tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55961397108095218962024-03-13T05:00:08.496-07:00The Current RaveRavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-83356787733263006622012-09-23T11:55:00.004-07:002012-09-23T11:55:46.798-07:00Baptisms & Confirmations<br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So the baptisms AND confirmations
happened! It was such a weird feeling to be there seeing it happen. I
had anticipated feeling a little relieved or something, but this was not
the case. Believe me, I enjoyed it...it was very spiritual and very
stressful. Mostly because we had been sick with fevers all week, a ton
of crazy things came up and right before the baptism we visit Claudia, a
recent convert who opens the door and her baby Paloma is hacking like a
50 year chain smoker with boogers in her eyes and screaming bloody
murder...she was so sick. Claudia keeps her cool and tells me that she
has been sick like this for a week and it has gotten worse in the last 2
days and she has tried everyone she knows to give her a ride to the
clinic in town and nobody can help her (She has no family, she has
no car, she only speaks spanish and she can't read.). Then she began to
stream tears and I told her we were there for her and that we would get
her a ride asap. My heart pounded with worry for them as I was asking God
what to do..."The Enriquez baptisms are in an 1.5 hrs. Heavenly Father;
I know that Paloma needs to see a Doctor NOW because this is serious. I
know you know what to do. I am listening; please tell me." We start
calling anyone we can think of that would be willing to take Claudia...after
plans A-Y fall through, Z works 50 minutes later and a Spanish speaking
RM, Sister Jenks takes her which was an even bigger mercy because she
could at least translate some. The baptism begins, tons of people show
up...so cool. Great spirit there (I'll mail the program.) the talks were
rockin and Karl Bleazard is the most humble man...you could feel the
power of the priesthood so strong through him when he baptized the Enriquez
family...like the Lord could use him for anything...someone totally
ready to be the Lord's instrument in His hands. The Bleazards love
people so much...he had to dunk Aneth 3 times because she was so nervous
she stiffened up like a board and did </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white;">a suicide fall back or "Threw a Raven"
in slow motion if you will. Good times...she kept making the joke
afterwards that she was the</span> cleanest because she was baptized "Tree
Thimes" (Mexican accent...so </span></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">dulce.) HAHAHA! The minute the room clears for
everyone to go get refreshments I call Claudia and Sister Jenks to see
what's going down</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> in town. No worries, Paloma is just in the Emergency
with an ear </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">infection, throat infection and bronchitis. Calm
down whoever is reading this...it all worked out, because God's always
got it under</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> control...but it was scary. After several other events,
Paloma is now</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">home, doing better and President Whitby gave her a
blessing yesterday and Claudia even showed up with her 2 girls (Diana 4
and Paloma 2) to</span> sacrament because she felt that she needed it and then
took Paloma home...to say that Claudia is "full of faith" is
not enough...she is bursting with faith is more like it. Ok, now that
you know that part of the story you can see why I did not feel any
relief after the </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">baptisms...So yes, the Enriquez family is baptized
AND confirmed. It was such a weird feeling to be there seeing it happen.
I had</span> anticipated feeling a little relieved or something, but this was
not the case. The Enriquez was so ready and so happy...but the relief for
me as a missionary did not come until sacrament meeting yesterday when they
were confirmed. Duh Hermana Alard...of course you did not feel </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">peace until they received the Holy Ghost. Baptism
is just water without the fire. (The exact scripture we chose to put on
the program,</span> 2 Nephi 31:17!) Baptism is incomplete without the Spirit of
Promise </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">and I could feel the power of godliness when each
of the Enriquez was confirmed...I loved feeling what saving ordinances
feel like for</span> others. I have felt that being proxy in the temple...but
this was </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">different. I could finally breathe knowing that
now they are safe...that the Holy Ghost will guide them, that they will
feel the</span> difference....that they will endure to the end only if they
have the complete Doctrine of Christ. Saturday night they all said that
they felt clean...after sacrament yesterday Aneth said that she felt like
an emptiness inside of her had been filled after she received the Holy Ghost...like
it was even more of a physical experience than being baptized. The
counsel and blessings given in their confirmations was </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">such a testimony that the Lord knows them. I will
remember all of this forever.</span></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">TRANSFERS:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">The mission is receiving 25 new missionaries
tomorrow...4 spanish speaking Elders and 1 Spanish speaking sister.
President Greer has</span> asked me to train this new sister...no I do not know
if I am nervous</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">or excited like everyone keeps asking. I just pray
that she is happy and healthy and ready and willing to serve the Lord
running, because</span> you all know how even my walking pace is like the
Bionic woman. ;)</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">Plus, there's a lot of ground to cover out here in
the Basin Boonies. Quite honestly, I am just praying that I will be what
the Lord needs</span> me to be for this Sister to begin her mission well and that
I will learn and love what she has for me to continue my mission well.
Sister Hovorka is off to serve in the Columbia River Temple Zone with
her MTC companion, so she's happy about that, but really bummed to leave
the </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">Basin and spanish work. I love her and we'll be
Hermanas parasiempre...so Onward I guess! Pray for me...I know I am.</span></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">Roger Merrill startled me at church yesterday! Big
old bear hug...only he could get away with that. :) He was happy...it
was good to see</span> him...it flashed me back to Riverside ward, to Marva and
then of </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">course to all of you. I love love. Sorry I didn't
get a picture...plus I forgot my cord to even send pics, so I'll make
sure to bring that</span> next week!</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">What the BYU game...the Utes crows is ALWAYS nuts.
The play by play I </span></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">heard sounded just like the Lamanites fighting
with the Nephites.</span></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">Con MUCHO amor,</span></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="background: white;">Hermana Alard</span></span><br />
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Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-41697691378679844302012-09-16T12:51:00.002-07:002012-09-16T12:51:38.968-07:00Weddings & Baptisms<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">August 13<sup>th</sup></span></span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Sister Hovorka has now
become Hermana Hovorka...at least I think she is getting used to me calling her
that because "Sister" just doesn't seem to make its way out of my
mouth. :) She is from Orem and her family now lives in Highland...good 'ol
Utahns we are! She is so adaptable and ready to be here...I feel very blessed.
We are already seeing how now was the time to Zebra here because, especially
with 2 families we are teaching where the kids learn better in English and the
parents/grandparents in spanish so we are able to teach to their needs with our
dynamic duo. The Lord is definitely sustaining me with his "enabling
power" because translating and teaching would not be possible on a daily
basis if He wasn't. We are being prayerful about putting a good handful of
investigators on date for baptism this week! :)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Some Highlights:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p3GNVbf6qAE/UFYriGT5cxI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/oD5LvEKnUHE/s1600/IMG_0344%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p3GNVbf6qAE/UFYriGT5cxI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/oD5LvEKnUHE/s320/IMG_0344%5B1%5D.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With recent converts. They are the lights of my l<br />ife in the Basin</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Sandra and Jose
finally came to church yesterday...the last 30min. and LOVED IT! Sandra said
that she learned more in the last 30 minutes than she has in the last several
years going to her family's church...pretty intense. Their little girl
Cassi/Cassandra also fell in love with primary and said, "Mom I behaved
really good, so can we come back next week?" BOO YAH! Jose really enjoyed
priesthood and told us this weekend that his great-grandpa actually carried
around a BOM with him and named all of his kids after the names in the book and
nobody knew why! WHAT THE!?!? We didn't have more time to talk about this, but
what a teaser right?!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">We've had some rockin
lessons with Aneth, Ramon and Laura...they are praying about a date to be
baptized after their wedding 9/1...they call themselves "sponges that are
soaking up the gospel." Ramon told us about all the blessings he has seen
in his life since he chose to keep the commandments....so cool...so true.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2qFLXNKrHnY/UFYrlChBflI/AAAAAAAAAIY/IhHzi0IcBmQ/s1600/IMG_0354%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2qFLXNKrHnY/UFYrlChBflI/AAAAAAAAAIY/IhHzi0IcBmQ/s320/IMG_0354%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The abuela, Alexandra & Alejandro. </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Last week Alexandra
and Kassandra's little brother came outside after our lesson and I told
him he should join us next time if he wants...he was there this week, ready and
waiting...completely willing to learn...Alejandro, 8 years old, fascinated
learning about God and prayer. At the end of the lesson, I asked him if
he'd pray and he said, "YUP!" and did...first time, right then and
there and it was celestial. :) His abuela told me that she's never seen him pay
so much attention and be so interested in learning. He made me think so much
about Mosiah 3:19. Alexandra and her abuela told us that since we
taught her how to pray, her fears and nightmares have gone away...she has had
some sad experiences and seen some "adult" things too early in her
life...and pray has chased all of that away. Ummm yeah, that's the power of
prayer my friends. We are getting members there this week!</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">August 27<sup>th</sup></span></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">FAMILIA!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">We are so grateful we
were able to get our investigator Sandra to the morning-side and stake
conference yesterday! Thank you for you and Sister Greer's encouraging
testimonies and of course we were so honored to have Sister Boyd bear hers too.
Sandra really recognized the Spirit in all of the meetings and told us several
times how happy she was that she came and how comfortable she feels. President
Hadley and Elder Hansen's focus on covenants was celestial! We hope to put her
on date this week! Her boyfriend and father of her little girl, Jose, wants to
be baptized but had to go to California to work for a month. But, that does
help them live the law of chastity and they are being stubborn, but have
admitted that they should get married and really do want to, especially since
they have been learning the gospel because they have never communicated so well
and felt so close to each other until now. :) They both know it is true because
they have been reading and praying and learning how to recognize the Spirit.
Sandra has also been writing down her revelation in a notebook we gave her and
really identifies with the scriptures...AMAZING! This is a lot of change and
commitment for them, but it is coming. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mjNAuUj2Vl8/UFYroEt3dDI/AAAAAAAAAIg/7M1Mkg6xMtw/s1600/IMG_0356%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mjNAuUj2Vl8/UFYroEt3dDI/AAAAAAAAAIg/7M1Mkg6xMtw/s320/IMG_0356%5B1%5D.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Comp: Sister Hovorka </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">A similar situation is
Aneth and Ramon who will be getting married this Saturday! :) Ramon's wife died
and he has 2 children that Aneth has practically adopted, Laura 11 and Jose 7
(turning 8 in November). They love the gospel and have been coming to church
every Sunday for more than a month now. They had a lot to overcome since the
Sisters started teaching them in February, but the change of heart has come and
we are praying to have Aneth, Ramon and Laura baptized before the end of the
transfer and then Jose after his birthday! Their cousins have also seen such a
change in them that they invited them to take the lessons from us too and that
is going really well! (Rosillo the mom, Bertha 11, Junior 9) The Bleazards, our
ward mission leader and his family are so full of charity it is almost
unbelievable until you see it. They don't even speak their language, but they
have been there for them all of the way! Ramon works for them and they are
making their wedding very special. It was also their son with special needs who
softened Ramon and Aneth's hearts to really accept the gospel and change. I
want to be like this family...they truly are mastering "The Character of
Christ" that Elder Bednar talks about...cool talk, look it up. :)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">September 3<sup>rd</sup></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Well, Aneth and Ramon's wedding happened! It
actually happened...I could hardly believe it because I have tried this so many
times with investigators, but I had the faith and the Lord kept me amazingly
calm</span></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ocni8rsSya8/UFYrrohahfI/AAAAAAAAAIo/fwOup78hxvA/s1600/IMG_0357%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ocni8rsSya8/UFYrrohahfI/AAAAAAAAAIo/fwOup78hxvA/s320/IMG_0357%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allyson, and amazing girl who just graduated H.S. <br />from an amazing family </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">
and confident! It is so cool that they have had such support and excitement
from english members that they totally put on a gorgeous wedding for them, but
usually we just have them sign the paper at the </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">courthouse because the temple is where we want "gorgeous!" So yeah,
it was a crazy stressful week, trying to stay focused on the week, but everyone
needing us for wedding stuff...I'll be glad to be back to</span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">
normal this week. The stories I will tell you when I get home will be memorable,
but just for a teaser, when the lady who made the cake shows up...she's
rattling off in Spanish about how she got lost out</span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">
here finding the house and steps out of the car holding the cake and gets her
huge high heel jammed in the grass and trips over her dress and face plants it
into the cake!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Total movie, where was</span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">
my crew! So sad, so funny, so stressful, so speechless...don't worry folks,
this was a Meximerican wedding so the peice she demolished was just part of the
cake...we made it work....oh my goodness...it was too much. The American and Mexican
opinions, traditions, etc. were all mixed and I was the translator and my voice
is horse and it was awesome. :) Now to get them baptized so that they can be
sealed in the temple...that is both of their goal and what they are most
excited for. I have thanked Heavenly Father countless times for investigators who
keep their focus and know the priority...they know that getting married civilly
is just the first step...they have been so humble and grateful. :) </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 10pt;">Our
goal is to get them baptized by the end of this transfer...in the next 2 weeks!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">
Sandra came to all 3 hours yesterday with her daughter Cassi and really loved
it!!!!! We got her a front row seat of the sacrament (My mission president and
his wife's voices rang in my head to "The power </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">of Godliness is manifest throughh the ordinances....Get them to the ordinances!"),
then she was totally participating in the BOM class in Sunday School (She has
read up to Enos and has pages filled of the </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">notebook we gave her for revelation and finally moved to her laptop because she
had so much!). Then I guess there is a new slideshow presentation from the
church that they showed in combined RS/EQ </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">yesterday that explains a lot of the outward living the gospel that others
would observe of members and wonder about. So the presentation is to help
members learn how to address daily gospel life questions </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">rather than the detailed doctrine or mysteries. I assume that this is because
of the upcoming election and there are many misconceptions </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">being tossed around. Have you heard about it? They say that anyone can have
copies from online...? Either way, it was neat to see how the members really
got excited about missionary work and feeling more capable of having casual and
positive conversation of the church and then redirecting people to missionaries
for doctrine. Sandra was also really into this and felt like it made her way
more at ease of who the church is in the world and what she would be a part of.
