Patience Pays-Off

Me and my Comp Hermana B.  Representing our TEAM!

This week was a pretty normal week, we visited a lot of member. I've come to a conclusion of the different ways members react to trials. The conclusion was that those members who have already been through the temple bear their burdens with more strength in the Lord then those who have not gone to the temple. Our goal for the rest of my time here in H 1 is to get at least a temple picture into every one of our members homes, so they may remember where they should be heading in life.

 A couple of members have been asking me why I decided to lengthen out my mission for a month. I told them its because I have a great desire to help others come unto christ. And its true. I have VERY specific people here in H 1 that I want to help them progress towards baptism before I leave. I know if I have enough faith in God and work to my full potential I will be able to see these miracle baptisms happen. How grateful I am for this time I have to be here. Thank you mom and dad and grandparents for all the sacrifices you go through to help support me here on my mission. It is the best decision I have ever made in my life. 

this past sunday we had stake conference. As I looked and said hello to familiar faces I went up and talked to the M couple, the first of my investigators that got baptized. As I talked to them and reminded hno M that he said hed share his testimony before i left my mission he replied back that he was sharing his testimony that day in sacrament meeting and how nervous he was! Haha it was so incredible hearing his beautiful testimony of how his wife had waited 27 years until he was baptized. He said how MANY missionaries would come and go but hed never want to listen. He expressed his gratitude for the patient sisters who worked with him for so long to help him get baptized and he named off each sister, sister k, m, j, and jaeger. My heart filled with gratitude for the tender mercy I had to be able to listen to hno m testimony and to see how the gospel has changed his life. I know this gospel can change lives, for the better. Now him and his wife are working to be sealed into the temple :]

I know the importance of being patient in life. SOmetimes the lords timing isdifferent from ours, and in these moments we just need to wait and remember that he is waiting with us too. i like the lyrics of an EFY song that explains of how we need not rush things "I dont need to rush or wait for my future, He knows I'm strong enough and he has a plan...for the girl I am"

I know He has a plan for me and each one of you. Trust in him and believe in good things to come :] be patient and faithful until he calls you home.   love- hna jaeger

New hair cut & Making cupcakes with little A  ~  The S Family

Waiting at church

Surprise! I'm EXTENDING MY MISSION!!

This week I received my "trunky papers". Here is a little of what the letter said from president, "I am sure it is with mixed emotions that you are realizing that your release date is just a few months away...I am writing to extend a challenge to you. With all of the experiences, speaking skills, knowledge and faith you have acquired since your mission began, there has never been a time in your mission when you were more qualified and able. You are at the height of your missionary service. Never have you been more capable to have a powerful impact on this sacred work of the Lord...I challenge you to utilize these remaining sacred weeks in the mission field to increase your pace, and acheive a great work in the name of the Lord...These last precious days will never come again...I pray the Lord's greatest blessings to be upon you as you sprint to the end".

I have spent the last few weeks praying to know whether I should extend my mission or not. After countless prayers and trying to find an answer I have come to the conclusion that the Lord trusts me enough to make my own decision. I talked to my mission president about it and he said that I am only obligated to serve until August 26, and the Lord is so incredibly happy with me for serving that long. He said to go to the Lord and ask him if he would be fine with me extending if that is what I would want to do, then finished "us as a mission would love if you extended". As I pondered the next few days about this I realized something. At the beginning of this transfer I asked the Lord why I was in the area. I just wanted to know who needed my help. Since that prayer there have been countless moments and struggles from members and nonmemebrs that have shown me why I am here. I have very specific investigators who are in my area who I know I was sent here to help them be baptized. I feel I must give them all that I have (including all the time I can have to serve here) to help them be baptized and then work towards going to the temple. 

After also talking with the family :] I have come to a conclusion that I want to extend my mission and stay the extra 4 weeks until september 26th. The only reason I am making this decision is because of the people here. Form my investigators, memebers, and less actives. I feel I can really help them even more if I stay until september and not leave in august. I know right now it feels like the 4 weeks will be so long, but thinking in an eternal perspective its only a little moment. And to think how many people I can help bring unto christ in those last 4 weeks. I know this gospel is true. I want to help as many people as I can be apart of this great joy in the gospel! 

I love you. How grateful I am for your support and love. I am so lucky to have such an incredible family. I know he will watch over you until I come home :]  love- hna ashley jaeger

Full of Miracles

Happy Fathers Day to my awesome dad! As you can see in the picture below we helped a member pull our carpet and everything to help out in tile. My dad trained me well haha. Also, because there is SO MUCH construction here in Houston we see a lot of tractors. Today we passed one that reminded me of when dad use to take us on the tractors when we were little. How grateful I am to have an amazing priesthood holding father who has always supported me in following my righteous dreams. How blessed i am to be born of amazing parents :]

Fat cat reminds me of puss n boots 

It's over 100  ~  Burnin up in T town

the weather is so hot! oh im starting to send stuff home, so dont get emotional when you start seeing stuff in moves being delivered at the front door haha. I got kind of sad backing up stuff and sending it home but i need to cause i have a lot of stuff! i sent one off today and will send two big boxes home another day next week.

