I forgot to say HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!!  Thanksgiving is not a very big deal to the Rama so there isn't anything super special going on. But Presidente Lopez and The first counselor, Hermano May are kind and they are splitting up the missionaries for Thanksgiving! Sounds like it will be a party back home.  Tell everyone I say hi!

Also, we are at the library right now because the church is being painted this week and for some reason its not letting me send pictures but next week I will send a lot!

Here's my heart!

November 23, 2015

Hola Guapos!

This week just flew right on by!!  On the 19th was my 3 month anniversary! It's so weird to think about because I feel like I just got here! But then again I feel like I have been a missionary my whole life, haha.

Hermana West and I have been working really hard this week.  We need to broaden our investigating pool! BUT onces West started feel better...you guessed it, your one and only got deathly ill as well.. I was so mad at myself. How could I have been so careless and let her poison me?  So annoying... But I pushed through it and we still met our goals for this week!

Funny things that happened this week:

-West and I met an awesome old black guy.  He didn't let us speak too much. He just kinda hugged us both and started praying at one point. haha Then he gave us some dating advice. He said, "You know when you got a good fella?? I'll tell ya when you know you've caught a good fella. When you both watching football with some hot wings, there's only one hot wing left and yo boo says 'Go on baby girl you can have the last hot wing.'  Now that's when you know you have a real man...because there's not much more to life than hot wings."  Thank you Mr. Dean.  So for all you single pringles out there, this is for you!  It was strange but that's Alabama.

-While tracting Hermana West broke a doorbell.

- While walking in the rain, my umbrella got caught in a stop sign.  I have no idea how that happened...it took us a good minute to get it out...  like 20 minutes..no lie

- A woman turned down a prayer but said we could pray for her cat. 

OKay now for some real stories.  First, Los xxxxx :)

Hermana y Hermano xxxxxx are probably in their 40s.  They have 4 boys under the age of 11.  They were baptized almost 2 years ago and they have my entire heart.  Hermana xxxxxx came out tracting with me and our STL one evening.  She LOVES coming out with the missionaries.  I am so amazed by her.  Her testimony of the gospel is so strong.  Absolutley unshakable. She loves sharing her testimony too.  One door we knocked on was Pxxxx  She is from Vera Cruz, Mexico which is the same city that Hermana xxxxx is from! They immediately clicked. I maybes said 3 or 4 sentences about El Libro De Mormon and Hma. xxxxxx just testified and shared her testimony.  Pzzz is the mother of 6 kids and was very receptive.  The spirit was so strong!  Members are so powerful.  Walking back, Hma xxxxxx told me that this morning she was watching a Mormon channel video about opening your mouth and sharing the gospel and not being afraid or shy about it! She felt that it was speaking straight to her!, and right after the video she got a text from us asking if she could come out with us. She said it was like God knew exactly when we needed her help when really she needed our help.  SO COOL. The spirit works in awesome ways.  God is so good. 

Another story!  Fxxxxxx y Cxxxxx Lxxxxx.  They are from Guatemala!  I love this family.  They have two daughters, xxxxxx y xxxxxx  (12,8).  Some days I will take pictures with them and send them to y'all.  They joined the church 7 years ago! Los Elderes knocked on their door! Cxxxxx was very interested and just ate the gospel up.  Fxxxxx  was very hesitant and never asked questions about the Elders. One day Cxxxxx told Fxxxxx that they need to get married.  She asked why.  He said that He loves her and that he can't get baptized unless they get married.  She really questioned who these guys were that had so much influence on Cxxxxx.  Long story short, they got married, he got baptized, and then she got baptized but only out of curiosity.  Later she received a witness that this is the true church.  We had dinner with them Saturday evening and she got so emotional telling West and I her story.  She has 3 other older children still in Guatemala.  She has prayed and prayed and prayed that one day they would find the missionaries like Cxxxxx did and come to know.  This last week her prayers were answered..She keeps in very close contact with 2 of the 3 children and yesterday was their first Sunday in the church in Guatemala.  They are preparing to be baptized on the 6th of Dec.  WOW.  how amazing is that?  truly a blessing from our loving Heavenly Father.  Los Lopez are amazing members of the branch.  I love them!

Sorry I kinda got off there... THURSDAY.  Was Zone Conference! We had the privlege of listening to Elder Dube! Elder Dube is from Zimbabwe, Africa and is in the First Quorum of the 70.  He was so awesome.  President Hanks, Sister Hanks, Elder Dube, and Sister Dube all spoke and it was just a wonderful conference. Some of my favorite things that were said:

"This is not about you, This is about Him."

Can we see our potential by being disciples of Jesus Christ?  Moses 1:8 Moses marveled bc he saw his potential through the eyes of God.  We are sons and daughters of GOD.

This is an 18th month opportunity to RISE.  It is our decision.

Two men looked out prison bars, one saw mud, the other, stars. Positivity and happiness is a choice.

Who are you? What things lie in story for you?  Some of that is determined by the Lord, some of that is determined by you, and your behavior and decisions.

Go a day without Complaining.

"We are not alone in this."

And last but not least. Lyrics from Come Thou Fount "Here's my heart, oh take and seal it, seal it for the courts on high." 

It was all so good.  The little that I have shared does not do it justice.

My Ponderizing scripture this week is 1 Nephi 7:12

"Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him." 

I love you all so very much! Thank you again for everything!!!

Sorry this email is kinda lame, but I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!

 Sister ****** and I!! Aren't we adorable? I LOVE HER ALREADY!

 Mckenzie my beautiful sister sent me a package! Made ma week love that chick!!

 Cute lil' Jesus candle!

