October 28, 2013

Hey mom! So, the latest food stuff was pretty normal actually... My pensionista is really paranoid about my stomach, and if she even hears a thing about how I might not feel perfectly well, or that I ate something a bit wierd... She goes on the momma bear mode and gives me hospital food for a week or two... So thats what I've been eating right now! lol! I tried to tell her I was fine, and not to worry about it... But she wasn't really interested in hearing it! lol! So, this week we have truly seen an increase in the love the members have for us. We have begun to have lunch with a family each Saturday and Sunday... And we do all we can to show them we are real people with families, hopes, and dreams... and we laugh a ton! The poor members here have had hard time opening up their hearts to us! Most of the baptisms that have happened here are now their inactive.... Anyway, so we have been doing the best we can to show that we are different! And it looks like they are beginning to see the difference! And are truly welcoming us into their homes, ward, and hearts! I love to see their faces each time I go to church, as I get to know them, and truly become familiar with their needs, names, and hopes. I just hope that in my time here in their ward I can help them achieve all our goals! lol! Sounds like you are way busy! And a lot of sadness is over there.. Tell those who have lost loved ones I will pray for them for me will you? And especially Sister Stewart! I loved her letter, and I am working on one for her right now... :) I am working on a package actually... And I am hoping it gets to yall before christmas! With letters, and gifts, and candies, and all kinds of things! lol! Perm? Sounds cool! I wanna see! We are planning a halloween party with a member and her two kids... I might be dying my hair again! Youll just have to wait and see this monday! lol! What are yall doing for halloween? lol! What an incredible blessing! How was kadys cake? Is she doing better? I pray for you all every day, and I know that the Lord has you in His hands! I see it in each miracle you tell me about! I love you! Have a great week!

October 14, 2013 Aleica's email's and pics

  Me at the park! lol! Still a kid sometimes! And, its a great way to look for new investigadors! lol! We´ve really found quit a few that way!






Letter to Family and Friends:
Hello Hello Hello My awesome family and friends!
So, this week has been incredible! We have worked HARD, and seen real miracles! I truly can't express how important it is to work with the missionaries! We need yalls help so much!  Anyway, I had a story to share this week! A funny one too! We have begun to have lunches with the members this week... and so we went to a members house, and we talked, ate, and had a great time. Then, it some how came out in the conversation... just exactly what we had eaten! Yeah, it was SNAKE! lol! And even better, she had just gone outside and caught them herself! lol! I just about died! But man was it tasty! lol! Yeah, I eat a bunch of wierd things down here.. But so far not anything that I really cant stomach! I have heard a lot of horror stories from the other missionaries.. But so far so good! lol! Just thought Id share that bit of fun with you all. Really and truly, I have loved my mission up till now. We work hard, its true.. But we also have a great time in the process! I love each and every one of you so very much, and I hope you all know how important you all are to me. I have a wall full of pictures of yall... And every day I look at your faces and say to myself, ¨this is what I am here for¨so that I never forget the reason I am here. So many of us have the opportunity to live for eternity as a family... But there are millions more who never have... And I am here to help the Lord give them the chance! I love you all, and hope yall have a fabulous week!
Love!
Hma Alford!

Letter to me:

Okay! Wow! How incredible to hear about all this growth and changing over there! And you will be happy to know, that the same is happening on my end! So, something truly incredible for me in my studying, was Jacob chapter five. All about the vineard of the Lord... Before I came out here, it just about drove me crazy to read these chapters all about trees and things... So boring right? But here, and especially in this time of my mission... I really needed it. Especially two parts. One: when the lord says something like, what more could I have done? And Two: A little more. We've been having a few troubles with our investigadors, and many of them just aren't progressing for  one reason or the other... and many times the thought, what more could I have done... has come to mind. Its just kind of frustrating when you do all you know how to do, and then agency  comes in to play... and poof, no more investigadors! But, as the Lord says many times, we can always do a little bit more! And this has been our goal this week! And man have we seen the fruits of our labor! We are going to have two baptisms this week, the members are slowly picking up the spirit of the Lords work and helping us out, and we have found three awesomely prepared families this week alone! One of nine! Just like us! lol! Anyway, we are working our tooshies off! And the Lord is blessing us accordingly! We have really been so blessed mom! I just cant describe my happiness! I really hope that this continues! Also, I am beginning to really see a growth in the way I teach, speak, and think! What a fabulous place to be! I love my mission, I love my God, and I love this work! Anyway! Love you! I hope your week is awesome! And I want you to know how proud I am of you and the growth you are making as well! Pray for me! So that Santa Cruz doesnt leave me quite yet! We have cambios (transfers) this sunday! aaaahhh! And we dont know yet who goes, stays, and so on! love ya! Talk to ya later!

