Brielle - Wed 27 enero 2016‏

January 27 2016

Weird to think that today would be my last day in the mission if I did not get hit but I am still here and I GOT TRANSFERED!

​So the training ws a good time. It began here at 1:00 PM and it was good. Not superb but it swas good to go over the basicas and listen to the general leaders.

We contacted and hermana called Flora and she is catholic she made that clear but welcomed us into her home. I wasn´t able to understand all that she was saying but she was talking about her son and how she hasn´t seen him in a long time and isn´t sure if he is alive or not. We talked about the Plan of Salvation and she began crying when we told her that Heavenly Father knows her and worries for her. And through the plan we can receive the help we need and the instrucciones to help us. ​

We went to meet with Carmen Alena our awesome investigator and her family but she wasn´t there so we met with her less active husband and the elders were with us and we talked about prayers and doing family prayers. When we pray in families we are about to build our confidence in our own prayers and strengthen relationships as a family. Pray works miracles.

Raquel Castillo is a less active and on saturday after the baptism of the elders we went and we shared the Book of Mormon video in spanish is ¿Te imaginas? talks about the Alma 5. And she was all now I need to go read that chapter. We all should read it once in a while and ponder on the things that we could do better. 

Sunday for lunch we ate with hna Lucy she is from Peru and she rescued a cat and when we got there and entered the cat was FREAKING out running up and down the hat screamming. It was super strange but we have no idea what has happened to that cat in the past but so man so funny. We ate a dish from Peru and I was thinking about Baylee the whole time. Then later that day we visited with a less active named Ana Bretón and we started with a story. There was a man named Juan who was in the river and saw something shiny so he bent down and picked up 7 pearls. They were so beautiful. Then later he saw a begger and thought. I´ll keep one and give 6 to the beggar. He did so and went on his way. But the beggar followed Jaun to his house and during the night he entered in and stole the only and last pearl. 

Now the question is what do you think about the beggar? Think good.

The begar is compared to us. The Lord gives us 6 pearls 6 days to work and do what we want. He only has one pearl and we rob it from him. 

Oh man with Ana she had some good choice words in her mind and told us that and she wasn´t about to say ithem in front of us. and When we told her we are like that. She was all dang. I am a robber. I hope that she realizes the importance of the Sabbath Day. It is the Lords day do what He would want us to do.

Monday we had breakfast in the house of Yodirah and it was good.  Yucca, Platanos, and eggs. 

Tuesday!! We had our transfer meeting with our district and Elder Cruz our district leader is hilarious becasue he did the meeting like sacrament meeting with the song and announcing things. and then now we´ve come the callig and releasing of missionaries from the district. He made us stand and we should our support and a sustaining vote. It was hilarious. Then to finish the meeting we ate pizza and watched a movie. Then the rest of the day we packed and said good bye to people becasue I am transfered to Sabaneta. People call it the Boonies. I am from the Boonies. My companion is Hna Palmer. I am her stepmom and she is from Utah.

I am excited for this change!

Be good!! Love you all!! 

-- 

Todo Bien!!!

Hermana Buchanan

Baylee - Transfer out of Talara!‏

Hola Mi Familia y Mis Amigos!

How is everyone doing?? Life has been a bit crazy here in the mission, heres what happened...

- First and most important of all...Hno Miguel got baptizeds¡¡¡¡¡¡ Tuesday he passed his interview, Saturday his baptism, and Sunday his confirmation during sacrament meeting¡¡ It was a wonderful day. Lots of missionaries dcame to support Hno. Miguel at his baptism. Hno. Miguel was so happy, just glowing. At the end of the baptism,. he bore his testimony, and it was simple, direct, and powerdul. IT is such an awesome feeling when you get to see someone truly experience the joys of this Gospel!

- Wednesday morning, we got to watch a live Missionary Training Broadcast sent in from Provo. The leaders who spoke hit many topics, but the big thing that kept coming out at me was dont be afraid to testify. Testify, Testify, Testify! I invite each of you to take the opprotunity to testify and share your testimonies with those around you. We really do know the truth, there is now reason to be afraid. Before the mission, I didnt understand that, but now I do. This Gospel is the most important thing we can do!

- Wed. we got to experience a little of what is Carnivals here in Perú. A YW, Linda, accompanied us, and she got attacked with water balloons. one smacked her hard in the face and soaked her hair. I do not understnad the tradition, but it is tradition. 

- We visited the f. Talledo Wed. night, and when we walked in they were playing a round of Cranium Junior! LOL nwe sat and watched them finish it out and laughed our heads off before enjoying a little lesson. 

