December 12th, 2011

So Colorado is doing wonderful.  We're actually in the ghetto part of town since we're Spanish speaking but the funny thing is is that it reminds me of Chula Vista.  Seriously, I feel like I'm at home because there's just tons of taco shops everywhere and little houses with random colors painted on it.  It's still freezing here but it hasn't snowed in a week, thankfully.  The roads are still icy and we hate it because we slip every other step....so scary but it's not scary in the car so we're good.  There's geese EVERYWHERE....it's like pigeons in San Diego except these birds are huge.  Anyways enough about random stuff.  The work is going great.  We actually saw alot of miracles this week...the Lord really has blessed us.  We;re having a hard time finding new investigators so on Wednesday we had a fast for it.  It was a pretty slow day and it was 8 at night (the hour we kind of dread because we feel bad it's "late").  We had plans to see a family but last minute Hermana Thomas told me that we should go visit Juana (who wasn't in our plans) who was an old investigator.  Well we went to go visit and she invited us in and we taught her about the importance of reading the scriptures and she said she was interested in hearing more so she was a miracle for the day.  The next day we went to go visit Theresa who we taught lesson 1 (the restoration) last week.  We extended the baptismal invitation and she said no but I felt the Spirit telling me to tell her to read 3 Nephi 11.  So when we came to visit her, we followed up and asked her how her reading went.  She said she loved it and that the chapter was a baptismal invitation and she wants to get baptized but she doesn't know when but she wants to prepare.  WHAT?!?! We were blown away.  I mean, I knew she had the potential to be baptized (like everyone does) but we were not expecting that.  Such a tender mercy.  So this week we'll be extending her her baptism date for January 8th.  Love it!  She even came to church yesterday and stayed all three hours.  She even took notes of all the scriptures that were mentioned in the lessons so she could study by herself.  She is AWESOME.  It was a bit nerve racking since it was testimony meeting and then for Gospel Principles and Relief Society they taught about the Spirit world and the final judgement....seriously?? talk about being straight forward and scare people off but thankfully she liked it alot and she said that alot of her doubts were answered.  Sooo great!  
  So after we taught her, we went to go visit a couple of referrals that we received.  A woman answered and let us in and we talked about prayer and how the Gospel can help strengthen her family.  Her daughter has a cleff lip and will be going through major surgery soon.  So she said she wanted us to come back and her husband is interested too.  Yay a family!  ANOTHER tender mercy.  So of course we said a thank you prayer to Heavenly Father.  We taught the Limones family (a less active family) and we taught them the importance of praying out loud.  The husband does NOT like to pray but we taught out of Joseph Smith History where it said that Joseph Smith felt anxiety when he prayed but if he had never done it, we would have never had the blessing of the restoration.  It was all becase of his sincere prayer.  We all knelt and said we'd each say a prayer so the husband wouldn't feel uncomfortable...well....he actually said a prayer!  How awesome, right?  It was all Heavenly Father.  I know it because it's His work.   
  The members really are great...so kind...so loving and always willing to feed us.  I feel like they're all related to me.  It really does feel like home.  Hermana Thomas and I are still trying to learn how to teach with eachother.  I'm still not comfortable in Spanish and she doesn't like akward silences...well they aren't awkward, they are just silences but she feels awkward so she doesn't pass it on to me.  So it's just weird but we really are aware of it and we're trying to be better at it.  Last week our numbers were horrible but this week we had alot of success.  Not necessarily in numbers but our attitudes changed.  Hermana Thomas was just worried to be a trainer and also for the area because all her investigators were baptized so we didn't have any after.  And all last week I felt like we knocked on doors and noone answered for us, so I kind of felt uneasy because I didn't want my whole mission to be like that.  So to say the least, our hope was lacking.  So we decided as a companionship to pick a Christlike attribute for the week and focus on it.  We write scriptures of that attribute each day of our planners to remind us.  So for Weekly Planning, we changed our attitudes and our desire changed as well.  It's amazing how much desire and hope can do for the work.  We saw major miracles and we are eternally grateful for them.  The Denver 1st ward is going to be booming!  We have faith and hope in it.  I'm grateful for my companion, for the ward and for the opportunities the Lord has blessed me with.  I love you all and hope you're staying safe.

December 5th, 2011

Hola familia!

