Costume Party

"This was a random party the town had, they dance the whole day in these costumes and then reveal their identity in the night."

November 26, 2013

My family!! 

I love you a lot.  Lots and lots.

Ooooooook.  So we had interviews with President Brough today.  He has a rule that every sister has to cry.  He is obedient with exactness.  Of course I cried.  And of course I learned a ton of things!  Guys, do you know that mission presidents can read minds?  And that they love every one of their missionaries?  At the very end he asked, "Hermana Evans, Do you know that Hna Brough and I love you?"  I have no doubts that I am in the BEST MISSION IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.  And I have the best Mission President in the whole world. 

But ok, this week has been very good. We have recieved a ton of revelation for this area and I am positive that it will work. We are trying to find all the less actives and bring them back.  And we are trying to strengthen the branch here.  I wrote a letter yesterday to you guys, and I'll tell you why i didnt send it in a second. But I know that there are people ready to hear this message that are waiting along side the less actives. 

Ok, yesterday we were on a quest to find somewhere in San Martin that we could send letters.  And we found a couple!  The first one was willing to send them to any place in the world.  But do you know how much they charge?  Lots.  750 quetzales to send something to the US.  And 600 to Ecuador.  Why? They arent normal, thats why.  They get the letters super super fast to the destination.  Super fast.  Normally it costs less than 7 quetzales.  So that didnt work.  The next place sent them only to the US......... but not all of the US.. just New York, New Jersey, Conneticut (how on earth do you spell that?!) aaand... Maryland i think.  So, FAIL.  We didnt send them.  BUT!  While we were working last night we found a place that is normal and will send the letters for a normal amount of money.  So we will send you the letters next week.  :)

We have got some pretty awesome members.  One recent convert really wanted to go to the stake conference we had on sunday, but he had so much to do too. He is a sweet old man, Martin, and he put his face in his hands and said, "What am I going to do?!"  And then he woke up at 4 to get everything done to be able to attend church on Sunday.  I think we can learn a lesson from him. If this old man can get everything he needs to do done to go to church, we can too.  He is always thanking us for visiting him and says how he feels the love of God through us.  What a blessing it is to have him in the branch. 

A man I contacted asked if the church was in Spain yet, and then said, "oh, so you guys are all over the world!"  Yes, yes we are. 

Ok, so i failed to give more details about Carmen.... we did find her again after she got lost at the fair, and everything was all good.  But, she no longer has permission to listen to us... :( BUT! when one door closes, another door opens.  We have found lots of really positive people, and I know that we will baptize soon here in San Martin. 

I know the Lord has His own ways of humbling people and preparing people.  But guys, its becuase He loves us!  And wants us to be obedient and teachable.  And the scriptures are always teaching us to suffer with patience!  The Lord will try the faith and patience of His people, and what better way to make someone more humble than to test the faith and patience?!

Ok, I love you all so so much.  And I hope you are all so happy and reading the Book of Mormon everyday.  And praying together everyday and having FHE every monday. 

Be happy and safe and I love you guys.

Love, Hermana Evans

November 19, 2013

My family!!  

I love you guys a ton.  Just thought youd like to know!

Ok folks, heres the thing, Im going to be honest.... I had a plan to get a six pack in the mission... BUT!  Bad news, i like pan dulce... and now I have fat little chipmunk cheeks.  There I said it.  We were all thinking it.  And thank you for not pointing it out from the pics ive sent home... I needed to realize it for myself.  I dont have any immediate plans to change this problem... So thats where we are at right now.  

OH!!  How did i forget?!  Last monday we went to Ecuador!  Basically.. We went to the embassy of Ecuador or something like that.  I understood very little of what went down.  Lots of words I dont know.  So i just smiled mostly at a grumpy woman and she finally let us leave.  There was a problem with the visa of Hna Yepez.  So we went to the area office building (accidently got there an hour early because we didnt get lost... (I was expecting to get lost)) and we met lots of people!  A few brazilians actually! That are in mission.... uhh... Reu (thats the nickname... who knows what the real thing is called... its a long name) but one was so so black and the other two were so so white.  I didnt believe any of them when they told me they were from Brazil.. actually it was awkward, I asked in english where they were from and they would only respond in spanish.  Turns out they really are from Brazil.  

