Hola!

Hello everyone!

I hope your week has been great! Mine has! Sooo....we received calls for cambios last night and....Hermana Jara is going back to Cochabamba and I AM GOING TO STAY HERE IN TUPIZA! AHH! I am so happy because I didn't want to leave!!! Also, I am now a Capacitadora (Sister Training Leader). This means that I am in charge of other sisters in my mission and that once every transfer I will have exchanges with them. I was not expecting this at all! So now my new companion and I are in charge of the other two sisters in Tupiza. My new companion is Hermana
Bisama. She was my sister training leader these last 3 months and will come and we will be the capacitadoras here. Today at 6 PM I am going to go to Potosi and pick her up-we can't be alone. :) I was not expecting this though! I am so excited to have intercambios with the other hermanas!
     Anyway, a dog peed on my foot this week...DURING a lesson. Right? That dog will see me again on judgement day. Also, I lost my voice today and can only whisper. Everyone looks at me like they think I am telling secrets. Haha! Also, I went to church with a sock bun on my head and one of the members was like "You have a tamale on your head!" I laughed pretty hard. Bolivians don't see very many sock buns...
     It was a great week and it passed by flying! We worked hard in the blazing sun and found new people who want to hear the amazingly wonderful message of the gospel! I know that Jesus Christ came to this earth to live and die and resurrect for us. I know that we are sons and daughters of Heavenly Father and I LOVE to tell people that because lots of the time they don't even understand what that means! I love helping people to feel the Spirit! It is one of the best feelings in the world! I love you all and hope you have a great week! Give the missionaries some references!!!

Love,
Hermana Eaves

The Elders shined shoes in the plaza because they didn't want to knock doors...

Hello!

Another great week in Tupiza!!!!!
So we found out yesterday that the Elders (E. Willden, Mondaque, Anderson and Cimarron) shined shoes in the plaza because they didn't want to knock doors. Haha! They shined shoes for free then contacted the people that came! People all over Tupiza were talking about it.  Haha!
    
Anyway, some of our highlights for the week:
 1. We found a cell phone (of the other sister missionaries) that has been lost for 4 weeks. A lady in Charaja (a pueblo) had it.
2. I waved at a member in the street and made a drunk guy's day because he thought I was waving at him. Haha!
3. Our investigator told us that when he sees God one day he is going to ask him for a shark...that doesn't eat meat. Haha!

Anyway, this week I have been reading in the Book of Mormon about the 2000 Stripling Warriors and I love this story soooo much! It is my favorite! These soldiers fought for their country for years and not one of them died? Why? Because they were firm in the faith and had been taught by their parents. I am so grateful for my parents because I know that I wouldn't be here without them. I wouldn't be a member of this wonderful church! I wouldn't be here in the mission without my amazing parents' example. I am so thankful for the Savior and his sacrifice for us. I was reading in the New Testament about the crucifixion and it made me so sad that the very people that Christ suffered for killed him on the cross only days later. I am thankful
for a loving Heavenly Father who sent His Beloved son to die for us. I love the scriptures and I love being a missionary! I love you all!
Have a great week!
Love,
Hermana Eaves

1 YEAR=BBQ chicken neck to celebrate

Hello everyone!
So this week I completed 1 YEAR in the mission!!! How crazy is that???? I feel like this year has flown so fast!!!! I made some BBQ chicken neck and french fries to celebrate. I asked for chicken breast and I got the neck too...so I rolled with it...(and for future  reference, BBQ chicken neck isn't as good as it sounds
#lotsofBBQsauce). I can't believe that one year of my mission has come
and gone...

It was a great week though!!! Guess what??? Family Martinez (who had some doubts about their baptisms) are all reading their scriptures every day and Gladis, Jose and Alex want to be baptized!!!! We are still working with Daniel, the oldest son (12 years old) and trying to help him make the decision. We put a date for their baptism and they came to church yesterday. I am so happy for them! I know that they are going to be great church members! We have been praying for this family every day and I know that Heavenly Father is answering our prayers. We have been working hard here in Tupiza and contacting a LOT to find new people! There are so many chosen people here, we just need to be
diligent so that we can find them!

We also found some great new investigators, Lucia and Bryan. They are always willing to listen. In our last lesson, Lucia's daughter, Sherlinda, fell asleep (she is 5 years old). Well, her brother walked by her to get something and she (still sleeping) grabs his leg and bites him super hard!!!
There are so many great things happening here every day. I know that I will never regret the decision that I made to serve a mission. I have learned so many wonderful things here and am so grateful for the experiences I have had. I know that Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet of God. I know that we are led by a Prophet of God, Thomas Monson. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that it changes lives. I know that families can be together forever. I know that the work I am doing here is of God because I have felt His help every
second of every day. I love you all and hope you all have a great week!
Love,
Hermana Eaves

Contacting....