We again </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">extended the invitation to be baptized last week and she is still struggling to
leave Catholic tradition...but knows that this is the truth...so that was a
very powerful lesson with a member present and</span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">
she accepted our invitation to fast with us for her conversion yesterday and
she really liked that! She also told us how she just keeps loving the gospel
more and more and our other ward mission </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">eader offered her a job...an answer to our prayers! :) It's really cool to see
how all the units we serve really love and support one another...</span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">September 11<sup>th</sup></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white;">LISTEN UP! THE ENRIQUEZ FAMILY IS GETTING BAPTIZED
THIS SATURDAY!!! We put them on date 9/5 for 9/15! So life after the
wedding made things</span> more calm to finally have a serious sit-down and we
had the Branch</span> President come and it was so smooth. The morning after
the wedding they felt so relieved, but at the same time how hard Satan
was working on them...a lot of contention in the home until we came
over. So, we explained how having the gift of the H.G. asap and how
Ramon can then<br /><span style="background: white;">baptize Jose when he turns 8 in November...they
were so humbled and loved it and it was so spiritual and I can't even
possibly write down</span> all the details...but these last 2 weeks have been
exhausting <span style="background: white;">spiritually and physically, but only because the
Lord is on our side. Yes family, after being out 10 months the Lord is
letting me see not</span> just 1 baptism, but 3 (Aneth, Ramon and Laura)!!!!!
These conversions <span style="background: white;">are the efforts of years of the Bleazards
fellowshipping, Branch members and other missionaries concerted
efforts...but conversion does</span> not happen until the individual chooses
it...AGENCY. Ramon had the biggest change of heart...he is so
converted...he is seriously Alma the Younger! It has humbled me to the
core. This is so cool...I could tell you cool stuff for days. Just take
my word for it...they are<br /><span style="background: white;">converted...this is a MIRACLE. They were all
interviewed Sunday and ready to go! We are visiting them daily to fight
off Satan trying to</span> pull any fast ones. All of Ramon's friends are
making fun of him...but <span style="background: white;">he is standing strong. He makes me ask myself if I
am that converted to the gospel? I love them. I love my mission. I love
being a</span> missionary. :) I don't deserve all of this...but I know they do.<br /><span style="background: white;">Transfer calls are the day of the baptism...we'll
see what happens with a new spanish sister coming in. Sister Hovorka and
I have had a</span> fun and exhausting transfer! This companionship was meant
to be...I <span style="background: white;">know that we would not have been able to prepare
the Enriquez family for their wedding or baptism if she had not been
here with me. :) What</span> a tender mercy that the Lord is letting us both be
here to carry out <span style="background: white;">their wedding AND their baptisms!</span><br /><br /><span style="background: white;">LOVE YA...BYE!</span></span><br />
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Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-68998456454590760172012-06-03T12:44:00.000-07:002012-06-03T12:44:05.897-07:00Insights & Updates<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">May 11<sup>th</sup></span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Well, you wouldn't believe it but Vancouver is
warm and bright (90 </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">degrees today!) and so is the missionary work here!
We have been </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">preparing the Arriola family for their marriage
this coming weekend </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">and plan to move their baptisms and confirmations
to next weekend </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">since the father had to work so we couldn't come
teach. They came to</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">all 3 hours yesterday and totally loved and
particpated in the classes </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">and tonight we have a powerful lesson on the
Atonement planned with </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">the them and the Alder's (Former mission
presidents in Chile and my</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">lifeblood out here)! :) </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O9RyrNZwlmU/T8u9scj8rNI/AAAAAAAAAH8/2KWZGOJSLf0/s1600/IMG_0101%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O9RyrNZwlmU/T8u9scj8rNI/AAAAAAAAAH8/2KWZGOJSLf0/s320/IMG_0101%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriola's- The Beat of my Heart</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Hermana Watson and I have
been really seeking </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">some guidance on how to calm Jose's (the father's)
nerves when he</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">loves the gospel so much and knows and feels that
it is everything he </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">has been looking for, but still feels
"uncomfortable"...which we have </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">come to recognize through observation and hints
from the spirit and</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">his wife as actually "unworthiness." He
is a great man who has come an </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">incredibly long way, but still feels guilty about
some things in his </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">past and replaces his faith with fear because of
it. Our goal tonight</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">is to teach how to use the atonement through
Repentance and it's </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">enabling power (like you taught in a zone
conference this winter). </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">We've felt impressed to use the short video of
"The Mediator" to </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">explain how the atonement satisfies both justice
and mercy...how we </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">can feel that balance and peace. So yeah, we're
pumped! :) </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Also, we </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">have really enjoyed tracting lately; not just
because of the weather, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">but because one day when I was on exchanges we
stopped at a spanish </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">branch member's house to use the restroom before
tracting and I felt</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">like I should ask the daughter, Katherine Escalona
(13) if she knew of </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">an area where maybe she's seen some Latin kids get
off the </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">bus...(hahaha) and she thought for a minute and
said yes and explained </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">a complex nearby and we've been tracting and
try-backing and referring </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">from there ever since with a lot of success! So of
course we have</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">thanked and thanked her and the best part is that
she wants to be a </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">missionary so this has been neat for her to feel a
part of the work </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">here! This has also been a great experience for me
to reflect on and </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">think about how although I didn't feel this strong
push from the </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">spirit or really even recognize me asking her as a
prompting, that </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">really it had come from service and trust we have
developed with the </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">family these past few months and because of that,
I then felt like I</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">COULD ask. All of this reflecting has been because
of a special </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">training the mission had where "Earning
Referrals" was pointed out and </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">also made me think of talks by Elder Bednar about
just being worthy of </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">the spirit and not necessarily worrying about if a
feeling is a </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">prompting or not and also about serving your best
so that the members</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">see that they can trust you with their referrals. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Oh, and Transfers was full of surprises: A
TRIPANIONSHIP in Vancouver, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">WOW! :) Of course I will serve wherever the
mission needs me, but I </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">must admit that I am extremely grateful for the
opportunity to be here </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">for the Arriola's ordinances, to continue serving
with such unity with </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Hermana Watson and then to get Hermana Hutchinson
is really exciting!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9pt;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">May 28<sup>th</sup>,
2012<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dGvwGi5SvSw/T8u9lU3i_ZI/AAAAAAAAAH0/BUicnUBK5fM/s1600/IMG_0097%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dGvwGi5SvSw/T8u9lU3i_ZI/AAAAAAAAAH0/BUicnUBK5fM/s320/IMG_0097%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">At a Zone training we
had on Friday, President Greer said something plain and simple, but that really
made me think: "We only have so many days to serve." Of course this
applies to our entire life, but it made me think of my calling now and how a
year from yesterday is my return date. Wow! That feels so short and so long at
the same time. But either way, it is what motivates each choice I make
small or big each day. He expounded a scripure from D&C 1:8-9, saying that
the word "seal" here does not have to do with the temple, but with
missionaries sharing the message no matter if it is accepted or rejected...it
is the fact that we must testify in order to give the opportunity to accept or
reject their faith for the future. This impacted me to really consider how my
experiences in Vancouver could be identified...my heart has been broken
countless times by investigators and less-actives who have the fruit swaying
from the branch right in front of them, and then suddenly become distracted and
wander away into dark mists, rejecting the Tree of Life or in other words, the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, my heart has only been able to break over and
over because I have also had experiences where "my joy was full" that
have mended it and I look forward to the day that I will get to witness someone
I had the privelage of teaching who actually partakes of the fruit and is
baptized...but I'll be patient and keep the faith. :) As I've been doing our
Book of Mormon challenge, I related D&C 1:8 with how they felt in Alma
48:21-24 and how I feel...we have to protect and defend the faith, even if it
means "sealing" the fate of others. I constantly consider Moroni's
methods as he continually avoids war and offers the Lamanites life no matter
how many times they blatantly reject him and that went on for years! So, I've
got a year left on my mission and that is nothing compared to Moroni's lifelong
pursuit of peace, so I'm off!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bWVupDR_Vhw/T8u-MGWVjII/AAAAAAAAAIE/L_dlJBCi4qM/s1600/IMG_0131%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bWVupDR_Vhw/T8u-MGWVjII/AAAAAAAAAIE/L_dlJBCi4qM/s320/IMG_0131%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Multnomah Falls-Where we went for P-Day</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The other night we had
a rockin lesson on keeping the Sabbath Day Holy with the Arriola's, our Branch
President, Presidente Ross AND Jose's sister Guadalupe who he is super close
with and has been telling her that he has found the truth and invited her to
come listen and see if we could answer some of her questions! SO COOL!!! We had
met her in passing a couple of times before, but she would avoid us...but she
has seen the change in her brother and has felt drawn to us and there she was,
TOTAL SURPRISE. So, after the lesson she asked us about fasting....how to do it
right because her son is in jail and she really wants to fast for him.....it
was INCREDIBLE. In the middle of the lesson I felt impressed to tell her,
"As representatives of Jesus Christ, we are here to tell
you that your Heavenly Father is very happy with you for
seeking these answers and you have found what you have been looking for."
My eyes were piercing hers and there was a power and authority and a love and
sincerity that was coming out of my mouth that could only have been from God.
It is AMAZING to be His instrument....this has happened to me before, but that
night it was really special because she was so intent and suddenly burst into
sobs when I said the last word.....wow, God is good. :)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Ok, I'm gonna get
kicked off...LOVE YOU!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">At a Zone training we
had on Friday, President Greer said something plain and simple, but that really
made me think: "We only have so many days to serve." Of course this
applies to our entire life, but it made me think of my calling now and how a
year from yesterday is my return date. Wow! That feels so short and so long at
the same time. But either way, it is what motivates each choice I make
small or big each day. He expounded a scripure from D&C 1:8-9, saying that
the word "seal" here does not have to do with the temple, but with
missionaries sharing the message no matter if it is accepted or rejected...it
is the fact that we must testify in order to give the opportunity to accept or
reject their faith for the future. This impacted me to really consider how my
experiences in Vancouver could be identified...my heart has been broken
countless times by investigators and less-actives who have the fruit swaying
from the branch right in front of them, and then suddenly become distracted and
wander away into dark mists, rejecting the Tree of Life or in other words, the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, my heart has only been able to break over and
over because I have also had experiences where "my joy was full" that
have mended it and I look forward to the day that I will get to witness someone
I had the privelage of teaching who actually partakes of the fruit and is
baptized...but I'll be patient and keep the faith. :) As I've been doing our
Book of Mormon challenge, I related D&C 1:8 with how they felt in Alma
48:21-24 and how I feel...we have to protect and defend the faith, even if it
means "sealing" the fate of others. I constantly consider Moroni's
methods as he continually avoids war and offers the Lamanites life no matter
how many times they blatantly reject him and that went on for years! So, I've
got a year left on my mission and that is nothing compared to Moroni's lifelong
pursuit of peace, so I'm off!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The other night we had
a rockin lesson on keeping the Sabbath Day Holy with the Arriola's, our Branch
President, Presidente Ross AND Jose's sister Guadalupe who he is super close
with and has been telling her that he has found the truth and invited her to
come listen and see if we could answer some of her questions! SO COOL!!! We had
met her in passing a couple of times before, but she would avoid us...but she
has seen the change in her brother and has felt drawn to us and there she was,
TOTAL SURPRISE. So, after the lesson she asked us about fasting....how to do it
right because her son is in jail and she really wants to fast for him.....it
was INCREDIBLE. In the middle of the lesson I felt impressed to tell her,
"As representatives of Jesus Christ, we are here to tell
you that your Heavenly Father is very happy with you for
seeking these answers and you have found what you have been looking for."
My eyes were piercing hers and there was a power and authority and a love and
sincerity that was coming out of my mouth that could only have been from God.
