Processing Pigs.......Oh Joy!

So Aushlynn had a interesting first week in Chulucanas!  Avery had the opportunity to process chickens on his mission........Aushlynn has had the opportunity to process pigs on hers. Oh my....poor girl. It almost sounded like a set up from the Elders.  Haha...you be the judge of her letter!

 

Wow Mommy and Daddy!! 

Chulucanas is very different! It is still very hot. Sometimes I think it is hotter than Piura. The people say that it will be cooling down in a week or so. I think they are joking with me. I think I have had some of the most diverse areas in the whole mission. First I was at the beach and then I was in the middle of the desert and now I am in the middle of the jungle. I am definitely going to be a Peru expert when I get home! Wow to say the least my week has been crazy. Every day I think that I have seen all that Peru has to offer me and then something crazy happens... 

 

Well for starters on Tuesday we have a district meeting... half of us are in Chulucanas and half are in Tambo Grande about 30 minutes away. There are no cars or anything to Tambo Grande from here so we would have to take a bus and hour to Piura and then a bus an hour and a half to Tambo Grande and then back to Piura to Chulucanas... we weren’t about to do that so the Elders decided well.... I guess we could take a moto its only 30 minutes...... well Hermana Llontop and I were like are you serious? In a moto..... yeah we all smushed in a moto and got on our way... about an hour into the ride the driver tells us it’s probably going to be another hour till we get there.... what?? We continue... we are literally crossing rivers and on dirt roads oh it was awful... so hot.. and Hermana Llontop had to sit on my lap the whole way... anyways we stop like 30 minutes away from Tambo Grande because our moto driver told us that he didn’t have his papers and that there was the state police... we waited for like 20 minutes but he never left so we decided to try to pass him, well yeah he caught us... luckily we are 3 gringos and we are teaching the word of god so elder Harris whipped out his bible shared a scripture and he let us pass.... hahahaha oh man I couldn’t even believe it.. We made it to Tambo Grande and had the meeting for like 30 minutes and had to go back to Chulucanas.... hahaha I never want to do that again but it’s a funny memory.

 

Chulucanas is very different. We have lots of lessons everyday which is good for my Spanish. It’s a small branch with like 30 people. The people here are friendly and accepting to the message Kind of like my area La Cruz. We have a lot of people that have dates for baptisms but no one ever wants to come to the church... it’s very frustrating. 3 girls just returned from missions this week from this branch and so I am hoping to work with them a lot!! 

 

This week we did service for a less active member. The elders were supposed to come but they bailed. We get there and I have never in my life did something like this... we slaughtered a pig... in skirts!!! I about threw up like every 5 minutes.... We slaughtered the whole pig and cut it up and took all the insides out and well I just hope we never go back... I am kind of still in shock... that’s a story to tell my kids.

 

Well today for p-day we went to a little town outside Chulucanas that sells art work. It’s really pretty. I bought another turtle for mom  and I found a one of a kind Jesus is the Christ statue.... this guy made it for a missionary but he never came to get it. He gave it to me for 10 soles. I will have to send it to you guys when I get a chance or when Hermana Ana comes to Utah in June!

 

Well I can’t wait to get my package and hear from all of you! Hope all is well back home! I can’t believe it’s almost been 6 months! The time is flying but there is not one place I would rather be then here on this crazy journey! I am learning things I would not otherwise have learned and for that I am grateful!

 

Love

Hermana brown

Hermana Brown and Hermana Llontop (pronounced Yawntop)

Yep this girl seeks out the puppys. She has never met a dog that she hasn't tried to pet.

She says that this is the stairwell to hedoublehockeystick.

Peruvian art....also her and her companions name badges.

My love for turtles is rubbing off on her.

I wonder which turtle that she bought me!

Welcome to Morrapon!

Homes in Chulucanas.

Picture wall is up and going again in the new area!  Just waiting to get her package so she can have a few new additions!

More turtles...no she did not get me this one...she is so sad about it too!

Some more Peruvian art

Some mountains that she hopes to hike on a p-day. Looks pretty green to me despite the hot weather.

Here is part of the pig that she processed.  I am sparing you the picture of the pig blood and inners that they made in to sausage.  You are welcome. She says that she almost threw up every 5 minutes.  I think that she did well.  I would have gagged the entire time.  I probably would have been pretty useless.

