17th Email

So this week was crazy! We had changes tuesday and Monday and tuesday and wednesday were nuts! So We all know where Hna Betancourth went. My new companion is Hermana Aguilar she is from Ecuador! And the first comp that is taller than me haha . She's been out pretty much the same time as me. But she works really hard. Its a big difference from Hna B because she was so crazy and loud Hna Aguilar is really quiet and thinks a lot and looks serious all the time. But I'll adjust, we'll adjust. so yeah. We found a lot of new people this week and are putting baptizmal dates with others. fingers crossed that they progress. And this week I had my frist lessons with Micheley who is 14 and hno Echeveria. They are people who both these changes we have tried to visit but NEVER  ever ever were home or something but por fin we found them! So that was exciting. They need work (both members ) but we had lessons!! woo!  

There was one day this week that it was  a little cloudy in the morning and really humid. But not raining well I was going to bring my umbrella but forgot. Well we were outside and it started pouring but we were close to a memebers house so we ran there and waited ( had a lesson of course) then it stopped and we left. Then it started again and we waited in a store. Then it stopped and we continued on with our day. Well it was like 8 something and we were finishing a lesson and it was not raining so we left but were walking fast because there was a lot of lightning. and we were about half way home when it started pouring. yeah it was like taking a shower ahah it was funny and really wet. So I learned even if it doesnt look like rain ( tut tut looks like rain,) take an umbrella or a poncho or something! 

So with changes hna Lundberg isn't in my district anymore she went to the area of Hna Harper they are companions now ( she was in the Mtc with us) and pretty much half or more of our zone went to Capiata this other area. Only a few of us stayed. But I think this change was a little easier. Hna B was really relaxed and she got a thing to weigh her suit cases with from the office. But an elder from the office called that night she was packing and they said she could only take 32 kilos in total before it was 40 something kilos. so she was shouting all night that she didnt know what to do haha it was really funny but she left a ton of stuff, not so funny to be left with the mess. Well we got her all packed and left in a taxi early in the morning. She was doing good and so was I . We got to the stake center and had to wait for the elders to unlock it. So we were waiting in the taxit when she started to cry, which made me cry. And then we forgot to pray before we left the house so she told me to pray because she couldnt well I was crying too, but I prayed and we got out wiping our eyes then we did all we had to do and hugged and cried some more but after that I was good. I hope she was too. I havent felt sad, well sad but not like before. Its hard adjusting and I miss her but this time it was easier. So thats good! And yeah we've been working and talking and walking and yeah :) I think thats it. I hope you all have a good week! I love you! 

Love 

hermana Sarah.

 

 

 the Hermana's at changes


 at the Paraguay temple






 Bowling with the zone

16th email

Well this week. Tuesday we went to the temple for our once a year trip. It was so good! This temple is pretty small for the session they had to bring in a lot of chairs! But it was good to be there! We had a zone testimony meeting before and after we had pizza. I don't like eating the American food here its weird not that it tastes bad just that I'm used to the Paraguayan stuff now :) then after we went to the distribution center after and I know I cant spell. then by the time we got a collectivo to go back it was like 3 or 4 in the afternoon then we got on a really crowded collectivo with our zone. Hna Lundberg wanted to sing I am a child of God. On the bus! so we did it was funny but cool we did it again today :) So yeah we didn't work much but it was a good day at the temple!
I don't really remember what happened the other days of the week... we are working hard to find new people and teach. Oh I remember Thursday I think it was no Wednesday I had my first division with the Hermanas lideres. Hna Tabouada (something like that) from Peru came with me for the day or well from 8 to 6 she was in my area before so she knew pretty much everyone But we contacted a lot and found some cool new people we'll see where it goes but it was fun! She was so nice! Something I learned with her well not that I didn't know before but she just reminded me that changes are hard but really Christ is our companion, he will be with us for everything we are never going to have changes or divisions or nada if we are worthy he will always be our companion. And that helped me a lot, leaving a companion is hard but I am neve3r alone! y si

Then this week we have been working really hard because Saturday we got to watch Meet the Mormons or Conozca los Mormones in our stake center! But to get in you had to bring an investigator. So we spent a lot of time contacting and inviting everyone. EVERYONE We went to soccor games and got on collectivos  yeah. the day of we called or passed by every investigator we had and a few said they were coming. But none of them came! Well we were waiting and before the movie started we said a prayer that someone could come. And then after the movie started and we had no one. But we still waited. Well we were pretty disappointed and frustrated. After the movie ended we were so sad, it was so good and none of our people were there to watch it. we were looking around and some muchacho was standing there with a big smile on his face wanting to shake our hands. Neither of us could recognize him at first then realized he was the only investigator we didn't see or talk to that day. And he came either while we were praying or just after!! It was amazing he was there for the whole thing and loved it!So that was good!
And then we get to today we went bowling. It was fun... I'm not very good and its weird to do something like that for  a p day I just feel out of place, I'm so used to walking shopping going places. To play was odd but fun! haha . And yeah, this week will be interesting getting Hna Betancourth ready to go and changes! But I'm excited!
Well I cant remember anything else right now I'm sure I will as soon as I log off but ya know :) I love you all and hope you have a good week! Sorry I forgot my camera so pictures next week!
Love Hermana Sarah

15th email

So this week we have been contacting a lot and tocando puertas (knocking, well really clapping at gates) to find new people to teach. Because I think it was last month we really fell short on baptizems so we are trying to up our game. And we found this guy named Diego, he is so cool! He has all these questions and said yes I want to read the book of mormon and yeah I'll pray about it. And yeah it was really cool we've had 2 lessons. We went today but he wasnt home. 

Then Saturday we had a rescate sion with the stake where we go with the youth and teach less actives and contact. It was rainy in the morning and there was lots of mud and a sister went with us fromt the ward we were in to show us the way, well she was wearing heels (oh brother) it only took a year and a half to go and come back but we had some really good lessons. And a crazy collectivo ride back to our area. 

And then there was Sunday and we got to skype!! Oh that was so good! And Oh! Saturday night we were in an investigators house in our area that is farther away from our house and this dumb dog that follows us everywhere but usually just for a few blocks followed us all the way to this house! And then it started to pour rain! Thunder and lightening and it was pouring! And we decided to leave before it got worse, guess who was sitting outside in the storm waiting for us, this dog. And then he walked with us all the way back to our house and slept outside our gate all night and followed us to church sunday and to lunch at a memebers house to another members house getting beat up by all the other dogs along the way because he was in their territory... Sunday night we managed to loose him. Crazy dog! Oh and in the storm we were walking through rivers. the streets were rivers my rain boots didnt help much. And there was one part were the water was flowing so fast we couldnt cross so some random guy came and helped us(thank goodness our crazy dog who barks at every stranger was with us because it was like 8 at night) but it was all good and there were other people outside watching the crazy missionarys try to walk in the rain haha 

And si. tomorrow we get to go to the temple!!! Oh I'm so excited! I cant wait! And this is Hna B's last week.! Crazy how fast this change went! 

Well I think thats all. Hasta el próximo lunes! I love you! 

Love Sarah



Hermana Collins dumping water out of her rain boot




It's hard to tell but that's the dog that was following the
Hermana's around


Hermana Collins and Hermana Betacourth matching (:

14th email

Hi guys! 

This week was good, it was slow ....really slow but at the same time fast. It went by fast but we had days that I have never had before. One day I dont remember which but we had all these plans and no one   NO ONE was home or wanted to talk or nada. We had gone through everyone pretty much and then we were trying to contact and that wasnt really even going anywhere either. So we prayed. Then we were walking and we walked past a street that had a taxi parked next to a house. I recongnized the taxi, it was the one that Hna Johnson and I went in to get to changes and that took us to the offices one day. Well the day we went to the offices Hna Johnson was talking with him and he was interested and said he lived close to us and that we could visit him, his name is Manuel. Well we ran to this house and clapped and there were only women. Well we shared with the mom she was old and catholic but nice then her daughter left, she told us that her daughter drove the taxi and I was sure it was this guys. Well talking more she said that her daughters husband actually has the taxi and one of his legs got cut off ( this was something I knew about him before) It was Manuel!! So we bugged her about where they lived and ran there (okay more like walked because we had walked all over the place!!) And we started talking with his wife because he wasnt there and it turns out they live just down the street from us. It was cool. We talked for a long time and I just had this feeling that she was going to change. Then she said you have your religion I have mine I'm good, I was a little fased by that but still I think they can change! We havent gone back yet but we are planning on it. Then ya so that was exciting. And the rest of our days were pretty much like that we got in with a few people that we havent for a long time! Like this one girl her name is Michelly shes 14 and a less active recient convert, we only talked to her mom but we got through the gate for the first time in like 8 something weeks! Woo! :) 

So yeah I dont really have any other cool stories, but we are just working and walking on our feet in Molino!

