{2-24-2014}

Last Monday we were getting on the bus to go home, and there was this young lady with this adorable baby and a ton of stuff in her hands. She was struggling to get in the bus so we asked if she needed help. She gladly accepted and tried to hand me her baby! AHHH I was like I can't hold babies haha but then she ended up handing me a bag, and it was a little strange... because it had a PUPPY in it!!! The puppy would not stop licking my face! So funny, but the lady was really cool and really wanted us to teach her. The only thing is she is not in our area... sad!

We also have one investigator who kinda scares me a little bit... she has a picture of one of our baptisms... from another Elder's facebook! But they love the church which is amazing! Also we met this new family last week and I LOVE THEM!!! They came to church this Sunday and they felt the spirit so strong. Plus all of her son's made friends at church. But my favorite part is when she shared her feelings on prayer in our Sunday school class and started crying. The spirit was so strong and you could just tell the Spirit was testifying of Christ's love for this Hermana. I love this Church!!!!

Earlier this week we were walking in our area and just talking and all the sudden I saw this dead possum in the road... and my companion almost stepped on it!!!! So funny, we could not stop laughing!!! Also this week it rained, HARD! We were in a members house and he told us he could drive us home, but unfortunately his car got stuck in one of the "rivers" and we had to wait for a bus. But we made it home safely.

One last thing. Weekends in the city are kind of crazy, but it makes it good for contacting. There are mini parks in the middle of the roads, and lots of people just sitting on the benches. So we usually meet lots of drunk people, which is kind of funny. They all give me the weirdest looks, like they haven't seen a white girl before. Haha! Well one night we witnessed a fight in the park which was really scary. Luckily we weren't too far from home and it was getting close to 9:30 anyway. But I know that the Lord is protecting His missionaries, and I feel truly blessed to serving a mission!

I love you all, and every one of you are in my prayers. I hope you have a great week!

Hermana Sanders

 

Sooo... I LOVE MY NEW AREA!!!!

And...my new companion is the BEST!!! Her name

is Hermana Favela and she is from Washington! But her parents are from

{my new Hermanas}

Mexico so she speaks Spanish fluently and English! She is so much fun and

we just laugh and talk all day! Hopefully after her mission she is going to

go to school at BYU or UVU. She is 22! But I love her, oh and we live in an

apartment in the city! and with 2 other sisters who are hilarious!!! they

are always making up dances and doing random things, I love it! Oh and our

bishop here (Yes... I have a ward here!!!) he hunts alligators and makes

cool leather things out of them! He is pretty rich too and feeds us all the

time! They feed all 4 of us sisters Sundays and they drive us to their

house in a car!!!! Anyways I don't even know what to say about my new area

but I love it!

Let me start off with the beginning of the week. So Tuesday we went saying

goodbye to the members and investigators, and taking lots of pictures. It

was kind of sad, and really hard to say goodbye. Then I packed that night,

and I don't know how but I have collected more things (I think mostly more

books) and it was really hard to put everything in my suitcases... But I

did it! Then the next morning we took a taxi (one of our baptisms) to

Asuncion. I found my companion and put all my stuff under a tree. There

were so many missionaries in the office and it was really fun to talk to

them all! Then I had to wait with a group of missionaries to go to the

immigrations office. After we signed a bunch of papers we went back to the office. BTW, the Office Elders have vans

that they haul us all around in. Then after, I had to wait for an interview with President. Every 3 months we get interviews

with President, and since I was going to a new area I had to have mine while I was at the office. It was really good to talk

to President and a motivation! I also got a HUGE package from my wonderful mother, which just made my day!!!  After

the interview my companion and I took another taxi to my new area.

{HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY}
 
 

{I get top bunk}

We live in this cute apartment above a

business. I unpacked quickly then off we went to

work. We had some really good lessons, and I love 



the investigators a lot here! I feel like my Spanish

has improved a lot and I felt a lot more comfortable

meeting new people. We have to take a bus to our

 area though, but it is still a really nice area!

