Christmas!!

SYPING the fam & sister on her Mission in WA Vancouver!

"One hundred years from now it wont matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in the bank nor how my clothes looked like BUT the world may be a little better because I was important in the life of a child" -Forest Witcraft

Good morning!  Thank you so soooo much for making Christmas so special!!! I made sure not to open anything until Christmas morning! But I did open the Christmas pjs and loved them :] It was kind of hectic with Skype haha but im glad everything worked out :] Aus Im sorry I didn't get to see you but know how much I love you and again I always appreciate you coming here and surprising me, im glad I got to see ya :]

Thank you for all my gifts!

The rest of Christmas day we thankfully got to see a few people. Hermana M a member in the branch taught us how to make tamales!!! Daaha they are pretty dang hard! Sad day though is we didn't get to eat them :[ The rest of the night we had no one to see so we went and caroled at members

houses and gave them candy :] the last house we went to the lady gave us a plate and guess what it was...tamales!!! Haha I was so happy! We have so much fooood I am getting sick of candy haha and Its not even gone!

Making tamales!!!!!

This week we got to do some service. We helped rack leaves for some members and had our little invtestigator k help us. Shes so cute and was so funny! At the end we had her hide under all the leaves and scare people haha it was so funny! She came to church again on sunday :] She sat two rows in front of me then during the middle hymn she moved and came and sat by me and said, "Hey! I missed you!!" Haha I love her and sitting with her, people see us together and keep telling me I am going to be a good mom :] She comes to church and brings some used scriptures and uses a happy birthday bag to hold her scriptures in.  so For Christmas we gave her a book of Mormon of her own and wrote in it :] also gave her some coloring crayons to mark her scriptures and a scripture bag (cause mom sent me an extra, thanks mom!) she loved it and now always asks us when we can read so she can mark her book of Mormon haha! we want her to be baptized but needs approval. Pray that her fam will have an open heart and allow k to be baptized!

Oh the day after Christmas we went caroling at the older peoples home....haha all the missionaries were sick and no one wanted to sing expect my comp. but it turned out well and the older people were really happy we came by :] one lady came up to me and kept giving me so many sweet complements!

Thank you again for the Christmas presents! you all did soo much and I loved every little thing :] Pray for me that I will have the strength to keep working hard! im really sick again :[ Thank you for all you do! I love you!

Merry Christmas!

Going on 7 months of biking .. look what I got for christmas! A new bike!

Woooow I cant believe its almost christmas!!! I am so excited to skype everyone! i hope i have the chance to see my siblings on a mission kelsey and austin but if not know I love you both sooo much and hopefully we can all see each other on Mothers Day :]

this past week the branch had their christmas party! It was fun.  there was a good turn out we got some of our investigators to show up and there was a loooot of food! one of my best friends in the branch E was santa clause hahaha it was so funny! they covered his face with so much hair you couldnt even see his face. so it was like looking at santa but with ALL his hair covering his face AND he was speaking in spanish hahaha it was so awesome! 

Love them!

we also had the mission christmas party which was so awesome! we had a guy come who is a patriarch and he explained about the abrahamic covenent and the 12 tribes and things like that, it was really awesome! got to hear some talks, watched ephriums rescue. it was a pretty cheese movie, some parts were touching because its based on a real life person. i would totally recommend you guys watching it :] there was a kissing scene and it was so funny to see all the different reactions of the missionaries!!! some people whistled, others covered their eyes hahaha funny enough even i thought the kissing scene was awkward! i feel so over protected sometimes haha the food was so good there was sooo much of it! one of the servers was awkward though he was an RM who was totally hitting on my friend Hermana S and i haha. There was a talent show and one kid went up there and did a miming skit. I was actually laughing really hard! Then my friend next to me starts busting up laughing to then says, "HAHAHAHA oh I am so deprived of television. I have no sense of humor anymore" which made me laugh even more! then they had a mission slide show with pictures of all the missionaries of 2013. Wow that made me laugh and cry. Just seeing how quickly time flies by and then all of a sudden you're done with your mission. Mission president and his family played out the nativity! It was so cute the have 7 kids all under the age of 15 it was so cute. 

Best friend Hermana S  ~  other friend Hermana E

Trained Hermana O - MTC comp Hermana R! - Hermana N (right) same MTC district!

Our Mission President's sweet family acted out the Nativity

Im sorry this letter is so short! I dont have a lot of time today but know i love you all so much am so blessed to be a member of this church :] thank you or all you do and have done for me!

Going on 5th transfer in same area on a Bike

Found out today I'll be having another 6 weeks here in B Bike area. Obviously whatever God wants me to learn here I haven't learned yet haha.  if its his will that I should stay another transfer here in B that I would do everything I can to start being more dedicated to baptize our investigators. I know this is why I'm here another transfer. We have investigators who need both Hermana C and I. I know that my trials and tribulations "worketh patience" (Romans 5:3) and that I need to "continue in patience until [I] am perfected" (D&C 67:13).

