BIRTHDAYS AND BAPTISMS

This week was pretty great. I had my birthday yesterday and what do Peruvians do on birthdays?? They EAT. Like none other! So I literally ate all day. There was never a time I didn´t have a plate of food or cake in front of me. Peruvians take good care of their cumplaÑeras :) One of the plates I had was guinea pig! My pensionista bought it alive and killed it in her house...then she fed it to us. It was actually REALLY good. But I refused to eat the toenails...haha. Everyone else ate them, though! It was a fun experience :)

This week we had three baptisms!! Three little girls. Fiorella (15), Kiara (8), and Araceli (9) :) They were so happy to be baptized and it was a really awesome baptism. We are working with their parents to get them married so they too can get baptized ASAP.

With the 15 year old, Fiorella, it was difficult to get her baptized: 

This week was a miracle week! Fiorella was baptized this week and that was a miracle! Fiorella has always been a little duro de corazon. She had a lot of doubts about that Book of Mormon. So every time we taught the family she just sat in the corner and listened and never participated. Kiara and Araceli, her sisters, were set to be baptized Saturday, but Fiorella no.  On Thursday night we had our last lesson with the family before the baptism. We started the lesson reading the Book of Mormon all together. The Spirit was really strong while reading and Fiorella was paying more attention than usual. Later on in the lesson, as we were filling out the registro bautismales for Kiara and Araceli, I leaned over to Fiorella and I said, ¨you sure you don't want us to fill one out for you, too?¨...half joking to be honest. And she sat and thought about it for a while, and she said ¨Yes, I want to get baptized this Saturday!¨ I was amazed sitting there thinking how in the world did she just have that change of heart so fast?? And I was thinking about it and I knew it was the power of the Book of Mormon. I knew that she knew that the Book of Mormon was true and after opening her heart a little bit, the Spirit was able to testify to her and she decided to get baptized. I realized how powerful the Book of Mormon is and how important it is to help our investigators gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon...and Fiorella was baptized this Saturday :)

Update on Eulalia and Renulfo: ALL THEIR MARRIAGE PAPERS ARE SET AND THEY ARE GETTING MARRIED THIS SATURDAY AND BAPTIZED SUNDAY!! We are so excited for them :)

Thanks for all your support! I love you all and I love this work. This gospel is so true. I know the Book of Mormon is true and POWERFUL. In the Book of Mormon we can find many answers to our questions and prayers. I love the Book of Mormon. Keep striving to be like Christ and keep reading your Book of Mormon everyday. Doing each one of those things will help you do the other :) Love you all!!

Hermana Agle

 

Yeah! She got our Birthday package!!

Birthday Cake made by a member...so amazing!!

1st Guinea Pig meal

Yum!!

Baptism of Fiorella, Kiara, and Araceli

Nobody in Peru knows how to say my name :)

blowing out the candles...

CARLOS made this amazing birthday cake!!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HERMANA AGLE!

The work is still pushin' along! :)

We are working with a couple that are grandparents and want to get baptized :) They are not married so we are helping them with all the paper work so they can get married! Their names are Eulalia and Renulfo. Hermano Renulfo recently went blind because he had a stroke. He was going to die, but he got a Priesthood blessing and he is getting better. He can now walk! And he got a little bit of his vision back! It was really a miracle because he was very, very close to passing away...but after his blessing he was fine and the doctors don't know what happened! The Priesthood is so POWERFUL. It was really a miracle. SO, now we are doing all we can do to help them get married and baptized! They are the cutest little couple :)

Sorry so short today! But I love you all and thanks for all the support! :)

Con MUCHO cariño,

Hermana Agle

(Because Cami's letter was so short...I've decided to post my letter to her this week!  She will be celebrating her birthday on Sunday, November 24th!! If you have a chance, please send her a quick HAPPY BIRTHDAY at camille.agle@myldsmail.net)

