Bautismo!

Hello Everyone!

We had our baptism for Tyler this week and it went super well. He was oh so excited! We worked a lot with the primary so they could give that talks and musica l number, and it wass sucha spiritual experience. We tried to get him to take pictures but he didnt want to... he just wanted to get baptised! It was really sweet, but the pictures arent to lovely... haha! what can you do? Im so happy that he made the choise to be baptised. His family is so happy to and they are setting goals so they can be active in the church again. I am so happy for them!

Junior is also so excited to be baptised. He said during one of our lessons this week that he wanted to be baptised that very day! He even cried hearing the plan of salvation because he felt so strongly that everything we have been teacing him is true. He has changed so much and I am so proud of him for accepting the gospel in his life! We will be having his baptism this friday becasue he didnt want to wait until saturday! haha :) 

This week we had a service project and we had to move bricks to build a wall and while i was moving a brick I felt something touch my finger and sure enough there was a giant snake coiled up in the brick. It leaped out of the brick into the remaining bricks and all of the elders came running the the rescue with machetes to kill it! It was hilarious and scary! Dont worry I am safe, but it was a poisonous snake and everything... I have pictures for next week because the internet is bad. so crazy! I dont know why im always in danger! I am just oh so grateful for all of your prayers protecting me :)

I love this work. I know that this is the restored gospel and I am so happy to be seeing the gospel work miracles in peoples lives. I know that our baptismal covenants can lead us to eternal life!

Have a wonderful week!!!

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Toponce 

Finding the Chosen

We have had a wonderful week here in Yarinacocha. Everyone wants to be baptised! Seriously. We started teaching and all of our new investigators are accepting baptismal dates and I am super amazed. I seriously am in shock. One investigator we are teaching is named Tyler he is nine, but we are helping his parents become active again in the church. He is super smart and he likes to read the pamphlets before we come so he can teach us! All we have to do is correct him a little bit, but he loves the gospel so much. I dont really feel like were teaching a kid. He is getting baptised this saturday! We are so excited for him and his family, becuse now they will be working on their goal to be sealed in the temple. 

Junior is getting baptised next saturday! On February 3rd! We are so happy for him too. He recieved an answer when he prayed to know if JOseph Smith was a prophet and he said he knew without a doubt that all if this is true and that he wants to be baptised! HIs family is so excited for him that everyone started crying happy tears during the lesson. Even we cried. It was such a sweet experience and we are excited to keep preparing him for the third. He is awesome!

The most amazing story is our investigator Karina. She had heard the missionaries before and knew that she had to get married or separate from her boyfriend before getting baptised and she decided months ago to separate from her boyfriend but she lost communication with the missionaries and was praying that the missionaries would find her. The same day that she had knelt down to pray, this wednesday, we knocked on her door! She was SO HAPPY! We were too. She is golden. She is so prepared to be baptised and has chosed to be baptised on her birthday... the 10 of February! It was such an amazing experience. 

I loved this week. I know that we were able to see miracles in the work because we were praying and fasting to be guided to the people who are prepared. There is so much power in fasting! I know that it helps us to find answers and be guided to do Gods will. I know that God answers prayers! I am so grateful for these experiences from this week because they have seriously changed my life! 

I love you all. Thank you for your prayers and your emails. They help me feel ready to start this new week! 

Conb mucho amor, 

Hermana Toponce

No pictures today :( Bad internet!

Pucallpa 2.0

Hello everyone!!! 

I got transfered... again! I cant seem to stay in one area for more than two transfers and it makes my heart sad to have to leave so many wonderful people behind, but I am super excited to start this new transfer! I am no going ot be in Pucallpa in area Yarinacocha. This area has a lot of farms, and it is a lot poorer than any of my other areas, but the people here are already great! 

My companion is Hermana Lazarte.She is from La Paz Bolivia, and she is 22. She only has two transfers left in the mission. She is awesome. We get along really well and we are teaching powerfully together! The lessons that weve taught together have been some of the most spirit filled Ive had here in the misison. 

We are opening our area, and this will make three times opening and area in my mission. The first week is always getting to know the streets and the people, but next week is going to be a lot more teaching and getting down to business. For being our first week here it was really successful! we already have a new investigator. 

His name is also Junior. He is the brother of a recent convert here named Emily and he wants to learn more about God. He had a really bad accident a month ago and fractured his skull but he got a priesthood blessing and has recovered remarkably fast and wants to do what is right to thank God. We taught him that he needs to come to church and he accepted and came! It was so great. I am excited to start teaching him and get to know the other poeple that are waiting for the gospel here. 

