Saving this generation

2 March 2015

Thursday we get a text in the morning saying we can't drive. We had a lunch appointment at 11, and we didn't want to cancel again on this member, so we walked. we left at 9....4.5 miles and 3 hours later, we get to her house. But! we came across a man who set a return appointment (which we missed because we couldn't drive again), and we helped a cute old Italian man clear his walk. And the member gave us chicken nuggets. It was worth it. And, of course, while we were having lunch, we got a text saying we could drive again. And then we thought about taking the bus....We just walked home. Another 4.5 miles and only 2 and a half hours because it was pretty much all melted by then....that was an eventful day. We are now extremely grateful for our car.

Also, we had to walk again yesterday because we couldn't drive, but it was a much shorter walk! only 1.2 miles and 45 minutes in the rain that froze on the sidewalks. We practiced our iceskating last night...And then our investigator drove us home. She was so nice!

An investigator, J_____ , who has been taught since December, and her the kids love the church, they all wanted to be baptized, but J_____ said no. She cracked a rib about a week ago, and suddenly she said to us, "Girls (she always calls us girls), you need to baptize my kids and I need to get baptized too." We picked our jaws up from off the floor, set a date for March 21, but she's having a complication, so she said she's not going to be ready by the 21. We said OK. She said she wants the kids to go ahead and be baptized, but then she'll be baptized later when everything works out. The kids want to wait for her, though. So, we'll see what happens. We still think she'll be ready by the 21.

So, we had our I-pad training meeting this last Wednesday, and my brain was blown! We did not get new I-pads, but when we do, they will be ours to take home with us after the mission, but the missionary department has come out with a couple of booklets that will help us with our proselyting online! I'm currently reading "Safeguards for using technology." It's really good. Anyway, they explained to use how this technology will now be implemented in missionary work! Before you go on a mission, they teach you how to use it, like in mission preparation classes and the like, then they teach you more in depth in the MTC on how you can better use it on your mission. You use it on your mission, and then in the last 6 weeks, the last transfer, you create a life plan that you then show your stake president when you get home. It's crazy! One of the things that really struck me was what Elder Ballard was quoted: "We lowered the missionary age to save this generation." That emoji describes my feelings pretty well.

I was commenting to my Hermana-training-leader this week in exchanges that never in the history of the world have missionaries been so involved in everything. We are working through family history work, proselyting online, strengthening the members, and teaching others the gospel! All in a day's work for a missionary! No wonder I'm so tired! :) It's ok. someday I can sleep and sleep and sleep and sleep and sleep. It's just not today.

Mini MTC

23 Feb 2015

Alexandria has some historical sites. I'm thinking about talking to Hna. Atkinson and maybe for the next few preparation days go to the wildlife reserve and whatever else might be around.\

Transfers were good. Hna. Atkinson is very similar to me, but it's ok. We're going to overcome weaknesses together! We have the same weaknesses, very similar strengths, she's a quarter Japanese, so I'm going to help her learn Japanese after her mission so she can do family history work, she loves rice, just like me. We're both quiet, thinkers, introverts....It's like I have come face-to-face with myself. But it's good. we're going to learn lots of things together. :)

We got a snowstorm here. :) Saturday we went to an activity at the church and then we received a text saying, "Don't drive or bike. Walking is best." We said, "Well, we're already here, we'll just finish this activity and then take the car home." We finished up the activity, took our sweet time driving home, and then spent some time in the apartment cooking and eating dinner. Then we had an appointment at 6, so we left the house at around 5:30, walking. We stepped outside and there was the strangest sound I'd ever heard--it was like fine gravel dropping on a glass floor. I mentioned it to Hna. Atkinson and she said, "It's ice. The precipitation falling from the sky is falling so fast, it's rain, and then it freezes once it hits the ground." So, we took umbrellas in the freezing rain storm. It really wasn't that bad. Just cold. We really didn't get wet at all, although Hna. Atkinson kept putting on and taking off her coat because she was hot and cold and hot and cold. But it was a good night. Only fell once. :) And we made it home safe and sound.

