Well that was unexpected!

Hello family!!

You have no idea how excited I am to write you. This past week has been one crazy adventure. Let me just say that!

Monday Was busy with packing and saying goodbye to members and taking pictures and all that good stuff that comes with leaving an area. I was really sad to leave - sad to leave the people and our new investigators and the nice breeze. But Bakersfield is where I am needed now and I can't wait to be there.

Tuesday we had to be to transfer meeting early and our car was packed to the brim with everything! Transfer meeting was good, but very unexpected...! So guess what!? I am in Bakersfield, but I am not in the are that I thought I was going to…I am in Buena Vista - FULL SPANISH and with Hermana Poole, who has only been out one transfer a head of me. I was shocked, but at the same time I was comforted about hearing where I was going. After the meeting we packed up the car and headed to the apt. Unpacked got some groceries and started working.  It was a miracle day, literally. We visited some potentials and one of them is named Omar. He has been hard to contact for the last few weeks, but when we went over he let us in and we taught him the first lesson, which went really well. Even the Spanish went well.  We then tried a different contact, which wasn't home, but as we walked back to our car there was a guy next door that was like "I have been waiting for you guys..." and Hermana Poole and I are thinking sweet!! This guy is prepared. So we start talking to him and explained who we were and what we do as missionaries and we gave him a Book of Mormon and made a return apt to go back. It was really neat! I like street contacting like that because they see you out working and they are more interested in who you are. OHH also…it was 117 DEGREES!!!! That was not expected at all…haha. I hope I can survive this heat!

Wednesday we had a good lesson with an older guy named Manuel. He is about 70ish and hilarious! And maybe a little crazy too, but we still love him. He has some opinions about things, but we are slowly helping him find the truth. We then did some service at the library putting books away and can I tell you that I am SOO THANKFUL for air conditioning…haha.  It was a nice break from the heat. We then did some more contacting and had another miracle lesson with a lady named Maria. She is religious, and really open to listening. So we taught her about the Restoration and left a Book of Mormon with her and set up her baptismal date! And then the rest of the night was full of some more knocking, which is always fun. OHH, and I didn't know Bakersfield was full of creepy ice cream trucks…haha. It is a goal of Hermana Poole and I's to get ice cream from there and take a picture of it, so be looking for that in the future!!

Thursday morning we did a service project with our district picking up trash on the side of the road. That was fun and we all got a little burnt! After showering and feeling all nice we started planning for the next week and the first week always takes the longest because sometimes one of the companions doesn't know a whole lot about the area and the investigators, so time is spent there filling in the other. So yeah! But we have a ton of lessons set up and we are planning on setting all of them with baptismal dates!! Something that we are learning about from our mission president is that we CAN have the faith to find, teach and baptize. You just need to put the Lord to the test! I believe this. It is hard, but it can be done :) Hermana Poole and I know that we can find, teach and baptize even with out using perfect Spanish! That night we had a lesson with some investigators and we taught about Faith and how important it is to continue to nourish and grow it and they really liked that chapter so we invited them to continue reading that.

Friday we had our district meeting and it was fun to meet the other missionaries in the district. They all serve here in Buena Vista and they are in the same ward with us too! So that is fun! We had a "surprise" lesson (surprise meaning we just show up without them knowing haha) and we taught an investigator Margarito. He is not keeping appointments, but he has read like half the Book of Mormon. It is hard to drop him, so we are going to keep surprising him! And then we had an interesting lesson with the guy that stopped us on Tuesday night. His name is Raul. He likes to talk…a lot. So we didn't get to yeah much of a lesson, but we got to know him pretty well and figure out some things that he believes in and questions he has. Later that night we had a lesson with a recent convert Connie. She is awesome and really has a strong testimony of the gospel. That night we contacted some more and had a miracle lesson with a family that let us in and we taught the mom and daughter and that went really good! And later we ran over to a less active to share a scripture with them. 

Saturday we had another lesson with Manuel and talked about the 10 commandments, and asked some questions that we think he is struggling with. After we did some more planning because we didn't finish from Thursday and then we headed out to contact some potentials, but Hermana Poole had a thought to go visit one of our referrals that we didn't get to contact earlier in the week. And guess what! HE WAS HOME! So we taught him the restoration and he wants to learn more and read more in the Bible and now the Book of Mormon, and so that was exciting! 

Sunday was good as always. I am actually glad to still be in a Spanish ward because I love the himnos (Spanish hymns), and the speakers. The Spanish is starting to come and the Lord is helping me everyday. After lunch/dinner with a less active we headed over to an investigators who has also been hard to contact and he was out in his garage and so we taught him and the lesson was good, my Spanish was not so good, but that is alright. I am still learning. 

This past week was amazing. I am exhausted and so ready for pday haha, but I love this area and the people here. I know that the more I am in Spanish and the more we teach and I open my mouth, it will be filled and my Spanish will come!

Hopefully I will survive the heat and won't die! haha. We have this trick where we freeze one bottle and then take another one and drink and refill it as the day goes by. It helps a lot!

I love you all and I miss you tons!

Talk to you later :)

prayer list- Connie, Margarito, Manuel, La familia Ruela, Manuel and Teresa, and Omar.

LOVE YOU!!

Hermana Aase

I come and I go

Hello Familia!!

It is crazy that pday is already here and that the end of the transfer is also here...

