A Little Taste of Home: Peanut butter, RAP and Buttermilk Syrup

Well...it´s Pday again! And I have some stories that seem hilarious (at least to me) ...unfortunately they may not be very funny to you. 

Firstly...This week Sister Zobrist (my Mission Presidents wife) invited me and my companion and the other companionship of sisters to lunch at the mission home. The food we had was INCREDIBLE...and we had chocolate ice cream with chocolate Hershey syrup for dessert. Sister Jacobson and I (she's from Utah) spent the whole luncheon admiring the carpet in the mission home...they don´t have it anywhere else.  Yesterday was Sister Zobrists birthday so my companion and I called her and sang happy birthday...I think it freaked her out a little bit...so I didn´t continue with the Stone family birthday song when we finished. Maybe she didn't want to be reminded it was her birthday. :0

We also had a ward activity this week. It started at 6:30....and guess what time it actually started? Yes...8:40!!! This is classic Peru. Since we are in the ward with the zone leaders they called President and asked for permission for us to stay a little bit later cause it started so late. ..but it was HYSTERICAL! The YSA did a skit, and in a nutshell it was about a a young kid who got into drugs and stole all his dads money to buy illegal drugs...and then he ended up ruining his life and living on the street...but the fact that they were playing super bad rap music every time he went to buy drugs and the Bishop was laughing was probably my favorite part. I don't even think he understood any of the words of the song.  Our ward here is so awesome though...the members help a ton with the missionary work, I hope you guys are giving the missionaries in the ward references. :)

Also...we had FHE with a family in the ward last Monday and guess what we had for dessert....PANCAKES AND BUTTERMILK SYRUP! (A family favorite)  I don´t even want to picture what I looked like eating the buttermilk syrup...but I imagine I looked something like Kendall does when she eats buttermilk syrup cause the Sister asked if I wanted to take some home in a CUP...HOW EMBARRASSING. It´s okay...don´t worry I didn´t say yes. Sheesh! 

So...on Saturday we went on visits with the Primary president. She is probably 60 years old, and this woman can work!!! Holy Moly! We went to visit someone in the middle of NOwhere and we had to climb what felt like Mt Everest to get to their house...and she was moving faster than we were! But it was so awesome cause when we were climbing I was thinking..."Okay...what the heck. Where are we going...this is hard...I don´t want to climb this mountain!¨" But as soon as we got to the top it was the most BEAUTIFUL peaceful place with an incredible view...And it made me think of what I had studied that morning about trials.  We all have them...and even though they may be different...and some may be harder than others...everyone is facing something hard, but if we can just keep going, and keep hiking when we get to the end it is going to be wonderful and beautiful. Heavenly Father understands...I promise he understands...and he doesn´t give us trials that we can´t handle. There is a lesson that we need to learn from every trial that we face...be humble, and let the Lord teach us something new. This concept  I have come to understand so well on my mission.

A quote that I love from President Utchdorf says, "You´re are not alone in this journey.  Your Heavenly Father knows you. Even when no one else hears you, he hears you.  When you rejoice in righteousness, he rejoices with you.  When you are beset with trials, he grieves with you."  Remember that you are not alone! 

Love you all so much! 

Until next week.

Hermana Stone

oh this is too classic....

my companion gave me a full on foot massage and said "its like jesus..." as she washed my feet.

how great is she?? hahaha 

also....my zone leader gave me PEANUT BUTTER this week....i haven´t been that happy in...at least a week. haha

I shave my legs in the toilet!

Hello my lovely familia!

This week was a tough week work wise, but I am seriously so gosh darn happy here in Peru.  Sometimes when we drive in the bus and they are blasting Spanish music and I can't move because I’m being smashed by a bazillion people and can’t feel my hands from holding onto the handles on the ceiling so hard, I just die laughing realizing that I am a missionary serving in a foreign country...and it’s just SO awesome.

We had a multi-zone conference with President Zobrist this week and it was wonderful. I love my mission president. He is hysterical and his accent is horrible so I feel a little better about my Spanish whenever I talk to him. Haha.  He talked to us about our calling as missionaries and it was amazing. I was sitting there in the front row writing (like a mad woman) all the revelation I was receiving. 

