Tender Mercies

My Threesome!

Agua is all I have to say. I love it! It's been raining crazy! I worry about the houses falling over. It's crazy that we all pray for rain then when it comes hard we don't want it because it destroys everything. But I am grateful for the rain. Everday people ask us "Are you really going to go out and proselyte today?" Looking at us like we are crazy. And we say "YES" The work of the Lord can't stop. Rain or no rain we WORK. I've just got to find an umbrella.....and rain boots.

This last week I was just feeling it! We invited all of our investigators to be baptized and four of them said yes! WooHoo. There is only a minor issue. 3 of them aren't married, and the marriage process here is a headache! But we have at least one definite YES who isn't married. Her name is Maria Cleopatra (like the actress I think). We found her out side of our other investigators house (Rosa who is pregnant) selling raspadillas or better known as snow cones with a huge chuck of ice. As she chizzles the big ice cube we teach. She is so excited to do everything right. She came to church yesterday with Rosa but they left early because Rosa had a hospital appointment. Hermana Rosa doesn't know her due date but her baby should be here any day! We are crossing our fingers. 

Today we had a pday with President and Hermana Rowley. They brought a movie for our zone to watch "Meet The Mormons." Man it was awesome. I hope  you can all see it!

Matching Zone Shirts

Our President has given us the challenge to read the Book of Mormon before July 1---the day that they finish their mission ;( I am reading it very fast. I invite you all to start reading the Book of Mormon again if you aren't reading it right now.

This week we have two intercambios. My first intercambio as the leader. I will let you know how it all goes....

I am also so excited for General Conference it's like as good as seeing Harry Potter. The Women Session last week was so great. Dad I thought I saw you but then I remembered it was Elder Eyring. 

I love you all to death! I hope you are having Family Home Evening. If you aren't step it up!!!

Hermana Stringham 

this is our trio for five days 

Flooding..........

On Mar 23 Sarah Stringham wrote:

This last week unforgettable. And I am going to apologize now but I don't have my camera chord, and I am to scared to stick my memory card in the computer for fear of another virus...

First off we had multizona. It was all on testimonies. Pres Rowley said "You have all been given the authority to be missionaries but not everyone has power." Referring to the scripture about the 4 sons of Mosiah who were given authority and power. He said in order to have power when we teach we must start with ourselves. It all comes down to our own testimonies. VIVE SU TESTIMONIO. (Live your testimony) It is so important to have a testimony, not one from 10 years ago when your parents brought you to the sacred grove but a testimony that LIVES. 

We also had Stake Conference and a 70 came Elder Alacone? Something like that. It was beautiful and inspiring! We have a family of invesitgadores come with us as well! 

Funny Contacts this last week......just the daily

Hna Justiniano and I were in the Plaza once again contacting and reaching our daily goal of 22 people when 4 old guys called us over. My comp said "No it's late." And she was right but I also thought well would if this is the first time they have seen us missionaries and they are interested in what we have to say, and we pass them by? We decided to turn back and talk to them. Bad choice should have listened to my comp. They weren't interested in our message but in us. Not the first time that it has happened. We chatted for a few minutes then they wanted to know our names. We wouldn't tell them, so one old guy said well then I will give you a name and called me "Ave" or "Bird" haha alright I thought, lets go. So we said goodbye and they said they'd come to church but only if we would be there. Then we shook hands and they kissed my hand! Ooops I wasn't wanting a kiss on the hand but at that point I couldn't do anything. We just turned and ran for our apartment. 

I have some not so good news too. My comp got sick and had to go home. I have been in a trio for 5 days in Tacala, but I will go back to my area tomorrow with my new comp Hna Copa! I am really excited. She is from Bolivia, is 20 years old, and is just way cute. She and her comp (who I am with are hna leaders in the mission). So for the time being (only 2 more weeks) I will also be an hna leader. haha I was not ready for this or expecting it but the mission is all about changes. I know  I will grow a lot. I love this quote Cynthia sent me and I am going to share it (sorry Cynthia).

"the hardest times in life to go through are when you are transitioning from one version of yourself to another.Oh the stretching and growing and falling and climbing and changing of becoming a different, a better version of you! in the midst of it all it may feel like too much, that you just weren't meant for more, but I promise you , you are! We are meant to be so much more if we will allow ourselves to be subjected to the process of becoming and that new version of you, the joy you will feel on the other side will make it so worth it!"  

The mission is all about CHANGE. Good and bad changes. I am learning to just go with it and "LET IT ROLL." 

I love you all. Thanks for all the prayers and support. I love love love being a missionary! And you all should too!!!

Hermana Stringham 

Hey Ya'll!!! 

God is so good to us. Luca AND Jarmon passed their interviews!... Phew. And they were baptized on Saturday! We have received so many blessings. The minute they were being baptized it began to rain hard outside! I don't think it was just out of the blue, isn't amazing what God does. 2 Boys get baptized and BOOM the rain came out of nowhere! We have been praying for rain because it is so very dry here. 

ANALY!!! I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!!!

 As a missionary you learn to recognize the hand of God in our lives daily. I feel that this last week God put many people in our way. First, we traveled to Piura for a Multi-Zone conference practice and guess who just happened to drive by on her moto....ANALY!!! My best friend who I met in my first area. I know it wasn't a coincidence. Then later in the week we were walking and out of no where pops out a gringa. WHAT IN THE WORLD. Another Gringa here in Peru??? I thought my glasses were foggy. I chased her down. I had to contact a gringa. My first gringa contact I was stoked. Her name is Sonia, she is 22, and is from Illinois. She is here teaching in a school with other Americans and Europeans. I felt like we had known each other forever. Maybe it's just the fact that she speaks English. But we are going to call her up. I want to teach an American!!! 