October 7, 2013 Emails from Alecia!

So yeah, this week has been hectic! We have been running from one side of the area to the other inviting absolutely every one to the conference! But we were really able to see the fruits of our labor! And we have been able to set two baptism dates, have ten people come to conference, and we found thirteen new investigadors that actually might progress! I am so excited and really hope to be as engaged as ever in this work! I dont know why my camera is taking so long to work! This computer is ridiculously slow! Anyway, i hope this email comes with the photos I am trying to send! 

I almost forgot! Guess what I ate today! lol! The heart of a cow! Yeah... When I saw them cutting that giant organ and preparing it to barbcue... i thought I would surely die! lol! But it was actually pretty tasty! The best meat I've eaten so far in my pension! lol! Who would have known? But yeah... Heres a pic of the shishkabob cow heart! lol! 

We also went and played in the park today for pday! We were going to go print pics and send another package... But they had another day without cars today! So we had to find things to do a bit closer! lol! 

Oh yeah! I forgot to tell yall last week that I ate cow stomach too... They cook it fried and serve it like its chicken... But I can tell you that it sure dont taste like chicken! lol! i didnt exactly like that particular part of the cow... lol!

I watched conference all in English, except the first session this sunday. We had investigadors with us, so I couldn't go on splits to watch it in English. It was really hard to understand in spanish, but I survived and hope to print them out and read them later! I really learned a ton as well from  conference. Especially Saturday, I felt so jazzed up to do the work even more, give more of myself than ever before! I have never been so excited for a conference in all my life! i really enjoyed it! And learned so much! I felt like almost everything was directed at me in one way or the other! Oh! Guess what! We had ten people in church for conf! Woohoo! We worked so hard to have investigadors there! Thank you so much mom for the pics! I really love to see everyone! Its awesome! I especially noticed during conference the two words: Anxiously engaged. And almost everything seemed to be about pushing forward, or actively doing the work of the Lord. I really liked that. And know that the Lord is asking more of me. Anyway, thank you so much for the pics and the email mom! And I say go for it on the wheat thing!  I know that its going to help you a ton! Its almost impossible for me to eat healthy down here... But I am going to try and stay away from the snacks as well.. Especially things i buy for my self. lol! I love you so much, and I wish you all luck in your endeavors to follow the promptings you received! 

Push forward in faith, and never forget to help out the missionaries! LOL! Love yall! Talk to ya next week! 

I

A mothers Musings After 3+ Months!

I can't even express how much I miss my sweet daughter! It doesn't seem possible to be able to sit at a table with 6 children and a husband and feel like there is a hole. However, it is possible! I miss her every time we sit down to eat as a family or sometimes like this Sunday,  I try to make one of the little ones get in the front seat of the suburban because there is not room in the back for everyone! Umm yes there is I don't have Alecia with me! My arms feel empty as I email her each week. I want so badly to hold her smile at her and look into her sparkling blue eyes and tell her how much I love her and how very well pleased I am with her! I want to be able to sit with her and talk to her about her sisters and get her sweet loving advice on things. I want to be able to hear her singing to Jessica and smile because I was able to pass on something I have always loved doing. Oh how I miss my Alecia!!!


