New Pictures

Me and my companion, Hermana Venegas

My first companion, Hermana Lema sent me this shirt when she was released from her amazing mission and went back home to Ecuador. It says "Someone in Ecuador loves you"

November 12, 2012

Hoooolllllaaaaaa!!!

Wow so this week was like a sucker punch to the stomach. Man alive. Serious last night I just lost it. I went crazy. I just starting singing and dancing at the top of my lungs. Hermana Venegas looked at me and asked "What do you have?" I think I was just so sick of being sad that I went insanely happy ha-ha.
So what could have happen you asked that brought me to this crazy state. Ugh.

I remember when I use to read the Book of Mormon I wondered how it was possible that people could have amazing spiritual experiences and then after a few years stop believing. I remember I use to doubt if the Book of Mormon was true because it just didn't seem logical that things like that could happen. . . . Then I served a mission. . . . and now I can testify that things like that really do happen. I still don't understand how someone can look me in the eyes and tell me that during their baptism they felt a joy and a peace like they had never felt and then they stop praying and coming to church for two weeks and the next thing you know they deny everything. It's just insane. I've meet a lot of lazy less actives. They know it's true, they don't deny anything they just don't want to do what they need to do. I've also meet really hardened less actives, but they weren't MY converts. But to see one of MY converts change so fast and deny everything. Wow. It basically ripped my heart out. The thing that kills me is she doesn't want to know. She doesn't want to pray she doesn't want to read. She wants to have the peace of the gospel rapped up and delivered to her, she doesn't want to work for it. Her baptism was what she wanted and all she thought it would be, it was instant joy, but moments like that are few and far between, having a testimony is work. And she just doesn't want to put the work in. It was really heart breaking for me. I'm hoping that her friends in the young women's can help her out because she told us she doesn't want us to come back. Wow. . . . it's crazy how things change so fast.
But the good news is that there are other people who do want to work for it. Who do the basic things like reading their scriptures coming to church, praying and repenting every day.

I think this week taught me that there is a big difference in being a "convert" and having a true "conversion." I will do all that is possible to insure that the people I teach understand that difference and really do put in what they need to put in to have a conversion, but salvation is personal. What can be the hardest part of the mission at times is realizing that there is only so much you can do.

Sunday was really wonderful. I think the Lord used his little children to show us his love because for some reason a bunch of the little kids in the ward drew us pictures. It was really sweet.
We have two weeks left in this cambio. Time is moving by really fast. I really wonder if I will get to finish off the year here in Santa Isabel or not. I sure hope so, we have found some really great people that will progress for the month of December.

Oh my! Funny story for the week. We contacted "El Negrito" ha-ha. So I have been here in Santa Isable for FIVE month. And for FIVE months this Moto Taxi driver has been taunting me. Yelling things in English like "I love you." "You´re beautiful" "Kiss me" and man alive he just hasn't given up. Seriously always bothering me. So the other day he passes by and yells in English "I want to be your friend." and Hermana Venegas was just sick of it and says that is it we are going to contact him and takes off to talk to him. "ESTAS LOCA!" I yell as I chase after her. So we go over to him and he looks at me and again in English says. "I just want to be your friend!" So I responded in English "Well then let's be friend. He seemed really surprised that I actually spoke to him and he surprised me by not being as big of a creep as I thought he was going to be ha-ha. We talked to him and joked around a bit. He asked why I never talked to him before and I explained that he needs to treat us with more respect because we are missionaries. And to my surprise he apologized and since then he has been an angel. He says hi to us, talks to us at times but doesn't shout anything anymore ha-ha. I love it.

You have to love Hermana Venegas, she isn't afraid of anything its funnier what she said in Spanish but after words I told her "Hermana you aren't afraid of anything" and basically she told me "Please why should I be afraid of anyone in the streets before my baptisms I OWNED these streets." ha-ha She came from a pretty hard core life.

So that's about it.
I love you all!
Hermana Sadie Jean Taggart

New Pictures

Me making French toast with our pensionista and her family

Me and Hermana Venegas with Elizabeth, Wilian and Arturo

November 5, 2012

Hola, Greetings from your flea bitten friend here in Peru.

 

Once again I am COVERED in some kind of strange bug bites but we aren't sure what they are. It actually might be a skin infection or some crazy reaction I have to stress, but till we know for sure we will just stick with saying that its fleas. . . . cute right ha-ha.

 

This week. . . oh boy. . . this week was a great opportunity to learn patience and love. We dropped (and got dropped) by practically all the families that we had hopes for, for this November. When it all comes down to it there are lots of people here who will let you into their house to talk about Jesus, but when you invite them to act on the faith they have. . . they just don't want to do it. It's really too bad.