On To A New Adventure....Chulucanas

Did this past week just fly by or what?  I am getting pretty good at this Missionary Mom thing.....it has only taken me about three years and ten months....but I am getting better. I know...right???  This week was kinda scary.  You have heard about the earthquake in Ecuador...right??? Of course you have, well it was about 450 miles away from where my daughter was serving.  I'm not gonna lie, it gave me some anxiety.  It was a little to close for my comfort. I pray for her safety and for the safety of all the missionaries.  I especially pray for the people of Ecuador...bless their hearts! Such tragedy.

 

Well, this week Hermana Brown is on the move.  She has been transferred to a new area.  It was so very difficult for her to leave.  She loved her companion, her area and the members.  She is especially sad to be leaving the Silva family. But....she is excited for a new adventure...Also, it is said that in her new area the Butterflies are massive...she is scared out of her mind! This girl has been scared of butterflies since she was little....haha....who raised this girl anyway??  She is a weirdo! Anyway, here is what she has to say this week!

 

Hey Mommy and Daddy!! 

 

So yes I got transferred and it was a pretty emotional goodbye! I loved that ward that I was in and well I know I complained so much about how hard the area was but I am sure going to miss it. The hardest goodbye was definitely the Silva family. Ahh.. I cried for like an hour! She even made me lasagna for my last meal! She is the absolute best! I am really going to miss her. I hope you guys stay in contact with her and she gave me her email to write her! I also had to say goodbye to Hermana Xmenia :( she seriously is amazing! The good news is her mothers parents live in my area that I got assigned to so hopefully I will still see her a few times!!

 

Okay yes I got transferred to......... Chulucanas!! My new companion is Hermana Llontop! She is super sweet but does not speak a lick of English! That’s okay though because I am hoping to learn more Espanol anyways! She has been out almost a year. She is from Chicalayo Peru.  I love her already! Anyway Chulucanas is way different then Piura! It’s about an hour or so east of Piura. It's close to the mountains. I can't wait for some hikes in the mountain's and to the waterfalls on p-day. Hermana Martinez, my trainer is my sister leader so I will get to go on exchanges with her! Sweet! Also, Elder Osmond is in my zone. Pretty cool to serve with someone from South Jordan! I actually love it here from what I have seen already! I know I am going to love it here. It’s a branch, so a lot less members than Piura but that just means a lot more opportunities to baptize!! There are 8 dates for baptism here already! Our area is also GIGANTIC!! I am so excited to see what this area has in store! Also our room isn’t that bad and doesn’t have bugs! I am really happy! Everyone has told me that it is hotter in this area too....Hermano Silva said that the butterfly's here are 3 times the size of butterfly's in Piura but he just likes to scare me.. I am actually scared about the butterfly's! I also have a part in my area called Morrapon! It is a mountain area! I am so stoked about that!! We go with the Elders once a week!! 

 

I heard about the earthquake in Ecuador. I will be praying for those people. I didn’t feel anything from it though some said the aftershocks would reach us, but they haven’t. I finally went into the clinic in Piura for my cough. I was diagnosed with Bronchitis and have some medicine that I am taking for it.

 

Something that I learned last week is that we are stronger than we think we are. We can do more things than we think we can. We are capable of doing the impossible with the help of the lord. I know that through prayer and fasting we are able to receive revelation. I know I could not be doing what I have been doing like learning a new language.. getting use to a new country... without the help of the lord every step of the way. I am so grateful for the atonement we have to use whenever we need it. I am grateful for this church and its members throughout the world. I noticed in this last week sacrament that we are all one big LDS family and that just because we speak different languages or live a different way we are all sons and daughters of god! I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! 

 

Well I know its not a lot this week but I have a lot of pictures to send! I hope all is well back home! I pray for you all daily!

 

Remember to do your family history :))

 

Hermana Brown

Hermana Brown and her new companion Hermana Llontop. Please don't ask me how to say her name, I have not a clue. I am waiting for autocorrect to give her a new nickname for me! haha! But, there is hope that I can say it correctly someday soon because she calls home for Mother's Day in just 18 days! Woot! Woot!

Aushlynn's new kitchen.  She says in this area she has no pensionista and she will be cooking for herself. She is quite happy about this arrangement. She also says that she needs some Flaming Hot Cheetos, Nutella and Kit Kats.

Her room. The pictures wall is not up yet but will be soon.  Remember, if you want to make her wall, we are a sending a package this week and you can still send your photo and a letter.

