March 28, 2016

Sorry I don't have any time.... But this week has been good. We have transfers tomorrow. I ate cow lung and liver in two different days this week (then got sick and despite how hot it is have to drink this tea to help my stomach feel normal). I am trying to fill out the "Mi Familia"  booklet for Family History and would like some details about my great grandparents (the grandparents of you guys!) If you could send me the dates of their birth and death as well as a memory or something I can write down to show others how to fill it out, I would really appreciate it. Also, mom how is ward council at home? I hope that you guys are all doing well. 

Get ready for GENERAL CONFERENCE WHOO HOO!! 

Thanks for everything. Love you guys lots!

Hermana Stone

In honor of all my friends getting engaged this week (Shout out to Madi, Syd, and Braiden) 

Bienvenidos a la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de Los Ultimos Dias

zona comas

These kind of pictures always make me laugh. I won't even show you guys what I looked like with black hair... haha

We found a little "museum" of cars. There was a thousand things to read. Good thing dad wasn't there.

Trucha. How Special!

Familia,

Ah! I'm so jealous you got to go to the temple dedication (and the bridal shower!!) It was Elder Robbins that spoke to us just a week ago, he was really great. I love the comparison with having a current temple reccommend to the five wise virgins. Also, I always love the pictures you guys send. Keep them coming! This week was a good one for us. First of all, it is starting to cool off a TINY bit. Everyone says that winter should start in April. Second of all, because I realized that General conference is in 2 weeks (!!!!) and Third of all, because we are finding a lot of new people to teach! It is one of my favorite things to teach new people. It is crazy how you can be outside of a door, not knowing who is inside or anything about them, and when they permit you to enter, we can not only share something that is needed by everyone, but also show them how the gospel is needed in THEIR family, with THEIR problems and THEIR lives. 

We had a barbeque as the zone the last monday and we taught everyone how to play signs and other "camp fire" games. It was a big hit and reminded me of the countless times we have all played as a family and friends. We had another capacitación (training) by Presidente, another borracho (drunk) sang to us. three times. and we were able to do some heavy duty yard work for our servicio. I was so dirty I almost looked Latina, de verdad. This week started La Semana Santa which is huge here in Peru. Yesterday it was Domingo de Ramos and everyone had woven leaves/palms to "welcome in the Savior". It is also tradition to not eat carne (beef/meat) so we ate a special dish called Trucha. It is a special, hard to find, expensive fish (so we were told). I was a little dissappointed to look it up in my Spanish English dictionary to find out that it was trout. But hey, I like that now! I hope that you guys have a good week and enjoy Easter this Sunday. Don't forget the reason we celebrate it. 

Stay sweet,

Hermana Stone

I found AJ in Peru!

I'm basically latina now (super dirtyyyyy)

If you can't see stars, at least there's something to look at in the night time

We Find What We Seek

Familia!

This week Marisol got baptized! It was super stressful because our ward mission leader called us about an hour before the service telling us that he can't come because his mother in law was in the hospital. That means that we had to open up the capilla, sweep and mop, set up the chairs, buy a little treat, set up the music and write the program. The nice thing is while writing the program you get to assign others to speak- I ended up leading the music :) The baptism was really nice- Her whole family came, including her dad who didn't want her to get baptized. I felt the Spirit so strongly as we sang the closing song, after hearing her humble testimony, "I am a Child of God". While singing, I looked over at her family and her dad was mouthing the words as the rest of us sang. I know that he felt something special that day. There are never a lot of members that go- there was the bishop and like 2 or 3 other people but we talked to the whole ward council sternly about the need of their support!! haha 

This week  we had a special capacitación (training) with Elder Lynn G. Robbins from the 70 and the area president (Elder Uceda) and his wife. We were junto (together) con Lima Este (I sat right next to Hermana Ekins and Hermana Minson this time!!)  and learned a lot. One of my favorite themes was that of "murmuring" that is expressed as a characteristic of Laman and Lemuel several times throughout Nefi. In 1 Nefi 17:2 contrasted with 17:20 we can see how the perspective of these brothers was so different on the same experience. Elder Robbins said "Encontramos en este vida lo que buscamos". We find what we seek. Technically, Laman and Lemuel were obedient... They went to the desert, they returned to Jerusalem for the planchas (plates). They too "suffered in the wilderness", but only Nephi was able to be happy despite the circumstances. I hope that we can all search for the best because I know we'll find it. For the rest of it...well one day when I'm home you can read my notes or something! But it was all super good. Oh yeah, and I learned how to make causa!! It's super yummy and I hope that we have the stuff in Utah so that I can (try to) duplicate it! Good week. Love you guys!

Hermana Sav

With Hermana Kingston!

Learning to make causa!

A convert gave us these political tshirts. Elections for the new Peruvian president are in 2 weeks!

The braid train

REAL Happiness

Hola familia! 

A su! Sorry I've been so boring in my emails lately... The funny stories are still happening (yesterday one of our converts gave Hermana Magne and I books to answer teenage questions that is put out by Jehovah's Witnesses... We did read part of it to see how much apostasy it contained and then had to teach him again that although it's okay to read other stuff, be sure to look for answers in the right places!!) 

You guys look great and it's fun to see chickens that are ALIVE. I thought by now I would beable to get used to the smell of dead chickens everytime we walk through a mercado but I still hold my breath and avert my eyes to avoid feeling woozy. This week was really good. I started reading the Book of Mormon again (for the fourth time ya (already) in the mission) and started with a blank copy that we usually give to people. This time I am doing the challenge that Elder Bednar (I think) gave to only mark the names of God and Christ, and their attributes. It is amazing to see how when your focus changes, different things stick out. Also how many times it really talks about him, I know that the Book of Mormon really is another testament of Christ! 

Some highlights from the week was teaching an athiest (it's harder than you'd think, but he is letting us come back for another visit!), going to breakfast with Yuri, eating good food and hearing good music at Chili's with the zone, seeing more perros peruanos (wild Peruvian dogs), and teaching a lot. Not to mention my nine month mark and a small earthquake we felt this week that caused all the lights to go out for a few hours in the night. I ate all of the food in my emergency backpack but looks like today we'll have time to go buy a few new things :) Another funny experience was that we were on a bus and the woman sitting next to me was reading a book called "Matrimonio para la vida"  or "Marriage for Life". I turned to her and gave her a pamphlet about the Plan of Salvation and said that with this message she can learn how to have marriage for the eternities! I just bore my testimony that I know my family will be together forever and watched as she just sat there like she felt a little uncomfortable. I always have hope that these little things will pay off someday haha.  Marisol wasn't baptized this weekend. There was a problem with a family member and the date has been postponed until this Saturday! You also wanted to know a scripture that stood out to me this week and from what I can remember, because there's a lot of good ones, is one found in 3 Nefi 27:11 that reads in part "verily I say unto you they have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there is no return" It got me thinking about how we have this gospel of happiness, but the people think that they are happy now, and have no need for something greater. This applies to everyone, member or non member. We might feel fine going to church every week despite the fact that we aren't paying a full tithe. We might be "happy" doing something that is against the voluntad de Dios (will of God) for a time, but with the promise that that happiness won't last. I know that the reason God gives us commandments is because He loves us and wants us to enjoy REAL happiness, and wickedness never was happiness. I hope you guys have a good week! 

Love always,

Hermana Stone

(unfortunately) the closeset I'll get to Macchu Picchu

We always have combi pictures

Perros Peruanos, they look like hyenas

9 months!! haha