Oh so our dinners Sundays that we have with the Family Lopez yesterday he came up to me and was excited but looked tired and wanted to show me a picture, I thought his wife who is pregnant had her baby! But no, he showed me a picture of bagles! One day I mentioned (several weeks ago) that I wanted a bagle, I think really I was just talking to Hna Johnson. Well long story short he MADE  bagles!! And we had them for dinner and they were really good! That was exciting. 

Okay so today we ran all over the place looking for a thermos (termo) and a dress and all sorts of things and then we went and had lunch with a member in Capiata an old area of Hna Betancourths she was suuuuper nice and really cool. Well she has a hair salon thing and hna B bought this stuff to well I think it is to permantly straighten your hair so she did that which smelled really bad and took what felt like a long time. Well the hermana said you look tired here take a nap, on these bench chair things... so I sat there for a bit but then I did feel tired and they were talking and spanish is so soft and flowy ( I dont know how to explain it) I fell asleep. haha it was funny but soooo nice! And yes several colectivos later that brings us to now. :)

 

The outside of Hermana Collins' house

13th email

Okay so this week, especilly yesterday everyone wants to give us food! something about this week, it has been more than ever! And Hna Betancourth likes to cook so she's made things for breakfast and then she likes to eat dinner and i am used to a banana or crackers at night. And I dont really like to eat after 8:30 9 ish so I ate a lot. But yesterday, so we eat lunch every sunday with the familia Valasquez and it was the hna's birthday so we had bbq bean salad and rice salad and mandioca lots of meat. then I ate an orange. Then We were at Carla y Emilio's house they are recient converts. And Emilio's mom was talking about mamón (papya) and I said I had never tried one. So she's like, oh we have one bring some for her to try, I thought oh just a little piece no they brought the whole thing!! And they wanted me to eat it all! It was really good, kind of like a sweet squash, not much flavor but I was already full. Then we taught investigators and they were like here  eat dinner with us. And me and hna j had refused them before and hna b says yes to a lot of things so with my stomach so full I ate chicken and bread and a little bit of chancho and then they  gave us cake!!! oye. Then we had to walk back to our house. it was not comfortable. i am still full! haha yeah 

But anyway I am feeling great! I love learning new teaching styles with a new companion, she is really spunky and loud. But I think that will be good for the pepole we are working with. One day I dont remember it rained aaaalll day! I love it so much! but we got really wet and either 1 or 2 things happens in the rain. Everyone invites you in because they wonder what inthe world you are doing out in the rain or they are all asleep. This day only a few people were awake or home... but i love the rain!! We came back finished planning early and everything and went to bed early :) it was great! 

Carla y Emilio they are a young mrried couple who live with Emilio's family. theyare the only memebers, butwe are slowly working with his family. He has a sister who is 11 silvia. She came to church with us this Sunday!!! and she asked for a book of mormon to read! She's really smart and wants to learnmore! oh its so cool! 

And then we are teaching this guy who hna j found one day we were walking because their house looks like a mexican style church thing its really cool and she wanted to know what it was. Well this guy is pretty rich and speaks a little english. There are people who speak a little and like to practice with me... at first I liked it but durring a lesson its just weird, I get so confused! But he's cool and theyare a family and yes I hpoe they progress! 

OH and so there is the community Apy I think I wrote about that before, of natives indiginous people ...whatever they are and they speak chomococo and hna b really wants to learn chomococo ... she speaks a lot of guarani too but I think I'll learn spanish first :) 

Okay and last thing, Hna johnson with all the things she couldnt fit, left a set of essays her grandpa sent her buy william george jordan they are all out of print but are sooo cool! This is a part that I really like and am trying to apply here. 

Self control may be developed i precisely the same manner as we tone up a weak muscle, by little exercise3s day by day. Let us each day do as mere exercises fo discipline in moral gymnastics, a few acts that are sidagreeable to us, the doing of which will help us i in stant action in our hour of need. the exercises may be very simple, dropping for a time an intensely interesting book at the most thrilling page of the story, jumpi ng our of bed at the first moment of waking, walking home when one is perfectly able to do so, but when the temptation is to take a car, talking to some disagreeable person and trying to make the conversation pleasant. These daily excersis in moral discipline will have a wondrous tonic effect on mant whole moralnature. The individual can attain self control in great things nly through self control in little things. He must study himself to discover what is the weak point in hi armor what is the element within him that ever keeps him from his fullest success. Then you work on that. 

And yes, I am working  on that with contacting speaking all sorts of things. Its hard but i think it will be worth  it. 

I love you all so much! 

Love Hna Sarah

 

 

 

 What a street look like

 

 

12th Email

This week was nuts!!! And it feels like forever since last Monday! Okay so I have a new companion! Hna Betacourth, she is from Honduras and this is her last 6 weeks before she is done with her mission too! Yeah... She is really awesome, short and a little ball of fire! She was in my district before so I know her which helped with the transition. But I guess now Heavenly Father wants me to speak better Spanish, or something. Its not bad though I can communicate just fine with her, except for my feelings really, like emotions more than just tengo hambre or I'm tired or happy or whatever. I think though is that Spanish is in my brain just not in my heart. And she knows a little English I'm teaching her and we practice but she's pretty good. Andshe is really good in our lessons, (its like hna Johnson never left! ) She is a little more loud and direct I guess you could say than Hna Johnson in our lessons haha its really hard not to compare I love them both...  But yeah...
Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday were really hard, We had been focusing so much on getting Hna Johnson ready to leave and I was focused on her and how she was feeling and I mean yeah I was nervous and scared to have a new companion and to have to teach the area and all that but other than that I didn't think much of it. But I forgot to prepare myself. We went to the Stake center to do the changes and things the last few days and this day were moving so so fast I got a little chocked up when we said good bye but then we had so much to do. So after things settled down after she left I was so sad. I couldn't feel anything else I was so sad.I was hungry and didn't want to eat I felt so sad (that only happened once for a moment, don't worry)  I missed her ( I still do) so much and I cried a lot, I physically could not hold back my tears. It was so weird I have never felt so much sadness. But I wrote it all down and I saw Hna lundberg a lot so I talked to here even though she really didn't understand I talked it all out and really its like the grieving process after someone dies. And then Thursday I was struggling so much I said as much to my comp as I could in Spanish and cried a little , it was just... hard then guess what happened. Hna Johnson called me! from the office. But she called me I was so happy and she was so sweet and oh I just love her. She wanted to make sure I was okay and it was awesome. And she made me tell her how I was feeling and everything and I cried more... (lots of crying buy I'm better) Hard but awesome! So that is what has filled most of my thoughts this week! But I am so much better now that I have had the chance to talk and write about it! And get to know Hna B better. so yes. :) I don't know how other people feel when this happens but que pucha chera it was dificil y te! ( some guarani Spanish and English for ya no idea if I spelled it all right)

Oh we had a baptism too! Piti the 9 year old. It was really nice! His brother Ivan who is 10 I think gave an amazing talk on baptism before and it was really imprecionante for a 10 year old! And Sunday he bore his testimony and was amazing! The family is progressing really well and growing spiritually more and more and its so cool to watch. (They were less actives before) Oh and just before that we had an activity with the stake like we did before where we wen tout with the youth and taught and contacted. This time in Palma loma the area of hna lundberg, and there were not very many youth so Hna b and I went together. so that was fun but exhausting and then had our baptism and it was a long day. But good.

