Hello!

It has been a great week! We were traveling the whole week to get to Cochabamba, have a meeting and come back to Tupiza so not a lothappened.
     Something funny happened today. One of our neighbors started to talk to us and they literally can see into our house (because it is so close). He was talking about how we just moved in and we tried to end the conversation (because we were super late and he was asking prying questions :) like all people here) and he did not want to stop. So then we told him that we were missionaries. He was like "Oh...have a great day, bye!" #howtogetridofsomeoneinlessthan5words  We thought it was pretty funny.
     Anyway, the conference was sooooo awesome! For those of you who don't know what General Conference is, it is a big meeting that we have every 6 months where the living Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, and his apostles speak to us. It is suuuper great because we receive counsel and help with the problems and trials in our lives. Anyone can watch the conference on lds.org. I encourage all of you to watch at least part of it!!! I loved many of the talks but some of my favorites were by J. Devin Cornish on how Christ is helping each one of us. I also loved the talk by Kazuhiko Yamashita. He talked about a missionary that had some health problems and I felt the Spirit sooo strongly. Also, I loved the talk by Russel M Nelson. He talked about always being JOYFUL! It was the best conference ever. I have come to
appreciate conference so much more here in the mission! I hope you all loved it too! I love you guys! Have a great week!
Love,
Hermana Eaves

We found an apartment

Hello!!!
Wow, it's been a great week. So starting with a funny story. Tuesday night at 7 PM the Elders called us and were like "We found you an apartment" (they have been helping us look). We went and saw it and approved and the Elders were like "Okay, we are going to move you in tomorrow morning at 9AM". What??? So we raced home and started throwing everything in suitcases and bags and buckets. It was rather hectic. So we moved and our new house is so great!! The shower is actually warm (no more bucket showers!!), the paint is not falling off the walls, there is light in the house, and there isn't mold growing on the windowsill!!! It is awesome! So until the end of the month we are the proud renters of two apartments. Hah!
     Anyway, I talked to a lady in a Rapidito on the way to Charaja. She was highly opposed to the Book of Mormon because she felt that we were "Trying to add more to God's word". I asked her, "If God wanted to add more to His word, do you think He could?" She replied "Yes, obviously". I asked her, "If God gave you more of His word, would you accept it?" She was like "Yes". I explained that God had given us more of His word through the Book of Mormon. She told me "Well, I don't believe that". I was so sad for her because I know that the Book of Mormon is more of God's word! The Book of Mormon and the Bible work together to convince us that God lives and loves us enough to send Jesus Christ to the world.
     We had a super cool lesson with an investigator named Mario. He loves to listen to us and in the lesson we taught him about the Plan of Salvation. We invited him to pray at the end and as he prayed he felt the Spirit so strongly that he began to cry! We explained to him that he had been feeling the Spirit and in our last lesson with him he told us that he wants to be baptized. It was so amazing! I know that there are such prepared people here in Tupiza! Anyway, I love you all!
Have a great week!
Love,
Hermana Eaves

Me da flojera escribirles...

Hey everyone!
I hope you all had a great week! This week we had cambios! Monday night I took a 7 hour ride in a flota (looks like one of those big tour buses) to pick up my companion from Potosi. Her name is Hermana Bisama and she is from Santiago, Chile. Then Tuesday morning I took a rapidito (looks like a minivan) back to Tupiza. It was a lot of traveling but it was cool!
     This week we contacted someone in the street and we were like "Where do you live?" to go and visit her. She was like "Ummm...this street" (it was a huge street). We replied, "Oh yeah, in what part?" And she replied "Straight". Ummm...we aren't going to be finding her house any time soon.
     We are trying to find a new apartment (we have some problems where we live right now). We have been looking since August and we haven't found ANYTHING that works. We were looking for a long time one day and decided to pray. We prayed and then went to a street corner and were like "Where does the Spirit want us to go?" My companion felt like we should go back down the street and as we were walking I felt like we should ask at a certain tienda. We went and asked and GUESS WHAT? We didn't find an apartment but...we found a family! The dad is a less active and his wife isn't a member. They are so great and I really think they will be able to progress. Sadly, they live in the area of the Elders but it was so cool that the Spirit led us to them. I remembered a quote "You can have what you want or you can have something better." We wanted to find an apartment but we ended up finding something better...A FAMILY! Anyway, I love being a missionary
and I hope you all have a great week!
I love you!
Love,
Hermana Eaves

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