Merry Christmas!

This was sent on Christmas day

Next week I'll have more to write you all!  

The top 9 are of me saying goodbye to all my friends in La Victoria!  It was super hard!!! I love them sooo much!!!

The rest are of me and my new companion here in Jaen!  It's super duper hot here!  We are visiting some old men in a nursing home and they are the cutest little old men in the world!  Then me with our Christmas dinner!  Before they killed it haha.  The lady in the one pic is my new Pensionista!  She is the best!  We live across the street from them so it's awesome!  Then this morning when I was opening all of my presents from the fam!  Thank you for everything!!!  I'm sooo grateful for all of you!  I hope you have an amazing Christmas and week!! 

Finally a transfer!

So this week was very interesting! 

So first of all we had our Multi Zona for Christmas and we got to do skits!! It was sooo cool also we got to share with all of the other missionaries as a big group the Christmas traditions of the US. Then we sang our "canción típica de los Estados Unidos! It was the best!!! I'll have our pensionista send the videos to you Mommy! 

Also I got my package today!!!! I'm sooo extremely grateful for all of you and your love!!! I really couldn't stop bawling reading all of your letters!!! I love you all soooo much!! I'll get letters back to you all as soon as possible!  

So  we knew that there were transfers coming up so we had been anxious all week!! We didn't feel like I would be leaving quite yet. I had a really strong feeling that I was just gonna stay one more transfer and then have a change. Last night our district leader called us and told us the good/bad news. I will be leaving La Victoria tomorrow. I say bad because i have really learned to love these people here and I really wanted to be able to be here for Christmas and with my Hija but I also say good because I think I have become a little too comfortable here. I've been here my whole mission and I know now that I really do need a change and  Hermana Rochette needs to learn more than I can give her. I have learned soo much from this area and from having more than one companion before training. She deserves it! 

Another thing that has been exciting is that my really good friend is going home today! She is Hermana Fuller and has been our sister leader for the past three transfers! I have come to really love her and I will miss her a lot but she is finished here and I'm sooo happy and excited to hear about her life after the mission!!! It'll be cool to hear her stories!!! 

Anywhoo!!! I love you all to the moon and back and I hope you have an amazing week!!! I promise I will write more next week! I'll have a lot to tell!!!! Whole new adventure to start! Quédense mucho!  Les amo!!!

She said everything in the package was in perfect condition! The chocolate didn't even melt! 

Picture of her Grandpa.  Her sisters did such a great job decorating her box. 

She will miss Hermana Rochette!

"He is the Gift"

Familia!

 We have been doing a really special thing for this month called "El es la Dádiva" or  "He is the Gift". I don't know if you have seen the video but its amazing!  When we contact through this month we only use little cards with the info on it about the video and then on Mondays we have to report a bunch of stuff about it to the church. http://www.mormon.org/christmas?cid=HPFR112814529

So we found out this week that we won't be able to Skype or call on Christmas Eve only on Christmas day and I'm not sure if there will be an internet place open on that day so we might just have to call. Also our p day that week won't be on it will be on Christmas day. I hope we can get it all figured out. I will be calling like three days before to let you know what time and how we will be doing everything. Sorry for the change. 

So this week was very interesting. We have had men after us like there's no tomorrow!!!!! The other day, we were going to an appointment and this guy in his moto started being like all the other Latinos here whistling and stuff and so we were kinda just ignoring it like normal haha but then the appointment fell through so we started walking back the same way we came and he came up to us!!! He started to tell us that he would love to get to know us and take us out sometime haha I'm very glad I can speak Spanish so I could explain that as missionaries we don't go out like normal "chicas" haha he was wanting to get our number and stuff and wow he was persistent haha so the reference(phone number) is gonna go to different missionaries haha that same day there were like three other instances when stuff like that happened it was insane! haha 

so I'm pretty sure I'm gonna die from being bitten by bugs! Just to let you all know haha

so about the pics... so the ones of our district were from today. We were supposed to go fishing again but we were told that we couldn't so we decided to make the pudding that grandma sent me and play cards. I taught everyone how to play silent uno!!! it was a blast! Then the tree is in our pension home and it's making me really trunky!!! Trunky (for those of you who don't know) means the urge to be home and doing stuff with family and stuff like that haha 

 the one of my notebook was just my notes for a little lesson i had to give for a ward mission night haha it was on esperanza (hope) 

Then the food is my favorite meal here it's just green noodles in English haha its soooo good!!!! I've got the recipe to be able to teach you all when I get home! Then the ones of the hands and paint... we painted our pension dining room haha and all of us missionaries in the district put our hands on the wall haha. It was soooo much fun!!! 