Well we've been doing a Libro de Mormon reading challenge with our mission and its interesting because I can understand pretty well in Spanish! Woo!

And yes its all very exciting! and estoy mejorando, I CAN TALK ON THE PHONE IN SPANISH!!!  that is like a huge accomplishment for me! Woo! yeah okay. y si. :) Sorry I cant really remember any spiritual things except for even though it seems like no one understands how I feel about Hna Johnson leaving I know Christ does and He has helped me so much, when I couldn't talk to anyone else I prayed and my burden was lifted. The atonement is real and we can use it for anything!!

Love Hermana Sarah


Hermana Collins and Hermana Betacourth



The boy who got baptized


A typical Paraguayan lunch! 

11th letter

So this week was Semana Santa, holy week. and Pascua on Sunday (Easter) oh and we just happened to have conference :) So first Semana Santa, everyone makes muchísimo ( a ton of ) Chipa. Which is actually really good if it is made right. I've had some nasty ones. But it is just like a cheesy fenally bread made with really fine corn flour I think.. .its good but it has a ton of butter and fat in it and everywhere we went this is how it went, Oh! We just made chipa you have to have some! or here take some chipa or do you have chipa? oh well take some more! Ah we ate so much chipa! We even made some with a family, that was fun! So yeah. And on Thursday when they dont eat meat they eat only chipa but that's only the strong Catholics. They are the ones who do Palm Sunday where they take their palm leaves. And Friday everyone had a day off work. So it was like eat chipa go to church for the first time in the year and sleep for a whole day. Members here really dont have any traditions other than make chipa and chill on their day off they dont do the other catholic things. Oh but they do watch movies. I guess all of the easter like films are on TV. On thrusday we went to the Bishop's house for dinner and they were watching the 10 commandments and another time we walked through a house and they were watching Ben Hur! It's not really a big deal here unless you are catholic. But we had the conference to get people excited about! 

So all this week we had been passing out cards for the #graciasqueElvive (thatks that he lives or something I dont know in english, but its the video about Christ and the Atonement and Resurection..) And that was fun! If you havent seen it watch it! 

We did that and just made sure everyone was going to come to Conference! 

Okay so Saturday, it was raining. Not bad, I love the rain but we had to go pick people up for the Womens meeting that started at 10am. And they lived lejos!! (far away) We went to get Rosemeri she lives in Api (its like happy with out the h) It is a village of native people, mostly chomococo. But she couldnt come anymore. So then we got Naomi she is really awesome she is 16 I think or 15 and the only active member in her family she comes to everything all by herself so we took her with us and then we got Carla. By the time we got to the stake center we were soaking wet and muddy. But we were there!!! I was so excited. I couldnt hold stil! There was hardly anyone there and we had to wait for the stake pres. to hook up the trasnmission. So we came in to the conference with Sister Stevens talk. So today listened to the beginning, in english ( and downladed the opening song mom! ). Because I heard it all in spanish. Which actually I understood!! So that was good! And then more people came and guess what! They had it set up for us to listen in English! Woo! I did listen to a few in Spanish like Sunday those 2 who spoke in English, and Pres Uchtdorf and his German that was so funny! We all thought when that happened that the Elder who was changing the channel to go back to English from Spanish for the last talk had changed it to Guarani or something (becausee they have conference in guarani!) Yeah it was funny. But anyway I could understand the spanish but I couldnt really realate to it or it didnt mean very much. So I was so greatful for the spanish!! 

I loved conference both days! Oh my it was just so exciting! I was so excited multiple times my eyes watered... :) I loved Sister Wixom's talk and Bishop Cousse( or how everyou spell it) I definatley took forgranted the things we have so readily available in Utah. Their are churches everywhere and we have so much! It was a good reminder, tambien to be more aware of God's hand in our lives. And I really liked Brent H Nielson's talk and Pres Uchtdorf and his talk on Grace! That one helped me with some questions I had come with! So good! And Kevin W Pearson, that was was good, after it felt like a gust of wind just hit me in the face he talked so fast and so strongly, Read your scriiptures! Cada dia every day every day!! Oh and Wilfor W Anderson and his dance and music metaphores wow. that was beautiful! And pres. Monson, he didnt look well and besides the Priesthood session he only spoke once!  There were some good things! And it was so nice to listen and learn! 

We sat in a room most of the American Missionaries just us and watched and shared snacks. It was fun! And just amazing!! 

And yeah I think that was pretty much everything! I learned that to change we have to make the decission that we want to and then let Christ in and He will change us and we can be better and try again. And the Atonement can be applied to every aspect of our lives. To never ever forget it, we can't do this alone we need his constant help. And to keep an eternal perspective and as always families are very important! :) And I think that's it!

I love you all so much! 

Love Hermana Collins 

 

Oh and I ate blood sausage! nastiest thing ever!!!!! it made me shiver...yeah 

 

Hermana Collins and a huge tree!

10th letter

So today we went to another city to visit people in Hermana Johnosn's first area. It was interesting. But there is a family where this Sister, is from Utah. She's super nice! And has a really interesting story. She is from Alpine and served a mission in Uruguay and met a guy from Paraguay named Mahonri Moriancomer (the brother of jared) and then she came back and had a lot of impressions she needed to marry him (I guess there was a long distance relationship somewhere ) and I dont know all of it but I know she struggled a lot with the decision but knew it was right. So they got married and they live here! And she just had a baby! She's so amazing, she struggled having a baby here and was saying she just got over the home sickness but its hard to be away from her fmaily. I dont' know she was just really cool and her baby is adorable. And she said if I need anything she's going to Utah in June :) haha But yeah..

Oh! so Pedro got baptized this week! Saturday! It had been raining all day (I LOVE the rain sooooo much. I just love rainiy weather! ) and he had a boy scout thing so we were worried he wouldn't show up to his own baptism. But he did in a T-shirt and basketball shorts!! We told him to bring and wear a tie and white shirt... 12 year olds!! haha But it was good we actually had quite a few members show up! And yeah. He looked really happy after and felt good. I have been trying to remember my own baptizem this week. Especially because we have a thing that the President gave us to do when we teach Less actives. We use steps from Alma 5 to remind them of their baptizem and changes they made and how they felt. So I asked myself the questions. And I remember a lot of what happened but not really how I felt. It's interesting to remember. 

This change went by so fast! I fell like the MTC went on forever but this has just zipped by! I'm excited and nervous to find out who my next companion will be! To see how she will do things. I've learned a lot from Hermana Johnson. She's helped me so much to step out of my comfort zone. At times I don't like it at all but she'll just smile and stare at me... until I say something or go contact someone. She's tuff but I know its good for me. It's interesting this week so many people have complimented me on my spanish. On lady inparticular, Hermana Bordon she is Pedro's grandma and a fisty, cranky, super nice and sometimes scary lady.Lets just say she is sweet unless you make her mad then watch out. And she's short ( incase you were wondering) But I read some scriptures and after she just looked at me and said Wow! the gift of tounges is really with you. And some other stuff in spanish. Then Hermana Johnson said how's mine and she was like..eeehh. haha it was funny. But just to have it come from her was really cool. 

And eso no mas... It was a good week :) I'm so excited for conference!!!! and cant wait to hear what you think! 

I love you all so much!! 

Love Hermana Sarah :)

9th letter

Another week already! wow!! I only have 2 more weeks with my companion! And they she goes home. Sometimes it's hard because I feel like I'm going home too :) But she still works hard and has lots of goals. It's funny we talk a lot about goals and every time I hear that word I think of Dr. Doofenshmirtz, I used to have goals, they were evil goals but they were goals.. yeah. 

Oh!! we apparently do have daylight savings here... ! Except because it is starting to be fall we fell back an hour. so now does that make us closer in time? I get so confused with it. But we got to sleep an extra hour! yay! And out of no where it is cooler! it is soooo nice! maybe 70 degrees... I don't know maybe 60.

Last P-day we went to visit members in another city for Hermana Johnson. We rode a lot of collectivos. Today too. Collectivos are fun! Sometimes they are packed though and if you have to stand....haha I practice collectivo surfing :) Or like last week we were on one that PACKED!!! we had to shove our way on. and off . and it was sweaty and gross. But with those you don't have to hold on really you are all in there so tight you dont really move! Fun times... memories... 

