Baptism!!!

Hello a todos!

It's been an awesome week! We have been working so hard and have been able to find many people that are prepared to accept the gospel! 

      The other week while I was in an intercambio with another sister we were walking down the street and talking. We passed by several people but for some reason didn't stop to talk to them. Then we passed by a lady that was leaving the house with her baby. I felt like we needed to stop and talk to her so we did. She is now an amazing investigator. She has lots of problems with the father of her baby and is going through many trials but has lots of faith. She is awesome and has accepted a baptismal date for 11 March. I know that Heavenly Father leads us to His children that need our help. :)

     Also, we had a baptism and it was sooooo awesome! We had a problem because we didn't have a propane tank to heat the baptismal font. We finally found a member that lended us one and we went and filled the font with hot water. :) So that was a mini miracle. Our investigator that was baptized is named Antonio Calle. He was a super prepared investigator from the start. His aunt is a member and she showed us his house. He loves the gospel and was super happy at his baptism. The other joven that was baptized is named Carlos. Hermana Gutierrez and I found him while knocking doors. He is super awesome too and has read all of first Nephi in the Book of Mormon. We had to pass him to the Elders because his parents live in the campo and we couldn't teach him alone in his house (Antonio had the lessons with his mom). So we are super happy for them!!!! It was an awesome week! I know that this is the work of our Heavenly Father and that He loves us. I love you all!

Love,  

Hermana Eaves

With Antonio and all the people that came to support him. :)

With Carlos and Antonio.

Us with Antonio and his family.

A HOT and rainy week here in Bolivia!

It has been a HOT week here! The kind of week where you don't even wipe the sweat off your face because you know it will just come back. Haha! But I love it here and love the work! 

     We have seen TONS of great things here in Siglo XX this week! Our investigators are progressing and we have been able to see their desires grow! We found a super great family a couple weeks ago. The family consists of the dad, mom, 6 little girls and 1 little boy. They are all sooooo excited to listen and learn from us. The parents accepted a baptismal date for March 11th and they came to church this Sunday! The oldest daughter said that she would like to serve a mission one day! We are super happy for them! 

    I love to be a missionary here in Bolivia! I am so happy to serve Heavenly Father 24/7 and to carry His Son's name over my heart all day long. I love talking to everyone about the gospel of happiness! I know that we are weak so that Heavenly Father can make us strong! I love quotes so I will finish with this one "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for His arm to be revealed. (DyC 123:17) I love you all! 

Love, 

Hermana Eaves

The Elders had a baptism! And we helped teach this family (Paola was baptized 10 months ago-the one next to me). We were happy to see the kids baptized! 

They were doing something with the floors in the chapel so we had our meeting in the nursery room.

 

Chopping away at a plant with a machete in an elementary school. 

With Hermana Moquillaza in intercambios (and my hand after service)

I found this in a glass case in a gas station...nice. I think it came from Arizona.

The ice cream taxi...they sell ice cream out of the back of cars here. They drive through the neighborhood with their music...it's not even abnormal here. 

Can dogs receive the spirit?

Hello!

So to explain the subject, a recent convert (she's a young woman) brought her two small dogs to church. We went over to her and were like "Why in the world did you bring your dogs to church?" She replied "So that they can receive the spirit." Great...they were even all dressed up. Then we got stuck with one of them for church and had to carry it around and take it outside for potty breaks. It was a bit difficult. We explained that dogs can't come to church...hopefully the recent convert understands.

The dog we had to hold for the three hours of church...

Anyway, it was an awesome week! We truly felt led by the Spirit to people who are ready to hear the gospel. Here are two different experiences:
1. In intercambios, Hermana Lopez and I were searching for a cholita named Olga. She had given us her address "From the last bus stop of Trufi 27, there's a bread shop and I live in the tienda (mini store) a little bit arriba from the bread shop." So we were looking for that, haha! We went to a tienda by the bread shop and met a lady named Petrona. She seems super prepared. She has had a lot of trials in her life and her son recently was in an accident that left him in a wheelchair. We are super excited to teach her and know that God led us to her tienda.
2. We took a taxi to Jardin for our other intercambio (45 minute drive) We talked with the taxi driver and he really was prepared and needed us in that moment. He had lots of problems and we are going to send the missionaries to his house (the missionaries in his area).

