Not so far from the home I love

So I am oficially starting my last week of the mission. I am amazed that it came so quickly. I am beyond grateful that my Heavenly Father gave me the chance to serve a mission. It has changed my life and I have loved helping others change their lives as well. The gospel is so amazing and I love the plan of salvation and the happiness it brings into peoples lives. 

I donthave much to tell about this week. We have just been working hard to find more people to teach so that my companion can have fun families to baptise when I have to leave. Im trying to give my all until the very end. I just love teaching and sharing my testimony every day. I have to live it up while I can because when I get home it wont be so easy to take hours to just sit and share the gospel. I never want to stop being a missionary. This wokr is so beautiful!

The people here in Punchane keep telling me that I cant leave. They have bcome family to me and I will miss them dearly. Our ward council had me share my last testimony with them this Sunday and we all cried together and it was beautiful. The bishop took a moment to thank me for the work Ive done and it was a tender moment with all of the ward leaders. Punchana has really changed so much in the months Ive served here. It has so many people who are prepared for the gospel. 

This sunday I got to teach the gospel principles class and I have decided that I want to teach for the rest of my life! It is so fun. The ward mission leader said it was the best class hes heard and that he could tell Ive served my mission well. It makes me feel good to hear all of these kind words because it helps me know that I really have made a difference in the world. I have tried my best and it is amazing to see the fruits of my work. 

Im excited to see everyone in just a few short days and I cant wait to hear all of the mission experiences youve all had in this year and a half and I cant wait to share more of my stories. There are too many to write using Jungle mail. Thank you all for your support and your prayers. I couldnt be more grateful. 

Have a fantastic week!!! 

Con Amor, 

Hermana Toponce

Misión Perú Iquitos 

CONVERSO DE ORO

This week the jungle internet is alo pretty bad, but hopefully this email will be a little more detailed than last weeks. haha!

So the best thing that happened this week is that Andy got baptised. He was seriously chosen. He is the son of my convert Lila who lives here in Iquitos. He came to Iquitos from Pucallpa four weeks ago and when he walked into his house we just happened to be there with Lila and when he walked by we asked Lila what his name was and she said Andy, and then she said he didnt want anything to do with the church...i felt that we should at least try and I then called his name really loud and he came running into the family room and we invited him to listen to us. He accepted and thats how it all started. He has progressed so much in these past few weeks and he is reading so much of his book of mormon! He loves it!! He also said he wants to go on a mission! Woohoo!!! I have loved being able to teach him and his family. 

For his baptism he had a funny request... he wanted to be held in the water for a good thirty seconds. He had seen the baptism of his brother and said he was baptised really quickly and he wanted to be able to enjoy being cleansed in the water... and his request was granted. he stayed in the water for just about thirty seconds... and he was so happy! haha.  

This week I was a little sick still and our 98 year old friend Felicita told me about some pebbles from the river that some man sold to her that cured her heart disease... she then told me that she was going to lend me the pebbles and that I had to take the pebble water to be healed. I just wanted to laugh out loud but I couldnt laugh at her because it would be disrepectful and I accepted the pebble water! She is adorable... im pretty sure that the man who sold her the river pebbles just found some rocks outside his house, but at least she thinks they help! I love living in the jungle... it makes me laugh sometimes!! :) 

I am so grateful that I get to be here in Peru teaching the gospel. i have loved it so much and Im looking forward to these last few weeks of my mission. This week is going to be pretty calm, but next week we have zone conference, leaders council, our last dinner with president, and our trainings for after the mission. SO WEIRD!!!

I hope you all have an amazing week! I know that this church is true. I know that it changes lives. The mission is seriously the best thing in the world and I hope you all can have a missionary experience this week. There are So many ways to share the gospel. 

Con Mucho amor, 

Hermana Toponce

fotos despues de la mision... lo siento...

photos sent by her companion:

Iquitos week 3

Hello everyone.

This week went alot moresmoothly than last week. I am alot better, and our trio was only a trio for this week. Hermna Vareles is now working with a mini missionary soits just Hermana Idme and I again. This week was amazing.We have been helping Andy prepare for his baptism and he is really excited. He is going to be baptised this saturday and he cant wait! I amso happyforhim.The ward loves him tooand the young single adults are invitinghimto every activity they have and he isloving it.He is going to be an amazing additio to the ward.