So we had a Capilla abierta this week! ( open chapel, like an open house for the church) we invited people for 2 weeks and practiced all the things we had to say and memorize and lots of crazy things. And as far as I could tell the members were really excited! So we were running a little late this day because the ward mission leader had us make a last minute visit, that really didn't do much... so we had to run. Yeah. On big rocks. I was dressed a little nicer and tried to look a little better for this. By the time we got there I was hot, obviously, tired and suuuuuper sweaty. Then after being in the air conditioned chapel I just had dried sweat on me and yeah! But no one really came. And Paraguayans are so tranquilo they show up when ever they want. People did come eventually but not as many as said they would when we invited them. It was good though. Some recent converts Carla and Emilio, a young couple invited their family and they came! And they are opening up more to us and talking more and sitting in occasionally on the lessons it's really exciting!! And another investigator came and said she wanted to come to church the next Sunday and that we should pick her up. (we did and someone in the house said she went to the store, At 8 in the morning?! oh well...) but yeah it was really good! 

And we finally figured out Pedros Baptizem! We just had to call his dad for permission. That was scary because they said all these bad things about him and that he was mean and an alcoholic and all this crazy stuff. But we prayed and practiced and we called and he said por su puesto!! (of course!) and he said he would support him going to church! 

 

So I was reading the the book of Mormon in Alma 30. About the anti Christ, Korihor. And how in v3 the people  of Ammon are strict with obedience. And so Korihor goes to the Nephites first and they listen and he leads away some of their hearts in v 12-18. Then in v19-21 ish the People of Ammon because of how they were would not even tolerate listening to him they tied him up and took him to Ammon. And I just thought about that and are we going to be like the people of Ammon and not tolerate sin or whatever in the least? Are we that obedient that we bind up sin as soon as we see it and throw it out? Or do we listen? I just liked that and wanted to share. Let's be like the people of Ammon they're pretty purete! (awesome). 

And speaking about my companion, I'm wondering, does anyone have any advice I can give her, I want to help her but don't know how. She is worried that she hasn't used all her time well or done what she was supposed to.She knows she's had success and was obedient but talks all the time about could I have done more and what if I haven't changed? It's sad that she thinks that way, and if anyone has any advice other than to chill, relax haha ...just curious! :)

Okay so then we are teaching a 9 year old boy his name is Derlis but his family calls him Piti . Their less active. So we had lunch with them on Saturday and were talking to the parents. And I guess just because we are missionaries people like to tell you everything. Well they told us that they are having problems with disciplining their children. We just told them to decide where they want their family to be, and to involve the Lord and to be humble.

I think that's it! 

Oh wait! I taught the Gospel Principles class Sunday! All by myself! Well my companion and the Elders in our ward and everyone in the class were there but I was the teacher! :) Everyone said I did good! And I felt good! It's hard some days I feel like my Spanish is really good but then no one understands me or I talk but it's like they didn't even hear... or I get this blank stare and they look to my companion. I don't' like it. Or sometimes I cant understand them. But I always learn something from it. It's hard to remember sometimes that if they need to hear something no matter how bad I say it, If I'm listening to the spirit they will get the message. Humbling but I try to always stay positive! Sometimes I get sad or frustrated or cry but I always come out the next day feeling good having learned something about myself, the Lord or someone or something else! ...and eso no mas :) 

I love you all so much!






Hermana Collins and Hermana Johnson

8th letter

So the subject is , with love there is no fear! It is me and Hermana Johnson's motto. We say it every morning. It's good! 

Okay so this week, well first I about had a cow when Hermana Johnson told me this, there is a Praguayan Polka!!! There are lots of different songs they dance to that are in guarani and our neighbor last week was playing one! Oh it was good. I havent seen the dance yet but they all learn it when they are little in school! So cool. 

And here they do the 2 besos ( 2 kisses) whenever you meet a woman or even little girls you just kiss each cheak. Yeah that's fun especially with sweaty faces... Hermana lundberg loves it! haha 

In Paraguay it smells burnt. I guess they like to burn sugar and their trash. Man these people! If they would just clean up a little it would smell and look so much better. They love to just throw their trash where ever! yeah... 

So (finally) this week. We talked a lot with Pedro hes 12. And because his parents arent married and both have custody we have to have premission from both to baptize him. And his family that he lives with now (his mom) they are all members he's the only one whos not so they are kind of really pushy. And impatient! Poor kid. We are just trying to get a hold of the dad to work that out... But he's really smart and had a good testimony. I worry sometimes he's being pressured into it. His family's not exactly active. But he's a good kid. 

Oh! Saturday! So we heard we had this activity with our stake where we would be with the youth and go out and do missionary work with them. That kind of scared me because they were talking about splitting up with them! And I'm still new! But we got there and our whole zone came. and We talked about contating (I dont' like contacting but I'm getting better! ) and working with menos activos (less actives there are a lot! ) Then they split us up. The rule is the youth have to be 16 to be our companion. and I didnt have any 16 yr olds so I was like oh I have to go with my companion sorry... haha :) Yeah they switched a girl with a 17 yr old. I was nervous but I knew where we were going. So me and Lucero and Solidad went out. We tried to visit a girl but she didnt come out. I think they were home. just hiding as many do here. So we contacted. They were so good though! Lucero is 17 and she wants to be a missionary and she'll do great. She kind of did all the work, talked to all the people. I would start conversations with people and she would take over! They tried to teach me guarani but I just need to get spanish down first... its cool though. So yeah it was a really fun experience with them speaking only spanish! 

We've done a lot of waking and hiking and walking and sweating and clapping and people this week avoided us. But I love walking I love all the rocks! There are so many! I just hope it doesnt ware out my shoes... But its great! OH hey no one here eats green vegtables. the closest I get is green pepper and cabbgage maybe lettuce every now and then.Any ideas of how to eat more or get what I need from green vegtables? I just miss green food, everything here is yellow and brown pretty much.... :) But yeah just trucking along feeling like a pioneer but the walking is so fun I really love it! And yeah! 

Oh and I dont know if the Liahona and Ensign are the same thing but when the one for April comes out look at the article about weaknesses not being sins or something it was really good! A Hermano in our ward gets them in English and we read it. But they arent online yet.  

 

Hermana Collins in the rain

 

This was some really good food! It was a little green pumpkin with stuff in it and other yummy things. ANd beet juice! And bread. They put fennel in their bread. 

Me and an aguacate they are HUGE here!!

7th letter

So my experiences this week. It's weird so you would think with all these new things I'm doing and experiencing and having to do I would be freaking out. Well I kind of did in the MTC but here I'm not. I feel strangley comfortable. I was thinking the other day that it feels like a dream, like I've been carried this whole way. And then I thought realized that I have been carried, Heavenly Father  and the prayers I feel from every one has carried me this whole way, through the are ports and through the rocky roads of Paraguay I know it! There is no other way I could be doing this. He has blessed my mind and my heart to be still and focus and my body to adjust well to the heat and humidity and the food. I have been completley blessed! And I am so greatful!

On day we were teaching this Hermana , Elda and she has a little boy maybe 2 yrs he was sitting on her lap ( we have all out lessons pretty much outside everyone here has a patio) and there were these big ants and other bugs outside their house. Well he would get this worri3ed look on his face and point to me and there would be a bug so I brushed it off (quickly) and he did it a few more times. And I thought , oh how cute he's watching out for me! Then I heard a voice in my head say, I'm always watching out for you Sarah, I'm right here. And in that moment I knew that I am being watched over and I just felt super loved and ..yeah it was great. 

I realized that this is hard this week. I had a moment of feeling really overwhelmend and frustrated and I let myself have a little pity party but then decided I needed to put all that aside and dig in and I felt better. 

I'm still learning to love , that's hard. There's a song we exercise to in the morning that says you can smile to everyone you pass and you'll never run out of love. Dont be afraid to love. It's hard but I'm trying to do that. 

And you know how Dad was with rain on his mission. I feel that way with bugs here haha :) 

Sorry I don't have any more time I'm going to try to send a picture or 2 before I

go I love all of you so much!

