Friday, July 4, 2014

Unpredictable I tell ya!

Good Morning family!

I hope you are all doing wonderful! This past week was kind of an up and down, unpredictable week, but that is alright because sometimes missionary work is like that!

I am going to do my emails a little bit differently. I’ll still tell you what happened in the week but I want to focus more on the spiritual things than just the ordinary things that happened. I feel and hope that as I focus more on the spiritual things and the little miracles each day, I will come to appreciate the hard days.

Monday- Pday was really fun and we hung out with our zone and watched everyone play soccer...I think the world cup is giving everyone soccer fever...haha. But it is still fun to watch all the Elders tackle each other as they play soccer. That night we didn’t have a dinner appointment so Hermana Musig and I made Empanadas and they were DELICIOUS! I love having those days where we can make our own dinner because it gives Hermana Musig and I time to talk and get to know each other more, and honestly I couldn’t ask for anything better. That night we also went over to the Solan's and we made some cookies and read a few scriptures to help them get through a tough trial right now. Something that I am constantly learning is how much the scriptures help us when we are going through a hard time. They fit exactly what you are struggling with and rebuild your faith.

Tuesday- We did some service over at a members house and afterwards she fed us waffle iron hash browns, which were amazing, and crepes with nutella and strawberries. We then went to Applebee's for a quick birthday celebration with Hermana. Usher and I's 5 months in the mission. After that we headed to a lesson with a new investigator named Mimi, she is about 58 and just spunky and fun. We love her! The spirit was strong in that lesson as we talked about miracles and how God really does love us. She then asked us a question about what happens to those who don’t get to hear about the gospel (note this was all in Spanish, and I actually understood - tender mercy of the day:)), and she asked us if we knew the answer and we shook our heads yes, and gave her the Plan of Salvation pamphlet and she was surprised that we knew that.  So we are hoping that we will get to go back to teach her about the plan of salvation. We knocked later that day until dinner and then had another lesson with Solano's reading about Abinadi.

Wednesday- We had an appointment set with some former investigators. We knocked on the door, no one answered, we knocked again, no one answered again, but then we heard music coming from the house, so we knocked a third time, and this little kid comes out and we ask him if his dad is home (the one we are supposed to have a lesson with) and the kid says no…(the dad’s truck is in the driveway...) So we smiled and said to tell his dad the missionaries stopped by. As we are walking away, half of me felt mad because I wish some people would just tell us they aren’t interested, but then the other half of me feels peaceful because I know missionaries will find him again, right now is not his time and the Lord will make it known to him and the missionaries in the future when it is time. We then planned for a little bit and headed over to dinner and then to a lesson Laura and Railey. The daughter that hasn’t been home for our lessons, and so we were so excited when she stayed!. But we watched the Testaments and they enjoyed that, and we all cried at the end, which was great too!
(This is the family we ate at where we were entertained by dancing and singing. This littler girl is named Valoria and she is the cutest thing in the world! haha)
Thursday- Nothing too exciting happened this day, we just planned for week 6! Freaking week 6, how is it already week 6! We had dinner with one of our favorite families and were entertained by some singing and dancing haha. After dinner we headed over to the Solano's and read some more with them about Abinadi. I love being over there and reading with them because they understand the gospel and they remind me of the little things that matter, like the will of God during trials, and how we need to let our life be in the hands of God and let him take care of us when we are struggling. 
Friday- Was a very unpredictable day. So early that day we dropped Hermana Musig off and she headed to the temple for her departing temple trip with President and Sister Wilson, and I stayed with Hermana Christensen because her companion is going home too. I learned something really cool during personal study. I am reading in Alma right now and I was in Alma 25 where the Lamanites come into the land of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s and began killing them, but because of the great faith and knowledge that the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s had they still praised God as they were being killed. Now these are the 2 things I learned- 1) Because of the great examples the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s, the Lamanites that were killing them were converted unto the Lord and laid aside their weapons and covenanted with the Lord that they would not kill again. 2) The Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s were so calm as they were being killed because they knew were they stood with God, and they knew that they would be dwelling with God in Heaven. I want to have this faith! Super cool right? Well onto the rest of the day, we had an appointment set but the lady was sleeping so we headed over to a district meeting and then ate lunch afterwards and got a call from the other sisters...long story short, Hermana Usher thought she had an appendicitis, so we went to the Urgent care and drove them around almost all day getting tests and things done for Hermana Usher (side note, she didn’t have an appendicitis, but something else). The Hermanas’ came home and we headed to dinner and then over to a members house to help her with something. 
Saturday- We headed to correlation, which didn’t end up happening but while we were there we got stopped by a huge family reunion and they invited us to eat breakfast and some of the family talked to us, which was really nice of them!!!! We then headed over to the sisters to see how Hermana Usher was and got some things for her at Walmart and then headed home and ate lunch and did personal study. I studied hope, and that was very helpful in this time of need. I learned that "hope is trust in God's promises, and faith that if we act now the desired blessings will come in the future" (Elder James E Faust). The part that sticks out to me is ACT NOW. We must act now in our faith, then we will see the blessings come. Nothing happens when we just sit and wait, we must work too! Good reminder of what hope is :) That night we had dinner and we ate so...many...pupusas. I felt like I was going to die. haha. And after that we headed to the Solano's to help Katherine with her talk for sacrament. 
Sunday- Was kind of a slow day, but church was good! Continuing to understand more and more which is good! We headed to dinner right after church and then came home because neither Hermana. Musig or I were feeling very good. So we stayed in for the rest of the night and I did some language study and we headed to bed.
This next week is the last week of the Transfer...CRAZY!! So Saturday we will get calls about where we are going if we are leaving and what not, so I will let you know next Monday the news on that!
All else is going well, trying to do my best and work hard!
This next week is supposed to be the 100's...pray that I don’t shrivel up in the heat!!
I love and miss you all!
Thanks for your prayers :)
Prayer list- La Familia Solano, Dara, Guadalupe, Mimi, Laura, Railey, Rachel
Talk to you next week!
Love, Hermana Aase


Exchanges Bring Miracles

Good morning family!

