15 Minute Oraciones (Prayers)

Dear Familia,

Mission life is AMAZING! What a great week it has been! And I am soooo excited as I am sure all of you are about conference this weekend! I know it is such a special time to receive renewed strength and answers to our questions!! Oh and the weather here is crazy like Utah yesterday it was 60 degrees!!! Unfortunately it's not staying there but it has been nice to have some relief from the cold!

A milagro (miracle) this week was that Gaspar was able to switch his schedule!!!! He has been trying to get work off since December to attend church. He has been able to come once prior to this week but his schedule never permitted him to come. We took a different approach last week and asked him to start looking for another job or start looking for ways to switch his schedule and not just talk with his boss. He was able to switch his shift so he can now attend all 3 hours of church every Sunday!!!! It was so amazing to see him at church this week because he is by far the most ready person I have met out here for the gospel. He prays morning and night and continually reads in the Book of Mormon. He has the strongest testimony and a love for our Savior I strive to have. I know the Lord blesses us when we act on our faith and go out of our comfort zone, trust me it was not easy having to ask him to look for another job (especially with him being Mexican they never get good jobs like working in a restaurant as a cook) but him acting on his faith and trying something different allowed the Lord to make it possible for him to be able to attend church and ultimately change his life forever. I had so much overwhelming joy to be with him at church and see his cute smile!!! Oh and another plus he is getting baptized April 15th!!!

I have never been apart of so many different weird prayers in my life until here out in Minnesota! I think a part of that is that I am with a lot of Mexicans and Guatemalans and people like that. So this week we were teaching in the Lavanderia, the laundry mat or our "safe place" because it is in public right by the trailer park we spend a lot of time in and most of our investigators are men! Anyways, we were teaching a man named Francisco and at the end we asked him to pray for us and he said yes. So we are kneeling down in a laundry mat with Francisco and he is just praying silently away to himself. A lot of Guatemalans and Mexicans do this or they whisper or whisper when you pray...its different hahaha. We were sitting there praying for a good 5 minutes and I am just wondering what is going on if he was still praying or if he was just sitting there so I look up and he is still praying and it almost made me laugh because my comp kept checking for the same thing. So I looked down at my watch just to see how much longer the prayer would go and it went another solid 7 minutes. I almost started laughing again because Hermana Jones did the same thing. We were just kneeling in silence for about 15 mins with people all around us. It was awesome! A prayer is a prayer! Also, we prayed with Kristine this week and she asked us in the prayer if we had anything to say so both me and my comp added in what we wanted to say and then she closed it in the name of Jesus Christ amen! Hahaha we didn't know if this was really allowed or what but it felt fine and we all got out what we were feeling! It's amazing what crazy things you can experience even here in the US!

There is this middle aged man Denis and he is always outside smoking or sitting on his steps. We are always around his house because we have lots of investigators over there so we see him often! So...we taught him and his daughter once and he really doesn't like the Mormon church but he decided to read some of the Book of Mormon. So the next time we saw him he said I have a book for you! So he gave us it and went on to tell us how it was all a hoax and there is no way it could be true. That there was no evidence and that this guy was just a really smart guy who got a group of his friends together to back him up and make lots of money. And some other stuff as well...this was the hardest rejection I have gotten on my mission thus far. It was really really hard to hear him say the things he was saying about the book of Mormon and our church. I wanted to just scream right back to him you don't know the truth we do!!!! But of course I would never do that so the first thing I did was bare my testimony. The spirit was rushing through my body and even though he didn't care I knew that what I was saying was true with my whole heart. It was amazing because I still felt gods love even though we had just been torn apart. It was quite amazing because after that he started saying how well it could be true and it couldn't be. His demeanor was changed and I think his heart was softened just a little. I know that when we testify of Christ we will have the holy ghost and our father in heaven backing us up. I know that when we stand up for what we believe in and do it in a loving way we WILL change people's lives.

