Week #70 - Good Morning

Hola Familia!

 

Merry late Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! It was fabulous to see everyone on Christmas! You all look beautiful!

I'm really not sure what to say... I pretty much said everything on Skype...

I'm happy to say that bike week is over now! Hallelujah! No more walking in the rain! at least for another 3 weeks. (I think I only have 2 bike weeks left so I might be counting those down.... lol)

As for watching the Saratov Approach (It is super awesome. But mom, don't watch it until I'm home... we can watch it together and then you won't have to worry about anything ;)

It is so weird to think that 2014 is almost gone. In just a few short days it will be a new year. We were talking with a less-active member the other day and Hermana Warner asked her if she had thought about any new year's resolutions yet. Well, that got me to thinking about mine and then our less-active member said something that made me quake a little bit. She said, you must be so excited you both will get to see your families, and give them hugs, and, and, and etc... I have no idea how I am going to make new years resolutions that aren't my mission goals... so weird, some of those goals have to apply to real life. YIKES, what am I going to do???

Ummm... what else, what else?

That really was about it.

If you have any questions.... now would be the time to ask....

Love,

Hermana Ives

Week #69 - Oh What Joy and Wonder

Merry Christmas everyone!

This week has been absolutely crazy! We had our first ever sisters' meeting this past Tuesday. It was a blast (They used to do them before they had the huge wave of sisters, but then there were just too many people to get to one meeting and all this stuff so they were cancelled.) But Sister Wakolo put one on and it was a blast. We made Christmas ornaments, did a message circle, learned about natural skin care, exercise, etc... it was a really awesome day! Super special just to be all the sisters in the mission.

Then the next day was the Christmas Zone Conference!!! AHHHH, so much fun! We had a beautiful Christmas story reading with some hymns thrown in (I got to play the piano! So much fun!) We learned a lot more about teaching when you find and finding when you teach. There was an awesome talent show and a delicious baked potato and ham dinner. (so much love and work, the Lord and the people here love the missionaries!)

And then we got to see a movie... can you guess what movie we saw?? ...I really think the elders picked the movie... we watched the "Saratov Approach"... Have you seen or heard about this movie (first of all, I absolutely loved it, learned so much about the atonement and staying true to God) but, it is about 2 missionaries being kidnapped...I think there were a more than a couple of sister missionaries who went on a little higher red alert...(lol, my companion for example, will randomly say, "run!", I will then calmly ask, "why?"... to which there have been several responses. But my favorite was, "there is someone just sitting in their car, and they have been there for awhile!..." - we do that ourselves ALL the time)   

On Saturday, Geraldo Ibarra, a recent convert of almost a year, in 7 days. went out with us from 1-6pm. He is so awesome! Fearless in sharing the gospel and sharing it with everyone! He is super helpful in teaching us Spanish too!

Man, even on my mission I can't get out of special Christmas music numbers! What is this? The hour before Sacrament meeting, President Barrientos comes up and asks me if the missionaries can do a special musical number, with it being Christmas and all. So we called in another missionary from the English ward to accompany us. Right, now I am the only piano player in the entire branch... Then we pulled in Hermana Franklin to sing with us and we did a really pretty on the spot "Angels we have heard on high" with yours truly doing a SOLO! Don't ask me how that happened.... I was shaking so much! It made it really hard to sight read the opening and sacramental hymns...

But hey, ELIZABETH came to church again with her family! I am so happy for her and the changes she is making in her life!

Yup, some pretty awesome stuff has happened this week. We even had a lesson with Elizabeth and we talked about baptism. She doesn't want to be rushed into anything but she likes what she is learning. Then she started asking when Hermana Warner and I went home, with an interesting look on her face. I am thinking she is going to try and be baptized before I leave (that is my prayer at least! Love that woman so much!)

Anything else happen? Prolly, but those were most definitely the highlights. I am working on finishing el Libro de Mormon before Christmas (wish me luck! I am in Mormon)

It is so funny. Hermana Warner and I share an apartment with 2 ASL sisters. This is both of their first Christmas in the mission, and this is both mine and Hermana Warner's second. It is just funny to see the difference in attitudes and how giddy they get with each package and letter... and then us "older sisters" are over here just like, I just want to go shopping when I get home... It is really chistoso. at least I think so...

I love yall!

Super excited to talk to you on SKYPE! In a few short days!

Love,

Hermana Ives 

Week #68 - Christmas is Fast Approaching

Hola mi familia!

How exciting that you got to visit gma Judy and then that she was able to come down for Christmas with you! That is super neat! (In your Christmas plans you better make sure you have time for computer gaming! That needs to be a tradition that lasts ;)

The work has been going pretty awesome! We had exchanges this past week. I got to go down to Bryant for a day. I love teaching English but I love teaching in Spanish more. (It just comes more naturally, probably because of all the practice.) I've said it before and I'll say it again, the gospel is true but it is truer in Spanish!

We have been working like crazy to get all of our investigators to the branch Christmas party. (We really want it to be a huge success) So we have been calling, txting, showing up randomly just to invite people. It has been great! The Christmas party was this past Friday and we were able to get 12 of our investigators there! It was an absolute Christmas miracle! Our investigators brought friends and family it was crazy! At the Christmas party there was a bunch of pollo, arroz, y frijoles, (my companion and I were put in charge of warming up 360 tortillas! needless to say my fingertips were a little singed after that...oops), there was an awesome Christmas program and nativity, Santa Claus - with actual gifts, and a dance! It was an absolute blast! I have never had so much excitement and fun at a church activity. And our investigators loved it!  Even Elizabeth came - she is so impressed with how kind everyone is!

