JANUARY 16, 2018

MOANA AND MILAGROS!!

What a week my friends! Time is so insanely fast, I hate it. 

We had an awesome zone conference this week and I got to see a whole bunch of my buds and it was crazy. Sister Jensen and Sister Dimond  and all my bffs are going home!!! It’s crazy! I feel so weird you guys have no idea. All my buds are gone!! I can’t wait to see them again though. Ahhh I just love the mission you seriously meet the most incredible people. 

One of the highlights of my week was when ​all the sisters in my house freaked out one night that I hadn't seen Moana because I was on my mission and ​they acted out the ENTIRE THING one night. It was seriously so entertaining, they did so good! I couldn't stop laughing the whole time. 

We also had a specialized east coast area conference and so we all met in the stake center and I walked in and sitting right there was my recent convert ALICIA. Oh my goodness, I cannot tell you how happy we both were. I was crying, she was crying. AHH i just love her so much. She is getting her patriarchal blessing and invited me to sit in. I was so honored. Also, SHES MOVING TO UTAH.... AHHHH. 

We had such incredible food this week from all over. Papusas from El Salvador. Baliadas from Honduras. Completos and empenadas from Chile. Arepas from Venezuela. OH MYYY.. All I can say is that I am just so thankful I'm on bikes because all of it was just so good. I think my members are trying to fatten me up before I go home. 

MLK day was something else. We were on bikes all day and it got pretty sketch at some points, but all was well! We actually rode on MLK street... pretty cool. 

We are teaching the cutest woman from Peru. We had an incredible lesson with her about the Book of Mormon and it was so perfect. She is our favorite.

We are still trying to balance teaching all of our awesome families. 

The Venezuelan family is still doing so good!! Roseangeli is progressing really well and their whole family is praying about baptism. President is coming out teaching with us tomorrow, so we are stoked!!!

What a bitter sweet week with the funeral of our Prophet Thomas S. Monson. He lived such an incredible life of service and love. He will be missed. I am so thankful for modern day revelation and a Heavenly Father who speaks to us. Heaven is very much open. 

My scripture from this week come from the Old Testament, In Micah 4:11-12. It reads "11 ¶ Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.

12 But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor."

 I love this scripture. I have noticed a recent transfer "theme" that we've been having. It seems like everyone we talked to just has absolutely nothing good to say about the world. Many people feel that there is absolutely no good. Everything is horrible. The world is falling, drugs, alcohol, etc. They feel like there is no hope. It caused me to think a lot about the world we are living in and why I still have hope, why I still feel such excitement for the future. It’s because my "eyes look upon Zion." I know what’s ahead and the gospel prepares us for it. I am so thankful for modern day prophets, so we can truly understand our Heavenly Fathers counsel for us in these last days. Something that President Eyring said this morning that confirmed this to me was that "the best is yet to come." How true is that. I love this church and the truthful positivity that flows from it. 

I love you all so very much! YOU ARE THE GREATEST. I’ll keep praying for you, don’t worry! Have a great week. 

1. Sunsets and my cute comp

2. typical missionary pic

3 Comp 

4. I swear every single house we leave someone give us fruit. 

​5. Church​

1. RIP SIS JENSEN SENIOR

2. Downtown mexican food

3.​​ ?

JANUARY 08, 2018

“WE EAT ENOUGH RICE TO FEED CHINA”  Quote from Hermana Jensen

Hello allllll my buds,

​We have decided that our life in a car share area is basically ​a bad game of The Amazing Race. This is pretty much how it goes: We load up the bikes every morning and then get in the car with the other sisters to get dropped off in a random area that is semi close to where we need to go and then we have to find our way there through the little knowledge that we have gathered from the three weeks we've been in this area. We have gotten lost way too many times to count but have seen way too many miracles to write down. Every day is an adventure. Not going to lie though, last night after we were about 15 miles into our bike ride to get to an appointment, all I want to do was lay on the grass on the side of the road. But hey, at least I don't feel as guilty when I eat an entire plate of Cuban rice and beans.

