So before I came to the mission, a wise elder told me that the mission is a crazy time where you will definitely have the best and worst day of your life, and they will happen in the same week. Well, I am a witness that this statement is true because it happened to me last week! I got SO sick this last week. I was in bed for two days with a fever, but I ended up going to the clinic and they did some tests to find out I had a stomach infection. They gave me antibiotics and other meds and I feel a lot better! But they food here is just so different from home that a stomach infection is actually pretty common for us to get sick with stomach problems. In spite of all this, we had 2 baptisms this week!! Aimi and Jenniffer (: Jenniffer was absolutely a miracle baptism. She has been waiting for almost 2 years to get baptized. She was never able to before because of problems with her work and with the father of her two sons, but everything cleared up this past week and she got baptized on Saturday! After all the issues she was having with worldly things, she never lost her hope or gave up what she knew was right. She is such a strong woman and I admire her so much for who she has become!

This month of March has been what our mission president calls a ¨month of miracles¨. He promised us at the beginning of the month that we would see miracles in our areas, but also that it depended on us and our personal obedience. He also gave us the challenge of having 3 baptisms for every companionship. So this month we have all been striving to fulfil this goal of 3 baptisms. Hermana Miranda and I were able to see SO many miracles in our area this month. We were also able to achieve the goal of the 3 baptisms in our ward! I've learned a lot this month about personal obedience, about consecrating myself to this work. I chose to come out here. I chose to serve a mission. So why would I slack off? I'm never going to get this chance again, so I have to work my hardest and give it my all. In the process of losing myself in the labor of the Lord, I have learned more about myself and who I am as human being and my divine purpose in this world. I will be forever grateful for all that the mission has done for me.

¨In the midst of the miracle of serving, there is the promise of Jesus that when we lose ourselves, we find ourselves¨  Spencer W Kimball

Have the best week (:

Hermana Celardo

Another great week in Tacna! We're working super hard out here and the blessings and miracles keep coming and it's incredible. Can I just tell you all how awesome it it being a missionary? It really is the best, there is no other feeling than the feeling you get when you help someone come to the knowledge of the truthfullness of the gospel! Anyways, Hermana Miranda and I are doing really great together and finding A TON of people to teach. The members here are giving us lots of references and helping us with finding people to teach, which is always a big help! Last week we had an activity in our ward and about 50 people, it was a great turn out. The activity was called a ¨trip to Hawaii¨ but obviously there was a spiritual message behind it, but it turned out really great!

This week is going to fly because we have loads of conferences and activities and whatnot. Thursday we will be having a multi zone conference with all the missionaries in the cities of Tacna, Ilo, and Moquegua with Elder Fallabela of the 70. Then on Friday we are having another leadership conference in Arequipa with Elder Fallabela, so as sister leaders we will be traveling with the zone leaders to Arequipa super early friday morning. We are pretty excited and anxious to hear what he has to say!

Last night we were teaching a lesson to a recent convert who has been feeling pretty down lately. He says he feels like a weight of guilt is on his shoulders and he can't shake it off. We strongly felt like we had to teach about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and I wanted to share a little bit of what we talked about last night with you all.

We are not perfect. We make mistakes every day. We sin. But we CAN be forgiven. We can always be forgiven. Forgivness is exactly the reason why God sent his Son. God knows we are not perfect, and actually he doesn't expect us to be. He expects us to look to his son in the hard times. He pleads us to apply the infinite Atonement to our lives to overcome our trials and move forward with hope. Our sins have been paid for, all we have to do is look to our Savior and we can rid ourselves of the guilt. The Atonement is eveything. It frees us from the guilt of our mistakes and allows us to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven.

¨However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or distance from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.¨  -Elder Jeffery R Holland

I hope you have the best week! Take care!

Hermana Celardo

Well this week was awesome! First of all, we had changes last week and my new companion is Hermana Miranda from Chile! She came to my area here in Tacna. She is so awesome, we work really well together and we're really excited to see the work we can accomplish together. We had a miracle baptism this last Friday!! Our ward was having 3 baptisms of 3 kids who were 8 years old..(8 year olds dont count for us or for the mission since we dont have to teach them) 5 minutes before the baptism started we find out that it was one of the kids birthdays and he turned 9! Which automatically means he counts as a baptisms for us and for the mission! He had his baptismal interview super last minute but was able to be baptized! The best part was after his baptism he shared his testimony and began to cry and share with us how happy he was to finally be able to be baptized and how great it felt to make this promise and covenant with the Lord.

I know miracles exist thanks to our loving Father in heaven. I know that he allows miracles to take place in our lives according to our obedience. Even though I don't have much time left in the mission, I'm going to make it my best. I'm so excited to see what these next 2 months have in store for me.

Have a great week everyone! Love you all!