Prayer is so important. All of these changes could have been really hard, but I have learned so much about prayer. God knows everything. He knows where the investigators are who are waiting for the gospel and he knows excactly where we need to be and when. HE HELPS US KNOW THESE THINGS TOO. we just have to pray always and he will guide our steps. I know he loves us. I know he has a plan for us. I am so happy. I am loving the mission and I am excited to see what is going to happen here in Pucallpa :)

Love you all!

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Toponce

11 Months Already?

Today I have 11 whole months in the mission and I cant believe it. Time goes by faster here in the mission. Its crazy! I am so happy to be here and I have loved this time so much! I cant wait to see what else is going to happen. This week we have transfers. We are going to find out tonight at 9 when they call us and its possible that Im going to get transfered. I dont really want to because I love this area so much, but we´ll see what happens. My companion doesnt want to have transfers either! We're just loving our time here and were finding families :)

The family that we found last week when I prayed in my heart is so wonderful. They are progressing and love the gospel. They want to be baptised as soon as possible, we just have to help them learn more, and get married. Its going to be a bit of work, but Im excited for them! 

We also found another family that is super awesome! It is the family of a less active member named Lucio .His wife Melissa isnt a member and we just started teaching them and they came to church this week with their whole family! It was so beautiful and hermana Melissa said that when we were teaching her she felt super happy and calm and we helped her to recognize the spirit for the first time. This is definitly one of my favorite things to be a part of. I hope Ill be able to be here for her baptism too :) 

Today on our way to the internet to write, a man stopped us in the street and asked us to say a prayer with him. He was headed to a job interview and knew that our prayer would help him be more ready. We were so happy to pray with him and he was so grateful. Im glad we were where we needed to be in the right time :) 

I gave a capacitation in our district meeting this week about the gospel and it went really well. I love teaching whenever I can! I got to train our district on the gospel of Jesus Christ and how they can teach in with power and clarity. It helped me to realize just how simple and powerful the gospel is. Im getting better and better teaching it clearly, but I know it because Im understanding it more and more. I got to work alone with a member for two days this week because my companion went to Iquitos, and I was so excited because I got to apply all of the things Ive learned so we coud be successful. Everything went so well and I was super happy! Im glad Ive had so many experiences here in these 11 months that have helped me grow my testimony and learn so many things. The mission helps missionaries grow so much. 

I hope you have all had a great first week of the year, and that the second is even better! I love you all!

Con Mucho amor, 

Hermana Toponce

2018 already? Feliz año nuevo!

Wow. This week has been so great. I keep thinking that the mission cant get any better and then it does! :) Its been raining a lot this week and its been super cold for me. I dont know what Im going to do in utah because even when its a little cold here I cant handle it haha. Luckily my parents sent me a sweater for christmas so i was nice and warm still :) Thanks parents! 

I had such a lovely birthday here in the jungle. I got to celebrate with my pensionista and her family and the Gomez family (the family of our relief society president.) We went to the river and ate pineapple cake and it was beautiful. There were even monkeys in the trees! I never in a million years thought that my birthday away from home would be so great. The only think that would make it better is if my family was there too. I then got to talk to my family and it was so good to hear their sweet vioces. Such a beautiful christmas! 

After chrismtas we got to working like normal again because our investigators were home, and it was great! We taught a ton this week because people are out of school and work, and our investigator PIlar is progressing. She is praying to accept a baptismal date this January. I am super excited for her. Also I heard that Hermana Teresa that we were teaching forever in Pucallpa finally got baptised!! Its the greatest christmas gift ever. It was so hard to teach her, but Im happy to hear that it was all worth it. :)

My favorite teaching ecperience from this week was when we were contacting and no one wanted to listen to us. I knew that there was SOMEONE who was waiting for us so I didnt feel too sad, but I decided to offer a prayer in my heart that we could find a family and right after my companion and I felt prompted to knock on the same door. We knocked on the door and sure enough a sweet family opened the door and let us in. We taught a spirit filled lesson and the accepted that we come back! It was such amiracle. I have such a strong testimony of prayer that keeps growing every day. I know that when we consult the Lord before we do anything, he will guide our steps. As we are starting a new year, I hope we can set a lot of goals and ask for Gods help in accomplishing them. I know he hears and answers our prayers. 

I am loving my time here in Peru. I am loving teaching the gospel. I cant believe that I have to say that I go home this year now. Its so crazy! Feliz año nuevo everyone! I love you all!!!!

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Toponce