This is a blog post from Sister Turk (Kaylee's mission president's wife)

This is a blog post from Sister Turk (Kaylee's mission president's wife) 

Jan 4th 2012

I Love This Story...

This is Hermana Sandstrom who has been in the mission just a few months.

She is great and we love her contagious smile.

This is Hermana Sandstrom's parents.

Her mother, Tammy, served a mission in her youth in Boston...

Which probably had a lot to do with her daughter serving a mission now.

Tammy taught a man back in Boston that was originally from Columbia.

His name was Ricardo.  He listened to the lessons, knew the Gospel was true 

and He was baptized.

I don't have a picture of Ricardo, but here is a picture of 

Ricardo Montelban... just pretend

Ricardo went back to Columbia and converted his family.

He happens to be an Uncle to our 

Elder Barinas

whose family was converted through this Uncle Ricardo.

Uncle Ricardo even named his daughter Tammy 

after Sister Sandstrom (Barker)

who taught him the Gospel.

This is why Elder Barinas' first cousin is named Tammy!

Elder Barinas would not be a member of the Church

if Hermana Sandstrom's mother hadn't served a mission

to Boston and taught his Uncle.

Here are Hermana Sandstrom and Elder Barinas in the center

with their companions.

Thank you Tammy for serving a mission

because you have no idea how outstanding our 

Elder Barinas is...  You can count all of his converts

to your list now too... which are many.

We know that Hermana Sandstrom serving with us now

will have stories like this with the lives 

she touches here in Peru.

GREAT STORY!

PS... Don't you think that Elder Barinas looks a lot like his Uncle Ricardo?

************************

 (mom note) That is the end of the original story posted by Sister Turk on Jan 4th.  Here is some additional information. I spoke with the Saenz family in Boston this week and they actually sent a letter to their sister/sister in law (Elder Barinas' mom) in Columbia and told her Kaylee was serving a mission in Trujillo and that Elder Barinas should watch for her.  So the mystery of how the connection was made is answered.  But knowing the details makes this story none the less miraculous to me.  What a wonderful experience and blessing for me and I can't help think what a great boost to Kaylee and the extent your missionary service can reach.  

Here are some photo's I found: 

Ricardo & Miriam Saenz at their baptism 1986
with missionaries and son Robert

Saenz family (Ricardo, Miriam, Magda, Robert,
 & new baby Tammy) & Tammy Barker (Sandstrom)

I love this facebook post by Robert Saenz after this all came together 'Funny how God reaches into your soul out of the blue to let you know He is there and loves you...love it when that happens' (... me too!)

I also got this message on my Facebook wall from Cindy, another one of Elder Barinas' aunts in Columbia. (english translation) "Hello, my family and I also know the Gospel thanks to my uncle Ricardo and aunt Miriam.  We want to thank you because if it had not been for your magnificent work, our family would not be what it is now.  We have been able to be sealed in the Holy Temple and now my brothers and sisters also have their families for eternity.  Your labor has truly transcended generations and will continue to do so.  Thanks!...with all my heart" 

My final thoughts are cool, amazing, incredible - and gratitude!  It is great to be reminded that the Lord knows each one of us individually and brings lives together in miraculous ways.  I also appreciate the reminder that we really don't know the effect our lives have on others. By living the gospel and fulfilling our duties, the Lord will use us as instruments in His hands. - Tammy

Happy New Year!

yellow everything and Inca Cola

1/2/12

 

Feliz Año Nuevo!

This week has been crazy busy running 

back and forth 

visiting members and our investigators.

Happy 2012 in Trujillo - but in bed by 10:30 

We ALMOST had a baptism for German. Yep-almost; so he told us the day after Christmas that he was leaving on vacation for a month. We were so bummed. But while we were out tracking one afternoon I felt prompted to go visit his house, just to see if he was there or to visit his daughter, Segunda. So we looked and he was there. We talked to him and figured that he could be baptized that upcoming Saturday because he has had all the lessons and has a desire and wants to follow Christ, and he has been to church two times. So we planned for Saturday and that meant Friday was his interview with our new district leader, Elder Elmer.  We were nervously waiting out in the hall for the verdict. Elder Elmer came out and said that he knew everything, although he was a little confused when German responded to the question ‘who is the prophet of the restoration’-- Jose Monson and then the next question ‘who is our prophet today’ --Thomas Smith. HAHA But other than that he said it was good. EXCEPT for the fact that when Elder Elmer asked him if he was excited for his baptism on Saturday he said no. He said that he really didn't have any desire to be baptized because he was baptized as a kid and being baptized again would be an offence against God. AHH No!! We were so bummed, because he was so excited for baptism before.  We have tried to keep talking to him but nothing. We even talked to his daughter who we thought was against it and she agreed to talk to him and tell him it was okay to be baptized. But still no. so, we’ll see what happens.

