Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Scorpion for my birthday?

This is after our little monsoon last week...in the Grocery Store
parking lot on Northloop.
 The Elders across the way called us over one morning this week to see what they caught in their apartment...


Exchanges with Sister Daines this week :)
 Someone forgot to notify us that it was bug week...we found this
little guy hanging around in our apartment after a long day. And
no..we didn't let the Elders feed it to the scorpion like they wanted.
 Bleck! First Scorpion of the mission. 

 This is just one of the reasons why I felt so loved this week...I have
awesome friends and family! Thanks for all the packages from everyone. I felt very spoiled this week! LOVE YOU!!


Monday, September 16, 2013

It's not work but...an ADVENTURE!

Let's start the week off with another beautiful sunset here in Texas. :') God is good. 
 This is definitely monsoon season. Aka "missionary heaven" 

 This is the way to our 12:00 appointment...yah, didn't happen.
Elder Smurf could not help the puddle jumping this week. 
Can I just say that sometimes Elders need to be more descriptive when filling out the area book. This description could be referring to just about anyone haha. :P 
We went on exchanges...We had a blast! Missionary work SHOULD be fun. Now their car may have been dirty...but they made it a positive out of a negative. GREAT advertising sisters! (Just in case you can't read it...it says MORMON.ORG)

This is a shirt we found at the gas station that
communicates exactly what we think of the work of God...it's not work

but an ADVENTURE!

If you look carefully, this is some random church in
Sparks where their main picture is the same one produced by OUR church
that 'happens' to be on the front of the restoration pamphlets we use
every day. Great...as we pass these out people are going to go here

instead. So confusing.

Same thing here...does this picture look familiar? Haha, apparently

the rest of the world really likes Mormon artist's depictions of the
Savior. I don't mind them myself really.


Our Missionary Fleet here in Horizon.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Roller Coaster

Helped out at transfers again this week and guess what beautiful Sister I ran into!??...ahh I miss that girl...cute new haircut too! 
 And then...my companion decided to kill me. ;) 
 So we were at the doctor's office this week and we were super super bored because you know how long a wait it can be at the doctor's...we got a little creative. :) We decided to make a temple for all to see! 

*Siempre testifying.* 
 My Dad apparently hates smurfs...(didn't realize that until the last email from home haha) but now I am going to annoy him by taking even more smurf pictures! :) Here's another for the week Dad...Elder Smurf ALMOST joined another church this week just because of how cool it looked on the outside. Goodness. 
 Once again...another Mission Leadership Conference up in good old Albuquerque with President and Sister Miller! It's become quite the tradition to take a picture of all these worn-out shoes :) 
 You really are out in the middle of nowhere on the way back to Horizon, Texas from Albuquerque. :O

New STL white board for the Sisters! I LOVE being organized. Seriously, the work and exchanges go so much smoother when you have your thoughts categorized. All about prioritizing. 
...futuros misioneros del Senor! They now wear these to church every week. This girl just gave her first talk in Primary this Sunday and did SUCH an outstanding job. (Thank you Alli for sending me the tags in the first place!) 
What an emotional roller-coaster the last 7 months have been. It's always up and down and up and down. Sometimes my companions and I get along and sometimes we don't. Sometimes the Spanish sounds beautiful coming out of my mouth and other times it doesn't. Sometimes I never want to come home and sometimes I'm so completely homesick. Sometimes I feel on top of the world after a lesson and then there's times where people are just not 'getting it'
...a mission is the hardest thing I've ever loved to do. 

There are days where I am sure that my Heavenly Father is going to blast me with lighting because of how lazy I feel or that I whistled Disney in the car. Other times I feel His love so strongly and know that I'm in a good place with Him. And this all happens in just one, long, single, solitary day. I WANNA GET OFF THE ROLLER COASTER! ...But at the same time if I do then I don't get to feel the heights and the thrill of the ride. It's worth all of those butterfly stomach moments.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Lock Your Heart

 Rosa and Jacqueline Mares got baptized this week! (Mother and Daughter) Everything was so wonderful!...except one thing...Jacqueline didn't tell us she had a fear of water until it was her time to get baptized. heh heh.. Glad to report...she was successfully baptized after plenty of reassurance that she wouldn't die.  :) Hermano Paz from the bishopric baptized them both :)
 I LOVE these people. With all my heart.
 Last Mission Trails District picture before transfers :) This is an awesome group of missionaries here just so you all know. Doing good work here.

Gonna miss 'em... :'( 

(Just Sister Adams, Elder Rosales and Elder Mammales...because we're staying for another transfer! Yay!)
 This is Rudy and Ruby. Most pure-like souls I've ever met! They have both been waiting for this day for a long time and were looking forward to it with such anticipation. They were so nervous but they both got up and bore their testimonies after getting baptized and I felt a little un-worthy just sitting next to them...:)

Rudy and Ruby with their little brother Carlitos and their amazing mother Claudia.
 The Salas Family :)
Also...how cute is this little boy with his Sunday dress shoes?
 Then later we had another service. Two of our wonderful investigators just got married a few weeks ago and their goal is 1 year from this last Saturday to enter the temple as a family and be sealed for time and all eternity. He has the most amazing smile and we found out after the we took this that he is self-conscious about his smile! ...We were not about to let that slide...we wanted his smile in the picture...
 Almost gave up...but didn't:)
 
...look how cute! Love that baby :)
 And guess who baptized him!!!????.........one of our recent converts!
It was awesome! He practiced all week long and had it down pat. 
The Lord is doing amazing things here in Horizon, Texas.
 And to continue my smurfing for the week...look who helped me fill up the font?
 Also...Elder Smurf loves to ring doorbells
...he comes with me everywhere.
 Congratulations to Sister Adams who has been called to be an STL
this week!.. but unfortunately is leaving us to go up North. We will sure

miss her. Sister Adams is a great study buddy :) 
Love being onexchanges with the wonderful sisters here in the El Paso Zone. 
 One of the things we talk about in the mission (especially with the influx of all these new sisters to the mission) is the relationship between Sisters and Elders. Sister Biancardi and I recently gave a presentation on this in our district meeting and it's just so simple. You lock your heart. No distractions. You're a missionary and you are expected to think and act as a true disciple of Jesus Christ would. However...it's very easy for me because my heart IS locked. ...with this little boy ;) So adorable. I'm totally going to show this picture at MLC this week.

Miss you and love you FAMILY!! Enjoy the day and smile. This Sister
Missionary loves you so much!! -Hermana Silva