...y prospero ano nuevo!

                                                                                                       December 30, 2013

Hello everyone!!

It was so good to talk to you on Christmas, and a whole lot easier to explain things in person than try to write them in an email :) haha

I can`t remember all I told you on Christmas so I will just give you a little summary of what we did for Christmas.

So on the 24th we had the big party in the offices with all the missionaries. The elders played soccer and the hermanas talked and then we had a barbeque for lunch and then a special program followed by watching the movie Monsters University. That was a LOT of fun. Our mission is pretty small so I know the majority of the missionaries (especially the sisters) and I absolutely love being able to see everybody together and talk with all of them. Then, that night we received special permission to spend Christmas with the other Hermanas in the zone, and that was really fun. (They had the Christmas tree in their apartment that we all bought together when we lived together so we decided to go to their apartment :)) So in Peru, everybody celebrates Christmas the 24th at midnight. At midnight is when they have their huge special Christmas dinner and it is also when about a million fireworks go off. Seriously. Everybody and their dog does fireworks and the night sky literally lights up with fireworks.  And then after the dinner and fireworks everybody opens their presents and then goes to bed and sleeps all day on the 25th  

So we went up to the roof of the apartment building at midnight to watch the fireworks and it was so awesome! I have a video of it I will try to send. But...what we didn`t realize was that we closed the door of the roof behind us and accidentally locked ourselves up on the roof. oops. :P We were thinking that we just might spend the night on the roof, but we were able to yell down to a neighbor who lives across the street and we dropped the keys down to her and she rescued us. Funny coincidence, turns out that she has two sons that are on missions, but she isn`t a member. So the hermanas are now teaching her and she accepted baptism! Woo hoo! I`m thinking that that really wasn`t a coincidence :)

And so then on the 25th we went and did service in the morning and then talked with our families! We also had to go back to the apartment a couple times because my companion was sick and throwing up. That wasn`t so good. She blames the Paneton and Chocolatada. Oh yeah! That is another huge tradition here in Peru. Paneton is kind of like fruit cake but it actually tastes good. And everybody (not even lying, EVERYBODY) eats paneton and chocolatada(hot chocolate) the whole month of december, but especially for Christmas. It’s really good but I think I ate so much that I will be ok with not eating it again for a year. And you can`t even mention the word `paneton` to my companion without her gagging :P 

And then that night the whole zone got together for a special Christmas dinner and we ate Pollo a la Braza and french fries with mayonaise, and had a really good time together. Elder Peterson brought christmas music from home and gave us `special permission` to be really trunky for the night :) Hermana Nelson and I had a lot of fun singing along to all the songs we missed out on hearing this year.

So that about sums up my only Christmas in the mission! It was definitely one I will always remember, especially because we received three very special `Christmas gifts` this Sunday. We were able to baptize A. last night, and let’s just say that it was a miracle that everything went smoothly. A lot of his family who are inactive were there and I think it was a really good experience for them. And then, our other two christmas miracles. First, our `family` P. and Y. (who went to the temple with us and that we have been teaching for a long time) FINALLY came to church! yay!!!!! Not even kidding, I was fighting back tears of happiness all throughout sacrament meeting I was so excited to have them there. And then another family we are teaching who aren`t married (she is a less active member and he isn`t a member) told us yesterday that they have decided to get married! We put the goal with them for the end of this month and we are so excited for them. Next step is getting him to accept baptism. He has said he will get baptized, but only when he knows FOR SURE that it is true. We know he`ll get there and we are praying that he will be ready by the time his wedding rolls around.

It is very, very possible that I won`t be here to see their wedding, or be here to help P. and Y. progress and get married and baptized because cambios (transfers) are in two weeks. And....since I`ve been in Independencia my whole mission I will probably be leaving. But, we will see. They are putting two new sisters in another ward and everyone is joking that my transfer will just be to that new area in the stake (since I have served in two different wards in this stake) and that I will serve only in the mission Peru Lima Norte, Estaca Independencia. Haha, but we`ll see. It’s all in the Lords hands.

Well, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you have a wonderful New Year! Next week I will have to tell you about the crazy new year’s eve traditions they have here :) 

Love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hermana Shelton

Pictures: 

Doing `fireworks` (sparklers) in our apartment for Christmas Eve

My MTC district back together again for Christmas :)

Hey mom!!

We literally have no time today as we will be talking on Wednesday :) So just to verify the plans I will be calling around 12:30, on Wednesday. I checked my skype today and it looks like everything is working. But just in case have your email open as well so I can send you a message if there is a problem or something. 