Hola a todos,
I am in the SLOOOOOWEST internet ever so there won't be pictures this week. Lo siento. I hope this email sends, haha!  Anyway, it's been a great week. We have been contacting lots and lots!!!!
So some great news!!!! Hermana Gladys and her son, Daniel, have agreed to be baptized on the 17th of September! I am so happy for them!!! We are still working with Jose and Alex but I know they will be baptized then too! And guess what? We were going to go and visit them on Thursday (they live in Charaja, which is a pueblo about 30 minutes from Tupiza) but Hermana Gladys told us that on Thursday she was going to go and buy vegetables because she wanted to keep the Sabbath day holy(she would have gone and bought them Sunday). She is so great and faithful! I can't wait for her to be baptized and receive all the blessings of the gospel! 

Also, Spanish blunder for the week:
A little boy asked me if I could resurrect his dog. I heard "Do you want to see my dog?" So I replied "Yes, of course!!!!" He led me to the grave and I realized that I had heard wrong...I explained that his dog would resurrect one day... I also knocked on a chicheria (where they serve alcohol). I thought it was a house...until a drunk man answered the door and we saw and smelled a bunch of alcohol. We didn't stay long at his door...
Anyway, I love the work here in Tupiza! It's so great! The people here are great and I just want everyone to accept the gospel!!!!! I had a dream last night that I went home and in my dream I was so sad because I wasn't going to be able to see all the wonderful people here progress. I am so grateful to be here as a missionary!!!! I love you guys!! Have a great week!
Love,
Hermana Eaves

So many great things!

For those of you who don't know...MY BROTHER, SUTTON, IS OFFICIALLY A MISSIONARY!!!!! He left to the MTC this week!!!!!!!
 Anyway, it was a great week! (They are all great weeks!) Some of the highlights are:
-My compi got the cotton part of a q tip stuck in her ear during companionship study, haha! I pulled it out with tweezers. #companionshipbonding #tanunidas (very unified in English)
-This conversation
Knock a door looking for someone named Caty (Kathy)
Dad opens door and we ask for Caty. His response "There's not anyonenamed Caty that lives here". (we knew he was lying because we had found Caty in this house the day before). His little son comes out and yells "Yeah! Papa, Caty lives here!"  The dad gets all flustered and is like "Oh, yeah, Caty does live here
but she's busy".  People often lie to the missionaries. But this time the truth came "from the mouth of a babe". :)
-I ALMOST got bit by a dog because it was barking at us and my compi threw a rock at it and it came for ME!!!! My compi was hiding behind me and it literally almost bit me. But it didn't. 
Missionaries=1, dog=0

Anyway, it was a great week but our investigators who had a date fortheir baptism (they were going to be baptized this Saturday that is coming up) fell through because they didn't come to church this week. :( I was sad for them but I know that they will be baptized soon. They are a family-Gladys, Daniel, Jose and Alex Martinez. I'm sad for them because I know that this is one of the best decisions they will make in their lives. They will be so much happier and unified after their baptism. Of course they will still have problems and trials but the miracle of the gospel is that they will be able to overcome their problems through faith in Christ and a knowledge that their family can be eternal! I am so grateful for this knowledge that I have and I am thankful that my brother is now sharing this knowledge with others.
Have a great week!

Love,
Hermana Eaves

Bucket Showers and Bolivian Independence Day

Hello everyone!
I hope all is going well with you! It has been a great week! My new companion got here on Tuesday. Her name is Hermana Jara. She is from Lima, Peru and she has 14 months in the mission so she is almost done. And as you can see in the subject, we have been taking bucket showers. Why? It's because our shower is broken and doesn't make hot water. And the water here is FREEZING if it isn't heated. So we heat up water in pots and use cups to dump it over our heads. It's actually a great
adventure. :) Also, August 6th was Bolivian Independence Day! So we made three layer jello, red, yellow and green in honor of the Bolivian flag. We also wore Bolivian colors. :) It was great fun...but then we ended up contacting all day because everyone was partying. Haha! Also, a drunk guy came to our "Gospel Principles" class on Sunday. He shared his life story with us. It was so sad. I now understand why the prophets have counseled us not to drink. It really does ruin lives and families. :(
Also, this week we were able to talk to lots of people about baptism and promise lots of blessings! I love working with the people here in Tupiza! They are so great! I love telling people that their families can be together forever. Isn't it such a beautiful message? Families can last beyond the grave. When a brother or sister or aunt or father or someone passes away, it's not the end! It's just the
beginning to the rest of their lives! I love being able to teach people about the gospel. I love you all and hope you have a great week!
Love,
Hermana Eaves

Gratitud diario

Hello everyone!