This week we were able to have the entire Torres family at church! They are a less active Mexican family! It was truly a miracle because they haven't been to church since I have been out here on my mission and even a long time before that. We went to their home this week and read a chapter with them from the Book of Mormon and the spirit was so strong. The parents weren't supposed to come this week because of work but there girls said they would. But on Saturday we called them and they decided to sacrifice and at least attend sacrament meeting!!!!  I know that this renewed desire to attend church was possible through the Book of Mormon. It has power more than I can imagine! It was so fun to see them all there sitting in church and it really adds to the people who speak Spanish!

As you can see I am doing great and becoming so close to my Savior. This month will really be great with conference and Easter and the warmer weather! I want you all to read 3 nephi 27 if you get the chance. It is amazing and the last council that Jesus gives to the people in the Americas before he leaves..i love it and know it can give you renewed strength to stay on the path of happiness. Yo se que jesucristo es nuestro Salvador y que el tiene la mas amor possible para nosotros y la amor de dios y cristo es personal para cada persona. Yo se que jesucristo vive y que nosotros podemos encontrar la mas felicidad possible mediante nuestro Salvador.

I love you all so much and hope you have a great week!!!!

XOXOX

Hermana Pentelute

Pictures:

1-2. Josie

3. The pictures are of Elvia one of our investigators and her daughters. The one in the pictures with us found the cameras in our bags and went crazy, her name is josie I love her :)

Many Mighty Miracles (MMM)

Dear Familia, life could not be better!!

What many marvelous miracles (MMM for the MMM mission:)) are happening here in St. Peter. This week I felt the love of our father in Heaven so strong for the people I was teaching. Especially for a lady we met named Kristy. We knocked on her door and I guess to the missionaries before me she was very rude and scary and said some harsh things when they were out walking in the road. When she answered she automatically apologized and told us she had asked for forgiveness. She started to tell us about her life, like everything in her life and she was crying. I got a spiritual prompting to just ask to stop and say a prayer. So we did and she offered it. It was amazing and it brought the spirit SO strong. I then after gave her a hug and I was overfilled with the love our Savior and father have for her. (I think I gave her 3 hugs in the first 30 minutes of meeting with her haha) She has had a VERY hard life and she has no family left. I am amazed at some of the things people have to go through and also how so very lucky I am to have the life I do. She then went on to tell us we were her angles and she begged us to come back. She said in her own words "I need this in my life, please come back." I am truly astonished everyday how we are put in the paths of others to help change their lives and that the Lord our Savior trusts me to help those who need it. All I can think is how lucky am I to be a apart of this and what a miracle. There is NOTHING better than this and the feeling of

joy I have felt from bringing others happiness!!!!

This week was crazy busy like always we taught 25 lessons! (that's good for those of you who don't think it's a lot hahah) There were lots of interesting and funny things that happened. First, I don't know why but I have never smelt more awful smells than here in Minnesota...probably from all of the smoke. So we knocked on this ladies door and the apartment complex when we walked in smelt terrible but when she opened the door we knew where the smell was coming from! It was like it engulfed my whole body and it took everything in me not to first cough up a storm and second not bust up laughing because it was that bad. I literally just let my companera say hello while I breathed in the side of my coat for a minute. I hope this is a good enough depiction of the situation, it was smoke pee and stinky foot all combined in one. I could only think of mom and she probably wouldn't have been able to stand there for more than 30 seconds, hahaha it was quite the experience! The next funny thing that happened was with a guy named Doug. He LOVES his pet bunny and that might even be an understatement. So when we went into the house to teach it was bunnyville! There was hay and grass on the floor acorns and logs....anything you can imagine that would make that little guy happy. He has full reign of the house and is the princess. It was quite the site hahah I have never seen anything quite like it!!!! While we were tracting this week we knocked into a girl named Carla. She told us now wasn't a good time and that they were going to bed. Her son that was standing next to her then went on to say "we are?" hahaha it made me laugh it is funny the excuses people make but we just come right back and say well we will be in the area.....:)

