Wow! Time is Flying

Hnas Sheridan, Eddings & Sandstrom 18 months!

HOLA! 

Wow I can’t believe that March is almost over! Time is flying

The week has been great! Andrea got baptized!!! Yay!

She was so happy and so nervous. We waited for a while because she wanted her dad to be there. But finally after an hour, they said we should go ahead. Well after the small program, her primary teacher baptized her.  He got the words wrong the first time, and the 2nd time her foot popped up.  The third time was it. And then as they closed the doors, her dad walked in!! Bummer!! But her testimony was stellar and the spirit was so strong!

This past week we had our one month training meeting, all of the newbies with their trainers. It was great, as always. There were so many missionaries. The assistants said that it was one third of the mission. CRAZY! --and its only going to grow from here. 

So Friday night, Peru played Chile in Soccer. I thought of CY, maybe he got to see a little of it. But sorry Cy, We won!!! Yea 1 to 0. We heard all of primavera screaming as we tried to sleep. We still have a small chance to go to the world cup, Brazil 2014. 

Sorry I{m a little scatter brained today. But I am so happy to be a missionary right now, the world is changing a lot right now, and the need for missionaries is greater than ever. The church is growing and missionaries are helping everywhere, I’m so happy to be apart of it all! 

I love this gospel more than anything. It helps me everyday! I am a stronger person because of it. And I know it can help you too, if you let it. READ your scriptures everyday, PRAY like everything depends on your Father in Heaven, and KEEP the COMMANDMENTS! They aren’t just suggestions, they really help us follow what God wants for us. 

I love the Book of Mormon, its seriously the best book I’ve read. Every time I read it, I learn something new. It must be magical, or from God. I know that through prayer we can communicate with our Heavenly Father. It’s only through prayer we can repent and become clean! I don’t think I’ve ever spent more time on my knees. 

I’m SO grateful that families are forever! I can’t wait to see you guys. I can’t believe that the time is coming so soon. I don’t want to leave Trujillo, it will forever have a special place in my heart. 

Pizza with Hna Bedoya

I love you lots!! 

Give some one you love a hug today! 

Love, Hna Sandstrom

Oh what a rain it would be ....

after our multi - zone conference - heading to work

March 18, 2013

Hola mi querida familia!

Que tal? Como le va?

This week has been great, wet but great! I don’t think Trujillo has seen this much rain in a while. But the fun part is, that when it rains, the water comes in through the roof and the walls, but only in the bathroom. And there isn’t water entering above the shower, only on the other half. So, needless to say it is an adventure to go use the bathroom.

Everyday this week it has rained at night but yesterday as we left after lunch we thought that the rain would let up soon, so we didn’t take umbrellas or anything bigger than a sweater. BUT the rain didn’t let up!! We were soaked! And we didn’t get in any houses either; but it still ended up being a great day! 

This week we have a baptism!!! Her name is Andrea! Her mom is a member and her older brother, and recently her dad gave permission for her to be baptized. All of it is thanks to the primary president, who one Sunday felt the impression to give Andrea her Faith in God booklet. Well she was showing her dad and thanks to that he gave her permission. He is very protective of her and wants to protect her during her teenage years. 

Also we are teaching Fransisca. She is awesome. She is like 60 years old, both her sister and brother in law are members of 20 years. She is a strong believer of the Bible and knows her stuff. But she has found a love for the Book of Mormon. She says that every thing makes more sense when she reads them together. She loves when we help her understand the doctrine that the Bible teaches with the Book of Mormon. And she even accepted to be baptized. So now we just have to help her realize that she doesn’t need to wait so long! We are having a family home evening with her tonight! Pray for her!!!

Celebrating 18 months with the RS dinner and dance

I love this work with everything I have! Being a missionary is such a privilege!! I am thankful for everyday and how the Lord guides us and makes miracles happen!! 

love you all!! 

Hna Sandstrom

18 Months!

March 11 2013

¿Que tal familia?

