One for the BOOKS.

Familia! 

This week has been one for the BOOKS. I feel like it has been the fastest week I have had so far in my mission- that's what you get when you work so. freaking. hard. haha First of all I'd like to introduce you to my new companion, Hermana Mishelle Llerena from Quito, Equador. She has one change more than me but we are going to die together in December because I had a month more than her in the CCM. It is so fun to be with someone from your own group, especially when it's someone tan linda como ella (so cute like her)! I was happy to know that she too is ready to work hard and laugh and eat chocolate covered saltine crackers (don't knock it till you try it). Like I said before, this week was crazy, obviously with a new area and new companion. We have been working hard to find new people to teach because there isn't anyone progressing yet (aside from the baptism that we had on Saturday) It was almost like a game to see who could contact every family first or who could squeeze the most references out of the members ;) 

My favorite part so far about my area, and the craziest thing of all, is that we are teaching 6 sordo-mudos, or in other words 6 people who are deaf and mute. They are converts and actually live outside of my area but come here to go to church and have the missionary lessons. Every day we have an hour of language study and Hermana Llerena and I spend the whole time with our book of Signs. It's also interesting because it's not exactly ASL, but a special Peruvian Sign Language! We also have permission to go to a class every Sunday that one of the (very patient) sordo mudos give that help us learn and improve our signs. I don't understand a lot about how they respond and what they say if they go fast, but I BELIEVE IN THE GIFT OF TONGUES (hands?) I have already been able to learn a lot and teach a full lesson of Keeping the Sabbath Day holy and how to pray. I feel such a great love for these people- I can't even explain it. It is beautiful to see how they express themselves without saying a word. This week we also had the farewell of Presidente y Hermana Erickson. It was so sad but also really happy. I love them. 

This week we are also celebrating 60 years that the church is officially in Peru! An official branch (a small congregation) was organized in July 1956, missionaries began preaching in August, and a Church building was purchased in November. Prior to this, Latter-day Saint families living in Peru held group meetings. In 1959, when the Andes Mission was organized, there were 300 members in five congregations. Now there are over 568,559 members, 13 missions, and a second temple coming. What a blessing to take part in it. I hope you guys have a great week. Love,

Sav

In response to questions regarding her new responsibilty as Hermana Capacidora: As sister training leaders we have to do 24 hour work visits twice a week (once I go to the area of the hermanas and one comes here and once I stay in my area and another sister comes) We also have to do two lamanitas which is when we surprise them and go to do practicas with them and look at their area book and help them set goals and everything. It's like a zone leader but for the sisters! Hermana Llerena is also a sister leader. She's training me how to do it! It's kind of stressful but it is fun and changes up the routine a lot!

last night with Hermana Antunez

Zona Tahuantinsuyo

With new companion Hermana Mishelle Llerena from Quito, Equador

despedida de presidente

Go Find Them!!

Familia!!

I can't believe it's been another week already. Thanks for all of the updates, I'm jealous of the cinnamon rolls! I haven't seen one of those in a year. But speaking of other things that I hadn't seen for a long time- this week I was able to play the violin!! I honestly didn't think I would miss it as much as I did. The hermana brought it out and we tuned it up and I played hymns. I couldn't remember any other songs! It was fun- they want me to play in Sacrament meeting this week BUT... I have transfers tomorrow. I am headed to Tahuatinsuyo (it is pretty close to Comas where I'm at now- well basically everything is pretty close to where I am now because our mission is tiny!) I will be with a Hermana from Equador, I'll tell you more about her next week after I, you know... meet her. haha I am sad to leave my area here in Belaunde, I have met so many good people and we are teaching a lot of great people. I also love the members and feel like I have really gotten to know and be trusted by the leaders of the ward and the bishop. But there are good people everywhere, and I am excited for a change. I heard that my new area is small though. Looks like I won't be losing any weight now haha I have learned a lot from Hermana Antúnez and she will do great here with her new companion. This week has been a lot better than the last, and we also have food again (well at least chocolate oreos and avocado).

The experience that I wanted to share with you all this week was something that the Elder Montoya (or Elder Mestra- spelling??) from the seventy shared. We had a special stake conference yesterday to call a new stake presidency and these two Elders from the seventy came. They talked a lot about the importance of Rescuing people who have fallen away from the church or who haven't come to know, or fully accept it yet. He spoke a lot about the conference talk entitled "To the Rescue: We Can Do It!" from this last General Conference in April 2016. (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/to-the-rescue-we-can-do-it?lang=eng) but one part that really struck me was when he shared a short story that we have all heard that is found in John 5:3-9. It speaks of a sick man who had been laying by the side of the Pool of Bethesda for 38 years waiting for someone to help him. In verse 7 he tells Christ: "Sir, I have no man to put me in the pool." But I like how it reads in Spanish better- dice: Señor, no tengo nadie. Lord, I don't have anyone. There are so many people who are waiting for US to be God's hands here on earth. Some have been waiting 38 years! But we shouldn't wait that long. I know that He will go before our face. He will be on our right hand and on our left hand. That His Spirit will be in our Hearts and His angels round about us to bear us up. (DyC 84:85)  Go find them!! 

