Casi llegamos a los translados...:/

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Well this week has been pretty great! We haven't had a lot of lessons but we have been searching out many people and we know that as we are diligent, we are blessed!

 

Two days ago, I went on exchange to one of the English areas in the mission. It was very intereseting! You know, I teach in English all the time at the Visitor's Center but that is mostly just about the Temple. When I give full lessons there they are in Spanish. So it was fun to teach in English for a change. Also - I loved the companion I was with! Her name is Sister Tembo and she is from Zambia! She is like the sweetest person on the planet and I love talking to her :D She is so funny! She just kind of brings up subjects we have since passed and just laughs at the ridiculousness that happened or something. We spent most of the day looking for backups and taught one less active but it was all very fun! Also - she tried her first slurpee with me :D haha- and a taquito...she liked them both!

 

Yesterday was actually P-day but the internet was down so that is why I am emailing today. We had a blast...you know why?? WE WENT TO WALMART and THE DOLLAR STORE!! man was I in Heaven :D haha, it was fun! We just stocked up on all the good stuff and aren't planning on shopping much next week which is good because it's transfers...only problem is that one of us may have to move all that food with us to a new area :/ we'll see! I don't want to leave my companion...we just have too much fun together! My trainer told me about a transfer where they just laughed all the time...President said they'd never be companions again :/ meh.

 

We had to say goodbye to President and Sister Matsumori this week...well sort of. They came to our trainings and said goodbye and we took group pictures with them. This next wednesday at Transfers is the last day we will all be together so the plan (which is a secret so don't tell them) is to sing the mission song right after the transfer meeting. Tears are going to fall. Put it will all be okay.

 

Well I love you all so very much! Okay - so how is life for everyone? Let me know. I miss you all. I can wait to see you because I want to be a missionary...but I will be very excited for the day when I do see you all...whenever that comes :P It's very far off in time. I hope you are catching my drift and sarcasm :P Stay amazing!! You are wonderful!! The Lord will help you with all the things you need! I promise...he makes up for the rest when we need it.

 

Les Quiero!

-yo

Vi una columna de luz

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Well this week has been pretty crazy and pretty awesome.

Last Thursday I had my last interview with President Matsumori. The new President comes the first week of July and there are no more interviews before then. It was so great and so sad. He is so full of wisdom and I wasn't afraid of getting in trouble this time because we just got to chat and he gave me some counsel as if it was my exit interview and not his.

Friday was a great day! The power was out at the VC all morning - but did that stop us? NO WAY!! We still had our training meeting with all the sisters that morning and it was super sweet - kind of ironic because we talked about how we could improve calling and we couldn't even work the phones that day. Then we had a sweet practice at the stake center (which had electricity) for the Night of Music and Inspiration that is coming up this week...I'm singing a solo. kinda nervous but it will be good. Just singing my testimony, ya know? 

That night I got a phone call from our VC Director, Elder Eyring...he invited me to be a VC Trainer! Crazy. I readily accepted because the Lord has given me a lot of craziness in my mission and has always helped me through and qualified me for the work. I'm excited to help out and do what I can! The other trainers who I will be serving with are just fantastic so it will good times!

Our area is doing great! In 2011 some missionaries ran into an elderly lady who was baptized about 20 years ago en El Salvador. We found her again the other day. She is fantastic! Yesterday we taught her and her grandchildren about prayer and both of the kids prayed at the end of the lesson and said they would keep praying. Truly a miracle. The Lord is so good!

Something I'm learning a lot right now on the mission is to talk it out. It truly makes life better and the Spirit can actually abide. But if you walk away, you just feel bad, the person is mad and the Spirit will not be with either of you and than you can't help anyone else. 

Kind of crazy but so very true. Try it out.

I love you all! I know that church is true. I got to give some amazing tours at the VC of just people wanting to know about the temple and then asked about the whole gospel. I got to tell Joseph Smith's story twice, in English! Sweet! :D never happens. 

Portense Bien! Que nade les cuesta!

-yo, Hermana Word (2)

8362- sunset last night...like 8.45pm

8367-there's a spiderweb there...can you see it?

8349 - pouring rain...with the sun out? what?

