BAUTISMO Y LA despedida de la Hermana Ihrke :( 28 December 2015

So guess what. Hermana Ihrke left for her casa!!! I can't even believe it. It hasn't fully set in quite yet! But it will be good. I'll miss her, but it was fun being her companion. :)

Hermana Rivas and I are now solo! She's awesome! We're gonna work super hard and baptize lots of people!!!! Whoooot! We have a lot of really awesome people in our area, and they're all gonna get baptized!!! At least, I'll do everything that I can to make sure they do:):) 

So this week we HAD A BAUTISMO!!!!! It was awesoooome!!!! It was craaaaazy though. Oh my goodness. I'll explain why. So that whole day, we had the Christmas conference, and we had to leave a little early to set up for the baptism. As we arrived at the church, we went to start to fill up the font, only to discover the WATER WAS SHUT OFF!!!!! and we only had an hour before the baptism. We try calling everyone, but no one knew how to turn the water back on. The Singles Ward elders tried to find it too, but they couldn't. Safe to say, we were completely freaking out. Iris arrived and we didn't have anything set up. So we had to call everyone and change the baptism to the other building and start the font over there. but there was a problem with that too because the fonts take like an hour to fill up to a good point. and we only had like 30 minutes.... We couldn't wait any longer, we just had to do it. and the water was so short, but it worked out and IRIS got BAPTIZED!!!!!!!! and Antonio baptized her!!!!!!! It was so special :):):) how cool is it that your recent convert gets to baptize his mom!!! and Estrella his sister has a date and Alexis his tio is feeling better about joining the church and everything!!!! LIFE IS SO GOOD!!!! Heavenly Father is giving us so many blessings that we really don't deserve. :):):) 

But now on to the Christmas conference!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVED it!!!!! It was really fun getting to be with our whole mission. I thought it was a lot bigger than it really is! We got to go and learn all about Christ and the importance of a Savior. That's another thing I love about the mission. We can learn so much about everything. It truly is preparation for life. Preparation to serve Heavenly Father for the rest of our lives!! Because that's truly the way to happiness :) We watched a cute movie and then we ate a delicious dinner. After that we had a talent show. There are so many talented people in this world!!! I was so impressed!! I really like the funny ones though. I always think they're really entertaining. 

So the other day we were talking about Captain Moroni and how incredible he is. We read in Alma 48:17 that if more people were like him all the powers of hell would be shaken. First of all, how cool is that??? and second, why can't that be us?? Everybody can be like him. As we strive to follow the Savior and obey with exactness and with all of our hearts, trusting in God, we can do it! I would encourage y'all to strive with me to become sometime as strong and as faithful as Moroni and help all others around us do the same :)

Another thing I've been thinking about a lot is the importance of this message. Now as I am truly feeling and understanding the importance of this message, it kills me when people aren't interested, think other things are more important, or just 'don't have time'. There really isn't an excuse. God needs to come first if we want to have happiness in this life and in the life after. A quote I love is it's not easy to be a disciple, but it's easier than not being one. or sometime like that. I read it in a talk one time. I have been called to reflect on myself personally and what I need to do to change to put God first. Not gonna lie even on my mission there are looots of things I need to change. but I know God will help me do it so I can accomplish His work. But I truly can attest that I feel so much happier when I am trying to be like the Savior and give my will to the Lord.

Anyway, Christmas was awesome. We celebrated Estrella's birthday as well. It was super fun. There are a pinata and everything!! I am pretty sure I looked like an idiot when I was trying to hit it, but it was super fun. I enjoyed it :) It was a very good Christmas! and I got to talk to you!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL LOTS :) I'm really blessed with the best family on this planet. It's fine :) oh guess what though. this Christmas was 80 and sunny. First one every. It was definitely a little different than Utah! 

Also THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE FOR YOUR WONDERFUL AND GENEROUS GIFTS!!!!!! I am blessed with the best people in my life :) I will be sending cards to you all soon, so I can thank you for real :) but thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I was talking with people about making Christmas a spiritual experience, it made me remember what we do as an extended family and how we put on the nativity and have a lesson. That's awesome!!!! When I get back, I am going to appreciate it even more. Because really Christmas is a time for family and for thinking about our Savior. :) 

now we are coming up on a brand new year!!! and guess what we get to do!! Make goals!! That's what we are focusing on as a mission this week. I have a lot of goals that I want to make, and I am going to focus on them, so I can accomplish them!!! I have spiritual and ummm temporal I guess? I'm slightly forgetting how to speak not in scriptural terms if you can't tell by my email. It's a problem. But esta bien. I hope you all are doing the same!!! Goals help us achieve what God needs us to during the year and what we need in our lives!!!! 

Enjoy New Years!!! I love you sooooo much!!! Let me know if I can do anything for you!!!!!! :):):) tomen buenas decisiones!!!!! :):):):)

Oh My Goodness Gracious! 21 December 2015

Let me just say, I am SUPER happy. and I have looooots to tell you because I didn't really write last week. it was a little crazy.!!

So first of all, WE HAVE A BAPTISM TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!I I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited!!!!!! She's amazing and she's finally getting baptized!!!!! We've been working with her from the beginning when I got here. It's IRIS!!!!! :) and she feels sooooo good and prepared. and the coolest part is that Antonio will be able to baptize her!!!!!!!! Me alegre mucho1!!!! I can't wait to see them both dressed in white and Antonio using the priesthood authority that he has to baptize his mom so they can live in the celestial kingdom and be sealed forever. How amazing is that?? :) 

We went to the temple with Antonio Friday!!!!!!!! The Spirit was so strong while he was getting baptized. I love being able to go with them to the temple because that's our goal. Part is to get them baptized, but also to bring them all through the temple and then help them keep going forever!!! We are not done when we're baptized, we have to keep going!!! and he's going to be a missionary. He's already preparing. :) He's my favorite!!!!!!!! Okay, well everyone is, but I just love the people here. They're wonderful!!!

