Sunshine in Trujillo

Happy Holidays - love the kids

 Monday Dec 5th 
Okay so today I have tons to write about.

I love you all!!  And you are in my prayers multiple times throughout the day!!

In this holiday season your smile will be your best gift

Thank you so much for all of your prayers for me. I was super homesick last week, but I have felt all of your prayers this week and have been strengthened. Thank you for the thanksgiving notes! I loved them. Our zone leaders are behind on giving us mail. They don’t like to make the extra trip to the office for it so it’s behind a week.  Hopefully tomorrow I’ll get something. :) oh and the dearelders letters are pretty slow. The ones I got three weeks ago were from the middle of October. But I appreciate every one that I get. 

So here is a little more of a description of Trujillo. There are taxi’s everywhere and they are always honking their horns, thinking we need a taxi.  They are just teeny cars and there are tons of little herbie like bugs-- so cool.

our moving crew on our spiral staircase

So this past week I had an incident with a peeping tom in our old house, and because it was not a good environment we had to move houses. All of the elders in our district came to help us move.  We didn’t move too far away but its not in our area--but oh well it will give me more opportunity to walk.  We live on the third floor and go up this spiral staircase multiple times a day. haha I remember when I thought spiral staircases were cool. Remember the one in Midway, with the loft up top. haha.  Now I just get dizzy.

Hermana Oliveros and I  with Maya's game

Also this week amidst the move craziness we had a noche misional (which is a ward mission night). It was supposed to start at 7 but at 745 it was just us and the other elders in our ward. We were going to watch a short movie and play the game that Maya Ewer made for me. THANKS MAYA!

Last week we also went to Salavery (another area) and helped the other Hermanas in our district with their numbers. I got to see the ocean!! First time in South America. We couldn’t go close but just standing and viewing the port from afar was great. The smell of the salt water was very refreshing.

A missionary here was telling me about what their family is doing. They are running the distance from to their home to their mission while they are gone. I thought that might be cool for you guys to do and maybe our other family runners  -maybe Brandi and Lisa could help too.

SO sorry this is so sporadic and disorganized. I keep a list through out the week of things I want to tell you and then I have to hurry so fast to type it all.Fyi - my name here is not Hermana Sandstrom I am Hermana Samstrung. Haha. Its difficult for them to say so I just go along with it :)

In Jesus the Christ read page 242, or the whole book. Its awesome. I’m learning so much!

And a great scripture for future missionaries DC 43:15.

I have learned so much this week. Thank you for you sending me the conference Ensign. I love it. I have read talks from it every day. I love studying it by topic;  Prayer, family, scriptures-- all so great.  We also got to watch/listen to the first presidency{s devotional last night. I loved it. It was so uplifting. I hope this year during the holidays we can all focus more on the Savior and not let presents ruin Christmas. Open your eyes to the wonderfulness around you. It’s really about Christ. Don’t spend Christmas but keep it forever Keep Christmas, Keep Christ!! Oh I loved just hearing the voices of the apostles and prophets. They are truly men of God. This is his church and his doctrine.

Trujillo Sunshine (love it) - check out my sweet tan lines after just a few weeks 

Much LOVE

Hermana Samstrung. :)