Lima MTC one week in

Hola Familia!!

(this was directed at Connor and Parker and in response to Connor’s recent stitches under his eye from a football incident) You boys are going to love it here. Soccer is the biggest thing!! At our gym time all the elders just play soccer hard core. An elder in my district went to head the ball the other day, and ended up colliding with another elders head. They both left our cinderblock area for the real world to get stitches. Soccer is so intense. I can't wait for you boys to come you can get some awesome jerseys and soccer shoes for super cheap, so save up your money. I MISS YOU.

Things are going better here. My spanish is definitely improving, I think, but you'll have to ask my latin companion. Hermana Sanchez. She is from lima and understands some english. I still have lots to learn. I didn't really talk much the first couple of days because I didn't feel like I knew how to say things. Then after a fireside where we were asked questions about our companion, we decided we needed to break out and start getting to know each other as best we could. It’s so funny as we try to piece sentences together.

Our schedule is a lot the same. We have class all day, 45minutes for meals, which every meal consists of chicken rice and bread. They are very sensitive about food, so if you take it you have to eat it. Yea its kind of annoying, I'm scared to try new foods because if I don't like it, I am stuck with the whole thing.  Its pretty good but most of their food is served cold. but oh well. one of my favorites for breakfast is a less sugary frosted flakes with yogurt, pretty good.

Just like in provo, monday was my hardest day yet on my mission. We had to teach a REAL investigator and she spoke so so fast! It was nuts. I didn't understand a single word, we had a member (a teacher) in with us and he asked me mid lesson if i wanted him to translate. He is one of the only teachers that speaks english. So he translated and at the end I shared a scripture and bore my testimony at what I later learned they were talking about. It was a mess. But then again, same as before in Provo, Tuesday was my best day teaching.  H. adams and I have stopped preparing as much. We study the basics but not word for word. Our lessons go so much better when we do that. We can actually teach by the spirit and answer the questions of our investigators. It went great and each day it gets better.

This morning we got to go to the Lima temple. It was awesome! I didn't use the translating head phones at all and I knew what was actually going on and what was being said by pulling out the words that I know. It was awesome. I didn't need to understand it, I mainly just need a spiritual recharge for the next week.

After the temple we went with our assigned group to to-tus, which is their version of walmart. It was great. We had to turn in all food that we had when we got here so it was nice to find some real food before we ventured back to the ccm (which stands for Centro de Capacitacion Missional or mtc).  Now we have to rest of the day to take a nap and write letters               

Thanks again for all of the love and support!

  

ps. here is the challange for this week. Go watch the Joseph Smith movie in salt lake (we get to watch church movies on sunday nights) and find something in that movie that really inspires you. Not joseph smith but a quote or something you can change in your life to become better.

love and hugs!!

H. Sandstrom

MOM NOTE - WE JUST FOUND OUT YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO SEND LETTERS TO KAYLEE AT THE MTC AFTER OCT 26TH- because she won't get it before she leaves.  AT THAT POINT SEND THEM DIRECTLY TO HER MISSION.  EITHER THROUGH DEARELDER.COM (choosing the Peru Trujillo mission) or the pouch: Peru Trujillo Mission POB 30150 SLC 84130-0150 

Mom's post

It was so great to talk to Kaylee on the phone Wednesday morning when she was at the airport.  She was so excited.  She sounded so good and on fire.  She couldn't tell us enough about how wonderful the MTC was.  She thoroughly enjoyed General Conference and wanted us to all tell her what our favorite talks were and what we learned.  She was quoting speakers right and left and telling us how she had been impacted by it all.  She was feeling good about being able to pray, testify and teach parts of the lessons in Spanish.  She said she had become quite the crier though, always being so touched by the spirit.  She sent her love to everyone and thanks for all the love and support.  Maybe we'll get to talk to her again in six weeks when she flies to Trujillo.  We did get an email Thursday morning from Peru (see previous post).  You can still write to her at dearelder.com - and if you submit it by Sunday at midnight, it will go in Tuesday's pouch to Peru.