8354- outside our investigator's house after the rain :D

actividad de zona y una semana sin dormir

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

sometimes as a missionary you have weeks were you are completely tired and all you want to do on P-day is sleep...but is never an accomplished task. What usually happens is that day you want to sleep you have super cool activity outside and you get this adrenaline rush until you sit down and email your family and friends back home. Well, that's my pday. We had a Kickball tournament. At one point the ball came flying to me and so I went to catch it and was determined to hold onto it, but the ball wouldn't have that...it tried to fall to through my arms so, somehow, I ended up on the ground. haha. in the end - I caught the ball....and we got the 3rd out that inning...next inning , i got smacked in the face and caught the ball at the same time - putting my years of playing goalie and sacrifice of all body parts to stop the ball to work! haha - it was awesome! We had a great team and for winning - we got Lei's and fake mustaches - we are planning on wearing our sombrero and going to visit the senior missionaries in our building (shh - that's a secret ;D)

Okay - but this week has been so full of miracles that I have been super tired. Last we we only had one member to come to a lesson and it wasn't even planned. One of the Ward Missionaries, Hno. Corado, brought the Father of Hno. Corado's Father-in-Law to the VC while Hna Chappell and I were on Shift. It was so cool! We are now teaching him and taught him that night. He came last night to the VC and just loved what he learned. He is really humble and ready to accept the Gospel.

Other miracle - we met a man on the street about a week ago named Manuel. We tried called him on Monday and set up an appointment at the VC that night at 6pm. He didn't show up. We were bummed but we called him anyways and left a message. Yesterday he called us back!!! WHAT?! That like NEVER happens. It was so cool! He apologized because he had been called into work last minute. He also said that his schedule is crazy because his dad has Alzhimer's and sometimes he has to take him to appointment. He said he wanted to apologize and that he wants to meet with us before the week is over and he knows the message we share is a good message and he wants to hear it! MILAGRO!!

Also - Edgar got a phone and called us. We hadn't seen him in like 2 weeks because he randomly got a job and works all day, every day. But that also helps a person get money to have a phone. Well, he got one. and HE CALLED US!! He apologized! and he said he is reading the Book of Mormon everyday. He also called the member who picks him up for church and said he wanted to go this week! How amazing! The Lord is so good! We are just working really hard and he is blessing us! We have a member schedule to come out with us 5 more times this week! Truly amazing - we haven't had member support like that since I have ever been in this ward. It takes work, but the Lord is blessing us because we are trying so hard and there are people here who are prepared to learn.

So I want to share with you all a goal of mine. When I get home, I want to have FHE every week. Like for me personally no matter where I am. A very smart person told me that it is good to make plans while I'm still on the mission before other things start coming into play. It is great! I'm loving it! But FHE is something I have found that is super important and doesn't take a whole bunch of time. We have it with members all the time now and I love it! It shows God that we are willing to put him first and our families before ourselves. Those are the promises we make in the Temple. I love to show people the sealing room because in every temple, there are mirrors that reflect to simbolize Eternity. You can't have eternity if you are selfish...in other words - you can't see yourself go on for Eternity, but you can see your spouse. Pretty cool, Huh? So FHE is sweet! Give it a shot. I love it! There are so many things the youth have been asked to do...just do that for FHE. FUN! and you learn new stuff! also - Mormon messages or Mormon.org profiles. 

Just enjoy your time together. I personally loved going to get Slurpees with my dad or just heading out and getting ice cream cones or something. Just do it together and bring a spiritual thought into it. Dad's way good at setting up Iron Rod object lessons  :D

Anywho - LES AMO!

-Hermana Word (2)

8288 - BAZINGA!!! haha, laughed my head off when i opened this - thanks smash:D

8293 - i got a new ring a few weeks ago...just thought it was sweet.

8300 - getting ready for kickball...Sis Bullock and Me :D

8311 - We won!! 

3.5 millas-psh, eso es nada!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Well this morning was awesome! We got up at 3.50am to go and do some more sunrise pictures at the Lincoln...I think next time it would be sweet at the Jefferson! (still haven't made my way over there yet). But yes - it was pretty sweet! A little cloudy but there was a break in the clouds where the sun came through and just shined all bright redish-orange :D yay! Then, we proceeded to walk to the Smithsonian Zoo...which was only 3.5 miles away! That was way fun. We stopped along the way- in some shops, I got a Krispy Kreme :D, and we just took some fun pictures. I love my mission - it is gorgeous! The people are wonderful! And there is always something new and fun to do! Even to get to know people :D

