4/23/12

4/23/12

Hola Familia

I hope you had a great time celebrating Lindsay’s birthday. It was a great time for me to think back on her life and remember all of our great memories together. Cry a little bit (as Hermana Turk called me), but to think more about the Plan of Salvation and the Plan of Happiness that we have in our lives. I bought some yellow flowers that morning in the market to have on my desk throughout the day to help keep me happy. I hope the carnival was a success.

We have had a great week, working really hard. This next week is my companions last week in the mission. So we are working really hard and making sure that she finishes strong and hard.

We will be finishing with the baptism of Edwardo. He is another Teenager of the area. He is friends with a lot of the youth around here. He has been attending seminary for most of the school year and is looking forward to be baptized. We received permission from his dad this past Saturday, which was awesome because his dad freely gave permission and then after he had signed the paper he had questions for us. It was funny and it made us laugh. But it was good, He had lots of questions for us. He is a great dad, except that he drinks a lot.

sunsets in Casa Grande

So the area of Casa Grande is doing great, the recent converts are doing good. Some of the recent converts before my time are struggling with the change of life style, so that has ben hard. There is a lot of gossip and a lot of disrespect for the bishop, leaders and missionaries. It’s sad. It’s hard to demand respect but still want their friendship.

So this is a cool experience I heard this past week. Remember my companion Hermana Ballena from the Lima ccm. Well I got a letter from my friend Chelsy Broome. She is home from her mission from Boliva. Well small world. She was the trainer for Hermana Ballena in Boliva. Crazy huh. haha I love it.

This last baptism photo is of Anita, Orlando, and Anna. We met Anita´s sister, Santos through a contact and she said ‘my sister is going to be baptized in your church this next Saturday’.  We were kind of confused because we don’t know who she is; and she lives in our area. But we got her directions and went to look for her.  Well we found her and found out that some other elders of ours had been teaching this family and that they were indeed going to be baptized and were going to be participating in another ward.  We were bugged for a while, but that has passed.... (kind of). But we assisted in their baptism because Anita asked us to and because we have a great relationship with her. She has been reading the Book of Mormon for 28 years; wow. She is amazing! More to come about Santos!! Pray for her, she is a chosen one.

Well, as I said, this is my last week with my Hermanita Herrera.  She is the BEST! I have learned so much from her and we are going to send her off with a bang!

I guess she's telling us she's shrinking

Love you all!

Hna Sandstrom

4/16/12

April 16, 2012

Aloha Familia

This past week has been a whirlwind.  I can´t believe it has been only 7 days since I last wrote to you. Wow.  Last Tuesday we had the opportunity to work with President Turk. He came to Casa Grande to listen to our district meeting and to look over the work of our zone and then he asked if he could come work with us. So it was pretty great, we had a really good lesson with Katita and with Elizabeth (more about them later). But it was an awesome experience to work with President, He has such a strong spirit about him.

So the next part of the week, was that we went to the Nuerologist. The doctor said that I have Daily Chronic Migraines. They said its hereditary. Grandpa John is the only one who I can think of who has really bad head aches – does anyone else?  I got lots of drugs and I had three days of shots that we had to have given to me.  Now they are going to start me on a prevention program so in the future i will only have them about once a month.  So all that nothing has really changed since I went to the doctor so I don’t really know.

But back to the best parts of the week

JAVIER WAS BAPTIZED!! So we got a call Wednesday morning from  Maria, the wife of Javier. She said she had good news and bad news for us. I told my companion right there that Javier wanted to change jobs, and that they were moving back to Chiclayo and that he wanted to be baptized before he left. Well when we went to their house before we left for Trujillo Wednesday. So it was exactly as I predicted. They are changing jobs so Javier can spend more time with his family and they are moving to Chiclayo in May, so he was baptized this past Friday!!! YEA!!! It was amazing! His testimony was awesome. He said that the only thing he faulted all along was asking in his prayers. He said that he had always prayed and expressed thanks but never really asked. And as soon as he did, he received his answer.

The other best part was Katita. She had her baptism date set for this week, but because of some health (girl stuff) she wanted to wait until next week. Which was fine. But when we went to get her permission slip signed, her mom changed completely. So I don´t know what really changed, but we ended up baptizing Katita this past week. Katita originally had permission and knows that these things are right.  As we were leaving her house Saturday, I heard my companion telling her mom, do you mind if we stop by for Katita we want her to see what a baptism is, so she can feel the spirit and see the church. After we left the church I told my companion, that the only baptism we have planned is Katitas. She said I know, and so that’s what we did. We followed the spirit. But it was really funny. haha.

So Sorry this email is all over the place, this past week I have seen so many miracles happen in our area that it has been amazing. Just amazing! The Lord really blesses his missionaries. Thanks for all of you prayers!!

Love you All

Hna Sandstrom

Happy Birthday Lindsay!!

