Brielle - One year older and wiser too!! Happy birthday to me!! Wednesday 23 December 2015‏

December 23 2015

One year older and wiser too!! Happy birthday to me!!

Today has been a good day yes it has. 

Well Andreina is going to get baptized!! On Jan. 3. She is awesome!! So excited for her and she is ready, she has a testimony and does all she can to keep the commandments. She has only missed two sundays because she was on call in the clinic. 

We had our Christmas party with the mission and that was fun! We did a skit of the You are Special book. I love that book it always brings back Christmas memories from when Grandma B. read it to us at a Christmas party. It was a good time.Good food. We watched the Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey. We helped Hermana Castillo prepare with little decorations and it all turned out well. 

I would send fotos but that doesn seem to be happening to day!!

Not much time today. Or much more to day. Gonna talk with the family in a few days and that will be sooo awesome!! I am so thankful for friends and family and especially for my Savior. 

Be Good!!

-- 

Todo Bien!!!

Hermana Buchanan

Baylee - ¿Comó están esta semana? Ustedes están preparados por la Navidad???

December 21 2015

Hola Mi FAmilia y Mis Amigos!!

¿Comó están esta semana? Ustedes están preparados por la Navidad??? LOL I cannot believe that Christmas is this week....The time has literally flown, rocket speed. It is weird to be in a place so very sunny and hot, listening to Christmas carols, seeing Christmas trees and Christmas lights. Of course, all of that isnt quite as big here as it is in the States. But still, it is such a weird feeling! I hope you are all enjoying the season and are getting super excited for the big day! :)  Here is what happened this week in the mission life..

- so here in Perú there is a tradition to eat Panetone and Chocolatada all throughout the Christmas season. It is like Eggnog or stuffing or stuff like that, seasonal foods. Panetone is like fruit cake but much softer and Chocolatada is hot chocolate with some cinnamon. This week, I tried Panetone for the first time....and I hate it! LOL It has the weirdest after taste and the little chewy fake fruit stuff are so weird and the raisins...I just do not like it...and the worst part is that this week we are going to get SO much of it! LOL Tis the season in Perú... :)

- The 6 Hna.s in our zone have decided to make matching Christmas skirts to wear when we all go out and Christmas carol in the plaza!! I am so excited for these skirts, and they are in the process as we speak! :) 

- Wednesday was a little day of miracles! We received a phone call around 10 AM from the old Branch President who now lives in Piura. He told us that he has a friend here in Talara that he wanted to introduce us to. So we met up with them at the capilla later that morning. The mans name is Edgar, and he is so ready to receive this gospel! He told us he feels just kind of alone, like he needs something more in his life, and he really wants to find the truth. And we have the truth!! He is really awesome, and he came to church Sunday too!! I am really excited to help him find Christ! :)

- Thursday, we had our first District meeting of the transfer! LOL our new District leader is brand new, it is his first time as a District leader, so he is really timid. It is kind of silly though LOL I like my district, but I will say that my very first district still wins the prize! 

- Hna. Mamani and I are getting along really well. She is so loving and innocent, to be honest. I am so blessed to have her as a companion. We have taken to cooking together a lot LOL not like big things, but just small things together. Monday night last week we made fried platanos and yesterday we made tortillas LOL People enjoy your tortillas! and be jealous of our platanos fritos! :) They are so so so good! I have already decided that some how I am going to make them when I get home for you all to try! 

- Our investigator that I have talked about before, Carmen, is progressing again. She has a such a strong testimony. We went over the baptismal interview questions with her this week to be sure she is on track for her baptism January 2nd and she is ready. She knows the truth, and she wants to follow Christ. She has changed so much from those first visits with her. She also came to church yesterday for the second time since our lessons started, so she also needs one more attendance to be baptized! :) 

- Thursday evening we visited with the Caceres family, a family of members, super faithful and helpful and awesome! We taught them about Family History work. Every time that I talk about family history work, I just feel so happy. I love knowing that it is possible to see my family again, for eternity, after this life. This Gospel, this Priesthood, is amazing! :)

- This week I get to talk to my family!! Chirstmas present to top all Christmas presents! I dont get to be with them this christmas, but I want you all to knoow that we are being well taken care of. The Paiba family has really begun to feel like my family away from my family. My Talara family. We are going to spend Christmas Eve with them in their home, and thay are helping me feel loved and cared for in this Christmas season. 