 

This last week was FULL of Miracles. I think I told you about Celia last week...we have our next appointment with her tomorrow. We are finding some less actives who actually want to come back to church! That is the best - when they realize they have made big promises with God and they want to start keeping them again. Like any repentance - it is a process, but they seem very willing to do so. Then we also met this sweet potential on Saturday afternoon - Walter. He is SUPER humble...he basically asked us to come back before we could ask him (he is the neighbor of someone we are trying to meet :D)..He has had some hard trials in his life, even in the past week and Heavenly Father is really humbling him so that he can learn. We went and taught him yesterday and we asked what it would mean to him if the Book of Mormon was true and he said, "That this is the path that God's wants me to follow and I will do it." SO COOL!! He is really nice...talks a lot, but also listens and understands really well! SO GOOD!!!

 

Mother's Day was great! They brought sandwiches and sodas to Relief Society :D they were actually pretty good! We also got to serve in the VC that night and I met a cute little Guatemalan lady and she was so excited because she had just talked to her daughter in California on her mission...She also said to tell mom "Hi." Sorry I forgot mommy...not really sure what her name was at this point but she was really nice and just loving!

 

Well, that's all I've got this week! The Church is the true church. Heavenly Father loves each and every one of His children, no matter how hard life gets...He is there!! And His Son, Jesus Christ! We've have some amazing heritage in our roots, we just need to learn how to be more like our Father and our Brother in Heaven! We can do it!

 

Les Quiero!!

-yo...Hna Word (2)

 

ps = I'm finishing the Book of Mormon in Spanish before I get home...challenge - do it in English/ or read the New Testament if you have read the Book of Mormon before! you can do it!! Will you? Love you!

 

 

7981-I forgot to tell you we had a walk around the Temple last week for training...I got a little distracted :P

7986 - sweet spider in his web :D

8019 - YAY GRASS!

8035 - we also had a crazy Saturday night in POURING rain and ran to our investigator's house hehe.

8042 - sweet - this was at a school we got lost by yesterday :P

 

feliz dia de las madres!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! to the best mother in the world!! and all those mothers who have played a big part in my life. and all those women who were my leaders and loved me for whatever crazy thing i did! Thank you all so much! I love you all!!!  I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE AN AMAZING DAY!!! and that at church they bring chocolate covered strawberries - fingers crossed ;)

 

so this week has been pretty great...I wasn't in the happiest of moods to start it, which was just stupid. Being sad is a bummer especially when you have no reason to be. So -just don't do it!! Life is way better when we do what the Lord wants instead of staying in the same old pattern we've always been in. It's sounds crazy but I know it is true. He is so awesome! We are reading Preach my Gospel as a mission right now and we just got done reading about the Christ-like attributes. I'm still working A LOT on patience. and the next is charity and love on my list. I do little things here and there for the other attributes but I came to realize that these two are one's i still really lack on and are what I need to become a more effective missionary. So that's where I'm at right now. And still working on being more bold but I'm getting way better at that cause my companion is just straight, to the point and always speaks with the Spirit! It's great!

 

Miracle of the week - We went to an appointment with a potential yesterday. Her name is Celia. Hna Shaw and I met her on the street like over a month ago....but things kept happening...she wasn't home, or  we couldn't get there in time and it just never worked out. Well, we went over yesterday...a few minutes late because of the appointment we had before so I was expecting her to be walking the dog or something. We knocked a couple of time and the no answer - but the dog was in the windowsil looking at us - GOOD SIGN! We checked around the side of the house because we heard some kids playing, but it was just some kids at the park and not Celia's daughter we have met before. So we go back and Hna Chappell was writing a note to leave on the door and Celia OPENED THE DOOR!! and let us in RIGHT AWAY!! It was amazing! We had a great lesson about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration. Hna Chappell pulled out the Introduction page to share with her. The last line in the Intro says, "...In preparation for the Second Coming of the Messiah..." (if not exact it is the translation skills :P) She loved that, She said, "oh - just like the Bible says! This is a good book. I'm going to read it. I promise you!" WHAT?! It was amazing! Celia is so spiritually intune! She also wants to come to church and wants somewhere for her kids to go. Truly, we are seeing miracles from Heavenly Father! yay!

 

Well...that's what I have to share this week! We are working hard. Even went out in a rainstorm yesterday. The sun is bright today!