April 9, 2012
Happy Easter Familiacito ' Sorry Its a day late

This week has been crazy! Seriously, but we survived. So first off last p day was great, we played futbol, and made completos and watched princess and the frog in spanish. ;) So if you buy enough completos for an entire district its only 35 soles. Haha love it.(kid history if you're wondering)

So during the week we were crazy preparing for the baptism of Daniel. And it was quite the drama fest. His girlfriend is a recent convert and she is a drama queen; -threatening to run away or commit suicide, and he is very concerned for her. Her life is hard with her family and she has some medical problems, and doesn´t want to go to the doctor with her mom. It's sad. So we were up until midnight saturday night, talking with her friends, the zone leaders, the bishop, and the district leader trying to find Daniel, because as I know to darn well, a baptism isn´t complete without the confirmation. But as we went to bed dead tired saturday praying and pleading for a miracle. Well when we woke up sunday morning we were surprisingly calm. Well we went to get mary carmen, a recent convert, she is always helping us out and is great. She has been helping us tons with daniel and alison. So as we got daniel; which was a miracle, we didn´t know if the bishop was going to let us confirm him.

But as we got to church the bishop was calm with all of it and DANIEL WAS CONFIRMED!!! The first Easter Miracle. The second Easter miracle is that we had 6 people at church. Yea 6!! This is awesome becuase we spent all of our time with Daniel that we didn´t ahve time to go for anybody else. Well We are definitely blessed!!

Another Easter Miracle is that i got a phone call after lunch from Hermana Turk. She said that sunday morning she had received an email from my mom telling me that many family and friends would be fasting and praying that day for me and my headaches. Which was awesome. I am so so grateful for all of you and your prayers. I have faith that we will find the problem and that we will find a solution. And although I had a nasty headache all through church Sunday, I was still able to see the hand of the Lord in my life. I have so many blessings. Thank you, all of you, for your prayers. I am seeing miracles because of them.

So the headache update: We went to Trujillo Friday to talk with president Turk and I got a blessing from him which was awesome. I´m so grateful for him. We have decided to go completely off of caffine and exceddrine and try ibprophen for a week or so. Oh and sun glasses. I feel so weird with them on, not so stylish. Oh well. we are going to be trying some stuff to see what is the problem. Thanks so much for you love and prayers.

Love you all
Hna Sandstrom

My zone (yep I'm the the only gringo)

ps Watch Finding Faith in Christ!! It's a great video for Easter time!!

pps pray for Jean Franko, and Katita, and edwardo this week, they are the chosen ones we are working with this week. Katitas baptisms is saturday :

April 2, 2012

April 2, 2012

Hola Family!!!

I hope everything finds you well. I was praying for you all at the Bull sale this weekend. I hope my heifer did great, oh along with everybody else’s :)

Hermanas Herrera y Sands 

I am loving Casa Grande.  It’s so beautiful and small I love it. The sunsets are absolutely gorgeous every night. And the ward is awesome. We have great activities every week. Everybody is always looking out for one another and wanting to help. That reminds me a lot of home. So here in Casa Grande there are only about 50 cars, the rest are motor taxis. They are motorcycles with a little buggy thing on the back. Its fun. All the teenage boys work after school driving them around. And I am loving Hermana Herrera, she is from Nicaragua and she is amazing!! 

So here is the rundown of my investigators at the moment. 

our great YW (all recent converts) & Daniel

Daniel. He is stellar. His girlfriend is a recent convert and he has been curious about the church since she was baptized.  Every time we meet he has questions. It’s so great! He has prayed about it and has gained a testimony of his commandments, and the Book of Mormon.  He is doing this for himself!! It’s awesome. He came to all the sessions of conference! -even priesthood session. And then he came Sunday in a suit. It was awesome.!!! His baptism is Saturday.

Oh by the way I didn´t get to watch conference in English. So I only got about half of it. But it was still wonderful!!! I loved loved loved hearing the choir, and seeing Gwen.  I didn´t think it would have had that big of an impact on me but seeing her was something familiar. :) Conference was amazing couldn´t you feel the spirit and power of the prophet!!! Ah … I love it!! 

So the Next investigator is Katita. She is awesome. She has been taught by various Hermanas, but is really progressing right now. She wants to be baptized but needs permission from her mom. Her mom is a little tough. Katita’s older sister was pretty young when she had her first baby and her mom is really nervous that Katita will be the same. (Which she won´t). She is so awesome, she reads her Book of Mormon every day and her prayers are so special.

Also we have Javier. His wife and daughter are recent converts and his wife is now the Young Womens president. She is a rock. He is basically a member with out the baptism. He attends all his meetings and holds family home evening. He has selected June 14th for his baptism (his birthday) but we are trying to move it up to April 14th. So pray for him please. We want him to go through the temple on his birthday to do baptisms. So it could be tricky. He´s stubborn.

my district with the zone leaders

Anyways this is what’s going on in Casa Grande. So I don´t know if I told you but I´m the only North American in my zone and in Casa Grande and those areas surrounding us. It’s quite fun.

I have been glasses-less for about 5 days now and its fabulous, but the migraines continue. So I talked with Hermana Turk last night and we are going to start trying to figure out what is causing it. And if not we are headed to a neurologist. Hmmm. 

Today we are going to make completos. I´ll let you know how it goes. (You can have 3 completos for ..... :) (kid history)

Please pass on my love to all my extended family and friends!!

Quote for the week.... “If you are endowed with the Spirit of God, no matter how simple your thoughts may be, they will be edyifying to those who hear you” Eliza R. Snow -Daughters in my kingdom page 49

eating clam things - weird but good :)

Love you all so much!!

Hna Sands. (a new abbreviation, my name is difficult here)

(Oh I found out that there isn´t a way for me to send letters, I still love you all I just can´t write you back individually while I’m here.)