Cami,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Wow, I can't believe it is the week of your birthday.  I remember clearly the week you were born.  I was taking a children's literature class at BYU.  It was only one night a week (I knew I would be having a baby that semester...so I took it easy :) The week of your due date came and went....you hadn't come, yet.  To get to class each week, I had to park down in the parking lot just west of the Smith Field House/Richards Bldg., and walk all the way up to campus by way of the stairs.  I was having some pains...but thought I could make it to class that week.  I sat through class that Tues. night (Nov. 23rd...I was already 3 days overdue!!), but started getting more and more uncomfortable.  Finally as class ended, I decided that I might be going into labor??  I went home and tried to lay down...but I was having terrible stomach pains at that point.  I decided it was time to go to the hospital. Grandma DeeAnn came over to sleep and stay with Ty and Ave.  Dad and I went to the hospital.  They hooked me up to all the machines...but just about that time, my labor kind of stopped.  I was physically ready to have you, but I guess you decided to wait a bit (you've always loved delayed gratification :) Finally, about 4 am...the hospital staff said, "We know you're in labor, but things have slowed down, so go home, and try to sleep for a while...then come back when the contractions are more consistent.  Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep!!  Finally around 8am...I couldn't stand it anymore.  We went back to the hospital, and I was in full-blown labor.  You were born about 6 hours later, on Wed. November 24th...the day before Thanksgiving!! I'll never forget that day...as you arrived, you just looked around at everyone with the biggest eyes, and didn't make a peep! You looked just like DAD!!  We were so excited, relieved and happy!!  I can't believe it has been 20 years...it seems like yesterday!!  You have been a joy to us since that very day!!

I think it is crazy that you will be celebrating your birthday on election day!! Does that mean you can't go to church??  I hope you at least get the packages we sent you?  Please check with the mission office if you haven't received them. They should be there about now!  BTW...have you received ANY packages we've sent you??  You've never mentioned any.  Anyway...I hope the day is great!  I wish we could see you just for that day...it will be the 1st birthday we have been away from you.  We will have cake in honor of you!

This week has been busy...but great!  Dad is in Utah interviewing, so that means I am here to get the kids everywhere they need to be. The first part of the week was a little crazy, because I was getting my talk ready for YW in Excellence.  I was the "guest speaker" for the evening...and that was nerve wracking!  The theme for the evening was shoes & purses.  I ended blowing up the photo of your shoes you sent me last week (the timing couldn't have been more perfect!), and using those as an example of a daughter of Heavenly Father that is STANDING IN HOLY PLACES!! I think people were genuinely touched to see how worn your shoes are!!  Think about it...just 2 years ago, you were sitting in that very meeting!  I can't believe all that has happened in those 2 years. You still didn't even know if you were going to go to BYU!?! The Lord has blessed you...and he continues to bless you!  The rest of the week was busy with lots of meetings.  I've had 3 Public Affairs meetings this week...but it is good.  I am learning more about my responsibilities, and about the need to get the message out about the positive things the Church is doing.

The Lord is blessing us as well!  For me, just knowing that you are happy to be in Peru, and happy teaching the gospel, and serving the Lord is blessing enough for me!  I couldn't be prouder of you! You make me want to be a better person, and want to live the teachings of the gospel better!  We miss you dearly, but know you are in the right place!  The missionaries in our ward (2 elders & 2 sisters) sang in sacrament meeting yesterday.  It was so good, and all I could do was think of you...doing the same thing somewhere in Peru!!  We Love You so much...and can't wait to see what the future holds for you...it is going to be amazing!

Love,

Mom

A Peruvian temple that was used 2000 years before Christ.  There is are baptismal fonts and everything...so cool!

These ruins are from the INCA's and almost extinct!

Miracles are Happening Everyday!

Saying Good-bye to my pensionista...Hermana Juanita!

Wow! Kaela is getting married! That is BIG news. I am kind of in shock to be honest...I feel like we are both still 14 :)

I am going to send a short email but lots of pictures today.

We had a miracle baptism this week. Her name is Silvia and the first day we met her, she told us that her whole family are members and that she has wanted to get baptized for a while but never had the chance. We knocked on her door, and she was baptized this weekend :) Miracles are happening every day here in Peru :) SO many people are ready to hear the gospel in this new area...We have just got to find all of them!

Silvia's Baptism...and my new companion Hermana Lopez

Elder Solis of the Seventy is in my ward! We have family nights in his house on Monday's...So that is SWEET! :)

I found out that on November 24th this year is voting day in Peru. And on voting day in Peru, the law is that you have to stay in your house all day...you can only leave the house to vote. So on my birthday...I will be imprisoned in our house :) Haha!  It will be an unforgettable birthday!!

Something new about this area: People give us a LOT of food...like A LOT!! I walked around half bent over all the time because I am always full!  We probably have 3 lunches and dinners every day...with food PILED on the plates. Man. It's. Rough!

My companion is Hermana Lopez. She is from Guatemala and has been on her mission for 11 months. We got here to Peru the same day, though. She served in Guatemala waiting for her VISA. She is AWESOME and we work really well together! I love her!!

