No Se...

Happy Birthday, Jackson!!!!!!

So my district showed up at 6:30

 when we woke up and pounded me with those balloons

 and then they brought a chocolate cake that a member had made

 and started chanting

 MORDIDA, MORDIDA, MORDIDA.

  Basically, it means: taste it so we can slam your head in the cake.

  It's Latino tradition so yeah.

  They slammed my face in the cake

 and then we had a good ol’ time eating cake

 and playing with the balloons you sent!  Thanks mom! 

So, this week has been great!

Brianda is getting baptized on Wednesday!  Finally!  She's been through so many missionaries it's crazy!  She's finally doing it though!  She has muscular dystrophy so she's been in a wheelchair her whole life and she said she's found solace in the gospel!  It's so awesome to see the change in these people's lives as they just surrender themselves to the love of Jesus Christ!

Angel Leonardo is thinking about a mission still!  We're still teaching him as our recent convert so we're hoping that we can get him out in the field!  That would be sweet!  We are also still teaching the rest of the family and according to their agency and our obedience they are gonna get baptized in March!!  Yeeeeeaaaaaauuuuhhhh!

BIG NEWS!  An apostle will be coming to the California Fresno mission to speak to all of us on March 21st!  Sister Clark asked me to be in the choir for when he comes cause I play the piano.  Whoo.  Choir loves me.  Anyways, it'll be AWESOME to sit right up next to whoever it is that comes and be able to shake his hand!!

Went on exchanges with Elder Bean this past week!  He's a kewl elder!  He came out a transfer before me and so we had some good times trying to figure out what our members and investigators were trying to tell us over the phone.   That's something that is DANG HARD in Spanish.  Talking on the dagum phone!  I can't even do it very well in English let alone in Spanish!

TEMPLE TRIP no March 4th!  Yeuh!  I haven't been for 3 months!  It's gonna be GREAT!  Such a blessing.  If you are not taking advantage of going to the temple at least once a month, you, my friends, are crazy.  That is a HUGE blessing.  TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT!

So yeah.  My spiritual tid-bit this week is thus:  Don't be a slob.  Translation: Read your scriptures.  Pray sincerely every night and morning and everywhere in between.  Keep the Sabbath day holy.  REPENT CONSTANTLY.  Believe and trust in Jesus Christ.  And maybe you'll turn out all right.  I'm working on it.  You do too.

Love you all!

Elder Frame

SOOO much water!

Sunny California!!!!

Missionary Entertainment

Power of the Priesthood!

I can't live without it!

Well folks! I just made history in the mission! Hermana Hoskins and I are together for another transfer here in Quillabamba! It will make 4 transfers together, 6 months in total in the same place! QUILLABAMBA! Yay! It will be another great transfer and there is SO much to do here so I am extremely excited, grateful, and so pumped! The people better be ready for us gringas! But to be together for more than 3 transfers is UNHEARD OF in our mission! Well, you know me… Bring it on!

Anyways, this last week has been another abnormal week for us as we have traveled to Cusco once again! Hermana Hoskins needed to get her stitches out (which I totally could have done) but she was also having muscle problems. Weird! Beginning last Sunday she was having HORRIBLE pain and could not stand up straight, walk, or sit comfortably. She had NO signs of infection so I was totally confused. But, luckily we made the drive, which this time I had her pop 800 mg of IB profen, well the doctor told her too as well, and to make the drive back to Cusco on Thursday. So, we spent two and a half days in Cusco getting her better and preparing for the transfer that I thought I would be passing her onto another companion but….. NO! I AM STILL IN SHOCK!   Wow I get another transfer with her! YAY!!! But I know this is what the Lord wants.

 I have definitely seen His hand in my adventure especially the last two weeks as Hermana Hoskins has had surgery and helping her through this time especially away from her family. I was definitely prepared as a nurse first of all but also to help in my mission with the last two years as studying as a nurse. Yay it’s paying off!