- Yesterday I gave a talk in our Branch. I spoke about how life is short and we need to repent and come unto Christ now, not wait. I used a Conference talk from May 2014 called Your Four Minutes from then Bishop Gary E. Stevenson. That talk is amazing! Look it up! As I prepped this week to give my talk, I realized just how fast the time has flown by here in the mission, how fast the time IS flying by. I came to ask myself if I am really maximizing my time here, magnifying my calling? I am trying my very best. I hope you all will take a minute to ask yourselves that question about your own lives. Life is short, and soon we wont have the time to repent, to change our ways, to follow Christ. Come unto Christ and be perfected in Him! :)

- Today, the Zone went to the beach! I am so burned...and what is worse, I even put on suncreen! But this beach was really cool! There were giant rocks to climb and on a rock a little ways off, SEA LIONS were just chillin LOL! That was way neat! We got some good pictures! And I took the opportunity to talk in English a little with the other Nortes. LOL A little bit of English every once in a while is good for the soul! :) We also ate as a zone, Chicharron de Pescado! :) So good, one of my favorite dishes! It is like fried fish sticks, but real good fresh fish! It is awesome to be so close to the sea that we can have such fresh seafood! ;) 

Well, that is what happened this week! Now, as Christmas is this week, I want to invite you all to share the Christmas Spirit and post the #HaNacidoUnSalvador or in English #ASaviorHasBeenBorn video in yous social media. Post it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, whatever new fad has come out since I have been gone :) Get the word out. Remind the world that Christ was born, lived, and died for us, and that He lives again! After all, that is the reason we celebrate this time of year! :) Also, please enjoy the beautiful cold snow, the Eggnog, the Christmas cookies, the pies, the music, the lights! Make this Christmas the best Christmas yet! :) 

I love you all! I love this Gospel and I know that we have been blessed with the TRUTH! Jesucristo vive! La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días es la iglesia verdadera y el Libro de Mormón es la palabra de Dios con toda la plenitud del Evangelio! La Navidad es un tiempo para celebrar y reconocer más plenamente el nacimiento de Cristo, pero tenemos que recordar Su vida y Su sacrificio para nosotros cada día, cada momento. Esoty tan agradecida por ustedes y por la esperanze que tenemos por medio de Cristo. Sean fiel! Les quiero mucho! Disfruten la Navidad!! :) 

-- 

<<< HERMANA BUCHANAN >>>

~ ~ ~ PERU PIURA MISSION ~ ~ ~

Brielle - Wednesday 16 DIC 2015

December 16 2015

We are in the middle of December, ok?

Andreina was going to get baptized on Saturday but not yet. Please pray for her. She just needs to help to keep going and to get to the finish line. She will, I know it.

We had the Cena de Navidad (the ward Christmas party). it was crazy it was suppose to start at 7 I think they started the program at about 8:30 and it was a really good presentation. They acted out all of the Christmas story. My favorite part was when Hno Tomas Vega was the angel who told the shepherds not to be afraid. He is a silly guy. Loves us missionaries. We finally began eating at about 9:30 so we jumpped the line and ate in the house. It was a good time.

Saturday we helped the elders clean the baptism font and the relef society room and that day there were 4 baptisms 2 of the ward and 2 of the elders. 

Sunday was the primary program. I love the primary program. The kids did really well and of course there were its funny parts. There is a less active who has schizophrenia and he was on one day. Kind of scary. He was made at us for not visiting him and mad at everyone who looked at him. Pray for him. For lunch we ate the house of familia Vega and that is always a good time. Then we had a FHE with the elders in the house of Ámbar and with the familia Noble. It was a good time. Saw a scripture I liked in Psalms 37:23.

Monday we had intercambios in the morning with the comps of the new trainers and we just stayed in the house becaues there wer three of them. We had a good lunch and then the meeting ended and we returned them. :) We had a FHE in the house of Familia Noble. We love that family they are amazing and so caring. I love those kinds of families. They become like family. We ended up getting home pretty late.

Tuesday was the day for knowing what was going to happen in the next transfer. I am staying i Villa Olga with Hna Quesada and the elders are staying too. The only one leaving of our district is elder tippets to be a zone leader in Moca. Then we played UNO and Elder Tippets brought food and we ate and watched a movie. Then we finished the day with our meetings with the ward and getting our prize for enduring the meetings Frozen Yogurt.