I love being in this area for so long. Because I've been here since July a lot of people have remembered my name, even though its a hard one for Hispanics to say :] P the 78 year old member called us the other day and said, "Its gonna be cold outside today!! Are you going to stay inside? You probably should." Haha then we'd say, "We have to go work P! We are going outside." Then the otherday he said, 'Hermanita Jaeger did you know your name is in the bible?!!" I laughed so hard and told him I had no idea!! He said, "Yeah its in Genesis 31:47!!" In the Spanish scriptures it uses the word Jegar hahaha but in the English bible it like jegarhsaholhfeu or something like that. I thought it was so cute for some reason he went and was reading and looked up or found my name :] Like I've mentioned before I feel really loved in this area, and wanted. I know this is where I'm suppost to be.

This email is going to be pretty short because I don't have a ton to write about haha. BUT after church a member in the branch took us to go and decorate I's house for Christmas! When we got there she was on oxygen for her asthma :[ like the one the boys use to use? It was sad. I gave her a hug and started helping to decorate. Then as we were decorating her house she asked if I would help fold the laundry on her bed. I sat down by her and helped fold her laundry while everyone else decorated the house. She was so happy to see all the lights and Navitity Set! It brought a big smile onto her face :] we sang Silent night which helped bring in the spirit as well :]

During studies this week I realized something. Everyone will go through trials in life. Trials don't come because we are bad people. Job from the bible had trials, and he was a great man! Jesus Christ was perfect and he had the greatest trials of all. I know that trials come into our lives because they give us an opportunity to rely and strengthen our faith in God. Like my mom said, "God gives his toughest battles to his shoudlers". I also love what it says in my blessing that "the lord challenges those and allows adversity to  come into the lives of the great ones". How grateful I am to be here on a mission. I love this time of year!!! The spirit of Christ is just so strong during this time of year. Hope you all have agreat week :] I love you!

Ho Ho Holy Cold Weather!

Hola! I cannot explain how FREEZING it has been here in Rosenburg! We got a message form the president telling us to be careful this week becuase its going to the in the low 20s. Haha even though I've had on two pairs of leggins, warm socks, boots, two shirts, a sweater, a jacket, gloves, and a beanie on I'm still so cold! I feel like I'm in a snow globe Hahaha the humidity here makes the temperature feel a lot colder than it is. I swear at one point I thought there was little flecks of snow dropping. Now I can say I've BIKED in the hottest weather in texas AND the coldest weather...yay. Haha :]

This week has been a really good week! Monday we had a zone activity. We played a game called, "Do you love your neighbor" HAHA it was so fun but one Elder kept saying, "Umm we should rather say do you RESPECT your neighbor. Its more appropriate." Either way the game was fun. Also went to look up a guy named A. He wasnt home but we saw a guy outside and started talking to him. Come to find out it was A!!! Haha he was so nice and was pretty interested in our message. We tried to visit him again this week but havent been able to see him :/

Tuesday we went and helped an investigators kids with homework! Angel knows very little English so I tried my best teahcing him math and he got it! Then we moved onto Reading and it was in spanish. Haha I feel like I learned more form A's homework then he did! The homework has us read a sentence then draw a picture of what the sentence said. the first sentence was, "Tengo un paragua"....I had a confused look on my face and A's mom started laughing cause she knows how little spanish i understand HAHA! A drew the picture and I found out paragua is an umbrella.  After a volleyball activity one of the members, who reminds me of dad cause hes a "big guy" haha he went and sat on my bike and BROKE IT! We were all laughing so hard and I felt bad cause he felt bad. He was kind and the next morning took my bike in and fixed it and its all good! I didnt have to pay for anything :] I'm not sure why so many people try and sit on my bike haha

Wednesday I dont remember haha!

thusrday I had a different Hermana come to my area for the day. I had to bike slower so she could keep up  I'vr been on a bike going on 6 months now!  But it was interesting to be with her cause she broke up with her boyfriend and was having a hard time and so since i had just recently gone through that I was able to help her! 

So happy to spend a day with my old companion!

Friday was AWESOME!!! Hermana O my old companion got to come back to the area here with me! It ws so fun catching up and being together like old times. We had a miracle day and were able to have 8 lessons AND have two of our investigators accept to prepare to be baptized!!! My fav lesson was with an investigator M. Shes a mom of 5 kids and is taking care of them on her own. she is amazing. she started reading 3 nephi 11 where christ visits the americas was confused about the "small voice". We helped explain that that was the holy ghost and how the holy ghost speaks to us in a quiet voice, or more like feelings. She loved it and wants to be baptized in january! We set up a return lesson for today so we can teach her WHOLE fmaily!!! We also talked to a ton of people outside (which was a miracle cause it was like in the 20s) and one guy we met his name was A! Hes about dads age and asked us to come back someother time to teach him.

Saturday I dont remember either!  haha.