It is AMAZING to be His instrument....this has happened to me before, but that
night it was really special because she was so intent and suddenly burst into
sobs when I said the last word.....wow, God is good. :)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Ok, I'm gonna get
kicked off...LOVE YOU!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-70974927494089898792012-04-29T14:43:00.003-07:002012-04-29T14:44:32.221-07:00Pictures!!<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So P-Day changed cuz we went to the temple today! :) YIPEE!!! </span><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9It_8C-c6Ps/T521eMAoxeI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/Ic6RKEIH65Y/s1600/IMG_0001%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9It_8C-c6Ps/T521eMAoxeI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/Ic6RKEIH65Y/s320/IMG_0001%5B1%5D.jpg" width="240" /></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">So PICTURES!!!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222;"></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">Me and my District Leader Elder Pixton from NM</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">Us with Annie Mower, a spanish speaking RM I met on an exchange once </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">and we clicked and she now drives us up to a special assignment we </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">have to teach a less-active/part-member family about 1.5 hours away</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">once a week and some serious miracles have happened with the Ortiz </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">family! I'm barely getting it in my journal and then I'll write ya'll</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">updates of my 'gators next week ok! :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">Me and Watson at the temple today in my 1950's mama in the kitchen </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">bought brand new retro from the second-hand store for $6....it was my </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">Easter dress of course. :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">K, Love ya'll! :)</span>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-28530865541212064912012-04-08T10:28:00.000-07:002012-04-08T10:28:20.712-07:00CRAZY CONFERENCE!!!!!!!!<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;">Well, let's get right to it and crack open Conference shall we?! Yeah,</span> baby! This weekend was totally Celestial! I WANT TO HEAR YOUR TAKE-AWAYS!!! So yeah, I always love all the messages of course, but I'll list a couple of my starred talks and maybe a brief why:<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Donald L. Hallstrom -</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Ummm...still soaking that one in, "It is possible to be active in the</span> church and less active in the gospel." Dang! This is what we exhaust in the WKM...internalizing the Doctrine of Christ (2 Nephi 31) and then living it! Ooo yeah, how many times was the Gospel/Doctrine of Christ brought up?! Too many to count!<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Paul E. Koelliker -</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">This was like feeding candy to a missionary..."Love is like a</span> gravitational pull toward heaven." mmhmmm....I would agree with that. :)<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Quentin L. Cook -</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">The "Music of Faith" quote was crazy good, right?! Then I loved how he</span> talked about matters of faith being building testimonies not obsessing over the possibility of a virgin birth or the Christ's Resurrection...If you have faith, you feel the truth. "Stay intune to the music of faith!" (I bet you likey this talk too mom.:)<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Elder Richard G. Scott - Barely have words...I mailed you a card about</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">this one today.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">President Thomas S. Monson -</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Everywhere people are in a hurry...What is really important and what</span> is truly trivial? Every tiny thing he mentioned pierced my soul...every teeny tiny thing. Yeah, I sustain the Prophet. :)<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Ok, now I want to hear from YOU! Doesn't need to be big...just wanna</span> hear whatever you can give me. :)<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Grandma, I got your letter in plenty of time and LOVED the articles</span> you sent...but maybe your letter just a bit more. Every time you write me it renews my faith, hope and charity. You are an energizer; you are a phenomenon. Thank you, thank you for taking the time to write me and share your thoughts and feelings...I could hear conference speaking to you...I know that the Lord loves you and that you love Him. :)<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">A&D,</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">What the random with those guys, but it was opportune and it does save</span> on shipping! I know you are so, so, so busy....so seriously...thanks...that sounds so lame, but it's all I've got. You two are like my iron rod...I'd be lost without you out here. I pray <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">for your success daily in all that you're involved with...rest assured</span> that me and the Lord have got your backs. ;)<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Eden....so....grandma told me that you were on your way to</span> competition....don't leave me hanging! :)<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">My time with Hermana Grass has come to an end...this Wednesday is</span> transfers and she is off to Kennewick to serve in a tri-panionship with Hermanas Hutchinson and Foreman and then I am getting hertrainer/my "grandma" Hermana Watson! What an unexpected and awesome surprise! She is a fiery, funny red-head who is full of light and love...I don't know why I have been so spoiled...Hermana Grass thinks it's because the work is harder out here than the other areas,so it makes sense to have missionaries who can face it with faith and not let disappointment turn into discouragement. That is not to say that other missionaries don't have faith...I have to renew mine daily. Anyway, running out of time...but yup, I'll still be livin' the life <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">in the 'Couve! Oh, and Elder Fenn got called to be the new Assistant</span> to the President! SO COOL! :)<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Love you all, Happiest of Easters!!! ...Even if it is without me. ;)</span></span></div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-84254930638027208032012-04-01T17:27:00.000-07:002012-04-01T17:27:05.763-07:00In Memory of Twilight<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 18px;">So yeah, a lot to cover...I'll try to stay organized, but you know me... :)</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;" /><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;" /><div><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XbKtA-7nY2Q/T3jyKRK2AwI/AAAAAAAAAHI/76i7JTLxiTA/s1600/IMG_0007%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XbKtA-7nY2Q/T3jyKRK2AwI/AAAAAAAAAHI/76i7JTLxiTA/s320/IMG_0007%5B1%5D.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; text-align: -webkit-auto;">I don't know how it slipped my mind last week since we have been</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> LOVING IT...thank you Mom, Alex and Deserae for new music and scripture marker stuff (you got the exact kind I like and wanted!) and</span></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: left;">I really needed the Holland Atonement talk and I have now activated my<span style="background-color: transparent;"> debit card. Great stuff, you all will definitely have a personal Love Sac in my kingdom after this life. ;) </span></div></span><br />
<div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 18px;">So, speaking of General Conference!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is awesome. I am</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> pumped. We have no updated prophet videos, so this is a great</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> opportunity for our investigators to actually see and hear from the </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">living prophet and apostles that we keep telling them about, but they</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> can't quite grasp or feel the truthfulness...but I know they will the minute they hear them if they are prepared like Mosiah 2:9 describes: mind, heart and EARS open! I am like seriously hyperventilating right now I am so ecstatic...ahhahahahahah! Anyway, let's all receive some revelation this week and then PLEASE SHARE what you feel comfortable with of course with me! I love spring conference...everything about </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">life and the gospel blooms...there is no better way to celebrate the</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...there is such wisdom in nature in how everything resurrects and we start a bright </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">new season and the gospel of Jesus Christ is the same, we bury our</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> sins and rise up again to a new life...conference is such a renewal!</span> </div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tQyQzy4gm7Y/T3jxRn3nDNI/AAAAAAAAAHA/rBKqU5pUqFc/s1600/IMG_0034%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tQyQzy4gm7Y/T3jxRn3nDNI/AAAAAAAAAHA/rBKqU5pUqFc/s320/IMG_0034%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Ok, Alex and </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">he </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Braxton should like this one: this crazy surprise of a</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> special training came up this week...man, this transfer has been unusually full of surprise conferences and trainings! The Greer's</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">nephew, Brother Spencer Larsen, a linebacker for the Bronco's who</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> served in Chile came and trained us and it was like I was seeing and hearing and laughing with Alex! Total Hercules, on fire, non-stop</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">energy, animated, passionate, accomplished, goal oriented and totally</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> empowered because of his reliance on the Lord....oh, tore his ACL and said he was an impatient guy... ;) He talked about how he feels like there is a spiritual current on this earth and we can ride it...just like t</span> </div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sz2bh0fDsLM/T3jxPcXtHFI/AAAAAAAAAG4/2wwg-WdlaaI/s1600/IMG_0015%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sz2bh0fDsLM/T3jxPcXtHFI/AAAAAAAAAG4/2wwg-WdlaaI/s320/IMG_0015%5B1%5D.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> turtles in "Finding Nemo"...LOVED IT! I feel that way too!!!!</span> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Alright, I'm about to get kicked off so hopefully I can attach some</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> pics....some awesome Twilight Saga gag pics hahahaha, total Washington creepy trees and the burst of light is definitely Edward twinkling </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">behind me! Then one we took with Brother Larsen!</span> </div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-69445753735256228382012-03-25T11:09:00.000-07:002012-03-25T11:09:32.476-07:00Elder Nelson Continued<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;">I'll start out with some updates and then</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">end with the rest of Elder Nelson:</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);"><b>La Obra Misional -</b></span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">So this last week was brutal...a couple of our most progressing </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">investigators are losing the faith and one dropped us with serious </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">contempt. It is experiences like these where we feel just a smidgen of</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">how sad our Heavenly Father is when His children reject the gospel and </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">especially after they have the needed knowledge. However, we have had </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">other tender mercies with finding other investigators and referrals</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">who are promising. It does not make us hurt less for those who have </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">lost their grasp on the rod of iron, but helps us to see that God has </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">a lot of children and they all need to hear this glad message. This </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">morning I read Mosiah 2 and heard the Lord speaking through King </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Benjamin: we give the people we teach all the knowledge of the gospel, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">love and care we can possibly give, but their answer is up to them to</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">find out for themselves and to then act for themselves. Unfortunately </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Satan is guiding people down his path, mimicking the Spirit who guides </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">us up God's path. I'm just rambling my thoughts now, but this week we</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">are focusing on trying to stay positive and moving the work forward; </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">to make the last bit of this transfer the best it can be!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);"><b>Clases de ingles-</b></span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Us and the spanish Elders have started teaching english classes 2x/wk </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">and it is going really well. We have recent converts, members, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">investigators and potential investigators all attending and loving it.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">It is a church kit they have us use, so it is more memorization based </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">than grammar since this is not a college course and we can't have it </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">be taking up all of our time, but it is a great way to find people to </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">teach!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);"><b>La vida de Cristo -</b></span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">For the past 5 years our stake has done what they call "The Life of </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Christ" where they transform the stake center into an exhibit of </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Christ's life with paintings, live acting, music etc. all depicting</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">vignettes of the New Testament. The purpose is to inspire the community </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">to come unto Him and walk away knowing that we do believe in Jesus </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Christ who is our Savior. Like English classes, we are not teaching</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">doctrine here, but it is an invitation to the public and a great way </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">to find those who are ready to hear the gospel. We are pumped, because </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">this thing is huge...dang, I mailed you my newsletter today and I</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">should've included the cool invitations we're giving out...I'll send </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">one later. Anyway, yeah big deal, lots of people and that is why I am </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">emailing you today because our zone was helping construct a bunch of</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">it yesterday so our pday got switched to today. I'm excited...it makes </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">me miss being in Jerusalem with Alex....geez that was special...not </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">just a highlight of my life, but highlights of my life and I got to</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">share it all with my best friend and brother...Ok, I'm getting all </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">teary eyed now and can't see the screen...good thing I can type </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">well...wasn't expecting to get like that. Like I said, this week and </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">all that's built up to it has been for lack of a better word </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">torturous....I feel so much love it is painful...why don't these</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">people understand the gospel?! Why do I get that blessing?! It is the </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">most important thing in the world to me and there are people who just </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">toss it aside and drive the spirit out of their lives, becoming</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">spiritually blind and deaf...I'm extremely sad, but I am extremely </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">grateful; grateful that I have family and friends who are Believers </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">and who live what they believe. Especially my parents...how humbled I</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">am that the Lord gave me parents who know and love the gospel and who </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">stick to it...you've never faltered and from these experiences lately </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">I am beyond impressed with you. Hold to</span> the rod everybody! You are a major strength and support to me...often times the only thing that gets me to smile again. :) Ok, tangent...I am taking up all of Nelson time...sorry!<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">*I also went on an exchange to Sister Katie Cooper's area (she goes</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">home in 2 weeks!!!! Alex, contact her please...she needs some</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">guidance.)</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Ok, <b>ELDER NELSON AND WHAT HE SAID ABOUT D&C 138:</b></span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Make sure to read verses 52-55 (54 is totally the Fenn Family) and</span> then he read verse 55 and told us that we were there...WHOA! We are talking with the great and noble...he said it so matter of factly I almost missed it....me with Brigham Young, Adam and Eve etc.?! But the apostle said it, so I believe it. Then it is where we will be if we are faithful...yup, verse 57 where Grandpa and Abuelo are right now! I <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">also almost missed all of this because I was in such shock that to</span> close he just goes straight to the section that has meant so much to me with Grandpa's passing and it has also made me think so much of my Abuelo too... So yeah, we were there in those councils...numbered among those leaders and specifically sent during this dispensation...we have a lot of work to do folks....but it is amazing to realize that the Lord trusts us! I mean, everyone listed in that section are the greatest who ever lived...and that includes us! Anyway, you just gotta study that section and please, please, please tell me your thoughts. Obviously I needed all of that instruction the week before this last one...God knows and loves me and you too! K, bye!<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Con toda de mi corazon,</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Hermana Alard</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-88589350444860369092012-03-18T12:02:00.000-07:002012-03-18T12:02:03.456-07:00Elder Nelson Came!