I'm Officially 22!

We’ve had a great week! It is getting really warm here. It has been in the 80’s and I'm NOT ready for the warm weather to be back again… it’s too hot here!

Just want to mention a few things I've learned this week and a few of the miracles I have seen. First I just wanted you all to know how much I love my mission president and his wife. He emails us weekly. This was a short one, but you can just feel the love he has for all of us and the Lord.

Elders, Sisters, Hermanas,
It is late, and Sister Miller and I are in El Paso tonight. My thought's this week are on my gratitude for each one of you, and for the great work you put into your calling as missionaries. I know you are engaged in the greatest, and most important work on earth at this time. You have been called by a prophet of God to deliver the great message of our Savior to those you serve in this great mission. I testify The Lord is opening doors and softening hearts to make that happen. May each of you know of the great love Sister Miller and I have for each of you. We feel, see and know with certainty of the power you have when you testify of truth. May The Lord bless each of you in your journey.

Pres. Miller

On Friday night we were leaving our dinner appointment and on our way to our ward activity and we thought... we should stop by Cristina and Shadha's house to see if they are home and if they want to come to the activity.  We drive by and their car was there!  We knocked and they came to the door and Cristina said, "OH sisters I was just about to call you and see if you could come over. My appointment cancelled"… and in we went! We sit down, chat a bit and then she asked us where we were going after we left her house. We told her about the activity and asked her if she wanted to come. She said YES! (This NEVER happens. We were so shocked because we are used to just hearing all of peoples excuses of why they can’t, so when she said yes we didn't even know what to do! haha) They got ready to go and we were heading out but Cristina couldn't find her keys. We start looking everywhere…in the room, kitchen, desks, living room, by the door.... nothing. Then I thought, "Why don't we say a prayer? Every time I pray to find something Heavenly Father always helps me find it really quick." We said a prayer to help us find the keys. Right after the prayer we went and looked on Cristina's desk, right where she had been looking and they were there. The spirit was really strong as we testified that Heavenly Father was aware of them and their needs.  

 

 Cuca and Hermana Judd!

 

 

Sunday was seriously one of the best days on my mission so far! In the morning we had some frustrations with planning what we were going to share for the third hour missionary work thing, which ended up not happening and happened during sacrament meeting. I was pretty frustrated that they were just telling us then…oh well. It got better when Mary said that she would still give her testimony. J We didn’t know quite what to expect, but we were sure in for a happy little moment. Oh yeah we totally put together another musical number for sacrament. Hermana Fallentine on the viola, me and the elders singing, and Hermano Cerda on piano. He owed me big time anyway for helping him out a bunch on other thins. J Anyway, Cristina called us while we were about to start church and said that she had to go work, but that Shadha would come. Also Shadha is sure that this is the only true church! J We were dying we were so happy. We are also pretty sure that Cristina thinks so too. Anyway, we got Shadha in there sitting by us JUST in time to hear Mary speak. Also Anahi (Shadha’s cute 10 year old friend) ran to sit by us. It was perfect. Then Mary started her testimony which was the sweetest thing I have ever heard. She started off talking about how her friend Hermana Barceleau had invited her to church. And that she accepted the invite but that she was waiting for something weird to happen. She got teary telling us about how much love she felt from people saying hello to her and giving her a hug. It was so amazing to hear this from her, because she really inspired all the members to reach out to new people visiting the church. This testimony did more than we ever could have said. She started talking about us and how much she loved and appreciated us. I was seriously crying the whole time. She told us about how she really was lonely. That she would work and come home (she had her daughter and grandson) but that now she had friends J And when she said us, she said life-time friends. Love her! She went on talking about how we would come over 3 times a week and teach her. She said she had to leave her long-time companion who she loved, woke up with…everyone was thinking it was a man…haha…it was her cup of coffee. She got a good laugh out of that. Then she told the story about the problems she had with her wrists for so many years that she no longer has. It is such a miracle. She hasn’t had those problems since the very day she quit drinking coffee. She also said how we would invite her to be baptized every time we came over. She would say she wasn’t ready…and then she said, “Hermana Nye would tell me, it’s because you ARE ready Mary.” She also said how she remembered everything from that first time at church, the talks by specific people and how she felt like everything was exactly for her. Sorry, that was kind of side note. Then she told the family history story with Jesus. She said, “It has been a month since my baptism and I don’t regret it. I am learning more and more and I love it here.” She said she truly is seeing the blessings that we promised her coming true in her life. It was a very happy moment.                

 

Osedy's baptism

 

OH Yeah!!! HOW COUD I FORGET! Our bishop hasn’t trusted missionaries for YEARS. We have really been trying to change that. Well, I think we may have physical evidence that we are. After Sacrament meeting he said, “How can we change the mission rules?” We both said, “About what?” He replied, “So that you two can stay here forever. Thank you hermanas for all you are doing.” We were very happy to hear that, because we are working really hard.

 I had my first birthday dinner at the Romans. There was tons of guacamole and I loved it! J Plus cake and ice cream. I pretty much adore Hermana Roman.

 

My birthday has been fabulous so far… my sweet companion woke up in the night to decorate the apartment, and the ward members are being so sweet. We bought stuff to make dirt and worms, because I do NOT have a birthday without it. With that said, I love you all! Have a great week!