Goodly Parents

 Texas Sunsets in Houston

Hey!  Wow how blessed I am to be serving here in H 1. We have so GREAT invesitgators right now. Most of them are apart of part- member families. (this is to you austin, if you want new investigators that will stay in the church go teach the less active or part-member families. you will find potential investigators there :]). Of course, when I met these investigators whos families are all mormon expect them, most of them were not open to learning about the gospel. But as my companion and I found ways to serve such as cleaning homes or helping in the yards these non-members started to open up more to us and started to see that we are not there to just baptize them but we are there to love them, care for them, and help them receive more happiness in life. 

With this topic I want to talk about one really sweet investigators we have right now. C has been kind of interested in learning more about the church but since the time is getting closer to when the baby is due shes more open to learning and preparing for baptism. We are praying and hoping and having faith that she will be baptized. I know this step of baptism will help them as a family work towards going to the temple :]

We have a lot of families who at least one of the spouses are not a member. For the rest of my mission I hope that I can help ALL the part-member families in my area have the goal of going to the temple. We are planning on giving temple pictures to the part member families in our area to help them remember where they should be heading. We hope form this that the nonmembers will see that baptism is just one of the steps to go to the temple and to be sealed with their families for eternity. That it is essential, not an opption, to be sealed in the temple as a family so we may live with them for ever. 

 Comp make Tacos Durados  ~  I'm burnt like a tomato

How grateful I am for my parents and for their choice to be married and sealed in the temple. Mom and Dad your choices have made a great impact upon my life and I thank you for making such righteous decisions. Your actions have really blessed and shaped my life. I am who am I am because of the example you have set for me by the way you both have lived your lives. I know my heavenly father is a god of miracles, this week we had the miracle of having 7 investigtors a church. I know this happen because of our faith in god and obedience to his commandments. I love you all and am so excited to see you in september, I know the extra 4 weeks on my mission will make our reunion all the more sweeter :]  love- hermana ashley jaeger

 Happy 4th of July

Corny Email (HAHA)

Made by the Houston 1 Kids

This week has been good! We were able to help the spanish stake out with their stake primary program which was on temples. Each ward was asked to make a temple, in one of the pictures you can see our ward's primary kids. during mutual ALL the primary came and painted boxes for the temple!!! It was so cute and the temples were beautiful! They had the Temple President come and speak to the chidlren. Wow the spirit was so strong. He walked around looking at all the temples and was so taken back, it was so sweet. The Houston TX Temple President got emotional while talking to the children and promised them if they would just go to the temple and touch the temple wall they will receive the feeling that it is the house of God. During the activity I got to see all my other member friend from the different wards!!! I have been so blessed to have served in other wards but that they are all apart of the same stake :]

Houston 1 Kids painting Temple

Mi Familia Missouri City ~ Hermana S.

 Also this week as we were trying to find new investigators we saw a man selling "elotes" or corn so my sweet comp bought me some. It was SOOO GOOD they put mayo, parmassan cheese and chili on the corn on the comb. Wow austin if you ever have a chance to try it while you are in Chile, TRY IT its so good! I love it. We also ate a members house (G and N) and they made us fejitas OHHH man it was good I hope I can come home and cook like them haha! (and for grandpa bigler I'm still trying to find out how to make good refried beans).

We did a lot of service this week with our investigators. One person her name is V who is not a member but her sister P is. P's son had a birthday party this week and we got invited. When we went to visit V she asked if we were giong and we said yes, she told us, "Oh my nephew LOVES animals. So we are going to surprise him and bring him a PONY" HAHAHA we asked, "Does P know?" And V said, "No so its going to be a GREAT surprise!" Haha we showed up and yep there was a pony and a BABY pony haha oh it was so fun my comp was so excited cause she loves horses!

My Companion Hermana B. loves ponies :]

I'm so excited to skype with you guys in 6 days :] I am going to cry of happiness haha. I really hope Aus can talk at the same time but if not its okay :] ill skype you on christmas :] i dont want it to be stressful i just want it to be a happy day :]  I love you all so much and hope all is well. Take care!

Baptism, Sheri Dew, Leaving Brazos Bike area after 7 months!

My comp took a pic of me praying

Wow this has been one of my most favorite and saddest weeks of my mission. Today I found out that after 6 months here in my Brazos bike area I am being transfered to somewhere new. I'm excited to see where is the next place God wants me to work but I am sad to leave the people I've grown to love so much

                       

Fixing a flat tire ... again!

This week I got another flat tire haha! 3rd new tires this transfer. My bike is ready for a break but I just want to keep going!

It's cold today.  Piled on the layers.