I'm now officially TWENTY!!!!! Can you believe it? I'm out of my teens. It doesn't really feel like it though. But whatever! I had an AMAZING day though. People are so wonderful!!! Arturo brought me a giant cake tres leche! That's the Hispanic cake. Super yummy, but wow filling!! It was so nice of them!!! Then we had a dinner with hermana Suarez and then another one with Hermana Wells (which was my birthday dinner that she invited me to). They're so wonderful and so generous. They're truly disciples of Christ and are trying to do all they can for this ward and for everyone they meet. They are such great examples for me.

Then we had ANOTHER dinner. Oh my goodness. I'm sure you can imagine that I was about to die. I still feel full. Because it's not just 3 dinners, it's three hispanic dinners (well one was with an American family, but still!!) haha we were with Manuel y Iris and all of them. They wanted to celebrate my birthday with me :) how cute are they??? and they got me a cake to!!!! and as you can see in the picture, Antonio smashed my face in the cake!!! I did not expect that, but it was hilarious. I loved it:) haha, I think Iris took a video, it may be on her facebook. but i really think in that short time, I gained like 30 pounds. Yup. it's rough. but so good!!

I love you all so very much!!! I'm excited to chat with you on Christmas!!!!! The gospel is true!!!! Christ really was born, so that we can have eternal life. Keep going forward and reading every day!!!!! Love you all infinitamente!!!! Let me know if I can do anything for you!!!!!! :) Los amo!!!!!!!!!

14 December 2015

I really don't have any time this week, but I just wanted to let you all know that I love you very much and I am looooooving it here!!!!!!!!!! :):):) the mission is the best!!!!!!!!! 

We had a ward party!!!! and let me tell you H2 knows how to throw parties!!! It was awesome :) our ward was so cute and they gave us all HUGE gifts. Man, they are generous. They don't have much, but they want to give it all to us. Big examples for me!!!

LOVE YOU ALL!! next week will be better :):):) hasta luego!!!!!!!! I'M ALMOST VIEJA!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHHA I'M TURNING 20 WHAAAAAAT :)

Buenos Dias!!! 7 December 2015

THANKSGIVING DINNER WITH MY FAMILY :)

I'm trying to be better at taking photos, but I'll be honest with you, it's not me, my companeras are the good ones..... hahahha I've never been good at that. 

So this week was AMAZING!!!! Let me just tell you!! There is so much joy to be found in this work and this gospel :) wghoooooo! So there are some new videos on the church website and you NEED to see them!!!!!!! go to christmas.mormon.orgthe videos are so cute. and if you haven't seen the video from last year, you need to as well!!! It helps us focus on why we really have Christmas. because A Savior was born. 

Okay first some funny stories and then some spiritual ones!!! So some funny ones, we had to take the bus a lot because my bike tire died and the people on the bus are hilarious!!!!

The first time we got on the bus and there was a black mane and as soon as he saw us, he said whoa, look at them white ladies!! How you doing white ladies? and then he started singing about white ladies. He did that for like a straight five minutes. hahah, I died, it was hilarious.

Then while we were at a bus stop, a black man came up to Hermana Rivas and started talking to her. He asked for her name and  she told me, and he was like man, I've always wanted to know an Hermana Rivas... hahaha and asked for her number (she's so cute because when black people speak they have a different accent, so she couldn't understand very well and so it was really funny because she wasn't realizing he was hitting on her.) Hermana Ihrke and I were dying.  He was super drunk. Hilarious. 

We had some other funny stories, but I can't remember them right now! So now for the spiritual ones because that's the best!!! :)

Antonio is my favorite person on this planet!!! He is so cool!!! We practiced street contacting with him and he loved it!!! He practices it all the time and he learned how to pray in English because he wanted to be able to do it. He's the best!!! and he keeps sharing his testimony with everyone and reading and praying everyday and he's so excited about everything!!!! He goes out with us and the elders all the time!!! He was telling about an investigator family of the elders and he was talking about how they were going to get baptized. He explained to the family that they needed to get baptized again because their church didn't have the authority and our church is the only one that does. HOW AWESOME! :) He also told his friend that he needed to get baptized in our church because they don't' have the authority. and that wasn't even a lesson!!!!!

and another thing!!! 

Iris is progressing really well!! It helps that her son got baptized and is so strong, but we had an amazing lesson with her where she told us that she knows this is the true church, jose smith fue un profeta, and that she needs to get baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!! the church and the gospel are so true!!!!!!!! :)):):):):) her date is for the 19th and then she'll get confirmed on my birthday!!!! BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER!!!!!~!! whoooooooo!!! :):)

Manuel finally came out teaching with us and he shared his testimony about how much he's changed. It's so amazing to know that the gospel can really change us. That's what it's about!!! Helping us to become more like our Heavenly Father because we know that's the way to have happiness. People think otherwise, but I know that when I am trying to act the way Christ would, I'm happier. 

I forgot to tell you all that I'm staying here again for another transfer!!! I hope I never leave because I love the people here!!!! But I will love the people wherever I go!!!!

I love that I am able to focus on Christ this Christmas. I love how every year as a family we do the Nativitybecause that's the time to think about Christ!!! and to spend family time. I love you all so much and I'm so blessed that I have you in my life!!!! Family and friends! Let's make sure to focus on the most important things: God and our families. 

Love you all so much!!! :) Let me know if I can do anything for you!!! LOVE YOU!~!!:) LOVE YOU! Can't 'wait to see y'all soon!!!