Monday, November 23, 2015



This week can best be summed up by saying that I have a firm testimony of "forget yourself and go to work."
The week started out rough. On the verge of tears rough. My trainer left, I felt completely inadequate, and despite all the logical reasons why I shouldn't be nervous, I just felt sick.
Hermana Cabarcas left Tuesday morning, and my new companion, Hermana Lopardo, and I, arrived in Tiquipaya early that afternoon. That whole morning I had just felt sort of depressed, but when we went to our first appointment, all the negative feelings just went away. It was such a miracle:) Later that night and the next morning they started to return, but, once again, we went to our first lesson and I felt great. I love the people here so much, but I don't think I truly realized how much until this week.
Hna. Lopardo is super cool. Obedient, hard worker, and has got a definite sense of humor. We get along great and I'm really excited for this transfer.
Yesterday we had one of the best lessons of my mission thus far. We went to visit a man we had contacted the day before and, like usual, he said he didn't have time. So we left and were almost to the end of the street when he came back out of his house and asked us to come back. So we returned and taught his family and him about the Restoration. They were all super attentive and had perfect questions. They have crazy potential and I'm so excited for our next appointment.
I love being a missionary and there is so much joy in sharing the Gospel.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!
Love Hermana Rupp

Monday, November 16, 2015

So we have transfers tommorrow morning, and I´m staying in Tiquipaya, but Hermana Cabarcas is leaving for Potosi. I don´t know much about my new comp, so I´ll let ya know next week :)
We have a lot of really great investigators, and I definitely feel a weight of responsibility to help them progress. Frankly, I feel really inadequate, but luckily I don´t have to do it alone. In fact, if I try to do it alone, I´m doing it wrong. I´m very grateful this is the Lord´s work, and I can have full confidence that He´ll help it progress. I just need to be an instrument through which He can work. I´m trying to become that.
I´m constantly impressed and humbled by the poeple here. We went to visit a convert of three years the other day, and she has practically nothing. She has barely any money, and doesn´t always know what she´ll eat for that day. However when we entered her house, she had hymns playing in the background and she had been reading an old Liahona from 2013. I could feel the Spirit so strongly in her little home, and I´m so impressed with her. I know that she has so many challenges in her life, but she still continues to do what she should. I wish that all could have her faith and conviction, including myself.
That being said, I think about the things I did at home, and whether or not they invited the Spirit. A lot of times they didn´t. So I would challenge all of you to think throughout this week if what you are doing is something that can invite the Spirit to dwell or not. If not, fix it.
I know this is the Lord´s work, and I´m grateful to be here in Bolivia. Thanks for all the great examples. Love you!
Hermana Rupp


Wednesday, November 11, 2015

This week was super good! We worked hard and found some awesome people.My companion said that I even place Books of Mormon in my sleep haha.
Saturday we were tracting in one of the more rural parts of our area, and we found this super nice woman who let us in to our house. We taught a whole lesson, and she came to Church the next day with her children! We were so surprised because even our best investigators have trouble attending Church. She was also telling us that she didn´t have enough money to celebrate her daughter´s birthday, but they still paid for a trufi to get to the chapel. Super humbling and super inspiring.
We had a conference with President Hansen this week, and I learned a ton. He talked about the talk, "Which way do you face," and making sure that we don´t invert the first and second commandments and fear men more than God. Something I think I need to work on a lot.
I love being a missionary. Some days are super hard and I´m almost always tired haha, but I love it here. There is a true joy in doing the work of the Lord and sharing the Gospel. Have a great week and I love you all!
Hermana Rupp

Monday, November 2, 2015

Happy Halloween! Bolivians don´t really do much for Halloween (some of the kids dress up and give out candy in the plaza), but today is Todos Santos, which is similar to Dia de Los Muertos. They all go to the cemetery and leave bread and flowers on the graves of their family members. And that´s about it.
It´s funny because almost every weekend here in Tiqupaya, there´s some kind of festival or party. But. when there´s an actual holiday, they don´t do a whole lot.
I feel comfortable with my Spanish, but sometimes it´s a little hard to understand when someone makes a joke, simply because it´s usually a word I don´t know. So i think I sometimes come off a little boring because sometimes I just laugh and don´t know how to respond haha. Oh well, it´s all coming along.
We got to go to the Temple two weeks ago as missionaries, and as well with two recent converts this past week. They didn´t have enough people to do baptisms so we ended up walking around outside for a little while, but it was still awesome. I wish we could go more often.
Overall, this week has been really good. We worked hard, and I truly feel content and happy here as a missionary. I know without a doubt that God loves us and answers our prayers. I love this Gospel and I´m grateful for all of you and continued support.
Love Hermana Rupp