Tuesday, August 29, 2017

If you're reading this God loves you and so do I

HOLA!!!
Honestly these weeks feel like 2 days. Howe is it Pday again?? 
My friends this week was CRAZY. We got lost like 5 times trying to find the casas of references and contacts. Almost none of the houses have addresses and if they do it doesn't make any sense how the calles and numbers are set up. So that's great. We ran from appointment to appointment which I think is a good problem to have. Except when you remember that your companion has a hurt ankle that was getting better but just recently took a turn for the worse. So she has to go to the doctor sometime today so ill spend my pday in the doctors office :)))))
But I'm learning and growing so much. Hermana Miranda sometimes will just sit there and say nothing and force me to speak. At first it was so hard but its slowly getting easier. Im understanding more and more each day and I'm talking so much more and making jokes and friends. Telling right now. Gift of tongues is SO REAL. I couldn't do this without help from on high.
I have been mistaken for a latina on the phone multiple times. The best time was when it was Presidente Johnson (my really amazing mission president) called and I answered and we started chatting in Spanish and he was like ''Con quien habla??'' and i was like ''Hermana Howe!'' and he was like''WHAT?? your accent is amazing and your Spanish is so great!! I thought you were a latina!'' So that made me feel way good. I always get told I know more Spanish than other gringa Hermanas when they were in their second cambio. SO that's cool. Also found out that hair loss among missionaries is so normal so that's great. 

Guys. 
I have some sad news. Our investigator Marco. There is a very very long story as to what happened with him but he never got confirmed.
And that was really hard for us. Don't really know whats gonna happen there. 
Its a really long story. Post mission you should all ask me about it.
His family is still really great and investigating the church. 

But yeah all of our progressing investigators are having some struggles but we´re working hard to help them.
We had 6 people go to church yesterday so that's really awesome! 2 of them have a baptismal date for the 16 de Septiembre. Amy y Maria Fernanda they're two sisters of  a menos activo and they have the desire to be baptized and we have an awesome Presidency of Young Womens and they are really helping to excite them about the church and other awesome stuff. So that's really awesome :)

One thing I've read over and over in the scriptures is that Gods arms of mercy are always extended towards us. He loves us. Even when we make mistakes. But he will always hold us in His arms and love us.
He loves us so much
I love yall so much 
I hope yall have an awesome week :)
Until we meet again next Pday <3
Hermana Howe


FOTOS don't exist for this week sorry fam. I took 0 pictures this week. Ill be better about it next week :) thanks for understanding
PS 
sorry for my spanglish just reread my email. Also sorry for typos and misspelled words much love :)

Monday, August 21, 2017

Fastest week of my mission

Friends,
Family, 
We meet again this Pday to discuss what happened this week.
We got 2 new hermanas in our Area and they are AWESOME. One of them is from Utah and we lowkey speak in English all the time. OOPSS. Don't worry we speak in Spanish too but it's nice to have a break from Spanish.
We had a really nice week. We contacted alot this week and taught lots of lessons.
We are teaching one of the cutest little girls ever. Her name is Erika and she is gaining a strong testimony of this gospel. But her parents :( They're being hard to work with, just like all the other parents and its frustrating for us and frustrating for her. But the Lord has a plan. We'll see how it all goes.
I am starting to love teaching in Spanish. Because I can finally almost express myself exactly how I want to and be understood. Thanks to the wonderful GIFT OF TONGUES. Gifts of the Spirit are real. and we can really develop them. The Lord is helping me so much. I have never felt His love so strongly for people. He loves the people here so much. He also loves all of you so much. Never forget His love :) He´s always there 
We had a really fun activity with the ward this week. Everyone brought their favorite dish typical to Arequipa and their family and friends. Specifically Less Actives, investigators and non members. We got SO MANY REFERENCES that day. And that's awesome because references are so helpful!
The activity was way fun, although I for the first time here in Arequipa , did not like ANY of the food. I felt so bad because they were all so excited and everyone else liked it all, but I didn't like any of it. Oops.
Also really sad news. Our investigator Mariana did not receive permission to be baptized. Her mom thinks she is too young to make that decision and will not allow it. We're pretty sad about it. But God has a plan.

We'll keep working hard and serving the Lord and trusting Him.

This week we put a major focus on el Libro de Mormón with all of our investigators. It really has all the answers to all the questions and is the key to conversion into this gospel.
I urge you all to read it. As families and individually. This past conference President Monson gave us this promise if we read the Book of Mormon everyday ''we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives.'' 
I have truly felt that power out here on my mission. I truly is the word of God and it was written for our day because we have a Amoroso Padre Celestial. 
Thank yall for your love and support. 
Yall are the best :)
Until we meet again next P-Day <3

Hermana Howe❤

FOTOS:
1 me in our closet because Hermana Miranda was sweeping and I didn't want to get in her way
2 MISTI so pretty I love it here like wow.
3 Chachani honestly so breathtaking