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cbzCWgFPMmI/T2YxGLeyyDI/AAAAAAAAAGw/-VC1mQTIrIo/s1600/IMG_6167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cbzCWgFPMmI/T2YxGLeyyDI/AAAAAAAAAGw/-VC1mQTIrIo/s320/IMG_6167.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;">THIS WEEK WAS INSANE!!! I will do my best to stay coherent...hahaha!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">1. Zone Meeting -</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">There have been some struggles in our zone lately and Elder Randall </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">and Elder Fenn layed the best smack down I've heard yet from Zone </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">leaders...they are rockin...probably my favorites, even if I have only </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">been out 4 months! (Yeah, apparently my 4mth anniversary was last </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">week...Hermana Alberts informed me of that...you know how I am keeping </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">track of that kind of stuff...not so good...it just pops up somehow </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">and then I realize...oh geez, this time last year I was feeling that</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">something was missing from my life and then I went to El Salvador with </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Carmencita and all of that got filled up didn't it!? Here I am...what </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">the?!) Anyway, Elder Randall was amazingly heartfelt and read off "My </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Commission" with some extras like, "I am called of God"..."I </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">think"....basically an awesome chastisement of the zone not taking our </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">calling seriously etc. It was awesome...it was bold and loving...Elder </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Holland would've given him one serious pat on the back.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">2. We had a Sister's Training in Kennewick -</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">So all of us sisters from the west side of the mission were picked up </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">and driven the 4 hours to Kennewick to stay overnight at the mission </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">home and then go to an all day training just for sister's in the </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">mission down the street at the stake center next to the Columbia River </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">temple (the pics I forwarded to you). I finally got to see Hermana </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Alberts and meet all of these other sisters I've only ever heard </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">about. But I was ready for this training and not too into chatting </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">because I've been praying for advice on how to become better and the </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Lord tidal waved heaps of instruction on me</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">...the Lord answers prayers! hahaha!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">3. And last but at the very MOST!!!! ELDER NELSON CAME!!!! (I</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">know...he must be the theme of my mission...MTC and here! The only </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">thing missing was his wife...gosh I love her...she rocked my world on </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Thanksgiving.)</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Yup, you read that right...we knew he was coming to speak to the </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Longview stake at their stake conference, but we got called the day </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">before that he had found time in his schedule and wanted to do a </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">private mission conference, but could only do it with the west </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">side...so yeah, less than 80 of us missionaries sat in the chapel and </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">there I was front and center and his eyes pierced my soul...literally. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">I don't have time obviously to write it all to you, but I will forward</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">the apostolic blessing he left us after this. I'm quickly type some </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">quotes from my notes:</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">"You know what I measure? If the messengers are worthy of the</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">message...and you are."</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">"Thanksgiving is Thanksliving."</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">"Conversion is never static; it is dynamic."</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">"When you have a bad day, read D&C 122...God changed Joseph's</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">perspective from the present to eternal."</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">"For each person you meet you may be the only person they run into to</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">know about exaltation. Your message is urgent!"</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Why do we go 2 by 2? Because you may stand as witnesses you and your </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">companion...will stand there when the people you meet are questioned</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">about the gospel in the next life....(WHOA!)</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">"In order to accomplish the impossible, the Lord chooses the unlikely."</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">"When you feel a little short of what the Lord expects of you, that's </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">good; it means you are being stretched."</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">"The Atonement is the most important doctrine we teach." Romans 5:11 </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">is the only place the bible uses the word atonement and the BOM is </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">full of it!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">"Men are that they might have joy...I read that in a book somewhere..." hahaha!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">"Be joyful! Yours is a message of eternal exaltation! You're their</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">ticket! So you should radiate that joy!"</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">The rest next week...the most important, the most impactful for</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">me...stay tuned...read D&C 138 and we'll talk soon! INCREDIBLE! :")</span></span></div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-45687011008930934782012-03-18T11:44:00.001-07:002012-03-18T11:54:11.567-07:00More New Investigators<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JemOh3VRD_k/T2YvMut14lI/AAAAAAAAAGo/i-s9zmQZuA0/s1600/IMG_4003%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JemOh3VRD_k/T2YvMut14lI/AAAAAAAAAGo/i-s9zmQZuA0/s320/IMG_4003%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;">More New Investigators this week!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Group 1: Estella and her 2 kids Jessica 13 and Axle 11. Estella had </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">received a pass-along card and called the number to order a "Finding </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Faith in Christ" dvd...when she met us she was hesitant saying that </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">she is christian not mormon when she recognized us...but we clarified </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">and warmed her up and asked if we could watch the video with them and </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">she said yes! When we did, the spirit was very strong and afterwards </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">we asked some questions and each person ended up bearing their </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">testimonies...her kids are very intune!!! Axle's testimony made me </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">tear up when he said, "I think Jesus is the best person that ever </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">lived." Estella says they go to a church already, but says we can come </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">back! It's like she couldn't even believe what she was saying...pretty </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">amusing, but obviously the spirit speaking. :)</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Group 2:</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Our recent convert Carlos 19 brought his girlfriend, Zayna 17 to</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">church a week ago and we asked if she'd be interested in lessons and </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">she said ok, so we taught a brief lesson with her and him before </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">church yesterday and she is a sponge! She doesn't really have any </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">religious background, but has faith in prayer and knows that God </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">protects her. Beautiful girl inside and out...we're really excited. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Carlos told about his conversion story and how he had no family before </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">he was baptized and that now he does and he could never stop living </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">the gospel because of it. She was very intrigued with this idea </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">even though it sounds like she has a good family, she recognizes that </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Carlos has something special.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">So, I am really studying hard in PMG on "Teaching Skills"...I am not a </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">very good teacher...don't super enjoy "teaching" to be honest, but I </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">do enjoy sharing the gospel...so I try to think of it like that. I </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">have always had teaching callings (no idea why) and especially now, so </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">I really want to improve. I am continually enlightened when I study, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">so I know the improvement will come line upon line etc. Most of all I </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">love teaching with Hermana Grass...we've worked out a good flow...we </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">keep each other smiling and laughing even when we're exhausted or </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">disappointed. This week we are really trying to put our investigators </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">on date after we've been discussing baptisms and their concerns now </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">for quite some time. We are praying and fasting for the Spirit to </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">guide.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">The pictures are of us helping Amelia, the mother of one of our</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">investigator families make tamales! Estella reminds me a lot of how </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">she was the first time we tracked into her...since then Amelia has </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">told us how grateful she is for us...when we showed up they had just </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">moved here and she was really depressed missing where they had left. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">She says that it was all worth it now for meeting us...that we make </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">her feel young, and she likes the warmth she feels when we teach...but </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">she still struggles to let go of being Catholic although her kids </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">really love the gospel and being a part of mutual. The dad is reading </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">the BOM and 2 other books...he feels that there are parts of God in </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">everything and that you just have to search on your own and take what </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">you feel good about...so yeah, we kind of agree with him and kind of </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">not...hahaha...but we're getting there. I'm telling you, kids are the </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">back door to the parents. I know a missionary shouldn't be proud, but </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">I have to tell you the YM President, me and Hermana Grass got a van </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">full of investigators and less actives to a branch youth activity </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Friday night and they loved it and didn't want to leave! It was a lot </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">of work, but so worth it...they're parents really trust us and when </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">they're kids came home smiling it was so worth it...the parents can't </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">deny that this is something more than good.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Love ya'll...enjoy this week...laugh for me. </span></span></div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-42546184012813369362012-03-04T10:06:00.000-08:002012-03-04T10:06:31.400-08:00Hi Y'all<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">So, some updates would be that:</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Cristian turned 18 this weekend and is picking his baptismal date this </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">time...he is having a hard time reconciling that he believes in the </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">gospel, but is afraid of letting go of being Catholic with his </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">family...he is not practicing, it is more of a cultural thing...but we </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">are working through it.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Zarah is on date for 3/31 and her mom has really warmed up to us...so </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">much so that she has been talking our ears off and invited us to </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">dinner...the Lord is molding her too...but we'll be patient. :) It is </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">a miracle how her feelings have changed and how far Zarah has </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">come...she now feels guilty if she doesn't remember to pray about one </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">thing during the day! She is so ready...but still nervous....we are </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">helping her to prepare.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Edith is definitely afraid that she is feeling something she's never </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">felt so strong...she's always been drawn to our church and especially </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">the people...unfortunately she is pushing it aside and says she is not </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">going to convert...well, the Lord will see about that...we're being </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">careful, but we'll be bold. :) Sometimes it is just about planting </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">that seed and then backing off so that they can feel the difference.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">We just got an apartment of new investigators...a referral from the </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">same member who referred us to Mary! It is 2 sisters, Karina and Norma </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">and Karina's novio Carlos and Aldo, Norma's 7 year old son and maybe </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">their 2 guy friends Pablo (thinks he's Catholic) and Antonio (we think </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">he might be Gay)...anyway...they're awesome!!! They ask amazing </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">questions...they want it so bad and yeah...I don't want to get to </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">excited, because there are definitely going to be some obstacles, but </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">we feel really good about them...they are prepared....now we just </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">gotta be. It was like teaching a sunday school class last night with </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">all of them in the room asking perfect, but deep life questions...so </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">yeah, we taught the Plan of Salvation and I felt like we needed a</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">whiteboard! :)</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Ok, gotta go...gotta write President...love you all, have a great</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">week...read your scriptures...read ENOS! ;)</span></span></div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-69882261450324520992012-02-26T10:57:00.001-08:002012-02-26T10:59:51.673-08:00We're American...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So yeah, we're American...President's Day and such has brought me to email you today. Well, I guess I now know who really loves me because the woman who birthed me beat you all to sending me 2 new cd's and a really cute Valentine's day card! Then my grandma sent me a package of all the bits and pieces of my grandpa's mission farewell (I haven't been able to listen to it yet because I want to have a calm, uninterrupted amount of time to do it all at once and when I don't have to rush somewhere and have my makeup look good. ;) and yet again another heartfelt letter...Like mother like daughter I guess...you two are so caring and loving and I try to be like you. :) Alrighty, so this week is transfers and Hermana Grass and I are staying together in the Couv for another transfer!!!!!!!! It is crazy, but President told us that no spanish sisters are coming in this transfer and he is really happy with us....and there is nowhere to move us, hahaha! This is because there are 7 of us right now: a companionship is opening a new area with training Hermana Alberts who I was with in the MTC, then a companionship with a Hermana Foreman who just came back from Medical leave and I've never met, then the last Hermana has been temporarily made English speaking....so yeah, we're here to stay for 6 more weeks! :) 2 of my favorite Elders are getting transferred though....Elder Winters (my District Leader) and Elder Metz (my buddy)..I'll miss them, but we'll BFF'S. :)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-chENt92mGdA/T0qA1PssQhI/AAAAAAAAAGI/FyJI9Q0ssxc/s1600/IMG_3986%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-chENt92mGdA/T0qA1PssQhI/AAAAAAAAAGI/FyJI9Q0ssxc/s320/IMG_3986%5B1%5D.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with Christian.