Villanueva Week 15

Familia!

Everything is going great here with Elder Marte! We had a successful week even tho my comp sick. He had the same thing I had last week but it looks like he is doing better today. Just in time for Pday how lucky? haha This week was full of random stuff! First we had an amazing meeting with President Dester and all the district and zone leaders and I got to see all my friends! President was so great to motivate us and we all learned so much! Almost all of the leaders are new so it was nice to get help from President!

This week we were able to share the Restoration movie with a family and wow what an experience! I've always loved showing this movie to our investigators. It brings the spirit soooo strongly into a home and I really feel they come to understand who Joseph Smith really was. (Here everyone talks bad about him). Afterwards we gave some time to the family members to comment about their feelings and ask some questions and I just could feel each one of them receiving a testimony about the Prophet! They came to church and had a great experience. Testifying of Joseph Smith is one of the most powerful tools in bringing the people to this perfect gospel! I hope you are all well and are helping your missionaries out! 

Love you guys!

-Elder Sessions

Looking forward to electric washing and drying machines!

with Elder Berstrom!

Villanueva Week 14

Hey everyone!

Sweet week here with Elder Marte! We had divisions for a couple days and I just love my zone! They are just so fun and hard working. Today we all went to the waterfall and it was a blast! So we got a bunch of new leaders called in our ward and it's been fun to visit with them and to help the ward grow. What we have been doing for each organization is we take out the list of all the people that we have that are inactive or don't really come much to church. It's been nice to help them understand more the responsibility that we have to take care of those new members and I really hope as we continue to do this we can see results! It's a huge challenge here to keep visiting and helping the new people but It just requires love and some sacrifice but I know all will work out.

A while ago I commented about the Castro family, they are doing great! Well the mother Norma and her kids have been coming to church and they love it! Norma is so funny we just laugh all the time and we have gained her trust so much. She's like a sponge and really understands all we teach! She is living with a man named Luis but she's in a tough spot of not wanting to be with him and marrying him so we just gotta wait for her to make a decision! 

I hope you all have a great week love you tons! 

-Elder Sessions

Villanueva Week 13

My new companion Elder Marte

Hey family!

I got my new comp! His name is Elder Marte and he's from the Domincan Republic! The best part is that we have been great friends since the start of the mish! We were both hoping that he would come here with me! We are excited to be working together and to help this ward grow. 

This week has been pretty rough with getting sick. I got one of those weird sickness that got going around here and it's kept me from getting out of the bed alot this week. I'm really hoping to start feeling better but today I woke up with all my joints being swollen...hope this week will be different!

We were able to share a message with alllll the ward councils of our stake and it was so great! It was like 150 of all the awesome members ready to help with the missionary work! We were in charge of teaching the new stake missionary plan and help the ward councils get on board. Our  ward mission leader has been so great. He has been giving us references and helping the members get more involved. We are hoping to keep this going!

Well its a short letter this week sorry! Have a great week!

-Elder Sessions

Saying Goodbye to some friends...

Villanueva Week 12

Our Area

Hey family!

Pretty weird/crazy/fast week! My comp Elder Tello is leaving for his home tomorrow! AH so insane! Man it is hard to be the comp of an elder finishing his 2 years....but don't worry I'm not baggy! haha This week has been busy for him saying bye to everyone, buying stuff and packing. It's going to be sad to see him go, he's been a great friend and I know he's going to help alot of people back in Peru! The weird part is I only have one transfer now! I will have a new comp and half the zone will be new with 4 people training! It's going to be awesome!

This week we had a couple of sweet service projects. The first one was as a zone we went to chop a huge field for a member. But when I say huge I mean it's a huge farm haha! But us 14 missionaries did work and got alot done! It was sooooo hot and I got sunburned alot. Then the other one was funny. This less inactive family needed help moving into their new house. They live at the bottom of a huge mountain and when we asked where we were taking the stuff they said "oh just right down the road". HA it was straighttttt up the mountain with just little passage ways all the way up carrying huge sofas and tables hahaha it was rough but it was good to help them!

We are very excited for this transfer! Lots of plans. Our Bishop is moving to Guatemala so the 2nd counselor of the stake is going to take over. And he's is so great! He's super motivated and loves missionary work. We have lots planned with him and always our new ward mission leader is pumped and has given us so many references! Along with those two we have a high counselor assigned to our ward that also is working with us a ton! Great things are in store! 

Hope you all have a great week!

-Elder Sessions

A family made us sushi...I survived it!

A great family in our ward

New members Br. and Sis. Paz have new church callings in Young Women and Sunday School!

Villanueva Week 11

I like this picture because Jarom is in the front
instead of the back where he usually is in these photos!

Hey familia!

What a busy week! Just meeting after meeting! We had interviews President Dester, the leadership meeting, stake leaders conference with Elder Valledares of the 70, and divisions and interviews for the other elders. Lots of bus rides! And 2 sets of Elders are changing houses and we are in charge of finding and approving the new ones and meeting the old and new landlords. Ah we hardly got to be in our area it seems like! But we were still able to have some great lessons and had a good turnout at church. Which was good because I was able to give a talk! This is the second one I have given here in Villanueva and it's always a great experience helping the members get motivated for mission work!

I couple great investigators came to church this week so that was great to see their desire to learn more! They all need to get married and they don't really like that idea so we are praying that they come to have a testimony and will do the right thing! 

It's been so amazing how the world is changing and to see how much we members of the church need to step our game up. I've been reading out of the conference talks lately and the talk from President Monson, "Be an Example and a Light". He did a fantastic job explaining that as members of the church we are looked at as different and it's because we ARE different! And how we need to shine our light for those to see though charity, spirit, faith and purity. 

He says, "Each of us came to earth having been given the Light of Christ. As we follow the example of the Savior and live as He lived and as He taught, that light will burn within us and will light the way for others."

I just thought that was a great way for each of us as member missionaries to help share the gospel and live happier lives! 

Love you all Have a great week!

Elder Sessions

Yummy beef soup!

Villanueva Week 10

Hey everyone!

Pretty great week! 2016!! So crazy right?! 2 wards share our church building so now we change from 8 to 10! What a blessing haha. Record attendence at church! This time of the year is so special for missionary work. Alot of people are looking for change or for something better than last year and that's where we come in! We have been able to have many spiritual experiences talking about the atonement of Jesus Christ. Here in this area we have found that many many people have addictions and it's such a blessing to have a loving Savior to help each one of to become clean and happy.

It's been kinda hard having to drop investigators lately. Alot of people just don't want to keep commitments and don't have a desire to learn more! Sad but oh well! We are hoping that with more members going to church that we can start getting more references to find some new people! 

A family invited all of the missionaries of our zone for New Years and we ate tons of food and saw a ton of fireworks! These people are crazy...we couldn't even see there was so much smoke in the air. 

Happy new years to you guys! 

Love you tons!

-Elder Sessions

Villanueva Week 9

Elder Sessions wasn't feeling well this week. He sent a few pictures though!