I am sure you can guess by the title of my email the news I got on Saturday (07/05) about transfer calls. I will break you the news to you now...!

I AM BEING TRANSFERRED!!!...and with some figuring out and narrowing down, we know that I am most likely going to West Bakersfield. Oh and I am also designated a driver, whoo hoo!! 

This past week was really good! And I am sad to leave because we found tons of new investigators and they are families too, which is the best part! But the other Hermanas’ will take over our area for the next 6 weeks until more Spanish sisters come into the mission field. 

As for this week!

Monday- After emailing we went to the MALL whoo hoo! And then went to Trader Joe's and got MOCHI ice cream…IT IS SO GOOD. You have to try it. It is Japanese ice cream and it looks weird but it is so good :) Later that night we had a lesson over at the Solano's and we read Mosiah 18 and talked with them for a little bit. 

Tuesday- We did some service over at the Solano's helping Hermana Solano make 60ish pupusas for another sister in the ward, so that was fun! I was all hot and sweaty from flipping all of them over. And of course we ate them while we made them so by the end of those few hours I was stuffed with pupusas. Even though I was all sweaty and stuffed, I loved helping make pupusas and doing service. It just makes me happy and it makes others happy too!

(My desk where I study, Katherine Solano and I)

Wednesday- Was such a long, hot, day. We visited some potential investigators, but none of them were home (story of our life), so we then visited a less active lady and shared a scripture with her and then we left our car parked at that apartment complex and walked down the block to contact more potentials and man it was hot and windy and Hermana Musig and I looked hot! Our husbands will definitely be more attractive from today :) haha. On our way back we knocked into a lady that was outside with all her kids and we taught her a short lesson on her doorstep on restoration, and prayed with her and made a return appointment. It was a really cool experience. And we are hoping that when we (or other missionaries) go back to teach her family we can teach the parents that only speak Spanish. We came back for lunch and dried off and then headed back out to contact some former investigators. That night we had dinner by ourselves and then headed out, when it wasn’t as hot, to walk around some neighborhoods tracting. Even though it was a long and hot day, we really saw the Lord help us and we found a ton of new investigators to teach! 

(Our apartment from the outside - we live upstairs, Hermana Usher and I, my room.)

Thursday- planning day! It is always hard to plan for week 7 because you never know if you are staying or leaving, but we got it figured out and we both made some new planner covers during lunch and then dropped a picture and a card to a member in our ward as a thank you for feeding us dinner. Funny but creepy story---Later that afternoon we were getting gas and this old guy...not to mention shirtless...was flirting and helping this mom and daughter pump their gas...it was really weird, and Hermana Musig and I couldn’t help but just laugh! We tried to contact Omar and Cesar and we actually got to talk to Cesar’s wife, which has never happened, so that was good! And as we were leaving Omar's we saw all these cops swarming this car and they all had their guns out ready to fire…it was pretty cool!! By the end of the day we had seen lots of random things!! Haha. Welcome to California!

Friday- 4th of JULY!!! Of course I wore red, white and blue :) you will see pictures at the end of this email. We had ZTM this morning and learned about the importance of testifying and sharing our testimonies. Really good reminder when we share our testimonies with those that we are teaching. Our feelings and thoughts are the strongest tools we can use. No one can take that away, or bash on what you believe. We went over quick to the Solano's and we began reading in Alma 17 where Ammon cuts off all the arms of the servants and brings them to the king. They thought that was pretty funny and cool at the same time! haha. And then we headed to dinner at a members house and ate really good enchiladas and had cake. We had curfew that night at 7, so we couldn’t be out and about while people did fireworks and such…it made me sad to not see any fire works, but that is okay! We had our whole night planned out. I wrote in Hermana Musig’s goodbye journal and made another planner cover while Hermana Musig started packing all her stuff. And then for celebration we ate mochi ice cream and talked! It was a fun night. 

(Our district)

Saturday- We got our calls around 11am and they told us that both of us were leaving! duh about Hermana Musig since she is almost done with her mission. She leaves July 16 and heading back to Sandy. I am really sad to let her go home, but it is time and I guess I have to let her start the next chapter of her life. And then they told me that I was leaving and that I was becoming the designated driver…so that means my companion cant drive...So long story short we figured out where all the other Hermana’s are going and put the puzzle back together. Hermana Musig packed while I did some language study and then that night we headed to a farewell for a sister missionary that is leaving our branch to head to her mission. It was fun and we gave her some advice and then afterwards we had our correlation meeting and our branch mission leader was shocked to hear that all of us were leaving besides one Elder and one Hermana. Sad day!! 

Sunday- Church was really good. And we heard some great testimonies too from the members of our branch. We took some pictures with all the missionaries in our branch and then headed to dinner and afterwards we went by some members in our branch and said goodbye and then came home and did some more packing. You know what I found out? You accumulate stuff on your mission. I have NO idea how, but you just do! haha. So when it comes to the end of the transfer you have WAY more to pack than what you thought you did. 

Well I am sad to leave Rancho Vista and maybe just maybe I will come back and serve here! I sure do hope so. I have met a lot of wonderful people and have actually learned some Spanish :)

But it is time to move on and head to a new area. I am excited to be in Bakersfield…maybe not during the middle of the hot summer, but I will survive…maybe…haha. 

I will talk to you all next week and let you know how the first week in the new area went!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!

Hermana Aase

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