Today we cleaned the house and then went and got our hair cut by Hna Clara the mom of Familia Noble. I love her. She is so funny. So kind. Then we went shopping becasue apoyo came and then we met up with Hna Vega who wanted to use the points from hna quesada´s La Sirena card and then she took us home. 

Things are good here. Christmas is next week. 

My birthdy is next week. Hint hint.

A few scriptures. Amla 31:5, D&C 88:67, 3 Nephi 13:22-23

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

​ ​

-- 

Todo Bien!!!

Hermana Buchanan

Baylee - CAMBIOS‏ (Changes)

December 14 2015

Hola Mi Familia y Mis Amigos!

How is everyone this week? Life  here in Perú changed a bit this week, so here is what happened...

-Monday evening, Hna. Bazan and i went to go and print off some photos to make recuerdos. A drunk guy was outside the photo place and he came and stood in the doorway and told me that he would be waiting for me outside...So hna. Bazan and I had to call to another guy that was passing by and looked friendly and sober and asked him to walk us to the other side of the Centro. That was a fun experience LOL

- We had our last District meeting of the transfer Tuesday morning. It was also Hna. Ziegners last transfer in her mission...It was a little sad,but it was still good and we enjoyed some chocolate chip mug cake that i made to celebrate.

- Our new investigator Miguel is really awesome! We have taught him twice now and he knows so much and already has a testimony about so many things! Sunday after the church meetings, Hna. Maribel got baptized! She is really awesome and my heart just soared as I watched her go under the water. What was even more awesome was that Miguel was able to come and once he watched Maribel be baptizzed,his desire to have that blessing increased even more! He used to talk like he wanted to wait a bit more before putting a date for his baptism,but now he says he thinks he is ready to talk about dates, and tonight we have an appointment with him to do just that! I am so excited! :)

- Thursday was a wonderful day! We had a Christmas party with Zona Castilla in the mission home with Presidente and Hna. Rasmussen!! We played silly games like the face Oreo game and making a reindeer with panty hose and balloons. We got to eat some good food,especially banana splits, we all brought cute ornaments of our faces for Hna. Rasmussen, and we watched Its a Wonderful Life and drank hot chocolate. We also had a good little devotional where we watched the mission movies that one of the Elders in the offices made. They are awesome and you can all see them too if you go to piuravida.org! :) I played the piano for that,and the air conditioning was blowing right on me. I was freeziing,absolutely freezing,for the first time since being on the mission. Itwas so weird! What is even worse is that I ended up with a fever and the aches, so Hna. Rasmussen gave me a sweater and a quilt to use during the movie then sent me straight to bed afterward since we were staying with them that night. I got better in less than 24 hours, but it was so weird! 

- Friday we taught Carmen de Lama. I have talked about her before and I just want to say that now I can really see that she is changing. Little by little she is becoming more patient,more loving,more humble. The Gospel is powerful and can change and soften even the hardest of hearts!

- Friday night we had a bit ward activity of Platos Tipicos from Perú!! Tons of food!! Hna. Ziegner and I made brownies in the microwave to bring since we don't know how to cook anything from Perú. The members brought some really great stuff. My absolute favorite was a dessert from Arequipa, Perú that is called Encaja de Novio. Literally to die for!!! some of the ingredients are sweetened condensed milk,bananas,coconut,powerded sugar....so good!! :)

- Saturday,Hna. Bazan and I went to Piura again because one of her investigator from her old area was getting baptized! It was amass baptism called La Navidad Blanca or the White Christmas, the whole stake with more than 20 people getting baptized followed by a live nativity outside. It was a real event! and I felt the Spirit so strong as we watched (through video) each person go under and come back out of the water. Viviana,Hna. Bazans investigator,was very last. Such a cool experience! And Hna. Bazan cried some awesome happy tears. 

- That same day, Saturday, was the day we received cambios...We were still in Piura because it was too late to head back to Talara, and Elder Livesay told us that Hna. Bazan would be leaving Talara...That is something we never expected! Truly,we thought that only options were either we both stayed or I left. But after only 1 cambio, Hna. BAzan is now in another area. My new comp is named Hna. Mamani and she is from La Paz,Bolivia. She is 23and just the most sweet, humble,sincere, and loving person. She got here this morning about 11 AM. I am really excited to go back to speaking pure Spanish and I am excited to start new with Hna. Mamani. She just recently finished training,so she only has 3 months in the mission. I am the senior comp...I have been put in charge to make sure everything happens and I have less that 6 months in the mission!! AHH!! But its ok,it will all work out. I am pretty excited! That is the big change, by the way. I am still here in Talara, and will have been here for 6 months by the end of this transfer. Hna Mamani and I are ready to work hard! :)

So...I am really sorry that there arent any photos this week....The computer isn't working like it is supposed to...I will send photos of the Navidad Blanca and my new comp. next week,promise! 