We are seriously working with just the most amazing families right now. Seriously like 4 families who are just SO cool. I just love them all. My testimony of how the gospel blesses families has grown so much. Just to be able to see it "work" in them. It’s incredible. We taught this family from Uruguay how to pray together as a family and they have just changed ever since. We also are working with this adorable family from Buenos Aires and this hilarious family from Mexico that are just so cool. The lord is blessing our area so much. Our Venezuelan family finally came to church and it was so perfect!! Roseangeli loved it so much and right after Relief society she went over to help with the food and everything. Oh, she is just so cute.

It got really really really cold this past week. We felt like such boss missionaries on our bikes when it was pouring down rain and everything. We met this really awesome Haitian woman who was so worried about us that she gave us some ginger and cinnamon to make this ”Haitian potion' that is supposed to make you not sick. It worked!!

We met this guy who I will seriously never forget. He was awfully rude but such a blessing in disguise. We taught him about the Book of Mormon and challenged him to pray about it to know if it was true and we came back to check and see how everything went. When we got there, we started out just so nice and telling us about all that he learned, etc, so we were like okay sweet. We asked him if he prayed about it and that's kinda were it all turned south. Somehow, he started yelling at us about how he doesn't need to pray about anything and all the churches are wrong and how we are wasting our time because everyone in this world is wicked, etc. I felt this overwhelming sense to just bare my testimony to him. I don't feel like I've ever testified more or shared pure testimony with anyone before in my mission. It was incredible. It showed me just how much I knew and how much this meant to me. 

I just want you all to know that God is real. That this world is crazy, and that’s why Jesus Christ himself came here thousands of years ago to help us navigate it. Without him we would be completely lost. I know that he didn’t just come down here to guide us but to save us. He died for our sins and for our pains, every single thing that has ever hurt us or confused us or caused us sorrow, he died for that. I know that is the only way we can ever experience true joy. This church is directed by our Heavenly Father and blesses his children. 

 Many times this week I have just been humbled by Gods willingness to send a 19 year old girl to such a beautiful place as Florida to bring His message to this people. This work is real. The gospel of Jesus Christ changes hearts and lives. I am so thankful for this opportunity. 

You guys are so incredible. Seriously, I just love you so much. Thank you for you love and support, I hope to one day be able to pay it back to you. I pray for you constantly. Have a great week.

JANUARY 02, 2018

"CON EL OJO DE LA FE"

HELLO MY FRIENDS,

What a week. This was probably the most miracle packed week of my entire mission. It was incredible. 

We are currently teaching 4 FAMILIES. It’s been amazing. 

We knocked into this family of 8 from Venezuela earlier this week and they are incredible. I have never taught anyone that just "holds on" to every single word we say. They recently got here 3 months ago so their lives are just crazy right now. They are incredible. We came back to follow up with them and if they read etc, and they had full on notes taken about what they loved and had written down questions and everything. IT WAS AMAZING. 

We are also teaching the cutest family ever. The father is from Italy and the mother is from Uruguay. Her accent is so cute. I want the "shaa" so bad. (if you speak spanish you'll know what I’m talking about). They are so cool! 

We are also teaching another family from Colombia. The fathers name is Fabio. His wife passed away from cancer 3 months ago and just loves the gospel so much. 

Miracle are just flowing in this area. One of the most incredible miracles that happened was with our new friend Huir.This was one of the most miracle-packed week of my mission. I’ve been really trying to look at this area "con el ojo de la fe" like it says in ether 12:9 and I feel like the success we had this week was exactly correlated with that. We had a great DT about following our first promptings and we set out to do just that. One night we were on our way to visit someone, but we still had 30 minutes to knock that we were going to do after our visit but while we were on our way over there I felt inspired that we needed to turn around and knock an apartment building that we had passed. We turned around and parked and Hermana Jensen and I felt inspired to knock a specific door and sure enough, opens up a woman from Guatemala. She invited us in right away and started to tell us about how all of her children were baptized in this church, but she never was. We shared the video from last Easter with her and she began to cry, telling us about how she just wants to change her life and how happy she was when the missionaries used to visit her family, etc. It was incredible. We are now teaching her and trying to reactivate all of her children. 