- Thursday was our final District Meeting of the transfer. I decided to do something a little different and I made rice crispy treats! However, I used chocolate flakew cereal and the didnt have any plain white marshmellows so I used Christmas ones that turned a bornw color LOL. They still tasted good, but it is a nice thing that none of the Latinos had ever seen rice crispy treats before because these ones didnt look like them. LOL 

- Thursday night, we ended up having the keys to the capilla late night because of mission communication. Presidente just told us to hang on to them until the morning, so we had gotten all ready for bed and were writing in our journals around 10 PM. Then all of a sudden, a figure stood i9n our door, a man, and he banged loudly on the door. Hna. Mamani and I got scared and al quiet, we both agreed to just act like no one was home. The guy knocked again and again and again, beating on the door. I ended up trying to call first the Zone Leaders and then the other Hnas. Finally the other Hna.s answered, and since it was Hna. Shumway, I told her in English that some guiy was banging on our door in the middle of the night and wouldnt go away...they were freaked out too and told us to call our pensionista Hna. Elli who lives near by. Hna Elli cam over in a split second to help us out. She then called to us from outside. Gues who had been banging on out door for the past half hour...Hno. Richardson, the son of the second sounselor and Branch secretary....LOL¡¡¡ He needed the keys to the capilla¡ Everyone had a good laugh, but for real we were scared¡¡

- Friday night we had a talent show¡ It was so fun, even though we started way late again LOL. Us missionaries presnted a few skits, one about Dear John-ing a missionary LOL¡ and Hna. Mamani and I acted out the story of Alma and Amulek speaking English and Aimara, the native Bolivian language. It was way fun and a really cool experience to bring the branch together.

- Well, saturday was the big day for Hno. Miguel, and we were in a bit of a hurry to go buy the refreshments and the cake. I went to unñock our door to our room, and just my luck, the key snapped in half¡¡ I broke the key to our room¡ I felt so dumb...We had to go and borrow money from Hna.l Ellis son and take a moto to the market to make a copy and then come back. That through us off schedule, and we were unable to go to our one appointment that afteroon before Hno. Miguels baptism...LOL I am such a dork¡

- and now for the big news.....I left Talara¡¡¡ I got transfered the Piura, Ward Ramón Castilla. I also got assigned to be an Hna. Leader. I also am opening an area with my new comp...Like they took out the tow Elders that were here before, and we get to start fresh. AHHH¡¡¡ So scary¡¡ But the Lord will help us, I know it. My new comp. Hna. Carrera, is really great. She is from Trujillo here in Perú and is just as white as me lol¡¡ Everyone thinks she is from the states¡ We are getting akong really well. We got to our area around 9 AM and dropped our stuff off in the room, which was amess¡¡ Those Elders... LOL Then the zone leaders took us to show us where our Pënsionista lives and where we take our laundry. The the Hna. that washes our clothes offered to take us around the area to meet some of the members. We went on a long walk and got to know a few of the members in our ward. Oh by the awy I am now in a ward, not a branch. Hna. Carrera and I took time to organize our stuff and clean the room because it was so dirty. Our Pensionista gave us a ton of food, I had to plead a little that next time she give me les, a lot less! I am a little nervous for this new challenge, but the Lord will help us. At first we thought there wasnt even and Area Book to work off of, but that worked out, so now we are muich better off! 

Well, that is what went down this week. Los of new things. Should be a good time! I want you all to know that my testimony has gornw tremendously here in the mission, and I still have a long ways to go. The Church is true!! 

I love you all so much! Cuídense!

-- 

<<< HERMANA BUCHANAN >>>

~ ~ ~ PERU PIURA MISSION ~ ~ ~

Brielle - Tuesday 19 ENERO 2016‏

January 19 2016

So I forgot to tell ya´ll that I´d be writing today. 

So I am writing today!!!

I have a favor, could ya pray for our investigator named Manuela. She is having some stuggles in her life and could use the extra love. 

We have been contacting. Or trying to contact in our area. It is hard because there really is no one in the streets to talk to close. We have to go to the further parts of our area to have people out on the streets. We will find people.

Friday had a funny ending we had a Family Home Evening in the area of the elders and it was far away. On the way out to Tamboril and we walked to it. But on the way home we got a ruta ride. becasue it was 9 o´clock and Familia vega wanted us to come by their hosue to take a picture with the mom of hermana Vega because her birthday was on thursday. So we ran by like hi, bye kind of thing. We had cake and took pictures and we left. The cake was good though.

Pray for Ámbar. She wants to progress but is a little lazy she knows it and and so if you could pray for her that would be awesome.

