny because there were about 100 elders, and just us 4 sisters! The other sisters are in Pucallpa, and Tarrapoto. It was awesome because right after the conference we got to have a catered lunch with President and Hermana Li and because there are only four sisters, we got to eat at the same table as president! This never happens! the only time we get to eat with president is at the beginning and end of our missions. I was so happy. The conference was great and we talked a lot about the importance of the atonement of Jesus Christ. It was awesome to be with all of the missionaries in this area of the mission :) 

I can tell that I have been in the mission for a while because one pair of shoes finally broke. I use them all of the time so I wasnt too suprised, but it made me realize how long Ive been here. Luckily I had some superglue from Grandma Toponce so I should be set with these shoes for another six months! thanks Grandma! 

Right now were starting to get into the rainy season in the mission and I love it, the mangos are growing, its a lot cooler, and the people are happier! Its crazy how much the weather changes peoples attitude. 

This week I got to eat alligator for the first time! I told my pensionista, the chicken is so good today, and she laughed and said, its because its alligator! It really does taste like chicken. really good chicken. 

We are teaching a few really awesome families right now and its so fun to teach families because they learn together and I am litterally seeing these families become happier and more united and they are applying the principles of the gospel. Ive always had a testimony that the gospel blesses families but there is something truly beautiful about seeing the gospel work in a family from the very beginning. 

I hope that you all have a great week and remember how truly important Jesus Christ is. He is the way. Living his gospel brings true joy. I love being able to share this joy here in Iquitos :)

Con Mucho amor, 

Hermana Toponce 

Iquitos week 4... Baptism!

This week has been so great. I have been able to see so many miracles and teach lots of lovely people the gospel. This week my dear friends from the CCM Hermana Felshaw and Hermana Griffith had to come to Iquitos to fill out some paperwork for their visas and they got to work in my area! I was so happy to be able to be with them for a day! We have all changed so much in just six short months. It was so great to hear their stories. Im excited to see how much we learn after another year in the mission! We are really good at speaking spanish now! haha.

We had our baptism for Junior and he was so excited. I am so happy that i was able to help him get ready for his baptism. He has gained such a stron testimony and he wants to serve a mission too! Im so excited to be able to help him prepare to serve a mission and learn even more about the gospel. His baptism was so great and there was so many members of our ward there to support him. He shared his testimony and it made me and the bishop cry because we felt the spirit so strongly! I know that Junior is going to do so many amazing things!

One funny story from this week is I was teaching a lesson and in the middle of sharing my testimony the chair I was sitting in bent and I fell on the ground. Everyone was freaking out because all of the sudden I was on the floor and they didnt know what do to. I was laughing super hard and to make everyone feel better I tole a food joke that I learned but I said it wrong and It didnt make any sense. But it made everyone laugh! 

We found a family that I am 100 percent sure are going to get baptised. Theri son is out serving a mission and they are so excited to learn what he is out teaching. They are super sweet! Ill be sending upsdates on how they are. 

I know that this church is true and that the gospel blesses families. I know that as we seek to become more like our savior we will be happy always. I love you all! Thank you so much for all of your love and support!

Con amor, 

Hermana Toponce

I'm in a trio again haha!

Again this week has been a little crazy but as great as ever. This monday we went to a jungle paradise named Quistacocha its a zoo and after walking through the zoo theres a beach and its so pretty. After the mission I want to come back again so that I can swim too. ;) It was super nice to have a relaxing pday and we got to ride in a bus to get there! Its been so long since Ive been in a closed vehicle. haha :)

I got to teach english class this tuesday and it was awesome. We had a lot of non members come this week and it was great because I taught everyone how to pray in english. Its been a long time since Ive prayed in english so when I offered the prayer in english at the end of the class I had an accent. I am so happy that I get to teach english and meet new people to teach the gospel to too. 

One of the sister here in Iquitos had to go home and now we are in a trio! I am still with Hermana Gomez but we now have a new companion named Hermana Quispe. Its been fun to be in a trio for the past few days. I have been able to learn so much from them both. 

This week weve been helping Hermana Junior get ready for his baptism this saturday. He is so excited and so prepared to be baptised. I have loved being able to teach him and I seriously cant wait for this saturday! 

We alsop have new investigators this week because Im a little crazy. We contacted a family this week and when we went to their house for our appointment a mand opened the door and angrily said, "Theyre not here" and slammed the door in our faces. I wasnt really in the mood for people slamming their door in my face so I knocked on the door again. My companions looked at me like I was crazy but when the door opened the second time it was the woman we had contacted. She let us in and we are now teaching her and her nephew Michael the gospel. I am so hapopy that I decided to knock on the door again. In life there are some days that are just really hard, and we have to try again and again to be able to reach our goals. This is normal! If we have to try again we´ll be able to learn even more! 

I hope you have a great week! Keep pressing forward and I know it will be a great week. 

Love, 

Hermana Toponce 

Also sorry for no pictures. The computer is slow this week. 

Wilderness. Iquanas. Coconuts. Six Months.

Hello Everyone, 

This week has been another crazy one! I love the mission here in Iqitos. We are starting to know our area better and weve gotten to know more of the members in our ward. There are so many good people here with lots of potential and I cant wait to start helping them to understand the gospel. We have a baptism coming up! We are teaching a boy named Junior and he has accepted to be baptised. He is 19 and he loves learning about the doctrine of Jesus Christ. It has been really fun teaching him and I cant wait to help him prepare for his baptism. 

This week I ate fish for the first time in my mission and it was delicious. The pensionistas here dont usually make fish because they think that the Americans are scared to eat it and my pensionista was really proud of me for eating it all! Shes the sweetest. 

We were walking by the river for pday and we saw an Iguana in the wilderness! It was climbing a tree and it made me so happy! Sometimes I forget that Im in the jungle until I see strange animals. 

I taught my first english class and it was awesome! There were a ton of people that came and I helped them to learn how to have a conversation in the airport. Were going to be having english classes every tuesday. I love teaching so I was really happy to hear that our ward wanted to have english classes :) 

This week we were looking for a reference whos name is Rosa. When we knocked on the door they told us that she had moved and gave us the direction of her new house, we finally found her new house and knocked on the door and a woman named rosa let us in to each her and her family. As it turns out it is a completely different Rosa that our reference, but we were able to find a super awesome family that is excited to live the gospel. 

I love that sometimes we have plans but god always has etter plans for us. He led us to this family because He know that they are prepared. 

I love the gospel. I love that I get to teach it everyday and I am so excited to see what fun things are coming up in this area. I love you all. See you in a year :)

Hermana Toponce