this week was full of miracles. We were able to have lots of members from the ward come and help us out with lessons! We had more dinner appointments then usual, as we went to these appointments the members had actually invited their non member family to join! Investigators that we haven't been able to get a hold of in the past we finally had lessons with! We ar gaining more confidence and trust from the members and by doing so they want to help us and have us teach their family/friends! The way to gain their trust is to love them and serve them. We have many investigators who are so close and ready to be baptized! Pray that our investigators will progress towards baptism. Since I only have 10 weeks left I feel that I need to work harder so they can be baptized before I leave! But its a good rush feeling cause I never feel like I want a break. I want to just keep working haha. I am so happy to be on a mission :] I'm excited for the return home too, its bitter sweet. Have a good week love you!  -  love hna jaeger 

Trip with the Hermanas to the Galleria Mall

 Surprise visit from E & P ~ Driving the Mom Van (missionary van) & a member helping

Good Week

A member gave us drinks on a hot day!

People trying to get off the fwy way before the exit & going off the curb

 This week was a pretty good week :] we are finding a good amount of new people and working a lot with the members. The 4 investigators who showed up to church this sunday came because their friend or family is a member of the church!

We have spent a lot of time with the A family. They are the ones that made us giant shrimp soup hahaha it was crazy cause you had to pull the shrimp apart to eat it but it was so good! it had HUUUGE antenas though and it freaked the heck out of me. We are teaching Hna A daughter in la  who is the same age as me :]she is interested in having the discussions because she wants a good life for her baby girl :D how awesome is that?!!

How grateful i am to have such loving and supportive parents. As we talked to a youth girl we figured she could spend time with us :] It was nice.

how grateful i am for this time i have to learn about life during my mission. ive figured out what kind of mom i want to be and what kind of guy i should marry so he may be a good husband to my children. i want the best for my future children, cause they diserve the best. Sad to think I have like 11 sundays left until i come home. hermanas here in the mission want to know when i will have my homecoming so they can come haha.  i love you all so much and am so grateful for your support :] know i am well and so happy!     love-hna jaeger

 Comp and I  ~  hha little chawawa  ~  I don't like balloon games

Found a Jamba ~  painted story of Noahs Ark on A's face ~  Sharing an umbrella

I drive the Hermana (aka mom) VAN now  ~  yes we do

Chick fil A opened  ~  haha Ridin Dirty!

Make the Sacrafice

Rainy days in Houston Texas
won't keep me from saving souls!

Found out I will have a least one more transfer here in Houston with Hna B :] which will be good! The work is slow but I know it will pick up as long as we just keep working.

This past week we helped out a member in our ward who has cancer. Some of the other hermanas came with us to help clean up her home. We only spent 2 hours helping give service but you could tell by the look on the sisters face it made all the difference. All day she just sits in the home, alone fighting the pain her cancer is causing. She will have an oporation this week that can hopefully help cure her cancer. She is such a strong woman. 

This past week we didnt have much luck with seeing our investigators. It was hard but slowly we started to see miracles. People that we talked to from outside started letting us into their homes. We focussed a lot this week on how we can help our investigators get to church. Instead of praying to have them come to church, I asked in my prayers what I can do to help more of hs chrildren keep this commandment, the sabbath day. Instead of sitting at the church forever for our investigators to show up, we sacrificed our miles to drive all the way back to the homes of our investigators to help them get to church. door after door and call after call it seemed like no one wanted to come and we made a great sacrifice for nothing. Last investigators door we tried, D and H, said that they could come :] WOW I have never been so happy helping someone come to church haha. Though we were all late by 20 minutes, we made it on time for the blessing of the sacrament. 

Mexican Walmart in TX

From these two experiences and more like them I am remined of one of my favorite scriptures "The trial of your faith (is) more precious than gold" (1 peter 1:7). 

Also, I restudied what I learned in the temple :] I know my heavenly father was really speaking to me in D&C31:5 "thrust in your sickle with all your soul...and ye shall be laden with sheaves upon your back for the laborer is worthy of his hire. wherefore your family shall live". As I looked up the part that talks about that my family shall live it means that the lord will take care of their well being. This tender mercy of the lord gave me so much peace. Many times on my mission I worry for many members of my family!!! It does hurt my heart that I cannot be there when I know someone in my family is struggling. But I know the lord will watch over and protect my family as I am doing his work. I know he never breaks a promise. I know this is his work and his church. I will keep saying that until the day I die, and then on into the eternities haha. I know how precious life is, its short compared to eternity. Live, learn, and love. Forgive those who've wronged you. Live up to your potential. Let people know you're a member of the church of Jesus Christ of lattter day saints! and remember if anyone treats you poorly, or you feel like you cant handle anymore, remember your savior. and know that he's been there before. he knows how to help. i love you all so much :]

FHE fun with the C Family :]