We have a new investigator named Hno. Ricardo. He was a reference and he is awesome. Actually wants to learn. He could use prayers as well.

Yesterday we had a family home evening with the famiia noble and the mom of Hna Clara (the mom) was there and I don´t know what religion she is apart of but she is a little off her rocker. So funny. She was telling about a time she was on an airplane in a storm and they were experiencing really bad turbulance. Dominicans are so funny about airplanes have a pretty big fear of them so when they land they always clap. So anyways during the storm they are all kind of freaking out and the Old Lady (la Doña) had people holding on to her arm freaking out and then she was all don´t touch me don´t touch me and unbuckled her belt and got down on the ground and was all Lord if it is my time take care of my children and forgive me of my sins and ok lets go. And then the plane settled after a few minutes. Ok now imagine a little old fiesty lady telling this story yelling and acting it out. It was hilarious.

Today we went to the office to do a few things there they had a waffle maker and pancake mix in the office so I helped make a few waffles because some latinos weren´t sure how to. they sure were good. Been a while since I had a waffle. then we had lunch at wendys and then chilled. 

Things are good. Hope all is well there where you are. 

-- 

Todo Bien!!!

Hermana Buchanan

Baylee - January 18 2016

January 18 2016

Hola Mi Familia y Mis Amigos!!

¿Cómo están esta semana? Espero que todo está bien!! LOL I Hope you are all enjoying the cool weather...it just keeps getting hotter and hotter down here! Well, here is what happened this week...

- Monday night we had an FHE in the house of the f. Aguilar, the Branch President and his fam. We brought our awesome investigator Hno. Miguel. I am very grateful for returned missionaries that understand the importance of being friends with investigators and new members. The Presidents son, Ricy, served a mission in Chile, and he gets it, and it works out perfectly that he is just about the same age as Hno. Miguel! Please remember that, everyone! It is extremely important to develop friendships with and include those peple who are new and investigating the church. We are the Lords hands! What would Jesus do??

- Tuesday and WEdnesday this week was something called PARO. That is basically a protest or strike. Hardly anyone went to work those days, and there were men up the road between Talara Alta and Talara Baja, stopping all traffic and not letting anyone past. I guess the big oil company here has been bringing in workers from other places in Perú and even a¿other countries, and not hiring people from here in Talara. So the people made a stand. LOL it was so weird because the streets were almost deserted! That like never happesn! And what was a little nerveracking was that all the women had stayed indoors, and only men were out in the streets, for the most part. We still worked and preached the Gospel like normal, but it was definitely an interesting day! Almost as interesting asChristmas Day or New Years Day! 

- Wednesday night, we had another lesson with one of our recent converts, Hno. Johny. He has been reading a whole lot in the Book of Mormon and he had some questions for us. One in particular was really intersting. He read Mosiah 5:13, which includes a questions for all of us! It talks about the difficulty of loving one who we have not served. Bascially, if we dont serve God, we cannot know hHim! Johny wanted to know how he could better develop his relationship with God, to know im better. We talked about service, and utilizing the Atonement, and prayer. I invite all of you to do these things, serve others, use the Atonement, and pray EVERYDAY! These are ways that we can truly come to know God! 

- Thusrday Presidente and Hna. Rasmussen came up here to Talara because we had interviews! I love interviews, it is an opportunity to talk to Presidente one on one and express it all. Also, chatting with Hna. Rasmssen is fantastic! My mom away from my real mom, as good as it gets here in good ol Perú. It was a good day! Kind of crazy thought because Presidente was running behind schedule, so we ended having our interviews almost an hour late! We finally left the capilla around 2:45 to head for lunch at our Pensionistas! Oh, and That same day, I got a package from Grandma B., a letter from my aunt Stacey, and a few letters and Christmas ornaments from the Pinedale seminary class! REceiving things in the mail really just lights up the whole week! Thanks everyone! :)

- Friday, Hna. Mamani and I hace weekly planning, but recently we cant open our window because people put their trash our in the trash bin in the middle of the day, in the heat, and the flies are terrible! LOL So guess what we did...we planned for the week sitting on the floor by our beds with our fan! LOL It was a party! :)

- Friday night was real fun! We had a mission night activity of improv!! :) LOL We invited everybody, and tons of people showed, none of them knowing what to expect! Then we split eeryone into three groups and told them to choose a Book of Mormon story to act out. It was a hoot!! We laughed so much! My group acted out the part where Laman and Lemuel are beating upp Nephi because they dont want him to be there leader, then an angel comes and saves him. It was so silly because our Pensionista, Hna. Elli, and her sister were Laman and Lemuel!! :) Good times!

