Brielle - Wednesday 18 NOV 2015

November 18 2015

This week has been good. We were busy but still trying to find new investigators. We have been visiting with the members a lot and trying to find the less actives in our huge area. 

We have had little success in finding. The members have such an essential part in missionary work that we have been trying to work with them to find peole because contacting in our area doesn´t work to well via intercom. We are still trying day in and day out. 

Today we went to the monument and had lunch with Hermana Quesada´s old companion and her companion. We went to McDonalds. Then we wandered in Calle del Sol and then we came home. 

Doing my best and helping others. Hermana Quesada is awesome and such a great help to me!!!

Hope all is well with all ya´ll. Be Good!!

-- 

Todo Bien!!!

Hermana Buchanan

Baylee - Zone Conference, Noche de Cine, Intercambios OH MY :)

November 16 2015

Hola Mi FAmilia y Mis Amigos! :)

Comó estan?? Espero que todo esta bien! :) This week wasnt anything crazy with lessons and whatnot, but we did have some good learnign opportunites and some fun one too! Here is what happened this week...

- I got a package from Mom! I cute little Halloween package with desperately needed American candy and a cute card and stickers and a pumpkin ring! :) That definitely made my week! Thanks mom!

- Friday morning we had a Zone Conference. It isnt realy a huge thing since our Zone is only 18 people and we get together bascially every Pday and see each other during District meetings LOL. But much to the surprise of Hna. Bazan and I, President and Hna. Rasmussen were there! Such an exciting thing! And Hna. Rasmussen brought two of her friends from California, one who served in Chile and the other who srved Alabama. The Zone Conference was really great, talking about how we need to strengtheh both the branchs and and the roots of the tree, new investigators along with better church attendance on the part of the members here in Talara. I learned so much in the Zone Conference! And I also got to chat with Hna. Rasmussen and with her two cute friends. One of them, the one who served in Alabama, grewe up in Colorado so we talked a little about Colorado and Wyoming stuff LOL and her parting comment to me was GO COWBOYS! :) 

- Right after the Zone Conference, we went onIntercambios. Hna. Ziegner came withme in our area and Hna. Bazan went with Hna. Valencia to their area. Hna. Ziegner and I had so much fun! It was a little silly though because right in the middle of our Intercambios, we had a Branch activty, a Noche de Cine, so we ended up being with the other Hna.s anyway LOL. The Noche de Cine was fun! Earlier in the week, we dressed the elders up in cardboard boxes, one that said La Biblia and the other that said El Libro de Mormón: Otro testamento de Jesucristo. and we all went out to the streets to advertise our activity, watching Meet the Mormons and getting to know a bit more about those crazy Mormons! LOL So fun! Friday just before the activty, Hna. Ziegner and I went to do some more advertising again and this time I word the El Libro de Mormón box! I wsa quite the attraction, a gringa in a cardboard box Book of Mormon! The activity went well. The attendance was alright and we actually had a few new investigators come. What is even better is that we had eery person that showed up write down their name and number along with the name of someone they know that we could go teach! A good way to find some new peopele that are ready to hear the Good News! :)

- That night Hna. Ziegner and I talked about evyer topic under the sun! She is one of my best friends here in the mission, for sure. It is going to be so hard when she goes home in December!! 

- Saturday Hna. Bazan and I did some service and helped Hna. Maria with her English project LOL we also helped her partner and neighbor who isnt a member. We used the opportunity to teach her a lesson, and now we are teaching her! How cool that the fact that i speak English helps us find people to teach! :) Everyoine keeps asking when I am going to teach English classes LOL...

- Yesterday Hna. Carmen came to church! Her first time! and It is so good that she came because she has to come these next three Sundays in order to get baptized December 5th which is her goal, our goal. Oh, and Hno. Francisco gave his first talk in church yesterday, too! LOL he was SOOOOOO nervous! But he did a good job and we made sure he knew it! 

- Last night Hna. Ziegner and Hna. Valencia spent the night in our room so that they could shower this morning since their room isnt getting any water right now LOL I guess that happens a lot in other areas, but almost never in our area, thank goodness! Anyway, the sleep over was way fun! I tried the mac n cheese recipe Mom sent me, and it is SO good and SO easy! LOL The Hna.s all think I can cook so well, but when I am given such an easy recipe, how could it not turn out good! We also had microwave brownies! :) LOL Fun times fun times! 