The Hospital in Quillabamba

 Anyways, we are doing great! She is healing and we are excited to work! But as we were in Cusco we had a very touching experience in the clinic with a woman who was waiting along with us to get lab results back. But, she kept glancing over at us which is kind of odd because in Cusco there is  a lot of white people because it is the tourist city of Peru, but she kept looking at us and I could tell we needed to talk to her. Hermana Hoskins was sitting by her and started by asking if she was from Cusco and we got talking. We found out she had just barely been in a car accident and one of her daughters had died. Oh, it was so sad hearing her tell the story. And she had her other daughter there with her and oh the sadness I felt and to look into their eyes… But it was so amazing to testify that she would one day see her daughter again. It was one of those moments that as a missionary you live for. She knew we had a message she needed. She knew there was something different about us. We gave her a pass-along card and directed her to the ward building in her area and I pray she goes. She felt it. She could see the light.

 I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.

 I just have to randomly say it because I really do.

We got to pass through the plaza de Armas (main plaza) 

where there was beautiful cathedrals, 

a festival going on with lots of people in traditional dress.

Anyways, this week I had a lot of time to think and ponder as we have been resting for Hermana Hoskins as she is recovering still. But this week I really focused on Jesus Christ and why He is so important. I mean it is so obvious and He is the center of our church and this is such a missionary letter I am writing but REALLY. He is the key to everything. I read the talk from President Monson this last conference about following His path, and becoming a disciple. He described how we need to become like Him. He knows exactly everything we go through. He experienced disappointment, pain, and temptation. He knows how it is to live each day in this mortal world. But he also set the example of being 100% obedient, serving always, and praying to our Father in Heaven. To live a life wanting to be like Him will never leave you with regrets. On my mission I have never regretted coming once. I have always wanted to serve because it really brings a joy no one can describe. I can testify that He is our Savior. He changes our lives. He has and will change my life. But it is all a choice.

Also, as Hermana Hoskins and I talk about our lives we discuss how blessed we are with the friends we have, the family we have. I am so blessed. But I know that it is because Christ is the center of all of it. The people I love to be around and the people that have truly changed my life are those that serve, love, and are trying just like me to be HIS disciples.

 I am so blessed to be here on my mission so that I can continually serve, love, pray, and be obedient to receive blessings. I am grateful for my companion. She radiates in the light of Christ. There is something seriously different about members of the church though. I can testify people can feel that. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ will be a lifelong calling for me and I am so grateful to have been raised to follow His example. THANKS PARENTS! It has truly blessed my life.

                                 I love the view of the valley- our mission seriously is so pretty! 

I was reading a talk my Mom sent me this last week and it talked about how we really can’t live without the gospel. It heals hearts, gives light to your life, and you can live a life with purpose. I love this quote… “I cannot live without he doctrinal truths and ordinances restored by Joseph Smith, I cannot live without the priesthood of God to bless my family, I cannot live without knowing my family can be sealed for eternity. That is the choice we face- a few unanswered questions on one hand versus a host of doctrinal certainties and the power of God on the other. And for me, and I hope for your, the choice is an easy one and a rational one."   Make the decision to follow Him. I promise it brings happiness more than you could ever imagine.

 Well, I need to go! Have a great week!

Hermana Frame

THE BEST PART was we went to McDonalds! 

My companion

 LOVES it so we went and enjoyed our American fast food and of course I had my Ice Cream! YUM!

I Love You All

LOCKED THE KEYS IN THE CAR!

I love you all, even if the length of this letter doesn't look like it!! 

 I don't have a lot of time this week!

This past week!  Crazy!  Transfer week! 

 BUT, Elder Vargas and I are staying together!  SCORE! 

 He and I have some unfinished business here in Kingsburg/Parlier!  Yeaaaaaaaaahh!

Angel Leonardo, our baptism last month, received the Aaronic Priesthood! 
He wants to receive his patriarchal blessing, baptize his sisters,
 and he's thinking about serving a mission!  HIS PATRIARCHAL BLESSING IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT HIS MISSION AND HE'S GOING TO GO ON A MISSION, I'M SURE OF IT!!!!  

This gospel is so coooooooool!!

