Monday, March 28, 2011

The Lord just opened the flood gate of miracles

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO we just got back from the Zoo and we only have like ten minutes to write. THAT IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO COOL ABOUT ANTERO's FAMILY! That is going to be the biggest blessing in their life. Next pday we are going over to Hermana Garcia's house and she is going to show us how to make Tamales con frijoles (en vez de carne... MEJOR! Y RICO). Estoy BIEN animada!

Okay but really this week was AWESOME! The time keeps flying by. I feel like each Monday comes sooooooo fast... I'm like "wait a minute... we just had Monday like yesterday." This week the Lord just opened up the flood gate of miracles. Our one investigator is doing great. He is putting God as a priority in his life. He got invited to go to the beach this Sunday.... but instead of skipping he came to the EARLY session of church because he didn't want to miss it! YAY! He is also praying on his own. He has some hard things to give up before he is baptized...but he will get there - I know it! He is preparing to be baptized on Easter next month :)

I'm grateful for how merciful the Lord is... He is always watching out for us. I know He knows our thoughts and our hearts and is just waiting for us to be obedient so He could bless us. I love the Book of Mormon. There are sooooooo many answers in that book.

I love peanut butter and I love YOU!

I wish I were a grapefruit... and here's the reason why... when you'd try to eat me... I'd squirt you in the eye.

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TRANSFER CALLS THIS WEEEK! I HOPE SIS LICHFIELD AND I STAY! BUT WHATEVER THE LORD WANTS!

Monday, March 21, 2011

WOAH COOL TRUCK!!!!!!! Maddy looks so thin!!!!!! That is awesome - she must be hiking :) What a nice jacket she has on :) haha I'm glad she is putting my clothes to good use while I'm gone.

Well hello there mother!!!!!! That is sad that you had to say goodbye to another exchange student. I feel the same way about all my companions! We literally spend every second of every day together for 6 weeks and then we have to part ways :/ It is hard sometimes. Sister Lichfield has been a huge tender mercy in my life. I looooooooooooooooooooooooooove working with her and I hope we can stay another transfer together here. ME ENCANTA BROWNSVILLE!

SO A MIRACLE HAPPENED THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!! We went to go see one of our investigators because it had been about two weeks since we had seen him. He wasn't there but later he sent us a text that said "guess what? ...I don't have anything planned for sunday" so we were like "well does that mean you are coming to church?" "...duh" (haha he is sassy sometimes). It was really great that he came - he brought his Bible and Book of Mormon in hand and was marking all the scriptures during Sacrament Meeting. When we called later to see how he liked it he said "I'm already planning on going next week... if anyone wants to do anything, I'm going to tell them no and that I'm going to church. I really need to get back to God in my life... especially before 2012 comes." haha I'm pretty sure he was joking about the 2012 but who knows. So yaya!!!!!! I hope that he will get serious about this... but it is looking good so far.

Sister Lichfield and I worked really hard this week. We accidently got lost and were basically driving along the river separating Mexico and the US.. it was pretty sketchy but God helped us out and we are still alive :) yay! We taught a lot of lessons and invited lots of people to follow Christ and be baptized.... I'm not so sure anymore how to have a normal conversation without mentioning one of the steps of the Gospel haha but I love it. You would be proud of Sister Lichfield because you know how I always forget to put sunscreen on? I was texting an investigator (haha sorry Sarah) and she attacked me and put sunscreen on my arms and face. I told her that you would be really grateful for that because I never do. It is really weird to hear Jon still talk about snow because it is like in the 80's here all the time.

I just want to tell you as a normal regular person that I still am... how grateful I am for the abilty to repent. I think sometimes as missionaries we just get so caught up in helping others understand the steps of the gospel, that we don't take time to live it ourselves. This week I have been pondering more on my own personal relationship with God and how I can make it stronger. I am trying to really reflect on what I can do to be better y arripentirme por mis culpas. I'm so grateful for the Atonement of Christ - that no matter what we do - He wants us to be free of that burden/guilt.

I love you alllllllllllll!!!!!!!!!! I pray for you daily. Hope all is well! I'm jealous you get to talk with Anna! Tell Scott that I said hola :)

p.s. today we are going to the zooooooo!