- Pday! LOL Hna. Bazan and I took the liberty to have a day kind of on our own for the most part today. We went and both of us bought some fabric to make a skirt. fabric is super cheap here, so i figure why not! our fabric is a little similar so we are going to be twinning! :) We also went to the Salon LOL Hna. Bazan wante to trim her hair and we both decided to get waxed a little. However, the ladies at the salon convinced us to try the weird thing with the string....worse. decision. EVER! It hurts so bad!!! I literally cried (dont make fun of me :P) Wax is a much better decision, just so you all know. But it was nice because it only cost 20 soles which is just over $6! We also ate with the Zone today. All of us pitched in and bought some BBQ chicken, not BBQ like the states but whatever. We bought it from a member in Talara Alta who needs to go to the doctor but doesnt have the money, so we helped him out by eating his foood LOL and paying for it! 

Anyway, that is wahts happneing here. I looked at the weather and looks like you are having a good time in the cold LOL It is still scroching hot here, but i am getting more used to it. I actually cold now in the evenings due to the sea breeze LOL Anyway, la vida esta siguiendo! Hna. Bazan y yo estamos trabajando mucho y ella es muy buena, en verdad. LOL Ahora, necesitamos encontrar más personas para enseñar, y el Señor va a ayudarnos. Les amo mucho! Nunca olviden esto, por favor! :) Keep being great, guys! Until next week!

-- 

<<< HERMANA BUCHANAN >>>

~ ~ ~ PERU PIURA MISSION ~ ~ ~

Brielle - Wednesday 11 Noviembre 2015‏

November 11 2015

Happy Veteran´s Day!! Sure love those Vets!

Anyways this week was a good one.

On Sunday we had the privilage of having Elder Zivic and his wife and Brother Durrant in our sacrament meeting. Hno Durrant spoke last and had participation. A youth member named Blessing read scriptures for him and then i wasn´t paying super attention or my attention was drawn to something else and then he asks where are the missionaries we raised our hands. The elders were in the back and we were on the side in the middle. And then he was all who wants to help and then he was all the hermanas. We were like really um ok. We go up on the stand and he asks who is the senior companion and I was pheww because hermana quesada is senior companion and then he was all well we´ll ask the junior companion then. He asked me what are the members in the ward doing to help in the missionary work. My face was red I could feel it to my toes. I wasn´t sure what to say because they don´t do much with us hermanas. But i ended up saying that they are examples and lights for the other people. They can see something different. Then he said thank you that is exactly the answer that I wanted. Then he had us sit on the stand for the rest of his talk. Before he called us up there when he had Blessing go help he was all I need a helper and Andreina was looking at me and telling me to go and I was all no you go! we were like four rows away from each other. THEN after Sunday School. Elder Zivic made it a priority to come and talk to Andreina. He gave her a talking to a very encouraging word is what he gave. hope that it will touch her heart. and So did Hermano Durrant he even gave us his email so we could tell him about her progress. After church we got a picture with him. He is huge a very tall man. We have a cita with Andreina tomorrow morning and we are going to have a talk. 

I would share more but I forgot my other agenda. 

Today for p-day our district got together and we watched 17 miracles and ate donuts, and chips, and snickers, and soda. Not very healthy but hey once in a while. Our district is awesome. basically we are all just pretty silly. 

My thought to share today is a quote and a scripture.

"Great and marvelous events seem to motivate us, but small things often do not hold our attention. Is our journey sometimes impeded when we forget thhe importance of small things? Do we realize that small events and choices determine the direction of our lives just as the small helms determine the direction of great ships? We need to have family and personal prayer; study the scrpitures, particularly the Book of Mormon; hold family home evenings; follow the admonition of the Savior to love one another; and be thoughtful, kind and gentle within the family. Through these and other similar small and simple things, we have the promise that our lives will be filled with peace and joy." 

        -Elder M. Russel Ballard

Alma 37:6-7

Love you all!!

-- 

Todo Bien!!!

Hermana Buchanan

Baylee - November 9, 2015

November 9 2015

Hola Mi Familia y Mis Amigos! :)

Well, this first week of the Cambio has been a bit of a ride LOL but a good one. How is everyone doing back home? I hope you all are getting ready for Christmas! LOL Can you believe it is almost Christmas time!! :)

Here is what happened this week...