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Cristian is struggling and he doesn't even know it....he's a teenager who has never been expected to be super accountable or responsible and so as much as he wants salvation and really cares about being baptized, he hasn't been following through...a lot of that comes from family plans that make it so he forgets about rides that come for him for church and although he can repeat everything we've taught him, he still needs a testimony. He turns 18 on Saturday 2/25 and his baptism is scheduled 2/26, but it will again be pushed back because he's got to show more dedication and come to church at least 2 more times. The fact is that we are trying to build the branch and if he is needing more time to understand and prove that God can trust him to make these coventants, that is better than to baptize him and have him not live up to it...it's like that scripture that says that once you have known the Lord and don't follow through, it would be better that you did not know him....ouchy, but the truth. We still have a lot of faith in him though...he missed the baptism part of a another baptism we invited him to, but he heard the talks about the Holy Ghost and the YM president came and took him out to lunch. We try not to get frustrated with him because we know that this is all very new and he wants it, he's just never had to really feel any urgency like this before. Also, he confided in us that he is stressed...that his mom in on his back and his aunt and all her family just moved in their house and his life is crazy and difficult to focus right now...but that's when we need the gospel the most. So yeah, cross your arms and bow your head and we'll see what happens. :)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Mary is spunky. She is building her faith, but is really like a child who is learning this stuff for the first time..lately she's been kinda sassy about some things... but we're working through them. However, get a load of this email she sent her friends (who are astonished that she has dropped smoking and drinking all together) and told us about and then I had her print it off for me so I could have it and share it...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">"Gee Suzy, I am no special quit smoking, quit drinking Goddess! Please tell Jack that if he had two 22 year old virgins checking up on him in person three times a week, he wouldn't think it was such an accomplishment. I also didn't realize I am a prideful person, but I told so many non-smokers that I quit that I don't want to get busted! I don't DARE smoke again! It also was a birthday present for my son, and when he goes outside to smoke, I tell him I want to smoke, too, and he says "I don't think so!" Yes, I seem to be doing a lot of changing, and it would seem like a lot to me, but I don't think about it that way. I think about the good stuff: more spendable income, no more phlegm and coughing, no more puking and all day runs, more energy! Oh sure, I feel the body aches and pains more, but that is a small price to pay!"<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">HAHAHAHA! Oh, Mary...she's a sweet sass. :)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <o:p></o:p></span><span style="color: #222222;">Alrighty, gotta go write President...but I'm looking forward to a fresh start with this transfer...always trying to better myself without getting overwhelmed. ;) Love ya, BYE! :)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-54103493061042497102012-02-19T09:45:00.000-08:002012-02-19T09:45:20.562-08:00LOVE<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;">Alrighty well, here's the news:</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Cr's baptism got moved to 2/26 because he turns 18 on 2/25 and</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">the consensus is that would be better than pushing for parental</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">permission now. His parents like us and are fine, but yeah...He also </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">needs a deeper root/understanding...basically a testimony. He believes </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">and agrees with 90% of everything and really wants to baptized...we </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">have faith that it will still happen! The Lord knows what He is doing.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Mary is plugging along nicely...she's a hoot...she and Dad would get </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">along well. :)</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">The G family is learning slowly but surely. We love them and</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">they want to meet my family. :)</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">The Sori family is rockin...reading in the BOM and we've had some</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">strong lessons with them. They always tell us how different they feel </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">when we're around and we have good discussions.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">E. is stressed, but Hermana Campos in the branch has been a</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">phenomenal fellowshipper...E. struggles to believe in the</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">restoration, particularly Joseph Smith.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Any of you who have given talks this last month, please email them to </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">me, so I can print and read them. I know that A&D gave Moroni 10:3-5 </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">talks in church and then many of you at grandpa's mission </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">farewell....so yeah, get me in the loop people! :)</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">HAPPY VALENTINE'S and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CELLO! :)</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Random Things:</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Whoever: I am desperate for new music! So, if any of you would be kind </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">enough to send some along, I'd be oh so happy. Yes, it must be tunes </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">that invite the spirit...but PLEASE keep in mind that is not just </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">MOTAB or EFY...hahaha! So yeah, could ya help an Hermana out porfa? :)</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Those who write to me through<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://dearelder.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; line-height: 115%;">dearelder.com</span></a><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">:</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">I don't know why, but<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><a href="http://dearelder.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; line-height: 115%;">dearelder.com</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;">does not put the date on the</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">letters you send like an email would...so it would be so helpful if </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">you would when you write so I can keep track...I know I'm extremely </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">behind and I'm so so sorry...but dates will help me a lot.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Out of time, random email ...sorry, had to write president some stuff. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">love you guys and thank you for your love and prayers! BYE!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Had an interview with president this week and am probably staying here </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">with grass this transfer, let you know next week, bye!</span></span></span></div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-90302604204150612242012-02-12T11:16:00.000-08:002012-02-12T11:16:00.307-08:00The Lord Loves Me<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Wow...last week was a doosey huh? I want you all to not fret over me; I have been blessed with A TON of strength and comfort. No excessive crying or my mind running away from the work. The Lord has been good to me and I've been fasting and praying for all of you to feel the way that I do. :) Here's a couple of things the Lord has blessed me with:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1. SUN - So out of the ordinary for the Couv (Vancouver slang...good times.) ...the sun has been shining and I feel like it has been just for me. I feel warm and happy....like the Lord's just giving me a big hug all day long.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2. FENN - Elder Fenn (Carmen's cousin) just became our new Zone Leader and just having a Fenn here has given me a lot of comfort...the Lord knows what he's doin. ;) We barely know each other and he was one of the few that saw me right after I had heard the news and was very concerned. I felt impressed to ask him for a blessing a few days later and he did last Tuesday...it was very sweet and I have been going strong ever since.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3. KNOWLEDGE - Also last Tuesday at our District Meeting the Zone Leaders talked about President Greer's training with them which was all about Personality Ethic vs. Character Ethic...are we just waltzing into homes with a missionary persona and simply teaching truths vs. are these truths we teach a part of us...is the gospel our character...is it who we are...do we know it for a fact. This really hit me hard...because just like Dad told me in his email last week, I have taken these current events and used them to preach. I know that the Plan of Salvation is not just nice thoughts put together to make sense of life...it is absolutely real and true, it is all about progression and God taking care of His children no matter what, or else how would you explain how calm I have felt about my Grandpa passing and where my abuelo has been this whole time? I am excited for my grandpa to whip some of those stubborn spirits into shape! I've been walking into every home completely assured that what we have to teach is literal and spiritual...it is not just something I merely believe and would like to share, it is something I know and have to share because I am living proof! I have had a couple of neat experiences with teaching the Plan of Salvation to Ma and sharing a thought with a recent convert's non-member husband who had just lost a cousin last week.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4. PRAYER & FASTING - My first prayer after hearing that Grandpa had passed was kinda startling...I knelt and said, "So grandpa's with you now huh...I'd tell anyone else to take care of him, but I know I don't have to tell you. I felt a wave of assurance wash over me...and I chatted more about how cool it was that he's had us both serve missions and how pumped I am to share this experience together.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'm not going to lie...I did pretty much lose my appetite, so fasting wasn't too excruciating... ;) but really though, I could feel how powerful it is to hunger for the Lord's blessings, to forget about human need and just offer my fast to him to watch over all of you at home and especially grandma.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So yeah...I think those are the blessings I have time to highlight...yup, the Lord loves us...just FYI. :)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We ended up moving Cr's baptism to this Sunday 2/12/12 for after church. We both felt that it needed to be to prepare him just a bit more and it has been going really well. He's such a weird/punk teenager and I just love him. :) This is going to be cool ladies and gentlemen, just you wait! Mary. is rockin keeping the Word of Wisdom and is 5 seconds away from the goal line...we had one hilarious lesson on Chastity with her....I'll save those stories for when I can tell you face to face. ;) (Thank you Alard family for being masters of poker faces.) Mary's prayers are also the cutest, most sweet I've ever heard...she's like a little girl whose just learning and understanding things for the first time...truly amazing to watch her spiritual eyes be opened.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Well, I love you guys...you know that, so let's all do what grandpa told me, "You know what I expect of you." Simply, I think it means to be happy. We've got this ya'll. :)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
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</div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-30584283304530982222012-01-29T12:33:00.001-08:002012-01-29T12:33:20.579-08:00So Yeah...<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So, things have gotten a bit better...we finally got to go to the<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">temple today...a much needed trip (I will attach pics next week.). The</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Portland temple is really beautiful and reminds me of San Diego's...so</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">good memories. ;) I am still not sure why I, Hermana Alard am on a</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">mission. Although I have felt pretty weird lately, not really getting</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">how I fit in the "mission", rolling a lot of thoughts and feelings</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">around in my mind and heart, I do feel more peaceful and happened upon</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Words of Mormon 1:7 in the Celestial room which is good for me to</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">hear. I don't know why, but I've been worried about all ya'll at home</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">too, so bless you for your updates. I've printed them and will read</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">them later. That includes you Carmen...write me asap please; I don't</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">like being in the dark. Don't freak out, I'm not crazy distracted,</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">it's just better not to wonder is all. :)</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">As far as the Gonzalez family saga:</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">We saw them and the Lord knew what He was doing having us respond the</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">way we did, following our impressions even though we wanted to run</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">over there instantly, the wait was best. Earlier that day we had a</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">lesson with Z (who by the way has been blessed with a love for the</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">gospel beyond measure and baptism should be just around the corner!)</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">and she was wearing and adorable penguin beanie and it reminded me of</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">how we had told the little Gonzalez girls that we'd bring Hermana</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Grass's sock monkey beanie she got for Christmas because they have</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">similar ones. When we got in our car after Z's, I just felt like</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">we should go get the beanie even though it sounded silly, I saw a scene</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">play in my head of Hermana Gress and I at their door and her wearing</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">it and when they opened, the girls being thrilled and giggling and the</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">rest of the family crowding to see and smiling...instantly breaking</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">the ice. I kept feeling impressed about doing this, but not sure if it</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">was revelation...but it ended up that we had time to grab it on our</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">way to dinner. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">After dinner we went, Hermana Grass wore it and it was<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">like DEJAVU! The scene played out exactly as I had seen it and</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">everybody was loose and ready to be real. I love the Lord and I love</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">that he is funny. :) That is why he put me in the Alard family. ;) Our</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">revelation may seem out of the ordinary, but it was perfect.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> After a bit we asked what we had planned and learned that they are simply<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">overwhelmed. A. feels very loyal to the Catholic church and</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">especially right now to finish J's 1st Communion, so attending</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">both churches exhausted the family and they could feel the excited</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">pressure from the branch. A. had also misunderstood the RS lesson</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">about VT, thinking that everyone visited everyone every month...like a</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">missionary and stressed of how she could never commit to that much</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">time and effort. With their family's school and work schedules,</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">communion commitments and the parents both getting GED's she feels</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">maxed out. And as far as feeling the spirit like her text talked</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">about...our sacrament is just new and she is used to feeling the spirit</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">a certain way in mass. (At least this is my interpretation...) Then</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Ju jumped in and let us know how he supports the "patrona"</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">(A..haha.) but how he doesn't like the Catholic church, how nobody</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">is unified and there is a lot of hypocrisy. He never was near religion</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">until he met A, so he is not as attached to the traditions etc. He</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">also talked about how bored the kids are and doesn't think that they</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">learn much, so he and the kids prefer our church but are understanding</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">of A. and he does feel stressed out and acknowledges how tough it is</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">to change for all of them. So, he clarified that all they need is more</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">time and she agreed. We of course then asked what that meant...if they</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">believed what we had taught, if they still wanted to be taught and</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">explaining that it is no obligation, only their choice and definitely</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">clarified VT. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">They all said how they believe in everything we have<br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">taught and want to keep learning, saying that they will continue to</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">prary and read and come to church and activities when they can. None</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">of them liked the idea of slowing down and not being taught. Wasn't</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">this situation interesting?! Not at all what her text had communicated</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">and nobody had said a word to them that we know of. We could tell that</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">probably what happened was that they went to Mass and A. felt</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">stressed to hurry to our sacrament and then Ju said that they can't</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">waste our time if she is going to choose to be loyal to the Catholic</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">church right now and she cracked and texted us something dramatic...so</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">unlike her and they were very grateful that we understood. (You can't</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">serve 2 masters...so it is just a matter of time.) It wasn't that she</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">was dishonest, but that they are overwhelmed. Such a blessing to know</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">now how they all feel and be clear. We pleaded that they always tell</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">us how they're feeling and thinking so this confusion does not heppen</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">again. We are not going to give up on them...the Lord will be the one</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">to pressure them as long as they keep up the commitments that they</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">offered and we didn't even ask about praying sincerely and the BOM. I</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">feel so blessed that the Lord helped us handle this situation His way.