A great defense

Having a great offense is having a great defense. It started last night as just a tickle in my throat. I woke up at 4 am with a dry and closed off throat. Nothing kicks up the anxiety as well as my respiratory system not working well.  Breathing is kinda a biggie for me. I know what you all are thinking.  You woke up at 4 am....your not even usually asleep by then. I must have nodded off earlier than usual last night. Anyway, I rifled thru the medicine cabinet and came up with some halls defense drops. They seem to have helped...if I suck on them constantly.
You know what's nor fair when your sick....when your husband decides he's sick too and takes the day off work.  What a luxury.....I still have a house full of kids. SIGH....
Here's to feeling better real soon....

Hello Piura

Big changes this week.  I will let Aushlynn tell you. Here is her letter:

 

Mommy Daddy!!!!

Well this week was full of surprises.... I have been stressing all week long about moving areas... and maybe moving trainers. The week went on as normal but the zone leaders called us and said for sure the area was going to be closed and that we had to move all of our things to Corrales. So on Saturday we moved all of our things to Corrales. Gahh it was such a hassle moving everything.

The sisters that will be in Corrales will be in the apartment that the elders used to have and the elders have a new apartment. Let’s just say that the room is a hole in the ground.... there isn’t even a door to the bathroom just a see through curtain lol. We had to spend Saturday night and Sunday night there... man was it awful because the first night there was a fiesta till 3 am and at 4 am the roosters started to crow and didn’t shut up oh my gosh the humanity. I didn’t sleep a wink.

The next day we found out what the transfers were.... DRUM ROLL!!!!!! IM IN PIURA WITH HERMANA MARTINEZ!!!! Oh my gosh!!! I’m in the area where the Presidente lives and we are in his ward now!!! I am seriously so relieved. I don’t think I could have done Corrales. I’m so glad I’m still with Hermana Martinez as well. Piura is very different from La Cruz because there are tons of people but I think I’ll like it. The area that I am in is a new area that they opened up for the sisters.

Sunday was very emotional and I didn’t like it at all. The only good thing was we had 7 investigators attend church!!! It was amazing! Seriously leaving everyone was so hard... I am such a baby. I got everyone’s information though so... I think I’ll be okay. Sunday night I didn’t sleep because we had to organize everything for the new sisters that will be staying in Corrales and we had to be at the bus station at 6 a.m. with all of our things so we had to get up at like 4:30 a.m.. We took a van into Piura because it is faster and let me tell you... it’s like driving to St. George from our house and every 10 seconds flying over that bump we always try to jump by Merit Medical hahahaha so horrible!! (The Merit Medical jump is if you cross redwood road at 9800 south and you go fast enough when the light is green, you can actually feel like your car is jumping and you fly out of your seat.  We found this thrill ride quite by accident shortly after we moved to South Jordan. Whenever we drive by this area, you will find use trying to time the light just right so we can catch air...haha.  You know that you are gonna try it!  You must be driving westbound. haha).

We got to our area and the Assistantes showed us where our apartment was and showed us where our pensionista lives. Now our pensionista lives like an hour away its whatever...... haha no seriously forever away. We have to cross like 3 zones to get there. Our district is the Assitantes and the office. Yeah rolling with the big dogs! My spanish better shape up lol.

Get this for lunch I had.... BURGER KING!!! CHICKEN FRIES!!! MOM CHICKEN FRIES!!!! I cried for reals.... There is actual stores here and restaurants. I saw more missionaries today than I have my whole mission lol. I haven’t caught up with Carson yet but I am hoping to soon cause his area is close by. Our apt is small and really hot, but it will do! The water isn’t that cold either. I haven’t received my package but our area is the office so I can just go grab it after I email and whenever something comes to me I’ll know and get it that day haha #blessed!

Well that was pretty much my crazy week. I am running on like zero sleep so hopefully I can catch some tonight! Love you all and hope all is well back home! Chau!

Hermana brown

I am both sad and happy for Hermana Brown.  Sad that she had to leave a area that she has grow to love.  Happy that she gets to stay in a companionship with Hermana Martinez.  Happy that she got to eat Chicken Fries....she loves those things.  Sad that she had to say good-bye to so many good people.  Happy that she will get to meet many new good people. I am most of all happy that she gets to share the gospel



Hermana Brown and Hermana Martinez on the last day in La Cruz.