Made it to PERU

Well we made it to Peru! Late late Wednesday night.  We had a great time finding 20 missionaries luggage and getting through customs. It was a very long day of flying. I was so exhausted by the time we got here. But I did have a very cool experience on the plane. I gave away my first Book of Mormon and talked to this man all about the church. It was awesome, and David was so curious. he is from long beach California and has taught high school Spanish for years. He is retired and just travels around the world. He has a house in Spain, Long Beach, Argentina  and Peru. He just rents them out when each visa expires and moves on to the next place… such a great life. He was incredible and i had a great time getting to know him. Hopefully he will continue to read the book i gave him and will follow Moroni's promise.

Well Peru is an interesting place. It is a huge adjustment.  So different from utah, and the provo mtc.  There are only four bedrooms (so 20 hermanas) of hermanas compared to the 2 plus buildings we had in provo. I love them already though. we have two compaions, one english and one latina. But my latina companion never showed up last night. I don't really know what is going to happen with that though. they aren't very organized, so we'll see.  But to the best part.  My english companion is HERMANA ADAMS (from my mtc district)!  So wonderful to see her last night when I walked in my bedroom. I missed her so much.

Since I got here last night it has been rough. Things are so different and EVERYTHING is in Spanish. I'm so lost and confused. I’m in a foreign country, not just for a month or a couple of weeks but for 17 months. WOW. Its so overwhelming and the adversary is getting to me. Please send prayers and love my way.

Our ccm (mtc) president is challenging us to read the book of mormon in three weeks. Just to get the whole story, no underlining. Just reading. Who wants to join me? After that for the last three weeks we are here, we will read the new testament or doctrine and covenants. It will be an awesome experience. I met with the ccm president this morning and he is very nice, he is retired from the military so things around here are pretty strick. but taht will be good. I have heard that it is mainly for the latinos, because they have a hard time with a schedule and rules.

This ccm will be great, and we get to go on a tour of Lima and experience the culture when we get to our three week mark. so that will be fun. the food this morning was awful. it was some kind of egg thing with about a cup of salt in it. I tried to put it inside my roll thing, but it didn’t help. the milk is so watery  and they eat their cereal with yogurt. oh man this is going to be an interesting experience. hopefully I loose 100 pounds from not eating. :) 

Love Hermana Sandstrom

Leaving behind great friends at the Provo MTC 

Hermanas Sandstrom & Bosco

Elder Ensign - my 'little' brother

Sister Marilyn Foster from our old Holladay ward

My Awesome District

a bunch of new 'little' brothers

Hermana Ray in Peru - she was in the Provo

Hermana Adams from my MTC district is my new companion in the CCM

BUT FINDING SOME AGAIN IN PERU

Time to Fly :)

Lima bound...

9/30/2011

It’s hard to believe three weeks have passed and I will be flying to Peru on Wednesday. It’s going to be extremely hard leaving Hermana Bosco and Elder O'neal. I see them at least twice every day and it’s such a strength to be able to receive a hug from Hermana Bosco. I love her so much and she is such a great example to me! And elder O'neal is so great! Even though he can't give me a hug that handshake means a lot. They are awesome missionaries and will touch so many people!  

So this past week was a very uplifting week. Last Sunday we had fast Sunday, and mission conference. Mission conference was a two-hour session where we got to listen to all of the members of the MTC Presidency. It was so cool; you knew they were speaking directly to you, and your specific circumstance. There were some great talks about pride and the temple, and the prophets. One talk was about having faith, being worthy, and having the spirit with you. I know that if we have the spirit with us we will be able to, and want to do the things the lord has planned for us.

Thank you so much for all fasting for my visa. That is incredible! It is amazing what happens when the lord has a plan for us. There was a sister that got reassigned this week because after being here for 9 weeks, she was reassigned to Temple Square. There are also so many missionaries that just stay here for longer. I must really have a purpose and some important work to do in the Lima MTC if I got my visa right on time. Thanks for all of the prayers. I'm scared to death going to Peru already, my spanish is nowhere near the level to go speak it fluently all the time. Ah! Keep the prayers coming please!