- Saturday, we were finally able to visit with Hna. Carmen again. She is recovering from her surgery, and all is going well. She still has a hard time walking, and cant eat hardly anything, but she is doing so well. And what is even more fantastic is that she knows it is all true. She attributes her still being here as a call from God, a huge reason to be baptized and serve the Lord. Once she gets all healed up, she plans to be baptized! :)

- Saturday we also visited with Hno. Miguel and went over the baptismal questions, to get him prepped for his interview Tuesday! He is so very ready! He KNOWS! and he came to church yesterday, so he has his three attendances, and tomorrow is his interview and we are going to visit with him everyday this week, and Saturday is his baptism!! :) I could not be more excited for him! It has taken him 2 years, but he is finallyready. He is so happy too, The light that shines from his eyes is such atestament to me of the truthfulness of this Gospel. Only something completely and utterly true could make someone as happy as this Gospel has made Hno. Miguel! 

- Today, Hna. Mamani and I had a chill day. We went and took some pictures of places that I want to remember here in Talara, went and looked at our mini-Catacaos which is like a souvenir place, bought some food for the week. Then we got to go and eat lunch with the F. Panta Sosa...they are some of my favorites! Cesar, Lilana, Samir, Emerson, Anais, and Nataly! LOL and todays meal was absolutely delicious!! Hna. Liliana made us Ceviche de Pota! LOL it is kind of silly becuase as missionaries, we arent allowed to eat real Ceviche, which is crude fish prepared with lime juice, and nothing more, not cooked, lime juice and onions. ut we can eat Ceviche de Pota becuase the fish is boiled first. And gues what...I LOVE CEVICHE DE POTA! LOL one of my new favorite foods!! And the company was all the more memorable! 

Well, this just might be my last week in Talara...Cambios are this coming week, and after  months here in Talara, everyone is expecting me to move on to my next area. That is such a weird thought for me! I have gotten so used to Talara! I love to people here, and I am so comfortable with the area. But, the Lord knows where He needs me! So maybe next week I will be writing from another area! We will see! :)

I love you all so much! Please write me!! :) Keep on keeping on! Hasta luego!

-- 

<<< HERMANA BUCHANAN >>>

~ ~ ~ PERU PIURA MISSION ~ ~ ~

Brielle - January 13 2016

January 13 2016

So we had our zone meeting on a thursday becasue they did. Not sure exactly but they did. 

We were able to finally have another lesson with Carmen Alena. She is an investigator and her husband is a less active member and she is going to get abptized. She is so willing to learn and wants to get baptized. But we got into trouble becasue we have tot meet with her late and she was late so that made us late-er and so we got into truble. Hopefully this week won´t happen like that again. 

We went to visit Andreina again and we talked about enduring to the end and we finished the lesson and she was all is that all! After we learn the basics we know a lot. so that is why we are repassing the basics to be sure she understands and remembers. She is so awesome!!

Saturday Hna Quesada had a baptism in Puerta Plata so she went with a member and me and Hermana calderon stayed in Villa Olga and all of our lessons fell through so we contacted. 4 out of 10. Then we had to literally jump the fence to visit with a member because she didn´t hve the beeper to open her gate and was home alone. It was funny. 

Sunday we went to church and in the middle of sacrament meeting an American, a Chinese, and a Hawaiian walk in. Sounds like the beginning of a joke. None of them end up knowing Spanish. the American knew a little becasue he was learning but served his mission in Brazil. And he was the only member. So in gospel principles we used phones and they tried to follow along in English it was a little hard. They were visiting the DR with the University from the states to just learn about the country. So they stopped by becasue all of the group was sick from the day before. So during Relief Society I sat next to the Chinese lady. She is actually from Canada and speaks English. I used Andreina´s phone so she could read the lesson in Englsih. The title of the lesson was, Jesus Christ the Only Way to Peace and Joy or some thing like that. At the end I was talking to her and asking if she had any questions. She has no religious background. None. So I talked little about the Plan of Salvation and a few other things and she said. That she really liked what she felt and read so she is going to go to church with the American in the states so she can actually understand what is happening. She said I thought about visiting the church but I never thought that my first time would be in Spanish. The church is true and is the same in all parts of the world. The same church if Jesus Christ. It is amazing.

We had a good lesson/training with Felipe and Clara espinal (the familia Noble) we talked about deep doctrine stuff and we left like WOW it has been a long time since we have talked about anything like that. So funny.

We ended up having a Family Home Evening in the house of a less active and we talked about the importance of prayers how we need to help each other and pray in families and personally. The kids were actually quiet. Thanks to coloring pages that Hermana Clove left to me. 