I witnessed a couple very old women in the native clothes drinking beer a couple days ago... and speaking Kitche I think... 

Hna Yepez is very scared of horses and cows... breaking news:  They are EVERYWHERE here.  

The funniest thing.  We found a woman and her husband and began teaching them.  Her name is Leticia, she has 10 kids.  Why?  Ill tell you why.  We were all sorts of shocked that she has 10 kids because i havent seen a number that high in a long time.  and she told us this.  "We are commanded to multiply and replenish the earth, not sit around and eat candy"  She has a good point ya know.

A woman told me the other day to keep fooling the people with our message and that its the only true church "according to us".  Apparently long ago there was catholic women preaching a bit but they really started a war here in San Martin...  I fear some of the people dont trust us because we could potentially cause a war.  Dont worry, I would never do a thing like that.  

Ok, this week was pretty cool.  I sleep like a stinkin rock every single day.  We were teaching a girl named Lisbeth last night and we got to her house, we asked if she read her pamphlet and prayed and do you know what she said?  She said YES!!  And she just said, "Yeah, I know Joseph Smith was a prophet.  You asked me to read and pray and I did it... and I got an answer.  It was like a fire in my chest, and I know he was a prophet."  Holy mackeral.  Ella me cae muy bien. 

Things are good, Im ruing Hna Yepezs spanish.  Haha..... Ah.. Mission accomplished.  She is so cute.  We made a video yesterday.. it is very very long, but also very funny.  And in spanish... so someday when you are watching it you will need a translater.  

Ok, rollin out, I love you all lots and lots. and be safe and happy and ADIOS! 

Love, Hermana Evans

November 12, 2013

My Family!! 

I love you guys!!  And guess what?!  I turned 20? when did that happen?!  But my goodness do I have lots to tell you.  

Ok, So Mosiah 23, its a good one, a definite must read, also Romans 5:1-5.  

But any who, we had divisions this week, I got to be with Hermana Turley again.  SO AWESOME!  We lost our investigator in a large crowd... little Carmen ran from us... it was really weird.  Its the fair here and she wanted to see the horses.  But thats not the point..  I learned lots from Hna Turley.  Lots and lots.  And then on Sunday we went to pick up Carmen and her family changed their minds... she doest have permission to get baptized... BUT!!! When one door closes, another door opens.  And boy do I have a story about last night.

So we have this one investigator, Jorge, he is 15.  We have been challenging him to be baptized for the 1 of December... but he hasnt accepted... His mom is Sara and she is a member, also, the two sisters, Paola and Claudia. The father is in the States.  Jorge has smoked for 3 years now and drinks and doesnt really care to listen much to us.... but last night, all of our appointments fell through and we had the idea to visit Jorge.  He was smoking when we got there and then tried to go to sleep right before we started the lesson.  But we started, prayed, and began to share something in Mosiah 23 (absolute inspiration).  We were talking about how sometimes the Lord lets us suffer or have trials so we can grow, and become something greater.  Something more.  And out of no where he sat up.  We had been praying that he would listen to us, also.  And then he asked us the question, how has all of this blessed your lives?  The gospel, the Book of Mormon, all of it.  And I shared how its always brought comfort in hard times, but thats not what he needed to hear.  What he needed to hear was what hna Yepez had to say.  She shared from Alma 29:9 and talked about why she is here, and how if she could just help one person come unto repentance, that would be her joy.  He was holding a book of mormon we gave him and just staring at it.  Then he said completely out of nowhere "and what is this thing about baptism?  They say that you can feel completely clean from everything.  I want to know if that is true.  I want to know what is going to happen to me when I die.  What is God going to think of me?  What is going to happen to me?"  So guys, we challenged him to get baptized on the 1 of december... and he sat there a second... asked what the day was (it was the 11) and then said "yes".  He then told us why on earth he sat up in the first place.  He said how something told him to sit up and pay attention.  Then he also asked us "do you know how many missionaries have visited me? you can ask my mom, and i didnt care what any of them said.... until right now.  Something told me that I needed to listen to you.  And I dont know what Im feeling but I feel like I need to keep listening." and then we asked when we could come back and he told us, "when ever is best for you two."   MIRACLES HAPPEN GUYS!!!  When one door closes, another door opens.  