Other than helping Andy not too much has happened. Im just trying to enjoy the lastfew weeks of my mission and work really hard unti the end!! We are helping a few other peopleprogress towards baptism too.Julio and ancarolina. There are also progressing really well and were excitedto see when they accept baptism.

One of my accomplishments of this week was also finishing Jesus the Christ! It is an amazing book! I seriouslylearned so much about my savior.I was reading it along with the new testament and I just feel so gratefulfor my savior and for all thatHe did for us.He is mybest friend and my perfect example.I just hope that one day I can becomeeven aableto little bitlike Him. Themission has helped me to see how His gospelchanges lives and I have been  see the gospel chnging Andy's life as weve been teaching him these past few weeks. I just never want to stop sharing His gospel.

have a fantastic week!!! Dont forgetto share your testimony with someone this week. 

sorry for the short and horribly written email, junglecomputers are hard to workwith sometimes!!!! Next week Ill tellmore I hope.

Love you all!!

Hermana Toponce

Iquitos Week 2

I have just finished my second week here in Iquitos, and I have learned a lot this week! Heavenly Father had been giving me a few new trials so I can learn more....

This week Ive been pretty sick. I think that after being in one area for six months and then changing afffected my healñth a little bit and on top of that this week we had Leaders concil, my comp got lice, I have an eye injury, and one of the sisters has to go home so I will be in  a trio to end my mission! So much craziness!!! But I am happy to know that President trusts in me to handle all of these new things. Im excited to see how this next week will go with all of these changes. 

The Highlight of my week was definitly Danilo's baptism. He got baptised on Friday night and it was a super special night. I wasnt able ot be in his moms baptism but I got to be there for him and their family was so happy! We all took pictures together and Lila just kept telling me how happy she waws to see her son get baptised. We are also teaching Lilas other son Andy who is 18 and he said he felt a really good felling when he saw his brother enter into thye water and he accepted baptism too!! He is going to be baptised on the 21 of July! He cant wait! I( am so happy that I get to see how the gospel is bglessing the Mendoza Family. It is amazing how much the Lord can do in a year. They are so prepared!

I know that this gospel is true. I know that Jesus Christ is our savior and I know that there isnt a trial I can face that he hasnt gone through before. The Anonement is so powerful and it helps us to change and become better everyday. I am so grateful for Heavenly Father and His plan and perfect love of sending His son so that we can all have eternal hapiness and eternal life. The mission hy

as helped me to understand more and more Gods perfect love and I couldnt be more grateful for all of the mmany things I have learned here! I will never have word to express how amazing and life changing a mission is!! 

Ps

One crazy story from this week. I was sitting in sacrament meeting this week and my companion had to give a talk so I was by myslef in the congregation and a piece of the cieling fell and was about to fall directly on my head but something made it change course and it fell on the floor next to me. The whole ward was looking at me as if they had seen and angel and the Patriarch said that he saw the hand of the Lord moving the piece of the cieling so it didnt hit me. Pretty crazy experience but just another testimony that God protects His missionaries!!

I love you all tons. Thank you so much for all of your prayers!! They are helping me see miracles!!

Con Mucho amor, 

Hermana Toponce

(There arent any pictures because the internet is slow!!!) 

Natalie didn't send pictures, but the mission home sent some from a leadership meeting

Back to Iquitos

Hello hello!

I am writing to you all from Iquitos. I got the call on Monday night telling me that Im now going to be serving in Punchana Iquitos. Im happy to at least be going back to my old area if I cant finish in Pucallpa. Its been fun seeing everyone I got to know a year ago and the bishop cried tears of joy to see that I am working here again. 

I am still Sister leader but this time for more sisters! Im excited to finally be able to have more sisters in my zone. They are all adorable so Im sure there wont be any problems. My companion is sister Idme from Lima and she is a doll. She has three months in the mission and she was so happy to hear that we are going to be companions! Im excited to work with her for these last few weeks!! 

This week has been a good one. Im just trying to remember all of the streets and learn all of the investigators names. My convert from Iquitos, Lila is so happy that Im back because her son Danilo is getting baptised this next saturday and she said, if you coulnt be at my baptism Im happy youll at least be at my sos baptism! It was really sweet!

Im just loving the mission and soaking in every minute I have left of it. 

Ill let you all know what more is happening next week... not much happened out of the ordinary this week! Just getting to know Iquitos again. 

I love youall and hope oyu have a fantastic week!! Enjoy the pictures of Me and my new comp and me and my aji charapita (one of the spiciest peppers in the jungle!)