Tuesday, August 15, 2017

I SURVIVED MY FIRST CAMBIO!! AND HAD A BAPTISM

Holaaaaaa
I hope everyone had an AWESOME week. I had one crazy week for real. I got food poisoning Monday which was a super fun experience. So we took the beginning of the week pretty slow because me and Hermana Miranda were sick. We spent alot of time also trying to help a couple get married, but its so hard!! They need so many things they don't have. But they're in the process. SO that's good. 
The other 3 Hermanas were emergency transferred out of our ward this week on Wednesday and that was a really interesting experience. But its transfers today so we´re getting two new hermanas! So that'll be lots of fun. I'm really glad I'm staying in this area because the ward is SUPER GREAT. We have awesome leaders and we get a reference like every Sunday.
I had a really rough day this week trying to communicate. Spanish is HARD. But I don't let the bad days get me down. They just draw me closer to our Savior. Who is ALWAYS THERE. With His arms open to help us. I know that for certain.
Alright so we had one Baptism. (Mariana was also gonna get baptized but sadly she was still on vacation so we´ll see what happens there)
But yes MARCO GOT BAPTIZED and was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. His mom and sister came and it was so good. His mom during the baptism closed her eyes and held her hands out and recited the prayer so that was nice. We´re teaching her the correct way to pray don't worry.
Marco is helping alot with his family and its awesome. They love hearing his testimony and his parents want to get married too! Wahoo! so we´ll see what happens there. They're really great.

We had an area conference yesterday for Peru and Bolivia and it was SO GOOD.
Carol F McConkie spoke (in Spanish which was cool, she was intently reading the prompter but it was really cool that she did it in Spanish), also Quentin L Cook and they were both good. But my favorite was definitely Juan A Uceda. He spoke about ¨tradiciones celestiales¨ and it was so good. He challenged the members to pray always, read the scriptures everyday and if they live near a temple to go each week or each month ( Tucson friends and fam. yall have a temple now. Provo friends you have two. I think yall can do this) I challenge you guys to do the same.
So much happiness and peace will come as you grow closer to our Savior :) 
You guys are awesome 
Thank you for your love and support ❤
Have a killer week
Until we meet again next P-day
Hermana Howe ❤

FOTOS
1-MARCO WAS BAPTIZED WAHOO SAVING SOULS
2-My faves. First district rip 😢
3-Hermana Wipio aka one of my new best friends but she got transferred this week :(




Monday, August 7, 2017

I LOVE AREQUIPA

Hola my beautiful friends and family
Fastest week of my whole life EN SERIO,
This week was AWESOME:)
We had a super awesome Pday last week. We went on a tour of Arequipa. It was way sick. SO many photos. Arequipa is BEAUTIFUL. I don't ever want to leave here honestly. The people are great and the food is the BEST. ( Besides the food my mom makes love your food mom. Also real ketchup. The ketchup here is GROSS haha)
We had a crazy week, Lots of investigators, We`re teaching a family who wants to know the truth AND GET MARRIED!! Which is so rare to find here. SO many people live together and have like 6 kids and aren't married. Its crazy.
Wev arerushing around getting ready for the BAUTISMO THIS SATURDAY:) We have one Baptism this Saturday for certain (Marco had his bautismal interview yesterday and he is ready for BAUTISMO) and Mariana just needs the permission of her mom but shes scared to talk to her mom so we´ll see what happens there. We fasted for her so I hope it all works out because shes so ready to be baptized.
Guys have I told you how much of a miracle Marco is. 
His whole family actually, His parents also want to get married and his Dad is super fascinated with the fact that we have a prophet today tonight were going to watch some of Thomas S Monsons talks. (So weird to just hear the translator in spanish and the prophets voice but the spirit is the same its so cool)
Marco gave his testimony in Sacrament meeting and almost no one realized he was an Investigator thats how AMAZINGLY FUERTE his testimony is. He's really helping strengthen my testimony,
Miracles. So amazing. God is so so GOOD.
On Thursday we had a MultiZone conference. AND IT WAS SO GOOD. I got to see Elder Sherwood from my district in the CCM. He was so so sick and it made me so grateful that I'm not sick. Truly being blessed. 
I lead the music at the conference because the whole mission knows I can sing. Its fun.
The conference was all about coming to really know Christ and I loved it. President Johnson is truly amazing and Im learning so much from him. The conference got me and Hermana Miranda PUMPED for the work and we keep working hard everyday.

Today I had to do some visa work and I GOT TO SEE HERMANA SCHMIDT my compañera en el CCM. It was AWESOME to see her. We talked in English which is starting to feel so weird. But it was a good morning and we have lots more today so it'll be a great Pday :)

Livin the life here in Arequipa.
I love yall so much 
and God loves yall alot too
This Church is TRUE.
gracias for your love and support❤
Until next Pday
Hermana Howe <3

FOTOS
1 ME AND HERMANA SCHMIDT eating these basically chicken salad sandwiches that they eat for breakfast here 
they're way good
2 Our little family with the Chavez´s
3 AREQUIPA beautiful right???





A Llama He is supposed to be dead