Saturday, the activity we had in the early afternoon was a mini MTC for all the youth in the stake. The part that we played was that we pretended to be investigators and the youth taught us about the Restoration. We were going to take out the priests and laurels to our appointments, but then we couldn't drive, so we did a practice-teach and a mock district meeting. It was fun. It's so exciting to see all these 200 or so youth preparing to serve missions.

Today, we get to clean out the closet of extras!

This is the mountain of clothes and boots and shoes and sheets and hangers and the odd couple of suitcases that we have in our closet. See, the area we're in used to be a sister-training-leader area and at least 4 missionaries have ended their service here. When a missionary finishes his/her mission, they leave stuff behind. And if they don't leave it in the apartment, they give it to their leaders, like sister-training-leaders. A little bit of stuff is ok. Other missionaries might use it, but not this much. We're taking all the things we don't want to GoodwillI've picked out a few things I'll keep, but a lot if it is too small for either me or Hna. Atkinson, so we're getting rid of it.

And speaking of getting rid of things, we're getting rid of the I-pads that we have and we're getting new ones! We were a pilot mission for the I-pads, and now we've become a test mission. So, we're switching I-Pads! Clean slates! New Starts! and all that other good stuff.

Another good thing is that a mom is letting her kids be baptized! We're so excited! We just need to teach them a few things and then they can be baptized sometime in March. We have to talk to the mom about it.

Translating

Feb 19 2015

We've been busy here. We had two baptisms that we attended the weekend. Also we had stake conference over the weekend. They asked me to play piano in both baptisms, so I did. Also, I played the piano in the fireside last night. And they also asked Hna. Christensen and I to translate in stake conference. It was a lot of fun. It was also good, because it helped me to realize how much Spanish I really do know, and how and where I can improve. But our talents are being well used, that's for sure!

Wonderful news! Fernando has stopped drinking! Yes! He's amazing! 

Stake conference was wonderful! I learned a LOT about family councils and ward council and that when you translate, it's not so much about translating every single word, but capturing the general idea of the talk. That's especially true if the speaker talks really fast. :) my companion will testify to that. :) she had to translate the really fast one.

We also had a fireside last night and it was so great because I got to see a lot of people from my first area, from Leesburg! It was great!\

Being true to our covenants

10 Feb 2015

Last Monday--after we were done in the museums, Hna. Christensen wanted to get a sweater, so I sat down on the bench and ate my crackers while I waited for her. When I first sat down, there weren't any birds around, but then when I pulled out the crackers, I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked, and from behind the trashcan, a little sparrow hopped out, then another, and another, and then a starling landed on top of the trashcan. I just laughed and went back to eating my crackers. Then I heard a noise and the starling flew right in front of my, trying to get me to drop the crackers! Or steal them, one of the two. But I didn't, and I still had them. By then, Hna. Christensen was ready to go, so I said, "Sorry, guys, maybe next time" to the birds, but then I felt bad. It's hard to know whether to give birds people food, you know?

We ate tacos on Tuesday at a member's home with President Riggs. It was so fun! It was us, the other Hermanas in the ward, and the elders in the ward, plus the member's family and a few of her friends, so all together, there were...17 of us. Her little daughter sat on one side of President, and I sat on the other side, and at one point, he turns to me and says, in the sweetest manner, "I just love little girls." I told him that's ok, and then he says, "They just wrap me around their little finger." He was so sweet to her though! so kind and loving. I loved it. And so did the member. She kept telling him, "I never thought you would come! I'm so happy you're here! Eat all you want, there's more!" He ate 10 tacos, and so did one of her sons, and I think I might have too. We all ate at least 5 tacos each. There was definitely enough to go around and then double more. It was great, though. It was fun. And then dessert was a tres-leches cake (Which I did not eat. I had fruit instead. :))

We helped another member with her missionary work yesterday. She had talked with a man from Iran and they had talked about how Islams and Mormons are very similar in being true to their covenants and other things of the like. She then offered to get him a copy of the Book of Mormon, and he said sure. So she told us that story and said could she get a copy of the Book of Mormon in English? We said sure, and probably one in his own language, too. She said no, he spoke Urdu or something like that. Well, we went to the mission office and sure enough! There was a Book of Mormon in Urdu! It looks really cool. We got that to her and she says she'll give it to him today. We're excited.