Well I'm out of time this week but I love you allll soooooo much and I hope you all know that you are always in my prayers!!! Have a great week!!!!

District Prayers

¡Hola! ¿Que tal todos? ¿Como les fue en su semana? Mine was pretty good! Not much happened but what did happen was very exciting! We have been praying as a district at 8:00 every morning (in our own rooms of course) and we have been seeing the miracles come from it lately! 

So a family that we have been working with for a very long time finally said yes to a baptismal date! Diego and Luz are their names and they have sooo much time listening to the missionaries! Like 8 years off and on now! Last week we were just wanting to tell them that we cant teach them anymore cuz they weren't progressing and we needed to focus on others who are. We went on Thursday and we were telling ourselves that that lesson was the do or die lesson. So when we got in there, We went straight to El Libro de Mormon! In Alma 34:30-34 which says 

30 And now, my brethren, I would that, after ye have received so many witnesses, seeing that the holy scriptures testify of these things, ye come forth and bring fruit unto repentance.
 31 Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.
 32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.
 33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.
 34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.

We invited them once again to baptism and they both said that they know they need to. We gave them a date and they accepted! We are planning on the 3rd of January!  

Another cool thing that happened this week is that one of the sisters that we are working on to come back to the church now has a calling! Estefani Estefani is 23 and she was baptized 11 years ago. She doesnt remember a lot from the church almost nothing but we have been working really hard with her and she is now one of the newest ward missionaries in our ward! She is very excited about it and she is ready to work with us! 

To see these tender mercies of the Lord makes my faith and testimony grow so much! Im so grateful for this time I have to be in this area! 

So we didnt do a thing for thanksgiving this year... I actually completely forgot until that night when we were back in the room planning for the next day! So yeah that was great haha I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving and enjoyed the food for me! I can't wait to be back home to enjoy it with you all! I love you alll sooo much and I hope you have an amazing week! 
                                  Con mucho amor, Hermana Favero


Hermana Favero's email to her mom from last week (November 24)

So hermana Rochette was very upset about the way you started your last email. She thought that she was your favoritest missionary in the whole world haha :P 

I really hope things start looking up in YW! but what you and daddy said to Kendra is completely right. Right now, their job is to go to church and to mutual and be examples to the Beehives. They will get so much more out of it if they do. 

 I would love it if Bishop Dalton could just walk into our sacrament meeting! I'm not sure if I would be able to resist hugging him tho! haha 

Teaching with Jenna would be the best thing in the world!!! I can't wait to be able to do that. 

So this week I video taped some things I wanted to send but it's all too big to send. I'm really upset about it!!! Oh well! You'll all just have to wait to see them when I get home! I cant believe how fast time is going!! Before I know it I'll only have nine months left!!!! I realized that three days before my birthday I will be half way done with my mission! To think about that is bitter sweet! Sorry I don't have much to tell you about this week but the life here isn't really exciting haha I'll try to search for more crazy things to tell you all about. I love you soooo much mommy! I hope you are doing well and just remember that you are so special in the eyes of our Heavenly Father!!!! 

Hermana Favero and Hermana Rochette with the zone leaders and a ward missionary

Family

Hey everyone!!!!! How is everybody!!!??? I hope you are all enjoying the cool weather cuz I'm dying from the heat here! haha 

So We had an awesome experience last night with an older couple with The Family A Proclamation to the World! It was our first lesson with them and we felt very strongly that The Family would be the best thing to share with them. We started talking about it and asked them what their favorite part of paragraph 7 was and the wife started to cry when she was talking about her husband. She was saying that she prays that he will be healed (not sure whats wrong quite yet) and that she would love more than anything to be with him forever. I was overtaken with the spirit I felt in their home. I am so grateful that we have the Proclamation to share with these people and for the testimony I have that families can be together forever.  Everything else this week has been boring haha not much going on here in La Vicky! Hopefully I'll have more to tell you all next week!!! I love you all sooooo much!!!! Stay strong and always remember that God loves you and wants to hear from you!!! 