 

Halloween in Peru isn't that exciting. They are just recently starting to celebrate it. But advice for anyone who is going to serve in Peru, have your mom send you candy and hand it out while contacting all the families that are walking around. Its lots of fun, the kids and their parents love it and it's a more enjoyable way to contact for one night.

 

I feel super boring this week with little to say. Really, this week just must have me beat! I really respect missionaries that serve in countries that are less receptive cuz man alive this week of rejection just wasn't fun. But its fine, it's not like we curled up in our beds and cried, we worked hard, contacted a ton, basically we searched and searched and then we searched some more!

 

Oh this week I got the insanity work out videos my family sent to me, so we have been waking up at Six, running over to Tungasuca and working out with the Hermanas! The first few days were SO HARD. I wanted to die. I had to result to sitting on a public toilet in Peru because my legs were just too weak to squat! Man alive I'm out of shape. But it was lots of fun, I felt like I was in Volleyball again. We are taking Sundays and Mondays off, but tomorrow we start again! Week two! WHOOT!!!

 

Well I guess I will make this email short cuz really I don't have much to say about this week .

I love you all!

Hermana Sadie Jean Taggart

October 29, 2012

Hoooollllaaaaa Familia y Amigos!

 

This week was wonderful! Crazy busy! So much to do, I love weeks like this. So like I was saying in my last letter, this week was a week of milestones. First was on Wednesday. I reached the 6 year mark of my Dads passing away. Normally I like to take a break off life on this day and have a pity party, but on a mission there just isn't time for that. I felt like I wanted to be Sad but I didn't even have time to think about being sad.

 

Friday I reached one year in the mission. It was crazy to think how far I have come and all that I have done in one year. Their year has changed so many things. It has changed me physically, emotionally and spiritually. So I thought I would share with you all how this year has changed me, let's start with physically.

My hair, its longer and lighter, and THINNER! (Thankfully my family sent me hair and nail pills or I would be without hair.)

My Eyes, Limas air is so dirty that my eyes have actually turned slightly yellow. . . yup that's gross I know! But it's true, we got new North Americans and me and Hermana Anderson were looking at them and she turns to me and says "Look their eyes are still white."

My body, I'm still thinner then when I left, not sure how cuz I eat a lot more. but my pensitionista feeds me like crazy she seems determined to help me gain every pound back ha-ha, but with all the walking we do I'm not sure if it will happen or not.

My Knees, I have calices on my knees from praying so much on dirt or cement floors.

My feet, . . . . we won't even go there, but let's just say that a pedicure will be more than needed when I get home.

 

Mentally:

I'm more patient. Much more patient.

The culture of Peru is starting to grow on me and time doesn't stress me out like it use to. Being late is just a part of life ha-ha. (I hope that wares off fast when I get home or Ill really bother people in the states)

I've also become less judgmental.

 

Spiritually:

During my time in my mission I have learned SO much about the gospel, but not in the sense of new scriptures that I didn't know before, or new doctrine. Really I had study my scriptures before so I have had few moments where I have said "Wow I didn't know that" more than anything I have practiced the gospel in a way that I never had before. Before I served my mission I could tell you that the purpose of a baptism is to receive a remission of your sins, but in the mission I have seen it, I've lived it, I know it with my heart now and before I think I only knew it with my mind.

 

This year has been one of the best years of my life, It's been hard and not every moment is fun, but I have learned SO MUCH and I have been blessed with a joy and a special peace of mind that I had never found before.

 

Friday we celebrated my one year mark with Three baptisms! I couldn't ask for a better way! It was wonderful! After the baptism Elizabeth, Wilian and Arturo shared their testimonies. It was funny to listen about how Wilian and Arturo really didn't want to listen to us at first but when she started listening they felt something. Arturo shared his experience of how reading the scriptures has helped him stop fighting with his family. He finished by saying that getting baptized was the best decision that he had ever made.

 

I thought about myself, one year ago, October 26th 2011. Lying on an old bunk bed in the Provo MTC staring at the ceiling thinking "WHAT HAVE I DONE!" Those first few weeks in the MTC were really tough for me. I'll be honest I wished that I had never made the decision to serve a mission, but at the end of the night October 26th 2012 I laid in my bed, in Peru staring at the ceiling thinking the same thing that Arturo thought "This is the best decision I have EVER MADE!"

I am so thankful that I decided to serve a mission, I wouldn't trade this year for anything. I feel truly blessed that they Lord wanted me to serve a mission, What a blessing!

 

With one year down I have six months more, Six months more to give it all and make the best out of the time the Lord has given me. What a blessing!

 

I love you all, thanks for your letters of love and support. I'm sorry if you wrote me and I never got your letter thanks to the post office strike, but it sounds like things are a lot calmer now so you should be safe to write me.

 

Thanks for all your love and support!

Hermana Sadie Jean Taggart