Here's some kewl personal revelation I received from 

personal study this week. 
 It's a copy and paste from my study journal so enjoy!  

 <<2nd Nephi 2:11-13 was so clear in my mind!
 Here's a little of what I learned from these few verses:
 The very fact that we are living, breathing beings, 
capable of choice, attests to the fact that there is a God, 
Just like it says:
 "Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one, 
wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, 
having no life neither death,..... etc." 
So if there were not opposition in ALL things, 
then we would be in a vegetative state doing nothing. 
"Dead" as it says in verse 11. 
That is why it is crucial to understand opposition in all things. 
It just bears witness of a God who loves us and is all-knowing
 and wants us to learn and to grow FROM OPPOSITION. 
What's Newton's Law?
 For every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction,
 or something like that. Newton bears witness with 
his scientific law that there is a God in Heaven!!!>>

So yeah!  It's been a super good week and I hope all of you are doing great! 

 Love you and bye!!!

Elder Frame

Wait, why do we go to church?

Hermana Ruiz my Hermana Leader

 that visited this week under the waterfall in our sector. 

We see men even taking pictures under it

 and it is HILARIOUS!

Well, everyone I am back in Quillabamba! Wahoo! My companion and I decided that it is the Hawaii of Peru minus the ocean… It is sooooooo beautiful. I am so grateful for it though. The people are amazing and the church is growing which is the best part. This week though we have been SLOWLY getting back into normal missionary work as Hermana Hoskins has been recovering.  But it has been great because it was weird not to be out working 24-7 like normal! But she is the best and is doing so great as she had surgery in PERU!!!

I want to start off by sharing really how important it is as missionaries to have your investigators attend church. It is the hardest thing sometimes to understand the importance of attending. I really thought about it this week though because I am trying to find how to improve our lessons and get them to come! But really WHY do we go? We go because of the sacrament. At our conference this week with President and his wife they talked about covenants and how important it is to take it each week. This week as I sat in a sacrament meeting, listening to the sacrament prayer it really touched me. I wanted to really understand. So as I thought about it we take it because we need to have His spirit with us each week. We need to have His spirit because we need to constantly be changing to become more like Christ. To become more refined. But I had the thought pop into my mind (the spirit obviously) say YOU CAN CHANGE. That is the message of this church. We can constantly change our lives to become happier. To have true lasting peace. To become more like our Savior. I studied more about it as we have had some extra time. It is THE REASON we go to church. The 15 minutes are vital to renew, remember, and review how we should be living our life. It is all about remembering the Atonement. The more we ponder the significance of the sacrament, the more sacred it becomes to us.

My companion said one day as we were on our way to church really how hard it is to go to church sometimes. It can be HARD. We can go to the movies, shop, rest at home, read a book we want, not have any stresses about callings, or take care of screaming children in the meetings. But we go because we are showing the Savior how grateful we are for His life, and His sacrifice. A quote I really like is “The ordinance of the sacrament has been called one of the most holy and sacred ordinances in the church. It needs to become more holy and sacred to each of us. Jesus Christ himself instituted the ordinance to remind us what He did to redeem us and to teach us how we may avail ourselves of His redemption and thereby live with God again.”-Elder James J. Hamua from this last conference.

I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be here on my mission constantly refining my life to become the person the Lord wants me to be. But I can do it through renewing my baptismal covenant each week, thinking about the Savior, and taking the Sacrament WHICH MEANS I have to go to church. Reflect on the importance of the sacrament and truly how lucky we are.

Hermana Essig! 

This woman is so great!

 She was trained my Hermana Hansen

 from my ward in Spanish Fork!

 Whoa small world! She is now an Hermana Leader

 and I love this girl so much!

 Well, this week was “carnival”! This is when EVERYONE. Seriously, everyone fills water balloons, brings tubs of water, silly string, paint, anything you can put on another person and throw it on literally everyone walking by or neighbors.

People throwing globles de agua-water balloons from the windows

Throwing water off the roofs!
 So many do this and they even get cars,
 motorcycles and anyone walking by!
 It was so funny to watch!