6th letter

So let me start at the beginning! A very good place to start! So Monday or well maybe Sunday night our last in the MTC! So a few days before I was feeling really nervouse and scared for this. But Sunday I just felt good todo bien! (that's what everyone says here, how are you? todo bien, all good) It was a good morning, we had Relief Society and Linda S Reeves from the general RS pres. spoke. It was good but she seemed kind of scatter brained..but it was good. Then we had our district meeting me and Hna Lundberg talked about the atonement. And after our zone sang Para siempre Dios este con vos. God be with you till we meet again. Then we did some last packing. And after dinner had a departing devotional, and I dont remember if I wrote about this but one day when Hna Lundberg had to make a phone call I was sitting there writing a list of things I was scared about :) and Sister Trost the 2nd councelors wife in the MTC presidency came up and started talking to me. She is the one who my first week spoke about overcoming fear. We talked more about that and related to eachother a lot. It was suuuper cool. Any way after the devotional she came up and we talked a little more! Then we had the normal Sunday night devotional and sang songs like always before. I miss all the singing we did in the MTC! And in the devotional it was by one of the district presidents and his wife, the Lindals but she spoke about fighting off the voice of the enemy, satan, and how he speaks to us through fear and other things... and the voice of the natural man and how we need to know how the adversay speaks to us so we can fight back and not let our faith be replaced by his fear. I liked that. Then instead of watching a movie Bro. Monson and his wife said they would come visit with our 2 districts. so we listened to him talk, He's super purete!  super cool. At one point he said who's scared and I shot my had up and in my head I said oh I'm so scared! But i didnt feel it. The nervous scared feelings were gone!! I was so happy! Y eso no mas. (that's it)

So then traveling was interesting. I don't like planes or suit cases or the skirt I wore for 2 days haha. It was fine. It was cool, we ran into members at every air port even Brazil, (but he was a returning missionary) We passed South Jordan on the front runner on the way to the air port, I said good bye again! Oh manI'm glad I saw the temples again and the mountins!! I got pictures. Anyway after a lot of traveling we finally got to Paraguay! It. Was. So . Hot. I could feel my hair growing bigger and bigger. (I have a picture of that too) And apparently it wasn't even that hot. But President Mcmullin and his wife picted us up they were waiting for us! We talked about south Jordan, that was nice :) then we drove to the temple and sat in the heat and talked about the foundation of the church in Paraguay. It's a pretty temple! Then we went to the mission office, they talked about a lot of things I dont remember I was so tired. Good thing they have us written info because I was faling asleep. ANd we met the latinos in our mission they are the ones who went to the Argentina MTC. all of us AMericans went to provo. They were saying they had a huge group or something so I guess we couldn't fit. And we were the first group in this mission to go to Provo. I'm so super glad though! I needed my time there to adjust and everyone and thing there was amazing! Oh and I talked with the president's daughter Erin, she's 17 and knows Ensley!! and some other people I know too. I love the family they are so nice! They we went to the Hna training leaders house and got to sleep. It was hard though because there were so many of us in there ! I was hot tired grumpy and just wanted to sleep. I looked back in my journal and I pretty much felt the same way as my first night in the MTC. This whole week has actually been the same. That means it can only get better!! :) 

So the next morning we went back to the office and talked about stress and some things and I was still tired and just didn't feel... right. I don't know how to explain it. I was tired and sad and scared and stressed and everything. So we got some study time after (they split us up in our 2 groups americans and latinos) and I just wanted to cry. I needed to cry and I knew it but I couldn't get it to come out! But talking with Hna Lunberg and Noorda I finally got it out! well most of it. Oh it felt so good! After I was happy and excited and ready to meet my trainor! And that's what we did. They put the trainers on one side of the room and us on the other and put up a picture of the trainor and then the missionary they had. I was the last hermana so I kind of know before they put the picutres up. My companion is Hermana Johnson. She's not a native (heavenly father knows me so well haha ) this is her last transfer of her mission so she's super-ieper purete! She's from Texas and her dad actually served her so she's met some of his converts! And she's super dedicated and obedient and hard working and so so nice! She's really good with helping me with my spanish and pushing me out of my comfort zone to talk to people! Its hard but I love it! how else would I get better! So yeah we said good bye and got a taxi to toke us to our house! My area is Molino in Luque. Small...poor-ish. Yeah. our house is actually not bad. If you keep it clean it looks nice. it's cool and as I meantioned we have a flushing toilet and a shower and running water and AC!! It's not quite a home but it works. It's safe. I actually feel really comfortable there, safe and fine. But we're always cautious! We actually live in our  zone leaders area but teach some people in their area. So we work with a few families in their area and walk to ours every other day. I have no idea how much but we walk so much! Remember how I like hiking? Yeah I hike everyday. And it's actually not bad, I kind of like it! I'm going to have some nice leg muscles when I get back! haha I sweat a lot, I'm always wet. So back to Wednesday, we put my stuff down studied and then went and taught a lesson! We taught Pedro, he's 12 and has a baptizmal date. He's super smart and does all we ask him and he has a testimony! it's cool! Then we ate dinner with a member she made fish. It was good I have no idea what kind but it was good and she had a nice house! No dirt floors yet! Thankfully! Then we just visited some members. She had me participating in the lesons already! she would look at me and it would be silent so I knew I had to say something I would have a moment of panic but then say something and it would be fine! I am understanding a lot actually and people say its not the same language they learned in the MTC. I dont't notice a difference except there are just people with no teeth here and everyone talks fast-ish and slurs. If I listen really hard I understand just fine. It's reponding I have a little trouble with but I know with practive I can be better. Oh and they usually throw in a misheemee (that is so not spelled right along with everything else, but that's a little bit in guarani) of guarani. Sometimes that's hard. But I know its guarani because they talk like their nose is plugged. Yeah but we are teaching every day and working with recent converts and members. There are actually a lot of Wards and stakes here not just branches. We are in a ward. Hna Johnson says its  one of the best wards she's been in so far and it's her last. A pretty good amount of members! And we teach a lot of people and we contact. That's hard for me but she makes me do it, so I'm improving! :) 

On saturday I took my first collectivo ride to Asuncion so Hna Johnson could go to the temple with her converts Carla and Emillio they are married with a little baby girl EMily. They did baptizems for their family. So while they did that I went with her other companions compainions. She was in a trio. Oh and the collectivo ride its a bus and it goes really fast and is an old clutch engine thing that is loud and bumpy. Dont try to eat on one! And it goes over the cobble stone streets  like a 4 wheeler. off roading almost! It was fun though I liked it. And it helps me get to know my area! It was cool to be at the tmeple again. We just contacted while we wated for them. 

Church sunday was good and we ate with memebers after. I had sopa Paraguay which how they made it was just bread with some things in it. It's hard though they eat lunch as their big meal and it is the middle of the day and these people feed us so much hot pasta and meat! and bread! ooo the bread though I like it they put fennel in it. holy cow its hard after lunch luckly we sit and talk for a while so we can digest. I eat a lot of pasta. and some form of meat. and potatoes. and they like cabbage salad. And that yucka root stuff I forget what it's called but it tastes like mushy nothing. For dinner yesterday we ate with a member family Lopez he made some really good chicken stuff with salsas and tortillas. oh that was good! and he speaks english haha that was nice. Then he and his wife who washes our clothes drove us home! That was amazing :) Oh and they drink so much jugo (i dont know how to spell it) juice! orange, banana, avacado! pomello, mango ( I mised mango season pucha! dang) they have a juice for everything! So yeah that's the food. 

Anyway I'm hot and sweaty but happy! I don't love it yet but I think I will .I'm sleeping well and my companion is great! And I understand and speak spanish! yay!! 

and I think that's all! I love you all so much and miss my bug free home, It feels like I dont know that this is not real or something. Some days I just have to think of being able to go home to make it through. but it's just my first week.  And yeah I love you! I can't wait to talk to you again! 

Love,
Hermana Sarah 

Collins!