Love you!!

See you soon!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hermana Shelton

I'll be home for Christmas...but only through Skype!

                                                                                                      Dec. 16, 2013

Hola!

So I don`t know all the details yet about calling home, but several members have offered their homes/computers for us to use to skype. I know it will be the 25th and that I will get to call you sometime this week to set up the details :) I can`t wait to see all your faces!!

This last week we had the awesome opportunity to go with our ward to the Lima Temple and bring our investigators with us. We were able to bring a family of six, and also a family that is menos activo(how do you say that in English?) and it was super great! P. and Y. are the family that we are teaching and we are hoping to get them married and baptized soon. They have both said they want to get baptized and married...but not yet. They want to wait :P We`re hoping that the visit to the temple helped them get excited about getting married, we`ll see when we visit them this week :)

Sorry this email is so short! I`m not sure what else to write, this week was pretty normal as they come. Also, we get to talk in person in a week and that will be even better than an email!

Love you all!!

Hermana Shelton

Still in Independencia

                                                                                                                                            Dec. 9, 2013

Hello Everyone!

Not much time this week, but I`ll write as fast as I can :)

So just like I thought would happen I am here in Independencia for at least one more cambio. I am most likely going to finish training Hna Espinoza here and then be transferred in the next cambio in January. We are living in our new apartment in our area and it is SO GREAT. I love living in our area and being so close to all of our investigators and the members. Our apartment is small, but cute. The walls are painted in happy colors. In our study room the walls are bright green, in the main room/where we sleep the walls are bright orange, and in the bathroom the walls are bright yellow. But that is normal for here in Lima. :) All of the houses are painted bright colors like that on the outside as well. For example, the outside of our house is teal. :) We live on the third floor of a house that is owned by a really sweet family. Their entire family (grandparents, kids, and grandkids) live in the house as well. Each family has their own little ''apartment'' and we have a little mini departmento on the third floor. We can walk up the stairs in front of our apartment to the roof which is awesome because we have a great view. You can almost see the ocean from there. :) On Christmas we are going to go up there to watch all the fireworks! The family is very religious (not LDS, Evangelical) but they like us a lot and we want to have a family night with them some time and invite them to come to church with us. We`ll see what happens :)

Health wise I am doing a lot better! The results from the tests said that my heart is healthy and normal. The tests did show (just like the ones that were done last year) that I have a heart arrhythmia and that sometimes my heart beats faster than normal, but they gave me some medicine to help next time I have an episode. Also I basically need to eat as healthy as possible, (absolutely no caffeine-which is every Peruvians favorite thing-I can`t drink Inca Kola anymore :( ) and I can`t have a lot of sugar or a lot of greasy fatty things. (which is pretty difficult tambien aqui en Peru :P) but hey. thats ok. My ward is super great. They have all been really supportive and have gone out of their way to cook lunches (we have lunch every day in the casa de un miembro) that are really healthy and they have been giving us homemade fruit juices instead of inca kola :)

I did get to watch the christmas devotional! it was awesome! And mom, brother Allen (the one who sent the picture) was here visiting our stake president who was his mission companion in Bolivia! cool, huh? I told them both that you served there as well, but you served about ten years before they did. :)

Oh. Weather wise. Summer is definitely starting. It is SO HOT. And I have been told that it is going to get worse. Bleh. Oh well. At least it’s finally sunny! Lima only sees the sun in the summer time so that is a plus.

Well, I have to go! our zone is going to go play volleyball and cook tacos for P-day, woo!  I`m excited.

I love you all and can`t wait to talk to you in a couple weeks! 

cuidese mucho!

Hermana Shelton

Happy December!

                                                                                                                                         Dec. 2, 2013

Hello Family!

I am doing great, but this last week has been an interesting one. In answer to your question, yes I am still having episodes with my heart. Last weekend (like a week ago), and the weekend before that I had several, pretty bad ones consistently and was forced to stay in the house. I wanted to be out working but the zone leaders said no. :P They came over and gave me a blessing that was actually a really cool experience. My whole body had been shaking and as they started to put their hands on my head the shaking intensified. But as they started to give the blessing I felt a calm throughout my whole body and by the end of the blessing the shaking had stopped. After that I was able to relax and sleep and I felt a lot better. The power of the priesthood is real :)

But I am feeling a lot better! I had to go to the clinic in central Lima three times this past week for some tests (yes mom, the office got the test results you sent, thank you :)) and I will find out the results on wednesday. I haven`t had an episode in about 5 days and so I am doing great :) 