 This is Alabama. soooo pretty. It looks like its from a movie!!

 This is ******! I love this little man.  He doesn't drink and wants to be baptized? What more can you ask for? 

We went to a wedding yesterday! The Groom is native american and is a member in the Madison English ward and is marrying Darlene, Solo espanol from Honduras! We met with them and had dinner.  He wants to get married in the temple someday but knows she's kinda iffy.  We invited them to our Thanksgiving activity and to come to church. Since its all in Spanish she got really excited! 

We will see what happens.  He is an amazing man.  So loving and loves loves loves the missionaries. 

November 16, 2015

TRANSFERSSSSS! The news of the century.  At least that what it feels like. 

My new companion! Her name is Hermana *******! She has been out the same time as Sister ********* so just over a year. She is from Holladay, Utah! Born and raised. She is the second to last child of 12.  Yes you read that right.  12 CHILDREN.  Its a yours mine and ours type deal but still! She is totally awesome. We laugh SO much and just have a ball together.  I cant wait to learn from her wisdom and just work our butts off this transfer.  WE ARE STOKED.  This is her first Spanish branch here out on the mission but her Spanish is amazing.  She just studied hard in every area and is really good.  I am blessed!

In Transfer meeting President Hanks made some amazing comments that really got me thinking.  As missionaries we are not "just" giving people the gospel.  We are helping people get to the next ordinance! Investigadors --> Baptisms,   Less Actives ---> Sacrament,   Recent Converts ---> Temple.  Kinda opened my eyes to our real purpose as missionaries. We are helping people climb that latter to the Celestial Kingdom!

One thing he talked about was BHAGS. Big Hairy Audacious Goals.  BOOM.  He was kind enough to share with us some of P. Hanks' personal BHAGS of his life,  All of his kids to graduate from college, married in the temple, retiring early, etc. He made these bhags when he was our age and many of the have come true.  Because when we make a b-hags its a giant goal and we have to set smaller goals to reach our bhags.  Goals are so important.  He encouraged us to make b-hags for our mission and then b-hags for our life. I did it. And I tried to be as real as possible. no goofy things, it was really hard haha. But  It really opened my eyes to what is really important in life, to me.  There was nothing on there about a big home or a husband with alot of money.  They were big goals though.  Real goals.  Goals that I truly want and will do whatever it takes to make those happen.  No matter what.  I will not give up! I know with the Lords help they can be made into reality!                             

Sister ******* got transferred to Tuscaloosa! English area.  I am so excited for her! Before she left on Wednesday we went on Tuesday to say bye to some investigators!  One of course was ******  I didn't talk about him much last week but this visit changed everything!! We just went to talk to him to see how his reading is going. He said he tries to read every night and has been doing well! He always feel better after reading the Book of Mormon and Bible. We talked to him for like an hour and a half.  We shared with him Alma 7:14-15 and invited him to be baptized again.  In the past, he said that he has been baptized before and that since Jesus was only baptized once then he cant.  We explained authority again. and then got to talking about other things.  He said the closing prayer.  We were sitting on a curb in his apartment parking lot and we knelt down in the middle of the parking lot. That is faith! He did so good! Afterwards he said he wants to get baptized and asked when he could....WHAT WHAT WHAT. I had to ask him to repeat like 3 times just to make sure I wasn't trippin.  So we set a date. He got so excited.  He said he will for sure come to church. We explained that we would get Hermano y Hermana ****, (members who he knows) to give him a ride.  He was so excited! He even called us Sunday morning asking what time they would be there to pick him up!  We went to church.  Our district is so close to a baptism its insane!!  We saw the ****** at church but no *****....My heart sunk.  They said they called and called and called and knocked and knocked but he didnt answer.  I felt like someone just tore out my insides and left them on the floor! I was devastated.  WHAT IS AGENCY?? haha its a beautiful thing and a wonderful gift from God but its definitely the most frustrating.  I know God feels the same way when one of His children knows the path of righteousness, knows what way to go but goes the other way instead.  ***** called the ****** back and said he was so sorry and that he was sleeping when they came.  Well Flip ******....What a goob hahaha  

This week went a little slower.  Apparently its normal for the first week in the transfer.  Sister***** got super duper sick the day after she got here to Huntsville.  Like deathly ill. Not really but close! haha she stayed inside alot of the day on Saturday just trying to sleep it off.  I was kinda going crazy in the apartment.  Reading all the Ensigns and Liahonas in our apartment and just reading my scriptures.  It was great though.  She hates being sick but its better now that she gets better than being out in the freezing cold and have it get worse. 

Church was amazing though.  The opportunity to partake of the sacrament and just take some time for myself is a blessing.  To remember Christ's atoning sacrifice for me personally...it's mind blowing and incredibly humbling.  Church is wonderful.  Especially in Spanish in the branch.  This branch is so special to me. All the members are so uplifting and encouraging and willing to help. It makes me want to do my job better as a missionary.  Because they have faith in us!  ILOVETHEBRANCH.

I have such a strong testimony of this wonderful gospel.  This is it. This is life.  The gospel is life.  I love being a missionary and sharing it with everyone.  I LOVE IT

Thank you for all your support and prayers! I LOVE YOU ALLLLL

Hma Roly Poly Moly

Tracting in the rain!

  I wish i could tell you how many mosquito bites i have and I guess I scratch too hard?? 

 Our neighbor kids! Ah these kids hold my heart.  They love us!! L. is the one with the cray face. And those little hispanic girls are so precious!

While biking we found this awesome Street! A Cleaner Way. a legit street.  And so naturally we took a straight missionary pic with a book of mormon because it is the cleanest wayy!! haha