If you drink cold pop you will catch a cold.... :S

(we didn't get any explanation on the email title - must be someone's words of wisdom she is passing on) 

January 28, 2013

Hola Familia! 

Como Estan? Hace mucho sol aqui pero es major, yo creo que la nieve. :)

So this week has been good, about the same as last week, but good. I’m good. It’s been a hard week, I’ve been a little discouraged. I shouldn´t be. But yea...... teaching and investigator wise. I want to be constant, not have weeks that are super great and then others that are horrible. And we trying to have investigators that I will leave my companion with.  But this past week we haven´t been able to find anybody, and if we try to be persistent they get offended. But I’m just frustrated … I'll be fine though.

I´m not sure if I told you last week but we found a family!!! The parents aren´t married :( ) and have some problems (we had quite the encounter with them this past weekend).  They have three kids. They missionaries were visiting one teenager about two years ago, but the area got shut down right when she was about to get baptized. But last week, we saw the dad sitting outside on the corner of the house, and we contacted him and he let us in. They are good. The parents really want us to help the teenager. They think that she is heading down the wrong path. But from what we can see she is great!  Two of the kids have a baptism date!!  We are pretty excited for them. We are also teaching one of the kids friends and they really have an interest! 

helping mamita prepare the cuyes (guinea pigs)

So this last week for pday we made Pachamanca (mom note – Wikipedia says Pachamanca is a traditional Peruvian dish based on the baking, with the aid of hot stones).  We dug a hole. lit a fire, put some rocks on top.  Then we put meat and stuff on the rocks and then some banana leaves on and covered it up with dirt. And in 45 minutes; it was done. It was quite the day, but it tasted delicious. Maybe we will have to try it when I get home. 

Also this past week was the birthday of Hno Guillermo (he is the husband of my pensionista) he wanted to eat cuy (guinea pig)!! Do you guys want to try cuy when you come? It tastes like chicken. 

Oh and guess what..... Bryan and Damaris got permission from their mom!!!!! We sent them home with a bunch of Liahonas and she started reading them-- and she said yes!!! So next time they come to Trujillo they will be baptized -  wahoo!!!

I don´t really have too much to share this week. But I want you to know that I love you and think you are all the best! 

Never forget that your Heavenly Father loves you!  He never gets tired of listening to us. 

Love you lots!

Hna Sandstrom

 We did some painting this week for Zone Service –

ups and downs

January 21 2013

Hola Familia Mia! 

Espero que ustedes estan 

bien y firmes en el evangelio 

de Jesucristo! 

(I hope you all are good and 

firm in the gospel of Jesus Christ)

This week has had a lot of high moments and only a couple low ones. To start off the week we had some great leadership training on Tuesday with President and Hermana Turk and all of the leaders of the mission. And ALL of the Hermanas in the mission were invited to come, because very soon, all of the Hermanas will be training and helping to move the mission forward. It was a great day. I felt so uplifted to learn how we have started a new page in the mission and how missionary work is changing all throughout the world.  It was great to counsel together as hermanas and plan what we can start doing now to help all of the new hermanas that will be coming. There is lots of work to do, but I can´t think about that yet. I just have to think about it a little at a time or I get overwhelmed. 

So after the training meeting we went to the church and Hna Lida was waiting for her baptismal interview. I have never had a baptism that went so smooth. It was great! 

Other than the baptism, this week it was tough. A lot of our investigators that we have had, have decided to stop progressing, or they have moved. By Friday night we had taught only two lessons. It was horrible, but we didn´t know what else to do. We have been walking A LOT and looking and praying.  We have asked everyone for references. It was just one of those weeks when we didn´t know what else to do. 

But one night after the stake choir practice, (the stake president asked a few of the missionaries to participate because there weren´t enough YSA participating) I asked the elders to give me a blessing. It was just what I needed. The priesthood is so powerful!!! And everyday I am more and more grateful that I have had the priesthood in my home my whole life. My companion received one too and said that it was only her 3rd blessing in her whole life. I can´t even imagine. I’m so grateful that my Heavenly Father is mindful of me and of my needs. I Promise as a servant of Jesus Christ that he knows EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!! We are his sons and daughters. He wants us to succeed! 

So part of the week was hard, But Saturday was great! The baptism of Hna Lida was so special. About a year ago, Hno Ruben and Hna Lida met Hno Gill and Pam Greere from Alpine Utah. Hno Gill invited them to listen to the missionaries, and this is where their journey started. Hno Gill served his mission here in Trujillo, and is now helping the youth here leave on missions. Ruben and Lida went to dinner with Gill and Pam and that is when Lida decided to get baptized on the 19th. Hno Gill baptized her on Saturday and it was amazing!!! The spirit was so strong as Hna Lida shared her testimonio. Also they told us that Rosana will be getting baptized in Februray! We are having a Family Home Evening with them tonight, hopefully we can set a date. (Pray for her!)

