Oh my family! Well here we are: my last e-mail. We had a wonderful week. Wonderful! We found a couple of new potentials that seem really good. Sister Cooprider is staying in this area still and training. I'm excited for them as they have many new people that we have set appointments with them to teach. It's weird to know I won't be a part of that, but it's alright...I guess! We had our two wonderful baptisms this weekend of Jenny and Ashley! It went really really well and was just a really nice day for them. I think it was really great for their Dad too. I know eventually he will have the desire and he will receive an answer that he needs to be baptized.
There are so many changes I feel coming up in the mission and coming up in these areas. It just makes you want to be here for all of it! But I suppose it always feels like things are changing and great things are about to happen when you're about to leave! But it has been so amazing and wonderful to see the progress that has happened in the Anaheim 2nd ward and the Anaheim 7th branch. They're starting to really get missionary work. They've improved so much in fellowshipping both investigators, recent converts and less actives are so much better. We don't have to worry as much about people being lost. Nicole is doing so well, and everyone has been so welcoming to her. I know that Sister Cooprider has learned a lot in the last little while too, especially in being bolder, and I know she will continue to see so many miracles here.
Last week we, Sister Brown, President and Sister Watrous and I, went to the temple and that was wonderful!. Last February we went to the temple and all wrote little letters-to ourselves sort of, about what kind of mission we wanted to have, and what we wanted to do and were going to learn. And then we were given those back while we were at the temple, so we could read them again. It was interesting, it doesn't feel like too long ago, but I know that I've (hopefully) grown since then. But it's still pretty odd to read the things that I said then, and to even see at that point how I had grown; I'm not sure how, but it seems like it. Our mission conference was really great. But geez, it's sort of unfair to have an inspiring mission conference right before you leave! Sang "Called to Serve" for the last time. Weird! Saturday morning I had my last interview with President. He renews our temple recommends, and then goes over all the info that mission presidents are supposed to say I guess. And he added in his own advice, and then he gives us a blessing. He's just such a great man. He is super humble and obedient and faithful. He really has been an amazing example for all the missionaries.
Today we're teaching one last lesson. Well, one last lesson for me with Raichel Goodyear. Remember I mentioned her once? She was golden, and sooo ready and we passed her onto some elders in another singles ward. Well, long story, she's back to being taught be us. We haven't seen her since September, and she wanted to be taught today. Fine by me! I'll do my last baptismal invitation as a missionary! I am so excited!
Well, I'll just say it. I LOVE being a missionary! It's been the best 18 months! And even though I really don't know what to expect after this, and I am a little anxious, I'm excited to see how life is just going to keep getting better. You know, I'm pretty lucky. I really am. I feel like I am blessed just over and over and over again and every year is better than the last! It's amazing to see how you really do become a missionary. Not just doing missionary things, but being a missionary. I'm so grateful for the things I've experienced and learned. Irreplaceable! My testimony of the gospel has just grown sooo much deeper. I have learned how to study the scriptures, to feast upon them! To love them! And I expect it to continue! If there's been a theme to what I've learned on the mission and what I've tried to teach others, it's love. It is the love our Heavenly Father has for us, and how everything he does is for our happiness. We just have to recognize it and act on it. I LOVE being a missionary! I am excited to see all of my little family again! I love you all so much and thank you so much for everything you've done for me! The love, the prayers, the letters! I love you! See you soon! Ah!
Hi all family! This is your second to last e-mail from me! We had a great and busy week!
So Nicole was baptized on Wednesday. Everything was ready and people were getting there, but there was no Nicole for a while. Nicole comes to everything early. Church doesn't start until 11:00 and she gets there at 10:00. She wanted to be at the baptism an hour early, but we told her 6:30. When it was about 7:00 we were a little worried. Sister Cooprider and I ended up saying a little prayer together outside, and 40 seconds later, in walks Nicole and her husband and her mom. Yeah! Miracles! She was sooo nervous, and just shaking. When she saw all the people who showed up, she told us to tell them all to go home. Nope! But everything went perfectly. And once she was baptized, she was so happy. It's really good. And Sunday bishop confirmed her and it was really nice. And her husband came to church for it. So who knows, hopefully we can begin working with him.
Saturday is the Lopez's baptisms. Now they were there an hour early. Again, everything went perfectly. The ward really came out and supported both of these baptisms. The kids sang “I am a Child of God" at their baptism, and it was fantastic! It was just really really nice. And Sunday our ward mission leader confirmed them, and their dad stood in the circle, so that's good. It was a good Sunday with 4 confirmations, and the primary program. Yeah!
Let's see, what else. Um, we did exchanges on Thursday and I went to the Tongan area. Got to see what I missed by not speaking a Polynesian language. Malo lei lei! Fefehake. Saipe. I can do that much. It's always really great to have an opportunity to learn from a different missionary, to see how they work. Definitely I still have things I could improve. I still have a little more to improve.