I love you all so very much and am so grateful to have you blessed people in my life. Christmas is coming so fast,I cant believe it! :) Keep Christ in you thoughts this Christmas! He is the reason we celebrate! 

-- 

<<< HERMANA BUCHANAN >>>

~ ~ ~ PERU PIURA MISSION ~ ~ ~

Brielle - Wednsday 9 DIC 2015‏

December 9 2015

When did December get here?

Anyways, this week has been a good week.

To finish last wednsday we went to Manuela and we started the plan of Salvation with her. She understands and she told us that she thinks that it is all true. She is so good. Then we went and had hna bretón help us with the list of members again so that we can find more people to go and visit and help. And I broke my pen in half don´t ask we how.

During the night Hermana Quesada woke up turned the lights on and was wacking her bed because she was itching so bad. In the morning on Thursday we called Hna Grange and went and got blood tests to see if she had Dengue. The tests said no, but we think that it was, but that it went through fast. Anyways after we went to one lesson with a member and then hna quesada was wiped out so we went back to the house and she slept and we waited for hna grange to get backto santiago. Good stuff. Hna quesada is such a hard worker.

Frisay we had a lesson with Andreiana about the temples because she was going to go with the ward to the temple on saturday. She has so many questions and wants to know everything, but you can´t give a baby meat to eat. Then we went and got blood tests again. And things were better today. 

Saturday we did weekly planning since we had got to the hospital on thursday morning and then friday we had a lesson in the morning so we planned today.

Sunday we had a lesson with Andreina and we watched the new Christmas video with her and she liked it then we talked about faith and the Sacarament. She always says could be. to everything. We need to help her develop the faith strong enough to say yes. The Christmas devotional!! We were so excited for it. I was excited for the music and for hot chocolate afterwards. I loved the messages. Christmas is a special time to remember Christ but we need to remember throughout the year as well. 

Monday we had a zone meeting then we went out to milagros and we had cake because it was her birthday on sunday her little girl had cake all over her face. ALL OVER it was hilarious. Then to finish the night off we shelled guandules. They are like peas. 

Tuesday we contacted and we helped Ámbar with her personal progress. Today she was happy. Asking questions. Learning. It was so amazing to see her understanding and putting the things in practice. She is such a good person. Just needs a little motivation.

Today we went to the medicos at the mission home. Hermana Castillo put me in charge of the key for the gate. I guess because she trusts me. Then we met up with out district leaders and we went to the monument to go to the top we get there and the gates are closed so we just sat outside in the shade for a bit then we went to calle del sol and had lunch at mcdonalds. Then we came home and yeah!!!

Life is good!! Next week is transfers so we will see what is happening.

Hope all of you are being good. Sharing the light of Christ and helping each other.

Love ya´ll!!! 

-- 

Todo Bien!!!

Hermana Buchanan

Baylee - A Week with a visit from a General Authority!‏

December 7 2015

Hola Mi Familia y Mis Amigos! :)

Well, This week seems to have flown by! It was just yesterday when I was writing home, or so it feels like! How is everybody doing?? Prepping for the big Christmas Day I hope!! 

Here is what happened this week...

- Wednesday morning I was given to permission to get online and look for all my family dates and info to put in the My Family pamphlet that we each have. Hna. Rasmussen has told us to bring our pamphlet all filled out to our CHRISTMAS PARTY Thursday, so I have been working on that. It is cool to take a minute and think about my memories with my parents, my grandparents, and my greatgrandparents! 