Thanks so much for your love and prayers!

Love you!

Hna Sandstrom

Feliz 16 Messe (months)

January 14, 2013

Hola Familia! 

This week has been one of the best weeks on my mission. 

So remember a while ago I told you about the nephew and neice of Hna Maribel. Well for the past two weeks we have been teaching them and they really want to be baptized. So we decided to do everything we could to make it happen. But we were in a battle all week. They could have gotten baptized with the permission of their aunt. But we didn’t know what was right. Well we had been praying all week. Multiple times a day, asking our heavenly father what was the best thing to do. As it came down to Friday day we both woke up with the feeling that they shouldn’t be baptized at this time. We have full confidence in God that he will give them the opportunity to be baptized soon. It just wasn’t the right timing for many reasons. It was so hard for us to not push for baptism. But God is good, and has blessed us.....

Friday was interview time with President Turk! It was amazing; so spiritual and so uplifting. We spent some part of the day talking about prayer. How we can pray always. Its not one of those things like being perfect that we can{t obtain. We really can’t become perfect but we are asked to try our hardest. But we can pray ALWAYS! But our talking is only part of the pray. We need to listen ALWAYS too. And it’s possible. Try it! You will hear so many more promptings of the spirit. 

When God takes things away, it’s for the better. But he also gives us blessings too. So Friday night we went to visit the family ___. We had a goal for ____ and ___ to get bapt and  Hno ___ had just gotten back from Ecuador on a business trip and it was fun to catch up.  We started teaching the Sabbath day holy and he just wasn’t getting it. Looking for loop holes and everything. We were kind of frustrated and the others seemed bored. But after we said the closing prayer. Hna ___ said that she wanted to tell us something.....Uh okay..... She said that she has been talking to her husband and praying and she wants to GET BAPTIZED ON THE 19TH! We were shocked and we could hardly breathe or say anything. Their friend is here from Utah and he will be baptizing her this saturday! Oh my gosh it was amazing! 

I am so grateful that God listens to our prayers. He knows better than us. And he blesses us when we are obedient to his council!!

Love you all!!Have an amazing week!

Hna Sandstrom

Oh I made Hna Turks blog
– we won the puzzle game in record time :)

thanks to the Barkers and my puzzle abilities, 

most of the Latinos have never done puzzles. 

YIPEE ....Kaylee sent photos, 

Hna Turk posted photos and
a member in her area sent some via Facebook

 

Happy 2013

1/7/13

Hola Familia!


I can’t believe its P-day again. Time is passing by too quickly. 
So today is changes. And Hna Cevallos and I are staying together. So that means that she’ll be dying with me (ending her mission with me).  And it most likely means that I’ll be finishing my mission here in Primavera. Which I’m happy about. But it also means that as of today I have two more changes. Wow. I can’t believe it. I feel like last month I completed 2 changes in my mission. Wow. 



But Anyways... Happy New Year! We celebrated the new year visiting Maribel (our pensionista) and Her family. They had a wonderful surprise because her mom and nephew and niece  are here too!!  We watched a church movie waiting for midnight and then we went up stairs to see all the cool fireworks here in Trujillo. It lasted for at least 45 minutes. Here in Peru it is tradition that at midnight you eat dinner and start the fiesta....the dance. There was a party at the church and it started at 10 at night, and when we left to run at 6:30 the next morning we saw members just getting home. It’s quite the big deal. But it was fun. We sure have been tired all week, but it was fun! 


This week has been great. We have been finding lots of new people with the help of some of our future missionaries. And the are all starting to progress. I love it. I’m so proud of them. Manuel and Rosa are doing great! They came to church this past week and loved it. We had a great lesson with them last night too. We invited them to pray to know if all that they are learning is true. They both have a big desire to know, but they haven’t asked yet. So PLEASE pray for them. We love them so much and want the best for them. 


Yesterday was a another day of miracles. We had Ward Council again! yea! Way to start off the year on a good foot! And we also had 8 people at church!!!! YES Count them 8!!!! It was seriously a miracle. Especially because all of the people we went to look for, didn’t come with us. 

Things are looking great for this week. We are praying that Bryan and Damaris (the nephew and neice of Maribel) stay in town for another week. They live in a small town about 8 hours outside of Trujillo, and the church hasn’t made it out there yet. They want to be baptized, but just need permission from their parents. So we are hoping that they stay here long enough to be baptized. Also Maribel’s mom is convinced that Bryan looks like Connor and is my younger brother-- its funny. He’s in the group picture from new years eve. 



Love you all!!


Have a great week!


Hna Sandstrom