She was called to this earth to be my mother 04/07/2014

YATE' HEEY' EVERY ONE:)

Well so far everything has been going great in this area! The work was a little slow this week but every day we come home with a smile on our faces and knowing that good things will come. This week we will be starting our exchanges and it will continue all the way till the end of this transfer so we will be very busy. I don’t think I have told you all about my companion her name is Sister Baird and she is from Idaho she is a very nice companion and I’m trying to convince her to move to Arizona!! I love serving with and in this area!

We had a very great training on agency and how it’s really all up to us if we want to make a difference in our personal lives. We choose to be angry and we choose to be sad, there are all different kind of choices out in the world and its powerful how in a just a few seconds of making a choice it can change your life forever. We were visiting with some fewer actives natives we had a lesson with them. It was neat to hear them say that they had gone to the temple and how they could not deny the feeling and spirit that was there and how it strengthen their testimony, he said no matter how much people try to say it is not true it will always be the way. I know that, that is truth being spoken by heavenly father’s child.

Sense the day I got in this area we had been knocking on this certain trailer and it has been about 3 months until finally someone was home. We were able to meet with her and her daughter and she thanked us for never giving up on her home she isn’t very active in the church but she shared with us her strong testimony and we were able to make an appointment for this coming week to meet with her.

This week I have been in the book of alma and I was reading about the 2,000 stripling warriors and how they did not doubt their mothers knew it, I thought to myself how true that is in my life my mother is a strong woman and when she did not have the gospel in her life nor in mine, she still taught us to do what is right. Never did she ever teach me anything wrong, in my eyes she is the best mother ever. I often think about the struggles she had to go through and the trails I had to help her in but I know with all my heart that she was called to this earth to be my mother to teach me and it is because of her faith that was able to help me join this church and now on a mission. I know that my mom is a true example. I couldn’t have done anything in my life with her and my heavenly fathers support.

Woman General conference 03/31/2014

I was reading in Jesus the Christ this week and I came across a passage that really hit me it said " a redeemer and Savior of mankind is beyond all question essential to the realization of the plan of the eternal father, " to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" and that redeemer and Savior is Jesus the Christ besides whom there is and can be none other" It made me actually understand the role of Christ there is no way we can be cleansed, saved and forgiven if it wasn't for Jesus Christ. I'm thankful to be able to testify to others that our message is really centered on Jesus Christ.

This Sunday we had 6 investigators attend church and they all styed for the 3 hours of church. It was a Sunday where everyone had a smile on their face and how much I can see the gospel bless them. Our investigators all have a friend to fellowship them and I cannot think of a better area to be serving in, the ward is so kind and the work is pressing forward.

We had the opportunity to watch the Woman General conference this Saturday and I love how whenever I go with certain questions my heavenly father seems to always answer my prayer and questions. I felt the spirit throughout the entire broadcast and by the very end of it I and my companion looked the same red eyes but a huge smile on our face. There are moments when I feel like I need an extra push and I was able to get that spiritual feeding that I really needed.

Kirtland has been very windy which makes it difficult but we have been having really great lessons with all our investigators and they are all progressing.

How he learns best (March 24th)

“And now, O my son, ye are called of God to preach the word unto this people. And now, my son, go thy way, declare the word with truth and soberness, that thou mayest bring souls unto repentance, that the great plan of mercy may have claim upon them. And may God grant unto you even according to my words. Amen" I was reading in Alma this week and i love this scripture because it reminded me of my purpose as a missionary and how it really is to help people realize the plan that God has for them.”

This week has been a very fast week but it was great! We had a baptism. It was two young children. We have been teaching them for a while and it was neat to see them enter the waters of baptism. It all turned out very well, the most spiritual part was when they got confirmed in sacrament meeting. Its powerful it listen to someone bless  heavenly fathers children and bless them to one day go on a mission or to get married in the temple and as a missionary i can picture that moment and it brings tears of happiness.