Oh also, I fell of my bike for the first time... BUT I WAS GOOD. and so was the Mexican food on my handle bars. 

My spiritual thought comes from Moroni 7:47-48. 

47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

This week we saw a lot of Satan's influence on the families and the way that he had changed people’s minds, etc. The only thing that heals anything is Christ and the only way we can access that power is by having more charity. 

I love you all. SO MUCH. And pray for you 24/7. 

HAVE A GREAT WEEK. 

XOXOX

DECEMBER 26, 2017

 

BIKE SQUAD ON CHRISTMAS!

 

hola hola from Hollywood hills

I am seriously living the life. I am currently living in a house with a canal in the backyard that leads to the ocean, serving in the most amazing ward, I get to ride my bike to the beach, and my trainee is such a boss. TODO ESTA BIEN MIS AMIGOS. TODO ESTA BIEN.

What a week. My trainee and I got here on Wednesday afternoon (it should've been Wednesday mid-day but I got us lost without a GPS for about an hour...) and we hit the ground running. Well actually I should probably say that we hit the ground biking since we are now in the only bike-share sister area in the entire mission ever. In our mission sisters don't have bike areas, the whole time i've been here and a long while before that, but WE ARE LEGENDS. Its a good thing biking is probably one of my favorite things because we are doing a lot of it.

Sister Jensen is from Payson, Utah (aka the factory) and just the cutest thing ever. She is already such an awesome missionary. We have already just died laughing, its going to be such a great two transfers. Oh I just already love her so much.

Christmas was so great! On Christmas eve we went to the mission home and we had an "open house". It was so fun to be with all the missionaries. We sang a few Christmas carols and played games and got all caught up. I love the FFLM so much. We are all really close and it feels like family. On Christmas day we woke up early and biked a few miles to the beach to watch the sunrise. I have never seen anything that pretty in my life. Oh my goodness. I am seriously serving in paradise. We had a few meal appointments and went caroling with our zone. and then I skype my fam! SO fun. I just feel so motivated to get out and WORK.

I am excited for this upcoming week and all the adventures that await us here. We can just feel all the miracles that are coming our way.

 Have a great week. I love you guys so much.

OH and my new address is 1607 N 29th ave Hollywood, Fl 33020

DECEMBER 19, 2017

BYE BOYNTON

Mis amigos! 

We got transfer calls last night and I am seriously so sad to be leaving Boynton Beach. I have cried multiple times. The ward has been freaking out for the past week about transfers. I feel like I’ve just been adopted into every single one of their families. The best way I can describe leaving this place is it honestly feels like I’m leaving for my mission again, you know it’s going to be good and you will learn a lot but that doesn't make you want to leave any more. I am going to miss Sister Dimond so much. I love her so much. She has honestly become a sister to me. We've already planned on coming back her in April sooo... 

Ill be going to an area called Hollywood Hills... Yup, I made it big friends. I'M GOING TO HOLLYWOOD. Also, ILL BE TRAINING, AGAIN. Also, Sister Isham (my first trainee, is training too. I’m so excited.) To be honest, I wasn’t expecting or praying for this at all and I may or may not have cried because i do not want to train at all last night but I woke up this morning and IM DOIN' IT. (not that I really had a choice, but it’s all good). All I ask is that you pray for me, because I seriously have no energy at all anymore. BUT IM GOING BACK SPANISH!! OLEEE!!!!!!!!! AYE AYE YAYEEE! 