- My new comp. is really great. I cant remember exactly what i said last week about her, but she is bilingual because she lived in Virginia or 10 years but is from Lima. LOL a slang here in Peru is BACAN which is like Cool or Neat. It is silly becuase i can say that Hna. Bazan is Bacan and it rhymes :) Anyway, the two of us are getting along well. it is definitely a different dynamic living and working with someone else, but I am really grateful for a lot of the little things about Hna. Bazan. Since she was raised mostly in the states she understand basic manerisms and we work well together. Also, she is more upbeat and funny which helps me be more upbeat too LOL We are getting along well!

- Earlier this week, we had an appointment with a less active named Rosa. She and her husband are really great and we are working to get them back to church. This week, Hna. Rosa got really emotional as she told us about her goals to attend church again and alos to attend church again with her whole family. All of the family belongs to the church, but all of them are less active. Hna. Rosa tld us of her testimony and that she knows what she needs to do. She has set goals and she plans to achieve them. It is moments like that when i am reminded of the power and importance of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Hna. Rosa is such a good example for me and for all of us of the desire to keep the commandments of the Lord and live the Gospel everyday!

- Tuesay we had Branch Council like always, but it was a lot more fun this week. We laughed a }bunch as well as got things accomplished and then the Brnach Presidency treated us to hamburgers! LOL It was a fun night and i think Hna. Bazan was really excited to find out that the Branch here is pretty chil :)

- Saturday we had our first district meeting of the Cambio and it was actually fun! there are only two different people, Hna. Bazan and Hna. Valencia now with Hna. Ziegner, but the dynamic is very different. We learned new things about how to invite people to be baptized, and i have been working to use those ideas more everyday. Afterward, we had English class in which we played more comptetitions and had a great time laughing! And of course dear sweet Hna. Ziegner brought us brownies! :)

- We have planned an activity for this coming Friday and it is going to be awesome! Bew prpepared to hear all about it next week :) We are doing advertizing or contacting in the Central tonight and Thrusday to invite people :)

- Yesterday we had a great opportunity to do some service for our investigator with a baptismal date,  Hna. Carmen. She has a stomach infection right now so she hasnt been able to eat well and she cant cook in her house. Since it was Sunday yesterday, almost all the normal places she goes were closed and she hadnt eaten in over 24 hours. So Hna. Bazan and i went back to our room and I made Hna. Carmen a little soup with noodles and potatosd and onions and eggs and such. It turned out pretty good and the look on Hna. Carmens face when we brought the soup to her house was wel worth it! Serving others bring such joy! I invite you all the find an opportunity for service this week! Any little opportunity, anything at all. I promise that it will brighten your day and the days of those you serve!

- Last night, I treated Hna. Bazan to some pancakes and eggs. LOL it was delicious! However, we have both agreed that we need to eat better...because pancakes with syrup and manejar is really not good for us....:) It is so hard ot eat healthy here, but i am trying. I buy fruits and veggies and am doing better. 

- today, thge zone went to Lobitos which is one of the famous beaches here in Peru. It was really really pretty! I will definitely send photos next week! Of courese, we couldnt get it the water, but just being there, playing in the sand, taking pics, it was all great! Our new zone is pretty fun, too, so that is nice! We then all ate together and laughed! We also sang happy birthday the Elder Antonio, one of our Zone Leaders since his birthday is tomorrow. :) We are celebrating tomorrow too, but he doesnt know that! ;) 

Well, that is my week! We are working our hardest to advance the work of the Lord. I love my Savior! I invite you all to find ways to serve others, like I said, and also find ways to share your faith in Christ. He lives! :) 

I love you all! Until next week! Hasta luego! :)

-- 

<<< HERMANA BUCHANAN >>>

~ ~ ~ PERU PIURA MISSION ~ ~ ~

Brielle - wednesday 4 nov 2015

November 4 2015

Thursday we had story time at a member Hna Beltre´s house she talked and talked and talked don´t remember much because it was very animated and when she gets animated she is even harder to understand. So if she looked happy or excited so did our faces and if she were more calm so were we. She is awesome though hope I am here for Christmas because she wants us here for Buena Noche. Then we went out to Andreinas house and talked about Moroni 8 and the priesthood. Then we met up with Alexis our ward mission leader and went to Italias house and just had a social visit. then we went up to carlos´ house and just talked as well. Then we went home. Oh I have noted in the agenda that I almost got hit by a motorcycle again. For real when we finally crossed the street we were laughing and saying what is my mom going to say and Hermana Grange. oh brother it was funny.