 I dont even remember all that happened this week. It just flew by! But I do vividly remember Thursday night. I'm pretty sure the weather got down to like the 20s thursday night. As we were biking over to see J's I asked my companion if I could grab some more clothes to put on. I walked out of the apartment with 3 scarfs, two beanies, 2 shirts, 2 sweaters, 3 pants, a skirt, and boots haha. As we biked to J's house which is 15 minutes away I had a moment to think about my situation. WHY would I put myself on a bike in the winter with 20 degree weather pushing through the wind blowing against me if I didnt know this church was true? As I started getting wind burn I started crying. Not becuase it hurt haha but because with all my heart I know this cuhrch is true. 've realized that I will do anything to share and spread this gospel to the world. We showed up to J's physically tired but spiritually strong. We talked about the Plan of Salvation and specifically about the spirit world. He was really interested in knowing about what happens on the other side after we die. As we finished the talk I started to bear my testimony. My eyes filled with tears as I tried to allow the spirit to speak through me to my investigator, J. As we left Jorge kept expressing how excited he was for his baptism tomorrow :]

Friday we woke up early to leave at 7am to go to the Sister conference. We walked out to the Hermanas to get a ride with them and one of the doors was so frozen over that we couldnt open it haha.   What a BLESSING that the whole day friday we were inside because the weather dropped down to the 20's! The weather was bad and my comp and I were unable to pick up Sheri Dew. I received so much guidance during the sisters conference!!! President Ashton talked about how he wants our missions to change our lives. He wants us to go home a different person. He said, "I dont want you to go through the mission, I want the mission to go through you". I've seen the mission change who I am. Its a daily process. He also mentioned how to "not worry about family at home! The Lord is taking good care of them". That gave me great comfort because I do naturally worry about my family. The world is a harsh place. People are critical because they are in the world. But those people need to be "in the world,. and not of the world". And to my loving sister who HONORABLY got released from her mission and served with all her heart, to you my love I say, "the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." (1samuel 16:7). Hermana Jaeger God knows you :] He has a plan for you. He knows exactly what you need to go through to become perfected. Trust in him like you are doing and everything will be okay :]

Frozen door.  Won't open.

So going back to sister conference, we had the priveledge of having Sheri Dew come and speak to our mission! wow she is amazing. Sheri Dew talked a lot about how we are the noble ones who have been saved for these days. She went on to explain that the prophets of old have been testifying of the last days and how bad they are going to get. Sister Dew then explained, "god knows all. He knows these last days are going to get rough. Do you thing he would just send ANYONE to preach his gospel in these days? No. He saved the noble and great ones for these last days. You are his noble and great ones. He knew you would be the ones to not fall into temptation, to stand up against the world and not be afraid to share the light and gospel of Christ. You were born of noble birth". At the end of the Sister Conference Sheri Dew had to leave quickly for a conference call. I was a lil sad I couldnt talk to her but was so happy to have listened to her! At one point I lost my companion so another sister and I went to go look for her. I saw her in Presidents office so I walked in. I noticed she was talking with Sheri Dew....hahah I was so taken back. Sheri Dew was so nice and I got to introduce myself and talk a little with Sheri Dew :]

J's Baptism.  A joyful day.  Comp Hermana C and I

After the Conference we got home at 6, ate chips for dinner HAHA then at 6:05 members came to pick us up to get everything ready for the baptism of J!! As we entered the church I heard the sweet sound of the font being filled with water. We walked into the room with J to get everything ready. J was so excited, adn nervous haha. He was so funny and giddy! As we were taking pictures all together J kept being funny and putting rabbit ears behind my head during the pictures.  The baptism turned out beautiful and the spirit was really strong :] J was so happy and took lots of pictures to send to his mom in Mexico.

Sunday we were waiting for church to start. As I was distrcted and waiting someone mentioned to me 5 minutes before church was about to start, "Where is J?" Ahh I forgot he was going to receive the Spirit that day and I didnt even think to call him!!! I freaked and started to call and text him but he didnt pick up. We hurry and got on our bikes and started to bike to his house. As we got to the home the lady who lives in the house said, "No J left. I think he went to work." My heart dropped. I couldnt believe I forgot to call him in the morning. As we were turning to go back to the church we get a text from one of the members, "Hey J is here at the church". Haha I was so excited that it made me bike super fast back to the church :] J received the gift of the Holy Ghost and is an official member of the church :] The temple president spoke in our branch too! He gave a great talk and shared an experience he had, "Well 2 weeks ago I actually had the priveledge of meeting J at stake conference! He explained how he was planning on being baptized and wanted to know more about the church. after talking for awhile I asked him, 'J do you have any ancestors that you want to the temple work for? To be baptized for?' J responded, 'Yes, my father". My eyes filled with tears again. I know J's dad helped with during our lessons so he could feel the spirit and know of the truth of this gospel. Now J has the chance to do the work and be baptized for his father. I know J's dad is just waiting with excitment, he's been waiting since 1994. After sacrament J showed me a picture of his father. They look exactly alike. We set up a time this week to start doing family history work to find his fathers info so we can all go to the temple together to do baptisms for those who have passed. So J can take his dads name to the temple :]

Hermana S and I are being transferred!  I'm gonna miss her.

I'm sad to leave the B area. I wont be able to keep visiting J and help him do the work of his Father. I wont get to see the familiar faces I've seen on a daily basis. I wont bike these same streets again. But I know and have felt like my work here in the area is done. On saturday after J's baptism we were biking on a normal road. Everytime we pass this specific road theres always a BEAUTIFUL white crain that just sits in the water. As we were biking we passed the same spot and I spotted that white crain I saw him lift his beautiful wings and fly away. That's when it hit me that I was leaving the area. Now its' my time to leave and find my new home. Help and lift others in another area. I know god is going to put me where I can help those in need. I'm ready and excited for the task :] I'll go where He wants me to go.