My trip to Colorado was short but awesome.  Awesome because me and my companion (a English sister) were sitting on the plane waiting for everyone to load up.  We noticed that there was an empty seat between us so we were wondering if another missionary was going to sit between us or not so we were trying to see who our "victim" would be.  It ended up being a random girl around our age and she was visiting her brother for Thanksgiving in Salt Lake.  We jus talked about like for the first 35 minutes but we somehow got to talking about the church and we totally taught the Plan of Salvation to her...pamphlet and all.  We gave it to her and gave her a Mormon.org card so she can check it more.  She was really receptive and nice.  Who knows what effect we had on her but I hope down the road it will help her.  We found out later when we got off the plane that her parents were sitting infront of us and they're pastors in the Baptist church...haha oooooops.  But anyways we got off and got to meet President and Sister Maynes.  I knew it was a pivatol (spelled that wrong whatever) moment so I tried to look the best I could and right when I gave my handshake, the first thing he said to me wasn't hi, or how are you or anything but he looked in my eyes and said "we need you." Then he shook my hand and that was it.  I really felt the spirit.  The rest of the day we had an orientation about our cars, cleaning, etc.  It was sooo hard to stay awake but I had woken up at 2:30 in the morning but it was soo nice to be able to sleep in a real bed and have a nice hot shower by yourself.  I forgot what that was like.  I loved their house, I felt super comfortable. 

  The next day was transfers meeting and I met my new companion/ trainer.  Her name is Hermana Thomas and she is from Las Vegas.  She's been out for a year (on Thursday).  She's awesome at Spanish and she makes me feel comfortable so I'm grateful President Maynes blessed me with a great companion.  It's always nerve racking to meet your new companion.  We are serving in the Lakewood stake in the Denver 1st ward. She's actually been serving in this ward for her entire mission, crazy huh?  So all the members love her.  We seriously have dinner every night with members.  They love us...they are all soooo nice.  They all remind me of Nana.  And they cook amazingly (except when we had to eat seafood soup...ugggh) but i'm not use to MExican food anymore...weird right?  I have massive stomach aches every time I eat at a members house.  According to a little old lady she says I eat like a bird and I'm anorexic...WHAT?!? First time I've ever been called that.  It's because I ate a whole carne with like 5 scoops of rice AND a quesadilla. but I couldn't eat 5 scoops of ice cream after.  They just LOVE feeding us til we can't breathe.  And I'm serious about that.  So if the missionaries don't want seconds, it doesn't mean they don't like it, you just served them tons!! I totally know how it feels now.  So don't pressure the missionaries, NANA. haha but we are soo grateful for members feeding us. 

  I taught my first lesson last wednesday on the Restoration.  to an investigator named Theresa.  She bore a poweful testimony of Christ and when my companion recited the first vision, I felt the Spirit so strongly.  We extended to baptismal invite but she said she doesn't see the importance of baptism but she wants to know more.  As we extended our commitment to her, before we could even finish, she said SI CLARO QUE SI!  So I'm really hopeful of her.  We'll see her this week.  We talk to alot to less actives.  Most of them don't like opening the door for us but its okay.  It snowed last Thursday and its been freezing since!  It literally hurts my face when we walk but honestly I love it.  I love it because I know what I'm doing is true.  I would do anything to make the work progress.  I just hope people we contact can feel that.  They are always surprise when they see us at their doorsteps and ask us "you still work in the snow??" yup! we still do. 

  We had a general authority do a mission tour this weekend.  His name is Elder WIlson of the 70.  So we had zone conference with him yesterday and it was soo cool to be edified for 8 hours and be on a personal level with him.  It was definitely been the answer to my prayers because I've been struggingly with feeling confident in myself.  Mostly in my Spanish...my companion says that its great but I don't feel like it so I feel embarassed and don't talk.  It's an ongoing battle but we had a segment in zone conference about opening your mouth.  It really hit home and its something I need to have faith in the Lord with.  So it's my goal :)  We had stake conference this Sunday so it was a bit overwhelming at first but everyone is soo nice.  I really like the ward/stake.  Anyways I'll try to send pictures soon.  I love the Gospel, the work and the Lord.  So don't worry about me freezing my buns off.  It's awesome.  Here's my new address:

7160 W Cedar Avenue Apt 1

Lakewood, CO 80226

So send me letters and packages :) hehe.  I love you all lots.  You're the best and you're in my prayers.