We finally got Juana to church this week!! Yea!! One more time at church for her and Rosa and we’ll have a baptism for them!!! For mother and daughter. Oh pray for us this next Sunday. It’s stake conference so we are nervous about investigators coming.

We have had a lot of new investigators this past week but they stop being progressive when they don’t come to church. This has really become a difficulty for us. Any suggestions on how to get them to church?  We leave about 2 hours before church to get to our investigators houses to wake them up and wait for them and visit multiple people- to prep all of them hoping one or two will make it to church. haha. Its a game every Sunday to see how many can we wake up and how many will make it to the chapel.  These past two Sundays have been hard because of the holidays and because our ward meets at 8 am. But our time is changing.  Members are also hard because we can’t get very many to accompany us during the week. 

This week has been great as I have shared The Living Christ books!! There is such a power in the knowledge of our savior and his sacrifice for us!! DC76:22-24 HE LIVES this is our testimony. It is So comforting to know. I love sharing my testimony of this everyday!

Thanks for all the prayers!!!

H Sandstrom

here is our dinner - cereal and yogurt - yum

our zone activity in the country last week

SKYPE is awesome!

December 27, 2012

My Awesome Christmas Quote tree - thanks!

SOOOO good to see and talk to you all this week.  I’m still on the high from it, it will have to last me until May, but I think that I can make it.   The weather cleared up and its been great.

This week is changes.  I have one more change with my trainer. But today our zone and district were split.  It is way sad and some of our district is being transferred as well. Because our zone is changing, we had a zone p-day.  We went out to the country and played at a center –kind of like a rec center. We played futbol and volleyball and chilled. It was so great. I loved it, it was a breath of fresh air. I realized that I really love the country more than the city.

I told you on our call about German. Scratch that baptism we had planned for Saturday. We found out yesterday that he is leaving for a vacation tomorrow and he will be gone about a month. But he said last time they visited the family in .... I don{t remember the name.... but last time they visited they were there for 6 months. So we’ll see if he returns, but this means no baptism for german this week. It’s tough-- this stuff. I came into the field with this attitude that if they don’t accept the message or baptisms then it wouldn’t be on me, they would be rejecting the Savior and God.  But its hard when people repeatedly don’t want to hear our message or they don’t keep their commitments. My heart’s getting involved. dah!! Its heart wrenching when baptism dates don’t work out or when work doesn’t go as we have planned. ah.

I knew it would be hard but I didn’t fully understand.

So my companion is the new coordinating sister; who is in charge of all the other hermanas in our zone.  Therefore I’ll be going on splits with other hermanas. Should be fun. 

So challenge this week find scriptures you would use to teach faith and repentance to someone. What are your favorite faith scriptures?

Another investigator is So did Hermana Mirim and her family. Her husband and son are a members but her and her other 4 kids are not. Two of her kids are really interested and we have to continue work with mirim and her other daughter (the one that is 15 and has a kid)

Also remember Josue. He is 9 and is so ready to be baptized. He wanted to wait for his mom to return from lima and she finally returned!!! (after 3 weeks of waiting)  Hopefully we can get him and his mom and sister and dad baptized soon!!

Please pray for them all!!!

Thanks

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

Hermana Sandstrom

(mom note: it was so wonderful to Skype with Kaylee on Christmas.  She radiated! Her Spanish sounds great and she was so happy.  I’m having a hard time remembering everything to share.  She is an area that has nice homes and homes with no roofs or indoor bathrooms.  They live somewhere in the middle.  

There is a ysa member in Peru named Anali that has connected with me on facebook.  She just posted a bunch of pictures of Kaylee and Hermana Oliveros – she wrote to me that they working very hard and they love having them in their ward.  Yea! What a fun post to read.  I’ll put a few pictures here but you can see more on my facebook page)