So I can´t believe that I am going to complete 18 months in the mission this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CRAZY!!!

I can´t believe that I have made it this far, this fast. For those of you who have served missions, maybe you know what I mean.  I thought it was going to take forever to make it to a year, and since then, time has flown by!

So in the last 18 months I have

1. I have eaten rice every day, I have eaten guinea pig, cow tongue,

and I now love coke :)

2. I have been grateful everyday for the blessings and life that I have at home. 

3. I have lived with companions from Bolivia, Peru, Tonga, Nicaragua, and Chile. 

4. People have guessed that I am from Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina, but most of them guess right.

5. I have been called ¨Gringa¨ everyday!

6. I have never cried more and laughed more

7. I have felt the power of the atonement, it helps me become better EVERYDAY!

8. I haven´t cooked anything for 18 months.

9. I love reading the Book of Mormon, and even though it is in another language, I feel like I have never understood it better. 

10. I didn´t really understand the value of keeping a journal before, but now its something that I really treasure.  

There are too many other things to name!

But wow. 

This past week has been tough. It has been super super hot here. So this past week I think it was national nobody should open up for the missionaries week. We walked and walked and walked. And I think it was also planned that our investigators should decide to drop us this week. It was tough-- but Hna Bedoya is a trooper! Seriously. She hasn´t complained! 

But after lots of prayers this week we had a miracle happen yesterday!

So during church the primary president and a hermana came looking for us. She said that before church her daughter was working on her faith in god. Her daughter isn´t a member, and her dad doesn´t want to give permission. Well as her dad listened to her faith in god project, he realized how important it would be for her to participate!!! SO...... We have his permission!!!!

We are going to go tomorrow to get the details all figured out! YEA!!!!

Love you all!!! Happy Day! Happy Week!!! 

Hna Sandstrom

Soy una mama (trainer in mission terms)

March 4 2013

Hola Familia!! ¿Como Estan?

Yo estoy MUY bien! I´m so so happy with Hna Bedoya! She is from Huacho, Peru. A tourist town on the coast about 3 hours away from lima. She has a sister that lives in Lehi, small world! But she is amazing! I feel like she is training me. I am learning so much from her everyday!

So this past week has been a little crazy! -but it has been good. We have spent a lot of time walking and getting to know the area and members, but my companion is quick learner and is a great teacher. These next couple of weeks are going to be great!! I wish so much that I could spend more time with her. I can´t believe we are already in MARCH!! Wow 

Right now we are teaching a family. So about two weeks ago three weeks ago we were walking down the street and we stopped to help some people carry wood into their shop. We talked about the church and they asked us to come back a couple days later, sweet. Then the next day we were walking by and they were carrying more wood in, So we stopped to help again. They gave us some inca kola but it wasn´t carbonated. –blah haha. oh well. we drank it and kept going. We have been teaching their three daughters. They are great. They have never been baptized and are so excited to be baptized. So this past week we went by to talk to their dad so he could sign the permission form. Well change of plans. We walked in the house and the power was out (only on  their street) , they all motioned us in. As we are sitting there in their house, my mind was racing. We can´t really read the scriptures like we planned and or use the video clip, and its the first day in the mission for my companion. What do we do? 

Since the power was out, the whole family was together because they couldn´t work in the shop without power.  So  we used the cell phone to read 3 Nephi 18:21 about praying as a family. It was awesome; we talked about the importance of the family. At the end of the lesson almost everybody had tears in their eyes. Come to find out that one of their other sisters was moving to Chile in three days and they are all really sad about that. 

Hna Shearman's last day

To finish the lesson the dad, said the closing prayer!! It was incredible. I don´t think that the kids had ever heard him pray before. It was an incredible lesson. We are so happy that the power was out that night, and that we followed the spirit. 

Please pray for them! (that the parents are married, and that they come to church!)

LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Hna Sandstrom

Oh and I got your christmas card today.  thanks :)

my district in chan chan