I love the gospel it is so true! You can just tell with Elizabeth a greater energy and happiness in her life! And she is actually excited about God and religion. Her friend Araseli is one of our investigators as well, and Araseli told us that she was talking with Elizabeth the other day, and for the first time in the 5 years that she has been friends with her she has never once heard Elizabeth talk about God until yesterday!!!! AHHHHHH progress!

And there really are awesome experiences just waiting for us as we talk with EVERYONE about the gospel. It was late one night and all of our plans fell through so we went to Shackleford trailers to try and contact some potentials. There was a guy sitting out in front of his trailer smoking. We went up to talk to him. You could tell at first he was NOT interested, Hna Warner kept trying to share the gospel and in my mind I realized that I was telling myself, "He's not interested. We are wasting our time and his. We should just leave..." then I realized what I was doing and immediately started praying for charity for this man and to have a desire to better be able to help him feel the Spirit. All of the sudden, out of nowhere he started talking about his life. How he had quit drinking and had stopped for 3 years now. And how he was struggling with quitting smoking. He had quit once for 9 months but had slipped back into it.. We were able to share the Book of Mormon with him and testify how it could help him develop the spiritual strength that he needed to quit. He finally accepted the Book of Mormon, came to the Christmas activity. And we later found out that he is actually the nephew of  one of our recent converts!

We had gumbo Sunday evening with the Franklin family. Can I say, DELICIOUS! Plus I found out that I actually do like shrimp (the texture still isn't my favorite) but it tastes pretty good. ;) Missions truly do change you. lol

I love you!

Hermana Ives

Week #67 - A Good, Spirit Filled Week

How fabulous was this week? It was FABULOUS!

 

I am glad that the advent calendar actually made it! And thanks for the reminder that I need to send the next installment (I wrote all of the cards in September/October...so sure you can share them...) Are you going to leave them all up until I come home to see them ;) lol you don't have to do that, just thought I would be funny!

 

So, I was transferred. I am now serving in north little rock Spanish (yup, I opened this area for 3 weeks last year) I am serving with Hermana Warner (this is her last transfer) so I get the blessed opportunity to kill yet another missionary. lol, but it is really awesome. Hermana Warner is such a diligent missionary. She is from Utah and we have really helped each other improve our Spanish!

 

The aerospace museum was such a disappointment... mostly because it doesn't exist anymore :'(  yeah, that was super duper sad. I was looking forward to it so much, we ended up going to a Arkansas historical museum and looking at the Native American exhibit. It was pretty cool... just not as cool as aerospace things...

 

Awesome miracle about being here in North's area is that one of my favorite investigators (Elizabeth Palmas) moved from my area down south to the north area. We had the opportunity to go visit her this past Friday and she committed to coming to church. And she ACTUALLY came! I was ecstatic!  She felt a little embarrassed about coming late and then she wore pants instead of a skirt so she felt pena to come in but she worked up the courage and she said she liked it. Plus she is planning on coming to the branch Christmas dinner on Friday! I really feel like I am in this area for her!

 

We had a different investigator, Mirna Girdon bring a friend, Cindy, to a Christmas YSA activity (she didn't want to go by herself so Hermana Warner and I went too...) So, YSA activities are awkward... but they are ten times MORE awkward as a missionary... lol but it was good and I think they had a good time. I hope so at least.

 

Did y'all get the opportunity to see the Christmas devotional?!? It was SO good! We were able to watch it with hna Romero and their hyperactive dog Skippy... So I was a little distracted trying to keep a dog intent on giving kisses away from my face. But I absolutely loved Elder Christofferson's insight on keeping the spirit of Christmas or of Christ with us at all times throughout the year.

 

It is super weird how it is December and in the 60s... no snow, no ice, just a little chilly wind...

 

I don't know about Christmas phone calls yet... we will probably be going to the Bowen's in the evening for Christmas dinner and to call so the 25th in the evening??? 

 

I hope you have a fabulous week. and that I answered all the questions that you had!

Love,

Hermana Ives

Week #66 - Oops

teehee,

sneak attack! I bet you didn't think you'd be hearing from me today... actually I'm a little surprised too. Hermana Smith had some last minute e-mail checking to do before her parents arrive to pick her up... Yup, her parents are flying down, they are going to tour the mission for a week and then fly home. (It had kind of been interesting, tying to line up all of the schedules and everything. 

So hermana Smith had her departing interview with President this morning. 

I got a call this morning telling me that I was being transferred.... yup, my area is closing (but then again it is a little bit expected, with the huge rush of missionaries that came out with the age change there is now a HUGE departure... 11 areas are closing this transfer and probably 11 more next transfer as well... sigh...(Still don't know where I am going to be serving) So I not only have to pack all of my stuff but also the entire apartment... without Hermana Smith... it is gonna be a little weird trying to juggle the hand off and everything...

Thank you so much for my package! I am SOOOOOO excited! All that chocolate =D And the hats and headbands are perfect! Just what I wanted!

Thanksgiving was so much fun we were able to go to a couple of less active's homes (well I guess they aren't so much less active any more because they have been coming to church...) but any who it was AWESOME. 

This month our mission had a big push to baptize 100 people get them confirmed and 100 reactivations. It has been absolutely amazing to be able to see our branch grow! We actually fill half of the chapel now! And even though our companionship did not see any baptisms, the other companionships did and we were able to have the great blessing of helping people to come back to church, back to their covenants, and back to the fold of God! It has been a super huge blessing/miracle for me.

Have you gotten your mail yet? I am so excited for it to actually get there! teehee! 

Ummm... as for the rest of the week it has been pretty slow. 

I just want to say that I LOVE you! 

Love,

Hermana Ives