Hermana Brown and Hermana Martinez with some members in La Cruz.

Elder Culacas selfie. He served with Aushlynn in La Cruz.  He helped her with the Spanish and she helped him with English.

Hermana Brown and her companion with the some of the primary kids.

Aushlynn ate lunch everyday with Melani, her Pensionista daughter.

Aushlynn and her baby Wilford. She was so sad to leave him.

Hermana Martinez, Hermana Brown, Elder Culaca and Elder Weight. Elder Weight is from Centerville Utah and talked Jazz basketball with her. Its the small things....comforts of home.  I hate to tell them both, but the Jazz are very very disappointing this year...they just break your heart every year!

Aushlynn hanging around her Pensionista's house.

Hermana Martinez, Hermana Brown and some investigators.

Aushlynn and the Primary of La Cruz.......she is a Babe magnet.  She is going to miss those kids.

Hermana Brown with a friend.  She loves kids, it does not surprise me to see her with so many kids in her pictures.

I an not sure who we are looking at.  Special people of La Cruz, that I am sure of.

Aushlynn's first zone.

Adios LA Cruz

It was super good to hear from Aushlynn yesterday.  She is doing well, she had a very busy week.  We were excited to get lots of pictures this week to share with you. She was excited that when the Mission President came for interviews he brought a new phone. She tells us it makes missionary work so much easier being able to confirm appointments. Anyways, here is her letter.

Mommy y Daddy! 

Well like I said last week I had a crazy next week and I wasn’t lying lol. We first had intercambios(splits) with the other sisters that are in Tumbes. Sister McRae and I were in La Cruz and Hermana Pacheco and Hermana Martinez were in Tumbes. We all met up on Wednesday and they left to Tumbes and we went to work in La Cruz and then Hermana McRae stayed the night and we met back up in Tumbes the next day with the others. I learned a lot with Hermana McRae and I also learned that I know my area better than I thought.

Hermana McRae mentioned that Presidente was going to be making big changes in the north part of Peru like closing areas and making new ones. That scared me a little because I love La Cruz and I love my companion and I don’t want to change anything. I feel like I am just getting the hang of things here and all the people already have such a special place in my heart.

Anyways we also had interviews with Presidente in Tumbes this week. It was really good to see him and his wife! I feel like I can really talk to Presidente and express my feelings which I was relieved. He also brought us a new phone YEAH! On Thursday we left for Piura and we stayed the night at the mission home! The bus ride was really long but I didn’t get sick thank goodness! Everyone said that there wasn’t hot water in the mission home which I was super bummed about but they said there was air conditioning so at least there is that! Well when I got there to shower...... HOT WATER!!!! I literally stood in there for 30 minutes! (Presidente if you are reading this sorry for wasting water) I have never felt so clean!! Then we got to sleep with air conditioning! Best sleep I had gotten so far here on my mission and I didn’t have to worry about bugs!! Wow I was so pampered.

I got to see Hermana Pay and the others that I had came in with and it was good to see new faces! We had lasagna as well.... that was new! It was really good. After that we went back to La Cruz but we took a van because it saves us 2 hours! The ride was really bumpy because they took dirt roads because they didn’t want to pay toll roads lol.

We got a call that next day and they said that they are closing La Cruz area for the sisters and that me and Hermana will be moving to Corrales! Just so you guys know it’s the place where its known to get DENGUE! So pretty much I have cried every night since because I just love everything about La Cruz. The people... the ward... the food.... my Pensionista... ;(all my investigators that are progressing..... It’s been really hard and also Hermana Martinez and I don’t know if we will be staying together... It’s been a tough couple days but we are making the best of our last week!

We went to Punta Sal today with the Bishop and our Elders! It was so fun. We played soccer on the beach and ate some really good food. Here in Peru you just wait on the side of the road until a car comes a long and you just tell them where your going and get in. We had five people with us so it was kind of crammed. The driver turned around and said oh we have a gringo in the car then he turned his music up and played the English song Hot Stuff. I could not stop laughing.