Tuesday we had a Zone Conference and we talked about our objective as missionaries and how to develop Christlike attributes. It was a good meeting. Then we made sure that the church was clean when we left so that we wouldn´t get into trouble with our bishop and then had time for one lesson and then we had to be back to the church for our meetings with the ward. Today we cleaned and then we went to the church and made opcorn and brownies and watched movie with our district. We all came to the realization that next week is the last p-day in this tranfser and we are all pretty sure that there are changes that are going to come. We will see.

Hope ya´ll are well

Loves  

-- 

Todo Bien!!!

Hermana Buchanan

Baylee - Another week gone!‏

January 11 2016

Hola Mi Familia y Mis Amigos!

How are you all doing this week?? I hope life is treating you well! :) Here is what happened in the mission life this week...

- Monday night, we had a FHE with Hna. Carmen in the house of the F. Rosales. The other Hna., Hna. Shumway and Hna. Valencia also came with some investigators. We had a good time talking about the Sabbath Day and Temple attendance. Presidente Rosales made a point that I relaly liked about keeping the Sabbath Day holy. He talked about his fmaily being happier when they are able to follow through with this commandment from God. and truly it is a commandment from God. Never forget that! Sunday is the Lords day!

- Tuesday morning Hna. Mamani and I went and cooked with Hna. Maria! She is great and let us do some real cooking. We made one of my favorite Peruvian dishes, Seco de Chavelo. It is fried greed platanos mashed up and mixed with chicken and beeft chunks, simmered tomatoes and onions, and some delicious spices. We added homemade mayo and a little bit of aji since the people here in Perú use mayo in just about everything. I got to smash the platanos! LOL it was a lot of fun. We also made a veggie salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, and lime juice, a Peruvian must have. And Hna. Mamani and I brought bananas, grapes, and BLACKBERRIES to make a fruit salad for our dessert. SOOOOO GOOOD! :) LOL We had a good time!

- Tuesday was also our Intercambios with the Sister Leaders, Hna. Valencia and Hna. Shumway. I went with Hna. Shumway in their area, and we had a good time, talking quite a bit of English LOL. She is teaching me to be more healthy LOL because she only has healthy food in her room! 

- Wed. night while we were teaching the F. Talledo, Johny told us that he had been asked to give a talk, and he had been given an open topic, he could pick whatever he wanted. He was joking about talking about government, Peruvian corruption, Barrack Obama! LOL We were laughing so hard! Can you imagine someone getting up in sacrament meeting and talking about politics??

- Wed. Hna. Carmen kept getting worse....she eventually went to get an X-ray thing taken o her abodomine and it turns out she had something like kidney stones, but really really bad, like a bag of little rocks on the side of her stomach. The doctos decided that they needed to operate. That basically turned into that she couldnt get baptized this Saturday...She had her operation Friday afternoon and yesterday Hna. Mamani and I went to visit her. She is healing up, but she still has so much pain. Ugh hospitals, needles, IVs....My stomach was real queasy after that visit...But Hna. Carmen is still faithful, she still wants to be baptized when she gets all healed up and feels better. In a couple weeks.

-Thursday I received my other package from my mom! LOL it was like Chi Omega Bid Day all over again! Glitter EVERYWHERE!!! LOL Hna. Mamani and I had a little glitter war...I also got a UW shirt that says My Patronous is a Cowboy! LOL :)

- Thursday, Hna. Rebeca accompanied us out proselyting. She is a recent convert of almost a year, and she has such a strong testimony! Every time she bears it,  my heart just soars! I love hearing the testimonies of recent converst! I want to invite you all to share your testimonies at every possible chance because you never know who needs to hear, when or where! :)

- Thursday afternoon, we taught Hno. Miguel about family history work and temples. He is enchanted by the idea. He is going to be the first member in his family, he has a baptismal date for the 23rd, and he is super excited to look for family names and take them to the temple! When was the last time you members went ot the temple? Personal inventory! If one of our investigators can feel such a joy about temples, how much more should we have as members?! Go to the temple! :)

- Friday, Hna. Elli made us homemade soy milk! LOL I just want to say that soy milk in the States, bought from the store in gross, but soy milk here homemade is delicious!! :)

- Friday afternoon, we were running like crazy! We had 4 appointments before 6PM instead of the usualy three, and we had to be on time because at 6 we had to go help set up for the activity at the capilla. Hna. Liliana was with us and we were runnign all over! I was a good, successful day!

