Halloween is a family history holiday

Monday, November 3, 2014

I decided that Halloween is a family history holiday. Because November 1 is the Day of the Dead in Mexico, when people dress up like their ancestors in honor of them. Also, Halloween is a Celtic holiday celebrating the last day when spirits can be out and about before winter sets in. Therefore, Halloween is a family history holiday. :)

For Halloween, we stayed inside all day. First, we had our studies, then lunch, then weekly planning, then we went to a member's house for dinner and movies. We watched Dispicible Me 2 and Frozen. It was a good night.

We stayed home because Hna. Moleli was sick, but it was good because we both needed a day to get back into the swing of missionary things.

And, the best thing that happened this week is two of our investigators are getting baptized! K---- is getting baptized November 22nd and M----- is thinking about either November 29th or sometime in December. We are super excited and ask for your prayers for them.

A mission is a good place to turn 21

I made an orange jello cake with the frosting and sprinkles on top and I bought rice icecream, crushed up the cookies, and had cookies and cream icecream. It was everything I wanted and more, cause we watched Johnny Lingo, too. Also played volleyball (nothing like getting the ball in your face to tell you "Happy 21st!" :) I'm fine. Nothing's broken. :) Overall, I had a good birthday. A mission is a good place to turn 21.

This week was good! Yesterday, Elder Kopishke of the Seventy came to visit us. It was a really good half-mission conference. He didn't so much as preach at us as much as he just helped us answer our questions. He took us into the scriptures and helped us find our own answers, kind of how to find and follow revelation when studying. It was really cool! He began by saying, "I don't have an agenda for this meeting. I haven't prepared a talk. I think I know my scriptures, and we're just going to have a meeting full of the Spirit!" He then had us write down some questions we had and then he told us, "You have just written your own agenda for this meeting. As we talk, when you feel you should go look up a scripture, look it up. As your question gets answered, you may have more questions, which is fine! As you get those questions and you feel you should look up another scripture, go look it up! and in this manner, you will have your own meeting." It was a really good conference. In the morning, it was one long bitter sip of humble juice, and then in the afternoon, it was more of a soothing balm, but it was great! I'm using what I learned about receiving revelation for my personal studies, and I'm learning so much!

After the meeting, Elder Kopishke met with a few of us and had an interview with him. I got to be one of the lucky ones to meet with him and it was great! He quoted his favorite scripture in German for me (his native language is German). I really enjoyed it. President Riggs told me before I went in why he (President Riggs) was doing it. He said, "November is going to be hard for the hermanas. So I asked for these interviews so that they would have more motivation." I thought it was really kind of him.

High point of the week: On Wednesday, we had six lessons on Facebook! I taught two and Hna. Moleli taught four! In two hours, we met our weekly goal for other lessons (lessons taught without a member present). It was awesome! 

Birthday cake with 21 candles.

(picture sideways)

Hermana Moleli and Hermana Brown eating birthday cake and Oreo ice cream.

Hispanic Cultural Night

Monday, October 14th, 2014

We had a Hispanic cultural night on Friday and ate food from the different countries and watched the different dances and singing from the different countries! It was so much fun!

Peru had the most rice. Bolivia the most meat. El Salvador had the drinks, and I didn't visit the rest of the countries (Honduras, Ecuador, Mexico). The missionaries set up a table with a slide show of the different temples in each country and copies of the Book of Mormon in all the different native languages. In all, there are 15: Aymara, Cakchiquel, Catalan, Guarani, Kekchi, Latan, Mam, Maya, Portuguese, Quechua (Bolivia), Quechua (Peru),Quiche (Guatamala), Quiche (Ecuador), Spanish, and Tzotzil. We also set out an English one and one in Samoan (because hna. Moleli is Samoan).

Then, on Sunday, we had 12 less actives and recent converts at church because of all the fellowshipping that had taken place Friday night and everyone invited everyone to church. It was great!

Yesterday, we went to MVOC (Missionary Vehicle Operation Course). We already went to this course, but we went again because I'm driving. :) I had passed it as the navigator, but I needed to pass it again as the driver. I passed and Hna. Moleli passed, too. It was a lot of fun. And the ABS still works. :)

Our investigators are doing well.

Monday, October 20th, 2014

Hola! 

Being 21 is going to be exciting! 

As a way to celebrate, Hna. Moleli and I went to D.C. To the national museum of natural history. I've been once before, but Hna. Moleli hasn't, so we went and walked through the whole thing. We just looked at everything, we didn't read signs. My favorite part this time was the gemstones. They were really beautiful. 

This week, we shared 3 Nephi 12:13-16 with our members. We then asked them to write a list of people they know who aren't in the church and to pray for them and find some way to introduce them to the gospel. It doesn't even have to be through the missionaries. They could give them pass-along cards, introduce them to gospel videos, or give them the pamphlets that the missionaries use. The missionaries are here to help, but the members are the ones who have the friends who need/are ready to hear the gospel. 

We have an investigator, M, who's been going to church ever since she was young because her mom is a member. They didn't come to church for two Sundays, what with one thing and another, and when they did attend the next Sunday, Michelle told her mom, "I feel so good, I feel relieved that I came to church today." There is power in coming to church, coming together as a church. If you want to feel that power, that difference, you should come to church!

Hermana Brown near the fountain of the Museum of Natural History n Washington DC