In answer to the weight loss question, I walk. A LOT: :) Also, we only really have one real meal a day in the house of a member for lunch and then we just have snacks and stuff in the house for breakfast and dinner. The reason for that is because we were living in a different area and didn`t live close enough to a member to have a pensionista and so we were on auto pension. But if you`ll notice I said we WERE living in a different area. Guess what? I moved this weekend! again! This was another miracle we saw this last week. So for the past 12 weeks all of the Hermanas in Zona Independencia have been living together in the area of our zone leaders. We have been looking and looking for mini departamentos in our areas but we could never find ones that fit all the prerequisites of the mission. Well, out of the clear blue Hna Espinoza and I decided to walk up a different street last Tuesday and much to our surprise saw a sign for a mini departmento! So we went and looked at it and it was PERFECT. We called the zone leaders immediately and they were able to come right then and we signed the deal and had ourselves a new home. But, the problem was that now the other Hermanas needed to find a place to live, ASAP because they couldn`t stay in our old one because of the cost (it was too much for only one companionship to pay) and also, the end of the month was this week and we needed to pay rent. Well, the very next day they went out and, what do you know? They found an apartment! Everything fell perfectly in to place and I could definitely see the hand of the Lord in it. It has been an absolute blessing to live with the other Hermanas and I think that we were supposed to live together for these past 12 weeks, but it was time to have our own apartment in our own area, and everything happened in the Lords timing :) 

So on Saturday the whole zone came over and first we moved out the hermanas de violetas, and then we moved out Hna Espinoza and I. I won’t lie, there were a lot of tears shed. Like I said, it has been an absolute BLESSING to have lived with them and I am going to miss it a LOT. but, everything happens for a reason and I am just so grateful for the opportunity I had to have 3 ¨companions¨ instead of just one :) (Literally, we did EVERYTHING together.) It’s gonna be weird adjusting I think. Especially because Hna Mamani (who I have been with every single day since I entered the field four months ago) finishes her mission today. Yeah. I am crying right now just writing to you about it. I am going to miss her SO MUCH. She was my mommy and has been such a big help to me as I have been training and I really don`t know what I am going to do without her. It is even more difficult because well, she is from Peru and I don`t know if I will have the opportunity to see her again in this life. But that just makes me even more grateful for the knowledge that I can see her again once we are all back with our Heavenly Father. I`ve never been very good with goodbyes and I knew that I would struggle with that on my mission, but wow. This is hard. Ugh. I am like, bawling my eyes out right now in the internet cafe :P haha. But! one of her goals in life is to travel to the United States and visit Temple Square and I told her that she always has a home in Utah with us if she is ever able to come :) 

In answer to your other questions, I have received every single story except....for the very first one :) haha. So I will start reading them tonight and hopefully the first story will get here soon. :)

Well, today is cambios and I am pretty sure I will be staying in my area to finish training mi hija but who knows? I`ll let you know in a week :) 

Well, I have to go. I love you all, MUCHO and hope everyone is happy and healthy at home. Jess. I can`t believe you are driving. BE CAREFUL. :) And make sure you look both ways when you are at an intersection that is only a two way and not a four way stop. Remember that experience mom? Hahaha :)

Les Quiero, cuidese!

Hermana Shelton

A visit from an apostle

                                                                                                            November 25, 2013

Hello Family!

I hope all is well. I am great! In answer to your question, yes, my heart has been acting up again and I have had several episodes in the past two weeks. The mission doctor would like me to go to the cardiologist here just to check up and make sure that everything is ok. That is why they need the papers, just so they don`t have to do some of the same tests over again. Yes, I believe that those three papers are what they need. If you can, scan them and send them through email.  Hna. Erickson said that would work too. . But yes. Don`t worry, I`m fine :)

In other, much more exciting news, You`ll never guess who came to visit our mission this last weekend?! Elder Russell M. Nelson! He was here in Peru and they were supposed to be leaving for Venezuela on Saturday morning. But...their trip was delayed because of some things going on in their country, entonces, Elder Nelson asked, where should we go? to Elder Uceda, The area 70 president here and he said, To the Peru Lima Norte mission! And so, him, his wife, Elder Rasband, and Elder Uceda and his wife, all came for a special mission conference for our mission. It was probably the best experience in my whole entire life. I am not even joking. The spirit was so incredibly strong I can`t even put into words what I felt. We all got the opportunity to shake all of their hands, and then after I went through the line Hna Erickson asked me to go up and start playing the piano as kind of a background music while all the missionaries went through the line. So I was just sitting up there playing the piano when all of a sudden I looked up and Elder Nelson was standing RIGHT next to me listening to me play. He stuck his hand out and looked right at me and said, "Thank you for your beautiful piano playing Sister" and then he shook my hand again and sat down. I am pretty sure that was the best moment of my whole life. :)