Friday we had a lesson with the elders and then went and worked on personal progress with Ámbar. I have noted on this day when we were at the lesson with the elders they had a bucket with a turtle in it but hermana clove didn´t know about the turtle and it moved or made a loud noise and it freaked her out. First she just sat there and then she said to me Oh My GoSH I about got up and ran away!! It was hilarious!! I was laughing way to hard at that.

Saturday we met up with a member and shared with her we didn´t know who she was if she was a member or a less active or what but she was awesome. She travels a lot because her kids all live in the states. met a less active and then we went and had dinner (a going away party for hermana Clove) at the house of the lesson we were at on Friday, cintia and Cesaly´s house. It was really good spegehetti I almost couldn´t finish because there was so much on my plate. We walked home real slow like.

Sunday we had lunch at the Bretóns and it began pouring rain just as we finished and we weren´t sure if our windows were closed so we ran to our house which is right around the corner and the windows were closed. then we went out to andreina´s house and talked about profetas. Then we visited with Ámbar again. On this day we literally went from one end of our area to the other. CRAZY!!

Monday was the meeting for all the people going home so I hung out at the office and then we went to the sister leaders house and then I went with Hermana Reyes (She is from my group) and hermana Geraldo and visited some less active sisters they wer really silly and awesome. Then we got a ride back home because Elder grange came to take the canvas or Hermana Cloves painting off of the frame so she could take it home easily. Then we were able to visit with the granges later.

Tuesday we got the call that I am going to stay in VILLA OLGA and that my companion would be Hermana Quesada! She was Hermana Salazar´s daughter. She is super sweet from Costa Rica and will go home before I do. then we spent the day packing for Hermana Clove. She didn´t do any packing throughout the transfer so she was a little panicked but she did it. Then we went to our meetings with the ward.

Today wednesday I got up and sweeped and mopped the house and then got ready for the day and we had pancakes for brunch and then I washed all my clothes and then we sat around and waited for them to call that they were coming to get Hermana Clove. I teared up when we said goodbye. She is a great friend. 

My scripture to share is D&C 50:24-25.

Love you all and Be good!!

-- 

Todo Bien!!!

Hermana Buchanan

Baylee - CAMBIOS - the first!‏

November 2 2015

Hola Mi Familia y Mis Amigos!!! :)

How is everyone this fine Monday? I hope all is well! I hear it finally snowed in some parts! About time! LOL I am still waiting on my snow ;) 

Well lets start with the biggest news and get going with the week...

- CAMBIOS!! It is official, i am no longer in training. I am now a full fledged, real life, normal missionary. Saturday night we received the call with our transfer info. But to celebrate, Hnas Ziegner, Echegaray, Salazar and i all went out for pizza! It was tasty and delicious and a lot of fun! Then came the Cambios. Hna. Salazar is now in a trio! In Paita! And my new Comp. is Hna. Bazan! She came this morning and Hna. Salazar also left this morning. Bitter swet moments, watching my field mom leave...But Hna. Bazan is really great! She is from Lima, but she lived in Virginia for ten years when she was a kids so she is fluent in both Spanish and English. We get along really well, basing that off of the few hours we have been together today. LOL She also really likes music, musicals, all that. She is more willing to talk with me, and its been good so far. I am excited for this change!

- ok, with the rest of the week. Padres, be shocked. I ate shrimp and LIKED IT! WHA?!? :)

- In our District Meeting Thursday, we gave Hna. Echegaray a giant card since she has now ended her mission. It was filled with pictures of the after mission goals like being faithful until then end, temple marriage, family. LOL we had a good time with that. 

- Friday i completed 4 months as a missionary! How crazy?!

- We have an invesigator with a baptismal date set for Dec. 5th! Her name is Carmen and she has received lessons before. She told us that she knows the Book of Mormon is true and Joseph Smith was a prophet. Now we get to help her develop that faith and prepare for Dec. 5th! So exciting!

- Friday night we had a mission night activity. we watched Mormon Messages, played some games, and ate mircowave brownies that Hna. Ziegner and I made. LOL Making those brownies was stressful since the time here in the mission is so limitd! but they were tasty! and the activity was really fun!