We didn’t have a baptism, but we taught about 60 lessons this week. My companion and I are on fire in this new area and I am loving it!

We had one investigator named Alex. Unfortunately they changed the boundaries of our area this week and he no longer is in our area. But I have to tell you about him because he was SO awesome. The only reason he didn’t get baptized with us was that he wasn’t married. Plus his wife-person didn’t want to get married. His mother-in-law is a member so we went to visit. The first time we talked with him he was super unresponsive but we decided to go back again anyway. The next lesson was a little better and at the end we gave him a Book of Mormon. When we came back 2 days later he was in 1 Nephi 8! It was sweet and we truly saw SUCH a change in him from when he started reading the Book of Mormon. We invited him to the baptism we had last week and he showed up 30 minutes early. Then he stayed after and helped the elders clean up. Then he was at church the next day for the confirmation. From that point on, he was SOLID: reading the Book of Mormon everyday. It was amazing. And honestly, up to this point in my mission, I haven’t felt the spirit work through me more strongly than it did when we taught him. When we told him the boundaries changed and we couldn’t visit, it was so sad. For the first time since I got out here, I cried while speaking in Spanish. It was awesome. I could hardly contain myself cause the spirit was so strong. Then my companion started crying and then HE started crying and I was just trying to bear my testimony without sounding like a complete FOOOL. But, it was okay because the spirit was there and that is really all that matters.  It is the most amazing feeling in the world when I have a thought come into my mind of what I should say in a lesson and I follow it, and see the results.  I seriously love the spirit. AH! 

Speaking of that, this was awesome. Yesterday we were teaching a girl named Janeth who is one of our investigators. She had a baptismal date for 31st of August but lately she hasn’t been meeting with us and totally avoiding us. We weren’t sure why. My companion is just the sweetest person ever, so she doesn’t really know how to be direct with people. BUT, thanks to the gift of tongues and a prompting that I should be direct with her, I had an idea come into my mind and followed it. I said to her, "Look Janeth, we are here as missionaries to teach you. If you have any questions or doubts, you need to ask us. More importantly than you being baptized, is you having a desire to be baptized and knowing WHY it’s important. We want to help you and know that this message can bless your life, but you need to do your part or we can’t help you." It was like a huge wave of the spirit and she said..."I want to learn more. Can you come back this week and answer my questions?" WHHHATTTUP! It was sweet! 

Anyway, things are going so well here for me. I am used to our bathroom now and I actually enjoy being able to use the toilet to my advantage…like when I shave my legs. It’s wonderful. Haha. I love Peru more and more everyday, and now that I can understand people I seriously love them all so much!

Good luck starting school this week. I always loved the first week because I felt like I was starting fresh. Enjoy seminary Summy-sum. I miss seminary so much. My junior year I had the best teacher EVER! Ha.

LOVE YOU and miss you ALL! 

Ps. ZONA STONE! Sweet huh?

"Bless us not to get married today!"

Wow! Someone PLEASE explain the time thing on the mission. I have yet to understand how in the heck the days seem like YEARS and I’m hitting 5 months this week. What in the world?

Well, yes. I know you’re all dying to know. Si! Gonzalo was baptized on Saturday! It was SO special. At the end of the service he bore his testimony and it was incredible how strong the spirit was. Then, listen to this. After the baptism he came up to me and said, "Okay. I have to tell you something Sister Stone. About a year ago I had a dream about you. In the dream I don’t remember much, but I just remember seeing your face and knowing that you were someone important to me." HOLY COW, right? Isn’t that sweet? It came at the perfect time when I was literally just thinking, "Okay. My Spanish is terrible. Am I even helping anyone here?" MIRACLE! Such a blessing! 

Another blessing: this week I finished the Book of Mormon again. AH! Holy cow! I love that book. I have a goal to finish it five times on my mission and I just started it for the third time on Wednesday.  I want to be able to understand the STORY of the Book of Mormon with more clarity, and understand the prophets more fully and learn more about what made them the men and missionaries that they were. I know that this will only come as I study their words.  