All of the messages and things we learned were so inspired. I have so many pages of notes and I wish I could tell you everything that I learned, but I don`t have a lot of time. But one thing I absolutely loved was when the scripture in D and C 88:73 was shared. It says,  "Behold, I will ^ahasten my work in its time."

Elder Nelson told us that this is the scripture for our generation of missionaries. That we are the generation that was prophesied about. this is OUR time. And the greatest thing about that? Is that it isn`t just talking about the full time missionaries! With the new "Work of Salvation" we are now working fully together members and missionaries to bring about the work of Salvation. I couldn`t help but feel a sense of urgency as he was talking. We really are living in the last times. Another thing that really stuck out to me was when he said, "Write these numbers down and then save this page for your Grandchildren." He then proceeded to tell us the numbers of the church in Peru. For example, 100 stakes, 12 missions, 1 temple, and 2 announced. He then said, "I want to tell you all that this is only the beginning" We haven`t seen nothin` yet. :) And that one day we will be able to show this page to our grandchildren and they won’t believe that there were only "100" stakes in Peru. 

Ahhhhhhhhh! Doesn`t that get anybody else excited?! And that is not only here in Peru, but everywhere around the world. I am just feeling so grateful and excited to be a part of this. But remember family, even if you aren`t a full time missionary you are part of it as well! Now is the time to work together. 

I don`t have time to tell you anymore but I will try and tell you more next week. I want to leave with you a quote from Elder Holland,

"In fact, I have a theory about those earlier dispensations I have thought often about them and the destructive circumstances that confronted them. They faced terribly difficult times and, for the most part, did not succeed in their dispensations. In short, apostasy and destruction of one kind or another was the ultimate fate of every general dispensation we have ever had down through time. But here’s my theory. My theory is that those great men and women, the leaders in those ages past, were able to keep going, to keep testifying, to keep trying to do their best, not because they knew that they would succeed but because they knew that you would. I believe they took courage and hope not so much from their own circumstances as from yours. One way or another, I think virtually all of the prophets and early apostles had their visionary moments of our time—a view that gave them courage in their own less-successful eras. Those early brethren knew an amazing amount about us. Prophets such as Moses, Nephi, and the brother of Jared saw the latter days in tremendously detailed vision. Some of what they saw wasn’t pleasing, but surely all those earlier generations took heart from knowing that there would finally be one dispensation that would not fail. Ours, not theirs, was the day that gave them “heavenly and joyful anticipations” and caused them to sing and prophesy of victory. Ours is the day, collectively speaking, toward which the prophets have been looking from the beginning of time, and those earlier brethren are over there still cheering us on! In a very real way, their chance to consider themselves fully successful depends on our faithfulness and our victory. I love the idea of going into the battle of the last days representing Alma and Abinadi and what they pled for and representing Peter and Paul and the sacrifices they made. If you can’t get excited about that kind of assignment in the drama of history, you can’t get excited!" Elder Holland, Terror, Triumph and a Wedding Feast.

One last thing. Elder Nelson left us with an apostolic blessing. In it was included a blessing of health. I know that everything with my heart will be OK. I`m not worried :)

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week.

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Shelton

Pictures:

Peru has been good to me. If the scales are correct I`ve lost about 15 pounds :)

My first companionship reunited for the very last time at the mission conference with Elder Nelson. Hna Mamani finishes her mission next week. I`m gonna miss her way too much.

From one Sister Missionary to another...

                                                                                                         Nov. 18, 2013

  Buenas dias mi hermosa familia! Como estan todos? Espero que todos son felices y animados. No puedo creer que Kylee va a salir esta semana! Que rapido es el tiempo....

We had a good week! I forgot to tell you in the email last week, but we have been teaching a man named R. and he was baptized this last weekend! The reason I didn´t tell you about the baptism was because I wasn´t sure if he´d actually end up getting baptized, but all is well and he is now a member of the church :) He works in a polleria (a restaurant where all they sell is pollo a la braza or, like...roasted chicken? I´m not sure exactly what it’s called in english. But it is always served with the chicken, french fries(nice big thick ones) and a salad. And mayonaise. I didn´t like mayonaise before the mission but that is seriously all they put on all there food here and I have to admit, It’s really good. I put mayonaise on EVERYTHING now. but don´t worry. It’s not the nasty mayonaise we have in the states. It’s MUCH better. Also, Pollo a la Braza is probably my favorite Peruvian dish. Well....one of them.) Anyways, I got a little off track there, lo siento.