Love always,
Savannah

Told you we had food...hola 10 kilos

Stake conference

Las hermanas de la zona comas

My district- Elder Schaeffer (Lehi) Elder Saenz (Equador) and Hermana Antunez and I

In honor of AJ's picture this week

Go find them!

Elder Rasband!

So much happy news from you guys this week! We have had a weird week- for some reason, NO ONE wanted to receive us. Even the cool people that we've been teaching were sick, or had to go to the dentist, or their brother was moving to the US, or something. But not all were so nice. There was a woman who hates Mormons and almost threw a bucket of water on us (like they do to dogs) to make us leave her doorstep. I think she was more annoyed when we just smiled (and I just tried not to laugh while my comp tried not to cry haha) There's just days so horrible that you want to laugh- and then you get home and the only food you have in the fridge is a half carton of peach juice. Then you want to cry. haha But it wasn't all bad because... we had the conference with ELDER RASBAND!! It was so great. We were all able to shake his hand and hear his message along with his wife, and the Elder Montoya (from the presidency of the 70) and his wife as well. I love how they are such REAL people, who laugh and even choke on words sometimes, but are 100% called of God. I had that overwhelming feeling again this week. There was so much that I learned but the things that stood out to me the most, are very simple- Learn how to smile. Learn how to be "sweetly bold" (see Alma 38:12) Learn how to follow your first prompting, the one that comes form the Spirit, not the one that comes from your natural man trying to talk you out of following that prompting. Finishing the capacitación he shared his testimony with us and the love that he, and President Monson, have for each and every one of us. He then gave us a blessing, pleading to God to bless us against every affliction and temptation that we are facing in this moment. He told us that it is under the same affect as if he had placed his hands upon our heads to give us this blessing. I felt the Spirit come over me so strongly; that God knows that it was a rough week. That He knows what we need even before we ask. That He loves us perfectly. That He loves me perfectly. It was a good experience and another confirmation of my testimony. I hope you have a good week!!

Hermana Stone

(ps, last night for the first time in my mission I saw about 30 stars- RECORD!)

chicha morada flavored toothpaste, ¡que miedo!

building a chair with the abuelito

Simplest of Service

Familia!

The crash looks so bad! I'm just glad no one was hurt. Hopefully you're all doing well and putting up with the heat. Wasn't it just a month ago you were complaining about the cold? ;) It's cooling down here a lot- I love it because now we are pulling out our sweaters and scarves and it's nice to wear something different for the first time in six months! 

This week was really good. We were able to have a lot of special trainings by Presidente and also some of the assistants. This week we are going to be visited by Elder Rasband!! I am being very spiritually fed! Also foodly-fed- unfortunately something hit me wrong and I've been sick all week. It's not so bad until you're in the house of someone who doesn't have toilet paper or water... We are working a lot with the family of Luisa (photo included) She will be baptized with her two daughters the 25th (if all goes well!) She is an incredible woman, who was widowed 11 years ago. I have never felt the Spirit so strongly teaching the Plan of Salvation. There's not a lot of new news from me this week but I did want to share a little bit about a talk I was listening to titled "His Grace is Sufficient" by Brad Wilcox. One of my favorite lines from his talk said "We know not only what (the Savior) has saved us FROM, but also what He has saved us FOR." We as members of the church, so blessed to have additional scripture available and modern revelation to help us understand gospel truths (such as the plan of Salvation!), we understand not only that we can be saved from death and sin, but also what we can BECOME and BE now. We have been promised a fullness of joy if we but do His will and serve others. Sometimes we don't know how to serve or maybe feel like there's so much to do, that whatever we CAN do doesn't really make a difference. Maybe we feel unappreciated for the service that we have done. In my study this week about service I read again a story in the book of Mark (capitulo 14) that reads: 

¶And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.

 4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?

 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

 6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.

 7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

 8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

 9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."

I know that the simplest of services will be greatly appreciated by our Lord and Savior. Although this woman's name is not mentioned, her service is remembered by people everywhere. As Brad Wilcox said "The task ahead of us is never as great as the power behind us." I know that as we look for ways to serve others, especially by sharing the Gospel, we will be successful. And we will be happy. Go and serve someone! (yes, making cinnamon rolls for the elders quorum counts!) 

Love,

Hermana Stone

This is the familia Rodas that I am teaching. They are so good and Eduardo (the dad) says that he still doesn't know if this church is the one he should join. Please pray for them!! We also need to marry them to be able to baptize them...

Don't worry, I got the recipe.

With Luisa