We also had Spanish forum on Tuesday. It was great to see Hna. Moleli again.

Zone Conference

Feb 2 2015

I paid for the parking ticket, because I'm the driver and it was my fault for parking there. Yeah, the mission doesn't pay for those kinds of things. :(

The snow storm didn't come around. They thought 5 inches of snow would come and we got more like five inches of rain. Although, on Tuesday, after zone conference, we got a text saying, "you can now drive," and we said, "we weren't supposed to?" Because we hadn't gotten a text saying we couldn't, so we were really confused. But we figured it was because we had zone conference, so they didn't tell us that we couldn't drive, because we needed to drive so we could at the conference! Have I sufficiently confused you? :)

Zone conference was good, though. We learned a lot about making offerings to the Lord and the importance of how to begin teaching, which is we first start teaching somebody, we tell them things like "we'd like to visit you two times a week. To feel the Spirit of the Lord more, can we turn off the tv and silence our cell phones? Also, we'd like to begin and end with prayer so we can feel the Spirit more. Also, tell us about your religious background, what role has Christ played in your life?" And other questions like that. We learned that it's important to do that because it helps the people we're teaching to become more comfortable with us, we know a bit about them to help us know what they need, they know what we expect from our visits and we know what they expect from our visits.  

We also learned not do to it like a robot. :) a robot missionary is a boring missionary. God made us different for a reason, and we are to use those gifts and talents we have to share the Gospel. Show emotion while you're at it! Be excited! Be awed! Be sad! Show what you feel! It's helps people connect.

Oh! Funny story! Friday night, we had dinner with a member who didn't know that I have gluten allergies, so she brings out a plate of macaroni, meat, carrot something-or other with cheese on top and I looked at it and said, "I'm going to die if I eat that! I can't eat that." So, when she left the room, I put two paper towels on my lap and just shoveled as much as I could from my plate to the napkins. When she came in, I ate from the plate, but every time she left, I piled more on the napkins until he plate was clear. So, now I had this macaroni, meat, carrot, something-or-other ball wrapped in paper towels, and I didn't have anywhere to put it! So, I came up with a plan. When I put on my coat, I still had the macaroni ball in my hand, but I let go of it just before my hand emerged from the sleeve, so it was stuck in the coat sleeve. We said our goodbyes and left. We then deposited the macaroni ball in the nearest gas station trash can. Didn't get any stains on my coat.

We just got done visiting the Smithsonian castle and the Museum of Natural History in DC. It was very cold, but good. This was my third time visiting the natural History Museum, and I still keep learning new things every time I go. They change the exhibits around, too, so there's something new every time I go.

Mission Picture 

9 Feb 2015

Life's lessons

Jan 26 2015

We're expecting 5 inches of snow tomorrow. That'll probably mean we won't be driving much. President Riggs asks us not to drive on the icy roads because it's dangerous, but if we have appointments or meetings, then we can drive. The first time he sent out such a text, I was very prideful. "I can drive in the snow, I'm an Idahoan" and all that. But I realized "to obey is better than to sacrifice." So, I worked on my attitude to be, "OK, if he says no, then we won't go." But if we need to, I can do it! :)

And speaking of cars...we got towed this last weekend....8:50 at night, we're just about to go home, when we come out of the lesson we were in and the car was gone! We called the number, it was there alright, and our investigator's husband gave us a ride, with her in the car, because we can't be in the car with just a man. So we get there, (It takes about half a hour) sign some papers, pay the $185, get our car out, it's fine, and we drive home (another half an hour.) We were NOT happy. But! Now I'm really grateful for kind people and we are now more conscious about where we park! Life's lessons, right? And it all turned out good in the end, so we can't complain too loudly.

The temple was wonderful! The member who took us thanked us because she said she would have never gone if we hadn't had asked her. She was a good sport too, going to an English session, even though she doesn't speak it very well. She spoke in Spanish at the veil, so it worked out for her.