We have 5 investigators that are really progressing and they all want to come to church. I was really happy to receive transfer news when i heard that i will be staying in my area again. I truly love this area it has so much work tats has to be done and I’m grateful to still be with my companion sister Baird. We strive to be always busy and many spiritual experiences come our way. I have noticed that i have not been tired, i have jumped out of my bed with a smile on my face and it’s because i really do want to serve the Lord and enjoy my mission.

We were teaching a young man the plan of salvation and as we were teaching him he wasn't really listening or we suppose not understanding the lesson, so we stopped our teaching and asked him how he learns best and he told us by seeing it and so we were able to teach him according to his needs with pictures and trying to make it more interesting for him, and it made me realize how important it is to teach people not lessons. During the lesson he was more interactive with us and he ended having questions and concerns which we love because it helps him learn through his own faith. it was a really neat thing to experience and there are moments that it’s important to just stop the lesson and see if they are even understanding your message because if they aren’t there is no way they can developed the testimony of the gospel.

He wanted a better future (March 17th)

Well this week has gone very fast! I feel like the less time you have on your mission the faster it goes its going way too fast but I love it and even though I have never before felt this tired in my life it means so much that I’m serving a mission and it has really shaped me into something that I wouldn't have became if it wasn't for my mission. It’s really neat to read my journal from last year in March and see how much I have grown in my testimony.

This week we were able to have 3 new investigators added to our teaching pool. They all are very promising and it’s just powerful that they were prepared to listen to our message. We will be having a baptism hopefully this Saturday at 1.

One of the new investigators that we taught was really prepared. He is a younger boy about 16 and his grandma is a member. He really is having a struggle in his life and he told us that he wants to change and learn more about God; He said he wanted a better future and we know as missionaries that what we teach is a better future and better light. It brings happiness and we were able to teach him and the spirit there was strong. All of the people that we are teaching are doing so good they are coming to church regularly and they are slowly being converted.

This Sunday we also got a new referral it’s a lady that speaks Spanish. I have gained the testimony of all of my areas everywhere I go there is always a Spanish speaking person that is interested in the gospel and I have the privilege to teach them. I’m thankful for this area.

Transfer news is this Saturday I really hope I stay in this area :)

Luckiest girl on Earth (March 10th)

This week has been a week of many spiritual experiences that have helped me realize why I’m out here. I feel like the luckiest girl on Earth being able to serve the Lord in this moment of my life. Everyday since I started my mission it has helped me see the light of Christ in others.  I witness miracles each and every day and I see people change for the better. This Sunday we had 5 investigators come to church and one of them during gospel principles shared an experience about how when he was feeling very down due to his divorce and he felt like God had forgotten him he said he went to the Book of Mormon and read in Alma about faith and being humble. Tears ran down my face as I listened to one of Heavenly Father’s child testify that he knows it’s true. He set the example for others in that room. When people go through hard times, the Book of Mormon is key.

This week I had the opportunity to go on exchanges, in Window Rock (St Michales) and we had the Gallup sisters come to our area. It all went great.  We were all able to go and serve and do the work. A feeling of urgency filled our area and we are able to see the results and blessings from that. In Window Rock, I was able to go out with a sister and we were driving to go see some less actives and we came across someone who was sitting on a hill. WE drove by but I felt like we should go back and share something. We then turned back and as we talked to him, he really needed an uplifting message.  We ended up talking about prayer and how it’s so important, That same week we were trained in district meeting about how we show someone how to pray and how saying a vocal prayer can be powerful, I felt we should to show him and we were able to get on our knees on a random hill while cars were passing and we offered a prayer.  He felt the spirit and he was in tears. I thank my Father in Heaven for allowing us to receive the promptings from the Holy Ghost and how special these blessings are. Window Rock is an amazing area.  I love it and I love my area.  I would love to finish my mission here!! It’s a blessing and the members are really trying to do missionary work! We had a member come up to us saying that her friends were ready to listen to the gospel in their home.  Our bishop gave us certain people to go see in the reservation!! The work is blossoming here!!