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Toponce

El Fin Se Acerca

So I am oficially starting my last transfer of the mission and I realized how fast time is flying bye! My friends are getting home this week and I still feel like I just got here.

CRAZY!!!! 

Lots of fun things happened this week and Im sending pictures because I am finally using  a good computer. haha! Enjoy. 

This week the people here in the peruvian jungle celebrated their favorit holiday of San Juan. They celebrate by making Juanes (Bals of chicken and rice) and swimming! Since we cant do  the latter we learned how to make juanes and it was so fun! I feel like Ive just gotten so used to cooking jungle style (with a capfire) tha I wont know how to use an oven when I get back! 

Gloria got baptised!!!! We didnt teach her, but she is a friend of Osler and KArinas and she sat by us every sunday at church and she asked me to speak at her baptism! I was so happy to! It was a sweet saturday and we are so proud of her!! 

We ad to say bye to a lot of people this week becaue Im about 99% sure I am going to be transfered. I was sure to get a picture wit Karina and Osler and their family before I go because I am going to miss them tons! They have changed my life!! I want to come to peru again when they go through the temple!!! 

I also really felt like eating smores because I havent eaten them in a year and a half so my companion and I went to thelittle corner store and used candles to roast smores! It was fun, and it was the first time she had ever tried smores!!! I love teaching my companions fun little american treats!

I have been pondering a lot as im entering my last few weeks of the mission and I just want to share all of my testimony with everyone! I dont want to waste a minute of my precious time left here. I was studying about Abinidai and also the last week of Christs life, and it amazed me that even when they knew their time on earth was coming to a close, they used every ounce of their time to share the gospel and help people be saved! It was a really special  study that I had because I know that Heavenly Father wants me to do the same! 

I love the scriptures that help us to recieve personal revelation. I love the restored Gospel, and I love being a missionary!!! If any of you are thinking about going on a mission do it!!! You will not regret it!
I love oyu all!! HAVE A FANTASTIC WEEK!!!!

Con amor, 

Hermana Toponce

Happy Father's Day

So this week had a lot of random things that happened. It was an interesting one! 

It started out by saying goodbye to my Peruvian parents. Victor and Nieves. They have become some of my very favorite people. I was sad to say bye to them, but we had a super sweet family home evening to share our testimonies. Its crazy how often people just move here! I come to love them and then they just leave! The mission is full of see you laters. 

The second thing that happened is we had our District Meting in english and it was crazy. All of the Latinos were really struggling and it made me think of how I felt at the beginning of the mission when I didnt understand anything people were saying! My companion sait that she had a heaadache from so much english! It was great thought because it was a chance for them to use everything theyve learned in their language study! Learning languages is so amazing. I am so grateful that I was blessed with the chance to learn spanish. It is one of the hardest things I have done in my whole life, but I know its going to help so much after the mission too!

My companion had to leave again this week and I stayed with the other sisters here. Our areas are really far from eachother so I just had to work with them and we lost a lot of work time in our area. It made me sad becasue I felt like we werent going to reach all of our goals. When my companion got back we decided to fast together, and we were able to find golden families and have people come to church!! It was a miracle. 

On the day we were fasting we had a member ride up to us and I felt like asking her who she was visiting. She told us it was her friend Jhon and we went straight to go find Jhon. We found him and his whole family and they were som happy to listen to the gospel! It is seriously amazing the power that fasting brings. I loved this experience this week. 

I also read a talk by L. Tom Perry this week from general conference October 2014 about the plan of salvation and it talked a lot about how much Dads do in Gods plan. I loved it and you should all read it. dads are awesome, and I sure love mine!!

I hope oyu all have a fantastic week. Look for all of the little miracles because there are so many everyday!

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Toponce 

Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd

Hello Everyone!

I had a wonderful week and I dont really have the words to express my gratitud for all of the miracles I have witnessed. I am just so happy to be a missionary!

Osler and Karina got married this week. We were able to get all of the papers in and everything all ready in record time and they got married on Friday. I got to be Karina's witness for her wedding and she was so happy! It was my second time being a witness at a wedding! The wedding turned out great! We decorated he chapel witha  ton of balloons, and the members brought food and it turned out being super great and they couldnt stop thanking us! They are so special to me. It has been so fun helping them to progress on the covenant path so they can have an eternal family!! 