There are so many mixed emotions going on in my heart and mind. I know that my Father in Heaven has called my daughter to Bolivia for a wise purpose. I do not know that purpose but He does. I trust Him. I know that He is guiding and directing Alecia's path. He wants her to succeed. I know that there are many touched by her righteous obedience. Her desire to serve our Father in Heaven with all her might, mind and strength. She is such an example to all who meet her.

I love that she is sharing her love of music everywhere she goes. I love that her being in a foreign country is a direct fulfillment of prophecy given to my darling husband years ago! I love that a little piece of our family and traditions are being shared with the people Alecia has grown to love.  I pray that there will be a time when I get to meet them and hear all about her mission from another point of view.

My heart is full with the knowledge that the prophet, Thomas S. Monson, and his counselors pray for her and that the whole church prays for our dear missionaries.  My thanks goes out to all who have touched her life and in some way added to the person that she is today!

Each mother of a missionary, I believe, experiences these mixed emotions. God is with us. He wants us to be happy and He helps us to sacrifice our time with our beloved children. We are blessed immensely as they serve. We see the effects of their examples on our younger children. We know that no matter what our blessed children are being protected. This does not mean they will not face adversity or even the worst can happen and they never come home to us in this life. It does mean that He, in his infinite wisdom, knows what they need and he loves them even more than we. He will guide, direct and protect them as they spread His word and help to fulfill his purpose, which is the immortality and eternal life of man!

I look forward to the time when she is back in my arms.  I pray that as she is growing and strengthening her testimony that I too will be following her loving example.  I lvoe you all. Thank you for sharing my daughters mission with us.  I pray that you will all have a blessed day.

Love,
Teresa

September 30, 2013 Alecia's emails and pics!

 Last pday with the hat hma Santa Cruz gave me.. My area!
This would have been last week and she is showing us her area! : )

My beautiful girl! I love her so very much!

Hey mom! Here are the photos with my new do...! lol! And guess what! I have lost twenty pounds out here on my mission! In two years all I could lose was five at home... but out here for three months and Ive lost twenty!!!! Isnt that great! 

Este semana fue mucho mejor.¡ Fuimos a ver muchos personas y tenimos una familia y dos jovenes in la capilla este Domingo! ¡Que feliz! ¡Tenimos muchos bendiciones y milagros reales! 

This week was a lot better! We went to see a lot more people, and had a whole family and two other investigadors in the church this sunday! I am so happy! We have really seen blessings and miracles this week! 

The story I want to share this week is of a little girl... who is in a tough situation. Her parents and Her sisters dont want to go ... But one day this little girl heard or felt something, which I believe was the spirit... and made the decision to go to church. She saves the money her parents give her to buy fun things at school, so she can wake up early sunday morning and get both herself and her little sister ready for school. Then they walk to the truffy, and go to church all alone. She is only nine years old, yet she is able to see the truth and have the courage and strength to follow after it. I am so very impressed and grateful to have seen such strength in a little girl so small... And we have been able to see a slight opening in the hearts of her parents. Hopefully, this little girl will be the strength of her family. And what did I learn from this? Never give up.. Hope, Pray, and work hard... and leave the rest to the Lord. For he can touch even the hardest of hearts, but in his own time, and his own way. 

Anyway, I am really happy here. I love my companion, I am learning spanish more every day, and my area is awesome! 

Hope you have a fabulous week! 

Sincerely, 

Hermana Alford

September 23, 2013 Alecia's email (really good for the Young Women)

So, here, I am dressed as a cholita (or cohabamba girl!) with hma Santa Cruz! These are more commonly used for dancing... Not for every day use. :)

This is me and the Christus last monday! It was so cool to go and see it! We about died though from all the stairs! lol! Yet it was totally worth it!

Me at the temple! For the very first time! How cool huh! I really love the Cochabamba temple! It is so pretty!