Gaspar! I want to tell you a little bit more about Gaspar, he is one of the coolest people I have met!! He is still trying to get work figured out so he can come Sundays and be baptized. He doesn't have a phone so you can imagine its hard to get ahold of him seeing that he works 12 hours a day as well! But...THE LORD ALWAYS PROVIEDS A WAY. It is so cool because somehow the Lord always puts little Gaspar in out path so we can talk to him!! We were at the store last p-day and who do we see Gaspar? We were driving in the car and needed to get a hold of him and who do we see walking Gaspar!!! It is truly a miracle and makes me know Heavenly Father loves us and watches out for us no matter where we are!!

Jason and Travis are still doing great on the road to baptism. We taught them in a member home this week with other elders from our district! Jason told us the story of when we found him from his point of view! He said that his life was just not going good and that he was super sad especially that day. He said he was thinking to himself and praying that things would get better and that he could be happy. He wanted more from his life. He said within 2 minutes of this we knocked on his door and there we were smiling and happy and that was all he needed. I was trying not to just smile so big and cry at the same time when I heard this during the lesson so people wouldn't be scared! haha I kept it together though. But how cool is that? God prepares people for us to teach and then leads us to them.

I LOVE MY MISSION! I LOVE MINNESOTA! I LOVE ST. PETER! I LOVE OUR HEAVENLY FATHER!

So as I said earlier life couldn't be better. I am so greatful for your constant support and role you all play in my life. Look to the savior in all things. He will ALWAYS provide a way. He will ALWAYS  support and sustain us and he will ALWAYS love us and take us if we come to him. I know my Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer and I know that he lives and loves us. Come unto him RUN to him and he will give you rest.

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Pictures...there were some beautiful sunsets this week!! Also there is a pic of my first experience trying to make fried chicken..

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hola Familia! Happy St. Patrick's day!

Let me first start out by saying the Book of Mormon is the GREATEST book in the world. Read it. Every day. I love it so much. The Book of Mormon is necessary for a lasting conversion. Through the Book of Mormon we receive strength and guidance and once you know the Book of Mormon is true everything else about the gospel will make sense to you. I love that out here our two biggest tools are the Book of Mormon and the spirit. It is amazing that if someone can read the Book of Mormon with a sincere and open heart and then ask God if it is true they can receive a testimony. I cannot stress the value of the Book of Mormon enough. IT'S AWESOME!

Well this week (today) I got a filling for my tooth so all is well there. As I was watching him get all the tools ready I was just thinking thank goodness I am in the United States and can trust these people with my mouth. And also of mom who is probably rocking it at Total Dental Care. I use that chap stick everyday by the way!

The power of the spirit and the power of God always conquer. This week has been trying however because Satan is smart. Jerson's dad this week told him he was not ready for baptism so he can't be baptized. I woke up to this news and just wanted to cry. It is crazy how much I yearn for the eternal salvation of others. Satan knows exactly how to get you and he is working really hard on our investigators right now. BUT God is stronger and smarter. I am putting all of my faith in him and praying so hard for our investigators. Jerson is a 17 year old boy from Medilla Minnesota but I know that one day he will be a missionary. Lots and lots of prayer and hard work!! Jason and Travis are doing awesome. I am so excited for them....we are praying they get baptized this next month. Baptisms are not easy, but the thing that is of the most importance is their conversion.

Minnesota is like another country there is SO much diversion! There are tons of Samalians and Kenyans and Guatemalans and Mexicans. We met a lady this week from Sudan and she was the sweetest lady ever!! She knew hardly any English but just kept saying how much she loved god and Jesus and then she told us she loved us :) We wont be able to teach her because of the language barrier but before we left she gave us a big hug and I just felt gods love for her.