So this past Tuesday our fireside was by Don. Clarke of the quorum of the seventy. He did an awesome job and I was able to find many messages that applied to me. One was, remember what it means to be Hermana Sandstrom. I love this! I challenge each of you to remember what it means to be you. What things can you change to be a better witness of Christ? Remember what it means to be a daughter or son of GOD! There are so many blessings and promises there, that if you strive to live worthy to those you will be immensely blessed. Another line from the same talk is, write in your heart what you are going to be. Remember who you are and what you want to be in your heart. Make it a permanent change. Don't take off more than you can handle but start with a small change of heart, and an action. You will see and feel the Lord’s hand in your life.

So this past week we had the chance to go to a training lab. We got to go in rooms and meet with members who spoke another language. We were supposed to go in and get to know them in Spanish and then give them a spiritual thought. all in espanol. I was so nervous. I almost had tears in my eyes. When we got in there, it was our guys first day. So he spoke to us in Spanish as much as we knew and then he gave us advice on what to talk about and what our investigators need to hear first. The next person we went to was fabulous. no ingles and i was able to  talk to him in 100% Spanish. So great! In his notes to our teacher he said that when we testified, our Spanish was perfect!! Such a testimony of relying on the spirit!.  Later that afternoon we went to start with a new investigator, Miguel. It’s really our teacher but this was a new start for us. I was able to give the whole lesson with only looking at my notes a couple times. but I didn't read them!!1 Like I had in the past. I was so happy. I was able to teach by the spirit, and it was awesome. I can now pray and testify completely in Spanish too. So powerful when you have the spirit of the lord helping you!!

Last night we had the chance to eat dinner with President Brown. He just came and sat next to us. He asked us to give him 10 scriptures from the Book of Mormon that talk about the atonement. We had a little trouble but we got them all. Just watch next fireside and devotional our district will be bearing our testimonies and praying (that’s how it works here) Here is another challenge, find the ten scriptures in the Book of Mormon that talk about the atonement. There is only one in the bible. And don't cheat using the index and topical guide.

Thank you so much for all of your love and support. I am so grateful to be here on my mission and to be studying the gospel and learning how to teach others how to come unto Christ and be baptized! I love you all!!!

Hermanas Steimle, Adams, Eddings, Sandstrom

Yo y Hermana Eddings - mi companera

My District

Week 2 and Lima bound soon

This past week has been good. I didn't start having a hard time until about Monday. I was so worried about my spanish. Our second day here we were given an investigator and we had to teach him in complete spanish. SO AWFUL! We didn't know hardly anything. We started copying out of our spanish preach my gospels, but we quickly learned that was not the way to teach, we weren't teaching by the spirit and couldn't answer any of Beto's questions.

So by Monday night a lot of our district was feeling the same way. We decided that on Tuesday we would have a district fast for help with our spanish and our lessons. Tuesday was amazing I was able to receive lots of different tips and help from other teachers and zone language helpers. Here are some scriptures that really helped me.

1 nephi 17:51 (so great). I know that they lord has so much power that he will be able to teach me how to teach in spanish and how to be able to teach with the spirit and know what my investigators are saying back to me.

The next one is 2 nephi 31: 3 well actually the whole thing.  I know that the lord will help me and won't give me things that I can't handle. I know that even though I have only been here a week. I am already learning so so much!

Tuesday night’s fireside speaker was Russel M. Nelson. It was incredible. We got to sing in the choir and we were singing ‘Where Can I Turn for Peace’ while he walked in. I started crying as he came in the room. I knew at that time where I could go for peace. I knew that I could go to my Savior anytime. My prayers had been answered. It also was a great testimony strengthener about prophets. He is indeed a prophet of the lord. He was so funny. We had been given the new issue of the Ensign, which is all about the Book of Mormon, and he spoke right from it the whole night. It was incredible.

In Relief society we got to all meet together (all 400 sisters at the mtc) . Sister Sharee Bird gave the lesson and she used this quote "Obedience brings forth blessings, but EXACT obedience brings forth miracles". Sister Nelson also used the same talk on Tuesday night. This quote has come to mean so much to me. I know that if I am completely 100 % to all of the rules. I will be blessed.