This week I was able to also be on bikes during our exchange. I love bikes but it was very hard going up certain hills and getting all sweaty. I literally felt like an ELDER!! :)

To bare my testimony in Navajo (March 3)

"Nevertheless, the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, an join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God"-Alma 6:6

I love this scripture it made me realize how important it is to fast for Heavenly Father’s children.  I never really understood the importance of it until my mission.  I can’t even describe in words how my mission has helped me.  It is something that I would recommend for every young woman who has the desires to serve to go on a mission.

This week we had a great week.  We had exchanges with the Gallup sisters and they are just so great we were able to have really great spiritual experiences and work hard! I love serving with other sisters in the mission they teach me so much and they help me improve!

This fast Sunday, I was able to bare my testimony in Navajo, and though I was nervous I did it!!! There was only about 10 members who speak Navajo and they all understood me so they say, but I really felt the spirit. Every time I share my testimony it builds me up and it helps me know why I am out here.  It gives me strength to keep going and working hard even when times get hard. The native members were telling me how I just need to add a "J.O" to my name then it will be SISTER NAVAJO.  It made me laugh because I have already butchered a goat and I have been dressed up in traditional clothing and I can sing in Navajo and I can make fried bread.  All I need is to actually be fluent in the language, hahah! I love this mission so very much.

This Saturday, it poured and hailed on us and we were tracting in the reservation and no one would answer their doors but it was really neat to be able to talk to those that did open up and even though they were not interested it helped me to want to keep working hard and in the end we were able to have a successful day, full of tender mercies of the Lord. It does not matter how the weather is for a missionary at least because all I want to do is simply work hard and help people come closer to their Savior Jesus Christ.

We are going to have a baptism on the 15th!! All is going so very well!!

I understood everything ( Feb. 24th)

“Jesus did not come to improve God’s view of man nearly so much as He came to improve man’s view of God and to plead with them to love their Heavenly Father as He has always and will always love them. The plan of God, the power of God, the holiness of God, yes, even the anger and the judgment of God they had occasion to understand. But the love of God, the profound depth of His devotion to His children, they still did not fully know—until Christ came.

So feeding the hungry, healing the sick, rebuking hypocrisy, pleading for faith—this was Christ showing us the way of the Father, He who is ‘merciful and gracious, slow to anger, long-suffering and full of goodness.’ In His life and especially in His death, Christ was declaring, ‘This is God’s compassion I am showing you, as well as that of my own.’  In the perfect Son’s manifestation of the perfect Father’s care, in Their mutual suffering and shared sorrow for the sins and heartaches of the rest of us’” (The Grandeur of God, Jeffrey R. Holland)

This talk Is such a neat lesson to understand that God Is always there for us and that we often forget how much he does for us, I was reading In the new testament this morning and I came across a powerful scriptures In romans 8 :38—“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39--Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which Is In Christ Jesus our Lord.”  It made me realized that there isn’t anything that can ever separate us from god he is and will be our father forever.

This week we were able to go and knock doors, a while ago we found a man who Is very Interested In learning more we were able to go back don talk with him he told us that he can’t understand scriptures, we Introduced the book of Mormon to him and he said he wouldn’t be able to read It nor understand, he speaks English and Spanish and we told him that as he read the book of Mormon he would understand every bit of It, I pulled out my Spanish book of Mormon and I had him read out loud the moronic promise and after he read he said I understood everything and the spirit was strong and It helped us all to know that the holy ghost really does help us understand and bring to a better knowledge.

This week on a certain day was probably the windiest day on my mission there was dirt envy where but we were able to keep going. We were In the reservation and we came In contact with one of our Investigators we hadn’t seen In a while, he let us teach him on his porch and though the winds were hard and we had dirt In our teeth It was a powerful lesson and we were able to sing to him " I need thee every hour" In Navajo!!! As we were singing the wind stopped and there was no more dirt in the air, it was to me a tender mercy of the Lord.

This week we were able to find 3 new Investigators who are very Interested In learning more, I love this mission and the people that we get to meet every day! We had the opportunity to make fried bread with a less active family; I now know how to make it I can’t wait to make it for my family when I get home!