- Thursday, my whole Zone went to Piura in the night time since Friday morning we had a meeting bright and early at 8 AM and we live two hours away. We left here around 7 PM, and got to Piura around 9PM. All 6 of us Hna.s stayed in the mission home and it was wonderful! Hna. and PResidente Rasmussen gave us all of their leftovers for our late dinner LOL And that had PEANUT BUTTER!! I havent had Peanut Butter since the last time I stayed at the mission home when I first got here! So I definitely had three rolls with Peanut Butter LOL It was also Hna. Alvarados birthday that night, so we made her a leaning cookie ice cream sandwich tower thing with the Christmas cookies Hna. Rasmussen got from her friend in the USA, some homemade whipped cream, and vanilla ice cream. Then, of course, we sang to her! It was a late night, but fun! The next morning, we all got ready real fast, but we got to enjoy air conditioning and hot showers! That never happens anywhere else. it is such a luxury! 

- Our meeting Friday morning was definitely the highlight of my week! Elder Godoy from the Seventy came here with his wife and spoke to us. First we heard from hna. Rasmussen, Presidente rasmussen, Hna. Godoy, and then Elder Godoy. He is from Brazil and speaks Portuguese, Spanish, and English. It was funny because sometimes if he couldnt find the word in Spanish he would say it in English because he knew a whole ton of us would understand. To be honest, the meeting with him was probably the most spiritual and mostr fun meeting I have ever attended. He talked for all whole three hours and I never once got bored. He told us of his conversion at the age of 17. His story is so powerful. One of the most powerful moments came when he recited the First Vision in Portuguese. That was just...WOW! Something that hit me really hard was the reminder that, as we talk to people here in the mission, we arent just inviting them to come to church. We are inviting them to repent, change their lives, come unto Christ. That is a distinct difference. I also really loved how Elder Godoy ended his program. He ended by asking us if we knew I Hope They Call ME on a Mission. Well, of course basically everyone knew it. So first he sang it to us in Portuguese, then he had the Latinos sing it in Spanish, then us Nortes in English, and finally we all sang it together in our different languages. It was hard to sing because the tears were choking me up hard core. Our wishes came true. We are here on the mission and we have the wonderful opportunity and responsibility to sahre this blessed Gospel with the people in the Perú Piura Misión. Wow! It was an extrememly powerful meeting! 

- After the meeting, Hna. Bazan wanted an interview with Presidente Rasmussen, but he had to take care fo the Godoys first, so we hung out around Piura to wait. It was a pretty chill day. I just want to say to all of you girls reading this...be grateful makeup is more or less cheap in the State! It is so crazily expensive here!!! Just saying LOL

- Saturday evening, a young man stopped us in the street and asked us if we were Elders LOL We explained that we were Hermanas. He then told us that he had been taking the lessons from Elders in Piura and wants to keep receiving them here in Talara. Of couse, we agreed! We got in touch with the Elders who were teaching him before so we could get his teaching record, and we are going to get going with him here. He had a baptismal date before, so we are super excited to get working with him and bring him to the waters of baptism! 

- So, a scripture I read this week that I absolutely love and I really needed this week...Alma 17:10. LOOK IT UP! 

- Sunday morning, we woke up to no running water. All of Talara has been without water for about a week, but since our room has a tank we were fine, but just our luck, the water ran out Sunday morning when we needed to look m¿nice for church LOL. So Sunday was a long day without water. Luckily, it came back this morning, so we only had to deal with it for  24 hours. 

- Last night we got to watch the First Presidencys Christmas Devotional . We watched it in Spanish, so it was hard for me to understand everything, but one point I pulled out of it was the Christ is the most important Christmas light out of all the other lights we see this time of year. He is the Light! It was also way cool because our new investigator who stopped us in the street, Miguel, and our two recent references, Moises and Blanca, came to the Christmas Devotional too! They werent able to come to church, but they did make it to the devotional. 

- Today was a fun day. It was the last Pday of the transfer, and Hna. Ziegners last Pday in her mission. We watched Minions and Monsters University and played some basketball. Hna. Liliana, Hna. Maribel, and Hna. Rebecca from our branch and the area of the Zone Leaders made us all hamburgers, two hamburgers for each missionary! It was a party! LOL It was interesting though because Hna. Richan and Hna. Arce came from Piura to visit. Hna. Arce was Hna. Ortizs trainer and Hna. Bazan trained Hna. Richan, so the companionships were all mixed up. I was with Hna. Ziegner, Hna Bazan with Hna Richan, Hna Arce with Hna Ortiz, and Hna Valencia with Hna. Alvarado. All messed up LOL! Its ok though.