- The activity Friday night was also pretty awesome. Hna. Mamani and I went and borrowed the projector from a less active, Hno. Romeo, and we set it all up to watch a movie. We were searching everywhere to find a member that had some speakers we could use. But it all worked out. We watched Gods Not Dead!! :) I love that show! And what is even better was that Hna. Mamani and I had two ionvestigators there, Hno. Miguel ahnd Hno. Edgar. 

- Sat. Afternoon we taught Hno. Edgar. He is awesom! He was a refere3nce and he is progressing so well! Yesterday he talked to us about wanting us to all teach his 12 year old daughter. He even plans to change his work meetins to a different day so that he can come to church Sundays! How awesome is that!!!??

- At church Sunday, Miguel came!! That means he only needs one more church attedance and then he can be baptized!! :) LOL I am so excited for him! 

- Also, one of the talks in church yesterday was really great, and it all started with a question, and personal inventory question. Do I read the Book of Mormon everyday? I want to challenge you all the reevaluate your time, and make the effort to feast from the scriptures everyday! Our spiritual food is jhust as necessary as our temporal food! :)

- Yesterday we had ourselves a little miracle! :) We didnt have any set appointments, and everyone we went looking for wasnt around. It was a pretty rough afternoon. But then, as we were heading to start knocking on doors, a lady in the street whom we recognized told us that her brother Juan had just got back into town. He is a reference we received and we have gone many times to look for him with no luck. We hurried over, and he is aboslutely golden!! His mother just recently died, which is really hard and sad, but it has got him thinking. We talked about the Plan of Salvation and what happens when we die, specifically about the Spirit world. He had tons of questions, we even showed him the scriptures about Christ teaching in the afterlife in 1 Peter. He was shocked that he had never been taught that, and yet it was right there in the Bible, his Bible. He was so excited to hear that there is hope for his mother. At the end of the lesson, we asked him to say the closing prayer. He was a little hesitant, but we knelt down and he gave the most heartfelt prayer, truly asking God to tell him what is true. I felt a calming peace enter the room, and once he said amen, Juan told us that he also felt it. He felt it! He made the comment that it is all a process, but the feeling he felt was something he couldnt deny. Hna. Mamani and I left the house floating high in the sky. It is moments like that that help me remember why I am here on the mission. 

- Today for Pday, the Zone went to the beach! And I am sunburned!! LOL Well mostly just my arms since I didnt put any sunscreen on them, just my face. We tooks some fuin pics that I will sen next week, and we played soccer! :) We brought some investigators, and one of them has a 5 year old son that came with us. He is just the cutest! LOL him and I played around as he helped me protect the goal during soccer. Good times! 

Well, that was my week! Lots of little experiences, some big ones! The mission is just like that though. Everyday flies by, even the ones that seem long! Well, I love you all so much! I hope you are all doing great! :) Until next week! 

-- 

<<< HERMANA BUCHANAN >>>

~ ~ ~ PERU PIURA MISSION ~ ~ ~

Brielle - Wednesday 6 ENERO 2016‏

January 6 2016

The first wednesday of the year!! Feliz Año Nuevo!!

Well this week has been a long one because of the holidays.

Thursday we had to help Andreina find an outfit for her baptism because she hadn´t found one yet and nothing was going to be open on friday so we did that in the morning and then we got a phone call from the assistants. Saying, you guys are going to be a trio now and she is coming later today. So that is a big change. Our house isn´t big in the first place pretty small for two people but now it is packed we cannot fit one more person in this house there is absolutley no more space. Anyways, her name is Hermana Calderón. She is from the Dominican Republic from Santo Domingo. She has 11 months on the mission and things have been good. Then we ended up going to the house of Familia Vega to have at lest one lesson. Then we went to the house of Familia Bretón for dinner and familia Vega came too. It was a fun time. Then we went to the church for the party that bishop put together at the last second. We were going to eat Sancocho but they didn´t start til later. They had music and stuff and so we went home. We made our fire on the roof again. Not as big as last year when we burnt the duck. It was fun we coud see the fireworks in all directions. 

Friday we went to the church to make lunch because we now know how to turn the oven on so we can use it. And we watched a movie. Again it was pretty much dead hear. No cars. Silence. Really creepy. But it was ok. When we left to proselyte we had to wait a good amount of time for a gwawa to pass and then when we got there she wasn´t there but she said she was going to and we went to go cross the road to get  ride back and she was getting off a gwawa to come home. So we ended up having a lesson with Milagros. Then we miraculously were able to have a lesson with Albania. Who never answers her phone and always seems really grumpy. But it was a good lesson. She didn´t want us to leave. Then we went to Familia Bretóns house again becasue we didn´t have anywhere else to go that wasn´t super far away and dangerous to get to.

