Leaving H2--4 July 2015

This was my last week in this area. I can't even believe how fast the time flies!!! and I have been here for almost a year!!! I've loved every second. The good and the bad!!

We've been able to find a lot of amazing people this week, so Hermana Burger will be able to work with them and help them progress. I'm really excited for her to take over the area because I know this is what she needs!! She will be able to progress and really notice how much she has improved. Sometimes that's all you need. 

We went to the temple with Jorge this week!!!!! It was so amazing!!!!! He is so happy. The gospel has changed him and he knows it. He tells me all the time and his family tells him that as well :) that makes me SO HAPPY!!!!! 

We went to a baptism of a referral we gave to the elders. He is soooo cool. God definitely prepared him and it was so fun to be invited to go see it. 

Also fun district trip to the zoo!!! one of the best p days ever!!!

I really don't have too much to say. It hasn't quite hit me yet that I will be leaving soon, but sometimes that I really have been thinking about praying about it is accepting that I am leaving and know that it will be great when I get home. Here on the mission you have so many special experiences and you grow to love so many people that it's so hard to leave. But there is life after this one. The mission really prepares you for life. 

I have learned so much. I've learned how to follow God's will; how to never give up even in the crazy heat we have; how to help others change their lives through the gospel, and so much more. I never could've asked for a greater opportunity. It's so crazy to me to think that God gives the salvation of his children to a bunch of 20 year old young adults, but that's because God is interested in the salvation of all of his children. He wants us to progress and I know that if we give ourselves completely to him, we can have that blessing. 

I've truly come to know my Savior here. I know that through Him, I can make it back to my heavenly home. God wants all of us there, He wants me there because I am His daughter. No matter what, I am His. I just accept Him or not. 

I know that this is the church that Jesus Christ made. There is not other way to make it back to God's presence. There are so many good people, and there are good churches, but only one has the power and the authority to perform the things we need to enter into God's presence. Through the power in the church, we can be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and continually renew those things through the sacrament. We can go to the temple and receive knowledge and make other covenants that lead us back to God and help us focus our lives. We can have an eternal family. 

I left my recent convert family last night and what I shared with them I want to share with you. First some questions:

Why do we have to keep enduring in a race? 

So then why do we have to keep enduring in the gospel? 

It may seem obvious, but so many people don't realize that enduring to the end in a race is the same thing we need to do in the gospel. We can't lose this race though and the wonderful thing is that everyone who makes it to the end, wins the prize. It doesn't matter when they started or if they got off track for a second, EVERYONE who makes it to the end gets to live with God. This is the most important thing. I expect to see all of my converts and companions and family to be in the celestial kingdom. I will do all I can to make it there. Whatever God asks is what I will do. 

I love this gospel. I love the Book of Mormon. I love that God can talk to me through its words. I know that He answers my prayers because He wants to help me. I've seen that so much on my mission. This is God's work. He wants His kids to come back to Him. I know this is true. I know it. I live it. I love it. and I love all of you. See you on the 15th!!!! :)

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!!!!

31 May 2016

I always get to my email and then forget every single thing that happened this week...... it's bad. Time just goes by so fast.

But Emilio and his family have set their date and marked it on the calendar!!!! It was the best thing on the planet. The kids are so excited :) my goodness, they are so prepared. It's so cool that a family will be able to be baptized because that's what you want!!! 

We have found some really good people lately. They've accepted dates as well, so we are working with them to get them to church (and they already told us they wanted to go even before we invited them!! milagro!!)

I'm really excited that we are so busy. it's really not us, just the people here are so prepared. It's such a blessing. And even if we don't have set citas, there are always people to talk to. Definitely getting over any kind of qualms with that. But it's easier to oym people in Spanish rather than English. English people scare me..... it's so different!!! hahah

I have some amazing experiences with prayer though. Heavenly Father has been answering so quickly, I can't even handle it. All I do is ask for something and then He gives it to me. I feel so blessed for that. Heavenly Father knows what you need and what you don't for sure. 

The gospel changes lives. Every second on my mission I am reminded of that. Heavenly Father has the perfect plan for us to live with Him again. All we have to do is decide to follow it. He's given us all the tools and He blesses us so much just when we take little steps of faith. I love seeing my recent converts and my investigators make those changes necessary in the lives and seeing the light that comes out. 

The gospel is true! It is the only way to get back to live with our Heavenly Father and only through the ordinances of the Priesthood can we fully have the gospel and accept the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives. I know that's true and that as we give ourselves to their Lord, we find ourselves :) LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!! 

p.s. I will send pictures later because I need to get them from Elder Spjute

HAZEL GOT BAPTIZED--23 May 2016

So Kasey is now flying in on July 15 not July 19.  



So Hazel (actually spelled Hassell) got baptized!!!! She's so cute. Love her lots :)

 

Guess what. You'll never guess who is staying in the same area....... me!!!!! I have 9 months here and I'm going to finish it off. That is suuuuuuper long. can you believe it??? I guess there's still some people that need me. but Hermana Hofheins is leaving :( we had three transfers together. It was a a party and i've learned so much from her. way more than she learned from me, let me tell you :) she's a phenomenal missionary already and I can't wait to see what she does the rest of her mission. She'll do some pretty great things. 

I'll finish training Hermana Burger and then she's taking over!! Whooooot. She'll do great as well :) 

Funny thing though: i'm going to be a sister training leader..... surprise. I'm pretty sure i am more surprised than anyone else. i just don't do that, but I guess God has other plans haha :) but it should be good. I'm just excited to learn from everyone else. i just don't know which sister training leader I'm working with because we won't be companions like usual. Quien sabe que pasara. I'll find out soon. 

Sorry I don't have too much to say. Just know I love you all!!!!! Let me know if I can do anything for you!!! :)