8 meses! - 4/25/2011

There is SO MUCH to write about from this week. But happy Easter ! soo . let's DO dis.!

  So Jose and Oscar's baptism was on Saturday ! It was in.CREDible. We got to the church, and Jose was already there and he gets out of his car when we came up, and he was balling ! He told us he was just so happy that this day had finally come. He had finally found what he was searching for, the kind of hope that comes from nothing BUT the gospel. It was amazing. I had been praying to just be able to love each of our investigators, because it's not easy to love someone you hardly know. But we need to love everyone, just because they are God's children. And so on Friday, the day before their baptism, we called Jose and he didn't answer. We knew Satan would be working to try and get him to change his mind and do something to stop him from being able to get baptized. So when he didn't answer our phone call, I freaked.OUT. And for 3 hours until he called us back, I was anxious and worrying. SO much about him. Like my own child or something. And it was the kind of worry that I imagine my mom had for me every single time she couldn't get a hold of me. It's a different kind of worry. And I absolutely HATE it hah. But everything's okay! Jose and Oscar got baptized, and it was incredible :)

  Also! Elder Holland couldn't make it to meet with us, but we got a visit from Elder Quentin L. Cook instead! And it was SO AMAZING being able to listen to him. As a missionary. We all got to meet him afterwards, and he asked me where I'm from when he shook my hand. I was meeting an Apostle of the Lord.. I didn't have the answers to any of his questions ! He should've told us he wanted us to talk to him hahah. So we talked for a little and then went down the row of the members of the 70 that had come with him. It was incredible. And he told us in his talk that as an Apostle, he can leave specific blessings on us. So he left us with a promise.. that every person we have loved, have come in contact with, and ever will love will be so blessed from what we are doing right this second as missionaries. No matter what happens to our families, no matter what happens at home, this is where we are to do the best for them. Whoa DANG. I had no words hah.

  Elder Cook was also at church yesterday to speak to everyone for Easter! And there were so many amazing talks that were given. And it made me think about how we use the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. And how every single day we do things that have added to the nail that held Him to that cross. How no matter how much we try, we knew we would add to the suffering He already went through. If that makes any sense. But the amazing thing about it is that He already suffered ! All we have to do is USE His suffering, because it isn't a burden anymore. All we have to do is rely. Rely on what we can't see, but what we know is there and what we know we can fall onto.

  Anyway. There really isn't much left to this e-mail. I don't like e-mailing I've noticed hah. But you know. The cookie crumbled us to the Apple Store. Let's live it up hah.

  I'll send a video about the food I got to eat this week. It's mazing. really.

  But! Until then! La Iglesia es verdadera. Es la unica.

Paz y bendiciones. !

La Hermana B

Pascua! - 4/18/2011

This e-mail is probably not gonna be very long either.... I can't even apologize, because I knew if I was REALLY sorry I'd change my ways hah. But I like doing these minute-long videos SO MUCH MORE. it'ssucharush hahaha just kidding. But anyway! WudduPP Mo Val ! La Pascua, or Easter, is already coming up this week. And in less than 2 months I'm gonna turn 22.. guacala. But I guess that's what happens when the clock never stops going. 'Time is the thing that stops everything from happening all at once' !

  So this week has been insane. Like every single minute as a missionary hah. We have an investigator, Jose, who had a baptismal date for the 30th. But we just woke up the other morning and thought, why NOT this weekend.. he is SO READY it is incredible. He is ALWAYS reading from his Book of Mormon, and he is so nice. There's a different little 'something' you look at when you have an investigator that keeps progressing. Not really like a brother, not like a friend.. but it's just like how I imagine you look at your own son or daughter. And when they do something that's right, you just wanna squeeze their cheeks and take a picture haha. Oh my gosh I'm gonna be the most annoying mother. ...not that that's annoying! But anyway. So last week, he had court and realized he had to come up with $2,000 in 7 days to pay for his trailer.. which is pretty tough hah. So we were praying for him and trying to figure something out, but we had no clue what to do. Until he calls us ECSTATIC, telling us that his lawyer gave him the money to pay for his hime out of nowhere. Whatt!! So he's just thanking us over, and over and OVER, telling us how this church and this gospel has given him a different happiness than any other church that he has been to. He was so happy, I could hardly believe it. Just from prayers! Look at how near to us our Heavenly Father is. It's incredible. SO the next night, we went to the church to teach English classes, and he was there, with a new haircut and his clothes all buttoned up and nice. THIS GOSPEL DOES SO MUCH. It should be our very breath. Everything. Because quite honestly. What is it that brings us the simple happiness that we need in the first place? One thing, at the English classes, that Jose said to Hna. Holland while I was helping someone was, "You know, I always knew God, but I never listened to Him." ...We can go every single day knowing what we believe, but unless we have that relationship with our Heavenly Father, unless we rely on Him and show Him that we need Him to help us walk upright everyday, we have nothing. So Jose is getting baptized this coming Saturday! At noon, and right after is when we have the training with the man. Elder Holland :p so this should be. an okay weekend hah. The Elders have a baptism too! Of Oscar.. but I call him Carlos. I don't know why haha, but it makes him laugh ! OscarCarlos always thought he had to be perfect to be baptized, but Hna. Holland and I taught Gospel Principles one Sunday and I drew this picture showing that baptism is just the first step to becoming more, that all we have to want is the desire to follow our Savior. And he said that that completely changed his perspective! So he's getting baptized with Jose this weekend. JEAH !