Oh yes. Just in case any of you think my Spanish is going well...let me tell you about a prayer I said the other day. First of all, cansada means tired and casada means married. Yeah. This was my prayer, "Bless us to not get married today as we walk and talk with people in the street and share our message with them." Ha. My companion is so sweet. She just whispers the correct word. Once I realized what I had said, I burst out in laughter... Then she realized it was okay for her to laugh too. Seriously love her to death! I’m praying that she doesn’t get her visa so she can be my companion for longer.

I was sick this last week with some sort of something in my stomach. Then I realized that I only felt sick when I drank the MILK. Ah. Yes. This morning I drank something white so I’m pretty sure it had milk in it. I’ll be sick later probably. Oh well. My tolerance for pain is getting so much better. Remember how much of a baby I used to be. Ha.

This week is Chandler’s birthday. WOO! 23 years old. Channy cuando yo regreso podemos hablar en español sobre todos los personas y ya...ellos no sabrán nada. Espero que practica sus español cada mañana, y pienso que usted debe escribir me en español porque quiero saber si puedo entender. Haha. LOVE YOU!

Have a wonderful week everyone! Remember that you are loved!

Holes in My Shoes While You Lounge on the Beach

Hello you lovely party family. I can’t lie and say this last few days has been easy knowing you’re all at the Beach House this week. Ah...favorite place in the world! Loved your picture of the family... the Stone family is so good looking! I’m sure Katelyn made some cute little lovey-dovey remark about how the family isn’t as good looking without her smoking hot husband. Haha. 

So this week I spent most of my time trying to figure out my new area, the investigators, each of their specific needs, and how my broken Spanish and random talents can help each of them.  Yesterday I had a nice little confidence boost when the ward found out I played the piano. They have a piano in the chapel and have never used it. So after sacrament meeting I felt like a celebrity and was swarmed by the members. They also have never had a white sister in this area so I really felt like an alien from another planet. They just stared at me and touched my hair and it was hilarious; I loved it! Haha. 

We have one investigator here in Independencia named Gonzalo. He had a fecha (date) for this last Saturday for baptism and called and canceled. He said the reason was because his parents were on vacation and wanted to attend; so he asked if we could change it to next week. It was tough, but my companion and I decided that we needed to pray about what we should do. After we finished, we looked at each other and my companion said, "I feel good about next week. I don’t know why, but I think it’s going to be okay." We both had such a strong feeling of peace. I’m going to skip what happened next and come back to it. Later on we went to his house and picked him up for a lesson at the stake president’s house. I honestly and truly am so grateful for his decision to postpone his baptism because if he hadn’t we wouldn’t have had this lesson. It was so awesome! When we started, I felt really strongly that I should talk to him about the atonement; so I explained to him that the atonement can be used for more than just repenting of our sins. It was truly inspired because he went on to ask more about the atonement. Then we watched the movie Finding Faith in Christ, and the spirit was SO strong. I just sat there crying and didn’t even know how to bare testimony after the moment we had. But somehow Spanish came out of my mouth and I testified of the power of the atonement. He was nearly crying. It was so special. Gonzalo is 18 years old and looks like a total punk, but has SUCH a strong testimony. I am so excited for his baptism next week. He asked me to sing in English. I’ll see what I can do. Haha.

So, quickly, back to Saturday. Haha. Oh my gosh! This is just so hysterical. Heavenly Father has the best sense of humor. I can’t wait to get up to heaven and crack jokes with Him. So, after we had received the news that Gonzalo wasn’t going to be baptized we grabbed our stuff and headed out to another little town in our area called Villa Ecologica. Now, let me tell you about villa: It is straight up Peru...like...exactly how you would picture Peru. Dirt roads; no plumbing; it is sweet! I love this new area because I feel like I’m actually in Peru. People don’t have TVs, or cars or anything...just dogs. It´s so much cooler than my first area. So on Saturday we were standing on the edge of this cliff knocking on a door of an investigator who was CLEARLY home and purposely not answering the door. In the blazing heat, I looked down and realized that the reason my feet hurt so bad was because I had rocks in my shoes because there were HOLES in my shoes. Plus, there were two nasty dogs sniffing my legs. Then I had a thought of the beach house pop into my head: everyone sitting around on the deck listening to music, laying out in their swimsuits and I literally just started LAUGHING! I can honestly say that I don’t remember the last time I was that happy. My companion was so confused...and so was I. I was trying to explain why in the heck I was so happy, but I seriously LOVE this country. I love these people with all my heart and I love being a missionary. I will only get this chance once and I want to look back on my mission and remember it being the best time of my life.