It’s so funny because they had to keep going back
 and forth in their houses to get water to throw on each other.

 It was SO fun to watch from our window all that was happening! Apparently it is a country wide holiday… If you want to call it a holiday… Haha! But Hermana Hoskins and I literally talked about how it would go in the U.S.  Haha hoses and all it would get pretty hysterical! Anyway enjoy the pics! Until next week!

Love you all!

Hermana Frame

Drive by in trucks and it is an all out WAR!

Our block going crazy! It was hilarious to watch!

Nurse Frame at your Service!

Well, as of right now I am emailing from right in the middle of Cusco Peru! It has been quite the adventure the last few days. If you ask my companion-I don’t know if she would love to do the adventure again, but I am loving it!

The poor thing had appendicitis and had surgery here in Cusco! WHOA!!! Poor thing, good thing she is a tough girl who can handle having surgery thousands of miles away from home! Anyways, brace yourself because this story is quite different than a normal missionary emailJ

Well, this last week has probably been the hardest week working wise on my mission. Our investigator pool is struggling, and our progressing investigators are few, and wow I am just going to say it was a week that tried my faith. Wednesday I was SO done. I sat on the curb with my coke-yes I love coke and if you know me I HATED IT BEFORE- but wow it helps when the food just isn't quite digesting right… but in this moment I needed it emotionally. Oh boy I sound like a wimp writing that. Anyways I sat my bum on the curb of the sidewalk and told Hermana Hoskins… WHY AREN'T THE PEOPLE JUST FLOCKING TO US!!! We have this message that will help them SO much! My heart was aching. It is so hard to show up to investigators houses or newly contacted people and have them feel obligated to hear the message. Oh it just makes me want to shake them and say “We carry a message that is so precious, will you just listen?” But people have their agency. It was hard because at moments I found myself asking where the Lord was in our work, and whether I had enough faith. It was HARD. But, as always he is there. We just have to keep going. But when it all seems to fall apart, there always is something more to come!

 It started on Friday when my companion said she had really constant and sharp stomach pains in her left side starting that morning when we woke up. So I told her to shower and we would keep watching it. Mind you before this story you need to understand my companion IS NOT A WIMP. So I knew it was kind of odd just hoping it was digestive problems. Anyways the pain got worse but I gave her some IB profen to see if it helped and it did so we went out to work that day and she was fine with just a little pain here and there in between lessons. But we continued but it was still there. As most of you know I am a nurse so there were a lot of options in my mind of what could be going on but it was puzzling because the pain was on the left side all day… So anyways she went the rest of the night without IB profen. We decided that if it continued throughout the night we would just call the zone leaders to see if she could get a blessing because she was in constant pain. So we went to bed and I fell right to sleep but was woken up at 3 in the morning to her saying.. Hermana Frame it isn’t going away and it is a lot worse. So I jumped out of bed and got to work. We tried laying in all kinds of positions and at this time her whole bottom of her abdomen was hurting so I turned on the testaments for her to watch and gave her some IB profen and 20 minutes later she threw it up. Well by this time I said well I want to call the zone leaders but if you don’t want to I will wait till you are ready. If you know my comp it has to be her idea so I let her make the decision, but if she didn’t in the next hour mean Nurse Frame was going to come out. But luckily she said nope we are calling. So we called the zone leaders, and 10 minutes later we were on our way to have a blessing and to have her checked out.

Okay. This is where the story is ridiculously interesting for me because of my nursing background. Can I just tell you the hospital I walked into was DISCUSTING! I can’t even describe it. But I will try.. It was like we walked into the 50´s. They were mopping the floor when we got there and it was black water. It was completely open to the air outside and none of the nurses wore gloves. The ER room looked like the room off of MASH (a show my grandpa watches). I was flipping out inside because I knew if she was going to have any type of procedure done I was going to do it (okay I wouldn’t but it was not looking promising). But anyways we got in to get her checked out and yes it was indeed appendicitis at this point. It was 5 AM by this point and I am wondering all that will happen in the next few days because I knew she was going to need surgery and SOON! So the zone leaders came to help us because she and I couldn’t separate. They had to start an IV on her to start fluids and take her blood and as I watched the nurse prepare her arm I flipped and told her that if she didn’t get it on the first poke I will do it. I said the biggest prayer of my life and she got it on the first try! But it was crazy how willing the nurse was to just hand over the procedure because she knew I was an “American nurse”. So we spent the morning getting meds for her pain, getting blood drawn and an ultrasound. By this point there wasn't a doctor on call to do the surgery in Quillabamba and so the zone leaders were going to send us to Cusco. In my mind I was so grateful because I knew they would have better resources.