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">I asked if we could pray before we left and they really liked</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">that...Ju asked me to offer it; I was very humbled.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Other updates: We put a teenager we are teaching, Cr. on date to</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">be baptized 02/04/12!!! We drug him out of bed Sunday and got him to</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">church...mind you, we're talking 2pm church starts! Hahha, but hey! :)</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Mary was fine after reading all of her Mormon internet</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">research and her biggest question was what was baptism of fire from</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">the BOM reading assignment we had left her! Thank you Mary for reading</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">from the BOM on top of all of your crazy out of context research!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">hahaha! So, once we answered that baptism by fire means the gift of</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">the holy ghost/confirmation after baptism, she said...oh, and I prayed</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">about a date to be baptized and the Lord gave me a dream and told me</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">I'm not ready...ha! She was so sincere...and we believe her and agree.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">She's not quite ready, but wherever there is a will there is a way and</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">we are going to help her quit smoking...but the Lord is who she knows</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">can help her, because that's why she felt impressed to quit drinking</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">and have us start teaching her. :)</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Ok, there's all of that...I swear the mission is just like film...I'm</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">just a part of a bunch of novelas! So, stay tuned for more episodes!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">(They love, love, love novelas...gosh, I miss Mexico and hacking off</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">hair when they're mad Carm. Told Hermana Grass about that one and she</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">died.)</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);" /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969);">Love ya'll so much and thanks again for your updates! </span></span></div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-75452395672154560322012-01-22T12:23:00.000-08:002012-01-22T12:23:07.806-08:00Let the War Wage On<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Hey Family & Friends,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So our pday got moved to today because we were supposed to go to the temple this morning in Oregon, but because of weather (slushy snow) they cancelled it. :( I really needed to go to the temple and being from Utah this "snow" is laughable...but I will do as I am told.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Well, I'm going to be completely honest with you...this weekend was brutal. Satan is fighting with all his might on the Gonzalez family and M. Our lessons were strong about the atonement and praying, studying the scriptures and attending church with "real intent" to know. The Gonzalez brought their kids to mutual, they've all been reading in the BOM and have been talking completely normal about church and them bringing up that they'll see us at church and preparing for baptism. We've had members present and families in our branch have set up family nights with them the next two weeks, so their fellowshipping is going well. Then, this Sunday the Gonzalez didn't come to church...it was really weird, but we figured they had something really important come up and they usually text us if they can't come or need to change an appointment, but we heard nothing. So, we called them after church and left a really nice voicemail about how they were missed and we hope they are well etc. They then texted us a couple of hours later and the text was like someone else was talking...didn't sound like them at all. It was extremely formal and came as a huge shock to me and Sister Grass. They asked for our forgiveness for "wasting our time" and that "truthfully they don't feel the presence of God at our church...that we are always welcome in their home, but they are not going to come to our church...that they have felt the presence of God in the Catholic church." <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Sister Grass and I were completely confused and broken hearted...we cried in silence, racked our brains with what could've happened between our last powerful lesson Friday and them telling us that they'll see us at church and then to Sunday and this text...totally unlike them to not say something to us in person after we had just discussed with them last week about where they were at and their feelings about the church and how they wanted to keep going and learn more and keep their commitments. So, we know it is God's plan and Satan always wants to disrupt it...he is working hard because this is an incredible family! We fervently prayed to do what the Lord wants in this situation. We feel that someone has told them misconceptions about the church and better yet that they are going to Hell if they keep listening to us or something...we don't know, but the formality of the text sounded more like fear than faith. We texted back later that we would like to see them this week and that it is never a waste of time with them and that we love them with all our hearts. They responded the next day very casual and positive...sounding relieved and inviting us over Thursday night. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Sister Grass and I are not discouraged...just dissapointed and doing our best to take that energy and make it motivation to serve all of our investigators and to do all that we can with the Gonzalez family. We plan to go to them on Thursday and tell them that we are confused, we do not know what changed and do they believe in what we have taught them and do they feel that they have done all they can to know for themselves. It reminds me of the Children of Israel and how many times with the people in the BOM who go back to their old ways no matter how much they've been taught...following fear instead of faith...not exercising their faith. We believe in them and we believe in the power of God to win...if we have but only planted a seed in the parent's and especially their kid's hearts (inparticularly their son J who we have felt very impressed is meant to join the church and build Heavenly Father's kingdom....his spirit and understanding and love for the gospel is more pure than anyone I've met on my mission so far.) that a lasting impression has been made so deep that it is impossible for them to forget this gospel. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We do not know the Lord's timing and we trust Him, although we are so confused. Thank you for your support and we are going to do all that we can do, but we understand that this is a matter of agency and choosing to know for themselves. We have taught them to the best of our abilities...this isn't about one more scripture we could've shared or a more heartfelt testimony...this is what Heavenly Father tells us in James 1:5, in 1 Nephi 10 in Moroni 10...ask Him! Then the pounding has kept coming from Satan as our other investigator, M, who told us that we are heavenly messengers and wants to be baptized...has quit drinking, working on quiting smoking, reading in the BOM, goes to church and has strong fellowshippers, got sick this weekend and when we checked on her, she told us that yes she has been studying and checking out this church on the internet and began rattling off questions from all sorts of anti-mormon literature...we again are not discouraged, but dissapointed and gearing up to say and do what the Lord would have us say and do at our appointment with her this week. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The Lord is blessing us. We have other promising investigators that I don't have time to write about now, but we had a breakthrough lesson with a less-active family last night after receiving some good advice from a member who said that because missionaries planted a seed in her when she was young, that is what stuck with her and why she went looking for the church as a teenager, she also shared an analogy from her friend, "Life has its ups and downs...but when you go to an amusement park, which ride do you want to ride? The ROLLERCOASTER of course! On the ride you experience how the highs are only highs because of how low the lows are. When you drop, the coaster keeps going because it takes that energy to go back up again. It may slow down a bit, but it always goes back up if it has momentum." So, we are taking that energy and building momentum, suiting up the armor of God and fighting the adversary back! This is the Lord's work and I have a strong testimony of that. I love my mission and let the war wage on. :)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-69380211201509554292012-01-15T12:46:00.001-08:002012-01-15T12:46:42.119-08:00On the Brink of Baptism...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So, here's my updates:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Surprise of all surprises, HERMANA ALARD & HERMANA GRASS GET 6 MORE WEEKS TOGETHER! a.k.a Somehow they let us stay together...it is crazy. As of last week, an English sister had to go home suddenly so Pres. Greer asked one of the spanish sisters to become English for the time being. So, this means that there are only 4 Spanish sisters in the mission right now...as of tomorrow we will have 1 new Spanish Sister (Hermana A from the MTC/one of my first companions in the MTC) and maybe a sister who went home for health reasons 6 months ago...this means that there will be one companionship opening up a new area, but we still don't know who is where and who is coming yet. All we know is that we get to stay! This is so incredible because we have plenty of investigators on the brink of baptism, we just gotta lovingly push them in the water! ;)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Z's mom was a member for awhile when she was younger and has some serious misconceptions about the church that she shared with Z. So, Z is still moving strong and has been receiving great courage to continue forward with what she feels is true. She asked us about her mom's misconceptions and they were understandable, but way out of context...but we handled it well and Z is going to Mutual, coming to church, reading and praying and loving our lessons. And her mom is still letting us meet with her...so that's good news!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The Gonzalez family is at a crucial point right now...we've been fasting and praying for them to gain a testimony that this is true on their own and be baptized. They want to be sure, but we have gotten them way further than they were anticipating and they are comfortable and happy. We've had powerful lessons with members that were definitely inspired, especially this last week we had the G's (Older Salvadoran couple who are converts and have been members for 24 years and have a very similar background with religion as the Gonzalez's) and we taught what sets us apart: the priesthood and the BOM...without these the gospel would not be restored and we would not know that the saving ordinances are done correctly. They are seeing and feeling that this gospel is focused on family and that is giving them faith. I have never cried in a lesson until this last one with them and the Gs and I bore my testimony about how the gospel blesses families and how no matter how much I want them to have it, and no matter how much I tell them about it...they have to want it for themselves. They have to seek for the truth by praying, studying the BOM and going to church. They were touched by this and A hugged me tight after the lesson and J shook my hand and told me that what I said was really great....it was the spirit because I could feel everyone else feeling it too and looking at me so intently that I just tried to be the Lord's instrument and let him strum away! But then they scared us yesterday...they didn't show up for church (our classes are first and sacrament last)...we were fasting and in a daze all morning just praying that they would come. Then, they texted us and said they were on their way for sacrament! We were so pumped we couldn't stand it! Testimony meeting was perfect...everyone bore strong testimonies of the restoration: the priesthood, the BOM and Families...exactly what we had been teaching. I know you're thinking well duh, everyone bears their testimony on that...not like yesterday. One very old but strong member got up and specifically pointed out the Gonzalez family and told them how the restoration has blessed her family...CRAZY! It was kinda funny because after the meeting both A and J teased that I had put her up to it...they are so funny and so comfortable with us. J is a born leader...I've never seen someone so funny and friendly...except my dad. :) He is a friend to all and he is the new one...I love it. Then A is so kind and sincere that everyone is drawn to her and wants to chat. Then their kids are so well behaved and smart and fun that all the kids cling to them! This has to happen...they have to become members...just like the Savior says, there is no other way. (2 Nephi 31)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Have I told you about Mar? We are teaching an american/english speaking elderly woman who was in the army for years....I need to tell you about her I think...let me know.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Love you all and hope you are having a great week. Now that I am getting the hang of my new life, my goal this transfer is to write people back!!!! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-70575916801804678962012-01-08T14:14:00.000-08:002012-01-08T14:14:20.771-08:00Christmas & New Years<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><u><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Mission & Speaking the Spanish<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I do not think I am a fantastic missionary by any means, nor do I ever see myself thinking that...but, I know they need me here. Speaking the language of the spirit is the most powerful and everyone can...but when we first meet people, being able to speak spanish conversationally gets in the door. Out of the 5 here and from what I understand the 2 coming...I am the strongest spanish speaker of the Hermanas, so I feel the pressure, but I feel fine because it has been coming out naturally...even when I make mistakes and I have yet to meet someone who has not felt comfortable with me and Hermana Grass. Anyway, blabbing. The Lord loves me and I love speaking spanish way more than I ever have.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I am barely at the beginning of my mission and I can feel that the Lord has let Hermana Grass and I be companions now so that we can strive for that standard the rest of our missions. She is 2 months away from her 1/2 way mark, so all we are saying/predicting is that it will be pretty unlikely that we'll be companions again with an Hermana coming back on her mission and my first MTC companion Hermana Alberts after January 10. Anyway, we'll see...as of right now we have 6 progressing investigators (meaning we've taught them more than 2x and they are solid.), 2 on date to be baptized and several on the brink including Juan and Ana's family so yeah, keep praying! :)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><u><span style="color: #222222;">Christmas</span></u></b><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We got our on date investigator Olivia and her family to church yesterday and it was a really spiritual experience for her...I'll tell you more later but there is a lot of mess we've got to get her out of, but she is in love with the BOM and her 2 sons want to be baptized too!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We gave Sister Wise an ornament with our picture in it because of our sweet memory of decorating the tree with her and because she cherishes the ornaments all of her students in past years have made her so much. She loved it. She was very lonely yesterday, but our cars had to be parked at 7, so after talking with my family, I baked the muffins they sent me and we chatted with her for a long time. We would have never had time to bake and chat like that if it had not been for Christmas and I think it cheered her up...at first I wasn't so happy that we had to be home and not drive because I wanted to be out and about on Christmas because it is such a golden day...but believe it or not I do follow rules when I don't talk to my family on the phone for so long. ;) And it makes sense because the roads are full of unsafe drivers on holidays.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><u><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">New Years<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The New Year flooded in and we are barely breathing with our heads now above the water today...yesterday we had 6 INVESTIGATORS COME TO CHURCH!!! So now we just need their heads to be under water! (hahaha...did ya see what I did there...I'm having a good time with the corny mission jargon.) E. (Elderly Peruvian woman), Z.(M’s 17 yr. old sister), The Gonzalez family (J, A, H 13, J 11, M 7, A 4) It was crazy! We prepared well notifying all the presidents etc. that we had visitors coming...but you never know who will actually show up...and they all did! We had one or more in every class/part of the church: RS, EQ, SS, YW and Primary...and they stayed for all 3 hours! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">E is a new progressing investigator, but the rest are all just about to tip over into the waters of baptism! The Gonzalez's love us...listen and particpate in every lesson and they are so kind and fun...they came to the Christmas Dinner and they invited us to their family Christmas Breakfast and for a New Years Eve dinner...they already act like members and we hope to put them on date this week and start teaching their kids separately so that they can choose/know for themselves that the true gospel is alive and well today. Then Z is prime time..she's watched her sister's life change and she wants it too. She feels so close to us and says that she misses when she doesn't see us because she feels so good when we are teaching...she is coming to recognize that that is the spirit testifying truth. She is pumped for YW, she's been reading the BOM and praying and believes that Joseph Smith restored the exact same church that Christ established when he was on the earth...she and I have had some good talks about self-esteem and YW and she knows it is all true and fell deeper in love with the gospel after church yesterday and told everyone that she is definitely coming back. M is overcome and so are we...M also has a friend named Chelsey that sat in on a lesson we taught and we discussed 3 Nephi 11 and she felt the spirit so strong that she has already talked to Z and M about being baptized so we will be teaching her too! One person makes all the difference...M's conversion is a beacon to all around her. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I've been thinking so much about the effect one person can make...in fact, all of my thoughts lead back to I've how one boy's earnest prayer has brought millions back into the fold. How Joseph Smith and every prophet before him asked of God and received (Adam, Moses, Lehi etc. ) and because they chose to do that on their own, generations were blessed. No, we are not all prophets...but we are all capable of receving personal revelation...the ability to know for ourselves what is true because God loves us...but the "turning point" (Eh, eh, Ironic that so many english speaking investigators use that to describe conversion! I LOVE IT!) is when they use their agency for good...when they choose what is best even when that is not the easiest, when Satan is telling them no or flinging confusion into their minds or waving temptation in front of their face..but they persevere and make that decision to follow the example of Jesus Christ and as soon as they do their lives do become easier. Challenges do not disappear, but the Lord carries that weight for us...the weights of sin, sadness, poverty, confidence, bitterness, sickness etc. But it is that choice that makes all the difference...the choice to follow the Savior; and because of that one person's choice, many more follow because they can now see the path...the pathway back to our Heavenly Father...all they needed was some light. What father doesn't want his children to come home? Heavenly Father wants His children to come home...and to be able to recognize Him and our big brother when we get there. Yes, I am rambling...but these are my thoughts. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet because just as prophets of old restored the priesthood in their dispensations he has for ours so that we may know what choice to make and here we are today with President Thomas S. Monson leading and guiding us back to God. There are people searching for truth...yes, even in Utah and in someway more so in Utah my dear friends and family...members and non-members alike can be in darkness and all it takes is one person to be a beacon for all to see their way back. I guess what I am saying is what Matthew says "Let your light so shine that others may see your good works and glorify your father which is in Heaven." (total paraphrase...Matt 25 I think.) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So, for this New Year, let's all MAKE THE CHOICE TO BE THE BEACON! This isn't just advice that I want to force on you...this is advice mostly for me as I am becoming increasingly anxious for Hermana Grass to be called elsewhere early and me to be in charge of this area without her. The Lord has laid a lot in our laps and this email is just scratching the surface of our investigators...it is unusual to have our load...but I am grateful and honored to have it and just pray to have the strength to care for it how the Lord wants it to be cared for.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Hope you all had a fantastic New Year...you ROCK! Lovin the Love.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-75560982598680281582011-12-14T19:51:00.000-08:002011-12-14T19:51:21.064-08:00'Tis the Season<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>So, it is crazy cold here...so when we are out and about and have to potty, we go in a gas statoin and buy a hot chocolate or something. Well, the other day Hermana Grass opens the restroom door at this Chevron and there is a homeless man havin a good old time! I turn around from the hot cocoa machine because I hear her say, "Oh, so sorry!" and the door slam. HAHAHAHA! I was dying! She kept trying to hide behind some chips for when he came out and it was just too much. I laughed and laughed for the next day or so. :) Who does not lock the gas station potty door! I mean come one man?!<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-71bXLe9L9IQ/TulumEEklEI/AAAAAAAAAGA/f3fwsDsNfgg/s1600/DSC_0504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-71bXLe9L9IQ/TulumEEklEI/AAAAAAAAAGA/f3fwsDsNfgg/s320/DSC_0504.jpg" width="320" /></b></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>So, our mission goal is 711 baptisms in 2011/this transfer that goes a bit into January...well, we are scraping the barrell and we don't mind getting our hands dirty because we know the Lord will provide...with the Christmas season here I have been thinking a lot about when the Angel Gabriel came to Mary and her confident response was, "For with God, nothing is impossible." The mother of the son of God said that...WOW! I have no room to be a wimp...so, we are making good progress...daily new investigators and we have been teaching 2 families! You heard me, families! They are listening, they are loving and we can see how faithful they already are without the gospel, so we can just imagine the assets they would be to the branch! (La familia de J. y A. and Galino y Sofia) We have a branch Christmas dinner and program this Friday that the branch is known for, so we have invited everybody and are going to do a church tour afterwards, so we hope everyone comes...because J and A pooped out on us at the last second before sacrament yesterday...we were fasting and crossing our fingers and we still have faith that the Lord knows best and if it is His will to get them to church, He will. :) There are many other stories I could tell ya, but time is slipping...so as of right now, just know that I am praying the hardest for these families to feel the spirit's pushes and then for Esme who I can't remember if I told you about her, but she is an 18yr old who just had a baby and is the girlfriend of a less active. The baby is not his, but he takes great care of her and she hardcore believes in everything about the church, but put off baptism to have the baby 2 weeks ago. So, we are trying to get a solid date out of her this week, because it is critical that she doesn't lose this opportunity...she came to church yesterday and the branch loves her. :) As we were fasting and praying with our whole hearts for these investigators to come to church yesterday and brainstorming how to make them feel welcome and have a positive experience and feel the spirit, we asked certain members before church to make sure and fellowship them and be proactive...but we cannot force. It made me miss you guys for the mere fact that each and every one of you would never have to be asked. I said to Hermana Grass, "Gosh, I just wish my family was here because each of them would be perfect for each investigator and their kids. I can think of how proactive and how each of my family member's personalities would match up perfect with each investigator...I need them on my mission, I need them in this branch!" The branch is great, I just have a really great family is all. :) She totally agreed with me and said that she has had the same feelings about her family too.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>I am memorizing Joseph Smith's first prayer from the JSH in spanish right now, because so far it is my favorite thing to teach. Telling his beautiful experience to investigators has been my most beautiful experience on the mission to date. When they say, "Everyone says they have the truth and I am so confused." I get to say, "Well, there is someone who was just as confused in 1820...and because he had the desire to know, he read his scriptures and prayed with real intent and for that effort, he received many answers and all of them were true because they were from God." I also have loved having investigators read the book of Enos. It is clear, concise, powerful and very personal because while Joseph Smith was a prophet called to restore a church and for that he literally saw God and Jesus Christ, when we pray for answers it usually comes like Enos's experience..."words or a voice into our mind." Reading this book does not make the investigators feel overwhelmed because it is so short and it gives them a great example of how and what they should do and how and what will happen if they are sincere. Ok, enough rambling...gotta go, ADIOS! :)<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Love you all</b></span></span>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-66092998306149459992011-12-05T17:28:00.000-08:002011-12-05T17:28:14.957-08:00Vancouver and such...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><u><span style="color: #222222;">Weekly Highlights</span></u></b><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45.4pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222;">My new companion/Trainer:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--XKI5j7I9gA/Tt1ukgpSf2I/AAAAAAAAAFw/yfcUYQk1HNc/s1600/IMG_3944%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--XKI5j7I9gA/Tt1ukgpSf2I/AAAAAAAAAFw/yfcUYQk1HNc/s320/IMG_3944%255B1%255D.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Hermana Grass from New Mexico. She is a great...a ginormous relief. She likes to work and clean and me likey that mucho. Our dynamic with teaching is going well and she has only been out 6 months on the mission. I'm sure I will have more stories of ours in the future, but so far we have no complaints about each other. :) We are in the only sisters in our area and the only other spanish speaking companionship so we cover a wide range.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #222222;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222;">We live with Sister Wise:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8_M0bRvzl1M/Tt1uYy53JxI/AAAAAAAAAFo/XqNXtmdlitI/s1600/IMG_3946%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8_M0bRvzl1M/Tt1uYy53JxI/AAAAAAAAAFo/XqNXtmdlitI/s320/IMG_3946%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
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</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">An english member from Vancouver who is probably in her 60's and her husband passed 6 years ago. She is very easy going and loves her dog, Molly and she has severe pain from Fibromyalgia (spelling?) and really misses her husband. She teaches a small preschool out of her home to 5 kids since she was a school teacher all of her career and had 6 kids. Since living alone and being physically challenged it seems that she has kind of left her home alone...so I am glad to know how to clean, I just wish I had more time to do so. Ok, one funny thing and one spiritual thing about her and her home this week. So, above the her living room T.V. is a painting of her husband...but it is a painting of a picture of him and he's got these awesome 80's glasses on...but the thing is that it totally reminds of Magnus' painting that chases Trunchbull on "Matilda!" A bit creepy...but he's the center of the room and I have to just look everywhere else, otherwise I will laugh or scream. Haha! Ok, spiritual thing with her...so we had a couple of our evening teach appointments fall through on Saturday and we are not supposed to go home early. So, we kept trying to visit other people etc. and nothing was working and this week has had a lot of changes in the mission that have prevented us from really planning or studying or organizing anything to be better prepared to teach. So finally, Hermana Grass said that we'd go home and do that so that we wouldn't be giving up early, but still doing what we needed to do at home. Well, we walk in the door and Sister Wise is trying to put lights on a small Christmas tree and just looked totally depressed and sad. So, we immediately start helping and she gets all cheery and says, "Thank you. I have not felt like putting any Christmas decorations up since my husband passed and having you here is the first year." She told us stories about each ornament and admired the tree the rest of the night. Although we didn't find more people to teach that night, we think the spirit forced us home to be there with her.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b> </b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; text-indent: -24px;"><b>MTC Stuff I wanted to tell ya:</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N9H_oaMj3-k/Tt1upyzbU0I/AAAAAAAAAF4/QabuYJ3DhBQ/s1600/IMG_3909%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N9H_oaMj3-k/Tt1upyzbU0I/AAAAAAAAAF4/QabuYJ3DhBQ/s320/IMG_3909%255B1%255D.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><b></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><b><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45.4pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b> </b>First, here's a picture of Hermana Wright & I in our silky robes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45.4pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Okays, so finally in the MTC </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I begged and forced everyone to watch Elder Holland's "The Miracle of a Mission" and finally we did on our last night in class and everyone was enthralled and afterwards it was the most spiritual meeting our District ever had together as everyone shared some pretty personal and cool stuff about serving. Afterwards everyone thanked me and I just told them to thank my brother who actually talks, acts and thinks just like Elder Holland. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><u><span style="color: #222222;">Current Missionary Work</span></u></b><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45.4pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222;">Maiah - 28 year old gorgeous girl who started dating a recent (2yr.) Latin convert and noticed that his family had a happiness and wanted to know more so she came to church twice and then the Hermanas before me taught her a week and 1/2 and then she got baptized last weekend. So all of that happened in less than 3 weeks...basically while I was at the MTC. Anyway, we are continuing to teach her and Hermana Grass kept telling me about her and she was a "golden investigator", then I met her and I call her a "gleaming gold" because she is the happiest, most loving person I have met because of the gospel in her life. She and I really click and she actually only speaks english. We are continuing to teach her, but she is really meshing with the branch.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45.4pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #222222;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Francesca - Early 30's, from Mexico and has 2 young boys. She is very confused why everyone claims to have the truth and she was very interested in the concept of Modern day prophets. I told her that she reminds me of a man called Joseph Smith who was also confused...BINGO! However, she is very angry with God and has not prayed to him in 2 years because she feels that he has not blessed her for leaving her family behind in Mexico. This has been my most spiritual lesson because I was able to answer many of her questions through listening to her and the spirit very intently and answering clearly and concisely. In the middle of her explaining her past, she suddenly stopped and said to me...your gaze is so intense and so loving...you really believe in what you are doing here! That touched her and she is letting us come back. I found out later from Hermana Grass that she has been approached before but nobody could get through to her and having me there, Hermana Grass was amazed that Francesca shared so much and wanted to hear more. We've had a couple more of the same kinds of situations where Hermana Grass can't believe that after chatting with me that they are letting us come back! I am not magic...but of course I instantly feel the love that God feels for His children when I meet them and apparently they can feel that through me, so at least I am doing that right...I'm still getting used to the mission...it is weird...but it is good. Haha!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-58573230808176717052011-11-27T09:06:00.000-08:002011-11-27T09:06:08.475-08:00MTC: I'm Outta Here<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So, I jet out of this joint on Tuesday, November 29. I'm flying on Delta and have a quick flight to Washington, with no stops. I'll be there by the early afternoon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Now time to fill you in on more MTC life...</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">DISCURSO:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So each Sunday after Sacrament, our Branch President randomly announced missionaries to give talks on the theme. That means that during the week we all individually prepare a 5 minute talk in Spanish on the week's theme. Last week's was "The Gift of the Holy Ghost by the Laying on of Hands" and guess who he called up....ME. :) I knew it before he even announced it. Hahaha. It went well...a little less casual than I would've liked since I wanted the doctrine to be clear in spanish...anyway, it is good to have the talks prepared each week even if you don't speak because then you have them for your mission because randomly having to speak will not become so random anymore for a missionary.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">DEVOTIONALS/THANKSGIVING:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Elder Christofferson of the 12 apostles spoke to us on Tuesday...I was stoked! And I sang "Come Thou Fount" (Alex's favorito) with the choir. He started his talk out by telling us that one time he was visiting a Spanish Ward and the pulpit had a sign by the mic that read, "Please speak slowly, you are being translated." HAHAHAHA! Love the gospel jokes...but really that's a good one. :) He discussed D&C 112 and thanked us over and over again for serving...that we are companions with the 12 and the Quorums of 70, "We are honored to be your companions. We go shoulder to shoulder in this apostolic work." He also talked about serving his mission in Argentina and how Elder Richard G. Scott was his mission president, so that was cool. Also he talked about yielding our hearts to God (Heleman 3:25, 35) and said "Everything that ocurrs to you in your mission will be swallowed up in the Joy of Christ." referring to Alma 31:38. He then felt impressed to bless us and that was really special telling us that God is who gives us the increase and carries the burden, "Do what He asks; it is not that much." "Bind yourself to Him and it all comes out well."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Then if that was not enough, Elder Nelson and his wife Wendy surprised us Thanksgiving morning...I can barely describe to you how it feels to have one of the Lord's special witnesses walk in and to stand in silence...we were all so full of gratitude...best way to celebrate. Of course Elder Nelson's address was amazing as he shared the miracles that happened when he was a Junior apostle called to open up missions in Communist countries and specifically in Russia. It would take too long and be too complicated to type...so just trust me. However for me, Sister Nelson was the real heart surgeon yesterday...full on open heart surgery on Hermana Alard. I was enthralled with her and her words. She gave 4 situations of where men were asked to do something the Lord's way and not after the manner of men.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1. "Nephi's Impecable Obedience" - He had no clue how to do what the Lord asked...EVER. (Laban, The Ship, His brothers etc.) 1 Nephi 17:8<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2. Joseph Smith building temples - The Architect disagreed with circular windows and said that that made no sense, but Joseph knew what the Lord had shown him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3. Dr. Russel M. Nelson (Elder Nelson) - He honored the scriptures more than his medical textbooks and pioneered "open heart surgery" against conflicting medical views/beliefs because passages in scripture inspired him to think on how this could be done and the Lord showed him how. Also, when he was called to be an apostle, he immediately "Laid down his nets" (Matthew 4) because he did not want to live his life after the manner of men and he closed his practice after he was a world renowned surgeon accomplishing incredible medical feats.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4. Parley P. Pratt - had a dream of a man asking him to join a greater work, the Lord's work and to CEASE working on his crops and fence...but he ignored the dream and planted his crop. Later he wrote, "I never reaped." meaning literally from his crops and spiritually from the Lord's work because he followed after the manner of men.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">She then had us all promise to our Heavenly Father outloud, "I will serve my mission for the Lord after the manner He will show me and not after the manner of men." This was super powerful. That's all I have time to tell you but, this topic was amazing because this is something that I have really been studying and working on because all the things that used to work for me being effiicient at church, work etc. do not seem to be working for me here and so my "best"/Raven's way has been futile...it must be done in the Lord's way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Ok, I'm over my time...Love you all and please pray for me! LOVE YOU and hope to talk soon!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