Other than that, this past week was stellar. We fought off a riot on a street corner, saved a marriage, shared lots of Christmas spirit, and ate and ate and ate and ate.

or in other words, there actually was a riot about how white people are the worst but we drove around it..so that was good. We gave marriage advice that we seriously have no idea about but we used scriptures, so we hope it works... haha. The ward also went caroling with us. We went to a bunch of less active and all our recent converts and they just loved it so much. It was by far one of the highlights of my week. 

Oh, we had insane meals appointments this week. DEITRA'S HUSBAND FED US TURTLE that he caught out of the canal. It really wasn't that bad at all. A little chewy but other than that- super yum. And then Carmen was really sad that I was leaving right before Christmas so she made us a 5 course meal. Not kidding. 5 different plates. Her husband is a fisherman and so not kidding she made us lobster, clam, calamari, shrimp, steak, chicken, and sausage. It was incredible. We seriously had to walk into the house with our eyes closed and close our eyes before she put ever dish down. She was just so cute. She made this salad and a quiche thing that was insane. They've already promised me that they are going to let me come back and fish on their boat, I’m so excited! 

We also had an awesome ward Christmas party and it was so great. I just love this place and am going to miss it so much. I have seriously spent the past 2 days saying bye to people and picking up Christmas presents. I don’t want to leave! 

This morning I was reading in Ether 12 all about faith because I really didn't have a whole lot of faith that I'd be able to train again especially at the end of my mission and leave this area. But what really stuck out to me was the famous verse 27 and a few of the ones around it. 

26 And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying: Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness;

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Ive never noticed the part of "my grace is sufficient for those that are meek and humble. A lot of the time I feel like we think your weaknesses need to be hid and something we are ashamed of, that is satan. Weaknesses of signs of growth waiting to happen. IF we humble ourselves first, and have faith that he can help us THEN and only then can he make them strong. 

I love you all. I am honestly excited to train again and be humbled time after time. I know this is what the Lord wants me to do for my last two transfers. Its going to be an adventure. LETS GO! 

I will continue to pray for you and your prayers for me are gladly accepted as well ;) Have a wonderful Christmas! XOXOXOX 

1.We were knocking and found a staircase that led to this. SO sick

2.The view of Florida from above. I LOVE DECEMBER

3. Ward Caroling 

4. Deitra Kids (my best buds) and a Sunday night dab

5.Love them so much 

1&2. Le'moni and I 

​3.​ Carmen 

4.The first dish

1. Mario, the man who caught it all 

​2.​I love them

3. Do you want to go on my boat? YES

DECEMBER 13, 2017

ONE BY ONE

What a week. Oh man. I have such a sense of reverence for this week, it’s weird and kinda hard to explain. This was just one of those that I know I will never forget. I just try my best to highlight the best parts. 

On Thursday we went to the temple with our two recent converts Scott and Robert! It was incredible! I was brought to tears as I had the opportunity to watch them both do the work. They are both just progressing so well. I am so proud of them. It was such an awesome experience. The Harms took us out to a super fancy sushi place and I ate baby octopus and the best sprouts of my life. 

We had a special MLC with Elder Foster from the 70. It was super interesting! He taught us a lot about what it means to be a leader and really helped me think about a lot of things. We also had Zone Conference this past week and it was such a blast! We all brought white elephant gifts and did a gift exchange. It was solid party. Elder Foster talked a lot about how God knows each and every one of us individually, it really hit home. 

Yesterday was a day that I’ll never forget. It started with a lesson with our cute investigator Marjorie. She is the most humble incredible woman ever. She has four kids and is a single mom and works nights so that she can "do it all". We hadn't seen her in a few days and had a few minutes so we decided to just stop by her house, and she was THERE! We went in there with absolutely no plan at all and it turned out to be the most spirit packed lesson ever. We talked to her about the plan of salvation but it was so entirely tailored to her that it was just perfect.