Sunday was good! We woke up early and biked to peoples houses to get them up for 9am church but no one answered :[ i think like my sister Kelsey too how when people dont answer the door I picture the photo of the savior knocking on the door, waiting for someone to let him in. We did have one person come to church K. ITs so funny she loves to sit by me and she will start to put her head on my shoulder and I'll have to tell her that she need to sit up. Rules in the misison are you cant really be affectionate to kids so its hard cause I LOVE KIDS! Anyway ya the past 3 weeks I've only sat by kids and young woman and someone commented that someday I'll be a great mom :] After church we went back and tried that A guy, and he was home! The spirit was so strong during the lesson for me. We taught the REstoration and found out more about A. He is into construction but work has been really bad. Hes been debating wether or not to move his family to mexico or stay in texas. For some reaon his wife told him they should stay. That sunday A was at home with the tv on but thinking really intently about life and wanting help and guidance from God. Thats when he heard a knock on the door, and there were the missionaries. He knew that his family needed to stay here in texas to hear about htis gospel. I was so amazed that he was so open and ready to hear about this message and change his life! He said when he ran into us the other day outside he didnt have time to talk. When we left he told his wife how amazing it was that young people were outside in the freezing cold preaching about God. A's wife felt the same and they wanted to know more about our church. We are going over this week to share this message with their whole fmaily.

I know God puts specific people in our paths who are ready to hear the gospel! We (not just missionaries) but all of us need to always open out mouths to others and share with them this gospel! And yes not everyone will be interested in listening but God just wants us to try. Really, we are like 6 month olds compared to ur Heavenly Father and the knowledge he has. Do we expect a 6 month old to talk perfectly? do we expect a 6 month old to start running? No! We are just exited that they are trying to blabber or move their legs. Its the same with our relationship to God. He doesn't expect us to do everything perfectly! BUT he does expect us to try. I know our heavenly father lives and loves us. Becuase of that he sent his son jesus christ. I know as we follow in the saviors footsteps we will have more peace in our lives and in the end we will return back home to our heavnly father :] i love you all so much and am happy to see you on Christmas!  love- hermana jaeger

Dia de Pavo (Turkey Day)

First off THANK YOU for all my warm clothing you sent me this week!!!! That was a blessing but now its warm haha                                                           

Thanksgiving was good some members in the branch made us food which was nice :] We had a family that we've been teaching come to the dinner! It was awesome. I love them a lot, especially C shes 9 and loves giving hugs and doing hand shakes haha. Okay I have a sad story.  So during thanskgiving the turkey they had was HUGE and one (who barely knows english) said, "look they made an ostradge" (while pointing to the turkey haha cause it was so big). Then I responded back, "No es pollo" meaning "No thats chicken"....the two hsipanic guys I was with started laughing so hard!!! Then I realized what I said and said "Ahh no es pavo!" "Ohh no its turkey" Hahaha it was so embarressing!!! I mean both chicken and turkey are birds so they could at least give me THAT credit. But when I see them now they ask, "Hey Hermana how did you like the chicken?" Haha they won't let it go.

Elders photo bombing   ~   Love this family

Oh a big miracle this week was we had 3 people at church!!!! A family in the branch took 3 of our investigators. for the past 2 weeks now i've been sitting with all these younger girls which is sooo fun but wow they are fun haha. By the end of sacrament I had atleast 8 notes saying how much they loved me, how pretty I was, and how we were best friends haha. I felt so loved Brazos Branch has a big part of my heart, when I see everyone it feels like home.

Visiting 1st area with my 1st comp!

This past week we've been able to teach a pretty good amount of people! This week I got to go back to my first area in MoCity for a day and be with Hermana K my first companion in the field! It was a lot of fun we got to see people I taught AND visit a member J L who was less active but we helped reactivate him and now hes leaving on his mission!!! He was so happy and shocked to see me. It was awesome seeing how much we helped him come back to church and now he's leaving on a mission!

J is going on a mission!

Weird that I already hit my 9 month mark!!! As dad said, "Now its all down hill form here" haha. i dont want it to go by fast!!!

Something I really loved hearing about during church was obedience. The teacher explained how as children, when we are learning to swim and dad tells us, "Come on! Trust me!"  We hesitate but trust that he will catch us and so we jump! Its the same with our heavenly father. At moment in life we are scared and not sure if we can make it. But our Heavenly Fathe ris always extending his loving arms and saying, "Come on! Trust me!" I know as we are obedient to Him and follow all his council and commandments he gives to us, we will be blessed.

Making cookies with Hermana R & my comapnion Hermana C

One quote I loved this week that I want to share with you, "God knows better than you what you need. He attemps to speak to you. Listen, and follow the uncomfortable suggestions that he makes to us. Everything will fall int its place. The pain of sacrifice lasts only one moment. It is the fear of the pain of sacrifice that makes you hesitate to do it. When you are compelled to give up something or when things rhat are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be bealrned right now. But know also that as youa re learning this lesson, God wants to give you somehting better"

Love this fam!  Wear our bike helmets.

sorry this letter is short! know i love you so much and wish you all the best ---Hermana Ashley jaeger