Oh Internet....

Hello!

So I wrote an email and then it was deleted by the computer. The

internet here in Tupiza is rather awful. Just something short...

Being in a trio is really fun! Sure there are things that are more

difficult but generally it is great.

Also, we got our shower fixed. NO MORE FREEZING COLD SHOWERS! Haha!

This week I finished reading the Book of Mormon and I just want

to testify that it is truly another testament of Jesus Christ. I want

to invite you all to read it (whether you are a member of the church

or not) and to pray about it. I know that it has brought a peace to my

life that I couldn't have gained in any other way. I know that I would

not be who I am without the Book of Mormon and it's teachings. I love

to read the Bible and the Book of Mormon together because they both

testify of Jesus Christ. I know that Jesus Christ didn't just go to

Jerusalem, he came to the Americas too. I know that He loves us all. I

hope you all have a great week and take on my challenge to read the

Book of Mormon. I love you all!

Love,

Hermana Eaves

Walking to Tupiza...

This week was pretty crazy. I have the best story ever though for
cambios. This Friday, in Zona Alamos, Area Alamos, Cochabamba,
Hermana Gutierrez and I had just left the apartment to go to a lesson
and what do you know we get a call from the Zone Leaders. I answered
it and our zone leader, Elder Rivera says "I have your cambios
(transfers)." I thought he was joking because we weren't supposed to
receive cambios until Sunday night. He kept telling me that he wasn't
joking. I finally believed him and he said, "We are going to close
your area in Alamos and you are going to go to Tupiza to be in a trio
with Hermana Lopardo and Hermana Goff." What? He then told my
companion where she was going to go. We were both standing on the side
of the road in shock. Then he said, "Hermana Eaves, you have to be at
the airport tomorrow at 8 in the morning." What?? So we rushed home
and started to pack up all of our stuff. 

We were pretty sad that they
were going to close our area because we had just started to see people
coming to church and progressing and wanting to be baptized. So we
went around and said goodbye to everyone. It was pretty sad.






     At 8 AM the next day we were at the airport. I said bye to Hna
Gutierrez (I'm going to miss her!) and went through security with
Hermana Chambi, Elder Anderson and Elder Willden, who were also going
to Tupiza. Security took away my fork but didn't say a thing about my
2 bottles of water...We went on the 30 minute flight to Sucre and
arrived at 10:30 AM. Hermana Chambi and I went with the capacitadora
in Sucre. The capacitadora assigned me to contact with a member. So I
just wandered the streets of Sucre with this member knocking doors and
talking to people for a couple hours. Haha. We then went to a baptism
with the capacitadora. After the baptism we went to the Bus Terminal
where we got on a bus (it is an 8 hour bus ride to Tupiza). The people
in charge of the bus said that there was a blockade in a tiny town
called Cotagaita. We were supposed to pass through this town to get to
Tupiza. The people in charge told us that the bus was going to go
around Cotagaita and that we would arrive in Tupiza at 6 AM instead of
4AM (so a 10 hour bus ride). Well...this is what I wrote in my
journal:

8:37 PM Left the terminal in the bus. Finally en camino a Tupiza!!
12 AM The bus driver just started playing the loudest Cholita music.
Sleep? I think not.

4:20 AM Arrived at a blockade. What? I thought we were supposed to go
around it? There are about 5 trufis in front of us and a bunch are
lining up behind us.
5 AM Hermana Chambi and I left the bus to go to the bathroom (there is
no bathroom in the bus). We only had to climb a little bit up the
mountain to find a nice bush. Then we came back to the bus. We are
still in a blockade. We might be here forever. A lady just came on the
bus saying that her son was in this same blockade for two days...
7 AM We just woke up. We are still in the bus in the blockade. IT IS
FREEZING. I have never been so cold in my life. The bus doesn't have
any type of heating system...I haven't been able to feel my feet since
4 AM Hermana Chambi and I are using my towels (I forgot to pack them
in my suitcases luckily so I shoved them in my pillowcase) to keep warm.


8 AM I think we will be walking to Tupiza.

The people on the bus told us that Cotagaita was about 30 minutes away
walking and that we could find a trufi there. So we took out our
suitcases, put on our warmest jackets and started walking.
Back to my journal...

9 AM After dragging our suitcases over the blockade (big rocks, cactus
and a giant dirt pile that the Bolivians put up to block the trufis)
for an hour we stopped to take a break. Elder Anderson broke out his
Starburst Jelly Beans and we ate them for breakfast. It's Sunday so we
can't buy anything to eat plus we are on a road in the middle of
nowhere. Still can't see Cotagaita.