So this week we were at a member dinner (which are rare so feed all the missionaries you can!) and we were coming down there stairs. I jokingly told my companera to not fall down the stairs and the next thing you know she's flying down the stairs. It was in front of everyone sitting at the table waiting for us and it was super funny. I still laugh about it when I think about it.

This week we went to a free dinner at The Jesus church here in St. Peter. It's a Christian church that everyone loves. So I took some pictures of the stuff they have hung up. Everything everywhere just says JESUS they even have billboards. A pastor came up and talked to me and my companera and these two investigators we were with. He was telling us how there is a telescope that is now invented that saw heaven.....I was biting my tounge trying not to laugh because we cannot see heaven from earth. He said its just like a town with people walking around and white buildings and stuff. It is so interesting learning about everyone's religion!!!! 

Well family I love you so much. I hope you know the Lord loves you even more and will lift you up in your time of need. Mosiah 24:14 This is a great verse I have come to love this week. I love you all.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!

XOXOXOX

Hermana Pentelute

1. Ivory was excited to go to New Ulm, this is where the movie "New In Town" was filmed!!!

5-6.  Here is my district! I will be staying another transfer in St. Peter!!

8. This picture of the three men are my Ward Mission Leader (the white guy) Hermana Campos standing up and Gaspar sitting down! It was so cute they were all sharing a little hymn book and holding there instruments I had to take a picture! So fun! oh and we played a few minutes of farkle in honor of the pentelute family!

Do You Carry a Taser or a Hand Gun?

Hola Familia!

I love the MMM!!! Many mighty miracles are happening here.

This week a man named Augustine committed to baptism April 12th. We were beyond excited because his fiancé is a recent convert and he has been holding her back seeing that he is not a member. We were able to teach him in a member home the Davis's (they are awesome and totally remind me of our family!!!) and the spirit was so strong. The thing that makes it even more remarkable is that he used to be follower or worshiper of the devil. It was something that a lot of his family practiced. So a little bit of a scary guy before. He has had a dark past and every time the spirit try's to touch him he gets a really bad headache. Every time he goes to church or we teach this headache comes. IT came at the worst time Saturday right before I was going to ask him to be baptized he started talking to his wife about it....but we were able to use this and tell him that that Satan is working really hard on you and because he knows this will bring you so much more happiness he is doing everything to keep you away from it...the headaches. That is something you defiantly don't come across just in pleasant grove Utah! We hope he can continue to progress to baptism!

Also this week we met a girl named Kristene. She rocks! She let us right in. She is 19 and lives with her mom and siblings who are older than her. Her sister is a wiccan (I had never heard of that until here....pretty much it's witch craft.) And her mom is Christian, she is Agnostic. But we got to know her and she has quite a few problems and a lot of scaring from her past. She suffers with depression and she actually started having an attack when we were there. BUT THE SPIRIT ROCKS and we were able to help her through it and she was crying and we just related everything back to the savior. She came to church this Sunday and she fit right in. I hope that this goes somewhere good. 

One scary thing is that transfers are next week...we have so many people who are so close to baptism and I will be sad if I don't get to be there of if I'm not helping them through so who knows...I know I'll go where the lord wants me to go though!!

Pretty much without fail every time we knock on someone's door they look at us as though we are aliens. We knocked on a man's door this week his name is Doug. The first thing he asked us if we carried a taser or a hand gun. We just looked at each other and laughed. I do carry the pepper spray grandma bought me but I wasn't going to tell him! It was just funny because we are two 19 year old girls who come with a message of Christ and people can be so scared even full grown men! It was quite funny. I also have accepted the fact that every person that know sees me thinks I am a nun.

So as far as March 22nd goes....it looks like Jerson will be the only one ready for baptism. Which is still awesome!!! But Jason and Travis need a little more time and Gaspar his  boss is still making him work every Sunday. All we can do is pray pray pray! I love teaching. I am really confident in teaching in English. We talk with everyone here and always bare testimony. It is awesome. I would say most of the time its really hard work but when you have a moment of joy you don't even remember the bad. I LOVE THIS. The days are long and by 9:30 back in the house you are ready for bed. I wouldn't have it any other way though. I love the people of Minnesota especially St. Peter!