I love being led to Heavenly Father's prepared children. I know that He loves us and is always watching over us. Love you guys! Love,

Hermana Eaves
PS My mom has my flight plans. You can ask her for details!

Intercambios with Hermana Castillo and Hna Kincaid in Jardin

Unclogging our sink #professionalplumbers

We put our pillows and blankets in sheets and carried them like the cholitas do...

Intercambios with hermana Lopez and Hna Gomez

Eating some sort of fruit from a cactus (it's called tuna in Spanish) 

I'm just all out of ideas for the subject....

Hello everyone!!!!

It has been a great week!!!! We contacted a lot this week and had a great time! One lady couldn't talk to us because she said her jello was burning, haha!!!
Okay, I don't have much time today but I want to share something super cool that happened! So we went to search for a lady and her daughter that we found in the street. We end up finding them and their cousins and uncle and aunt (15 people in total). It was super awesome! We ended up teaching a crowd of people in their house a little bit about the Plan of Salvation. The dad of the family said at the end of the lesson "My wife and I woke up this morning knowing that something good was going to happen to us today. We didn't know what it was until you showed up. Thank you!" It was so awesome! I really think they are going to progress!
Anyway, I love you all! Until next week! Have an awesome time!

I have some great pictures from this week but I'm going to wait until next week to send them because I don't know if this internet has a virus. :/

Love,

Hermana Eaves

A great week in the 20th Century!

Hey everyone! To explain the heading/subject? my area is called "Siglo XX," which means 20th Century in English.
Anyway, it has been an AWESOME week! (Like every week in the obra misional!) Yesterday we received calls for cambios and...I will be finishing my mission here in Siglo XX with Hermana Gutierrez!!!! It is going to be an awesome 6 weeks here! I am so excited to work hard and give it my all and share this amazing gospel!!!
Sooooo, Hermano Saturnino (our convert that was baptized on Dec 10) will be starting Chemotherapy tomorrow so keep him in your prayers! He is super weak and his throat is so bad (he has throat cancer) that he can't even talk to us anymore. We are hoping that everything can go well so that he can recover.
Anyway, it's been super cool here to see the work progress!!!! We have 3 investigators with a fecha programada for their baptism! Antonio is the brother of a recent convert named Manuel. He is super awesome and has been coming to church and reading his Book of Mormon! We have high hopes for his mom too! Aracely and Fanor are a couple (they are married!) They have been reading the Book of Mormon and came to church this Sunday with their little kids! Aracely's mom is a member of the church, which is great!
Something funny about this week is that my companion wanted to spray a bottle of Raid around the kitchen to kill all the fruit flies. I had to convince her that it wasn't a good idea to spray toxic chemicals around our food. This bottle of Raid is going to be the death of me. Also, we still have a rat in the apartment...lurking. :)
I love the mission soooooo much and am so happy to see people change and progress! I love my area and have the best companion in the world! I am so happy for the gospel in my life and I know that families can be together forever! I love you all! Have an awesome week!
Love,
Hermana Eaves

Desperate times call for desperate measures...using the plunger in the sink...the water started going down but not because we unclogged the drain. Rather because the pipe sort of came off the sink, haha! So we need to get that fixed now. We currently have a bucket under the sink.

Zone Picture!

Intercambios with Hermana Castillo.

Going down the mountain in the dark with Paola Gutierrez.

Intercambios with Hermana Amaguana.

In Intercambios with Hermana Hernandez we went down this super big slide (in the background). Slides and skirts don't mix, if you wanted to know...

Our little friend, Rosie.

With all of our fruit!

1 RAT down, probably 3 more to go...

So as you can see in the subtitle...WE KILLED A RAT THIS WEEK!

My companion and I are tired of having to keep all of our food in the fridge so that the rat won't eat it...we are tired of finding rat poop all over our desks and kitchen...so we set a trap (just a bucket of water) and we put it under the rat hole and one rat fell in one night and died. Success. 

The dead rat....your welcome.  We think there are more rats in our house though...we are pretty paranoid and are always going to the kitchen to check, haha! I am done with mice! They always eat my oats...

But it was an awesome week! It was so cool because we were able to take two converts to the temple! Soledad went and did the baptism and confirmation for her mom and Paola went for the first time even though she has been a convert for 9 months! It was so awesome! I loved seeing them do the ordinances for other people! 