I cant believe it is already MONDAY again...it seriously just felt like Monday a couple days ago, but I guess that is what happens when you are busy! But this past week was good and like I said, busy.
Monday- After emailing we went shopping at Target :) WOO HOO! And then wrote letters until our dinner appointment with the Branch President. He and his wife are so funny and nice. We had a group dinner with all the missionaries in the, branch and the Branch mission leader and his wife. We had to leave early for an appointment, but I think they all talked afterwards about the work and those we are teaching and working with. We ate crepes though before we left and they were SO DELICIOUS! haha. She had nutella and all my companions were making fun of me because I had put so much on, and I looked at them and was like "Don't judge, nutella is my weakness!" haha. They all got a pretty good laugh out of it!
Tuesday- We had an appointment with Noelia, an investigator that we found a few weeks ago, but she has not been home every time we go over there, and we have met her kids each time we go over there and they are so nice. Hermana Musig and I want to teach them SO BAD, but the Lord’s timing is not our timing, so we must be patient! We then had exchanges with our STL's and Hermana Christensen came with me to Rancho Vista and we had a blast. We knocked doors for like 3 hours and I have a sick tan line on my feet from it. Oh and we also met a lot of really great people and set return appointment's. The miracle of exchanges was that people ACTUALLY opened their doors to us and we got to talk with them. I did a few door contacts where I introduced ourselves, and tried to speak Spanish. The first few ones I completely messed up. Like for one I said "Hola, Somos misioneras de la Iglesia de los santos de los ultimos dia"...guess what…I FORGOT JESUS CHRIST...opps. hahah. She wasn't too interested. Not sure if that was my fault or not?  And then another door I began to say the same thing but then I caught myself and fixed it. Overall it was a really awesome day. I got to know Hermana Christensen better and speak some Spanish and knock doors. This is the life of a missionary. 
(This one is the four of us. Hermana's Musig, Kalama, Christensen and Me)

(Me and Hermana Christensen)

Wednesday- We tried to visit a few more people before we ended the exchange but they weren't home. After the exchange we finished some studies and ate some lunch and then went out again. We didn't have anybody for dinner so we just came home until we had our lesson with Laura and Railey (less actives). We read in Mosiah with them and talked about prayer, we are hoping they will come to church. They haven't been in a while. 
Thursday- We ACTUALLY had zone conference that morning haha. We talked about some rules that are being enforced and some goals that our whole mission is working on achieving. It was good to see President and Sister Wilson. We don't get to see them very often. After the zone conference we ate some lunch and then began planning. Herman Musig and I made some goals to help us achieve this mission goal, so hopefully it will work out. It is going to take a lot more hard work, trust and faith. 
Friday- We had something wrong with our car so we took it in to pep boys and while we waited we planned some more. But by the time they were done with our car we had sat there for 4 hours. We were so bored and we didn't have anywhere to go, so once we were done there we ran over to the Solano's because we were going to make some cookies with Katherine, but all our time had been taken by pep boys, so we ran home and ate lunch and then ran back to the Solano's and made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies until we had to run to dinner. 
Saturday- For personal study I began writing my talk (aka missionary moment) for Sunday. And then we headed out to do some service with our Branch. We helped them set up and make some of the food for the activity later that day. We then stayed for a little bit at the branch activity and ate lunch and watched all the Elders got soaked by the kids running around with the water hose. haha. Even though the branch is so small, the people are so nice and it is fun to sit around and talk - even if I cant understand anything. We then headed home because we had some things to get done, and then we headed over to the Solano's and helped make, and ate dinner there. 
Sunday- Church was really good. I seriously am a starting to understand more and more each time. Heavenly Father is helping me out with this so much. Yes, at times I still get frustrated because I cant understand everything or communicate, but it is coming. We had speakers from the Stake presidency come and one of them spoke only English and I was so happy to hear English haha. And then after the second speaker it was my turn and I was freaking out…just a tad, BUT it went really well and I think everyone understood me. I shared a couple scriptures and my testimony -- 3 Nephi 18:5-10 (that is the whole chunk) but I read verse 10, where it talks about Christ asking the people to bring all who are sick and afflicted to him so he can heal them, and it is just like us. We are bringing all those who are sick and afflicted to Christ by sharing with them the gospel, but the cool thing that I learned and that I shared with them was that not only are the people who are sick closer to Christ, but the people who bring them in become closer to Christ. Just something that I thought was cool :)
Well family I love and miss you all!
Can't believe I hit my 5month birthday yesterday! Time flies…really flies. 
I look forward to hearing from you next week!
Prayer list- Ashley, Katherine, Lidia, Jose (solano's), Laura, Railey, Dara, Guadalupe, Mimi, Julia, and Gregorio.
Have a wonderful week! :)
Love, Hermana Aase