I have to go to the dentist this week, my tooth is chipped and I have had quite a bit of pain but I get to go to new ulm and that is the setting of the movie New in Town! I got the bike from Hermano Campos this week so I will be sending pictures hahaha so kind and awesome, all of the Hispanics are! My Spanish is also getting better everyday! I can read really good in Spanish now. Its so cool all of the blessing I am seeing here.

This week the weather has finally started to warm up! Yay I am so happy, today I didn't even wear my coat into the library! It's funny because if we were in California we would be putting on coats but here it's like finally time to take them off! So that has been a plus :)

I love this gospel. I know it is true. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and without him we are nothing. The atonement is central in the plan of salvation and our gospel. Without it we would have no hope. We need to make sure we are taking advantage of the greatest gift of love the world has and will ever see.

I LOVE YOU GUYS! and letters! haha :)

Have the best week, share the gospel every chance you get.

XOXOX

Hermana Pentelute

1. Icicles!

2. The domestic side of the Mission

3. New Bike!!! love the pink, such a sweet service

4. Hoping this is for the Fam - LOL

5. There's no place like home! Loving the pinata decoration

March Madness

Hola Familia!

This week has been full of miracles! We had 7 investigators to church!!! Just to show you how awesome that is....we had more than our whole zone combined. So cool to see that and very stressful. I have now experienced godly stress. It is very different but nothing I cant handle!! Also,  We found a man named Jason while we were tracting last Sunday and in our next lesson with him he brought his friend Travis along. We asked Jason if he had prayed about the baptismal invitation we left with him the previous time. His reply was yes. He said it was unlike anything, that is was beautiful and words could not describe it. He knows he is supposed to be baptized. This is after one visit!! WOW!!! At the end of our second lesson with his friend we invited him to be baptized as well. He replied yes! I'll go do it right now if I can! My joy was so full in this moment. I literally was fist pumping. (you could imagine) It is amazing how some people are just ready. It takes a lot of hard work and hard days but when something like this happens it makes it all worth and you can't remember the bad just the good. They are both preparing to be baptized March 22nd. I know they will be because they are the elect, they truly know it is true and want this in their lives. How cool and lucky I am to be the instrument in God's hands at this time?!!

I have been eating some good old Mexican food! We have two lady investigators who cooked us chalupas and enchiladas. They were soooo yummy but me and Hermana jones literally felt like puking because we were so full and they kept making more food. We also have drank a lot of Jamaica juice. It is made from a flower and its really yummy! The tortillas the Mexicans make are soooo yummy. I think even better than café rio. As far as cooking for myself, I try to stay healthy but I am not sure how good I am at it. I always smell like smoke here. The houses we go in a lot of the times are really dirty and smelly. My black coat will not be able to be worn when I come back because already it has lots of different smells soaked in haha.

It is freezing cold and awesome in St. Peter! The hairs of my nose freeze and my hair freezes/turns into snow. Friday night we were out tracting and my hair had snow in it not from snow from the sky but from my breath freezing it. It was quite the site....

We have 4 baptisms March 22nd!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY COW! I am so excited the people who are getting baptized are Jason, Travis, Gaspar (finally could come to church this week) and Jerson! This next month will be so busy but rewarding I can not believe I have been out 2 months already! I am growing so much and loving it. Our ward is so great. Our ward mission leader is unreal. He also told me he thought I was doing better than most do with my Spanish. I hope that's the truth and I can keep getting better because a lot of right now is just smiling and counting on the spirit. I am always so grateful for your emails and letters. Thanks for your continual support.