  That's the most I have about this week. It's been so crazy, even if I had tried to explain exactly what happened, ya'll probably wouldn't understand me hah. I'm at this weird point where I feel jumbled when I try to speak English OR Spanish. Like when will I win with one haha. But anyway!

  Something I also learned last night.. I was talking to Elder Keller on the phone, and he asked me who I write to in my journal. Anddd I said I just write.. ARE we supposed to write to someone ?? And he told me that one of his companions wrote to his future son, or he'll write to himself or to Heavenly Father. HOW AMAZING why didn't I ever think of that ! So I decided what I'm gonna do. From the experiences of the day, I'm going to write to a member of my family who I think would benefit from those experiences.. or maybe one of my future children, who knows ! Maybe that'll give me more drive to write in my journal. Rather than just knowing that 'God only keeps a record-keeping people" :p

  One more thing! Last week, Monica, a recent convert, called us. Her 3-yr. old, Natalie, was really sick and her face was yellow. And so we called up the Elders and we all met up at her home to give Natalie a blessing. So here was Natalie, who was sobbing uncontrollably and squirming around in Monica's lap. And then the Elders and Hno. Gallardo put their hands on her head to give her a blessing, and they started. And right away she just stopped and went com.pletely calm. It was incredible. She was more silent than me! And afterwards she looked so much better, and now she's fine. These miraces that happen every single day, that we only recognize if we open our eyes to all the 'more' that there is.

  Anyway. Thank you so much for all that you do, every single one of you. All of your prayers, all of your thoughts. Every single one is counted, I promise! The support you have for missionary work shows your support for the Lord. And when you show you support the Lord, He turns around and supports you. :) Look for the simple things that bring you joy.. you will be so much happier, and will realize that no matter how broken or unbroken your life may be, we all have those simple happy things. Laugh at something dumb this week. It'll make you happier I promise hah.

La Iglesia es Verdadera !

La Hermana B

4/11/2011

Oh my gosh this week was inSANE. Without the Spirit keeping me going..physically.. every single step of the way, I think I would have dropped by now haha. Pero milagro! Aqui estoy!

  So it started this past Monday. We went to visit this woman Vielca, who the Elders are teaching, but we got permission to come because they can never find a woman to go with them into her home. Sooo. Vielca called the Elders, and she has had an EXTREMELY hard life. She has been involved with about every horrible thing the world has to offer, and has been suicidal as a result of it. So all in all. When she calls, we come. Just as with every investigator. But lucky that with her, she actually calls haha. So she called last Monday and wanted us to all come. So we dropped everything and went. And on the way she texted us and cancelled. So we were already almost there, and the Elders met up with us. So we were already outside her house, and decided that if nothing, we could heart attack her. S since it was freezing, all of us piled into the car and started cutting hearts really quick. and while THAT was going on, she came home! So we were able to see her still, and we just talked to her a little and decided to sing "I Am a Child of God" to her and her oyfriend. And it was so cool, being in the same exact position that the Elders were in, singing the same exact song they sang to us when they met US for the first time, but in a different language. And her boyfriend, who was abusive before, started crying! So since then, they have been reading the scriptures together and trying and TRYING to change.. together! HOW COOL IS THAT. So we left right, and we came back, ducking like 007 under her window haha, to heart attack her door. So we knocked really fast and BOLTED. And we went to this alley behind the apartments.. which probably wouldn't be safe if we weren't with Elders.. or if we weren't missionaries haha. But she called us, talking about how that made her cry.. and she never cries ! And to think that a simple heart attack.. a simple gesture that took hardly any money or tie at all has changed her life. She's reading her Book of Mormon! And her boyfriend's changing! It is incredible. But after THAT, we walked out to the car.. to see it completely bashed in on the door behind the driver's door. Like Edward Cullen tried to stop it hahah. What we happened we have NO clue haha, but! At least we're okay! Apparently where we were is literally called by all the locals and everyone.. 'the war zone'. man I feel like such a G here ! ...but not really aha