Xmenia, Aushlynn and Xmenia's mom and baby sister.

Pday last week. We all shoved into this taxi that was about to break down!

Hermana Sandison and Hermana Brown....she is going to miss her so so much!

Hermana's in her zone with a few Elder photobombs!

Aushlynn and her package that Hermano Silva delivered to her!  I think that she really liked the letters! (and the candy it looks like she is counting and dividing it like she used to do to her Halloween candy)

This is her new bag.  It looks amazing! Her old purse the "strap broke".  Now if this was my option for a new bag, I would have broke the strap on purpose. Right...whose with me??? What a awesome souvenir for her to bring back when she returns home.

Who ever made this bag for her did an amazing job! Look at all the detail!

Aushlynn and the Silva Family.  Umm....go Cougs! I knew I liked these people!

Looks like somebody can't hold still for the camera....haha!

Hermana Brown and Hermana Sandbox, I mean Sandison at the Silva's saying good-bye. But more like see you later I am sure.

Aushlynn and her companion again. I like the Peruvian dress by the way...this is one that we did not send. I am sure that she had it made.

Hi My Lovelys

This week it is kinda rough. No new photos from Aushlynn so I thought that I would put one up of her and her best friend! They used to sleep together every night and poor Buddy has had such a hard time adjusting to her being gone.  For the first few months he would scratch at her door looking for her. He is going to be 16 this July, I hope that he is still around when she gets back.  Good news! Since the weather has turned warmer we have seen more zip to his zippadeedoda, so I think that we are in good shape.

Oh yeah, also if you are wanting to send her a letter I an sending her package on the 20th, so if you can get it to me by then that would be fantastic!  Remember she wants letters and pictures.  You can also email the letter and pictures to me and I can print them out.  She wants the pictures for her picture wall! kmdaam@msn.com

Here is what Hermana Brown has to say this week.

Hi My Lovelys!Well this week seemed to just fly by.... I feel like it was just Monday! Not that I am complaining or anything. This week I feel like not much happened just kinda the whole walking in the burning sun and knocking doors thing ha ha... I had some really good experiences this week though!

 

Well.... my last hope to have a baptism this transfer fell through this week.. :( OH Bummmmmmer. We have been teaching her for a long time even with Hermana Martinez and well she moved to Tumbes this last week and so the sisters in Tumbes picked up where we left off and she got Baptized. I just feel like I have the worst luck with those things called baptisms. Oh well I have come to realize that’s not the most important thing on a mission. As long as you are diligent and continue to preach the word of god to as many people as you can that he will be pleased with your work and service.

 

Yes elections were this week! It was seriously the longest days ever! In our area it’s very normal to have all of our lessons fall and so yes we didn’t teach a single lesson those two days :) We just studied our scriptures and visited members. I think I was going a little crazy just sitting in our room all day. So I heard today that there was a tie in the votes!!! So they are holding another vote on June 5th..... I’m not to thrilled about this and I’m sure Presidente isn’t either ha ha... 

 

So the inevitable has happened.... yes I am sick. Not throw up sick or even troubles in the bathroom. I have this nasty cough! I’ve had it for about 2 weeks now and it is just getting worse! Anyways... poor Silva family has to hear my coughing all night long and throughout the day! :( Hermana Ana is so good to me that she has given me a couple remedies to try.... Peruvian Remedies I might add... she first gave me this bottle and told me to take 3 spoonfuls a day. It consisted of honey, onion, garlic, and radish. It smelled so rancid!! I about threw up just smelling it. I took that for about 3 days but it didn’t seem to be working so why keep taking it lol.... then she gave me this drink that consisted of honey, lemon and ginger! That also tasted bad... it kind of just burned my throat. Well here I am still living with this cough... hopefully I can get over it really fast.

 

Anyways this is the last week of the transfers and well I think I will be leaving. Although I am not sure I have been preparing myself to say goodbye to the people here. They are so awesome! I have learned a lot of things from the members here. Especially the Silva family. They are lifelong friends. I hope to stay in contact with their family. They have helped me through a lot of trials here on the mission and have the strongest testimonies and so much faith. I hope one day I can be as strong in the church as them!

 

As reflecting back on this transfer I feel like I have learned a lot of things but most of all I have noticed that a mission isn’t just about the people you are serving but also its about my progression as a member of this church. I have done some many things I never thought I could do. I have noticed that my weaknesses are becoming my strengths, and my trials are becoming my triumphs! These are just one of the few fruits of living this gospel! I am so grateful that I get to pin his name to my shirt every day and say to people that I am a representative of Jesus Christ. I hope I can continue to grow my testimony and grow my faith throughout this crazy journey! 

