Sayin’ Hola and Hasta Luego

February 23, 2015

 

Noche de hogar with the Rivas to say goodbye to Hermana Hernandez, Elder Needham and Elder Lopez, Hermanas Cristina and Meli (they’re actually from the other ward but accompany us and totally spoil us all the time.)  And here is my last day with Hermana Hernandez!

And here is Hermana Pineda, my new companion!   She’s from my generation actually, so I met her my first day, superrrr sweet and fun, 20 years old and she’s from el Estado de Mexico.   I’m excited!

Lovin’ to See the Temple

January 26, 2015

We are so blessed to attend the Monterrey Temple regularly!  It is one of the highlights of my mission.

Wishin’ you Merry Christmas

December 23, 2014

FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Missing everyone at home, but it’s so special to be sharing the gospel around this time.  And fun here too :)  This morning we had a big mission Christmas party, tomorrow we get to eat dinner with a family in our ward, and thursday skyping my FAMILY!  Lots of yummy food here, I’m in love with the tamales.  I’ve sang all of the Christmas hymns about 50 times each the past few weeks and have seen “El es la Dadiva” about 200 times.  If you haven’t seen it go watch it :)

 

We shared this video in the park, along with free hot chocolate.  So fun, and it was a hit!

This sunday I got to give a talk on the Atonement, and I feel so grateful for this amazing gift we’ve been given.  It is the most important and is what gives us hope and the opportunity to truly be happy, to be with our families forever, and to return to God’s presence.  I know without a doubt that Jesus Christ is our Savior, He lives and loves us perfectly.  I’ve felt His love so much as I’ve shared this message with others and love being a missionary!

By the way, it’s my year mark!  Hope everyone has an amazing Christmas :) Love you all!

 

Exchanges with the sisters, enjoying campechanas (aka heaven), and opening my Christmas package from home.  Love the holidays:)

Stayin’ in Lomas

Dec 1, 2014

 

Transfers just happened, but I get to stay in Lomas with Sister Hernandez.  Yay!  This is my district and my zone currently.  I’ll be able to write more later I hope.  Have a great week!

 

 

Playin’ Soccer in my Skirt

November 10, 2014

Aaron from La Pastora got baptized yesterday, and I got to go back to be there.  It was awesome!

  These pictures are from interchanges with other sisters.

  The ward is super active here, and the members bring us tons of food.  This day they brought carne asada and salchichas, cake, cupcakes, chicken salad, pasta.  Last night it was tamales!

We went to the park yesterday and enjoyed the swings!  Also I played soccer in my pencil skirt and scored a few goals NBD:)

Transferin’ to Lomas del Pedregal

October 20, 2014

 

 

Hola!!!!

Wow lots has happened in the past week!  I’m in a new area thats awesome, great ward and my comp is great–Hna Hernandez from Estado de Mexico.   Jose got baptized on Saturday, and it was great too.  Lupita gave a little talk, and it made me cry so much to see her doing so well.   She made us a cake the night before I left, and I hated saying goodbye.  But Jose doing great!  He brought like 8 trays of these little mini sandwich things– super fancy and good.

My new area is called Lomas del Pedregal Apodaca, and is northeast of Guadalupe.  The ward is super active, and we’re serving with two sets of elders too.

A member brought us campechanas (yummy taco things), and we were so tired while we waited for the food.  But it was so worth it!

 

This is the Hernandez family from La Pastora on my last day in the area.  Tough to say goodbye!

Sayin’ Goodbye to La Pastora

October 13, 2014

 

Well, they’re finally kicking me out of La Pastora.  After 9 months, and it’s a little depressing to say bye to everyone cause I love them so stinkin’ much.  I know it’s time, and I’m excited for whatever comes, but I’ll never forget this time here and all the amazing people I’ve met and served with.

This next week our investigator, Jose, is getting baptized.  We’ve been teaching him since May, and he’s so ready.  He has 18 attendences, you only need 5 to be baptized. :) But it was worth the wait, and he says he’s bringing carne asada and little sandwiches… pictures to come.