I also wanted to say thank you for all the letters in my package and for all the things!!  THANK YOU SO MUCH!! my birthday was great!!  It was a little hard to handle the baptism falling through, but guys, its ok turns out, if she was supposed to get baptized, she would have gotten baptized.  

I love you guys lots and lots and thank you for everything!!  But real quick, 

Mom:  I loved your testimony of the Book of Mormon.  Seriously, I have always wondered why I never had a specific experience to tell me that the Book of Mormon is true, but I your testimony helped me out.  Ive always known it is true!

Dad:  I loved the letters you sent, I like to hear about the things you learn from the scriptures too. I like it a lot, I always learn lots and lots.

Nate:  I love you.  You will be a great missionary, I know it.  Listen to mom and dad and read the Book of Mormon, that will definitely help you.  I love you tons and tons.

Hunter:  You are pretty awesome.  You too will be great on your mission, hold on to what you know and keep building your testimony.

Isaac:  Thank you for keeping a massive hug waiting for me.  And keep reading the book of Mormom... Cada Dia....

Michael:  You are so funny.  And thank you for being awesome.  Read the book of Mormon and keep praying erryday.

Joe!  I will definitely try to give you advice!  Mas que todo, i will just tell you what I have learned and you can take what you want to apply it to your mission.  Anna will be a huge help to you too.  And your other family that has already served.

Aaron:  Thank you for writing me a letter!  I loved it.  You are awesome and I hope you can keep reading the Book of Mormon... with your fam and alone.  You will learn lots and lots.

Ok, that is all for now.  Thank you for everything!  oh! and Terry Bardwell!  Thank you for the note!  :) it made me happy!

Ok be safe and happy and i love you.  

Love, Hermana Evans 

Pictures from Guatemala - November 5, 2013

"This family is awesome, Hermana Lorena, Luky and Luis"

Hermana Yepez, Hermana Evans in a "tuk tuk"

"My comp, me and Paola (a member)"

"The other morning was pretty sweet"

"Hermana Blackmer is my zone again!"

November 5, 2013

My family!!

Hey, I love you guys, ya know it?  

Oh, I got your package today. :) I wont open it til sunday though... no tenga pena.  But it will kill me.  Also, my companion wants to open it too.  She offered to open it first.  

So this week has been great!  We have been finding lots of new families to teach and they are mostly positive!  The only problem is getting them to act in faith and not work on sunday... OH MY GOODNESS!  Ok, the familia Calel... so we taught them the Dia de Reposo... i dont know what that is in english.. sorry, but its about sunday.    And we explained everything you can and cant do on sunday, we had scriptures that explained very clearly that you cant work on sunday and everything... but they own a restaraunte.. and they work on sunday.  So we finally got Hugo (the father) to commit to keep this commantment... but then he said... "i will keep it in my heart.  At work on sunday i will take a second every once in a while to think about God and all He has given me."   Oh Hermano Hugo... His face everytime we explain a new commandment is the best.  As soon as they can live these commandments, they are going to be a super awesome strong family in the church. I know it.