Monday, March 14, 2011

Here in Brownsville the Lord has blessed us TREMENDOUSLY!

Gracias Madre para las noticias!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No tengo mucho tiempo hoy! Necesitamos ir y trabajar pronto pero... thanks soooooo much for telling me about Chelsea! I have only heard a little bit about what happened in Japan but I heard that it was DEVASTATING. I was worried about Chelsea so it was really exciting that she is okay! Honestly I have no doubt that we are in the last days and these natural disasters will just keeping getting worse and worse. The people there will be in my prayers.

Basically all the week we were in McAllen for leadership training. IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! I LEARNED SOOOOO MUCH! The Spirit was there and I was able to learn a lot about how I can better help investigators come to know these things for themselves. I got to see all the old sister again and we stayed at the mission home. Sister Trayner is always so nice and buys me gluten free things to eat :) They take good care of us!

Here in Brownsville the Lord has blessed us TREMENDOUSLY! He placed two amazing families in our paths this week. One of them (a mom and her daughter) came to church this Sunday and LOVED it! Hopefully things will progress and they can make it to baptizm. Sad to say our other investigator did not come to church again :/ We had to turn him over to the Lord because he wasn't keeping commitments... he'll be baptized someday - I know it!

That is SO cool that Antero's mom is taking the discussions!!!!!! Tell everyone hello!!!!!!!!! You're in my prayers! SIEMPRE!

LES QUIERO

Monday, March 7, 2011

It is always something big when the President calls. . .

Estaba muy soprendida cuando escuche a nuestros mensajes... y tuvimos una mensaje del Obispo! We were driving home from a lesson at night and I looked and saw that we had two voicemails... when I saw we got a missed call from President Trayner I was like "ohhhh no something is going to happen/change!" because it is always something big when the President calls. Then we listened to it and he said Bishop K was here and I got sooooo excited!!!!!!! It was a lot of fun!!!!!!! He took us to Texas Roadhouse - muy rico! It was kind of weird to see someone from home haha but it was really nice just to spend time with him and hear the update on everyone back home. He told me that the ward has 7 missionaries out right now - AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAY FOR RENEWING OUR COVENANTS WHEN TAKING THE SACRAMENT! That is something we've really been focusing on as missionaries when inviting people to churhc - the Sacrament. There is great promise and power in that ordinance... that we can have Christ's spirit with us ALWAYS.

Well we had a great week and lessons with our investigator....but then he texted us Saturday night saying "i won't be able to make it to church tomorrow." We were devastated... we haven't been able to talk with him since to see what happened. He isn't ready at this point in his life but I know he will be someday. He is great - I hope you can meet him someday. I WANT YOU AND DAD TO COME DOWN SO I CAN INTRODUCE YOU TO EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...or we can save money and do a south america tour and visit all the exchange students :)

Even though basically everyone that has been progressing here is now NOT progressing - the Lord has blessed us with more ready people!!!! He is so good like that! We have lots of great potential members of Christ's church that we are working with. However next week will be slow work wise because I have to go to a three day training in McAllen... which means I won't be here in Brownsville at all. I could be staying with Sister Villalobos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!! It is so fun to be able to see old companions again. They all just become like sisters :)

So some highlights of the week:
-We got kicked out of some apartment complexes...poor Sister Lichfield, her first full week gets kicked out of a place... haha that's the life though :)
-Rode bikes all Saturday and it was the first time I got to use my bike in rugged terrain... it was super fun! The wind was blowing my skirt everywhere haha but luckily I have leggings on underneath
-While running in the morning I tripped and fell... AGAIN
-Dinner with bishop
-New companion training in McAllen - got to see Sister Boyle again :)
-Met MARCOS and Geraldo who are awesome!
-Sister Sanchez fed us the most DELICIOUS tacos
-I got to talk at the baptizm of PENELOPE... who is AMAZING! and will probably be famous someday...the Elder's were teaching her, she is 18 and has a rock solid testimony

LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH AND THANKS FOR SAYING HELLO TO NICKI!!!!!!!!! I JUST GOT HER PACKAGE TODAY AND LOOOOOOOOOVED IT! SHE IS AWESOME