Eventful week!

This has been an eventful week! Hermana Carrasco and I received permission to go back to Oriental this weekend because GUESS WHAT. Aide, Ingrid's mom, was baptized! :D One of the most wonderful experiences of my mission. Hermana Wong and Hermana Vazquez had to go to the hospital so Hermana Carrasco and I, and the two elders in the Ward, essentially ran the baptism! I sang “O Mi Padre” to the tune of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” during part of the service. It was a wonderful event and I am so happy that we were able to be a part of it. Aide has completely changed. She couldn't stop smiling during the whole experience. She explained to us how grateful she was that we didn't pressure her into baptism. Eventually it was her time and she felt ready. I am so grateful for the time I spent teaching her while I was in Oriental. It is a wonderful, humbling opportunity to see the type of change that occurs when individuals and families come unto the Savior and His Gospel. It is a miracle to see a father change, and use his Priesthood authority to perform the sacred ordinances of baptism and confirmation for his family, with their sites set on the Temple and the opportunity to be sealed there.

We also received news that Hermana Carrasco is being sent back down the mountain -- something neither of us were expecting -- and Hermana Lambert will be joining me up here in the mountains! I will be teaching her the area and she will be teaching me how to be a sister training leader. That means the two of us will participate in mission leadership councils and go on divisions with the other Hermanas in our zone. It also means that will get to see Hermana Wong and Hermana Wolferts on a regular basis since they are serving in Oriental and Neza as sister training leaders as well. Super excited but very humbled and nervous. I feel like there are other sisters who know so much more than I do, but I am ready to do my best and just "Go for't!!" ;) Big news we were not expecting but it's going to be fun :) I will miss my little Hermana Carrasco though! I have loved being her trainer. We have gone through a lot together these past 12 weeks which has brought us close. There is probably so much more I could have taught her and could have done better as far as training but she is ready to go out and work. I really will miss her!

On another note, our investigator Rocio that I told you about last week prayed and fasted for guidance regarding wedding and baptism and and now has wedding and baptismal dates for April 16 and April 23 :) She acted on the invitation we gave her, kept her commitment, and received an answer :) So happy! Love you all.

Con amor,

Hermana Jones

(Parent note:  this email was "sent" on Monday, February 15, 2016, but due to what appears to be a server issue, it sat in our little Hermana's "sent items" box for a week and we just received it). Cheers!

Aide's baptism day!

Another of Aide's baptism day. I love love love La Familia Santoyo Chavez. Erick was basically inactive when we began visiting his family. Now he holds the Priesthood, has baptized his wife, and his daughter Ingrid (about a month ago), and they are planning to be sealed in the Temple next Valentine's Day :)

Hermana Carrasco and me with Kaori and Derrick, two of the cutest children in the world (their parents were baptized last April and will be sealed in the Temple this coming April -- I really hope I can go), During our visit to Oriental, we showed up unannounced at their door and the look on their faces was priceless!

This is us with Alicia and Salvador. They are progressing slowly but surely. Their son, Hermano Brautrelet, is here in the pic as well. He is the Ward Executive Secretary and was baptized 3ish years ago. He is a great guy, always helping us out with whatever we need. It was really nice visiting them again for a little bit during our stay in Oriental.

My new companion, Hermana Lambert :)