But yeah. So we have been teaching him in his polleria and he almost immediately accepted baptism and we have been teaching him for about a month and a half now. It took us a while to get him to come to church, but now he comes on his own right at 8 in the morning and he just wants to be a better person for his family. This baptism was really special for me because it was the first person we´ve baptized that I have been with them for the entire process. I was actually the one that contacted him outside his restaurant so it has been really cool to be there for all parts of his conversion. We brought him the gospel and he brings us pollo a la braza. It’s a good trade :) hahaha just kidding!

Also, this week (yesterday) we had a meeting with all of the youth in our ward that have their mission calls (one of them leaves this week too!) There are 8 in our ward waiting to leave right now and so the bishopric invited us to come to a special meeting with them and talk about ¨mission life¨ and answer questions. It was great fun. My companion is great. She was way too happy to, as she puts it, wipe their smiles off their faces and make them realize that a mission isn´t all rainbows and butterflies. This girl cracks me up. I can´t wait for you guys to talk to her on Christmas.

But anyways. Since Kylee is leaving this week, I thought I´d dedicate the rest of this email to her with a little list of advice of things I have learned in my short 5 months on the mission.

Here it is:

1. Elders gossip worse than Hermanas. Be careful what you tell them! I am not joking. An experience Hna. Shriver and I had together is now an inside joke in a zone up north. ¨Corre, gringas, corre!¨ Don´t ask....

That being said, they are actually really great when it comes to training and helping you with your investigators. My zone and district leaders have helped me a lot. Trust your leaders and don´t be afraid to ask for help. That is what they are there for. Also, they have the priesthood. If you feel like you need a blessing, for health or comfort, don´t be afraid to call them. Priesthood blessings help A LOT.

2. Waking up in the morning is difficult. I know you have always been better about that then me, but really. You are going to be EXHAUSTED some days but remember, exact obedience brings a whole lot more blessings than sleeping in does! So when that alarm clock goes off (I have two...one next to my bed and the cell phone that I leave in the other room so I have to get out of bed to get it) get right out of bed and get down on your knees. I promise that if do that, no matter how soft and comfy your tigger pillow looks, you´ll be able to resist the temptation to go fall back asleep :)

3. Speaking of tigger pillows, bring a comfort item from home. Seriously, your favorite blanket or pillow will be perfect for those days when you just need a reminder from home.

4. There may come a time in your mission where you will realize that there is just not enough time in the morning to get everything done that you want to. So you may think that it’s a good idea to have your companion help you wax your legs so you don´t have to worry about shaving in the morning. DON´T DO IT! It’s not worth it. Bring tights.

5. Your companion will be your best friend. I don´t really have any advice on how to work with a difficult companion, because the truth is, I haven´t had one. Love them, serve them, and remember that they will be having just as many struggles and difficulties as you. Talk to them openly about everything. It makes everything so much easier when you have unity in your companionship.

6. Bring music! I wish I´d brought even more. Luckily all the girls in my apartment brought music tambien so we have a lot to listen too. Music helps so much. I am a big believer in the ¨Ipod shuffle theory¨ is what I´ll call it. Without fail, if I am having a hard time or waiting for an answer from Heavenly Father, I will turn on music and the perfect song will come on right when I need to hear it. It’s pretty awesome. Also, bring sheet music for the piano. I wish I´d brought more.

7. Read the mission manual EVERY DAY. As Elder Uceda said, It is the 5th libro canonico (how you do say that in English?) Basically, it is just as important to read as your scriptures. Memorize it and live it. Remember that obedience brings blessings, but exact obedience brings miracles! 