                                                        Les Amo mucho!!!!

No email, but a couple pics of her looking cute!

Hermana Favero didn't send an email this week.  She spent her time chatting with her dad and I and wrote a couple personal emails to people that needed to hear from her.  But she did send a couple pictures of her receiving a package from her grandma! She promises to write more next week! 

package from Grandma Favero!.  In the background it looks like she finally got the bottom bunk! 

Knocking on Doors

Hola!!!!!

 This week was a lot better! We found a new family and I really have high hopes for them!! We decided to just knock on doors for like an hour and a half and it worked! We knocked on the last door and a lady opened and just let us in. She was worried about us being cold. We sat down and it was a little dark in her house so we weren't all that comfortable. Then it got weirder when her husband came walking in. (this area is all cops and their families.) He looked a little rough around the edges and so we were a little nervous at first. Then they started to just talk to us like we were old friends and the lady told us that they aren't the type of people to just trust right off the bat. She said she doesn't know why she opened the door so freely for us. I was thinking " I know why!!" hehe we found out that they had a hard time having kids for the longest time and finally God gave them a little girl. We are going back this week so wish us luck! 

 Today was super fun! We got together as two districts and made a Mexican lunch!!! It was soooo good! I miss tortillas sooo much and we made home made ones!!!! I'll send pics next week! 

 So the men continue to bug us! Even more now that we are both white! You would gag at the things they do and say! I dont know that most things are and I'm glad I don't. I'm starting to catch on though and I'm not happy about it haha 

 Anywhoo... I'll be done for this week but I hope everyone is doing well!!! I love you alll soooooooo much! Until next week! 

Samantha...I think

Good week!

This week was pretty good!!! 

First of all, the first counselor of the area presidency, Elder Waddell, came to speak with us! Yeah a 70 came to talk with us! He was super cool! He talks like a Latino! I felt the spirit soooo strong and learned soooo much!! I'll just have to read you my journal when I get home about it. 

Then we have a new family we are teaching! The Suarez family, has a potential wedding, 2 potential rescues and 2 potential baptisms! We are so happy to be teaching them because for the longest time, they didn't want to go back to church at all!  We went over there and had one lesson with them and that night they went to a church activity that we had with all of their daughters and they went to church the next day!!! I'm finally seeing some great things in this area! 

Well I'm out of time this week but I love you soooooo  much and I want you to remember how much you mean to me!!!! Never forget how much God loves you too!!!! Until next week!!! 

with Elder Waddell

Baptisms!

 Hermana Favero's email was really short this week but she sends her love to everyone and she sounds great! She also included her Christmas wish list but I didn't want to bore you all with that haha.

 

 

 

So I don't have a lot to write about this week but this last week we divided the area with the elders so now our area is a lot smaller and we will have two new converts to teach from the elders because they are in our limits. I've got pictures coming to you. They are the family who we helped raise money for. They finally got baptized and now we will be able to watch them grow even more in the gospel. I'm so excited! 

 

 

 

Conference

Hi mommy!!!!!! I was able to have the amazing opportunity to watch conference this last weekend and this was one of my favorite parts and I had a feeling I should share it with you. I know you watched but why not haha

 

L Tom Perry-

We must carefully continue to evaluate our performance as parents. The most powerful teaching a child will ever receive will come from concerned and righteous fathers and mothers. Let us first look at the role of the mother. Listen to this quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley:

“Women who make a house a home make a far greater contribution to society than those who command large armies or stand at the head of impressive corporations. Who can put a price tag on the influence a mother has on her children, a grandmother on her posterity, or aunts and sisters on their extended family?

“We cannot begin to measure or calculate the influence of women who, in their own ways, build stable family life and nurture for everlasting good the generations of the future. The decisions made by the women of this generation will be eternal in their consequences. May I suggest that the mothers of today have no greater opportunity and no more serious challenge than to do all they can to strengthen the [home]” 

I hope your week was amazing and I just want you to know that I have decided that I want you and daddy to come and get me when I'm done with my mission! Haha That would be the best!!! 