  Sooo what else happened last week? We taught a lot of people and have been working and working. I have wondered at times, as one serving a mission right now, that if one were to ask me what I could do to prepare to serve a mission, what I would say. I remember Mitchell telling me that there really is NO way to prepare to serve a mission, because it is nothing one could ever imagine. And I totally and completely agree. I would have to say that my actual faith in my Heavenly Father is shaken and tried a lot more than my actual testimony, if that makes any sense. It is all in faith, and our faith is what opens doors, and what softens hearts, and what helps people believe in what you are, because it is manifest in every single thing that you do. It isn't easy, working at having faith strong enough day to day that Heavenly Father will pull me through, and much more, pull others through.. through me. If that makes sense. So that being said! I would tell anyone who may be reading this that if they want to prepare themselves to serve a mission.. to strengthen their faith. As much as they absolutely can. By reading their scriptures and praying.. and praying. and praying! And not failing. We are all going to have that point where Heavenly Father is all we have to hang on to.. and I don't want that anyone gets to the point where they do not want to pray. These missions aren't easy. Just as members, every single day we are fighting with good. I don't want anyone who plans to serve a mission to think that they are getting into a cakewalk. If discipleship was easy, a lot more people would be living the gospel. But by keeping the faith, and strengthening it in any good way possible, we will be ready !

  Allllso what has happened. We have this investigator, Jose, who has a baptismal date! His family just left him so he is completely alone, but when he comes to church it seems like he feels that he has family there. He smiles, and I don't know how often he does that. But he makes us these flowers.. full on roses out of beer cans haha ! Well. He'd already made them.. we just get them. But don't worry about him! He's doing really well. And we're trying to keep him strong in the gospel as much as possible. He came to church yesterday !

  We also have someone we're working with.. Maribel. And she knows the gospel is true, and it's here. But she's grown up Catholic, and so she's putting off praying and knowing something else is true because of what she is comfortable with. It's so hard, because I know how happy she can be and I just want her to be! Her life with her whole family is rough, so it's hard not being able to..make her decisions for her haha.

  But anyway. That's everything in a little crumble right now, because my mind is so jumbled. Yesterday at church! 2 les active families, 2 of our investigators, and another less active came ! It was the most busy craziest session of church I have EVER been to, but it was amazing to see these people changing! And this area! So thank you for your prayers.. I am constantly praying for ya'll too.. how could I not :)

I love ya'll! I should probably put some more Spanish in these e-mails.. I promise I do speak it haha. Paz y bendiciones!

La iglesia es verdadera.. La Hermana B

4/4/2011

We have abouuttt 1 1/2 hours to e-mail yall, eat dinner, and go grocery shopping. and somehow find a way to get me out of this sweatshirt i'm wearing haha how lame. but anyway! so how are ya'll! HOW DID YOU LIKE CONFERENCE OMGOSH. I have to say. My favorite talk has to have been when Jeffrey R. Holland spoke, and President Monson about temples. There isn't really anything that they said in particular. They were just amazing. And that soft power they spoke with is amazing too. You know what's sad? I'm so scattered right now, I don't really know what to say. But I hope Conference touched ya'll. And I loved how someone..I think Elder Holland.?.. talked about how all of the speakers pray and fast and do their best to do deliver what Heavenly Father told them to speak about. I loved how he said that if we have open hearts to Conference, that at least one of the talks will touch on something that needs to touch US. At least one ! They were all incredible. But just know that I'm okay, and that anything that you need to know or receive comfort from is in the words of the Prophet, from our Heavenly Father. That's why he's there ! I love you. And I hope the video I try and make right now will make up for this e-mail.. well. lack of e-mail. hah anyway. I love ya'll and am praying for you !!

La Iglesia es verdadera.... Hermana B