Gratitud :)

Hello everyone!

This week was thanksgiving and it was a lot different than I thought it would be. I spent my thanksgiving at the hospital here because I was sick, but I am all better now so all is well! Ask my parents if you want more information, haha. My pensionista made me cake for thanksgiving and when we got home for the night the sisters and I offered a prayer of gratitude and said all of the things we are grateful for to do something the celebrate thanksgiving and I was super happy. Im glad that Im surrounded by sweet missionaries who want to help me feel a little at home for the holidays. :)

As an early christmas present, we got a new house!! Im so happy to have our own space again. We are now healthy, happy and ready to get back to work. Our house is a little bigger than our other one too so no complaints here. Im super happy. 

This week I had the prompting to buy some cookies and I didnt know why because I didnt want to eat cookies, but I baught them anyway. We then were teaching an investigator and her mom came in the door with her crying sister and when I asked what happened she told me that she got to her choir concert late and they  started singing without her. She was seriously so sad, and then I remembered that I had cookies! I gave her the cookies and her face lit up! I am so happy that I listened to the spirit and that I could help her feel better. 

This week has been rough, but I know that God helps us when we give our all. I have seen lots of little miracles this week and have felt the guidance of the spirit. I know that God answers prayers. I hope you all had a healthy happy thanksgiving. I am now healthy, Piter is still progressing towards his baptism, Im still super happy, and praying that I dont have transfers tonight! 

Thanks for all of your love and prayers. The really truly do help so much!
Love you all!!

Hermana Toponce

***Natalie had to sleep on the floor of some other sisters apartment while they found her a new one. She slept outside of a bug net and got tons of bug bites. Because of the bites she was feeling sick and dizzy, so they sent her to the hospital for tests. She is "disease free" she said. She is low on iron and has to check on her health again in couple weeks, but she is good for now!

Homeless

Once upon a time we are now living with the other Sisters in Tarapoto, because we cant live in our house. This week we were enjoying our time during our morning personal study when I heard someone calling to us from outside of our window. It was a strange man without shoes and he was looking directly into our third floor apartment signalling us to come down. We shut the window, and kept studing and then we got a phonecall from the lady that owns the apartment saying that there was a man who wanted to talk to the Gringa (white girl) on the third floor and she asked if we knew him. He then tried to get in the building a different way and they had to tell him to leave. After this lovely experience we called our zone leaders and they told us that we can no longer live in this apartment. We are now looking for a new house, but I am so grateful that no one let him in to the apartment comlex! So many crazy things happen here! But, were safe and healthy so all is well. 

This week we went to a castle for Pday! A real castle! It was super pretty and fun do see something different for Pday. We went with our whole zone and took a bunch of pictures. I absolutely loved it. Ive decided that were going to live in the castle for a while haha. 

All of Peru was united to watch soccer this week. It was so interesting that everyone was wearing red and white and celebrating when there was a soccer game but for the national holiday of peru hardly anyone celebrated. Oh soccer. At least they won :) 

Were going to have another baptism!!!! Im so excited. The son of our recent convert Flor has accepted to be baptised and he will be having his baptism in the beginning of december. He is so happy and he wants to be baptised so that he can rcieve the priesthood and help his family. It was so special to hear his desire to be baptised. 

I love this missin so much. I am learning and growing every day and I know that missionaries ar protected and guided in this work. I know that the gospel has been restored and that it really truly does bless families. I am so grateful for all of the people who have helped me to be here so that I can teach the gospel. Thank you, thank you, thank you. They dont celebrate Thanksgiving here, but I want you all to know how grateful I am for all of you and for this time I have to share the restored gospel. Have a lovely Thanksgiving!!

Con MUCHO amor y gratitud, 

Hermana Toponce

Milagros

Hello Hello!

This has been a week of miracles. I have seen the hand of God so much in the work this week and I am so grateful. We were walking on our way to an appointment, but we felt that we should go a different way than normal and while we were walking we ran into a returned missionary who was super excited to see us! He told us that he was about to visit his friend Milagros and that we needed to teach her right away. He asked us if we had time and OF COURSE we did! We went to teach her and it was an amazing lesson. She has definitly been prepared for the gospel. I am so glad we decided to walk down a different street! (Milagros means miracles in spanish) 

There is a new member in our Branch who moved here from Lima, and was called to be Relief society president. She was a little worried about getting to know the sisters in our branch so we offered to help her, and she was also sad because her plants from lima were dying and she needed dirt, so to help her with both of these things we planned a hike with the relieve society to find the best dirt on the mountain. She was so happy and she got to know a lot of the branch. We as missionaries walk super fast but hiking the mountain with the relief society sisters was so slow! We were happy to help her get settle in to Tarapoto. 

The work here is going really well. We are finding families and people who are really excited to hear the gospel. I know that from the people we have found this week, we will find those who are ready for baptism. 

God really knows when we need and he guides us so that we can be in the right place at the right time. I loved seeing miracles this week and being reminded that God really does have everything planned just right. I love the mission and I am so excited to see what is going to happen in these last two weeks of this transfer. 

I hope you all have a great week, keep following the spirit and I know you will be guided in the right direction :)

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Toponce

Woooah We´re Halfway There

Hello, Hello! 

I officially have 9 months left of my mission and I cant even believe it. This week has been such a good way to celebrate my halfway mark of the mission.

First off, Flor got baptised! It was such a special day and she asked me to sing a hymn for her baptism. She cried, snd the spirit was so strong. We also had a few investigators come to her baptism who are preparing to be baptsied. I love having the chance to teach them and help them make this sacred covenant. 