It was also awesome because Hermano Saturnino (my convert who has cancer) received the Sacerdocio (Priesthood) yesterday after church! He is super sick and getting worse. Today he is starting Radiotherapia (I don't know what the translation is, it's like Chemotherapy) so we will see if it helps. 

But the mission is so awesome! I love being a missionary and helping people to know their Savior! I know that Heavenly Father loves us and answers our prayers! I love the Book of Mormon and know that it is true! Love you all!
Love,
Hermana Eaves

This is how they sell bananas;  In giant stacks.

We went to the temple with our zone.

I can't believe that it's 2017!!!!!! Yesterday I was thinking back on this whole year of 2016 and I truly feel that it has been the best year of my life (until this point). It has been such an amazing year because it is the only year that I have spent completely in the service of my Heavenly Father, testifying of Jesus Christ.
I started off the year in Zona Quillacollo, Area Villa Moderna with Hermana Padron, my trainer. We were able to see many miracles and help two wonderful people, Ander and Edwin obtain testimonies of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and be baptized. Then my trainer went home for knee problems and I became companions with Hermana Cicotte! She was super awesome and we had a LOT of fun together. We were able to work hard and see Bianca be baptized after a MIRACLE when we got her to her entrevista!
Then I was transfered to Zona Alamos, Area Alamos where I was first with Hermana King. We caught a rat in our house and contacted a ton! It was lots of fun with Hermana King and I learned a lot! Then we had cambios and Hermana Gutierrez (who is my companion right now too) came to be with me. We didn't catch the second rat in our apartment but we were able to help a precious soul, Cleofe, to become active in the church again!
Then we received early cambio calls and I went to TUPIZA where I passed some of the best months of my mission. I started off in a trio with Hermana Goff and Hermana Lopardo. We laughed and joked and freezed our tails off in Tupiza. Then Hermana Goff went to Cochabamba and Hermana Lopardo finished her mission and went home. Hermana Jara came to be my companion. We had lots of fun searching less actives and working with the people in the pueblos, many of which became my close friends. :) Then Hermana Jara left and I was assigned to be a Sister Training Leader with Hermana Bisama in Tupiza! We came to love the people (Investigators, members and recent converts) in our area and in our branch. I was super sad to leave my beautiful Tupiza!
But I was so happy to come here to Siglo XX with Hermana Males. We worked hard and were able to see Carla and Soledad be baptized. Then Hermana Gutierrez came to be with me and we have had a blast! We helped Saturnino be baptized and have been able to see many miracles as we have been diligent here.
So here's to 2016! I have learned and grown so much and I will never be the same. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that He came to this earth and gave his life for each of us! I am so thankful for this wonderful chance to be a missionary! I am so excited for 2017 and the miracles that it will bring! Love you all!

Love,
Hermana Eaves

In the RAIN!


My area, Siglo XX!


With a parrot (kitten?) on my shoulder.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL! AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! 

     I hope all of you had a super awesome and amazing Christmas!!!!!!!!!! Christmas #2 in Bolivia was a success!!!! It was an awesome week because everyone is so nice when we contact them! Everyone can feel the Christmas Spirit, which is actually the Spirit of Christ! I love being a missionary in this time and sharing the amazing message of Christ's birth! 

     So this week we have been caroling to contact people and it has been pretty fun. We knocked on one door and were so excited that we were going to sing a Christmas hymn that when the door opened we took deep breaths to start singing and...when we looked up it was a guy about our age. Well, we shut our hymnbooks and put them behind our backs. It's sort of awkward/strange to sing to guys our age so we don't do it. We later sang to a Cholita sitting on the curb by her house. There's nothing like caroling while sweat drips down your back, haha! :) 

   This week we had a rat in our apartment. After lots of screaming and running around with the broom we finally managed to scare it out. Now our neighbors mentioned to us that they have a rat in their house...hmmm. Where could that rat have come from??? 

     Anyway, Christmas Eve was awesome! We were able to contact and sing hymns and share the news of Christ's birth! Christmas day was awesome too! One of the recent converts blessed the Sacrament for the first time and it was so awesome! He had been practicing the whole week and his whole family (even the ones that aren't members) came to support him. It was so cool! Anyway, I loved seeing my family on Skype too! That was awesome! And we were able to teach people and feel the Spirit so it was pretty much the best Christmas ever! I hope you all had as great of a Christmas as I did! I love being able to teach and testify of Christ and His gospel! Love you all! Hope you have a great NEW YEAR! 