5th letter

This week was really good. Our new district we got it pretty cool! They all study really hard and practice Spanish a lot! they'll be great! So this week was really good and I had some days that I struggled. One day my companion was struggling she just felt  like everyone was learning better than her and she was comparing the 18 year old boys to her self and got pretty down on herself.  I started to feel later that night just like I wanted to be able to teach better I'm not where I want to be but I want to be there now. But I prayed for help and our teacher noticed our faces I guess and talked to us and I felt better. I know I have high expectations for myself  but it will take time and hard work to get there. I know I can get there, and Christ will help me. My teacher reminded me of Christ's grace how he is the difference I shouldn't just rely on myself. I need to remember who else is my companion and let the spirit do the teaching and that will be enough. I am enough.And she showed me a scripture that I already really like D&C 78:17-18.

Friday we got our travel plans so that was pretty exciting! 

Saturday was Valentines day and me and Hna Lundberg made Valentines with scriptures about love on them and decorated our classrooms and gave our zone and teachers fun valentines. and her family sent a lot of treats so we gave those too! It was fun to see everyone so excited! OH and this day okay so mi companera wanted to do a Spanish temple session, they only do those on Saturdays at 8 am or 12. so we actually go special permission from the mtc pres. to go! We just couldn't tell any one! so I got to do a Spanish endowment session! It was pretty cool, I actually understood a lot! 

Sunday was so nice, I love them. We do a lot of singing and I love singing! We sing in sacrament, we sing a long to music and the spoken word (quietly but I still do ) and we sing in relief society and in our devotionals. So we have devotionals every Sunday and Tuesday and before they start we all sing the prelude music we do 3 or 4 songs and then an opening song! There is so much singing we sing before we start all of our classes too! I love it so much! In sacrament Pres. Goodman our branch president talked about how he had a son, who didn't like to swim he would not let go of the side of the pool. And he had a friend (pres G) who was an old Navy seal that said he could teach him how to swim, he was kind of worried but he let him. He took his on and went into the middle of the pool. and held him and said take a breathe and went under he came up screaming and sputtering but they did this over and over. until he got the idea. Well I related that to myself. I need to let go of the side of the pool, take a deep breathe and immerse  myself in the work.  

Yesterday it snowed a little like hail ish. I want to see snow again before I leave!!! but yes then we get to today and all is well! Just preparing to leave and all that fun stuff! And I don't think anything else really happened... so I guess I"ll talk to you Monday! and then I"ll be in South America!! woohoo...yeah.

4th letter!

I cannot believe I have 1 more full P-day in the MTC. I'm not sure I want to leave, I mean I just left! I don't want to leave again! But I am excited for the plain ride! Although I'm not sure I'm ready to be in a foreign country! But I guess I'll get over that pretty fast! :) We are getting a new district tomorrow and we get to be hosts too!! That means I get to help people out of the car and into the MTC and show them to their room and stuff! I'm so excited, because my host was so nice and sweet! I want to help someone like that! And I decided when I come back I want to work at the MTC, I think it would be so fun! I love my teachers! Sorry I think I say that every week probably but I really do, I actually just love teachers! So cool! 

So this week we said goodbye to a sister in our zone, Hermana Worth she was better at the language than they thought so she's in Argentina now. 

That same day Thursday we were doing a teaching activity and it was pretty frustrating and I got kind of upset with myself. But Hermana Lundberg and I talked to our teacher and I felt much better. For the rest of the day Hna Lundberg was acting really weird and she just kept saying she was tired and I just did not believe her at all. It was driving me nuts. Even one of our teachers noticed and at the end of the day he asked if he could talk to us/her. He thought he had done something to hurt her feelings she had this nasty stink eye. She just said she was tired. And I said again I did not believe her! But I just felt like I should leave it alone so I did, then the next morning She said, so you know last night, I wasn't tired! No Way!! haha I was right!! I felt bad she was just frustrated and let it bother her all day! But I was proud I noticed :) It was nice being able to talk about that. 

Not much happened this week. We are working really hard with these last weeks left. Saturday was so nice and warm! It was crazy! we studied outside for a while. 

I memorized the first vision in Spanish!! 

Oh but I do have a funny story. So yesterday Hna Lundberg was talking to someone at dinner and I sat across from her. She had some pineapple left that she hadn't eaten. So I was bord and sprinkled salt on it. Then another sister in our zone said Hna Lundberg eat this its good, refering to the pineapple. So she did! It was so funny :) She spit it out and it was just funny! 

That's pretty much it... We are just studying really hard and practicing teaching all the time and speaking spanish! It's great! OH I cashed the check today! And we went to the eye doctor because Hna Lundbergs contact prescription expired...so we just stopped by the bank... It was great! Escape from the MTC part 2! Oh and tonight for the devotional me and Hna Lundberg are singing in the Choir and we are singing Nearer my God to thee. With the other half of the MTC that does choir :) Its pretty cool! Well we have to go practice now and I dont really have much more to say! I love you and miss you! 

Talk to you next week!!

Love Sarah!

Sarah's Third Letter

 My third week was good!! It has gone by so fast yet so slow at the same time it's weird! My district didn't change but my zone did. So there was District 8C in zone 8 they were here when we all got here. My district is 8A and another 8B we all got here on the same day. 8C all left this morning and yesterday for Costa Rica and Panama! We woke up at 4:15 this morning to say goodbye (apparently it's tradition or something) but dont worry I went back to bed :) Then we went to the Temple at 7:15 ish and just did initiatory's which was really cool! And of course we had to have breakfast! I was talking with a sister who was ringing up our food who spoke spanish and in spanish she said it was the celestial language haha. So yeah Spanish is coming along great! I'm starting to be able to express my emotions and thoughts in spanish. That was the hardest thing, when we were giving a lesson to an investigator and I couldn't say how I felt, and that made me feel like I was going to EXPLODE!!! it was so frustrating!! But I'm getting better at that!! I'm not worried about the language at all, I practice hard and I know the Lord will bless me. The first week we learned to pray and bear simple testimonies, and I learn more everyday! It's so fun I love it!

My companion is pretty good! I'll explain that in a minute though. 

Okay so now my stories :) 

 So first I feel perfectly normal now! Which is so great that was probably the shortest cold thingy I've ever had... Last Wednesday in gym we did lunges for a 1/10 of a mile and my legs and butt hurt so much from that! I need to get into shape! We woke up early and went to a yoga class at 6, that was interesting... 