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</span></span></div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-82826351906008473142011-11-19T16:13:00.000-08:002011-11-19T16:13:41.619-08:00MTC Week 1<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Nov 17th, 2011</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>As of Monday I have been moved to Advanced Spanish and will be leaving the MTC in 2.5 weeks. I am in the same Zone, but a </b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>different District which means new companions, new room and new Mailbox #.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45.4pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span style="color: #222222;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222;">Zone 47, District D<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45.4pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span style="color: #222222;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222;">Companions with Hermanas Franck (Fresno, CA Mission) and Harding (Phoenix, AZ) spanish speaking<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45.4pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span style="color: #222222;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222;">Mailbox #284 (My address stays the same, just the Box# changes.)<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45.4pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span style="color: #222222;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222;">Residence 17M, Richards Building<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45.4pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span style="color: #222222;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222;">Class 7M, Kimball Building<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45.4pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span style="color: #222222;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222;">Pday on Thursdays</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45.4pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45.4pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>The cafeteria served Graham Canyon Ice cream for lunch and Marionberry for dinner...that is the extent of my excitement these days...oh, and the temple was great of course!</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45.4pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>I'll have to tell you about the craziness of the Spanish class they placed me in when I get back...but I feel so grateful because I love my first District so so so much! A huge blessing in my life...and then this whirwind happened and I have fun with the Advanced District (Elders all 1/2 or full Latin and Sisters both white). The class is at my level and although I get frustrated with myself teaching, the new companionship is trying my patience the most. But it is all good...I am adaptable and the Lord knows what is best and the sooner I can serve the better. I do miss my other District a ton though.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>The MTC is not my fav...but it is not terrible. :) I mostly just don't like so much sitting, standing and eating (processed/heavy foods)...I use gym time to the MAX! I love Predicad Mi Evangelio...it is the BOMB and I would die without it. I also really love the CHOIR! Singing has been a major stress release and the Director is super duper funny! We sang "Be Still My Soul" for the devotional Tuesday and me and Alex's old Raintree Stake President conducted the choir that night. He is incredible..booming voice/testimony and I sat on the front row and he asked me to pray...it was cool. And I am trying to get out of the habit of saying "Guys, Dudes, Gals, Ladies" etc. and use Elderes y Hermanas. I call my new district Elderitos/Doritos...they love it and they love me. :) Most of all I am in love with the Sabbath...the sacrament and Music and the Spoken word rock my soul. ;)</b></span></span></div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-61028458621435060322011-10-29T12:39:00.000-07:002011-11-05T13:13:58.475-07:00Just going on a mission...that's all.<b><span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SDJNchEmFFU/TqxYolDvaLI/AAAAAAAAAD8/dtDQLj-jOZk/s1600/Lighter.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 148px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SDJNchEmFFU/TqxYolDvaLI/AAAAAAAAAD8/dtDQLj-jOZk/s200/Lighter.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669003485118425266" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 15px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">I have been called to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Washington Kennewick Mission, Spanish Speaking and I report to the MTC (Missionary Training Center) on November 9, 2011! My mission scripture is <a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/6.36-37?lang=eng#35">Doctrine & Covenants 6:36-37</a>.</span></span></b><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 15px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " ><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 15px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">My best friend Carmen will be posting my mission information and my letters on my blog if you feel so inclined to know what I am up to. Otherwise, I'll see you in 18 months...but </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 15px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">I would love to hear from you too! It doesn't have to be long, just a quick update on a postcard or a note will do. </span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 15px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " ><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">MTC</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> (I am scheduled to be there 9 weeks/end of December 2011)</span></span></b></div><div><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><a href="http://dearelder.com/index/inc_name/letter_sender/mission/Provo%20MTC/">WRITE ME FOR FREE ONLINE HERE!</a></span> </span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >Sister Raven Alard</span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >MTC Mailbox # 340</span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >WA-KENN 0110</span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >2005 N 900 E</span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >Provo, UT 84604-1793</span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >MISSION HOME/OFFICE (Since I will be a vagabond, you can always rest assured that whatever you send to this address will eventually get to me.)</span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><a href="http://www.dearelder.com/index/inc_name/mission_selection"><span class="Apple-style-span" >WRITE ME ONLINE (Regular Postage Costs Apply)</span></a></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >Sister Raven Alard</span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >Washington Kennewick Mission</span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >8656 W. Gage Blvd Ste 205</span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >Kennewick, WA 99336</span></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >United States</span></b></p></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; " ><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; " ><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; " ><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 15px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " ><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 15px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><br /></span></div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-51448875952632031492010-08-03T20:16:00.000-07:002010-08-15T23:14:56.779-07:00"Come On, Come Out"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So, yes I skipped a week or so... not that there wasn't oodles of stuff happening, but this blog is basically for my "family fans" and I had chatted with most of them. But anyway, to recap the latest, would probably be that Carmen has ditched me and gone to have her Linguistics research adventure in the Marshall Islands, but before she jet out of here we squeezed in some fun and from what I can tell she is having a blast in the South Pacific!</span></b></span><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SkUrGljhw2c/TGjIm8uyhhI/AAAAAAAAAB8/mshtO1Ry4Hc/s200/IMG_2544.JPG" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505871115923392018" /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So it's 3 strikes and then you’re o</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">ut at the old ball game right? Well, I’ve been to Fenway 2 times to see the RED SOX WIN, so I just </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">have to go at least one more time when my brother Alex comes out for his Birthday and then I'm out of the game...literally; my time is almost up out here! My good friend Tom recently reminded me of the wise words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">in a while, you could miss it." So this last weekend I finally had to myself to stop and look around and it was Fantastic! I slept in, went aimlessly running around the Charles River, ate at the famously scrumptious </span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></b><a href="http://www.grendelsden.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"Grendel's Den"</span></b></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, experienced the official "Hahvahd Tour" (a play on the Boston accent) of Harvard's campus with my friend Crystal as the guide and later soaked up a couple of hours at the </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.mfa.org/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Museum of Fine Art</span></b></a></span><a href="http://www.mfa.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">s</span></b></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> studying Egyptian, Grecia</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">n, European, Asian and American art and artifacts. I loved having the day to myself; I haven't felt that free in a very long time.</span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SkUrGljhw2c/TGjKUuwqPQI/AAAAAAAAACU/Uu-ZcD_6gG4/s200/IMG00023-20100812-1612.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505873001958751490" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Which also reminds me, I officially </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">graduated from BYU this week, but I walked in April since I knew I'd be out here interning. Micheal Flaherty (Co-Founder & President of Walden Media) found out and threw me a very thoughtful Grad party that also officially made me tear up...hahaha!</span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><div><div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Then my roommates took me to Rockport Beach in Gloucester, a seaport city full of FUN and where my dad's family actually stayed for awhile when they came from Cuba years ago! We relaxed by the shore, climbed the rocks, ate fish, and browsed around the neatest shops. </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This summer we've become attached to a movie called </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1041829/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"Th</span></b></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1041829/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">e Proposal"</span></b></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds because it was filmed here! </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So being the film fanatic I am, we searched for the actual locations and spotted, what is known as</span></b></span></div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SkUrGljhw2c/TGjM4qXMXTI/AAAAAAAAAC0/j5cpkFOyfQs/s200/IMG_2959.JPG" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505875818276740402" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></b></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motif_Number_1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Motif Number 1</span></b></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> and the Fudgery from the movie. So, naturally, we took pictures of ourselves reenacting the scenes. </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">If </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">that wasn't already </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">enough for me, we ended the day by </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">watching the sunset on the beach from the lifeguard tower where I met a little boy playing in the sand named Jack. I asked him where he was born (thinking I was making the question simple) and my new friend made his answer simple, </span></b></span></div><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SkUrGljhw2c/TGjNMf48ZHI/AAAAAAAAAC8/tu3Ml38XpkE/s200/IMG_2915.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505876159062893682" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"At the Doctor's." </span></b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Hahaha! Oh dear, r</span></b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">arely am </span></b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I that outsmarted and I loved it. Needless to say, this weekend was BLISS. </span></b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The title of this post is actually a song title, </span></b></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVdia_7a0Vw&feature=av2e"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"Come On, Come Out"</span></b></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> by A Fine Frenzy because it perfectly describes this weekend if you'd like a listen.</span></b></span></span></span></div><b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span></b></b></div></div></div></div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-13728643163692418742010-07-18T21:15:00.002-07:002010-07-23T07:32:57.715-07:00"Ramona and Beezus", "Waiting for Superman" & "New Spice"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SkUrGljhw2c/TEml3dJ9-fI/AAAAAAAAABk/AhaWk96o8NQ/s1600/IMG_2321.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SkUrGljhw2c/TEml3dJ9-fI/AAAAAAAAABk/AhaWk96o8NQ/s200/IMG_2321.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497107192320227826" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So this first week in Boston was really great! Walden Media is doing some good things and I'm excited to be a part of it all. </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I got to help at the </span></b></span><a href="http://www.ramonaandbeezus.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"Ramona and Beezus"</span></b></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> movie premiere which was super fun and the film was adorable! I loved reading Beverly Cleary's books when I was young and still now, so it was very satisfying to see a well done film adaptation that can relate to a wide audience today. It makes me excited to see it with my sister Eden! Also on the list of good things is Walden's first documentary, </span></b></span><a href="http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/trailer"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"Waiting for Superman."</span></b></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> This documentary strongly promotes children's education, so the cool thing with this is that every time someone visits their </span></b></span><a href="http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">website</span></b></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> and clicks to see the film, </span></b></span><a href="http://www.firstbook.org/site/c.lwKYJ8NVJvF/b.674095/k.CCA8/First_Book_Homepage.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">First Book</span></b></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> will donate 5 books to a child. So if anyone is even reading this, I'd encourage you to </span></b></span><a href="http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">be a "Superman" and give a child 5 books for FREE!</span></b></span></a></div><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></b></span></div><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SkUrGljhw2c/TEPYZz7RuaI/AAAAAAAAABM/2SfYqVvTRJc/s200/Stephen+Jones+New+Spice+pic.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495473908269300130" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Then, if being a part of all of that here wasn't neat enough, an awesome surprise happened this weekend that actually began back in Provo... </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I was the Production Coordinator at the Harold B. Lee Library Multimedia Production Unit at </span></b></span><a href="http://www.byu.edu/webapp/home/index.jsp"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">BYU</span></b></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. As part of this unit, our crew collaborates to create campus promotional videos. Our latest edition for the library is a parody of the popular </span></b></span><a href="http://www.oldspice.com/videos/all/22/The_Man_Your_Man_Could_Smell_Like/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"Old Spice" commercial</span></b></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> which we have called </span></b></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ArIj236UHs"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"New Spice"</span></b></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, featuring my friend and stand-up comedian, Stephen Jones. It was posted Friday and we can't believe this video's success on YouTube,CNN, CBS, </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Facebook etc. I was the Casting Director, 1st Assistant Director and Craft Services on "New Spice." What an opportune time for me just after graduation because hey, you never know, maybe this could be the kickstart to my next job! <a href="http://newspicepromo.blogspot.com/">Check out our "New Spice" blog!</a></span></b></span></span></div>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596139710809521896.post-26907864253131465242010-07-11T20:12:00.000-07:002010-07-11T20:15:47.376-07:00Home Sweet Hopedale & NYC<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'courier new'; "><b>Well, we made it to Boston a week ago today, just in time to see the "Boston Pops Firework Spectacular" on the Charles river on July 4th!<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SkUrGljhw2c/TDqE08mIWNI/AAAAAAAAAAk/ycGNG2qzYE0/s200/IMG_2282.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492848740685863122" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /> The next day we happily moved into the Hopedale House<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SkUrGljhw2c/TDqE1baVIiI/AAAAAAAAAAs/Ee0Xv_efYn0/s200/IMG_2312.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492848748957868578" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " /> and then quickly took off to</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'courier new';"><b> visit New York city for a few days before living life in Allston. We rummaged through the avenues of NYC strolling through Central Park, Times Square, St. Patrick's and The Trinity cathedrals, Wallstreet, The Empire State Building, The Brooklyn Bridge, Ground Zero, Little Italy, Chinatown etc. Then of course we hopped on the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. My favorite day had to be when we shopped at H&M, ate Cuban food for lunch, caught a studio tour at NBC<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SkUrGljhw2c/TDqE17acA8I/AAAAAAAAAA0/z4jgQdMA1CM/s200/IMG_2370.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492848757548254146" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /> and then snapped with the Sharks and the Jets while seeing "Westside Story" that night.<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SkUrGljhw2c/TDqE2JlgB6I/AAAAAAAAAA8/pLTIUREaLsw/s200/P1010040.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492848761352751010" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " /> I'd say the trip was a jam packed success! Tomorrow is my first day at Walden so I better get to bed, but that pretty much sums up the past week. Wish me luck!</b></span>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356849628519392646noreply@blogger.com0