My last week in this area.... 27 June 2016

So next time I write you, I will be about to go to the mission office and then traveling training.... How crazy is that? I'm not quite sure what to think about it. I've been here about 11 months. This has been almost my whole mission. and I've absolutely loved it :) The people are so wonderful.

They threw me a surprise farewell this past week actually and I am completely oblivious to everything.... Hermana Calvert (the relief society president) asked me to teach the hermanas how to lead music and so I thought of course I can do that. I really believed that I was going to do just that, but then I was there and I saw all these people coming in and lots and lots of food, and well, it was a little fiesta. They were so sweet. I may have teared up a little bit :) I'll probably be a wreck when I say goodbye to everyone! Or the complete opposite. Who knows with me? haha

One of the hermanas gave me the COOLEST bag from Guatemala. I LOVE IT!!!!!!! I'll have to send a picture of it. THAT IS ALL I WANTED!!!!! WHOOOOOOT! and then one day I will visit all these countries and get even more cool things and be with the people. One day it will happen:)

AMAZING THING!! YOU WILL NEVER GUESS WHAT HAPPENED!!!!!!! I GET TO GO TO THE TEMPLE WITH JORGE!!!! I mean it's not for his endowment or anything, but I get to go do baptisms this saturday!!!!! That's all I wanted and a perfect way to end my normal time in the mission. 

Crazy busy week. I had 2 exchanges and a training at Zone Meeting and then I had a musical number at a devotional, but the coolest thing ever: I GOT TO TRANSLATE. for like 45 minutes!!!!!! I LOVE LANGUAGES!!!!!

Something I loved that I learned in Stake Conference is that Life depends on a Choice. Follow God or Satan. That's how it has always been. Even in the Pre-Mortal life we had that one choice. God or Satan. We may think of course I'm picking God, who wouldn't? But are we really?? Are we really choosing Him and keeping His commandments? If not, I would invite all of us to take a look and really figure out who we are choosing. :) it's made me reflect a lot on that. 

Said bye to some awesome people in Houston 1. I know them pretty well because I've been here for a billion stake things haha, there is a picture below with missionaries and 2 of my friends from H1 (Christian y Kiko) 

Love the mission. Love this area. Love the people. I know I will miss my recent converts and all the friends I have made, but I know they need someone else. It's time for someone else to come in and for Hermana Burger to take over. She'll do great and I know that will help her more than anything. God really gave me the wonderful chance to be here for so long and just to grow and love these people. They are so special and I just want to stay close friends with them. But more than anything whatever happens, i want to see them in the Celestial Kingdom. So that means I have to get there and they have to do the same. The good thing is with your mission ending, you can still encourage them and pray for them. The mission doesn't end here of course, it goes on for the rest of your life. (but more to come on later emails :) haha

I don't know if I will email next week.... i don't understand what is going on with that because I am going to the mission office and then heading out to be a traveling trainer, so I guess I'll find out later!!

Love you tons!!!!!! :)

20 June 2016

This week we have been finding like crazy!!!! It's been really fun just going up and talking to everyone. Sometimes they are nice and other times..... not so much. But one thing I love is that every time someone says no, it just means you are closer to the person that will say yes!! Good things to come :)

This week we are going to have a zone meeting and be talking a lot about the apostasy. One thing as a mission that we are really trying to get down is being able to teach and explain that Christ truly established his church and gave his apostles the authority to teach and baptize, but that was lost. If our investigators understand that an apostasy happened, then they know they need to find the church again. 

It's really helped thinking about it in a personal way. As I have been studying it, I was just reminded that every person has had their own personal apostasy. They've all had a time in their life when they have felt completely lost and we can relate that to the time after the apostles and Christ died. What did the people lose? They lost their guides. They had no one to run the church. It also answers a question about why there are so many churches in this world right now if Christ only had one. Christ formed a perfect church that was the only way to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ (which is the whole point of the church!) but without it, there was no way for people to get back to live with them again. People still wanted to, so they formed their own churches, but none of them are the way to get back. But thankfully now through the restoration of the church and God calling Joseph Smith as a prophet, we can have the blessing of having the church, the full gospel of Christ, and we can be baptized!!

But what does this mean for us? Those who already know all this?? Well, we actually have to act and let the gospel and the knowledge we have change us!! We have to put God first and help everyone see the difference and know how to get back to God. The saddest thing to see is when people don't accept or just don't know because there is no other way to have eternal life. Not for them and not for us!! 