Les quiero un monton! Yo se que el Evangelio es verdadero. Esta es la unica y verdadera iglesia de Jesucristo. Y como dijo Jose Smith - "No hay un otro libro en la tierra que pueda acercar un persona mas a Dios que el Libro de Mormon." Es cierto. Testifico de estas cosas en el nombre de Jesucristo. Amen.

 

Adios mi familia y mis amigos! Les Quiero!

-yo :D

El primer dia de Mayo!

Wednesday May 1, 2013

WOW! Ya esta aqui - no puedo creerlo! We had some awesome missionaries go home today! OH, and Hna Shaw got transfered to be with Hna Clement! I'm now serving with my roommate from the last 2 transfers Hna Chappell! Stinkin sweet!

 

Well..I have 5 minutes.

This week has been crazy. We have been trying to see what investigators want. The craziest is Lourdes. She is confused about things and feels like it is different..We had a lesson with her last night and read Moroni 7.16 and asked her is she felt like any of the things we were teaching her were bad even if she didn't understand them and she said no. That's good! We are going to work with her and help her find answers to her questions and help her really prepare to be baptized. I'm not giving up on her yet and neither is Heavenly Father!

 

I just want you all to know that the mission is a roller coaster - and I love roller coasters. We get thrown around all the time. We just got all our full pros sisters back because they want us to be able to stay in contact with our phone and chat investigators and we can't do that if we are never here! I'm excited to have all my sisters back! So amazing! Things are changing. The only constant in life, besides the plan and the gospel, is change. I'm working on being bold. Wish me luck...that's my big change. It's working when the Spirit is with me!

 

have a great night and week! I love you all!

-Yo!

(sorry so short...limited time this week!)

ps - POPSICLE!!! I'm so excited for you to be in Elder's Quorum!

pps- SMASH - i need disney music...like Hercules!! Help me!! PLEASE :D originals, no disneymania. more chill that way

7612 - we fight down by the water sometimes

7535 - Hna Tuft! She's awesome!

7796- these two came out with me...almost to our year mark! some of my favorite people right there!

7791-HERITAGE SHIRT...i was trying to be cool :P

7693- DC in the spring...at night

GO NATS!

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

haha, well today we are headed to a Nationals Baseball game. Apparently it is a mission tradition! Pretty sweet! So we are emailing first hand (sorry for the fact that I have no pictures  yet...that is why)

This week was pretty much a roller coaster of investigator's emotions. Luis and Yeti are fantastic! They actually had questions more than anything about who created the Earth. Christ created the Earth under the direction of Heavenly Father. We taught them that but they thought Heavenly Father created it so we invited them to pray and ask Heavenly Father and they accepted...they said, "we will definitely ask Him." They are so good!

Then we have this new guy we found named Edgar. We found him while we were looking for his mom who was not home. He is the one we were meant to meet though. His mom doesn't really want to learn but Edgar does! We taught briefly about the Book of Mormon and he was like, "I have one of those..." then walked over by the TV and pulled it out (but it was in English). He doesn't ever speak English to us but he says he does speak and read in English and so some missionaries had given him the Book of Mormon a couple years ago. He is reading the one we gave him in Spanish. The 2nd time we saw him, Hna Shaw had just gotten the first vision down in Spanish that day and she recited it to him...It was SO COOL!! She paused often and that brought the Spirit so strong...plus - we were sitting outside and the sun came out behind the clouds in the middle of reciting it! OH MAN - SO COOL!!!

Lourdes- not really sure what is going on. She seems like now she doesn't want to learn. I know that Satan is working really hard on her through her family members - Trust me, it happens! And they are teaching her things that aren't really true but are just rumors about the church. Kind of sad. We will see what happens.

Well, That's the stories I have for the week. Oh - we got a new Senior couple at the Visitor's Center - The Petromalos :D they are great! Sister Petromalo went to Costco yesterday and bought us a bunch of yogurt and Tilex Shower Cleaner. She says the shower cleaner is the best way to get out tough stains...huh, who would have thought? So she brought us both! She is so nice :D

Yes, now this is all. But I want you all to know I love you! Erika - I want pictures :D sorry, I'm a little selfish, I just love you lots :D 

Everyone - Have a beautiful Wednesday! Seriously - I'm so grateful for all the prayers and love!

Les Quiero un monton!

-Hermana Word!