Goodly Parents

Hola a mi bonita familia :]

This week was a pretty long week haha. The Lord has blessed us with finding and teaching a couple new people who are interested in learning about the gospel. This past week we had the chance to help out with seminary at 6am. It was so early. As we were waiting for the seminary class to start I saw a man outside moving his trash to the front yard. Without even thinking my feet moved towards him to go talk to him haha. He was a sweet older man who said we could come back and visit with his family. As seminary started there was only 2 students, and one of the students moms. The teacher wanted us to sing "To Bring The World His Truth" and thought itsd be more beautiful with the help of missionaries. As we started singing the first lines of the song I got emotional, "we have been born as nephi of old, to goodly parents who love the lord". As we kept singing I couldnt help but think of my family back home. My heart filled with gratitude for being raised in such an amazing home. After the song the teacher talked about how majority of missionaries leave on missions because they were raised in good homes with good paretns. She asked us missionaries if we would share our testimonies. As I started to speak my eyes filled with tears. I shared of how grateful I am for all the sacrifices my parents have and are making for helping support me on my mission. I quickly seem to forget that as much as i am sacrificing here, my family back at home is sacrificing just as much to help me be here. 

From this experience I have reflected on the things my parents have taught me back at home that I've used on my mission. Like being compationate and sacrificing your wants to help others. I remember EVERY birthday my mom would ALWAYS wake up early in the morning and put up birthday decorations and cake and everything all set up and nice for our birthdays :] even spending one birthday away from home mom still thought of sending birthday decorations and cake to make my feel special :] Today we found out a lady in the ward had her birthday. she invited us to go out to eat with her on her bday which was a pday. We could have easily said we will go another day because we dont have enough time on our pday, but we felt we should spend time with her on her special day, even if it took time out of our day of rest. The lady, Hermana P, bought us jack in the box cause she heard we like hamburgers haha, We saw that she bought herself birthday flowers and birthday cake. I felt for her that she was spending her birthday time all by herself. As we sat and ate together we joked around and talked and just had a good time. We gave Hermana P a birhtday card and stuffed teddy bear, nothing big. As she read the simple birthday card she started to cry. She looked at both of us and said, "Thank you hermanas, for coming to spend time with me on my birthday. All my family lives in mexico and I have no one to come and visit me. Thank you...Thank you." 

Another life lesson i learned from my parents is to take the time and talk to those in need. I can recall the many days and nights mom would just sit and listen to what was going on in my life. I cherish the moments I had with just me and dad sitting in his big diesol truck and talking about my future and giving me loving advice. On Sunday I saw one of my missioanry friends struggling to hold her emotions back while sitting in sacrament. I couldnt ignore that she was sad and stressed. So I tapped her in the shoulder and we walked out side to talk. As I sat listening to all the things causing my friend stress I felt the saviors love. I know he would do the same to anyone he sees who is going through a hard time, wether or not he knew the person. 

Also many times back at home I have learned the important lesson of having patience haha. Usually I learned this lesson with my sister Kelsey ;p Today as we were washing our clothes we found out we didnt have enough quarters to put our clothing in the dryer. And every month we are given a specific amount of miles to use that we cannot go over. So since we are SUPER in need of more miles for driving and without any quarters my comp and I used a clothes line mom sent to me many months ago and we hung up our wet clothes. After an hour of stressfuly figuring out how to put up the annoying clothes line we started to laugh and take pictures instead of bicker. I remember many times at home when Kels and I would have moments of stress and in the end we just started busting up laughing because of how silly the situation was. 

Though life is hard I've learned the best way to go through out life is with a smile on your face and a laugh in your heart. Sounds kind of silly haha but the best way I deal with stress of anything that hurts me is by laughing. I remember the word of dad, "laughing is the best kind of medicine!" and i could picture him saying that while doing a goofy dance haha. I cannot express my gratitude and appreciation for my family members. You are the ones who keep me going, besides my Heavenly Father and Savior of course. Usually ill catch myself looking at a picture of the family or looking at something that was sent to me from home. How grateful I am for this moment I have to help others, to bring them into the light! This gospel is what makes me who I am. Sad to think I have a little more then 5 months left to be a missionary. But with that thought in mind it pushes me even harder to make a difference in everyone who passes my way. I love you all :]

*For my brother Elder Aus & week of Miracles

Saint Patricks Day

This week has been full of miracles!! I want to share one story with you but for some reason I got the prompting today (a REALLY strong prompting) to focus this email to my brother Austin. I'm not really sure what you are suppost to hear from me austin but know that I'm going to try real hard to be lead by the spirit right know to know what the Lord is trying to tell you :]

Missioanry work is hard. For the fam at home ask Kels about it haha. This work was not meant to be easy., look at the life of Christ. his whole life he was doing his fathers will even though many hated him for it. They beat him and spit upon him and crucified him. And even then when he was on the cross, he loved them and forgave them "father, forgive them for they know not what they do". Even after christs death we understand that he was working in the spirit world organizing the work to being more souls unto him! He never stops doing this work. We are far from being like the savior, but we as members are asked to do the same work as our savior, to preach his gospel. when we were baptized we "took upon us the name of christ" meaning we promised to do as the savior did. Austin, I know you are working SO hard in your mission!!! To the point where your legs are starting to give out on you haha. And for this you heavenly father is extremely proudof you  and grateful for your service. Can you picture yourself at the end of your mission? I hope you picture a tall tan man with worn out shoes and soul but still with a smile on his face :] this is the most important work we can be doing. I know even after my mission and when the name tag is ripped away from me (haha cause i never wanna get released) i will still be doing missioanry work. ive come to realize HOW IMPORTANT it is to proclaim this gospel to EVERYONE because without baptism they will not be saved. This week I want to ask all of you (ecpesially austin) to read 3 nephi 11. I want you to see what is the FIRST principle christ teaches the people when he visits the nephites. That chapter in the book of mormon changed my whole outlook on   missionary work. I love you all. And austin, even if you cant see the fruits of your labors yet, i promise you....they will come. in the lords timing. 