We are doing all we can to work hard with the ward. Hopefully, we will be able to see some fruits soon. Hey mom. I felt something this Thursday night a little interesting. I just felt sad. I dont know why, it didnt feel like my own emotion... But I spoke to hma Santa Cruz about it, and she shared a few experiences with me that were similar... but that always correlated with a time when someone at home missed her really bad... And she told me that she believes that sometimes, when you are really close to someone, you can feel their souls across any amount of distance. Anyway, I just wanted to share that with you, maybe someone at home was missing me... Or maybe Im just a basket case! lol! But Just in case, I wanted to share an extra I love you and a long distance hug! lol!
Love you a ton mom! Ill probably write more in a minute! But I want to try and send a few pics!

So, I had a thought this Saturday I felt like sharing... We were with one of our investigadors... and she was talking to us about her life and her troubles. She told us how alone she felt sometimes... and then that she truly didn’t feel special enough to pray. I felt like crying mom. I remember this. I remember feeling alone, and like I wasn’t special or beautiful. And it truly pains me to see this in other people. This Friday night, Hma Santa Cruz and I talked about this... I told her about all the negative feelings I used to have towards myself... And how all that has changed so drastically. Mom, this form of thinking is absolutely wrong... in every way. When we choose to allow Satan to crawl his way into our hearts and minds in this form... we allow him to control us from the inside out. We can not allow this to happen. As women, we have this tendency... We want so badly to be beautiful, that sometimes, with out knowing it... we allow satan to take over. I truly can not bare to see other people feeling this way now. So much time passed in my life when I felt this way. And I just want to help all people know the worth of their souls! Because I know that feeling! I know how it tears you apart... The Lord works in balance. It is not humility to put yourself down. There is a balance in which we can know we are beautiful and special, but not be prideful. This is what I did not understand for so long. I don’t know why yet, but I felt like I should share that with you mom! I love you with all my heart! And hope you have a great week!

I dont mind at all if you share with the blog or with anyone you like. This is one thing I feel really strongly about because I’ve been there... And I only hope that my experience can maybe help others.  I remember how I felt when I went to the store with all my friends, or with Kady... and everyone could fit into the tiny little sizes... and I couldnt.. I had to go to the L... and then it was even worse when I had to move up to an XL... I felt so bad. I couldnt enjoy myself shopping with my friends, because there was always that painful presence of thoughts such as: `you`re not as pretty as they are´ ´you will never look like they do´ ´how could anyone like you?´  They tell us all the time in young womens that we are truly special, one of a kind.. But how many of us really believe it? How many of us believe in our very heart and soul that we are in every way beautiful? There are so many influences in the world... that tell us what beauty really is... But the fact of the matter is that true beauty comes in thousands of forms... And I am not trying to be cliche or cute... I am not beautiful in the model way... Nor in that of the actress... or that of my sister, or my mother, or my aunt. But I have a beauty all my own. And every day I can, if I so choose, embrace that and claim it. My hair IS crazy, as so many people used to tease me... I do have acne... I have some pounds to lose.. But my hair is also like fire, and beautiful in its own right. My body may not be perfect in the ways of the world, but I have my own individual kind of gorgeous. I have seen so many different kinds of beautiful, and dreamed of being like that! But the time has finally come, when I can see my own. Thats what I pray for every day for you, and for Kady, and for Krystal. And I truly pray that Bethany and Jessica never have to feel that kind of hurt. I pray that you all can see for yourselves, not only try to accept what others tell yall, the real loveliness inside of you. No snowflake is the same... Much less the daughters of God. But I also now, by the Grace and Love of God, know the great joy of knowing who I am.... and my individual worth. It is a fight every day. A fight against my own tendencies, and against Satan. But with God and real faith, and a true desire.. all things are possible. Even this! Anyway, I pray for you every day mom! I love you with all my heart and soul. And I look up to you as my angel on this earth. Love,
Hermana Alford (Alecia:)

Hopefully well be able to have some baptisms soon... Oh, we have a lavandarista now! Like a pensionista, except she washes our clothes for us! Woohoo! lol! We are really quite excited about that! :) love ya! I might email again later! lol!