Also, this week in weekly planning, we were praying specifically for our recent converts and less actives... the pray was a little long, because we have a lot of them.  But I finished the pray and looked up at hna Yepez.... out.  Out like a light.  Then she raised her head a few moments later and said, "I was sleeping................................ I wasnt sleeping.  I was thinking.  Recieving revelation...  But i dont remember what it was"  She finally accepted a few hours later that she had fallen alseep during the prayer.  Bahaha... :)  Oh she is so tiny and cute.  :) 

Also this week, we have an investigator named Carmen!  She is 14 and she is awesome.. she just has a hard time focusing and also doesnt really have set parents.. Her "parents" are pretty old and arent her real parents, but her mom/grandma likes us.  Thats a plus.  So we are getting her ready to be baptized this week and we were talking to her parents last night.  Her dad was trying to come up with excuses for why she couldnt get baptized and finally said, ill have to talk to my wife.  Were a partnership ya know, I cant make this decision alone.  So the mom came back and we asked her and she said "of course she can get baptized!  I trust you two a lot!  I know she is in good hands with you" So we will be baptizing Hermanita Carmen this weekend.  :)  

Another one of our investigators... Juan Miguel.. his kids went back to their moms house... and then Juan Miguel went back to drinking... :(  Its horrible.  Alcohol is horrible.  But guys, the repentance!!  Its still there!  

Marco Tulio is having a hard time committing to a date, but, he knows he has to be baptized.  So with him, we just need a little more time.  

So far thats all.  But guys, the scriptures tell us to cry repentance.  So guys, please repent!!  I read Abby's email and she asked her fam if they are all reading together and doing fhe, and praying and all that.  So guys, i hope you are all doing that too.  Its never too late to change and start doing it.  

Also, I have been thinking about all the families in the world and when we all get to heaven... and how horrible it would be to look around with all your family and find someone is missing!  to look around and say where's dad? or where's my cousin?  and its because they couldnt humble themselves to repent fully.  Heavenly Father wants us to have an eternal family... but we cant have that we we all arent doing our part.  All of us.  Every single one.  We have to repent.  all the way, if there is something keeping us from being exactly obedient, we just have to stop and repent!  The feeling of being forgiven is SO AWESOME!!  way better than the guilt of sinning.  

But ok, thats all.  I love you all so much!  Be safe and happy and i love you guys!  And thank you for the package that I will open on sunday! 

Love, Hermana Evans

"This is my Spanish book folks!"

Antigua

Hermana Evans and Hemana Yepez in Antigua

October 29, 2013

My family!

Well goodness!  I love you guys!  But down to business.  

Yesterday was the funniest day.  The funniest.  Why? because of this.  During pday, I bought another umbrella (ive have umbrella problems... long story) but i still had another really big one that was dying.  We were going to take an investigator and his kids to a family home evening so we took all the umbrellas we could find.  We get out of our house and 5 seconds later the umbrella starts falling apart in front of our eyes!  (the big one) like the rod that holds it all together, the little parts that are supposed to make it function, the umbrella part... all of it.  out of nowhere!  hermana Yepez was laughing SO HARD while i was watching in shock and horror as this umbrella died a super random death. I hadnt even touched it.  So that happened, we threw away all the little pieces.  Later we were running to another appointment and hna Yepezs backpack just busted.  The strap busted off... so  we had to fix that in a jiffy, and then!  her watch flies off a few seconds later and just breaks right then!  It was the funniest things!  Satan was trying his darndest, and in the weirdest ways to slow us down.  It was so funny.  SO FUNNY!  

But ok, we found a super awesome and pilas family this past week... so we called them on sunday so we could walk with them to church!  They said sure and we were freaking out we were so excited.  So we went to their house and the mom had a t shirt on... so we asked them if they were ready to go and they looked all sorts of confused.  So we said how we talked to her husband and he said they were going to all go to church..... but apparently we had called the wrong family... so hna yepez and i were super confused too, a) because this family was super pilas and were supposed to go to church, b) because who did we call and where is this other family that is super pilas? So that all happened on sunday... and then yesterday i think it was, we were buying pan dulce to take to the family night and a family showed up behind us, so we contacted them!  And whatta ya know, we have already talked to that family.  AND THEY WERE THE FAMILY WE ACCIDENTALLY CALLED!!!  We had no idea who we had called and were all sorts of sad that there was a family ready and willing to go to church but we didnt know who or where.  Guys, miracles happen.  I dont know how, but Heavenly Father put that family in our path again.  We are going to baptize them.  I can just feel it.