The baptism on Saturday was amazing! Osler and Jose both got baptised and everything went so well! A ton of people came to support them! When Osler shared his testimony after he shared the story from the bible about the lost sheep. He said he was grateful that we had coming looking for him so he could be brought back to the fold. It was a sweet moment and I just had tears of joy in my eyes thinking about all of the hard work these brothers have put into getting baptised and thinking about all of the great things they are going to do now! It was the best weekend ever!

Transfers are in two weeks and everyone is pretty sure that I am going to have transfers and they keep inviting me to eat at their homes to say by. Its really starting to hit me that Im not going to be in Peru forever, but oh how grateful I am that I was sent here. I know that there have been people prepared for me to find, but I know tha t they were also prepared to teeach me too! 

I know that the gospel has been restored and I know tha t our Heavenly Father loves each and every one of His children. I know that Jesus Christ is our saviour and thet He is the way to eternal life! Keep working hard and do all that you can to stay on the covenant path!!

Mathew 18:12-14

Con MUCHO amor, 

Hermana Toponce

Jungle Birds

This week was a lot better than last week and I am super grateful! I enjoyed every minute of it! 

We had a little bit of an unfortunate experience this week but it was really funny! We were out teaching with a member named Celide and we found a bird with a broken foot. Celide thought it would be a good idea to give the bird to someone so they could have a pet... it was a really pretty bird! So we thought of Nieves, the Sister who has been giving us food this month, because it was her birthday! We gave her the bird and we got it into a little cage and gave it something to eat, and then she felt that she should put the bird by us so we could keep an eye on it while we were having lunch. All of the sudden we saw the bird stretch, it sang a little, and then.... it died. We all couldnt believe it!! We had the bird for less than ten minutes!!!! We thought it was the best gift ever and instead of enjoying her cute little bird we had a little funeral for it. It was super unfortunate and now I dont want to give people birthday gifts! 

Then when we were walking home we found a parrot that was sitting on the tree next to our house and it started whistling at us! So many jungle birds! 

I went to leaders councli in Iquitos this week and I got to be in the same city as Sister Griffith and Sister Felshaw for the first time since the beginning of our mission and we were so happy! I loved getting to talk to them and hear how much we have grown. Leaders council was amazing, because we learned about how we can guide our mission better and help all of the new missionaries become great teachers! We set a bunch of goals for this month and it was just what we all needed! I love being able ot think about the needs of the misson, its amazing to see so many people in one room recieving revelation. This is something Ive been able to be better at here. The spirit really guides us when we are praying, fasting, and listening! I love being able to recognize it more in my life. 

We went early today to finish all of the wedding papers for Osler so they can get married on Friday and then Baptised on Saturday and he was so happy. He just said how he cant wait to be able to recieve the Priesthood to bless his family and help everyone. I just know he is going to be a bishop one day!! Jose is also getting baptised on Saturday  and he told us that he knows its what he needs to be saved :) He is such a sweet old man and he loves to tell us stories of living in the jungle for so many years :) Im glad to see that when we work hard, God blesses us. I know that when we trust in Him everything works out how it should. So often we want things to go fast, but its so much more beautiful to see how our Heavenly Father has things planned! 

I am so thankful for all of your prayers. I am so glad that I get to be a missionary because I know that this gospel is true with all of my heart and I know that Jesus Christ is our saviour and that because of Him we can all have eternal happiness. 

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Toponce

All is Well

I have had so many amazing weeks in a row that it was about time to have a not so easy week! It all started when my companion had to go to Iquitos for a few days so I had to sleep on the floor of the other Sister's home and I caught a cold so I have been with a bad cold pretty much all week!! Then we got a phone call from Sandra saying that she isnt sure about her baptism and she cancelled her baptism date for this saturday, and Osler couldnt have his wedding or baptism this week because we didnt get his birth certificate on time! So many little not so great things happened that I was thinking, "What did I do wrong?" But then I realized how important it is to go throught a few trials so that we can learn and grow and it really made me appreciate a lot more all of the really good weeks I have had here in the mission! 

The experience that made everything better was sitting in sacramwent meeting and seeing my convert, Wills, passing the sacrament. It made me cry tears of joy seeing someone I taught the gospel to using his priesthood power to bless the lives of others! Thats what the mission really is about. Sometimes we have doors slammed in our face, sometimes we get a little sick, and sometimes there are a few more trials than expected helping someone prepare for baptism, but when all is said and done, if we could help even one person accept the gospel we have had success. To quote 17 miracles, " If we gave our all, it was for something." 