Love you all! Enjoy the sunshine and the ocean! I hope I can be back for the beach house next year. I will let you know when I find out when the transfers are in August next year. 

Xoxoxo,

Hermana Carli Stone

Here are some pictures. 

PS. I'm not fat. I promise. Haha. I just look GIANT!

How cute is my companion though. We have matching backpacks. Ha.

THIS is the bathroom??

Hey family! Well...this week was kind of crazy! We had changes yesterday and when we got our call in the morning, we received some some sad news that both Hermana Chàvez and I had changes. So I am no longer in Gràficos and I am soo sad. Plus, I’m missing my companion like crazy.  Here is the WEIRDEST part. I got transferred to the other area with sisters in the SAME zone I was in before. My zone leaders said they had never heard of that ever happening. So these next few months my job is to figure out why I’m here in Selva Alegre...because I am obviously needed here in this area. 

My new area is HUGE and has another set of missionaries. It should be interesting with two sets in the same ward. So the issue with my area being so big is that my companion (who...oh my goodness is the SWEETEST girl in the whole world) is just here until her visa comes. She’s from Lima, and her mission is actually Bolivia, Cocabomba. I’m freaking out a little bit cause her visa could come any day now...and I know nothing about this new area. Plus, let me tell you about the BATHROOM. It is a complete joke. I literally laughed when I saw it cause I thought they were kidding. I stood there looking at the bathroom laughing and my zone leader was laughing too. So, I thought it was some hysterical joke they were playing on me. Come to find out my zone leader was laughing AT ME. It is probably the size of a shower at home but it has a toilet. Oh. There’s no door...and the toilet doesn’t flush. Haha. I was living at the Ritz before with the Patriarch. But, it will be okay. I am going to learn a lot. I’m not sure what I am going to learn from this but I’m sure I will look back and be grateful for this experience.

It was a lot harder to leave my area in Gràficos than I thought. Hermana Chàvez and I cried almost everyday last week. Haha. Yes. I’m back in my crying stage...and I probably will be until I can figure out my new area. Ha. Last week we had an awesome lesson with one of our investigators. We told her how much we were going to miss her, and she BROKE DOWN sobbing and told us how much we had changed her life and brought light into her home and her family. We all just sat there crying together. It was so sweet. And I realized that is why I’m here.

Things here are tough for me. But, everyday I am SO blessed with strength from the other side and I know without a doubt in my mind that the Lord is helping me. It’s interesting because usually, at least once everyday, I have this feeling of "What the heck am I doing? This is way too hard!" followed by an overwhelming feeling of peace that just says, "You can do this. You were set apart and called by a prophet of God to be here." What a blessing. My daily tender mercy!

Miss you all so much. Can’t believe you’re going to the beach house this week. I’m gonna miss you all so much! Enjoy it! And enjoy trek Mom and Dad and Summer. That is one of my favorite memories. Don’t be negative Sum. I know you won’t be, but just be happy and give everything you have to feel the spirit of the pioneers and what they all experienced! And keep praying for me. Haha. Love you all!

Xoxoxo,

Sister Carli Stone

Vacation!!!

Hello! Hello! Yes, I'm alive. Sorry about the heart attack! I had "vacations" this week. I’ll explain about that later. Firstly and most importantly...

LUCIA WAS BAPTIZED THIS WEEK! Last Tuesday our zone leaders came with us to talk to her and make sure she wanted to get baptized.  We aren’t supposed to teach together with the elders so we left and went to visit a member real fast to use their bathroom (classic Hermana Chavez) and then when we got back one of the elders was sitting outside her house reading his scriptures and we were like..."Hey...where’s your companion? Why are you alone?" and he was like..."Well, she’s ready for baptism so my companion is interviewing her right now." Well, she passed! Hermana Chavez and I cried. J Her baptism was on Saturday and it was the sweetest thing in the world. My companion and I sang "When I am Baptized" in Spanish for her because they never have musical numbers or anything at their baptisms. So they were all shocked. Anyway, that was the biggest highlight of the week.