10 AM We arrive in Cotagaita. It turns out that we walked 2 Kilometers
(only a mile) with our suitcases. It felt so much longer than a mile!
And every Cholita that passed us just laughed at us. Anyway, Cotagaita
is the tiniest little Bolivian town. Only Cholitas and drunk men live
here. Haha.
12 PM Hermana Chambi and I have been sitting with our luggage for two
hours. The Elders have been searching for a trufi to take us to Tupiza
(still an hour and a half away). We don't have a cell phone so nobody
knows where we are at right now. Haha! We are literally in the middle
of nowhere in Bolivia with all of our suitcases and NOBODY knows where
we are. Haha. Plus we have no food.
12:15 PM The Elders found a "Rapidito" (like a minivan) to take us to
Tupiza. We just loaded up all of our stuff and are in camina a Tupiza!
We have to take a bunch of back roads to get around two more
blockades. We are literally crossing a river right now...in a
minivan...in the middle of Bolivia.
1:30 PM WE FINALLY GET TO TUPIZA! It's a miracle!!!!

Anyway, that was our journey. Airplane, flota, walk 2 KMs, Rapidito,
Tupiza. We were all so exhausted when we arrived. And it's so cold
here!!!! Way different than Cochabamba!  But I am safe and here and in
a TRIO! Hermana Lopardo is from Argentina. She's really nice. And
Hermana Goff is from Utah, she came to Bolivia with me and was
actually in my group in the CCM. I hope you all have a good week! I
love you all!
Love,
Hermana Eaves

Service with a smile in a skirt with sweat dripping down your back

     So this week we tried out a few different methods to try and find new people. One of them was service...In Preach My Gospel (our manual), there is a picture of two flawless sister missionaries helping an old lady with her groceries. Service, right? No. Service in Bolivia does not look like that. 

This week we helped a man move a bunch of rocks  from one pile to another. It was super hot outside and we were in our skirts, of course. Hence the subject "Service with a smile in a skirt with sweat dripping down your back". We later found out that he was 63 years old. And moving heavier rocks than us...haha! More pushups in the morning?

     I don't know if I have told you guys this yet but here in Bolivia it isn't rude to ask someone's age and it isn't rude to call people "fat". Pretty cool. I also learned that Bolivians who don't vote have to either pay a fine or spend 8 hours in prison. Haha! Can you imagine? 

Washing laundry!!!

     So this week was sort of hard. We are nearing the end of the cambio (transfer) and almost all of our investigators have stopped progressing so we are back to contacting. But we have had success with the Menos Activos (less actives). A rescate is when a menos activo (MA) goes to church at least 3 times (all 3 hours), recieves all the lessons we give and has an interview with the Bishop and this week we had one! Her name is Cleofe Terceras and she is so great! She became MA after her husband died in an accident but she wanted to come back, she just didn't know how. But now she is coming to church and she is happy! She is going to be sealed to her husband probably next month!!!! Woohoo! I love helping people come back to church. 

     We are working with another family that is Menos Activo. It is a HUGE family. We went last night and the mom was crying because of all the trials they are going through. It makes me so sad sometimes when people talk to us about their trials because life is hard here in Bolivia. People here really pass through a lot of hard stuff. I am really excited to help them though. There are sooooo many little kids in this family and I want them all to come to church!!! :) But life here is great. I am learning so many things and I really love to teach the gospel to everyone! I hope you all have a great week and go out to help someone in need! Love you!!!

Love, 

Hermana Eaves

Just another week in Bolivia...

Hello gente!

gente=people in Español

I hope your week has been great! We worked super hard this week! 

First to start off with some weird Bolvian beliefs...I saw one lady in a little candy stand on the side of the road (normal). She was holding a plastic bag up to her foot. When we got a little closer, we saw that there was a bee in the bag and she was trying to get it to sting her (not normal). She told us it helps with her arthritis. So if any of you have arthritis you can try this Bolivian remedy. (Caution: Make sure you are not allergic to bees before you have them sting you). Haha!

I taught my companion to roast marshmallows. At first she thought I was super crazy because I was catching marshmallows on fire (the marshmallows here are a lot more flammable) and eating them but now she loves them. Haha! 

    One young man was giving his testimony yesterday and he was like "I love the young men. And I also love the young women." Haha! 

     I walked by a truck full of men and they all started singing a song about a gringa. Haha! 

I helped peel chuño this week. Now I am really Bolivian (if you don't know what chuño is then you can search it on google). 

     We had some really cool things happen this week. We invited our investigator, Maria, to be baptized. She told us that the night before she had dreamed about being completely dressed in white. She told us that she wanted to be baptized and we were so excited! We put the date for her baptism as June 11th (this Saturday). We went back the next day and her mom said that Maria needed to learn a little more before making her decision (we have only been teaching her for a month). So now, Maria wants to be baptized at the end of June. Which is so far away. We were really sad because we know that she is ready and that if she waits, then Satan will attack her and make her doubt the answer she received. 