Something cool I learned this week:  I learned that we are obedient for one of 3 reasons; 1)Fear, 2) We want to receive blessings, or 3)Love. After I heard that this week, I was reflecting on why we need to be obedient...specifically in the mission. It shouldn't be because we are fearful of getting in trouble from our zone leader, it shouldn't be because we want to get blessings for ourselves, but it should be because we love our Heavenly Father and we will do everything we can to show that love to Him. We are here on a mission to help His children get on the path they chose in the pre-mortal life. There are so many of His children that have drifted away and we, as missionaries, are privileged to be here and help them return to the path. We should be willing to do ANYTHING for Him to help his children....even getting up at 6:30am :) I have been thinking about this this week, and it has changed my way of thinking. I want to be obedient because I love my Heavenly Father, and I will do anything to help Him in this work!

I love you all...thanks for all the support!!

Con Carino,

Hermana Agle

My SHOES after only 6 months in the mission field!!

Saying Goodbye to Marlene, Stephany & Andy

This was taken right before Hermana Jones shoved this cake in my face :)

The Quiroz Family

Goodbye party with Jose and Omar!

Kervin and Julio came to say goodbye!

Love these Hermana's!

New Area - New Responsibilities

Wow, it has been a CRAZY weekend. Transfers were this weekend instead of on Tuesday (when they usually are) because President Archibald is going to Cusco this week for a Mission President training. So...I found out on Friday at 2pm that I was getting transferred! Hermana Jones and I were really really sad! I didn't want to leave El Olivar! Also, the Quiroz family baptism was the next day (Saturday) and I was going to miss it!! So, we went home and I called the Bishop and told him I was getting transferred and I started packing. Later that night we had an appointment in the chapel at 7pm...and when we got there...there was a surprise party waiting for me!! The ward rushed, and threw together a party for my birthday because they had been planning for later this month, but I was getting transferred so they did it early!! And everyone was there! The whole ward came and all my converts! It was really really cool! It was also Julio's birthday so we celebrated together :) And I told everyone my brother's birthday was on Monday so we celebrated Joshie's birthday too :) It was really sweet, and I was able to say goodbye to everyone! It was really great!

The next day we got up and went to transfers. Saying goodbye to my pensionista was really really hard :( I am going to miss Hermana Juanita!! I love her! When we got to transfers we found out that Hermana Jones was training! I was so excited for her...She is going to be an AMAZING trainer :)!!  After we found out about Hermana Jones' assignment, I found out I was being transferred to Los Olivos...and that I was being called to be a new Sister Training Leader for the south 1/2 of the mission! My companion is Hermana Lopez, and we are opening the area (it is new to the mission, never has had missionaries before) and we will be working together as Sister Training Leaders. Basically, a STL is a "zone leader" for the Hermanas:)  We get to travel around the mission visiting the Hermanas to train them and stay with them 24 hours to see how their missionary work is doing...which is super cool because I have the opportunity to get to know all the sisters really well!! We will do these visits twice a week. And guess what?? Hermana Brown is a Sister Training Leader as well! She is in the Northern half of the mission(in charge of those Hermanas) and we are in the Southern part of the mission(in charge of these Hermanas)! It was a HUGE transfer!! 

Directly after transfers and training with President and Sister Archibald, I went and asked permission to go back to El Olivar to see the Quiroz families baptism(which was later that day).  I was so excited when he said YES! Hermana Lopez and I moved into our new house (which is awesome!)...and then headed straight to the baptism! The Quiroz family was baptized and it was the greatest baptism ever! Almost the whole ward was there and the Quiroz's were so happy :) President Archibald and his wife were able to make it to the baptism as well...so that was really great! I am so excited for the Quiroz family, and just humbled to have had the opportunity to teach them about this great gospel! We all cried A LOT when we had to say our good-byes!!

Honestly, I love missionary work because I have so many opportunities to serve. For example, last week there was a HUGE fire in my zone. 200 houses burnt down and families were left homeless. We went to clean up and cook food for all the people that had nothing. It was so sad because everyone was just begging us for food and they literally had nothing. But I was happy to be able to go there and serve the people...And with this new calling, I am so excited to serve and try to help the other sisters. Really, I don't feel very capable, but I know with the Lords help I can do it. When I was called, it reminded me of President Hinckley's quote when he said "remember the risk the Lord took on you when He called you".  I am excited to work hard in this new calling and really serve the other Hermanas. Big week, and I am happy! Missionary work is the best :) Thanks for everything! Love you all! :)

Love,

Hermana Agle

Hermana Brown, Agle, Winters & Bills - Reunited once again!!