Next...my vacation. This is hysterical. So, Saturday night I was on the phone with my zone leader talking about the confirmation the next day for our baptism and he says, "Oh! Sister Stone, you have vacations tomorrow! You are going to Lima for your visa!" So, Sunday afternoon after church, my zone leaders drove me to the airport with a few others (including Hermana Dahl, who I love) and we flew to Lima and stayed at a hotel. The next morning drove to immigration where we spent ALL day...but I am legal now. I have a card and everything. Last night we were supposed to come home and of course, what happens? Our flight gets canceled...so 11 missionaries were just waiting in the Lima airport last night. Haha. We called the personal assistant of the president and he told us what to do and where to go. They got us new tickets and another night in the hotel and we went BACK to where we were for the night. It felt like a college road trip gone wrong or something. It was quite the adventure. BUT...we made it back. 2 pieces of pizza, 2 Mcflurries, 4 donuts, a piece of cake, crème brule, and lots more food later...I’m back in my area. I had to get all the American food while I could. We were pretty stoked about the food thing.

Anyway, that’s why I am writing today. Besides the baptism of Lucia this week was just filled to the brim with WORK. And I loved it! Being in Lima and not working for 3 days was so much harder than I thought! I’m so happy to be back and ready to get to work. I am loving my time here in the mission! It gets better with each day…and my Spanish is really starting to get better. Unfortunately, I miss you guys like CRAZY but I know that is part of it. That is one of the biggest trials for me on my mission.

Enjoy my pictures. Lucia is ADORABLE...love her to death.

The other picture is from Lima, and the other is a picture of my zone. They are so awesome!

American Independence Day in Peru

Family! What a fun fourth of July you guys had in Tahoe. Such a classic Stone Independence day! 

My 4th of July here was super special. I wore my red, white and blue, and we had a conference with our new mission president. It was actually quite hilarious...he is the coolest guy, and his sweet wife speaks about 3 words in Spanish, but their spirit and desire to serve is so strong! We sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic and I got to play the piano so I was super excited about that! They spent time showing us about 50 pictures of their family, and all the crazy fun adventures they have gone on in their life with their family. Boating, hiking, traveling...you name it! My zone leader and I were nearly in tears with all their pictures of Lake Powell, Hawaii, and all the American things they have done. Haha. 

I had a chance to talk a little bit with my mission president this morning and he said I should come with my companion and bring cookies and spend some time with his wife. Haha. I think we will pencil that little visit in our planners this week. 

This week was kind of a blur to be completely honest...I dont remember much of what happened. We only had one investigator at church which was tough, but she is so sweet, her name is Lucia...she is 12 and her mom died of cancer about 4 months ago so she lives with her aunt who is CRAZY...and her grandpa who is super abusive. Her aunt is actually a member of the church, but wasnt letting Lucia come to church or be baptized or anything because she is catholic...so this week we had a lovely little chat with her aunt about baptism and how if she knows the church is true she will give permission for Lucia to be baptized too...after the talk she agreed to bring her to church...and she did. We are thinking that in the next few weeks Lucia will be baptized, she needs that light in her life.

We have these other two investigators Marco y Elvira...they are so awesome and ready for baptism...BUT they arent married. It is so sad, because they keep ALL of their compromisos, and they are both reading the Book of Mormon every day, and praying too. SO...this week they told us that they have plans to get married at the end of July, and they want to be baptized after. WOO!! My companion and I were trying so hard not to just scream with joy...but when we left their house we did! haha. Every time we leave their house they said "See you tomorrow!" Which is funny because we dont visit them everyday, but they are seriously so awesome. 

Anyway...thats about it for this week.

The church is true! I love you all from the bottom of my heart and think about you and pray for you daily! 

Ps...I sent about 25 letters off last week that I have written since I got to this country so...if you have written me and haven't heard back yet...PREPARE yourself for a lovely letter from Sister Stone. HA!

Xoxoxoxo

Carli