Oct 26, 2009

Hello everyone,

Well it was a great Saturday not only because Kameron and Eric both got married but as I said we would try and set a baptism date well WE DID we set 2 for the 14th of November. Also earlier in the week we set 2 so we have a total of 4 dates for the 14 of November.

Julieta and her daughter Sira, along with Gloria and her son Jose. Julieta also has another son who is 11 and we are going to try and set a date with him. Julieta and Gloria are sister-in laws. This Sunday the mothers could not go to church but we made sure the kids got there. They really liked it and so hopefully their excitement will rub off on the mothers. So Yeah for them! Alfredo, who has a date for this Saturday, has stopped smoking. WE had a really good lesson with him about the word of wisdom and how every time he was smoking it was a sin and he needed to stop. He has and is on track, BUT his wife is not helping us. He told his wife, who is in MEXICO, he was getting baptized and she is mad and doesn’t want him to. He doesn’t want to go against his wife, so right now we don't know what we are going to do. We are praying that she will come around.

The work is good and we are trying to find new areas to track. This week the elders told us about a tailor park that they found so we went to go check it out....Wow is all I have to say. It had about 10 trailers and a lot of them looked like the ones out in the desert by our barn. Well there were about 6 Spanish men outside by a fire and cutting up meat to cook and drinking beer. So we went to talk to them. They were not interested but we tried.

Let me tell you I don't think I have been asked... are you married, do you have a boyfriend, or do you want a Boyfriend, more then I have on that occasion. I just smiled and said I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints would you like to come to church. Great times great times. Don't worry mom I am safe and I wont be getting married.

Ok on to answering your questions… The singing group is over but they are doing a Christmas program and I am in that so I am still singing. We are still trying to teach English classes but not very many people come. We need to advertise it better. We are going to work on that. The only problem is, is there is a lot of places that teach English classes.

OH today I had the elders help me put my bike together because I wanted it together. Well it looks good except I can't ride it. The front tire does not work right. It does not spin straight so I am going to have to take it to a bike shop and have them look at it. Also it didn't even come with a kick stand. How rude! But don't worry I will get it figured out. I will hopefully use it during my mission. I want to! Hopefully someday… soon.

Mom as for my box… Transfers are on the 2 of November so keep that in mind as you get ready to send it. Also in my drawer in my room are my little no show socks (booty socks). I have a black, brown, tan, will you send those. I can wear them over my nylons and they will keep the feet a little warmer. Thanks!

Happy to hear the Chris is doing well we have people that run from us too. So he is not alone. Oh and I knew the package was from the girls so thanks. Tell George I say Hola and thanks for the birthday wishes. I Hope he and his family are doing well. Jesus and Angle as well tell them hi.

You said you wanted Christmas ideas....well music in Spanish would be great. Like the hymns or just church music in Spanish. I think it would help me a lot. I will try and think of other stuff. Ok well my time is coming to a close I hope everyone is doing great and that you have a great HALLOWEEN!!!! Dad good luck with the corn and getting everything ready for winter. The weather here is weird. It is freezing cold one day then warm the next but it is getting colder. Love you all and thanks for everything

Love

Oct. 21, 2009

Hey fam,

Sorry this will be short but I don't have a lot of time. It is Wednesday but the Library was closed on Monday and Tuesday for some reason I am not really sure so we got to come check it today. But I don't have a lot of time to write. Things here are going well.

Some of the highlights of the week...

1. We had stake conference this week and two members of the seventy came (Gay and I can't remember the other one). It was really good and I got spiritually fed.

2. I have eaten (and liked might I add) Chicken Intestines. I know my companion didn't tell me until after, what exactly I had eaten but I liked it. Then she told me and I was like oh......but all is well.

3. We still have a Baptism date for the 31st. Alfredo is doing well and trying to stop smoking. We are helping him try all we know but to tell you the truth I have never had to stop smoking before (I know a big shocker to a lot of you but it is true)

4. We had Family Home Evening with a family where the dad served a mission but is anti now. The mother is a member and she and the kids come to church, but he won’t let any of his daughters get baptized. We went over and had Family Home Evening with them and it was fun but the Dad didn't come out except to eat. We are taking baby steps...

Ok I don't have enough time so I will have to write you next week. But I will try and remember more great stories. Thanks for all your mail. Mom I got the package. Thanks so much you are amazing. Tell the girls thanks too.

Love you tons!

Oct. 12, 2009

Hello my wonderful family,

First I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!! (Feliz Cumpleaños a ti) I hope you know that I am thinking of you all day today!!!

Well where do I start.... my week was good I had a little bit of a hard week but I made it through and am ready to get to work again.

We are to the point in Franklin where we have knocked all the Spanish areas and so now were are having to find other areas to knock but they are mostly English so we knock and ask "Hello do you have any neighbors or friends that speak Spanish that we could share our message with. We get a lot of no, I have no idea, or yeah the next door over. We smile and say thanks and go to the next door to see if they know. Oh it is fun fun work :)

Also this week my companion was having a hard time. She was not feeling good but then she just closed off. I was not able to talk to her and she wouldn't talk to me... and let me tell you when you don't have anyone to talk to and you can't ask questions and you don't know what you are saying in lessons or if you are saying it right it is a little hard. And you feel a little alone. But no worries my companion is back to being funny, really helpful, and amazing. She just had couple of down days. But I really do love her she really does help me a ton. I hope this week will go better for us.