Oh so I have had lots of questions about my visa. A lot of the sisters that have been called to go the Lima Peru MTC have been delayed multiple weeks because their visas have not been here. Instead of being disappointed, the sisters in my district decided to just plan on not going on time. Which we were happy about because we are struggling with our spanish.  Yesterday my name was read over the intercom (which either means you are being reassigned, or that your visa came).  My stomach was in huge knots as we walked across campus. As we walked in the door two other sisters (in our zone, who were already suppose to be in Peru) had their travel itineraries in hand. I got my VISA!!!! I will be traveling with them on OCT 5th!! Any my flight leaves around 9 that morning. I'm so excited and SOO nervous.

(ok mom interjection here – Kaylee doesn’t know that last Sunday some of our extended family were having a special fast for an ill relative and I asked if they would please include fasting that Kaylee would receive her visa and be able to leave as scheduled after the 3 weeks to go to the Lima MTC.  Hmmm power in fasting, you bet!)

I get to go to the temple this afternoon and I'm looking forward to it so much! I didn't realize a week and a half of not going would have such an effect on me.

LOVE YOU ALL!!

HERMANA SANDSTROM!!!

MTC - it's awesome

Tucano's ... a lunch to remember :)

We're Here

Welcomed by wonderful friends Elder & Sister James (Zimbabwe bound)

Off she goes ... what a joyous event (through the tears)
We love her, we'll miss her but couldn't be happier!

Here are some excerpts from here first letter 9/17/2011

The MTC is so wonderful! I love it so much! I love learning and studying. In my first classour instructor walked in and started right off is spanish. no english! Ah!! Last night we had to give our first lesson in complete spanish to our investigator Beto. Oh my! It was truely awful, but I learned so much just giving one lesson and have learned so much for our lesson later tonight.

My compenera is Hermana Eddings. She is from centerville. She was super excited the first day about being her and was so excited for the work.  She is also going to the trujillo peru mission!  There are two other hermanas in our district and one of them is Hermana Stemile and she is from Kansas andshe is going to the lima south  mission(i think). And the other sister is Hermana Adams from California. She is so wonderful! We get along so well! We feel like we know each other from somewhere, and we have become wonderful friends! There are 7 elders in our district and all of them are going to Mexico. There are three sisters next door to us, and they are all going to  Peru as well, and they were all suppose to leave two weeks ago to leave for the lima mtc, but visas are really bad and they have been delayed. We found out that the government in Peru is changing so much right now that visas are taking forever. So as of right now we are just planning on staying in provo longer, because of all of the other hermanas experiences.

As I got here the first day I was so nervous and unsure what was ahead of me. I didn't know anything about my companion or teaching or the work. And I don't know much more now, except for the fact that I am suppose to be here! This is where I need to be! I love the mtc and am excited to continue to learn more about the gospel, especially how to teach it in spanish! Please pray for me, this spanish is no bueno :).

Please send dearelder.com lettters as often as you can. We get mail twice a day!

Thanks so much for all of hte love and support! I love being a missionary and have felt so many blessings as I have already been here. I know that this churhc is true and that God blesses us when we are obedient. He watches over us!

Love you all!!

Hermana Sandstrom!

Mission Address!

Dearelder.com works best and is free for the MTC and also for once I get to Peru.
My PROVO MTC address is
Sister Kaylee Nicole Sandstrom
MTC Mailbox #210
PER-TRU 1116
2005 N. 900 E.
Provo Ut 84604

My PERU MTC Address is
Sister Kaylee Nicole Sandstrom
Centro de Capacitacion Missional
Melgarejo 159
La Molina
Amazonas 12
Peru

And My Pouch mail address is
Sister Kaylee Nicole Sandstrom
Peru Trujillo Mission
POB 30150
Salt Lake City, UT 84130
( For pouch mail, for the letter in thirds, writing only on one side, secure the long sides with tape but don't seal the ends. Then address like a normal letter with your return address so I can write you back. )

Send packages (:)) to the Mission office at
Sister Kaylee Nicole Sandstrom
Peru Trujillo Mission
Avenida Larco 849, Piso 3
Urb. La Merced
Trujillo, La Libertad
Peru
51 44-291-543

Again: Dearelder.com is the best way!!


Thanks so much for all of your love and support!