 So within 2 hours we made the horrible 5 hour drive to Cusco.  This was rough for Hermana Hoskins. The poor thing was in pain and at this point her body wanted that appendix OUT! She had the shivers really bad and she would spike a fever super quick and really warm. At one point she was almost going to pass out but I said a prayer and felt totally fine we would make it. I knew it was all symptoms of appendicitis. Anyways we got there and had our mission doctor check her out and she was in surgery within an hour! 

Waiting to get into surgery! This girl is a rock!

YAY! This was all at 7 o clock at night. The Hermana leaders were so good to take care of me.  But oh man the anxiety I had while she was in surgery. But I KNEW it was all going to be okay. It was hard to send her off to surgery and not follow. It was so odd being on the other end not being the nurse able to watch the surgery. Fun fact though! She got to watch the whole thing! They only had her under laughing gas and gave her anesthesia through her spine to not feel anything. She loved it!

After the surgery I came back and as they wheeled her in she looked great! The doctor proceeded to let us know it went well and then handed us a bottle with something odd in it. I was like, oh it must be a weird med and then I looked closer and THEY HANDED US HER APPENDIX! WHAT???? Haha only in Peru! 

Telling her all about her appendix and the surgery!
Oh she was probably sick of me explaining
 this and that and how cool this is
 and blah blah blah…
 She is so good to put up with me!

Admiring her trophy HAHA

 Right after surgery! We were so excited to have that bugger out of her body!

We still have it with us and are supposed to take it to get checked. Haha but it went so well. They did a laparoscopy procedure and she should heal super fast!

 

Hermana Leaders with the trophy of an appendix

 But it has been a weird last few days because we aren't doing missionary work.  But it was a blessing in disguise. I was so grateful to get to Cusco for her procedure with the equipment and care they had here rather in Quillabamba. But I have realized so many things as I have been able to care for Hermana Hoskins. I remembered being in nursing school and helping all my patients get through some really rough times. It reminded me of really why I went to nursing school. I want to help others. Not only just physically but emotionally. As a nurse we are right there helping with every need. It was good to feel needed as the last few months I have needed her. I also realized the precious opportunity I have to be a missionary and to be saving peoples souls. Not only have I been trained to save physical lives but spiritual lives as well as I am here on a mission.

 We are going to be in Cusco for a few days and then travel back with President and his wife on Thursday for our Conference we are going to have. Even though it has been a crazy weekend we have been taken care of. And my companion is doing great! Yay! Anyways, this is super long and not the usual letter but I am doing great! Saving lives and souls at the same time! Woot woot!

Overall it will be hard to leave Hermana Hoskins in 2 weeks as it is changes but we have learned so much together and the Lord knew we have needed each other at different times. I am learning so much each day. I love my mission adventures and all! Until next week…

Hermana Frame

 

Us having a slumber party in her bed on Sunday!
 We played games, watched movies,
 and talked all about random stories
we tried to remember from pre-misison life-
 haha such a fun time with this girl!

Una Otra Semana en la Obra del Senor

gfdhjjkjjmnbvfceeh./;-0unb vdcfrtghae;uaebifqb078v4139hbpiqot.   Didn't know how to start this week’s letter so I just banged my head on the keyboard a few times.

ANYWAY, this week was great!  Vanessa our 9 year old investigator said she's ready for baptism on the 15th and Brianda has finally received an answer to her prayers!  She's going to be baptized and she's going to tell us when she wants.  So I was real excited until she said, "I'll tell you when."  That's what she's been saying for the past six weeks...  This time is different though!  I have faith!!