8. You are going to have days of happiness, joy, peace, and excitement, but you are also going to have days of disappointment, sadness, stress, and anxiety. And you are going to have days where you will wish that you weren´t on the mission and you are going to want to go home. DON´T LET THEM GET TO YOU. You are strong. You are brave. You can do hard things. Remember that those feelings come from Satan and not from Heavenly Father. Make a list of all the reasons you decided to serve a mission and read it on those hard days. And also remember how many people love you and are praying for you. And read Romans chapter 8. It’s one of my favorite chapters in the New Testament. Especially verse 31, ¨What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?¨

9. SMILE! Remember who you represent and who´s name you are wearing. Our stake president here calls us, ¨Hermanas Felices¨ and always asks us what our ¨secret to happiness¨ is. We just smile and say, ¨The Gospel is a Gospel of Happiness!¨ It’s true. One thing my mission president said to us that I really like is, ¨Not everybody is searching for a true church, but everybody is searching for happiness.¨

10. The days seem like weeks, and the weeks seem like days. Enjoy every second! I really can´t believe how fast the time flies.

11.  Bring lots of pictures of your family and carry them around with you in your scriptures. Everybody LOVES to see those. Especially here. Everyone thinks that you and I are twins, and they can´t believe that we all have blue eyes. Just so you know family, half of Independencia Peru has seen your picture :) haha

12. REMEMBER I LOVE YOU! And I am praying for you. You are going to be a great missionary :) Just jump right in and work as hard as you can. Do your best and the Lord will do the rest.

I´m sure I am forgetting a ton of things I wanted to tell you, but here is a start. Good luck with this week!!

I will be thinking about you all on Wednesday around 2:00 and wishing I could be there with you.

LES QUIERO MUCHO!!!

Hasta la proxima semana.

Hermana Shelton

Teaching the future missionaries

Hola Familia!

                                                                                                                            Nov. 11, 2013

 

Hola Familia!

 

How is everybody this week? Thanks for all the Halloween pictures! I love them! In answer to your question about the weather...It is supposed to be warming up and we have had a couple days where the sun is shining and it gets pretty hot, but right now it’s cold and cloudy again. Everybody keeps talking about how strange the weather is right now. Usually at this point it’s a lot warmer. I can`t wait for it to warm up! Although everybody keeps telling us that as soon as it warms up we`ll wish it was cold again. Apparently the heat and the humidity are horrible in January and February. 

That’s awesome that you made that connection with Lisa Capt because Hermana Nelson and I made that connection too! I know her daughter Carlee Capt from my seminary class at PG and also Mrs. Herrick from when we went to Disneyland for Nationals. Hermana Nelson and I have already decided that we are going to be best friends when we get home from our missions so you should definitely call her mom and get to know each other in advance :) 

I hadn`t heard about the Typhoon in the Philippines...that is so sad!! You will have to keep me updated. It’s crazy, but one of the things I miss a lot is knowing what’s going on around the world and being able to read the news every day. 

I am trying to think of what happened this week. Not a whole lot, really. The best part of the week was a new investigator we found. Last Sunday we were walking around our area and starting walking down the street. When I suddenly stopped and just looked at Hermana Espinoza and said, ^I think we should go the other way...^ So we did and as we were walking we passed by a man sitting outside of his house. He was sitting outside of this tent type thing (they put them up for parties and funerals and things like that here) and as we walked by I just knew that we needed to talk to him. So I walked up to him and introduced us and started talking to him. Well, we found out that they were getting ready for the memorial service for his wife who had passed away from cancer one month before. We were able to testify about the plan of salvation and eternal families and he invited us back to come talk to him. We went back on Tuesday and not only was C. (the man we contacted) waiting outside for us, but his youngest daughter (who just turned 8 years old) and his granddaughters who are 8 and 10, and several others in his family were all waiting for us. We have been able to have 2 lessons with them and during the last lesson he looked at us and said, “Just, tell me what I need to do to be with my wife again.” Hermana Espinoza and I just looked at each other and smiled, and said, “that is exactly why we are here.” We invited him to be baptized and he told us that he is going to pray about it and talk to his family and let us know this week. Also, those three little girls, (A. his daughter, and his two granddaughters) are like, my new best friends. We started walking down their street towards there house on Saturday for our second lesson and they were all outside waiting for us and as soon as they saw us I heard, “HERMANA SHELTON!!!” and they almost knocked me down with their hugs. I guess you could say that I love this family a whole lot :) 

Ok, I have to go.

Les Quiero Mucho!!!

Hermana Shelton

 

Pass the Guinea Pig, please!

Well Family,

I had a monumental week this past week. Want to know why? I finally tried Cuy (Guinea Pig) for the first time! I don`t know why we kept our guinea pigs around for so long...they`re delicious! We should have eaten them a long time ago! Hahahaha, just kidding! ;)

There is a lady in our ward who breeds guinea pigs and so she had us over for lunch on Saturday and she killed and cooked several special just for us. Aren`twe lucky? :) They really are pretty good. It tasted basically like chicken, but there just isn`t as much meat on a guinea pig. 