 

I hope all is well back home and I am praying for everyone back home! I know through the plan of salvation that we are able to see loved ones again and that they are all rooting us on in heaven! :)

 

Hermana Brown

Watching Conference on this Beauty!

Well, it's that time of the week again. Time for the weekly update on Hermana Brown and her adventures in Peru. This week was kinda exciting!  We got to meet Edgar Silva!  We were so blessed!  He is the wonderful man that that has been called to be a Mission President in another Peru mission starting in July.  Anyway he flew to SLC this week and brought a package to us from Aushlynn. I have learned one thing in meeting him.....My Spanish is very bad.....it is pretty much English with my own twist of a accent. OYE...I am never gonna learn that language.  They talk so very fast.  I defiantly do not have the gift of tongues.  Haha. The missionaries who go over there and have to learn the language..... well it is nothing short of a miracle! Anyway, Presidente Silva was kind enough to take packages back to both Hermana Brown and Hermana Sandison! Blessings for sure!

Here is what Hermana Brown had to say this week!

Hola Mis Padres!!!

Wow this week was a wild one! Ha Ha I’m in Peru.... I feel like a ton of things happened this week but I just got back from the beach and I am exhausted!! Hopefully I can tell you all the highlights. 

Yes it was conference this weekend! I thought all the talks were extremely powerful and very inspired. Yes I got to watch the first 3 sessions in English and we had investigators come with us for the last so we watched in Spanish. I thought that the main topics of the conference was the atonement and the importance of temples. Oh my gosh the whole church was cheering and hugging each other when they announced the new temple that is to be built in Lima!!! It was so awesome to see these faithful church goers in Peru get another great blessing! I loved all the talks that were given! I feel like now that I’m out here on a mission that all the principles and things that were taught I can use more in my teachings and just affected me more.

This week we had interviews with the president! Also we got to talk one on one with Hermana Rasmussen! Honestly I love them so much. I am so glad they are my mission presidents! They both have such good advice and just give you that pump up you need to keep going. Also president gave us this talk to read that’s called Why the Church by D Todd Christofferson! I highly recommend it. It makes some very good points that all members should be made aware of and it has helped me realize that the LDS community is one big family all helping each other get to the end. Also in the church is where we are able to learn and feed off each others testimonies. 

So Hermana Sandison and I had a very spiritual companionship study this week! So these past few weeks I have just been complaining about my area and how hard it is and thinking why was I sent here... who am I  helping? I’m just knocking doors all day... like I just didn’t know what I was supposed to be learning from this area! Well after this talk that we had I finally pinpointed why I was in this area! I needed to be humbled. This area is the closest thing to a States mission here in Piura. Daily I get spit on, doors slammed in my face, rejection after rejection... and I saw my attitude getting worse and worse about this area. I describe this area as being not the most humble but the most humbling. I’ve realized that I needed to be here to be humbled and really have to rely on the lord and the spirit. Some nights that’s literally all I had here and in the end that’s all anyone has. I’ve learned that no matter what trials he throws at us, it’s only making us a stronger person and also we need to think what is he trying to teach me. 

This P-day we went to the beach in Paita as a zone! It was fun. We played soccer like usual and I also fished ha ha. One elder had all the stuff to fish so we fished. We didn’t catch anything but that’s usually my luck. My neck is absolutely fried but I did really well at applying sunscreen everywhere else. Yay me! 

Okay another thing here that I have learned is I am scared of all bugs.... small, large, gigantic... I can’t do it. The bugs here are a whole new level... huge moths... flying beetle bugs... giant flying crickets!! Pray for me...

Anyway that’s pretty much all... I think. Hope all is well back home! :) Remember to write me a letter and send me pictures :)

Hermana Brown

The beautiful TV that we viewed conference on!

Hermana Sandison and Hermana Brown.  Funny story, every time I email Aushlynn and type her companions name my autocorrect changes it to Sandbox.  Problem is I do my best proofreading after I send something. Haha! They must have a good laugh each time I mention her name!

The Trio of Ingram, Brown and Sandybum! My Besties!

Just the Beach...I wish I was at a beach!

The Hermana's in the Paita Zone!

P-Day with the Paita Zone at the Beach!