Well that we this week! Next week, I dont actually know where I will be writing from. I might be transferred to a new area, but I also might stay here in Talara for another transfer. We have this dilemma because Presidente Rasmussen is rtying to avoid doing too many transfers so close to Christmas so that we can spend Crhistmas with members that we know. but we will see. I really dont know what to expect, but i am getting all my recuerdos from the other missionaries and the memebrs too, just in case! 

I love you all so very much and I am really so grateful for your support in this crazy adventure I am on. I hope all is well with everybody back home. Here, we sometimes hear interesting rumors about what is going on in the States, so I just want to say I love you all and pray for you. 

Until next week!! :)

-- 

<<< HERMANA BUCHANAN >>>

~ ~ ~ PERU PIURA MISSION ~ ~ ~

Brielle - Wednesday 2 dic 2015‏

December 2 2015

So to finish off last wednesday we taught an investigator of the elders that they want us to work with and she also wants us to teach her she doesn´t really like the elders. then after that we went to a members house because she was going to teach us how to make a simple easy pizza. The only thing is is that we need a microwave to do that, and we don´t have one. Oh well they were good and their one year old is hilarious a big flirt. We also watched music videos of the piano guys it was a good time.

Thursday THANKSGIVING!!

i honestly forgot until Elder Tippets our district leader called and said happy thanksgiving. We visited with a elderly member and then we visited with Charly and Angela. And then we helped Ámbar finish her homework. 

Friday we went and visited Andreina in the morning and we shared the scripture in D&C 6:33-37. Then we visited with Milagros and informed her that she does not live in the ward boundries of Villa Olga. So we can´t visit to often because when we do we are leaving our area. Barely but still. Everytime we visit Milagros is always rains, so it began raining and I didn´t bring my umbrella because I didn´t want to carry it. So we shared Hna Quesada´s and we got wet me more than her but it was ok. Then we visited an ivestigator who is pretty much a member but jus can´t get baptized because of certain reasons. Then we went to visit with a less active family and the power was out and the wife wasn´t there because she just got called into the hospital for an emergency so we shared a scripture about patience with the husband and the son who was being impatient for the light to come back. We went back to the house early becasue hermana quesada didn´t feel well she had a fever so she went to bed.

Saturday

We did intercambios. Hermana Quesada felt well enough in the morning so she was determined to go to puerta plata for baptisms in her last area. While she was there she fell hard meaning she got a fever. While they were gone I was with Nina and we visited Italia and Melva and with Raquel Castillo and when they got back we went to the house so hermana quesada could sleep.

Sunday

hermana quesada felt well enough in the morning so we went to church and to lunch and we proselyted. In the evening she was beginning to feel poorly again with dizziness so we made one last stop into the familia beltre house and Hermana Beltre was all are you sick. I was all I told you so!!!! You should have listened to Hermana Grange and stayed in the house!! it was funny.. Hermana Beltre made us hot chocolate and then we went back to the house.

Monday

We had our distrcit meeting in Villa Olga and then after we went to Wendys for lunch and hermana Quesada began to feel bad so we stayed in the house all day and she slept all day. At 7 we went to a family home evening and then we came back to the house.

Tuesday

We had a lesson with andreina and we had Hermana Bretón with us and we talked about having a testimony. I think she knows that she has a testimony but doesn´t want to admit it.She is going to go to the temple with the ward on saturday and maybe that will help her. Then we visted with a less active and she always tells us her life story every time we go but in a different way. Then we went and talked with Ámbar and we are working on Personal Progress with her. Then we had our meetings with the ward.

Wednesday TODAY

We went to the art museo today with the elders of our district. Then we went to lunch at a place ran by members of our ward and then we came home and chillded for the rest of the day. 

MAKE SURE TO PUT ON THE ARMOR OF GOD!!!! 1 Cor. 6:10-18 and D&C 27:15-18

-- 

Todo Bien!!!

Hermana Buchanan

Baylee - December 1 2015

December 1 2015

Hola Mi Familia y Mis Amigas!

Lo siento that this email is a day late, but yesterday was a crazy day so we got permission to write this morning. How is everyone doing this week? Is it freezing cold there yet? I cannot believe that today is the first of December!!! Here is what happened this week.

- Tuesday in Branch Council, Presidente Rasmussen showed up to evaluate the Branch a little. We found out ahead of time, so we called all the Branch leaders that live in our area and reminded them of Branch Council. We stil dind thave everyone there, but it was a good Council. We learned a lot from Presidente in how we can better the Council and thus better the Branch. 