Okay sorry now I'll explain the subject. So! It all started on Saturday. Normal day things were good. After dinner around 7:00 in class with Hermano Thompson an Elder in my district Elder Shamata did not feel well, he and his companion left and he threw up in the bathroom so they went back to their room. Then about a half an hour later Hna Lundberg didn't look to good when we came out of the bathroom but she said she was fine. Then about 20 min later she said she needed to leave so as soon as we got in the hall way she broke down in tears and was in a lot of pain in her stomach. But not her stomach it was like right below her belly button and she said it felt like someone was stabbing her. She mentioned a blessing earlier, so I didn't know what to do so I went into the other districts room and got the zone leaders and they gave her a blessing. She was able to stop crying, and in the blessing it was interesting, they blessed her that she would be healed by or with light and that all the darkness and evil in her would leave. (18 year old boys!!) I thought that was cool. Anyway we come out and Hermano Thompson is out there and he sees her and asks what's going on. She said she was fine...yeah as her face twisted in pain and she started crying again a little. He didn't buy it so he called the front desk and told them we were coming down there. (Because it was Saturday night the clinic was closed so they had to call a doctor) She did not want to, she just wanted to go lay down and put heat and lavender oil on it or something but we couldn't just not go. So they called a doctor and she talked to him and he wanted her to get it checked out. So it's like 8:30 ish now and we get to go to the ER!! woohoo..it was the only thing open saturday night :( So on a 12 passenger bus we go and drive down the street, passing every one coming out of the BYU basketball game. And to the IMC or IHC whatever it is ER. I've never been in an emergency room before so this was quite the experience. ( I actually really loved it though, I'll explain why) So they drop us off and we go in. She sits down and then stands up, and starts talking to people! I kind of freaked out in my mind, what are you doing you don't talk to people like that!! Then I though oh she'll make a good missionary haha. But later I found out 1. she's just like that and 2 it kept her mind off the pain. So then we got her checked in and sat down to wait. And she talked to more people. While we were waiting a couple comes in the girl is not walking well and leaning on the boy. They sat down and she got a wheel chair. and more of their family came in. They were all around her when they started to freak out! She passed out and I guess was pregnant too, so they tried to get a nurse and wake her up, it was kind of scary. But everyone in the ER I found is so calm, I could not work there. Anyway Jade asked me to pray with her for this girl so we were praying silently for her and I could hear them saying " Wake up sweetie, squeeze my hand". Well Jade gets up and goes over and asks for her name! Later I found out she really didn't hear them but I was again like, what are you doing?! But I found out it was a good thing she did. Because then they noticed we were praying and knew it was for her. When she finally got to go back her future mother in law and grandma( we found that out later) came and thanked and hugged us, they were crying so we were tearing up a bit. But that moment right there that experience I felt like a missionary. I felt like a representative of Jesus Christ. I felt like we were in the "real world" and for that time in the hospital I felt the reality and weight and joy of my calling. I felt the love of the Savior for these people. And yes it was already an emotional situation but I felt like those people saw and felt Christ through me. I can't explain it but I felt like a missionary and it was so cool! I was actually really happy and joking around the rest of our time here. I knew Jade was fine (sorry Hna Lundberg is too much to type) she knew she was fine, she just hurt. So I felt bad but it was so cool. Anyway we went back she got blood tests and did a urine test and got an ultrasound that was interesting. (I documented the whole thing, we have lots of pictures (: ) Then we were hanging out in our room I was pretty bored, sometime we would read a few scriptures because I had mine, or blow up latex gloves or I just wondered around her room. She made friends with all the nurses and doctors. Jade became best friends with everyone. Then the future mother in law of the girl  found us, and talked to us, her son is her fiance. It was interesting she told us all about them and that was doing fine and they were LDS I guess her son and the girl are working on coming back... Then after she left we were just sitting waiting for results, when 2 elders walked by our door it was Elder Shamata the one who threw up and his comp. Poor guy he did not feel well, they think it may have been really bad food poisoning with something else.   I guess it was bad enough they have him morophene how ever you spell it. Jade would not take it. So yeah we were just down the hall from each other! They were there till about 1:30 while we left around 11:45. so I guess with Jade they were looking for appendicitis or ovarian cysts. But they found nothing so they let us leave. She still hurt though not as bad. We got back around 12 and went to bed. so yeah! That was an adventure! She did see a doctor here though who explained the results more form all the tests she had.  Not much else happened...except our zone decreasing by 8 which was sad but it's what happens. Yeah I think that's pretty much it! I love you all and hope you have a good week!! 

Love 

Hermana Sarah :) 

Please hold for pictures.

Second Email!

cannot believe it has been 2 weeks! Well 13 days to be exact but still... It feels like just last week that I was sitting here typing again on a really hard keyboard! These things are ancient or something, or a ton of missionaries wore them out. Either way it's really hard.

I'm really liking it here, I love all my teachers and I love practicing teaching! It's pretty difficult sometimes especially since Hermana Lundburg and I have very different teaching styles. But we communicate well, or she does, she  makes me talk about my feelings :) (I'm learning) I really like my zone too and my district, the zone leaders and sister training leaders work hard to keep us all together, like we all eat together even on P-days and sometimes we study together and have mini devotionals. Its fun they are some cool people. The majority of the district that was here when my district and another got here are leaving next week for Panama and Costa Rica! 

This week was pretty good, last Tuesday in the evening for our Devotional M. Russel Ballard was here and spoke to us!!! It was sooo cool!! And apparently Elder Nelson was here the week  before which is unusual to have 2 apostles in a row! But Elder Ballard talked about reformers in the Dark ages like Martin Luther and some others and how people responded to them and people who brought about the Bible. He said " Be positive, go forward, Be courageous, be exceedingly glad in the work you are called to do You do not have time to be depressed or home sick get that over with in the MTC. If you feel it was harder than you thought or have negative thoughts take your mind to Liberty jail and think of the Prophet Joseph." He said to write a letter to Joseph Smith and cheer him up and you wont feel bad any more. Oh and he said " Be very careful in planning. Set goals dont just be obedient, set goals and call down the power of heaven to help you and that is when you see miracles." It was cool . 

Wednesday was my week mark! woo! We got to "welcome" new people to the MTC. Really we just said welcome to the MTC because I guess that's what everyone did if you have that dot on (Which I kept on the WHOLE day!) Nothing really interesting happened besides that...

Thursday we had a really good morning! We had our first class at 8:15am and went early because last week we had been late for Hermano Thompson's class. (Hna Lundburg struggled with getting ready on time) and it was just nice to be early! or on time even! Then after lunch I was really tired, and we had our personal study block, where we do personal, companion, and then language study for an hour each. Well during personal study I decided to rest my head on my desk on my scriptures, aaaand I sort of fell asleep for a bit! but the funny thing was I had my scarf over my face but somehow I still managed to drool a little in Alma!! Oh it was sad! But funny! Oh! then that night we were teaching our investigator Nelson and we knew he was a teacher at the MTC but he was just an investigator to us. Anyway we taught him and then went back to class, then in walks Nelson to our class! and he kind of evaluated us and our teaching (still as Nelson he never broke character) that was interesting. But helpful, even though he just spoke spanish... Well then...

Friday morning, we walked into our class and we had a new teacher! (we have 3 now) Nelson! Or Hermono Voss! It was so weird but he is such a good teacher! So that was the exciting part of Friday. And Friday was when I started to feel sick :( my throat felt scratchy. Well the next day I didn't feel so hot my throat was sore ish and yeah.

So then Saturday happened not much I just felt suuuuper tired and took a nap...which helped me feel a bit better

I love Sundays!! I love watching music and the spoken word. and Relief society and its just great!! And we go on our temple walk every sunday at 3 ish with a ton of other missionaries, and that's fun to get out! Some elders in my district when they leave the building or go out the gate turn to a teacher or someone and pretend they have hand cuffs on and ask for someone to take them off. :) This sunday before our temple walk while the Elders where in priesthood meeting Bro and Sis monson came in and we got to talk to them for a while. Dad he's only 2 years younger than you! ( he looks a lot older) he's pres monson's nephew remember? ... yeah he talked about recognizing the spirit...which was cool since this was a surprise visit! then we had the Sunday night devotional. and Stephen B Allen spoke, he is head of the mission department or something but he was sooo funny!! he asked for people to stand up if they had gotten dear johned or dear janed haha and he said if you shouldn't be here (like if you're not worthy) go home! he was pretty bold like that through out the whole talk but it was really good. He said to not let Satan push your buttons. Then we watched the "Characteristics of Christ" it was a talk given by Elder Bednar in the MTC on Christmas a few years ago. which was cool, he talked about how the Savior turned out and how the natural man turns in. 

Then Monday yesterday! Yesterday was so funny!! there were several times where Jade and I laughed sooo hard it was great!!! The first time was when we went in our class before lunch and our teacher was in there preparing for the lesson. So we have these  desks that are a chair that folds at the seat and a desk that you kind of fold up and down, well I put my knee on the chair to grab something and I got stuck in it folding in half!! A few times I went back and forth kind of rocking. I can't explain it very well, I'm glad my teacher was just looking at her computer haha but Jade and I laughed soo hard it was pretty funny! And then the other thing, after dinner we have this zone devotional I mentioned, where someone gives a spiritual thought. Well this one was on companion unity. So the elders teaching had a trio of elders in my district come up and two of them linked their arms to make a square, one of the elders is a bit bigger, and the other elder was supposed to sit on their arms and they would lift him up. Well the one elder said don't pass gas ya know, and then as soon as they stand up a bit more you hear this loud RIIIIIPPPPTTTFFFFF. at first we thought it was gas. No. then the bigger elder was holding his arm so we thought he broke it. No. his pants ripped right down the seam!!! He was soo good about it though, We all busted out laughing and he laughed with us! OH it was THE  funniest thing ever!!! That never happens!! Only on TV or something. But man that was so funny!! 