This week... one of our good friends in the ward moved away to Brazil. We made a little memory thing for her. It was really kind of sad to see her go. We also did a whole lot of service. We helped an inv make army bags... and I think we might have finally opened a way into her heart through our service.. she hasn’t really wanted to let us into her trust just yet.. We had hoped she would make it to church this sunday.. but that never happened sadly. But we are going to pray extra hard for this next sunday. We are hoping they can eventually be a family connected through the gospel. Also, I played dress up with my little friend ______... lol! She loves to sing and dance with me like a princess. The poor thing doesn’t have hardly any friends and her parents work all the time... She told me that I am her very first and best friend. My heart literally about burst with love for her! Anyway, she dressed me up like a princess and we played for hours! She really is great! Also, I have been doing finances in spanish! HELP! As our service we went and helped a member do some finances and things she needed to do. I didn’t understand hardly a thing... but I think I did alright... at least I hope so! For her sake at the very least! lol! Who knew that math was different in another language? lol! Anyway... What else.. a ton of service... Oh! Did I tell yall that ? & ? are going to church? They are going to a different ward, that doesn’t have stairs! ? is smiling almost every day! And they are going to go to the temple this october! Anyway, over all its been cool... :) Oh, and I cut my hair a bit! lol! Just a bit.. But it turned out alright.. i think. lol! Hope yall have a great week! love ya!

September 9, 2013 Emails!!!

 I have one transfer down in the mission! Hma Santa Cruz and I are still together though, we didn’t have transfers because I am still being trained. Its twelve weeks with your trainer... and then I will probably train or at least stay in this area for a while longer because Hma Santa Cruz hasn’t yet left Cochabamba. She has almost one year just in Cochabamba! That means she’ll probably be out of here after she finishes training me! Either to Succre, or Potosi. Anyway, we have had all kinds of fun this week! We had a movie night last night waiting for the zone leaders to call... And we ate candy, laughed, and had a great time! Oh, and we made my fave food another night. Sanchi Papas! With music and laughing and all kinds of fun! All of this is with church movies and music by the way! lol! I promise I am not breaking any rules! lol!

 _________has truly had a miracle! He is so much happier now, and he finally spoke to his family. We have been talking to him about every other day, trying to help him out and teaching him... Thank yall for your prayers! I want yall to know they truly work miracles! He is receiving so much strength and happiness from the Lord right now. And I truly love to see that in him!

Anyway, this week has been pretty great. And I am going to print pics today! And have a water fight! And make Columbian food with a really great family we are teaching! And maybe even eat icecream! YAY! I really love pday! lol! Anyway, I hope yall are having a cool time! Looks like the car is pretty dead to me! But I will pray for yall and the Abuelita too! (Little Grandma) LOL! Oh, and something I learned in the scriptures this week... I read in 2 Nephi 4... and I couldnt get over how perfect it was for me and for my investigadors! Yall have got to read it! its fantabulous!

So yeah, just thought I would share... Anyway. I want yall to know I love yall. I will probably write again later. I love the pics! Thanks a ton! Send as many as you can! And I love you all with all my heart!
May God Bless you,
Hermana Alford

its really interesting for me how your lives or something you say always mirrors something that happenned in my week... or something i taught... its pretty amazing! Like in this instance, your advice to me was to count my blessings when the tough times come. Well, that is exactly what I have been teaching to quite a few of our investigadors and converts out here! I just love it. There almost always is something in your letters or emails that really pertains to me or my investigadors or my life out here. Im glad that church was cool, and that you and Kady are still reading together. That really is so cool that yall do that. We had Stake Conference here this Sunday. Not a single investigador made it... But it was really cool to hear the speakers, and see what Stake Conference is like in Bolivia.  They have every room filled to the brim with chairs and tvs because it fills up so fast... and they record it... Oh, and they even have like ushers... You know, people who direct people to their seats and open and close doors, and help make everything run smoothly. It was pretty cool! lol! And music would really be nice too! Piano Guys, Alex Boye, the music from Prince of Egypt, and whatever else is uplifting that you think I might like. If you can send it over email, that would be absolutely fantastic! lol! Anyway, I love you to the moon and back! And hope you have a great week! love ya !

Alecia with her dear friend Elvida