- Well, now we are going to talk about the weather.... IT RAINED!!! What?!?! LOL Both Tuesday and WEdnesday morning we woke up to rain. Not like torrents of rain or anything, but really actual rain. That doesnt happen here! It was way cool, except later in the day when the sun came out it super hot with all the humidity. Like boiling hot! But how crazy is that?!?

- Wednesday, Hna. Bazan and i went to lunch with the Caceres family, a family here in our Branch. They are a super sweet young couple with two little girls. They took us to lunch at an awesome restaurant called Cabo Blanco, and it is one of the most expensive restaurants in Talara...LOL I was a little bit in shock since as missionaries we live very frugally (i think thats how you spell that mword..). Anyway, it was delicious and a really fun experience to sit and shat with their cute family. 

- Thursday Thanksgiving!!! Well, Thanksgiving isnt really a thing here sine it is a holiday with Native Americans and PIlgrims and whatnot, but We wanted to do a little something to celebrate. So Hna. Bazan and I decided to cook Dannish Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes and invite Hna.s Ziegner and valencia to join us in the evening for mini Thanksgiving feast. Well, the meatballs didnt turn out as good as my moms, mostly because out hot plate doesnt have a simmer option. But it was still tasty! And it was a great way to remember and recoginze our good old fashioned American holiday. Hna. Valencia had never had meatballs like that before, and she thought they were so very good! I told her she needed to try my Moms! :)

- Friday night we had another Branch activity, a Hincana! LOL that is basically a competition of carnival type games. We had two teams and there were games like an eating contest, the mummy wrap, popping ballons by sitting on them, crazy the gym with your team using papers as your pathway, etc. It was really fun, but it was mostly kids younger than 14 at the activity. LOL The adults need to get more involved! I encourage all you adults to be involved in activities and have fun!! :)

- Saturday morning we had a Zone meeting. Those are always fun, a good time to just spend with the Zone. And of course we did pictures!! That is a given! It was Hna. Ziegners last zone meeting, so we had to get some good ones. In the Zone Meeting, they introduced us to the new Christmas iniciative: #ASaviorHasBeenBorn! or in Spanish #HaNacidoUnSalvador! It is a really cool push to help péople recoginize their Savior during this Christmas season. I highly encourage you to all look up the new iniciative, share it on social media, talk to your friends about! Truly, Christ is our Savior! He was born, He lived, and He died for every single one of us. During this Christmas season, remember that and share your knowledge! :) 

- Saturday afternoon, all of us missionaries in our Branch went to a BBQ that a few of the members put on. It is kind of odd here that when there are BBQ, people have to pay. But anyway, it was alright. I miss thick juicy, well marinated steak!! LOL JACE, who do i sound like?? :)

- Yesterday was really fun day. We got up at 4:20 and left for Piura around 6:15 AM to go and play in the semi-final game of the soccer tournament between all the Zones in the mission! How fun right? Hna. Bazan and I took the opportunity to visit Starbucks and get a Frappacino without coffee and a cinnamon roll! :) The Elders made fun of us and called White. Well, here I am already a walking White freak show so I might as well add to the costume LOL :) The games were fun. Talara lost...but thats ok. Hna. Ziegner and i decided we still wanted to play so we asked Zona Castilla if we could play for their Zone since the Hna.s from their Zone didnt want to play. They said yes! So we got ot play two more games, and I scored a goal!! :) Be prouud LOL :) I also got to see a bunch of the missionaries from my group in the CCM. I chatted with Hna. Sandison a whole bunch! And I also got to see Hna. Salazar!! :) Mi mamá! LOL She came around the corner and waved at me and I did a little happ'y yelp and ran to pull her in for a hug. And i got to talk with Hna. Rasmussen for a little while too. Love her! Yesterday all in all was an awesome day! :) Oh, and in the night time, Hna. Bazana nd I put up our mini Christmas tree that lives in our room! Now we have a little bit of Christmas-ness going on in our room! :)

Well, that was my week! Esta semana fue bueno y estaba muy agradecida por la Dia de la Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving). Mi vida es tan bendecida! Estoy muy agradecida por todos de ustedes y su amor y apoyo a mi en esta misión. Por favor, siempre recuerden que la vida es muy corta y nosotros necesitamos apreciar cada minuto! Les amo ustedes mucho! :) Hasta la próxima semana! :)

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