Yesterday, we helped with little children while their parents were in a primary meeting. We watched animated videos about Joseph Smith and Christ comes to the Americas. It was an interesting experience, but a good one, too.

We're going to go do some serious work in our teaching pool this week. Particularly in regards to former investigators. Because, with Hispanics, they move. A lot. And then they change their phone numbers, and then there's no way to contact them anymore, which means their teaching records pile up, which just creates a big mess. So, we're going to go through all the formers and if we can't find them or contact them, we're deleting them! :) Rather, we're deleting their teaching records. It's just the same as though we were shredding their records, which is what we'd do if we had their paper records (which we still do for a lot of them, now that I say that). It'll help us get new people and clean out our teaching pool. It'll be a lot of work, but it'll be good.

Life rolls on in the mission. 

Questions before conference answered

Jan 23, 2015

Two weeks ago, on Sunday, we had our personal study at 8, until 9. I waited for my companion to come so we could do our companionship study, but then I remembered we had church, so I went and told her that, and she laughed because she knew we had church and she was putting on her makeup. And then, I picked up the phone and saw the clock-It was 9:15. But something felt wrong, so I stared at it, trying to figure it out, and then it came to me--church started at 9! It was 9:15! We were already late! So we ran out the door, got to church at about 9:30. Missed the sacrament, but we stayed for the American ward and got it there (that was really weird..the English hymnbooks are big and the ward was huge!) We told the other Hermana missionaries in our ward about it and they got a good laugh out of it, too. So this last Sunday, we get a text from them saying, "Hey, we'd love to see you at church!" We got there on time this week. It was great.

We have this AMAZING investigator named Fernando that we've been teaching. When I first met him, several weeks ago, he didn't seem that interested, but we talked to him and he said he'd be interested to learn more. Then transfers came and so did Hna. Christensen and man, what a change! We taught him how to read the Book of Mormon and when we give him reading assignments, he reads and asks us questions in the next lesson. Last night, he had read the introduction, and the testimonies of the 8 and 3 witnesses and of Joseph Smith before and so he asked us, "If Joseph Smith was the prophet, and the church was restored as it had been anciently, who were his 12 apostles?" And we were like, "uhhhhhhhhh....good question!" We borrowed his computer and found them on lds.org. It was a good learning experience for us! Fernando also told us that he wants us to come over 3 times a week (which is every missionary's dream for an investigator), he's going to come to church, and when I told him I read the Book of Mormon in two weeks, he said, "If you can do it, I'm going to do it, too." And we were like, "OK! You go, Glen Coco!" His drive is that he's going to be baptized. We're going to set a date with him, soon. He has to get married, first, but we love weddings, so it's fine!

Last Saturday, we had two General Authorities come and visit us. Elder Perkins and Elder Hallstrom of the 70s came and talked to us about how to become better missionaries and real intent and all that good stuff. It was kind of funny because President Riggs had asked us to come with a question in mind and while I was sitting there, before the meeting, I still didn't have my question, so I just wrote down something that had kind of been on my mind, and then I ended up writing down about 6 questions. What was cool was that by the end of the conference, all of those questions had an answer to them. :)

Lost and found

Jan 12, 2015

This is the week of the Lost and Found. Here's why:

I received a necklace as a Christmas gift and I loved it! I wore it everywhere. And then on Wednesday night, it fell off and now I can't find it. It is lost.

Then on Friday, I wore my clip nametag on my coat (like we're supposed to) and when we sat down for correlation at 8, I noticed it was gone!

My life is turning into a country song, "I lost my necklace, I lost my tag.." What's next, the I-pad?! (knock on wood, because that would actually be REALLY, REALLY bad).

On the plus side, we found 59 people in our phone who we invited to church via group text. Only 50 phones received the message and none of them came to church. :( Well, we tried. :)

We also found some snow! It finally snowed and stuck this week. And I lost the necklace after it snowed, so no one will probably find it until spring. Oh, well. There it is.

We also found out that the mysterious substance coming up from the edges of the tiles in our kitchen is not mold, like we thought it was, but the tile glue. So, the nice maintenance man gave us a solvent to clean it with the next time it emerges.