Love, 

Hermana Eaves

Christmas Morning!

Knocking a door- with about 5 dogs around- Christmas day!

Our Christmas lunch!  A chicken stuffed with chese, ham and sausage, mashed potato casserole, rice and apples with cream!

A drunk guy- He was there all day.

Caroling on Christmas Eve.

This morning.  It rained!!

It's beginning to look a lot like.....SUMMER???

Hello! Greetings from Bolivia!

     It has been a strange week as to the weather. It rained on Wednesday and we got soaked in 5 minutes. 

But the rest of the week has felt like the Sahara desert (is that a place or did I just make it up? Haha!) We climbed a mountain on Saturday and I think that we both got heat exhaustion because we couldn't even think during the next lesson. Haha! But I love Bolivia, weather and all!!!!

     So this week our recent convert that was baptized this last week, Saturnino,  didn't come to church because his throat (I think he has cancer but they aren't really sure) has been getting worse. When we go and visit him he talks in a whisper. Please pray for him and his family! The doctors told him that there are no more treatments that they can do but I know that prayers can help! 

     So funny story, we live in an apartment in the house of Elder Balderrama (an Area 70). Last night we were trying to figure out what we could eat for dinner (it was Sunday so we couldn't buy anything) and we found some coconut in our fridge. And you all know that when we eat coconut then that means we have to go and smash it against the big rock outside to open it. Well, we were just smashing away and laughing because this coconut would not open when Elder Balderrama comes outside. He came over and was like "What are you doing?" We told him we were breaking open our coconut for dinner. He picks up the coconut and feels it then tells us that it was too hard and that it probably wouldn't open. That sort of put a damper on our dinner plans until I picked up the coconut and chucked it as hard as I could at the rock. Well, it split right open and we went and ate it for dinner. I don't know if Elder Balderrama was impressed or a little frightened...haha! 

     I also saw a guy on a bike coming towards us and felt like I should give him a Christmas pass along card. Well, I tried and he just rode on by. I ran after him for a bit but his bike was faster than me. Haha! But the best part is that 5 minutes later he came back and accepted a card. Haha!! The Elders are going to go teach him.

     We are starting to find some great families here in Siglo XX! We have been talking to lots of people and sharing the beautiful Christmas message! It has been super great! I just love Christmas! I love that it is a time to remember our Savior, Jesus Christ! Never forget that HE is the Reason for the Season! He is the greatest Christmas gift we will ever recieve! I love you all! Have a wonderfully MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Love, 

Hermana Eaves

Intercambios with Hermana Hoffman and Hermana Moquillaza

At the temple with a recent convert! There is a super cool Nativity scene!

Before we broke the coconuts open on a rock

We contacted a ton of people outside a big Christmas fair! We gave out folletos and Liahonas. It was soo cool! I think we talked to more than 600 people in 1.5 hours. 

It's going to be a WHITE Christmas!

Hello everyone! 

I love being a missionary at Christmastime! It is the BEST! Here in Bolivia there isn't snow but we hope that this Christmas will be white with BAPTISMS! 

That being said, we had a baptism this week!!!! Hermano Saturnino Fernandez was baptized. His grand-daughter is a member and gave us his name as a reference. We went to visit him and he was a SUPER prepared investigator. He luckily understands Spanish (he understands Quechua better though). He has throat cancer but he really wanted to be baptized. On Saturday, after a few problems (there wasn't water in the chapel or propane to heat the water) we had a beautiful baptism! Saturnino invited his whole family! Many of them aren't members. After his baptism we asked Hno Saturnino how he felt and he replied "I just feel so happy!" I am so happy to be sharing the gospel here in Bolivia! I know that this gospel gives us so much happiness and joy! Share the gospel this Christmas! I love you all! 

Love,
Hermana Eaves

With Mahonri, Hermana Saturnino and his wife Simona

With the whole family of Hermano Saturnino

Eating our Christmas lunch (Dec 10)

With Pres and Hermana Hansen at our Christmas fireside

Hermana Gutierrez (my new compi) and I decorating a cake

It's been a rainy week! 

Eating chocolate covered marshmallows for lunch

On the big hill. 

So excited for Christmas!!!!