I also have learned that the Piura mission is really two different missions! When I am in Piura there are malls and actual grocery stores and fast food places. In the north where I am at, there is nothing but side shacks to buy everything. I am glad that I am here in the north because I feel like I am getting the true Peruvian experience.

Well we have a full next week with the members of our ward doing visits and cleaning the chapel. Anyways I will keep you updated on what happens next week or so! 

Love

Hermana brown

I love this girls selfies.  Hermana Brown looking tan! This reminds me of how much I miss Summer!

Aushlynn's New Year's eve kiss.  In Peru it is tradition to make these and burn for the new year.

Aushlynn has had the most terrible habit of biting her fingernails, she has done this since she was little.  I challenged her before she left to try and overcome the addiction.  She is so proud of her nails.  They have a long way to go, but they are no longer bitten down to the quick.  I rewarded her with sending her some nail polish to paint those bad boys! haha

Last week all the missionaries piled into the back of this truck to go to there pday activity.  Looks super safe if I do say so myself.  She said that they were falling all over each other.  Haha, oh my what would happen if you were pulled over in the United States in this ride.

Hermana Martinez and Hermana Brown....is that a Seahawks shirt that her companion is wearing??? Oh NO!

Hermana Brown over looking the river.  Funny story....see the shorts that she is wearing.  Well, Avery borrowed them from the lost and found his senior year when he forgot his wrestling shorts.  Avery wore them until he left for his mission and then Aushlynn started wearing them.  I guess that she liked them so much she took them on her mission.  They have Mitch Barnes name in them........so THANKS! Mitch Barnes....hope you don't miss your shorts to much....they are getting good use! haha

Hermana Brown and Hermana Martinez in Piura

Hermana Brown and Hermana Rasmussen after her interview with the Presidente.

One more selfie of Aushlynn....not sure how long her blonde hair is going to hold out....her roots are showing!

Beach....once again I miss summer.......and I miss Hawaii too!!!!!!...........Sigh...

Aushlynn says that this is the biggest glass bottle of coke that she has ever seen.  It cost her 2.50 soles.....so about 75 cents US money.  Kendall is so jealous!

Pday with the Elders and her Companion.  Not sure the names of the Elders.

Fill her up...... Peruvian style

We were able to hear from this cute girl again today. It's always a good day when that happens. No pictures again today, so I though I would grace you with a picture of her in her Broncos gear in honor of her favorite team having the top seed in the playoffs. GO BRONCOS!!!

Mi Papito y Mamita!

Yo estoy embarazada con comida bebe porque todos miembros en mi barrio me dan mucha comida!!! In translation.... I’m am pregnant with a food baby because all the members in my ward give me a lot of food!! Haha but for real this past Sunday we ate at a members house and they served us rice and shrimp and it was a lot but I finished it... then they brought out peaches... (not a big fan but ate them anyways ). By now I am so so so full. Oh but wait... a heaping 3 scoops of ice cream. Here in Peru if they give you ice cream that means they love you..... yikes!!! I seriously walked out of there walking like a 9 month pregnant lady.

This past week was full of ups and downs! So none of our investigators are getting baptized now. One of them is just done hearing the missionaries and didn’t want to meet with us anymore. The other one just told us she is leaving for Piura for a month! So frustrating. This week we have been teaching a family of two young parents and they have one baby. They are really interested in the church and ask a lot of questions. She was able to attend to church with us and her baby but the husband had to work. She said she had a very good experience so yay!

We had a lot of lessons this week but not very many with members because yep...... we still don’t have a phone!!! Gah its killing us! We walk so much more now because we have no way to confirm appointments so half the time we walk all the way there and they aren’t even home. It’s hard but we are keeping on. We have another family we are teaching and they are young as well with 2 little boys. Hoping to see them progress a lot this week.

On Sunday I had a total melt down because I was feeling like an inadequate missionary. I thought that the hardest thing was going to be adjusting to the food and living situation and things like that and boy was I wrong. I have adjusted very well in that department. I find myself struggling to communicate my feelings. It’s so frustrating when there is so much I could say and so much I could share with them but I can’t seem to find the words in Spanish. The language is the only thing holding me back. I know the language comes with time and my trainer said I am picking up the language faster than most but I still feel so inadequate. I am constantly on my knees and the lord gives me comfort and hope.