I feel like I have really given my all this week and I was happy to see that all of the people I have taught here came to church this sunday. The most special was seeing a huge family that we have been helping to reactivate come to church for the first time in TWO YEARS! I am so grateful for the little miracles that happened this Sunday becasue they made my whole week! No I just have to hope that this cold can go away and all is well! Osler is now getting baptised on the 8th of June. A man we are teaching named Jose is also getting baptised ont he 8th of June and we are going to work some miracles to help Sandra get baptised too! I love the mission even when we have trials, because I know that Christ and His gospel can help us through anything!

I hope you all have an amazing week! I love you all!

Hermana Toponce

Mateo 11:28-29

Faith in Every Footstep

It was an interesting week this week thats for sure. I get to stay here in Pucallpa and Im super excited about it! It is definitly and answer to my prayers. I had to organize a ward activity last minute because my district leader got sick and he was in charge and didnt show up so I worked with the ward leaders to have a good activity and everything worked out great! There were games, food, and a powerful message and investigators came so I say it was successful. In all of the lst misute planning we also were going to visit investigators and we got a phonecall from President saying that he wanted to come with us to visit a family that were teaching and that we had to meet him in the church in a half hour. We were on the other side of our area and we literally had to run to get there on time and when we greeted president we were sweating and out of breath! But it was an awesome lesson and our investigator Lessy came to church!!  It was her first time and I know it was because President shared his strong testimony. 

I got bit by a dog for the third time here in Yarinacocha and it ended up being a miracle! W knocked on the door of our investigator and her sister told us that she was sleeping, so we decided to knock on her neighbors door and thats where the dag was. I screamed and our investigators family came out to see if I was okay and our investigaotr heard me scream and woke up too! So we totally ended up teaching her and she acepted baptism!!! Sandra is getting baptised in June!!! I never thought I would be happy about getting bit, but I really am. I knew we needed to teach her that day! :) (Also seriously no worries, I am not injured just scared of dogs a little)

Life is going good. We are workin on finsing new investigators and helping Osler to be prepared for his baptism this saturday. Sandrea is getting baptised in june and another one of our investigators named Jose is about to accept a date! I know that God is preparing His children here in Yarinacocha and I am so beyong happy that I get to serve here still!

Have a great week everyone. Be careful around the wild dogs, and look for all of the little miracles that happen everyday!!

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Toponce

no pictures this week... camera problems

Did You Think to Pray?

So many things happened this week I dont even know where to start!

I was super happy to be able to talk to my sweet family yesterday for mothers day! They are the best! Its so weird to think that I will talk to them next when I see them in person in a few months. It goes by so fast! Happy Mothers Day to all of the sweet moms I know! 

ROCIO GOT BAPTISED! It was so great! Her family was so so happ for her and they had a huge dinner for her and for us after her baptism to say thank you. It took a lot of work to help her get baptised. We had to organize an interview with president, while I was in Iquitos and my companion was an hour away in Pucallpa, but with a lot of prayer we had a miracle happen and Rocio was able to have her interview and get baptised. Now she is excited to keep preparing this year to go to the temple with her family!!

Elder Falavela came and had a zone conference with us and it was amazing! He told us that we have been called on a full time mission and that we shouldnt be part time missionaries. He also explained the Atonement of Jesus Christ to us and it helped me to understand even better how much Christ loves us. I am so grateful for the saacrifice he made for us and for the example He has given us all so that we can return to live with God again. Elder Falavela said that the atonement is the motor in Gods plan because without it we cant keep going in Gods plan. I was so glad to hear his teachings and learn more about Gods plan.

We left right after the zone conference to the airport so that we could go to leaders council in Iquitos and we got there just in time to catch our flight! Leaders council was awesome because Elder Falavela came too so all of the Zone leaders, Sister Leaders, the APs and President were there and we set goals for the mission and made plans. It was an amazing experience to recieve revelation together to help the mission Improve! 

After the conference was over we went to the airport and our flight was delayed for two hours! I got to Pucallpa just in time for Rocios baptism! We had to run from the airport in the rain to get there but we made it! It was a busy busy week, filled with so many miracles. If anything my testimony of prayer was strengthened this week. I know that when we trust in God and pray with faith, He helps us to have success. Prayer helped everything work out just right this week.

I hope you all have a fantastic week and dont forget to pray! There is power in prayer!"

Con Mucho Amor, 

Hermana Toponce

ALMA 37:37!!!!!!!!!!