All the members are great here, and cook really  

good food! Everywhere we went we were

given food! I think Friday night we had a bag full of

freshly baked bread and we were riding

 a bus home, and we saw this skinny little boy

trying  to sell some type of card riding the bus. My  

companion and I felt terrible and ended up giving him the bread! This little boy shoved the

bread in his mouth as fast as he could. So sad, but it

is really neat to see how the Lord works in our lives. We had received a lot of food that day,

which my companion says is unusual. And because of that we were able to give fresh

bread to a little boy. It was such a wonderful experience.

Sunday we had 2 investigators come to sacrament meeting. Our building is

also the stake center so it is pretty big! Everyone was so welcoming and

made me feel part of the ward. I also got to share my testimony during

sacrament. My comp. and I also taught Sunday school, which was a new

experience for me, but I actually really enjoyed it. Then we went to

Bishops house and they fed us a ton of food! and cake!!! yum!

Rewind to Valentines day... we had a ward council meeting that night at

bishops house, and after they fed us a ton of food! that was my highlight

of Valentines, that and spending more time with the other sisters! They are

so funny!



{our volleyball net}

Today we got to play VOLLEYBALL!!!!!

But we had to wait for the elders to play a

game of soccer first, so we spent the

 time before practicing volleyball and kart wheels. for some reason the hermana's

don't know how to do them, so that was funny teaching them! But volleyball was

pretty fun, and I got to play with my new volleyball!! yay!!!

 

So pretty much everything is going well! I love you all and thought lots about you on Valentines! I have the best family

 and friends! I hope things are starting to warm up there! well... have a great week! LOVE YOU!!

Love, 

Hermana Sanders

{4 Months}

Today at 9:37 AM

well sorry the beginning of my email disappeared! So we will see if I can re-write! pretty much it is super hot here... like 100 degrees every day! vamos morir! I love how all the trees have fruits and we can eat them any time that we want.  I also taught noche de rama {family night for the branch} this week. I related a few verses in Alma 50 on how we can strengthen our families from the evils of the world.  It went pretty well.  After we played some missionary tag, which was really fun with the little kids.  Yesterday I got to play monopoly with a family in our branch.  Sorry there isn't more details.  I don't really have any more time to  re-write everything. 

Today at 9:04 AM

I also had a neat little experience during companion study, and I realized how lucky I am to be a missionary. I know that it is really hard at times, but  I can honestly say that I remember all the details of all the wonderful and spiritual times, and that is what counts. I love this church and this Gospel. I can't explain my feelings fully when I think about Jesus Christ and how much he loves and cares for everyone. I love the feeling I get each time I teach and the love for the people here. I am so blessed and have gained such a strong testimony that will be with me for the rest of my life.

Anyways I have big news to tell you all... I am getting transferred Wednesday!!!! I am going to Maranbyre Luque. I guess my new companion is from Washington, but her parents are from Mexico. I have mixed feelings right now... And I am really going to miss the people. Okay... I am a little sad... but I know this is where the Lord wants me to go.

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week! thank you for all the emails and the support.

Love, Hermana Sanders

{2-03-2014}

So this weekend we another baptism!!! This Tuesday we get brownies and ice cream from our district, yay! We baptized this adorable 12 year old boy!

He is a little shy, but I think he finally warmed up to us because he is starting to pull pranks on us! His family is awesome and every time we come to teach their son they feed us tortillas (Which are way different than what you think, they are thick and more like pancakes). It was a really good baptism and my companion and I even sang him "cuando me bautice"... When I am baptized? The only part in eEnglish I remember is.. I love to look for rainbows whenever it has rained... Anyways he was really happy. And there was a lot of food, but my companion and I were fasting so no food for us!

Nothing really new happened this week that I can remember... It is really good, and we are finding lots of people to teach. We had 2 new investigators come to church this Sunday, and they really liked it! We also found a lot of inactive members we have been working with. It is so sad to see people fall away from the church that once brought them so much joy! That is our new goal for our ward is to have all the inactive members attend church once again! Well this and to actually become a ward, right now we are just a branch. 

This morning was a lot of fun! We went with 2 members to Asuncion.

We went inside a museum and saw a lot of art work and old school music. Then we went to the river of Paraguay, oh and ate a lo mito arabe which pretty much is a burrito but it was really good! But yeah! We have changes next week and I am a little nervous.. who knows what is going to happen. 

Well I love you all and can't wait to hear from you! Have a great week! 

Love, Hermana Sanders 

{My Tan Line}