Oh! I have a challenge for the week. Go up to someone you don't know (in the store, at the gym, at school) and introduce yourself! Start talking some small talk. You will be surprised how many people are willing to talk! Then at the end ask if they have heard of the lds church, then invite them to church with you this Sunday. Just see what they say. I know when you do this the lord will bless you. It can be scary but as you do this your testimony will grow and you will receive so many blessing. It is what I do everyday! Even if they don't go to church at least you gave an invitation and you also could gain a great friend.

I love you guys.

Have a great week!!

XOXOX

Love,

Hermana Pentelute

Pictures of My Frozen girl - I Think That's Her!!!

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful.....

Hola familia!

 WOW let me just start off and say GOOD JOB COLE! I am such a proud sister out here in Minnesota! I thought about you this whole weekend just waiting to hear the news! This week we had our car grounded three different times. So that tells you how the weather is out here! Haha I took some pictures of us out walking around in the snow, I looked ridiculous because I had so many layers on and that weird mask thing dad got me for Christmas haha :) The reason our cars were grounded was because of all the blizzard warnings and the conditions of the roads. Its kind of funny because when it gets colder outside they decide to send us on out with no car. But it makes for a good story and is fun. Plus the more the snow and cold the more the blessings! I have to share a text our "temporary mish pres" sent us. President Clements has to go home for 3 weeks to take care of some business issues and so President Elhert is now our president for the time being. Anyways the text was "Job 37:6. It's here. Let's not test it. It's more powerful than you. Take your car home and drive safe." I just had to laugh because we kept getting messages like this. It truly is cold here!!!

This week a wonderful miracle happened. (as one does everyday) We met a girl named Monika on our way back from new missionary training. She lives in a town named Le Seuer. We had gone to an apartment complex there to see an investigator but he was going to work. So we prayed to know what the Lord wanted us to do! We both felt like we should stay and knock the bottom floor of the apartment. So we did and this is when we found Monika. She looks a little rough around the edges. She has had a hard life because of choices she has made. She now suffers with schizophrenia, bipolar disease and has some mental retardation because of drug abuse. It is sad to see someone in this condition. But as we taught her the spirit was SO strong. Probably the strongest I have felt it so far. She was brought to tears many times during the lesson and she committed to a baptismal date. March 22nd. We hope and pray she will be ready for this date because she has to make lots of BIG changes in her life. She wants to do it though which is amazing. We asked her how she felt while we were with her in a spiritual part of the lesson and she said she felt like a huge burden was lifted off of her shoulders. I am so excited for her to change her life because I know and she knows and god knows this is what is going to give her rest in the crazy world she lives in right now.

Also when she prayed she thanked god for the angels he had sent to her. So cool.

Another cool experience was at the end of each restoration we teach we ask them to pray and a lot of the time they say no. This lady (Molly) didn't hesitate to say yes. We had asked her earlier as a commitment to pray to know if these things are true and if this baptism is correct for her but it was cute because she did it right there in front of us. The spirit was so strong I could feel it when she prayed and it was amazing because she actually prayed with a desire to know. I hope that she felt the same confirmation this is right for her as I did.

One last thing, President Holland said, we all know what team is going to win in the end. (Heavenly Fathers team vs. Satan) now it is just a matter of whose jersey we are going to put on. I leave you this question for the week. Will you put on the winning teams Jersey? Its as easy as that. As you do this as you choose to be on the winning team you will have happiness that is indescribable.

Oh by the way Gaspar is going to be able to come to church next week! We hope the boss doesn't change his mind!! What a blessing.  Thanks again to everyone who always supports me I love you all and hope you have an enjoyable week.

Love always,

XOXOX

Hermana Pentelute

Picture from Elder and Sister Clayton:
I got this picture on Friday from a Senior Missionary couple that Hermana Pentelute is working with. They said: Teaching English and enjoying Mexican food!  Cipriano and Evangelina with their granddaughter Vicki. It's a blessing to serve with your wonderful daughter!

*So grateful for kind people that share the mission experience with us at home!!!