Early saturday morning we got up and went to a breakfast of the releif society it started at 7 there weren´t very many people but it was ok we got hot chocolate. We were finally able to have a lesson with Charly we almost didn´t becasue he wasn´t home when we were there and we went to leave and they came driving up. then we taught an investigator of the elders that wants us hermanas to continue teaching. She is a sweet lady. and then we surprised attacked a lady who wants to be taught but is always super busy. It was a good lesson.

SUNDAY!! The BAPTISM OF ANDREINA!!! We got the baptism font filled on saturday night and had it checked this morning and there were problems so the elders and some members were filling it some more with buckets. There were a good number of people who showed up for her baptism at 7 in the morning on a fast sunday. Then after chcurch we had lunch at the familia Bretóns house and we surprised Hermana Quesada because it was her birthday. I love the familiy Bretón they are awesome. Then we had one lesson with Ámbar and we are going to see who can finish the Book of Mormon first. I´m so gonna win.

Monday we helped get rid of a lot of stuff in the house of familia vega and then we had a lesson in a house really far away the family is members and they have a lot of children who want to learn and other people. It was fun. then we ended the day with a NDH in the house of Idelfonso and Judelka. It was a good one we shared the videos of the Models of light from Elder Bednar.

Tuesday we did weekly planning because they changed the Zone meeting to thurday and then we had two lesson and we had to have Hermana Bretón come and save us becasue the rutas were not passing Hermana Calderon can´t walk far distances. So I am grateful for her. I am sure she did it becasue her daughter was with us. I would have never thought to call and have her help us we would have just walked.

Today we went to the doctors at the mission home and then we met up with the elders at the monument and I finally wnt up. And then we went to lunch and then after lunch we ran to the office so that I could call in the doctors in SL to answer questions and then we came back to the house and chilled for a few and now we are here.

Hopefully we can get back to normal here soon. Hope ya´ll are good. 

Loves 

-- 

Todo Bien!!!

Hermana Buchanan

Baylee - Happy New Year!‏

January 4 2016

Hola Mi Familia y Mis Amigos!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! How was it? Did you do anything fun? I hope so! Here is what happened this week...

- LOL Monday night we taught Francisco outside his house by the streetlights because none of his family was home! LOL It was silly, but actually pretty nice because it is so much cooler outside than in! Silly moments to remember!

- Our investigator Carmen is really facing a lot of challenges right now. Wed. she had her baptismal interview. At first she didnt want to leave her house to go to the interview because she was worried her son would come home before she got back and be upset with her. I dont really understand the situation but she was worried. The absolutely most amazing thing ever happened. as we worked to convince her that it would be ok, words kind of came flooding out of my mouth that i didnt really think i could say. I invoked my calling as a missionary of the Lord and promised her, as a servant of our Savior, that if we knelt down and prayed right then and their and put our trust in the Lord, everything would be ok. Carmen was still a little hestitant, but we knelt down and we prayed. Thenwe headed out the door and called a moto to take us to the capilla. Carmen then had her interview and all went really well! She passed! She is on track for baptism. My promise was real too because her son was half an hour behind schedule, so he didnt get home until after the interview...but then yesterday she got real sick. With a fever and horrible pains in her stomach. this morning she called us around 8AM and told us she was going to the hospital the emergency room. she asked us to come because none of her family could or even ewanted to. We went of course. She was in terrible pain,. and we suggested a Priesthoood blessing. She agreed and we called the Zone Leaders. They came and gave her a blessing. they stayed with her so we could huyrry back to our room and change into real clothes because }we had left in a hurry in PJs- Throughout the day, she has gotten better little by little. I dont know what went wrong...she is facing so many challenges. the closer she gets to baptism,the more obstacles there are for her to climb. That jusdt goes to show that Satan knows this is true and that we needf to trust in God and beat Satan. Please pray for Hna. Carmen...her baptism is scheduled for this Saturday, and we are praying reall hard that all will be well and she can complete this imnportant ordinance. 