But now time for some miracles!!! Remember the guy I said that we met that one time and then gave him as a referral to the elders? He is getting baptized in 2 weeks!!!!!!!!! He is so prepared!!!! When the elders texted me that I was so pumped!!! There truly are prepared people in this world :)

I just read an email from Nate Rasmussen about him going home (which I can't believe by the way) and wow. It kind of broke my heart a little bit! He talked about how your mission is your home. Your mission and the people here are your family too. Super true. Man, I will be a wreck when I leave!!! 

But we aren't going to think about that for a while because I still have a lot of time!!!! :) haha 

The mission is amazing. The hard times make the good ones all the better. That's the same with life as well!! The gospel is true. Jesus Christ is our Savior. Love you all so much!!! Talk to you next week :)

13 June 2016

Just wanted to send some miracles your way!!! Yesterday none of our investigators came to church, but 3 people that I met 8 months ago came back from Mexico and they went to church!!!!!!!!!! How amazing is that???? They remembered where the chapel was and they just decided to go!!! Super cool!!!! Also, another guy who some missionaries just invited to church, (they weren't even teaching him) came!! and he wants to take the lessons and everything!!!! Such a miracle!! God is so good to his kids. 

Life is good. The mission is the best. Love you all!!

Buenos Dias!!! 6 June 2016

Friends from Kemah:

We had an amazing week!!! Heidee and her husband came to church!!!!! Whooooooo!!! They are so cool. She even brought the pamplets, Book of Mormon, and a notebook to write on. She has a date, so she will definitely be prepared for that!!! We are extending her husband a date soon, so they can both be baptized on the same day. 

Also Emilio came to church again!! He is just a solid guy. He does what he says he will. His kids couldn't come because they were with the mom, but they are still amazing. Reading like 45 minutes everyday in the book of mormon. They're already way ahead of where I was, and I grew up in the church!!!

IRIS CAME TO CHURCH!!!!!!!! She hasn't been able to go in forever, but now she will be going to church every Sunday and WE CAN GO TO THE TEMPLE!!!!!!!! :):):):):):) that's all I wanted!!!!! Heavenly Father is the best. I was so happy when she got to partake of the sacrament (that sounds weird I know, but I was so excited for that) because she was able to renew her covenants and now the Spirit will be stronger with her. Such a blessing, and I know she will be able to see the difference in her life. 

Also random thing, Favio and Milton from Kemah came here! So fun to see them (pictures to come)

I never realized how important visiting teacher and home teachers are. (well, I guess I know the home teachers because we have had the absolutely best people on the planet as our home teachers :) but how many people truly need them. Some situations are very hard, but with just a little bit of support, it can make the world of difference. If you have any suggestions on how to help the ward with their home teaching and getting them motivated to do it, let me know!

I was so blessed to be able to go to an MLC with Elder Robbins of the 70. Oh my goodness. I learned sooooooooooo much. He took a lot of what he taught from a book called Love is a Choice. I would suggest that you read it because it sounds awesome. 

My favorite thing that I learned (again) was called the anti-responsibility list and it really hit me that I have been on that list WAY too much. So I will explain it to you:)

What things do we do to avoid responsibility? 

~blame         ~find excuses       ~hide/cover up      ~justify/ rationalize          ~procrastinate

~murmur       ~Enabler (helping others be on this list)

There are so many more, but those are some of the basics. How many times do you find ourselves in one of those? How many times do we know what we need to do, but we don't do it or we blame someone else for what we didn't do. 

But why do we want to get off that? That's the only way to unlock our true potential and to have better lasting relationships with whomever. 

The wonderful thing about that though, is we have the perfect example of the complete opposite of the anti-responsibility list and the person who was always right, who never did anything wrong, but who had every single wrongdoing possible done to Him and He still thought about others. Jesus Christ is our perfect example of how to not be on the list and how to better our relationships. 

Wow, I wish I could explain everything Elder Robbins taught, but you should read the book because he explains it SO much better than I do :)

I love you all so much! The gospel (faith, repentance, baptism, holy ghost, and endure to the end) is true. I promise you, God can do more with you than you can. I've seen it and I've lived it:) Have a great week!! Let me know if there is anything I can do for you!!!!