We had an awesome Family Home Evening with Presidente Haroldsen's family and the Leonardo family!  It was AWESOME!  President and his family did great fellowshipping them more and we had an awesome time playing 'Corporation' the name guessing game!  Haha they all loved it!!  The Leonardos now have a family they are very comfortable with so I'm betting coming to church won't be so much of a chore anymore!  It's awesome!  We also have baptismal dates for the three Leonardo girls for the 21st of this month!  If we do our part in teaching and they do their part searching and praying they are gonna get baptized that day!!!  YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHH!  The church is true!

Oh yeah and transfers were this week.  Elder Munzon is leaving for Fresno and our district leader Elder Shafer is going home to North Carolina.  So weird.  Missions do end...  Except for mine!  haha it feels like I'm just going to be doing this for the rest of my life and I am totally AOK with that!!

Spiritual thought.  Read-- Mosiah 5:7-9.  Read-- “The Continuous Atonement”.  Read-- “Believing Christ”.  And your mind and understanding about the Atonement of Jesus Christ will be augmented by 800T%!  Just try to understand Mosiah 5:7-9.  It's turning into one of my all-time favorite scriptures!!!

Love you all!!

Elder Frame

Elder Munzon training us at District Meeting

Making Pero (fake coffee) for our investigator!









Me drinking Pero Coffee (it's fake)!

Pues, this week has been really GREAT! As usual.

 Angel received the gift of the Holy Ghost and is being interviewed, along with his dad, to receive the priesthood this Sunday!  His three sisters, Susan, Asusena, and Giselle all accepted a baptismal date of February 21st!!  Their mom Hermana Leonardo doesn't want to commit to a date but says she'll keep learning, so at least we still have her on the hook!!  The Leonardo family is awesome and we are going to get them sealed as an eternal family next year!  That's the goal in the long run!!

Other than that, it's just been visiting all of our other investigators.  We have 31 investigators, so it's a really full schedule.  We really have to pick who we are going to focus on or we would be seeing all of them once a month!  It's a really great problem to have!  Thank you for your prayers and I definitely know that they were answered because we found 14 of those 31 in the past 2 weeks!

So we had some really good time with the colored pencils as you can see in the photos. Haha.  We were doing stake correlation, or in other words, the paperwork.  It only takes two people to do it, but we all have to be there, so it's kind of lame cause we could be out working, but the paper work is always necessary..... blah.  Can't wait till we have ipads, then we can just send it all in in like 10 minutes. 

Cyber Vargas

Elder Kane being sacrificed
 for the greater good.

Master Hopkins

Master Munzon

Master Vargas

Ha!  This one just looks like
 I am trying to swallow a huge pipe!

Anyways, I hope everything is going well in yalls lives and that you all are becoming more and more converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ every day.  Here's a really cool poem that President David O. Mckay gave during one of his General Conference addresses that I really liked:

Sow a thought, reap an act;

Sow an act, reap a habit;

Sow a habit, reap a character;

Sow a character, reap an eternal destiny.

This poem reminds me of what our current prophet likes to teach:  Decisions Determine Destiny.  Every decision you make has an effect on the person you are at the moment and the person you are becoming.  Elder Quentin L. Cook gave a sweet talk on the effects of our everyday decisions called Choose Wisely.  A quote I really like from there is "When you rationalize wrong choices, big or small, which are inconsistent with the restored gospel, we lose the blessings and protections we need and often become ensnared in sin or simply lose our way."  Every decision you have determines who you will become.  Become who you really are.  A chosen son or daughter of God that can become exactly as He is.  You all are future God's and Goddesses, so we better well start acting like it!!

Anyways, enough of my preaching from cool stuff I learned and studied this today.

I love you all.  Jesus Christ loves you.  Heavenly Father loves you.

Elder Frame

Gangstas Preachin the word

Members.  Loading us up with junk food!

Study Room

The Kitchen

The Living Room AKA Bedroom