We had ward conference...oh wait Branch conference yesterday. In preparating for the conference we had a "Toca de Puertas" where we went around and knocked on doors with the members to hand out invitations. In the end not to many showed up because it rained hard yesterday.

We have been practicing a musical number for the last 2 months in preparation for the conference and it has been kind of stressful. First off because we didn't have a director. So everyone tried to push in their ideas, then they all look at me because I am the pianist. And at the last moment (the day of 10 minutes before) an old man walked in and changed everything. But yeah it went well and the most important thing is we sounded well mas o menos good. The stake leaders came and fed us spiritually!! 

Making Tres Leches

I love you all and I love this work!! I can't believe how fast time goes! I hit my 13 month mark........ahhhhhhh time scares me.

xoxo

Hermana Stringham 

This mango is the size of my head!!

God Answers Our Prayers

We saw Mickey and Minnie in the Plaza - We had to get a picture!

Hola Amigos y Familia!!

Michelle Madsen!!! I got your package thank you thank you! It made my whole week.

Hope you are all doing well this week. This last week was kind of a mas o menos week. My comp got sick, so I tried my best to be her mom and give her animos. God heard our prayers and she got better. 

We have Noche Misionales each friday night. This last Friday we were in charge. We planned it like an hour before everyone arrived but it turned out well. No one including me had any ideas of what we should do for the activity! Ahh sometimes I feel as a missionary that my brain and creactive juices are all dried up. I remembered that Cynthia had sent me some ideas like 8 months ago of ward activities. So I pulled it out. Thanks for saving me Cynth once again. We went with the "Iron Rod" idea and blind folded everyone. It turned out well! 

Some other news....

My piano classes are going well. I had a new student come this last week with her mom. The 10 year old daughter isn't a member but her mom is a less active. Her mom hasn't attented church in 10 years, and they came to my piano class! Whoop!!! I know that this is just the first step but it's a step. The mission is all about baby steps. We have a bunch of babies (investigadores) they are all taking and learning to take their first steps. It's great! It's even better when they learn how to swim and they get dunked in the font. 

This week we have two baptisms planned! J. who is the son of our pencionsita. and L. who is C.s son. The one who makes pizzas. So please please pray that by Saturday they won't change their minds. I've got to fast for those boys

The daily moto rides

  

The worst news of the week...are you ready? 

This last week my Hermana Justiniano taught the young womens (woman....only one showed up) different cool braids. Someone was practicing on my hair and_________my worst nightmare came true. She pulled out a "piojo" better known in English as "lice." I freaked out and through it on the ground! We all freaked out and started itching our heads! No this can't be I thought! Remember that one time when the little girl named Teresa through her lice at me? I thought she was just trying to mess with me. Turns out she has a good aim. I don't want to say more. But don't worry people they will be out in 3 hours. 

FRASES OF THE WEEK.

A boy about 5 years old called yelled at me in the street "Como te llamas NINA?!"

A dog was chasing after me and his owner yelled out "Queire carne blanca!" (He wants white skin!)

I could go on an on. People yell at me all day. I just smile and wave. Smile and wave. 

Well that's all I've got for you all this week. I am doing great am love this work. I love my Savior. This last week he has answered my prayers and he is giving us blessing daily. 

Words of advice: Have FHE, Read your Scriptures daily and with your fam, Pray ALWAYS, and be somebody who makes everybody somebody.

Love you all,  Hermana Stringham

At Zone conference in the Stake Center

We Are Not Alone

Buenas Tardes a todos!

This last week started out bad but ended good! We had 6 investigadores at church yesterday!

Service.. It's something we try to find as missionaries but no one ever lets us serve! We have an investigador named C.  She always turns us down and tells us she is "busy." And I can see that she isn't lying. She has a lot of little kids. This last week we passed by to see what we could teach her. Once again she was "busy." This time I said "We are going to help you!" I could see that she was cleaning her house. Suprisingly she let us in to help. Clumsy me was trying to put the mirror back on the wall and it dropped! Ack! It wasn't my fault the wood was so weak! But at that point I took all the blame. Yeah her mirror broke and I left her house feeling really down. Thoughts of "Man Sarah! Why am I so clumsy. She will never let us in now!" Well I offered to buy her a new mirror but I can't find one.... hahaha. Lets all pray that she doesn't hate the sister missionaries now. 

 I know I haven't talked about R. in a while. Remember she had her wedding reception but then never got married because of complications with her marriage papers. So we decided to wait until her baby is born, because then it will be real easy to get married and then be baptized! Her baptism is still on we are just waiting for her baby to be born.....Any day now! We are holding a baby shower for her tomorrow! 

We have a new investigador named E who is awesome. She is 14 and loves to go to all the activities in the church. She has a baptismal date for March 28! Please pray that she will be prepared by this date! 

Today we spent our Pday waiting for agua. Not very fun. Water is so hard to get here. They have to bring it to you in big jugs! We ran out of drinking water about 2 days ago, but had to wait until today to ask for more. So we finally called the guy. He said he would be right there. So we waited and waited. He called us and said he was outside so we ran out and found no one. We waited for two hours this morning in the heat for him to bring us this water! We called him again and he said wait you guys are in Piura right and we said no we are not in Piura!!!!!! Long story short that is how our pday went today. Not the best, but we have something to laugh about. We also made pizzas with our recent convert C. She has a Pizzeria. I made dry brownies too! They weren't as good as they are at home, but it was something! 

I am doing great and am seeing miracles everyday. Really God is with us I know it. I feel his Angels lifted me up everyday. He roots me on everyday, he gives me the strength to keep walking, to talk to one more person, to be a missionary. I know this is the work of God and I am so happy to be a missionary!

I could cry for joy I Love you all sooo much!

Hermana Stringham