Because I Have Been Given Much

So transfers game and went and I get to stay in Yarinacocha Pucallpa with Hermana Lazarte! I am so happy that I didnt get transfered becasue we have a lot of great people we are teaching who are getting close to baptism. I love this area. I know without a doubt that God has prepared this area for me and my companion. 

This week we had so conference and it was amazing! Most of the trainings were on the book of mormon and the spirit was so strong! There are a ton of new Elders and there was a lot of excitement about missioary work which I thought was great. Hermana Quispe got transferred to Pucallpa so I get to see her again!! It made me so happy to hear that shell be finishing her mission here!! 

Hermana Li shared her conversion story with me in our interview )we dont have interviews with our president just his wife) and she talked about how the Sister missionaries changed her life and how grateful she is that the sisters choose to serve missions. In our mission we only have 16 sisters and 6 will be finishing their missions this transfer... we will only have 10! Sister Li told me that this mission is really hard. She is so proud of us for being able to serve in the jungle and be so happy and have success. I was so grateful for this interview with her. Every mission is hard. Thats why its called a mission! But I am so glad that Heavenly Father gave me this mission. Its the best for me! I read a quote by Thomas S. Monson this week that I loved, ¨May we ever choose the hardest right, instead of the easier wrong.¨ 

It is not easy to live the gospel... its not easy to share it but it is right! 

I am so grateful for this work and for my mission! I hope you can all choose the harder right this week and trust in God. He will direct your paths!

Love, 

Hermana Toponce

I Feel My Savior's Love

I just want to wish you all a happy late velentines day!! THis week I was thinking about how much love the Savior has for all of us and how much love God has for us. There are so many ways I can feel and recognize their love for me here in the mission. This week especially!

One of the ways that I could feel their love was in the baptism that we had for Hermano Junior! He was so happy! All of his family came and when he shared his testimony he said that he is so excited to use this year to prepare for his mission. The most special was that his best friend got to baptise him! It was such a beautiful Saturday that I will never forget. I cant stop smiling!!

I am looking forward to the other baptism that we have coming up to for a boy named Wills. He is 14 and he loved the message of the restoration because he is 14 too and has the same question! He is loving the book of mormon and super excited to be baptised. 

Karina was going to get baptised this week on the 24, but she said she wants more time to prepare. Well see when she wants to be baptised but shes getting there! Raul and Madelen are working things out so they can accept a date too! We are praying that they accept!! They are such a great family.

I can also feel Gods love for me when we are guided to find people. We were guided this week to find two new amazing families and I am so excited to start teaching them. We felt the need to go a different way than normal, we knocked on a door and found one of the families and they gave us the reference of the other! It was a miracle. 

I love peru. I love the bugs, the dirt, the sun, motokars. I love having a pensionista. I love speaking another language. I love teaching the gospel! 

I know that Jesus Christ is our savior. I know that he loves us So much and that he is the way to eternal life. I know that Charity, the pure love of Christ, never faileth. I hope you have a great week and can recognize the many ways that God is showing His love for you.

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Toponce

Scripture Power

So I am doing a lot better than I was last week. I am healthier, the week went really well and life is good! We are getting close to Juniors baptism. ITS THIS SATURDAY!! and he is so excited. He sends us a text everyday counting down the days. We also have another investigator named Karina and her son who are going to be baptised on the 24th of february. It is so fun seeing how excited they are to make this promise with God. 

This week I taught my companion the primary song, "Scripture Power" because she wanted to learn an easy song and it has been the sweetest hearing her sing one of my favorite primary song, but thinscute little song has also strengthened my testimony  a lot this week. When I sent Alma 37:37 to JUnior last week it really changed his life... it is amazing to me how one verse of scripture can make such a bigdifference in our lives. It got me thinking about Joseph Smith and the one verse he read in James 1:5 that has changed all of our lives and made possible the restoration of the gospel. It is amazing how God guides us and speaks to us through His scriptures. 

Tyler our recent convert also came up to me in church yesterday all excited and asked me where I am in my book of mormon becasue I started over my book of mormon so wee could have a competition and he is beating me!! I cant believe it! I love to see his excitement to read the scriptures. 

I have a testimony that ther Book of MOrmon is true. Ot is the word of God. It changes lives. It is the keystone of my testimony and of our Rreligion! I hope you can all give a little time to read the book of mormon this week and see how amazing it is! 

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Toponce

Also no pictures this week... sorry!!!!

And My Soul Hungered

So to be honest... this week has been a little difficult. But I have learned a lot from the experiences of this week so all is well. I got really sick this week because my companion went to Iquitos for her leaders council and I stayed with Hermana Gomez and Hermana Melchor in the other area in our zone. When I ate the food that their pensionista prepared I got super sick and my pensionista was so mad! haha but I am a lot better now. Ive only been able to eat chicken soup and crackers all week which is one of the reasons for the title of my email! 

A bird also pooped on my head while we were on our way to church yesterday... haha! We were also running a little late because we were picking up investigators so I had to run into the bathroom and wash my hair real quick. It was hilariously unfortunate. I have changed so much in the mission because if this happened at home Im sure I would have been upset. Oh jungle birds. At least it was a really pretty bird!

The most unfortunate thing, but also the most rewarding is the fact that Junior did not get baptised this Saturday. When my companion got back from Iquitos on Friday we felt the need to visit him to see how he was doing and when we got to his house he looked really troubled. We asked him what happened and he told us that he couldnt be baptised on Saturday because he had broken a commandment. He felt so strongly that he should tell us. The night before I felt that I should send him a scripture to help him and I sent Alma 37 37  and he told us that it was a text message inspired of God because the verse of scripture made him feel the need to pray to God to ask for help. He said that at first he felt super sad about what he had done, but after praying he felt comfort and he knew that he would be able to get baptised after a little more time and preparation. There is nothing like seeing your investigator understand the principal of repentacne. I am so proud of him for having the desire to do what is right, and for having the courage to fix what he had done. I am amazed that the spirit touches our hearts to help us through our trials and touch the hearts of others. I know that God works miracles and I know that Junior is going to be so ready to be baptised. His new date is the 17th of February!!

This experience made me think of Enos when he prayed with all of his might to be forgiven for his sins and how GOd heard his prayer. His soul hungered for his salvation. I know that prayer and fasting help us to be forgiven and help us to recieve miracles! 

Another great thing is that this week I am going to complete 1 WHOLE YEAR IN THE MISSION! I cant even believe it. I know that the church is true. I know that Christ is our savior and that if we turn to him we can find peace in this challenging world.

I love you all tons! Im sending a big warm hug from peru!!

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Toponce 

Nos vemos en seis meses 

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