For my nine months in the mission I had a few goals. I wanted to read the whole book of mormon in spanish and I wanted to get my "Maestros del Evangelio" ( an award that is kind of like personal progress of the mission that people usually get at the end.) and i am super happy to say that I met both of my goals! I LOVED reading the book of mormon in a different language and I know that it is true. It strengthened my testimony so much that no matter what language we´re speaking, the gospel of Jesus Christ will always be true! 

My Pensionistas brother was killed this week in a scary shooting at his work and the branch is super sad about it. He was a member of the church and he has such a beautiful family. We got to her house right when she got the news and we offered a prayer with her to bring comfort. We felt the spirit so strongly and knew that everything would be okay. I felt o bad for her and her family. 

I know without a doubt that families can be together forever thanks to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. When we make covenants with God and keep covenants, we will recieve blessings. I love this chance to help people prepare to have eternal families and teach them the restored gospel. I cant believe I only get to do this full time for 9 more months! Time flies. I love you all and hope you have a great week and remember the importance of keeping your covenants :)

Con Amor,

Hermana Toponce

Let's get down to business

So, we are a lot more comfortable in our new area. We now know the people and the streets really well and we were able to get to work this week, after Tuesday because I was sick on Tuesday. But This week has been super great! We taught one lesson on Tuesday and I was coughing so bad, which made me sad because we were teaching my favorite lesson, the law of chastity, but I was really happy because our investigator Flor understood and was willing to make the changes she needed to in her life to live this commandment. I am so grateful for the spirit because without the spirit we would be able to change peoples hearts.

Hermana Flor is the best and... shes getting baptised for my moms birthday! November fourth! I am so excited for her. She has such a sweet spirit and she is beyond excited to take this step in her life. The sisters who were teaching her before us could NOT get her to accept a date but with a lot of prayer and fasting Flor accepted to be baptised. Pictures to come next week :)

This week we had zone conference and we celebrated my birthday. haha! dontn worry my birthday isnt until christmas, but we wont be having a zone conference until after christmas, so we celebrated my birthday! There was cake and everything. It was really weird to celebrate so early but it was really sweet.

We know the members in our branch so well that we´ve been invited to so many family home evenings tonight that I dont kow what were going to do. My branch president asked me to give a talk on unity this week and I was so happy to help. Its so great that he had confidence that I could help the branch have a little more unity. I have so many goals for this transfer and this area. I know that there is so much potential here. We are teaching two new families and they are golden.

I know that when we accept the changes that happen in our lives, and ask for God´s help we can be successful. I was really sad to have transfers from my other area, but I know that God has a lot of things planned for me here in Tarapoto. I hope you all have a great week. Thank you for your love and support!

Con amor,
Hermana Toponce

Also sorry that the picture is blurry. The elder who took the picture had cake on his hands :P 

Zona Tarapoto!

Same Companion, Different Area

So we had transfers and I cant believe it! We were getting ready for bed on monday night because we were both certain that nothing was going to happen and the phone rang! We got transferred to Tarapoto. It is a beautiful area. There are lots of trees, there are mountains and its not hot. I was so happy when we got off the plane because I actually felt a little cold!

Here in Tarapoto there arent any wards, just branches but the members are so great. Our branch president was so excited to meet us that he offered to show us the whole area! Im super excited to work with the members here. The people here arent too interested in hearing our message. In my other areas it was super easy to get in the dorr, but here its been difficult. Im excited to learn how to teach the people here. I havent seen a wooden house in a week! and there are hardly any dirt roads. It is so different! 

Theres not too much to tell about the area yet, were still getting to know the members and the area and our investigators so there will be more to tell next week. I am just really happy and excited to start my new adventure here in Tarapotto. Also I cant believe that I am with Hermana Quispe again. I am so excited!

Hermana Quispe tried her first Pb&J this week so that was pretty exciting. There is penut butter here and I told her that she had to try something that I love. Haha she really liked it. 

I know that the church is true and I know that there are people here who are waiting for the gospel! We just have to find them. I hope you have a great week. Keep helping the missionaries find people to teach!! 

Con Amor, 

Hermana Toponce

I LOVE IQUITOS

I seriously love the mission. My companion is super great and weve been working well together. We are having a lot of succes and were happy! I couldnt ask for anything better. I also love my area. The people are really nice. My investigadors are progressing. THREE FAMILIES!! One is Esteban and Nara, The other is Lila and Jairo, and the other is Gloria and Jaime. All of them are reading their book of mormon, coming to church and preparing to get married and baptised in december. It has been so fun teaching them and they all tell me that I explain the gospel well. It made me happy to hear because my goal this transfer was to teach better :) We have transfers tonight and I am praying that I can stay here so I can see them get baptised! 

We arent teaching Bruno anymore... :( We went to find him and he told us that he had a dream that his church is true after praying. We wanted to help him interpret his dream, but he said he didnt need to hear more. I was heartbroken, but I know he will accept the gospel someday :) 

This week I totally ran into a cement wall. I was talking to my companion and I didnt look in front of my and I smacked my head into cement. It was super painful, but now Im totally okay. When I told president he told me that I need to be more careful. Haha! 

This week has been really good, and I am especially grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ. Thanks to Him we have the chance to become better everyday! I have loved seeing the gospel help these sweet families. I cant wait to see what other families are here waiting to hear the good news of the gospel :) 

Have a wonderful week!

Con amor, 

Hermana Toponce