Any way that was my week, we went to the temple again early this morning so we could get other things done and it was nice. I'm feeling much better today too, I just have a stuffy/runny nose.  I miss you guys! It's still weird to think I'm a missionary!! But I'm here so hopefully it sinks in soon! :) 

 On Sunday in Relief Society one of the speakers said this: " Character: to keep the commitment once the emotion of the moment is gone. Will you stay when the staying is hard? " I thought that was really good! After the excitement and the emotional stuff will you stick to the commitment? I know this will be hard, and is kind of already but I'm learning so much Spanish and teaching and gospel! I know the Lord will help me and I know I can do it!! yeah. :)

Love you !!! 

Love Sarah

Sarah's First Email!!!

 Thank you for the emails!! I'm so glad you sent them! And the letters I got 2! I will write back to them. So I ran into Thomas young on wednesday at dinner, he told me that his first P-day he had no emails so he sent one to his mom saying thanks for the email he didnt get... it was funny but good to see a familiar face! I've seen a lot of familiar faces, well not a lot but some. Like Jade! She's my companion, I guess you figured from the picture that lady sent you. That day she had to get a lot of shots (yellow fever, typhoid, tetnes, and flu she got pretty sick, but i'm good) But after her shots this lady volunteering knew her family and asked if she could send a picture to our families. I'm glad she did because now you know when my P-day is! its good. 

So let me tell you about my week. I have been here 7 days if you count Wednesday but it feels like months!!! Its good but it drags!! So Wednesday #1, Leaving was hard but Lola was right ( I think she said this) they keep you so busy you don't have time to think or react, which was.....nice. And remember that really sweet nice sister who helped me when I first got there, (her name's sister Pierson) she really helped, she was so excited and positive and hugging me it was so nice! It made me feel better. So she took me and I went in and got my badge and other stuff, schedule... I felt bad all these nice volunteers were so smiley and saying "welcome sister" I tried to smile but It just didn't come out right, hopefully I didnt scare them. :) Anyway then she took me to my room, and we put my bags in there, I was the first one (out of 5 sisters) so I got to pick my bed! then she took me to my class where I met one of my 2 teachers, Hermana Larson, she is suuuuper awesome, so nice and a really good teacher, I haven't heard her speak any English at all yet! Which really helps. Then I waited for the rest of my district to come and that's when I found out me and Jade were companions. And Elder Llewelyn who was in the YSA stake and went to Bingham is in my district too. Which is cool, but I never knew him..I think Karris did. The rest of the day was kind of a blur. 

Day 2, Was really busy, we had lessons in class and we met our Branch presidency, and their wives, they are really nice  the Branch president looks like Pres. Hinckley. And pres. Monson's nephew is in it too! he acts like him and looks like him a little.I learned a lot of Spanish.And this day I felt pretty good, emotionally. And so this is just the second day (never mind that was the 3rd day not the 2nd)  we had been here but they had us teaching investigators in SPANISH!!! It was kind of scary but it went okay. He is really a teacher, but for us he is Nelson from Honduras and doesn't talk much but he does everything we ask... Good practice. And we got to have gym time today which was really nice! Its funny there is me and Jade in our room and then a trio (they are in advanced spanish class) and one of them Hermana Noorda she looks a lot like Maggie :) 

Day 3 this was when we taught for the first time.not the 2nd day sorry and we had a lot of class and studing and we did a lot with our zone which is really awesome!! I love it. There was just one district before and then now they have 2 more so three districts in this zone. the Older missionaries are going to Panama mostley and the rest of us are either going to my mission, Argentina or a few other random places. But they are so nice and we all get along great, we all eat lunch together and breakfast and dinner. Sometimes we study together because our classes are all right next to each other. This day we met our other teacher hermano Thompson he's pretty cool he used a little more english but he still teaches well. I really like the teachers you can tell that they really care and want to help us learn the language. So far it has been a lot of Language study and meetings with the teachers so the know how we best learn and get to know us a little more. We are still adjusting to the schedule and everything really. Its funny now I say "we" for everything because I never leave my companion, its not me now it is we. 

Day 4, This day was okay... we did service at 7:30 which was nice actually because we didn't have to get dressed really! Usually we get up between 6-6:30 to shower or get ready or whatever to be to class by 7 for additional study and then breakfast at 7:45 (I'm so glad i brought snacks mom! they help so much!!) But we just cleaned our residence building with other sisters for 45 min. then we had to teach our investigador Nelson, but this one we were not prepared very well, which is still not bad but it wasn't as fun. We could have taught better. ... then we had more classes and got ready for Sunday! 

Day 5 Sunday! Sunday was soooooo nice! We didn't have to worry about classes or investigadores (en espanol) or anything really we just got to go to church! Ant 8:15 in the morning! Who has sacrament meeting that early! But in sacrament meeting it is just our zone which is our branch. And because I can play the piano (no I didnt have to play for the meeting but) I played for a musical number, some hermanas wanted to sing so I played Be Still My Soul, and I did pretty good for not really playing that song much. But after that, guess what!!! we (just the sisters, all the sisters in the MTC) got to watch Music and the Spoken Word!!! I was so happy!! and it was all Spirituals and stuff, yeah it made me happy :D Then we had relief society right after. And because we JUST got a brand new MTC presidency on Friday their wives spoke, and they are the relief society presidency. It was cool first Sister Burgess spoke her husband is the new president and then sister somebody I dont remember but then Sister Trost spoke her husband is the 2nd councelor. I really liked her, she talked about how she was really nervous for her new calling and kind of afraid but she talked about how to not be afraid and how she was going to take steps of faith and over come her fear. Oh and in sacrament meeting this guy I don't remember who he was but his name was Brother Lindahl he served in Paraguay and in Argentina as a mission president, but he said that when they( he and his wife) went to Argentina she threw up 18 times and he was pretty scared too, but he said that when he stepped off the plain it didn't matter if he got shot or something he had done what the Lord asked him  to do. And that's kind of what I'm doing, I just did what the Lord asked me to do and nothing else really matters, well it does but ya know. it was good. Then after all that we had a temple walk, every sunday with our zone we go walk around the Provo temple, but really we all just take pictures :) Hopefully I can upload mine. It was funny on the way back we were walking and I heard someone running, and then they hugged me from behind and it scared me!! but it was sister Pierson, the girl who helped me on wednesday! She is so nice! she remembered me. Then we had an mtc devotional with the new mtc presidency and then we watched meet the mormons, it was nice. 

Then yesterday we had more class and more teaching people and language studying and did some zone stuff. Its funny 2 elders in my zone are from washington only one from tri cities knows where Ephrata is, I thought that was cool.

And today, P-day! We woke up at 4:55 to go to the 6:00 session at the temple with our zone. It was really nice they helped me with everything and we were pretty much the only ones there. Then we had Breakfast at the temple it was SO good! I had a waffle with strawberries and whipped cream oh it was good!! and only $2.50 :) yum! then we printed off emails so we knew what to say so not to take up more time, then we did laundry which actually wasnt that bad, I did pretty good! nothing is a different color!! Yes!! and we've just been relaxing and personal studying and now I'm writing. so sorry that was really long but I just wanted you to know everything!! I am having a good time, I think the 'homesickness is not really there any more, well I can think of you guys with out feeling really sad now!!

Oh I forgot , so yes I did see the girl I met in the temple! And so I saw this girl here from the YSA ward and from elementary school she was friends with Cambrey Bean, her name is Taylor Harmon, and I had no idea she was going on a mission! so I didnt really know it was her but she has red hair and is going to New Hampshire but she's not from Mesa, well another girl who was sitting by her at lunch had red hair so i asked and she is the girl who Lola told us about!! she loves Lola and Olivia and she emailed her mom and told her! I thought that was cool.

Well that is all I have time for, I love you guys and miss you but this is good! I know it :) I'll get better and condensing things later! 

Love you!

Love Hermana Sarah

PS I couldn't get the pictures to upload i'll try again but i just wanted to send this so ... I'll try pictures later.

Here I go!

This is how I feel about now...

Look at the world so close
And I'm halfway to it
Look at it all so big
Do I even dare?
Look at me, there at last
I just have to do it
Should I?
No
Here I go