     We have been working really hard to find people to teach and are finally seeing the results. We had 5 investigators come to church! That is amazing! I haven't seen that many investigators at church for months! I know that if we work hard and have faith then Heavenly Father will bless us. I hope all of you are working hard and strengthening your faith in Jesus Christ! I love you all! Have a great week!

Love, 

Hermana Eaves

I think winter is beginning here.

Hello!

Sister Hansen and I at a Mother's Day activity.

So this has been a great week! I have put off writing this email because I never know what to say, haha! Anyway, we had a very interesting lesson this week with an abuelo. He started off the lesson talking about how he had diarrhea (a common topic here in Bolivia-but not a common way to start lessons). Then he talked about how males have Adam's apples because Adam ate an apple (the forbidden fruit) in the garden of Eden. Sounds pretty reasonable. He then told us a story about how he was camping and he went out into the woods to go to the bathroom and while he was doing his business he saw a dark shadow that he told us was Satan. He told us that he hit the shadow with his hand and it electrocuted him. Hmm. But he came to church! So we were happy about that. 

     This week I learned a lot about having love for others. My companion has love for everyone! She is practicing her English and the other day she told me "I love you! Much much much!" She is the best. She has taught me so much about offering service to others and being excited about everything! I love that about her! We are excited and happy when we talk to people and we offer service. If you ever want to be a missionary then just serve others. You will say more by your example than by anything you say. I love you all! Have a great week! 

Love, 

Hermana Eaves

It's still summer here...I am losing hope for winter.

Hello everyone! 

I hope you had a great week! Yes, it is still summer here. It's only cold in the mornings when we study but all day long it's super hot. #sunblockformonths 

This is a selfie I took with a drunk man passed out on the sidewalk. Enjoy.     

This week we went to teach one of our investigators, who is about 80 years old. He asked me where I was from and when I said "Arizona" he said "They have beautiful women in Arizona". I just love being hit on by old married men. 

It's freezing in the church building because there is no heating. Me and Hna Gutierrez

     I learned a lot this week from investigators. One teenage girl named Mariel was talking to us. She said "I earn pretty well (money) and I have friends that don't make as much but they are happier than me. Poor people are happy because even if they only have rice and egg (really poor people in Bolivia eat rice and eggs) they are happy because they have something to eat. But for people like me, if we have rice and egg we think 'how can we eat rice and egg?'" I was thinking about that and it's so true. When we have a lot of stuff we often are less grateful for the little things. And when we are less grateful, we are less happy. So here is a challenge for the week: notice the little things. Be grateful to have running water, to have a shower curtain, to have a house with flooring and not just dirt. There are people here in Bolivia who would give anything to have what you have (they would even give anything to be able to visit the United States). I love you all and hope you have a great week! 

Love, 

Hermana Eaves

PS Sorry this is so short, I didn't have lots of time. 

"It's a beautiful day in Bolivia" -Cholito Roberts

¡Hola a todos! ¿Como estan?

So we had cambios this last Sunday and my companion, Hna King, went to Sucre! Where I was born in the mission! I am happy for her! And I finally have a latina companion! Her name is Hna Gutierrez and she is so nice! She is a really hard worker too! 

So just a funny Spanish mistake I made. In a lesson, a lady asked us if we wanted to go to war and I, thinking she meant "Is there going to be a war (like it says in Revelations in the Bible"), enthusiastically nodded my head yes. Haha! She was rather angered by the fact that I wanted to go to war and when I realized what she had actually asked I had to explain that I had heard the question wrong and that I actually did not want to go to war...haha! 

     A funny conversation that we had while searching for a referral:

Me- "Hello, we are looking for someone named Maria. Someone told us she sells fruit here on this corner (they were selling fruit)." 

The lady- "Nope, we don't know anyone by that name". 

My companion- "Well, we are missionaries and we would like to talk to you about the gospel.  What is your name?"

The lady- "Umm...Delia". 

Us- "Mmhmm, okay." 

She then gave us a fake phone number and a fake address. Haha. Bolivians.

We found cows this week!  

     Something cool about Latin countries is that it isn't offensive to say that someone is fat. Literally, all the time, people will say "Oh, she's a gordita (fat)" to describe someone. For example, if I wanted to describe someone in the ward I could say, "La alta gordita" (the tall overweight woman) and it isn't even offensive! Isn't that great! Latinos are the best! So if someone tells you "You look fatter than you were before" it's not offensive. You just agree and laugh about it. I love that. 

     Anyway, this week I have felt a great love for the Book of Mormon. I know that it is truly another witness of Jesus Christ because I have read it and as I continue to read I feel my testimony of Christ grow stronger. I know that studying both the Bible and the Book of Mormon will help us to grow closer to Christ. This week I read in Alma 24 (you can read it here: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/24?lang=eng ) about a people that lived in the Americas before Christ came to the earth. They were so converted to the gospel that they were willing to die for what they believed. I think that story is amazing! I really want to keep growing my testimony until I have that kind of faith! Anyway, I love you all! Have a great week! 