- Yeserday was Dia de Los Muertos! Day of the Dead! LOL such a weird tradition to put litle sweet treats on the graves of family members so they can eat them....But tons of people do that here and the streetes were really crowded with people buying those treats )angelitos).

- For Halloween, I celebrated in my own little way by wearing orange and Black, adn then at the pizza place with the Hna.s they had Halloween decorations, so it wasnt all in vain!

- Domnigo we spent a good chunk of the day going to visit members so that Hna. Salzar could say goodbye before leaving. Almost everyone gave us things to eat....Goodness gracious! 

- Hna. Echegary left to Piura a day early to say goodbye to her old areas, so Hna. Ziegner spent the night with Hna. Salzar and I. We had a little mini slumber party and it was silly fun. LOL Hna. Ziegner was definitely slap happy! 

Well, that is my week! You all are so strong and such grand inspiration for me. I love you all and am so grateful for your support and love! :) Este Evangelio es verdadero! El Libro de Mormón es la palabra de Dios y es las más verdadero libro en todo el mundo. Las familias pueden ser eternas por medio del poder del Sacerdocio. Estoy muy agradecido por este conocimiento y la oportunidad para compartir con la gente aquí en Talara. Por, siempre recuerden que ustedes nunca estan solos! Dios es nuestro amorosa Padre Clestial, y él nos ama. Jesucristo entiende cada dolor, miedo, preocupación, TODO! La oración cierto es la manera para comunicar con Dios directamente. Yo invito cada uno de ustedes para orar y preguntar a Dios si este Iglesia realmente es las Iglesia verdadera. Yo testifico de esto, y sé que ustdes pueden saber por sus mismos por medio de revelación personal a través de el Espirítu Santo. Yo sé que es la verdad!! :)

Love you all!

-- 

<<< HERMANA BUCHANAN >>>

~ ~ ~ PERU PIURA MISSION ~ ~ ~

Brielle - Today 28 octubre 2015‏

October 28 2015

Last wednesday we had a family home evening in a less actives house her and her four little children we had the elders come. We talked about the plan of Salvation and they were really active. I was use to it thanks to the practice I had teaching the little sunbeams (10 3-4 year olds). 

Thursday we had a lesson with Andreina in the hopsital HOMS because her brother just had surgery and was with him so we went there and talked. It was funny.

Friday we Contacted in ear,ier part of the day and then had a lesson with andreina ar the church. We talked about a lot of things but she already knew about them all but we still had to teach them to be sure that she understood them.

Saturday we contacted again a lot and then we got on a ruta to take us to the front of the church and I was all Hermana Clove give me bones but I said it in spanish ´choc´ means bone pretty much and she was all give yourself bones!! We were so beat from walking around all day it was quite hilarious. Then the elders had a baptism that night and good thing we went because there were only about 7 people there including us. Then after the baptism we went with Andreina and got a food thing called Molfongo. It was really good. Has lots of random stuff in it.

Sunday we had a miscommunication and we waited a lot this day. We eventually had a lesson with Andreina and a member who was just in the church during the lesson and wanted to sit in and help us. She was a great help.

Monday we contacted and found an American and talked with her for a while we gave her a card with our number on it so she can call us to have some gringo talk.   Then we contacted another house and it started raining so we got invited to sit with them to wait out the storm. It was an older lady and while we were singing she was planning with the cat and the cat was like biting her and it was pretty funny. Then that night we had a family home evening with familia Noble! They are amazing and we had a good lesson about forgiveness and then after the converstion jumped from one thing to the next. Books, Harry Potter, one of the Harry Potters being the awesomest thing, and surgery,  and culture, and lots of other random stuff. Lots of good laughs. They talk really fast so it is easy to get lost and then when you understand something you go how did we get here? It is too funnny.

Tuesday we had a district meeting in tamboril and after we played UNO as a district as a unity building activity.  it was fun then we went home. We had a lesson with a less active and helped her with the English homework. Then we went to Andreina´s house and talked about questions she had and then we went to our meetings with the ward. After our meetings we ran to the store to buy some more pudding and oreos becasue we had made a chocolate pudding pie and needed more stuff and then we ate like 2 slices each before we went to be. It was good.

Today was a chill day. Hermana Clove is working on packing and I got all my clothes cleaned. Just a really calm day. It was good. 

Mosiah 26:29-31

Be GOOD Love you all!!

-- 

Todo Bien!!!

Hermana Buchanan