I don't have lots of time today but I wanted to share a couple experiences that happened this week. This week, Hermana Lopardo and I were walking in our area and we saw one of our investigators crying on the side of the road. She was with her whole family and told us that her mom had died in the morning (her mom was 35 years old). Her mom had died of a tumor in her stomach. Something that this investigator said really struck me. She said "I didn't appreciate my mom while I had her. And now she's gone." I was so sad for her. Hermana Lopardo and I just stood and held our 15 year old investigator until they brought her mom out in a coffin, put her in the back of a car and drove away. I know that Heavenly Father sent us to be with our investigator in her hardest moment.
    The next day, we were teaching a lesson to a less active mother who has two teenage children that are very disrespectful. The kids began fighting in the lesson and the mom joined in to scold them. The Spirit left the room and nobody was listening to Hna Lopardo and I. I said a prayer asking Heavenly Father to help us say something that would bring back the Spirit and instantly the story of our investigator who lost her mom came into my mind. I shared the story and talked about how we need to be grateful for everything that we have because we never know when we might loose it. I shared the quote "What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you gave thanks to Heavenly Father for today?" The Spirit returned and we left the family feeling happier than they had been when we arrived. I know that the Lord will help us to say the things we need to say. I know that gratitude is something that we can all give to Heavenly Father. We have so many blessings in our lives. :) Have a great week! I love you all!Love,Hermana Eaves

Thank you all!!!!!!

Thank you all so much for your love and happy birthday wishes! You guys are the best!  

I got my package and I LOVE it!  I love everything!  The shirt is super cute and I love the wheat thins. (I ate them all)  I love the letters and the journal!  I love everything!  

This week was crazy. We had intercambios with the capacitadores in Potosi, which means that we had to go to Potosi (a 5 hour bus ride).

It was actually super cool! We didn't freeze and there were no blockades this time! We passed through Cotagaita and all the happy memories of walking to Tupiza hit me. Haha!
So while we were waiting for our bus to arrive at the Terminal so that we could get on, a Cholita came and sat by me and started talking to me. She was a Jehovah's Witness and had me read from her little book and gave me a folleto! The Cholita Testigo de Jehovah contacted me! Haha!
In church yesterday I was sitting by an elderly Cholita and she was telling me about her life and I thought about how cool it was that I could know her. We live worlds apart but we're united as friends because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love that I could get to know her a little better. Even though we had completely different stories, we were alike in our testimonios of Christ. I really felt love for her and I am so thankful to be here serving a mission. I love the opportunity I have to touch lives and get to know complete strangers. It would be so cool if you all reached out to a complete stranger this week and talked to them, even if it's just 5 minutes. Their story may be completely different than yours but you will be similar because we are all children of God. :) I hope you all have a great week! I love you all!
Love,
Hermana Eaves

Viruses, drunks, bad cholita food and washing mountains of ropa

  So as you can see in the subject, lots has happened this week. My
camera got a virus that hid all my photos (luckily it just hid them
and didn't erase them). The guy who prints photos showed me how to fix
it though so I think I can unhide my pictures. Haha! In Tupiza there
are lots of drunks, which makes for lots of good stories, ha! We were
walking down the road and there was a drunk guy standing on the
sidewalk and as we got closer he looked at us and then stumbled away
like he had been shoved. We were just looking at him like, "Umm,
what's he doing?" He was just staring at us like we had been the
ones to push him, haha! We passed him and he returned to his original
spot. We joked that one of the angels with us had given him a shove,
haha!
  And just some advice when you come to Bolivia, DON'T EAT FOOD FROM
CHOLITAS. Haha! Unfortunately we didn't have a choice because the
Cholita was a member who gets offended super easily. So we ate her
food and let's just say that we ran out of toilet paper really
fast...Welcome to Bolivia.
     We helped 3 different people wash their clothes this week, and
they all by hand. We are pretty much pro's now. Need to wash
your clothes by hand? Just call me up after the mission. It is so much
work. No wonder Bolivians have so much muscle in their arms.




  Anyway, I never want to leave Tupiza. I feel such love for the
people here and just want to help them all to be as happy as I am! I
know that the things we teach bless families. I really want to help
the people here to have happy families forever! I love the mission! I
love you all! Have a great week! Read the Book of Mormon!
Love,
Hermana Eaves

Never thought I would be a Seminary teacher...

Hello everyone!
I'm back after another cold week in Bolivia! So as you can see in the
subject, I am a seminary teacher (with my companions). We are in a
rama and since there are not many members we have received the calling
of seminary teachers. It's actually really fun! We are teaching the
Old Testament from the Bible.
     Just to tell you a little bit more about Tupiza...It's a little
city in the middle of the mountains and it is SO pretty! There are
giant red, black and white mountains surrounding the whole time. There
is a river (right now it is a stream because it isn't the rainy
season) surrounding the city and the streets are small. We take a
trufi 30 minutes to get to a little pueblo called Charaja where we
have investigators and Menos Activos. The people here are really
friendly, even the drunks stop and talk to us sometimes. ;) I got a
picture of one this week...
     We have some great investigators. We are teaching a little girl
named Tiffies. She is 11 years old and is Menos Activa. She has a
cousin that's 9 years old who's name is Franklin. The other day we had
a lesson with them and Tiffies told us that she wasn't able to come to
church because she had something in her school (they always have stuff
on Sundays). We finished the lesson and were walking away when
Franklin came running after us and says "Hermanas, can you come and
pick me up so that I can come to church on Sunday?" Awww...He is the
best! After church he came up to me and was like "When you guys come
on Wednesday can you help me to have faith in God?" My heart! We are
working with lots of great people! I am so glad to be here and am
excited to continue working with the people in Tupiza! Love you all!
Have a great week!
Love,
Hermana Eaves