This week our main focus was getting J baptized. Starting out the week J explained to us he was not ready to be baptized, he felt he needed more time. He said he wanted to know more before being baptized. During one of my personal studies I prayed so fervently that heavenly father would help me feel how J was feeling, and that I may find scriptures that could help J really understand the importance of baptism and that he was ready. As I was reading I came across 3 nephi 11: 29-30 "... and I and the father I r commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me. and whoso believeth in me and is baptized the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of god. and who so beliveth not in me and is not baptized shall be damned" (versus 32-34). At first I felt this message was a little TOO strong and bold to share. Then I realized that these are the words of our Savior. He is lovingly bold. I can picture him crying out to each of his brotheren and proclaiming that that they need to be baptized or else they will not be saved. 

We read this scritpure and explained that these are the words of his loving savior PLEADING for us to follow him, repent, and be baptized. This message touched J's heart, he prayed right there to know if he should be baptized and after the prayer said he felt at peace. We explained that this was the spirit testifying to him that he is ready to be baptized on sunday. Hna W and I did EVERYTHING we could to help J prepare for his baptism. 

How grateful i am for this gospel in my life. I LOVE MY FAMILY! how happy i am to have them for eternity because honestly 1 1/2 years is way too long to be away from y'all haha. I lvoe you all and pray for you always (especially you Kels ;]). Thank you for supporting me and loving me when im far away.

Howdy from Houston!-

Got a referral but no code to get in

Found out I have another transfer with Hermana W :D we are so excited. we need each other and the area needs us! We have only 3 people who we are teaching on a regular basis. J our investigator is doing well! His baptismal date is THIS sunday. We pray that all goes well and he can pass his interview and be baptized :] PLEASE pray that J will be ready to be baptized this sunday! G is our other invetigator and is doign good! she is so ready to be baptized but for some reason wants to wait another month. which is okay :] she will be even mroe prepared for her date. every time we see G and N they ALWAYS feed us. they know that the missionaries dont eat much so every time we pass by they always are so selfless and make food for us. i am really grateful for them :]

I dont have anything really new to talk about haha. We are trying really hard right now to find people to teach. I have faith that god will help us find those who are ready. I know that at moment when we are ready to just give up! God is ready to start blessing us. And I know he will do that with this area. We are down to nothing...but he will teach us how to work this area if we allow him. 

this week i came across a scripture that I LOVE and really helped me gave me a boost to keep going, "From that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentace...that they might also be born of God and be filled with the Spirit" (alma 36:24)

i loev you all so much :] thank you for all your support and help!

Long week

First off thank you my sweet brother Elder Jaeger for sending me a letter :]  i got lots of laughs and a few tears from it :]i wrote you back and will try and send it soon. sorry my letter is short-this is what i sent to my mission pres so thought itd be okay to send to you all too :] i love you and hope you have a good week!

Flat tire... not on the bike this time

We had a REALLY hard week. We tried our hardest to have member present lessons this past week, at least 13 of our set lessons (at least half being with members/part member families) cancelled right before or after the lesson was set. This week I did realize how grateful I am to have an amazing companion though. We could have EASILY just lost our faith and not work as hard, but we tired really hard and kept the faith :] We were blessed to have lessons with J and G.

J was a man OYMed on the bus and ever since his accident where he almost lost his life he has been wanting to live his life to the fullest. He sees his life as a blessing from God, he sees it a miracle that he is still living after being punctured in the heart with a knife a few weeks ago. Because of his accident he decided to take better care of his body. He has come to church 3 times know and loves it, we are planning on having him come to the Devotional on Sunday. J has an amazing testimony and so much faith in God. He wants to do the right thing. 

G and her husband actually take J to church on sundays. This past week we got to visit with her 3 times. She has been going to church for about a year now and I ever since I've met her shes been SUPER ready to be baptized and make this step. We asked how she felt she says see is 100% she is getting baptized :] we invited her to pray and fast with us to know if God wants her to be baptized march 9 or 16 because she is ready. For some reason she just wants more time until she is baptized. But she said she would pray and fast this past sunday to know! After that she started asking AMAZING questions about the temple like when she can start taking the temple prep classes to prepare to receive her endowments and get sealed to her husband! She told us we need to come back for the sealing :] 

Downtown Houston
It's a little scary at night

I loved studying the Atonement this week. I like in alma in verse 16 how it talks about that he who exercises faith unto repentance receives mercy which satisfies justice and he who does not repent is exposed to justice and has to pay the consequences. Its interesting to see how important it is that we ACT on our faith!!!! Christ already went through the pains and consequences for us, so why would we not use the atonement in our lives? If we dont repent then christ suffered for us for nothing because in the end we would have to suffer for our own sins which christ already paid for if we do not repent (d&c 19). I realize the importance of NOT procrastinating the day of your repentance. While reading in Jacob 5 and going through the footnotes I see how important it is to repent daily and always live a righteous life, because we don't exactly when the Savior will come. We dont need to be preoccupied with guessing WHEN he will come but more we need to be prepared DAILY for when he does come :] and we will be ready. And we will come boldly to the thrown of grace. 

I have a great desire to help ALL come into this gospel, to receive the blessings that god has for them.