This transfer I have learned that I need to be patient and that the lord has a plan for all of us and that if I just keep working hard that in no time I will be able to say what I want and be the powerful missionary I know I can be!

Today we went to Rigga Playa for p day with my district and the sisters from Tumbes! It was fun and scary lol. We took a truck and we all just piled in the back with fold up chairs and drove in the jungle and everyone was falling on each other and the car was seriously about to just die because the weight of everything lol.

Anyways this next week we have interviews with the president. I am also teaching an English class tomorrow to all of the Spanish missionaries oh... and we go to Piura on Thursday because it’s my 5th week of training and everyone meets and gets a check up on where they are with training. Since we are 6 hours away we leave on Thursday and stay a night in the mission home!! Yay hot water.... Seriously a blessing. Big things this next week! Hope all is well back home and it’s not too cold because seriously if I could share some of the heat here I would. It’s like 105 everyday!

 Love Hermana Brown

Peru Twenty Sixteen Ano Nuevo!!

I was excited to hear from this girl this week.  I was not a fan of hearing that her apartment had been broken into and that they were robbed during the night.  So extremely thankful that they are both safe and only "things" were taken. The Missionaries are really watched over and kept safe from harm. Me on the other hand, I have now bumped up my anxiety to a new level.  I was doing so well...sigh.  Remember to keep all the missionaries in  your prayers. Anyway, here is her letter.

Mis padres!

Well another week has just flown by and I can't believe its already Monday again. Seriously, when you just dig yourself into missionary work you tend to just forget about the world and time. A lot has happened this week. Ano Nuevo!! ( New Years) It was weird not being at home and surrounded by a different culture, but it was fun. We didn't do much because we had to be back into our homes at 9:30....sigh. Okay, one thing about Peru is they burn everything.... and I mean EVERYTHING! Their trash especially... its disgusting the air here is so bad.

Anyways.... jump back to Monday night... so right above us they are building another apartment and they have bricks stacked up as high as our window. During the night, someone broke into our house, through the windows because our windows don't have locks. They stole our phone and DVD players... I think the robber was in a rush or scared or something because that's all they took, oh and my companions plaque. No money or my camera or anything. I was pretty scared after that happened. We told our Zone Leaders, we didn't move apartments, but our Landlord put bars on our windows, but I'm just glad they didn't do anything to us. We are hoping to get a new phone soon because it is difficult to contact our investigators or the other missionaries for weekly meetings or reporting our numbers.

Anyways, the rest of the week we had visits with many new investigators. Many current investigators, we teach but it just seems to go nowhere, they don't attend church and they don't read, but we continue to teach them. We have only 1 baptism now on date for a girl that is 13. The other girl told us she doesnt wanna meet with us anymore... after she said she wanted to be baptized.... very strange but life goes on. Teaching has been tough, but were are hoping that it picks up now that the holidays are over.

I'm starting to really love the people here in the ward and La Cruz in general. They are all so friendly and willing to listen to what we have to say and they are patient with me and my spanish. I feel like I made some milestones this week with my spanish. I am speaking more and the vocab is just coming to me and I am speaking with more of an accent everyday, its pretty amazing. This Sunday was Fast Sunday and I had the oppurtunity to share my testimony again. I also got to hear many people in the wards testimonies and its so true... the spirit can be felt anywhere.

A sad thing that happened this week is my pentionistas dog died..... like very suddenly one morning.... she was a mess and I was a mess.... because I know that if it was my Buddy the world would be ending. My companion doesn't really have a soft spot for animals so she was glad I could comfort her.

I find myself missing the colder weather sometimes...haha....especially at church when there is no air conditioning.....it is like I am drowning is sweat lol.

I am teaching an English class on the 12th, but I feel like I teach English everyday to a group of kids that catch us every night. They think English is ridiculous and like to laugh at it.

My companion and I are really good friends and I adore her. Another thing about church, I am now having to lead the music for sacrament... they just ask me over the pulpit when they see there is only like 10 people in the stands lol.... I cant even sing with the congregation because they are so off and now I find myself leading them haha its bad but what am I gonna do. That is pretty much all for this week. I love you all and hope you all have a great New Year! 

Hermana Brown