After that we went about our day as normal, knocking, visiting, etc. We stopped at this gas station to fill up and when we were finished we needed a receipt but the little machine thing was out of paper so we had to go inside. We went inside and the store clerk and he says to us "when are you coming over to teach me?" We thought it was a bad pick-up line that he was trying to pull but when we looked up we realized that it was this guy we had met a few days before thanksgiving that we lost contact with. We set up an appointment to go and visit him and his family! It just goes to show how God just puts us where he need us at the exact time he wants us there. 

The most incredible miracle is what followed. Sister Dimond and I were just finishing up knocking and we felt a desire to visit a less active that we had never heard of or tried before named Irene. We got to her house and knocked her door and just heard someone yelling. We initially thought that they were yelling for us to go away. I peeked into the blinds and saw a woman on the floor screaming for help. We ran in and picked her up and put her back on the bed. She just kept crying and saying that "God sent you two here, He sent you." We knew he did. We were able to feed her some dinner and calm her down and help her around the house. She later told us that she was going to have to sit there for another 5 hours until her nurse came at 9:00pm. After ensuring that she was okay, Sister Dimond and I returned to our car and I just broke down in tears. If I ever doubted the reality of a loving heavenly father, I cannot now.  It was such an incredible humbling experience and one that I will never forget. I know God is very aware of us and our needs. He loves us. I know he uses his missionaries as his hands here on this earth and for that I am forever grateful.

I am just so humbled. 

In 1 Nephi 21:16 it says " Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands" He knows us. He cannot forget us. We have a Savior and a loving Heavenly Father. We are all he hands on this earth. 

I know this church is true. I know that God uses us to answer the prayers of his children. 

I just love you all so much. Thank you for being you. I am praying for all of you!!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK. 

1.cute little lunch in downtown DelRay last pday

2. 75 degrees and Christmas

3.we knocked into the sweetest Moroccan woman and she gave us these fun dresses

4.Temple with Robert and Scott

1. BUDS at the temple

2. our ugly Christmas sweaters and Pres

3.4. friends

4. our Less Active BFF Rick took us on a ride around his neighborhood in his jeep.. Sister Dimond cried haha

DECEMBER 04, 2017

'TIS THE SEASON

MY FRIENDS! COMO LE VAN??? 

​WHAT A WEEK. Life just keeps speeding up faster and faster. 

This week we went caroling with our district in Del Ray. It was quite a blast. Last year my trainer and I went caroling on Christmas day and it was less than successful haha but this year it was so awesome!! We met really cool people, and everyone loved it. We were inviting everyone to the big nativity festival that our stake puts on every year and it was super effective. 

​I also went on a full-day exchange with Sister Albretch in Boca Raton. Let me just tell you, Boca Raton is a dream. It is so nice and filled with super cute older houses. IT WAS A BLAST. Sister Albretch goes home soon so we decided that we were going to go out to dinner in down town Boca to commemorate. ​and oh. my. goodness. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. I’m taking you all. 

The Nativity was amazing. There was a legit camel! It was awesome and such a hit with everyone. The spirit of Christmas was alive and well. I’ll send pictures. 

My spiritual thought this week comes from Mormon 2:12-13. It says 

" And it came to pass that when I, Mormon, saw their lamentation and their mourning and their sorrow before the Lord, my heart did begin to rejoice within me, knowing the mercies and the long-suffering of the Lord, therefore supposing that he would be merciful unto them that they would again become a righteous people.

 But behold this my joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin." 

The difference is distinct. Why do we sorrow? I invite you all to take a sorrow "inventory". What is making you sad? What can you do to be worthy of the grace of God in your life?

LOVE YOU LOTS AND PRAY FOR YOU ALWAYS. 

​1. CHRISTMAS IS COMING

2.The Nativity Festival

4. Caroling in 75 degree weather 

3. My less active BFF Rick and our matching shirts. This picture is seriously priceless