- Wed. night we had a lesson with our other recent convert, Johny. He is really awesome. We talked about the premortal life and the war in heaven. Johny brought up the idea that the war is still going on here omn earth. This is so true! We are fighting a battle against Satan and his angels.  we are working to overcome the darkness and return to the light with our Father in Heaven. We are soldiers in the army of the Lord. Never forget that. You all are here fighting for the good, now we just need to see what kind of effort we will put into our r}fight. Fight a good fight! Finish the course! :)

- In the day on New Years Eve, our Pensionista Hna Ellli and her daughter CAssandra who is 21 came with us toi visit our awesome investigator Miguel. It is crazy to me how Cassandra knows so much. She grew up in the Gospel, and yet she doesnt attend. We all need to remember the importantce and the truthfulness a}of this Gospel. This is a blessing and an opportunity that we cannot loose. There will not be another try. This is it. This is when we have to act, to mo}ake the decision to follow our Savior. Family and friends, please, live the Gospel. Acept it into your heart and mind, fight for the Lord. I guess that is kind of my theme this week. fight for the Lord!

- New Years Eve!! LOL in the day we worked like normal, but at 8PM we went to a FHE with the f. Panta Sosa in the area of the Elders. It was fun and silly, their family is so sweet and humble and fun! Also, Elders Ayala and Alessandri from Enace came, so we had a little party! Liliana fed us some yummy food with delicious juice! Next, Hna. Mamani and I had to hurry back to our room really fast, but first to Hna. Ellis to burn our doll!! LOL ubt it was too late. So we headed back to our room and had a little mini praty to wait out the new year. We made brownies and ate Chirimoya which is a tropical fruit here that is absolutely delicious!! You all have to try it if you get the chance! We also drank IncaCola. At midnight, Hna. Elli and her daughters came knocking on our door and we opened our windows rto watch them burn out doll!! It was crazy to watch it go up in flames. I filmed it! And there were a ton of fireworks and literally everybody was out in the street. So we watched our doll burn to burn away the year. Another interesting traditioin here in Perú for the new year is that people run in a circle around their block with their suitcase so that they have luck to travel all year long. LOL we saw one older gentleman run by our room and we wished him a happy new year! Then Hna. Mamanbi and I closed back up and did another Latino tradition, to eat 12 grapes and make a wish on each one, one for each month of the year. LOL That was something neat, something cool to think about. Especially since this whole next year I will be here in the mission. All of my wishes were chosen with that fact in mind. LOL then we crashed into bed!

- I read a talk this week from the most recent General Conference that I love. I loved it when I heard it and I love it still. It is called If Ye Love me Keep My Commandments by Carole M. Stephens. Please go read it! :)

- We are teaching an investigator named Lesly. She is awesome! She is 22 and super spunky and fun! And what is way cool is she already has a testimony. It has taken her 2 years, dating a member, to finally come to the point where she feels ready to be baptized. and we are helping her complete that inportant ordinance! LOL New YEars Day we spent a lot of time with her in her house because so many people outside were so drunk...LOL she bought us giant slice of chocolate cake and we shared family photos and chatted! Love her! She has a baptismal date for february 6th! :)

- Saturday was another silly moment to remember, teaching outside. We taught Mguel outside! LOL right now we have so many investigators that are men living alone. They are all really great, but we cant teach them in their houses a lone. So we taught outside! It was still a }good lesson! 

- Yesterday, we had 5 investigators come to church!!! and both of out 2 recent converts!! an 3 of our less actives!! and our rescued member too!!! Yesterday was a real good day at church! And the meetings were also very interesting, interesting enough that I was able to focus in realy well! Leslys parents came to church! Lesly has asked us to help her family, to bring them the Gospel. And her paretns came yesterday! They are really awesome people, fun and nice. Her dad is super interested int he Gospel. Her mom is a little hestitant, but she is willing to listen and learn.  I am so excited about that!

- Last night, Hna. Mamani and I made tortillas and fried platanos to make wrap things with ham and cheese and avocado. It was so good! I love platanos fritos!! LOL You all have to try them! Whe I get home I am going to find platanos to fry and I am going to make you all try them! Also it is super easy to cook them! :) 

- Today, Hna. Mamani and I went and borrowed InsideOut and Big Hero 6 from Johny and Eliana, our recent convert and his wife. Our District watched InsideOut!! It was awesome!! We all brought some food to share. Grapes, pa}otato chips, IncaCola, a Peruvian verison of cheetos puffs, mandarines, and some weird Peruvian chocolate bars. I love that movie!! Hna. Shumway and Hna. Valencia crieed, Hna. Mamani and I held back tears since we both had already seen it. Even the Elders like it! We had a good time! :) 

Well that is my week! It was a pretty good week, the only hard part is Hna. Carmen. Please pray for her. She needs all the love and prayers that she can get! 

I love you all so much! I cant belive how fast the ear is already going. it is Jan uary 4th! Make the most of it! Love every minutre! Fight for the Lord! :) 

-- 

<<< HERMANA BUCHANAN >>>

~ ~ ~ PERU PIURA MISSION ~ ~ ~