 

Oh, and General Conference was AMAZING.  I don’t think I’ve ever gotten more out of conference than this time, I don’t know it’s because I’m a missionary and more “spiritual” haha who knows, but I loved it. If you haven’t already seen it, go watch it.  I especially liked Elder Holland’s talk, and we’ve been using it in some lessons.  Also the emphasis on receiving personal revelation. How we should strive to have continuing revelation in our daily lives, instead of just bursts of light every once in a while. Also how we can have confirming revelation to know that the priesthood line of revelation (prophet, apostles, leaders, etc.) is true and that the counsel from our leaders is from our Heavenly Father.

 

Anyways, tomorrow we’ll have cambios and see where I’ll be transferred to.  Ahhh the nerves.  Saying by to my gringa companion Hermana Hill.  Sad.

Everyone have a great week! :)

Makin’ Tamales

September 22, 2014

 

This week has been lots of fun. Monday we had “Noche Mexicana” as a ward to celebrate Mexican Independence Day, so we ate lots of yummy food and cake, and all the hermanas wore their pretty Mexican dresses. I just wore this, as Mexican as I’ll ever get.

 

 

This past week we had a new goal as a mission to read the whole Book of Mormon before the end of the year, I’m reading it all in Spanish so it’s a little slower but I’ve already noticed a huge difference just in this first week, and my love for the Book of Mormon is getting stronger. It’s cool to see the difference it makes with the people we teach too. I know it’s true and that it was written for us, that we can find the answers to our questions, trials, challenges, etc. in its pages if we study with a prayerful heart.

Oh yeah, and I HIT MY HALFWAY MARK. No big deal. I want the time to slow down! My comp is awesome and made me BACON to celebrate :)

Tomorrow Lupita’s feeding us lunch, so today we went over to learn how to make tamales and help her out a little. I don’t think having two gringas in the kitchen helped too much, but we tried a few and they taste amazing! Defs excited to eat the rest tomorrow. I’m gonna miss the food here a lot.

Seein’ Miracles in La Pastora

September 15, 2014

So yesterday Lupita was baptized, and it was a perfect day in every
single way.  We were kind of stressed out this week trying to prepare
everything, but it was a beautiful baptismal service.  Her husband and
some of her kids/grandkids came to support her, and lots of ward
members.  We didnt even have room for everyone to sit down!  A few
hermanos gave little talks, me and Hermana Hill did a musical number
with two other hermana missionaries “Hazme Andar en La Luz”, and
Lupita was emotional but so happy and shared her testimony after being
baptized.  We all ate cake and honestly everyone could feel the Spirit,
so much love from the ward and excitement as Lupita starts down this
path.  I’m so grateful to have been able to watch her learn and build
her testimony, and to have had this huge miracle in La Pastora.

 

Also this week the rain came, Washington style.  We weren’t that
prepared, and I might have ruined a pair of shoes, but it’s been a lot
cooler which is nice.  Saturday when it was raining hard we heard a
little kitty that was hiding under a box and shivering cold.  I wanted
to help it, but we didn’t have time or really a way to help it, so we
just left it.  But then Sunday on the way to church it was still
pouring and the kitty was in the same spot, still meowing lots and
shivering, so we took it and are looking for a home for it.  It’s adorable.
But I’m allergic to cats and am sneezing up a storm.  You’ve gotta be
kitten me right meow!

Have a good week everybody.

 

Preparin’ for Baptisms

September 11, 2014

 

Wow what an incredible and crazy week.  First of all our investigator, Lupita, decided last week that she wanted to get baptized!  This Sunday:)  So we’re super happy, she’s great and has a strong testimony already! We just started teaching her at the beginning of August, but the Lord really had prepared her, and I’m grateful that I’ve been able to watch her learn and progress.  She loves the Book of Mormon and honestly has the best personality, and will be a huge blessing in the ward. So we’ve been running around a little trying to teach her everything in this past week.

This week Elder Pieper (an area Seventy) came to our mission to train us, and I honestly left feeling so enlightened, he had a lot of great things to teach us that we’re excited to put in practice.  He focused a lot on how our investigators need to be in charge of their own conversion and learn how to receive personal revelation for themselves instead of depending on the missionaries.  He talked a lot about this quote from Elder Packer:

The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker
than a study of behavior will improve behavior.

When we understand the doctrine, we can make changes in our lives and help others to make changes too. I wish I had more time to explain his talk because it was super interesting.

 

Anyways, that’s about all for the week.  If anyone wants something to study, check out Alma 7. :)  I know Christ is my Savior and really am so grateful to be sharing His gospel, I know without a doubt that it is true. Que tengan buena semana!