We are preparing (the whole mission is) for a perfect week in november.  the 3 to the 10.  And we will all reach our goals and everyone will end with a baptism.  Its going to be so cool!  We have so many people that are on the edge and are so ready to be baptized!  They just have little challenges!  But heres news, EVERYONE IN THE WORLD HAS PROBLEMS.  That is something I have learned as well.  

Something that is way cool is when we find people out of nowhere that have real questions of their souls that this gospel can answer, I know God puts them in our path or us in their path because they are awesome.  Guys, we need to ask questions. If you dont ask questions, you dont get anywhere.  If Joseph Smith hadnt asked a question, we wouldnt be where we are.  If we dont ask Heavenly Father things, He cant answer.  These people that actually have questions are the ones that progress and move forward.  If they dont have a question about what church is true, or who has the authority, they will never find out!  They will continue in the path that is leading them to no where.  We can ask questions.  We can ask for confirmations, we can ask for forgiveness.  If we dont, we will never get these things.  We cant just be forgivin for all our sins just by leaving the sins.  We have to ask for forgiveness.  The relief of forgiveness is literally right around the corner. Right around the corner of our humility, and our willingness to accept a change and ask a question.  

Ok, thats all i got for right now.... love you guys!  Be safe and happy and I love you! 

Love Hermana Evans.

P.S.  we dont have transfers this time!  whoo!!

October 22, 2013

My family!!

I love you guys, hope you know that.  

So this week was full of fun things!  Hna Yepez tried to wake me up again because she was a little sick....but this time I didnt wake up... Para nada!  Like a rock folks.  Thats how i sleep.  I didnt believe her when she told me she tried again.  But at least she thinks its funny too!  At least shes not mad!

Yesterday we went to Antigua for a pday de Zona.  It was pretty sweet.  We went to the market and I found some really sweet stuff.  REALLY sweet stuff.   OHHH!!! Yesterday we saw hna Merrell and her comp in Antigua!  So cool!  She is doing great!  

I'm pretty sure they pump happy gas in parts of Antigua... It would explain why everyone dresses so weird, but honestly, it smells just like the stuff the dentist gives ya.  

With Juan Miguel, we are SO CLOSE!!! He wants to be able to explain the book of  mormon, so tonight we are going to explain who is who, and who is who's son.  Its kind of confusing guys, we drew a picture.  But now i understand more of who is who too!  So its a win win win!  He will know, i know, and we have a picture!  

oh yeah, while we were in Antigua we took the opportunity to send a letter or two. San Martin doesnt have a post office.. So I sent a letter to you guys and to Kenzie in Bolivia.  POR FIN!!  

We found a pretty cool family on Sunday, the man came up to us and asked for a book of mormon... so we asked how he heard about the church and apparently the missionaries have visited him, and he loved what they had to say!  Now we just need to baptize him.  Boom.  

Hna Yepez and I are working on letting the Holy Ghost guide the lessons.  You can really tell what lessons we taught and what lessons the Holy Ghost taught.  

We have also been teaching a less active man named Roberto.  I dont know if i mentioned him in the last letter, but he is a return missionary, and when he got baptized, he looked for the missionaries and asked if he could get baptized.  Pretty sweet!  So we are trying to get him to remember his mission and the covenants he has made.  But last night I think I scared him.  I said something along the lines of, "Hermano, this invitation is not coming from us.  As representatives of Jesus Christ, we are inviting you to pray for an oportunity to share the gospel and open your mouth tomorrow. Are you going to do it?!"  And then we prayed and left and his eyes were all sorts of wide.  But guys, lets face it, i dont think the Lord said, "well if you want to keep the commandments, youre welcome to... if not, dont worry."  I dont think He said that at all.

And yeah!  Thats what ive got for you guys right now.  :)  LOVE YOU GUYS!

Be safe and happy and have a great week!

Love Hermana Evans