 

Anywhoo!!! That  is completely amazing What Drew`s mom told daddy!!! Do you know who told him!??  I'm so happy that these tender mercies keep coming up!!! I love it!!!! Any way I don't have any pics this week but I should have some next time! I love you soooooo much and I hope you have an amazing week!!!! 

  

Stay close to the spirit and study the talks from conference! Study them hard because they are the scriptures of this time for us right now! I know that our leaders are called of God and that they tell us exactely what we need to hear in this time of age. I love you and I'll talk to you next week!!! 

The gift of tongues

Oh my goodness!!!! I love all of the pics!!!!!! Everyone looks sooo good!!! 

 

So about mi hija! Hermana Rochette is from Idaho and she is amazing! She is fresh from the CCM! I feel like I'm looking back in time at myself in the beginning! Her Spanish isn't that great but she is working so hard to get it! I can't believe that I'm training already! I've only been in the field a little over 4 months!!! I feel like God has way too much trust in me sometimes! We'll be alright haha we`ll learn together.

  

So we are teaching this family ( Familia Suarez) and they are awesome! They love having us over and they have been coming to church with us but they won't commit to a date to be baptized! They tell us that they have to prepare more. It's super frustrating but we'll get'em! :P

 

The other day, a kid sitting on the sidewalk stopped us and asked us what we teach. We were really surprised! No one has ever done that before! We gave him a contact card and wrote down his address. Sadly, he doesn't live in our area but we've got friends everywhere so someone will get him haha. 

 

Also, something else that has changed is the ward council! They have finally started working like a ward council! Before, they just argued and only a few people would go! Now, they are actually giving ideas and all of the presidencies of all of the organizations come!!! We're actually going to get stuff done now! 

 

So with my new responsibility, my mind is in every place at once! These past few days have been crazy but when we are in lessons, I feel the gift of tongues working so much! With out that gift and the Spirit with me, I'm not sure what we would do. 

 

Anywhoo... I hope everyone is doing great and everyone is happy!!!! Never forget that just because you don't have a missionary name tag, doesn't mean you aren't a missionary!!! Share this "good news" with everyone you can! I love you all soo very much and I'll talk to you all next week!!!!!

Oh the joys of adjusting to a foreign country.

Ok so I left my paper with all that I wanted to write to you in my apartment but I want to introduce you to my "daughter" haha. This is Hna Rochette and she is from Idaho. She doesn't know very much Spanish yet, just like I was when I started but she is awesome! We have been working super hard and I am extremely happy!!!! I really needed this change and I needed to have this challenge in my life at this time. I am forced to talk and I'm forced to know the lessons so I am feeling the Spirit work through me so strongly! I'm sooooo grateful for this experience!

I'm super happy that Kagun got his Arrow of Light!!!!!! I'm super proud of him!!!!!And the band!!!! I can't believe they got first on their first comp!!!!! I'm sooo happy for them! And Kendra was down there with the drum majors!!!! AHHH so much is happening and I'm here haha but it's alright I'm fine with it. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else! I'm sorry I don't have my paper to write a longer email but I promise that I'll get it to you next week! Here are some pics of me at the big Chiclayo sign and one of DR Pepper which was the first time I'd seen it in Peru haha and then the weird thing going on with my face, don't worry :P 

I've got some sort of allergy but the doctor didn't tell me what it is. All he did was give me creams and antibiotics. I've got bug bites all over my bottom and legs too. I've had all this for more than a month now. Its getting better slowly but its annoying. 

Hermana Favero and her companion Hermana Rochette.  This picture was taken after she went to the doctor for her problem with her face, looks a lot better.

Peru has been kinda rough on her.

Watermelon on the shelf! haha

New Companion!

So Hermana Favero started her little chat with me by asking me if I was ready to be a grandma! Of course I knew she was messing with me.  It was her way of telling me that she is going to be getting a brand new companion straight from the MTC.  Hermana Favero will be training her! This new comp is also from the US!! She is so excited and we are so happy for her.  This is the really short email she sent today:

I got the Bleazard`s package! And this week Hna Waite and I had exchanges! Together again but in the field! Super fun!!!!!! Sorry for the shortness this week I'm just all over the place because my comp has to say bye to everyone. I'll write more next week I promise. 

Package from the Bleazards

exchanges with Hermana Waite