9/26/16

I don't feel like writing a big email (sorry) because it's a sticky keyboard, the internet is SO SLOW (to upload pictures) and also not much is new with me....But I will share a couple of things- Luis's baptism was really special. He is my most satisfying baptism that I've had. Because he literally had an Alma the Younger change. It was sad because his daughter didn't come to his baptism, but we did have help from a lot of the members and the Spirit was really strong in the messages, with the musical number, and we even sang all the right hymns. Afterwards, he said thank you with so much sincerity in his eyes and even little tears haha! I love making grown men cry haha he's the same age as you and dad. With the familia Espejo we're having a hard time. I don't know if we're going to leave them or not. They didn't go to church this week and we left them for the week to try and help them feel the difference in the Spirit when we go and when we don't go. Sadly, the whole time we were gone, they only read one day and then didn't go to church after we visited them again and taught. It's sad but it's like Elder Uchtdorf said in his talk this week, even with all of the faith in the world, we can't take away the agency of other people. (dang it!!) We went to the hospital again, this time for Hermana Llerena.She has medicine again.  

We are looking for new people like crazy! The thing is now that they'll listen and want to receive us.... It was a good week though!

 Conferencia de mujeres

Can't They Afford Bigger Bread??

Familia!

So this week was kind of crazy... We had cambios on Tuesday. Monday night at 10:30 pm I got the phone call saying that I was going to get transferred to San Juan de Lurigancho to kill (or be the last companion) of Hermana Adams! I felt excited to go with one of my best friends here in the mission, but sad to leave one of my best friends in the mission and our area and people we're teaching. We packed all of my suitcases, the next day I sent a message to the people that we're teaching to say goodbye to them, and about half an hour before we had to be in the offices for the transfers, I got a call from the assistants to the presidente that there is a cambio en los cambios (change in the change)! They told us that at about three in the morning, President woke up with the strong impression that Hermana Llerena and I needed to stay together and that we will not be changing! We are now in our third change together (that NEVER happens) and I awkwardly had to send another text out saying "nevermind to the whole goodbye thing and we'll see you in our scheduled lesson times!" haha que verguenza... It was so funny and we both just hugged each other and cried. Today reading my email from Presidente, he said " I tried to change you several times, but he kept putting you back with Hermana Llerena. The lord wants you two to stay together for a little while longer." I believe in revelation!! haha We had lots of funny experiences- from being threatened by a  little grandma that she's going to arrest us if we come back to her house to "preach" to another little old lady asking why the church uses such little pieces of bread for the sacrament- "can't they afford bigger bread??" You see a little bit of everything haha We did service with some members this week washing all of their blankets and quilts that they own in giant buckets with our feet. We put a bucket in their shower with some detergent powder and the blanket and a hose of water and stomped and turned and stomped and rinsed until we had washed all 20 of them. It took about 2 and a half hours and we were BEAT and WET. We took the moto's to almost all of our citas that day because we were so tired, but it was fun. I also got to do another work visit with Hermana Kingston. I love her. Another one of our sisters got sick so we did divisions with her and I got to play mom again taking care of her. Yesterday we had our Stake Conference. President Godfrey came and also a member of the 70. It was so good and I even got to accompany the choir with the violin (after the director called and asked if I could save them because they didn't sound too well, my companion told me that with the mixed violin and piano, you could hardly hear the choir so I guess it worked!) I really love these opportunities that I have had lately to share my talents. There have been sunny days lately and it makes it so much easier and more fun to contact people and teach! Supposedly Spring starts onSeptember 23, but the nights are still freeeeeezing. It was a good week. Hope you guys enjoy the changing leaves! :,)

Hermana Stone 

At Stake Conference

9/12/16

FAMILIA!!

Yeah yeah yeah, I will write!! haha It's just a little discouraging when the space bar on this stupid computer doesn't work unless you punch it down so it doesn't all looklikethis... 

This week was great!! Our investigators are doing well (and are in lot's of interviews with leaders to  help with the repentance process) Graciela received permission, and was baptized this week! The baptismal service was so stressful because there was no one from the bishopric there to preside and then the water was lowering and members didn't come to help and no one bought a treat or anything to share... But when Graciela arrived she pulled us aside and started almost giggling. We asked her what was going on and she said- I just feel so happy and excited to be able to do this. After her baptism she just smiled and cried, and thanked us for teaching her. We took her to our favorite panaderia to eat empanadas to make up for the lack of a treat. She's great. 

Pablo is also doing well, he just is very mathmatical and it's hard for him to FEEL the Spirit without some kind of proof. But we have a baptism goal with him. Luis is THE BEST. For the last 20 years he has been smoking 10-15 cigarettes a day and for the last 6 days he hasn't even smoked a SINGLE ONE. We had a lesson so strong about the restoration of the priesthood and he received a blessing of forteleza to help him quit and since that day he went from 3-7 a day (he had lowered his number a lot while we've been teaching him and as he has read the Book of Mormon) to ZERO. He is so happy and yesterday at church he said that he never thought he'd be able to do it and he is not only surprised at the power of God, but also in his power as a child of God. He also is working in goals. His growth has made a huge impact on my personal testimony. Sometimes, being raised in the church it's easy to feel like we have never really experienced a "mighty change of heart" because it has always been thing's we've learned and practiced. Obviously I have been changed in several ways and have grown a lot but I always have wanted to see it more in my own life. However, seeing the power of the Atonement work in him has really helped my own testimony grow. I am doing well- We have cambios tomorrow but todavia no sabemos quien se queda y quien se va! Wish us luck...

Hermana Stone

I live in paradise. The staircase to our house

the daughters of the familia Espejo (Jasmine, Ersa, y Valentina)

9/5/16

No group email to share... but a picture's worth a 1000 words!

View of our area

Learning to cook Peruvian food!

Tell Sadie we also did hair camp! (The hermana that we ate lunch with had her family over, her sister happens to be studying cosmetology and she wanted some practice! It goes to show how bad my hair is now but it was fun- she asked if we can come be her models for the test but we said no haha)

We made top ramen with our coffee maker type water boiler. We don't have plates or forks so we had to used tuperware and spoons!

Ward service activity- we made cement and did the whole dirt floor in the living room of her house and fixed several cracks in the walkway, hung lights, installed a sink to wash her clothes in, and cleaned the cuartos of the abuelita. The ward really pulled together and it was really fun!

In the service project.

too bad the lunch the hermanas brought wasn't too yummy