This weekend is the Lucero's baptism. Good thing. It just needs to happen. And really we are just trying to find some new investigators, to keep the work going! This week should be really great, we also have a mission conference on Thursday where Elder Foster, one of the seventy is speaking to us, then Friday I go to the temple with S. Brown (I think the only other departing missionary, MTC reunion for us!) and President and Sister Watrous, then Saturday is my departing interview. Get all the good advice from President.
So that's all! Congratulations to Ashleigh on being baptized! I was thinking about you on Saturday and knowing you were being baptized too! Love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!
Good afternoon (evening to some of you) my family! How is everyone? Well, everything is just grand here in Anaheim! I've heard all about the Philadelphia visit. Sounds like it was a fantastic time! Baby Yoda, cleaning carpets, doctor's appointments, and autumn back east. I'm jealous. Some of the trees here change colors. Not too much though. We're still having pretty amazing weather and I know I will miss it!
Well for Halloween we didn't do anything different. Just worked! And then we had chili with some Young Single Adults before they had a party. Hey mom, I remember how you made chili one year at Halloween, and you wouldn't let me go out until I ate some. In WA I think. Remember? Anyway
Friday night was interesting. We had an appointment to see Cesar. Now Cesar, he's a little different. He's not 100% there. He is, but he isn't. He gets everything we teach him, he understands the reading, and he speaks normal. But something's different. So when we get there, he's in a really bad mood. Apparently he had dropped his cell phone and cracked the screen and so he can't call anyone, and he wasn't able to receive calls, and felt cut off from the world. He wasn't in the mood to pray or to read or do anything. And no amount of our being patient and helping him think through his options would help. We had brought a Young Single Adult with us (Tracy), who is awesome and always comes with us, and she is so relaxed, very CA. She finally somehow distracted him by planning to meet him the next day and talking him to the stake center to do family history. He doesn't know who his parents are and doesn't even know if they're alive, so he wants to look them up. Oh, I was so grateful. I was getting so frustrated. I think I hide it well though. But seriously, he was just so upset that he wasn't seeing how it could be better, and he was just difficult. And I could only think that I don't know how I'm ever going to be able to be a mother if I have children that are stubborn like that. Huh mom? I just wanted to drop him right there! We all laughed about it though when we got out of the car.
On Sunday, our branch mission leader went to pick him up for church, and decided to have a little chat with him. Or in his own words he "interrogated" Cesar. And he decided Cesar wasn't ready to be baptized and told our branch president. We were so upset about it. It's all alright now, we've talked to Cesar again, and we'll just have to talk to our lame branch mission leader and reset the date. We're thinking November 15. He's accountable, he understands, and he wants to be baptized and is worthy. Who are we to not let him be baptized?
Nicole is doing really well. Her baptism is tonight at 7:00pm. The ward kept asking us why we are doing it during the week, and we said because we hoped it would deter some people from coming. Odd reason, we know. But Nicole's a nervous personality. And as it is, we know that a lot of people will still come, and she'll be happy with it. It will work. We're really excited for her.
Yesterday when we met with her she had a little breakdown because she's so stressed. Her mom has been driving her crazy, and she's sad that her husband smokes;-she fasted on Sunday for him to be able to stop-plus, they don't always get along. And it's hard, because she just feels alone, and even S. Cooprider is not always the most sensitive to Nicole. She's not very good at controlling facial expressions, and people notice. So Nicole was crying yesterday and I felt so bad for her. Sometimes there's only so much you can do. Unfortunately she's pretty attached to me, and I'm just hoping she doesn't have another breakdown when I leave. Ah! But all will be perfect with the baptism tonight!
And Saturday we have the baptism of the Lopez kids-Cathy, Kiara and Michael. Yeah! They're the best behaved little kids and just excited. So that's that! And the Lucero's are still a go for Nov. 14.
Last week we also did a couple of splits. It was so interesting because the last time I did splits, I was in a threesome, and I was with the other companion. It's so odd to not be with your companion for a while. It just feels wrong. But the appointments went really well. We visited a Hispanic family in the ward. The parents are from Mexico, and speak English, and the boys (should) go to the YSA branch. But they don't. One's an RM, and one needs to go on a mission. so we're trying to activate the boys, Bethuel and Yobel Montanez. And I went with a girl from the ward that’s going on a mission in a couple of months, and we visited this other less active family, the Chutes. They always cancel our appointments, so they frustrate us. But Jenny, the member, knows them really well, so it was a really good appointment. That's another reason why members are so invaluable in appointments-they give you another connection to the less actives you visit. It really helps! Also last week, we had a Hungarian dinner cooked by the Hungarian roommate of one of our less actives. He's a funny guy. And then another day we had Danish food cooked by the 2 Danish girls staying with one of the counselors in the branch presidency. But the funny thing was their Danish dinner was Mexican food. They said it's the way they do Mexican food in Denmark. Pretty much the same as we do it here. Also, we had our president's interviews last week. It was wonderful!
And that was the week! Pretty busy and amazing week! I love it! Everything is just fantastic and I'm still sprinting! I hope everyone is staying healthy. No swine flu! I love you all so much! Thanks for being my family!