We tracked into a lady (Gloria) and her son (Jose Leonardo age 11) and we found out that she just had a miscarriage so we decided to teach her the 2nd. The spirit was so strong and the little boy was asking all kinds of questions. It was great It is so good to know that Heavenly Father has given us a PERFECT plan. They said they would come to church but they didn't make it....next week.WE also have Alfredo...he has a date for the end of this month. He is doing great. He pretty much told us that he believes everything he just has to talk to his wife in Mexico. He is scared to do that.....but he has to. Oh and he has to quite smoking. But no worries we will get him to stop.

Our other date Nita....well where do I begin? She will not answer her phone, she won’t answer the door, and she won’t talk to us. So we are playing the came called Find Nita...it is a hard game if anyone knows where to find the rule book on how to win please let me know. So as of right now I don't know much about her. But church was great, next week we have stake conference so that should be great!!!!

I am happy to hear that everyone is doing well and getting better over being sick (Katie). Thanks so much for you letters and e-mails. Keep up the missionary work Stewart and Becky you are doing great. Ok everyone you ready for homework time. Yep this week everyone needs to think of someone who needs the gospel in their lives and give the referral to the missionaries. We NEED REFERRALS!!!!! and the best place to find them is from the ward members. So think think think and tell the missionaries. I will be asking next week how the homework went.

Well I love you all....mom Aunt Bonnie sent me a wedding invitation for Kameron so don't send one. Congrats to Christina and Brian on the new baby. I hope you all have a great week; know that I love you tons and think of you often.

Love

Oct. 5 2009

Hola!!!

Well first I want to start my letter of with big THANKS!!!!! Thanks to everyone for making my birthday so very special. Mom I got the box a couple days before one of the senior missionaries was coming to Franklin so he brought it on Tuesday. So I opened it and got my blankets (I love my blankets) and waited for Friday to open the rest. Friday came around (my Birthday) and I got mail from Becky and Stewart, Grandma and another package from Margie. Thank you all everything was just what I needed and I thank you all so very much. I love you all. (Most of all Margie thanks for the tape recorder-I think the best gift was being able to listen to the tape you all sent a while ago, and hear all your stories and all your advice and all your voices. So thanks… Oh and Dad thanks for the song I loved it!!!!)

It was a great day we had interviews with President and then found NEW investigators. Oh and one of our investigators that we are teaching named David, he is so smart can quote the scriptures like a pro but he doesn't want to be baptized because he knows the commitments that come with it sad. We are going to try a couple of different things and see if we can change his mind. Any way he found out it was my birthday and we were planning on teaching him on Friday so he said he would bring lunch. So he brought a huge pizza I mean huge and then he also brought 4 different pieces of cake (HUGE pieces of Cake) and a little sign that said happy birthday and candles. It was fun and very nice and our lesson went good with him as well. All in all my birthday was GREAT!!!!

Anyway back to the work of Franklin.....We have two baptisms for this month set and we are going to try and get another one set. We as a companionship have a goal of 3 for the month.

Nita- we contacted into her she is great and really wants to learn and likes the Book of Mormon. She has a date for the 31 of October (what better day then HALLOWEEN) also she has an 8 year old daughter Fernanda and we are going to see if she wants to be baptized too. The only problem is we have to get them to church. This week it will happen. They are going to come and fall in love with it.

Alfredo- He is an investigator that had a date before but then dropped it. But he came to conference last night and after it we taught him about the word of wisdom and a little more about baptism and extended a date. He accepted for the 31 of October. His only concern is his wife in Mexico. He doesn’t think she will like it and if she says no then he wont. But he told us he wants to. He has been to church a ton and loves to read the Book of Mormon and the Sunday school manual. So we are praying that his wife will say ok.

All of our new converts are doing great. They are on fire!!!! Yesterday at conference most of them came and we watched it and ate together as a group and then played games with the kids and then watched the other half. They all seemed to really like it. It was a good experience.

Was not conference amazing!!! I say that as an understatement because there are not words to explain it. We watched Saturday morning session at a members house because they were redoing the carpet in the chapel and didn't have it set up (so we missed the first 1/2 hour but it was good. Then we watched the afternoon in the church. Sunday we watched it in the church with our members and investigators. The morning session I watched in Spanish because there was only one member (Edgar) and I could not leave him and Sister Munoz alone. (I understood some but not all) Then Saturday afternoon I watched in English. It was just really good and what I needed.

Mom and Dad I would just like to say I LOVE YOU! I listened to Elder Bednar and wanted to make sure I got that in. I really do and thanks for everything you do for me. Well this week should go well we have a lot of work to do to meet our goals but we can do it. Thank you all for everything have a great week full of a lot of SMILES!!!!!


Con Amor




P.S. Katie Wilson, and Lauren Stange if you read this will you please send me your new address so that I can write you. Thanks I hope you are doing well. Love ya both and hope school is good and classes are not too hard.