Week #21

Hey everyone,

This week I sent home Hermana Butler.  Our time together went by so fast, but I learned so much from her.  Right now I am in a trio with Hermana Aycho from Peru who has about 4 weeks in the mission and is still being trained and with Hermana Dana who is from Argentina who will be going home at the end of January. It has been a little bit hard working in both sectors, but I have enjoyed working with them for the past two days and it is really only for 3 more weeks and then I should have a new companion.

Victor is doing pretty good. His baptism is in 2 weeks, on the 2nd of January, so we are really excited.  He still isn't smoking, which is amazing as he was smoking a lot before. He basically decided to stop the day he commited to a baptismal date and has been staying strong ever since.  The only thing that is really hard with him is his health is still really bad and he is undergoing dialysis and as part of that his memory has gone way down hill, so he has a hard time understanding some things and remembering what he is reading in the scriptures and what we are teaching.  The other thing is he is in the process of a divorce with his wife and is going to move soon after his baptism and so we are really working hard to help him have a firm testimony in the gospel before he leaves.  Please pray for him.

This week I finally found Jacquelin in her house and she let us enter for a little bit, but she told us that she isn't reading or praying and that all of this is a personal decision that she has to make, but it is very hard for her and she is happy with her life as it is right now.  It broke my heart to leave that house after working my whole time here with her, but I know that we did all that we could to help her and maybe she just isnt ready right now, but I pray that one day in the future she will be ready and will receive the missionaries.  We have had to stop teaching several of our investigators, but the others weren't as hard, but it is definitely one of the hardest things we have to do as missionaries.  Please pray for her as well even though we are not teaching her right now.

We taught Belen this week and shared the parable of the 10 virgins and talked about the importance of not putting off the things that are really important.  It was a great lesson and at the end she said that she was going to go to church this week no matter what and she was going to talk to Jonathon more about marriage, but then they weren't at the church on Sunday and so I am not sure what is going to happen with them.  Please pray for them.  They have testimonies and they want badly to be able to go to the temple with their family.  They are just struggling, with other things going on in their lives, to make time to do the things they need to do to reach these goals. 

Other than that we have been teaching a few other people that arent really progressing right now or that we have only been able to teach once, but I am excited to see what is going to happen with them.

This Sunday we had a Christmas devotional with just music, which was really cool we all sang and there were a lot of solos.  It is amazing the power that music has to bring people together and to bring the spirit.

Well I can't wait to see you all for Christmas.  I love you all so much and am So very grateful for all of your support!

Hermana Stringham

Feliz Navidad!

Feliz Navidad, from Chile!

Week #20

Hey everyone,

Okay so this week was a little bit of a harder week with not as much success! So it was a little long and my letter is a little shorter this week again.

My companion went to the temple this week and had a meeting since she is going home, Thursday. I was with other Hermanas a lot this week, which was fun.  Last week had a great week for numbers and this week our numbers weren’t so great!  We spent a lot of time outside, but it was good as well because we worked really hard. Although we didn’t find anyone new to teach, I know that all of our hard work is going to pay off.  Although the week was a little frustrating, it just helped us to work all that more harder. We also had a lot of fun anyways.  We had our Christmas activity, which was really fun. We played a lot of different sport and ate completos and so it was nice to have a little brake and just have fun with the other missionaries.

Victor still is preparing for his baptism, but he is going to move right after. I am a little nervous about that as well. He forgets things a lot and a member told us that it is because of his dialysis.  So we are a little worried what will happen after he moves, so we are really trying to work hard with him.

Belen and Jonathon are doing alright, but again didn’t go to church. They are talking about getting married, but in a year, so we are really trying to work with them to help them to progress. Please pray for them.

I am going to be in a trio after my companion leaves with Hermana Dana from Argentin and Hermana Aycho from Peru, who only has 2 weeks in the mission.  I am excited to work with them and I am sure it will help my Spanish.  I am just a little nervous because we have to work in both of our sectors and we are in different wards so that will be a little interesting.

I love you all and am so very grateful for your support.

Love,

Hermana Stringham

New Companion - Herman Butler!

Herman Stringham & Hermana Butler

Week #19

Everyone,

Wow this week has gone by so fast.  We have been working really hard and we have seen it. Our numbers have like tripled! It is crazy!  We are working a lot with this Christmas video that is called, “He is the gift”.  We have been able to get into so many houses with this video, that would not have said yes otherwise. It has been really cool.

My new companion is really great. She is really hardworking and direct, which has helped our sector a lot.  I have loved working with her even though we only will have a short time together as she goes home on the 18th. I am going to be put in a trio with the other girls in our house.  It will be interesting to see how that goes, as we will have to work in both of our sectors and we are going to have to trade off going to different wards. But I know there is a reason for all things and it will all work out great. 

Okay so this week we taught Victor twice. The first time we taught he said that he wasn’t sure about somethings and that maybe in 2 years he would be ready for a baptism.  We told him that he needed to pray about it. When we returned he had completely changed and asked us when he could be baptized. We set a date for the 2nd of January as he has to quit smoking. But he hasn’t smoked since and is doing pretty good.  Please pray for him.  We are working with a lot of people and I am really excited to see how this week goes.

I am so sorry my letter is really short this week, as I don’t have a lot of  time to write. Sorry!  I love you all so much and I a praying for you all.  I will write more next week.

Love ya,

 Hermana Stringham

Home Sweet Home!

Home Sweet Home!

In the Rain!

Herman Stringham and Hermana Nokes
Playing in the Rain!