AMAZING EXPERIENCE

(mom note: the experience Kaylee is talking about below can be found by just scrolling down in this blog to yesterday's post - i did some cutting a pasting from Sis Turks blog and then added some information and comments - or you can go to the mission blog link over on the right side above Kaylee's picture, then go to the jan 4 post (second one down) and jan 9 post.  This has been a great experience for us all!)

From Kaylee

I hope that by now you have all had a chance to see and read Hermana Turks blog!!! WHAT AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE!!!!!

An elder approached me at the leadership training this past week and asked me if I knew a family from Boston named the Saenz. I laughed suspiciously and wondered why. So I said yes and he said Ricardo Saenz is my uncle. I continued to laugh at the connection for quite some time. I was like ‘that’s crazy’. He told me that he talked to his family on Christmas and they told him to look out for an Hermana Sandstrom. Then he said that he only knows the gospel because his uncle Ricardo returned to Columbia to share the gospel with his family. I was then in complete shock. How cool is that!  He said your mom is Tammy right?  Yes, my cousin’s name is Tammy (after your mom). :) So great!

Elder Barinas in the middle next to me

I was blown away when Elder Barinas told me this story. Wow what an amazing influence you have had on people mom!! If the Saenz had not accepted the gospel from you and listened to you who knows what could have happened. Elder Barinas knows the gospel because of his uncle and is now sharing it with many people here in Peru. So cool. It’s like living an Ensign story.

The whole experience has given me such energy. I have been kind of bummed because we haven’t had a lot of success. But I have learned that I don’t need to convert our whole area; just one person. Look what one person can do. I have learned this lesson through out my whole life. Look at my mom’s example. Look at my dad’s example. Look at Lindsay’s life, she impacted so many!!! And look at my grandparents!!             Thanks family!!

This week has been crazy. We have a lot of investigators right now. Its great, but each have their different problems and challenges so it’s tricky managing them all and trying to help each individual one.

We had a miracle this week. We had 8 investigators attend church. What a miracle. (mom note: that was the focus of part of our family's fast yesterday - Kaylee's investigators getting to church.  Isn't the gospel awesome.) It was stake conference and so our meeting was at 10, which made a huge difference!!  I hope we can get them back again next week and help them have the desire to be baptized. I have really learned that desire is everything. 

We received a referral this week from a member and other missionaries- Her name is Paula and she is awesome. She has already been praying and has been reading the Book of Mormon and has lots of questions for us. She knows a lot of members here in Trujillo and wants the happiness and light that they have. Its so cool. Her husband is a very strong catholic, so pray for him. But she is definitely one of the people the lord has prepared for us. She is awesome. She has such a strong desire to learn.

So we almost had a baptism. Juana had her interview this past Saturday and she passed. All she had to do was attend church one more time. and guess what.... she left town Sunday morning.!!!! AHHH:

I’m still on cloud nine with the whole Saenz coincidence, it has really been powerful and such a cool testimony of missionary work.

Much love this week.

H. Sandstrom

My Christmas Stocking - YEA

THANK you gummow, smith and hawkins families!!!!

Thank you Kassie for the package!! I LOVE IT!!!

Thanks Barlows – both Barlow families

for the shirt and donating to the native missionary clothes closet

Sorry we don’t really have tons of time today.  But I did finally get my Christmas Stocking - YEA love it - Gracias 

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