The temple was wonderful! We had a good time together. I took a bunch of pictures and I am going to keep this letter short so I can send them.

We ¨sacrificed¨ our P day last week to go to the temple and worked all day Monday. It really wasn´t a sacrifice though because we were able to find a family we´d been looking for that day and we had an awesome lesson with them! We also had several other little miracles occur that day that we know are blessings from going to the temple :)

I would love to see pictures from Halloween! Please send them, I can open up attachments no problem :)

Also, Ky your mission pictures are beautiful! What day is it that you leave again?

I did read the letter from my mission president. I was really bummed too. They did say though that if you send it in a padded envelope it will go through like a letter. If you still wanted to send a couple small things in a big padded envelope you could try that? I am excited to get all the stories though in letters! I would love to be able to read a Christmas story each night :)

I hope I get to see Jeff! That would be so cool! 

Ok. The two photos attached are from the temple. The first one is just me and the second is with ¨Mi Hermanas¨ :) The Hermanas of Independencia. Hna Espinoza is on the left then me, Hna Mamani, and Hna Nelson. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Love you all mucho!

Hermana Shelton

recent baptism

Hermana Shelton and Hermana Shriver on their last night together.  H. Shriver went to Lone Peak High School, a PG rival. The only "problem" they had together.  hahaha JK

Rachel at the Lima Temple- Oct. 30, 2013

The Hermanas of Independencia-  Hna. Espinoza, Hna. Shelton,  Hna. Mamani, and Hna. Nelson   

Hermana Shelton at the Lima Peru Temple

Happy Halloween Hna. Shelton and Hna Espinoza switched name tags.

Rachel eating guinea pig.  She said it tasted great!

Welcome to Independencia!  The view from the front door of one of their investigators who lives in the tops of the cerros (hills)  They do lots of walking.

I love to see the Temple, I'm going there Wednesday!

                                                                                                                            October 28, 2013

Hola Familia!

Well, this week has definitely been a new experience. Being a Momma is hard work! 

First, my nueva compañera. Her name is Hermana Espinoza and she is from Honduras! She is 19 years old and she is the very first Sister Missionary to serve from her branch. (second missionary to serve, ever) She doesn`t speak any English except for the one phrase she learned during estudio de idioma which is, `good morning bishop, how are you?` hahaha. Her accent cracks me up. We`ve been practicing :) She is absolutely wonderful. I feel very blessed to have her as my `hija`. She has a strong desire to work hard and during our very first lesson together (We left the mission offices together around 2 in the afternoon last Tuesday and our first lesson was at 3) I started the lesson and then looked at her to see if she if she would take a turn teaching, and she did! I was so happy I almost cried. :) She has no fear of talking to people and she is already teaching half of the lessons and initiating contacts. Like I said, I am very blessed to have her! She is also always keeping me laughing. At first she appears really serious and reserved and then out of no where she will yell out a joke or a funny comment and I will bust out laughing and just look at her like, `Where in the world did that come from?!` Also. guess what? We have the exact same pair of shoes. The black ones with the bow on the side? Yeah. she has the exact same pair. I`m thinking that we were meant to be companions :)

Being a trainer is hard work! And a whole lot of responsibility. It has been a bit of a rough week investigator wise (We had to drop several investigators because they weren’t progressing, and then our investigator who was supposed to be getting baptized this weekend didn`t show up to church and we found out that his friends are discouraging him from getting baptized) and so we are in the process of finding new investigators. Each companionship has a different dynamic and the way that Hermana Shriver and I worked together is different than the way Hermana Espinoza and I work together. So we are figuring things out and looking for new people to teach. 

Good news is, I get to go to the temple this Wednesday! This is Hermana Mamani`s last transfer before she goes home and she wants to go to the temple one last time so the Hermanas in Zona Independencia (Hna Espinoza, Hna Nelson, Hna Mamani, y yo) got permission to go. Yay!! I am super excited :) I have missed being able to go to the temple. So my p day will actually be Wednesday. After we finish up here at internet we will be going out to work as a normal day. 