Love, 

Hermana Eaves

The rats effects still linger.....

So the rat left us lots of surprises (poop, half eaten candy, holes in bags) and this week we have been finding them all. Hna King and I were waiting for a member one day and Hna King pulls out a candy from her bag and offers it to me. We both look at it at the same time (she had pulled it out without looking at it) and it had a huge chunk missing from the wrapper and a chunk of the candy missing too. Haha. We almost died laughing. She ended up eating it anyway. #dontjudge #wegetdesperate Also, today I pulled my bag of popcorn off the shelf and popcorn kernels went everywhere. Haha, evil rat. 
    Here are some pictures of my zone after futbol.

     We also almost got pooped on by a bird. We knocked on a door and were waiting for someone to open it so we could contact them and I felt something wet splash onto my foot. I looked down to see a fresh bird poo an inch from my shoe. Luckily, it missed. 

My district in Alamos before cambios.

     We were talking about weaknesses this week and I really liked what someone said. One Elder said that "Through our weaknesses we can do great things." I like it better in Spanish "Por medio de una debilidad, se puede realizar cosas grandes." So if you have weaknesses, don't get down on yourself. Just be humble, ask God for help and continue trying to improve every day! We can improve, that is the hope we have through the Atonement of Christ. Christ suffered for everything and He knows our weaknesses. We just have to trust in Him and move forward. 

Me, with a member, Luciana, in the area of the capacitadores.

This is Camilo and I.  He reminds me of Matix so much.  I love him.

Me and Luciana.

     Also, I just want to tell you all about a miracle that happened. One day we contacted a lady who was selling fruit on a street corner. She ended up not being very interested so we went on our way. As we left, I saw a boy sitting on the corner smoking with his friends. He had tattoos and looked rather intimidating but I had a feeling that we should contact him. I ignored it though and we continued on. I could not get him out of my head the whole day though. That night I prayed and told Heavenly Father that if He would give me another chance, then I would talk to that boy. Now fast forward 5 weeks. My companion and I were going to a sita and I saw him sitting on a curb. We walked past him and I felt the Spirit telling me that I needed to talk to him. We knocked on the door of a member but the Spirit was so strong that I told Hna King "We need to go talk to him". We told the member that we would be back and we ran to him, gave him a folleto, talked a little and planned a day to meet him. His name is Rodrigo and he is really cool. I know that we can see miracles in our lives but we need to act when the time comes! Keep on sharing the gospel with everyone! I love you all! Have a great week!

Love, 

Hermana Eaves

We caught a rat!

Yes, I am serious. At the beginning of this week we began to discover holes in our bags of oats and in my bag of walnuts. We also found mouse poop in our kitchen cabinet. Haha! We set up some homemade traps and hoped we would catch the bandit. We also put all our food in plastic containers. After a few nights we didn't catch it and it couldn't eat our food so we sort of forgot about it. One night though, Hermana King had a dream that there was a rat in our apartment and it was eating her chocolate (from a package she received). So she woke me up at 11:30 PM and we went on a rat hunt under her bed and in the kitchen but didn't find anything. We went to sleep and the next morning we just figured that she had been dreaming because she didn't really remember it. Haha! This morning, we had just started personal study when I heard my companion shriek from the bedroom "HNA EAVES!!!!" I went in and she showed me that our little rat friend had chewed off a part of her journal! Haha!

 We died laughing! She then discovered that the rat had eaten parts of her chocolate too. 

She was mad but we also thought it was hilarious! So we went on a rat hunt! We searched every part of our apartment and had almost given up when I found it in a random pipe under our stairs. I screamed (classic) and the mouse ran zippity quick into the kitchen.
 
So we went in the kitchen, slammed the door and after a lot of chasing and a lot of screaming, we caught that little mouse.

 It was so cute that we couldn't kill it so we took it for a little walk and let it go in a field by our house. Haha! It was surely an adventure. But my companion and I are now professional mouse hunters so if you ever need help...

      Anyway, our miracle for the week was that one of our invesitgators came to church for 25 minutes! WOOOHOOO! It was the first time she came to an LDS church meeting. We were really happy about that. 

A couple weeks ago, our mission President gave us an activity to do where we read and ponderize(meditate) on a scripture throughout the day. We have a different scripture every day. Here are some of the scriptures I liked: 

Ether 12:27 

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Alma 7:11-13 

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictionsand temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

I love that through Christ we can overcome anything! Keep on trying, keep on going! You can do it! I love you all and hope you have a great week! 

Love,
Hermana Eaves