I can`t believe Kylee leaves for her mission is 3 weeks!! That is so exciting. I have been telling the members in my ward about my sister who will be leaving on a mission soon as well and they always ask about you and how you`re doing :) The spirit of missionary work is really strong right now in Barrio Independencia. We had 8 jovenes recieve their mission calls in the past 3 or 4 weeks and once they all leave there will be 19 missionaries serving from our ward! That is a pretty big number for a ward here in Peru and it’s all that everyone talks about :) 

In answer to your question, they do celebrate Halloween here but not to the extent we do in the States. I have seen a couple of Halloween decorations up and on the 31 some people will dress up and go out trick or treating at businesses but it’s definitely not as big here. The big celebration thats been going on this week (well, this whole month) is El Señor de los Milagros, which is a big catholic holiday. I am not gonna lie, it’s a little bit scary.... Look it up on google. There have been big processions throughout the city all week. 

Ok, I have to go. I love you all! Tenga un buena semana!

Hermana Shelton

 

"I'm gonna be a momma!"

                                                                                                                          October 21, 2013

 

Buenos dias Familia!

Como estan todos? Bien? Espero que si. Yo estoy muy bien tambien! Estoy muy feliz a estar aqui en Peru sirviendo una mision. Me encanta ser una misionera :)

So. I have officially passed the four month mark, and I also finished my 12 week training this past week. Which means.....President thinks I am ready to train. We have transfers today and last week in our interviews President told both Hermana Shriver and I that he was very happy with the work we accomplished together, especially cause we are both so new and don´t speak the language perfectly, and that now he needs us to train. So.tomorrow Hna Shriver is leaving to a new area to train a new latina and I will be staying in Independencia to train a new latina as well!

AHHHH!!!!

I am only freaking out a little bit. Ok maybe a lot. I feel very inadequate and the more I think about it the more I realize how much I don´t know, but if Heavenly Father and Presidente think I can do it, then I guess I can do it! But extra prayers this week would be very appreciated :) I don´t know much about my new companion, just that she is in the MTC right now and that she is from Guatemala. And I will meet her in the morning. I´m not gonna lie....I am really, really, sad that Hna. Shriver is leaving. We have had sooo many good times together. We just worked and got along really well, and that helped us so much. When you have unity in your companionship it reflects so much in the work you are able to do. We definitely, definitely had our challenges, and I think these past six weeks have been some of the hardest in my life, but also some of the happiest as well. I literally can´t believe how fast the time went! Ah! Time on the mission is SO weird. 

I was talking with Presidente during my interview last week and he was talking about this new generation of Sister Missionaries. I was telling him about how I was feeling inadequate and unprepared and nervous for training and he told me that with the age change for sister missionaries this is how it is for many sisters all over the world. We are part of the first wave of new sisters and with that it means the responsibility to train will fall on our shoulders for probably the entirety of our missions. But Heavenly Father didn´t send us here to fail, and his help will make up the difference for what I lack. We also had a mission conference this week with Elder Uceda, the area president here in South America, and he told us that the age change for the sister missionaries is not just a change in age, it is a fulfillment of prophecy of the Lord hastening his work here on the Earth. I still get chills when I think about that. I wish I could have recorded everything he said to us to send to ya´ll because the whole conference was INCREDIBLE. The spirit was so strong, I didn´t want to leave after it ended. 

Something else that Elder Christofferson said when he was here back in June is that, ¨The Lord isn´t waiting for more wickedness in the world before he comes, he is waiting for a more righteous people to come to. (Something along those lines, I´ll have to send you the exact quote in spanish if I remember to bring my journal next week) That is the reason why the Lord is hastening his work. It is time for everybody, everywhere to hear the message of the Gospel. The world doesn´t need to get worse, we just need to get better. Crazy, huh? Ah! Does that make any one else excited and scared all at the same time?! I just can´t believe that I am here, and am part of all of this. I feel so blessed and humbled to be a missionary right now.

 

Oh. Also, for the mission conference our zone got to sing again and I played the piano. The Elders sang ¨Brillan Rayos del Clemencia¨ (Brightly Beams our Fathers Mercy) and it was awesome :) I love that song. 

I forgot to tell you last week, but Hermana Schroader was emergency transfered two weeks ago. So we are down to four Hermanas in our zone. And that is how it is going to be for the next transfer as well. I am very, very grateful that we are still living in the same house as the other Hermanas because that means that my mommy (Hermana Mamani) will still be here to help me out :) This is also going to be her last transfer of her mission! She finishes in December. So, so, crazy. 

I hope everyone is doing well at home! I love and miss you all. Guess what? Only two more months until Christmas and we will get to talk on Skype! I can´t wait!

 

Tenga un muy bien semana y recuerda que hay un Hermana Misionera en Lima Peru que les ama mucho! Besitos y abrazos para todos!

 

Hermana Shelton