Week #42: 5 Days to Summer Solstice

Hola mi familia y amigos!

Ummm... what a week! It has been truly crazy and busy. Funny that the attribute I have been working on this week has been diligence and the motto for this week has been, "diligence until the end!"

Fasting is amazing and it brings miracles. I was especially able to see this with Ebony this week. We were able to teach her and her spirit felt completely different and she was excited about the gospel. It was neat being able to go through the baptismal interview questions with her and have her understand and testify of truth. She was a little concerned about her date on the 22nd because she is still struggling with quitting smoking. But I know with enough faith and prayers she can do it and I know how much it is going to bless her entire family as well!

Days have been pretty long, hot, and not much success. But as we were spiritual harvesting after a couple of doors that never opened we felt prompted to knock this one home. The door opened and a lady and her two little girls opened the door. She was super interested in having us come back and in hearing more about our message. She is amazing and she has the cutest little girls. I'm just sad that our return appointment is after transfers :(  oh well, the next missionaries will do fabulously I am sure. 

Zone Conference was on Thursday. It was our last meeting with President and Sister Petersen and the senior office missionaries Elder and Sister Shaw. It was a pretty awesome meeting but then came the time for departing missionaries' testimonies and I pretty much lost it. I am going to miss the Petersens sooooooo much! They have taught me so much about the gospel and how to be a better missionary and to truly love to repent. I was able to achieve my hold to the rod (memorizing a scripture for each point in the missionary lessons) it was pretty awesome I'm just not sure how to pack it all in my suitcase! 

Oh, another piece of news... President Petersen came up to us at zone conference and announced that the worst apartment in the mission was being closed. (yup, it's official, I have lived in the worst apartment in the mission for 6 months!) Also, he doesn't have enough sisters to keep the area open...(several have left because of medical issues) So good ole Warren is going to be closed and the Monticello elders will be covering our area as well. I have super mixed emotions about it. I really feel like it is the best thing for Warren to have the priesthood teaching here. And I think it will help the members realize how much more they need to be supporting the missionaries in the work, we truly can't do it without them!

We went on exchanges on Friday and Saturday... During the pink tomato festival... on bike week...sister William's bike decided to freak out and malfunction. So walking was fun. No one wanted to talk to us. Or if they did they quickly told us they were baptist and NOT interested in changing any time soon... exchanges were pretty difficult because everything that we had set up fell through (just like the rest of the week) I can really see how the Lord has been preparing the missionaries and the area to be shut down. It is super heartbreaking but I know in the long run it is going to be best for the area. I am just not excited to have to tell Sister Bryant... She isn't going to be too excited about that. 

Pink Tomato festival really wasn't all it was cracked up to be. but there were definitely some cute clothes that I would have gotten if I weren't a missionary (not because they are immodest but kind of super expensive...) We didn't even get funnel cake or cotton candy (what is wrong with us?) 

Saturday and Sunday was Stake Conference and it was AWESOME! Elder Parker of the seventy came and presided! On Saturday we had a missionary choir and we sang the Spirit of God. It was super powerful... President and Sister Petersen cried... and that was pretty hard to see. :'(

So both Sister Williams and I received the call that we are being transferred.... Fun stuff,

 Love yall 

Hermana Ives

Week #41: A Week of Faith

Hola everybody!

This week has been a week of faith... or should I say a trial of said faith? It is crazy how when you are working on a certain attribute all the trials of life seem focused on that attribute! Ridiculous! Everyone of our investigators seem to be dropping/avoiding us like the plague!

We have had the opportunity to do lots of spiritual harvesting to try to increase our teaching pool. It is always interesting and thought provoking when you knock on doors that are completely NOT interested. And the thought always is, "Heavenly Father? Why did I knock that door? What was the point? If anything they are more ticked than they were before we knocked..." But alas we are just planting seeds! Oh joy ;)

Friday was a pretty interesting day, I like to term it as the day of promptings. We felt prompted to go street contact this lady so we did and we were able to set a return appointment and she said her neighbor would be over to listen as well! We felt prompted to share Mosiah 2:17 with an inactive member and as sis Williams was reading he was mouthing the verse (I was super confused because he hadn't been reading his Book of Mormon for like 12 years at least.) Then come to find out he had just read that chapter the night before we came over and he was completely shocked that we had picked that scripture to share. It was just an awesome testimony that God really is aware of each of us and what each one of us need. It helped him and us to be able to feel God's love for him!

We had made the decision that we weren't going to contact this one investigator anymore unless we saw him out and about and he sought us out...well, we had the prompting that we needed to make cupcakes to take to Potluck on Sunday...so as we went to the store lo and behold the before mentioned investigator walking out of the store and asking us why we haven't been by to see him. He then explained that he had been staying at his mom's house trying to better live the law of Chastity! How awesome is that?!?

Saturday was going to be an awesome day! we had lessons planned for every hour of the day... and we only saw one of them... they ALL fell through. It is bad but I really prefer just dropping by because it feels like people purposely avoid us... we were able to meet Kenneth and Norma and they are Super into canning. It made me feel right at home to talk about food storage and all that fun stuff!

Sunday was cool we were able to give talks in Sacrament. I taught Gospel Principles and Potluck was delicious. I have decided that I really love teaching in the church! Spirit is strong, the gospel is true and the people want to listen and learn. SOOOO amazing. Plus Gospel Principles was so cool because the topic was Baptism and we had 3 recent converts share their testimonies of their baptisms! So neat to see their faces glow as they talked about that special experience!

I was able to make some interesting concoctions this week. I made a ground turkey meatloaf! It was really good. I made some thrown together soup. Egg salad... pretty fun stuff. I think I've actually decided that when I get back I am going to go back to the basics. I want to study message therapy and culinary art! book yeah! Fun stuff. 

Well... I think that was pretty much our week.

mail box was a little empty this past week though... ahem... ;)

LOVES,

Hermana Ives

Week #40: Repentance = Change

Hello Beautifuls!

How is everyone doing this glorious week! I love how Heavenly Father always follow ups difficult times with rainbows, lollipops, and rainbows. Everything is always made right through him. 

Something that finally clicked in my brain this week. It probably was a causation of my mission's mid-life crisis (do you realized that I only have 5 transfers left??? Say WHAT?!?!?!?!)  Anywho, are you ready for this revolutionary thought? REPENTANCE = CHANGE. So I know that that really isn't that profound but really repentance is just a fresh view about yourself, about your Savior, and about the world. Every time we change we are utilizing the Atonement in our lives and we are allowing our will to be lifted to a higher plane! Repentance is glorious and joyous because change is glorious!!  And the fact that we have the opportunity to repent and change daily is such a magnificent miracle!

I love that there are miracles surrounding us daily all we have to do is open our eyes! Just like your glasses. If we open our eyes exercise our faith that He is truly there for us in our time of need then miracles upon miracles will happen. 

Sister Williams and I has the opportunity to teach RS this past Sunday on the VT message for June. To tell the truth I was pretty terrified to teach something other than the missionary lessons. But I have never enjoyed a teaching experience more than being able to share personal stories of service and being able to hear theirs as well. The RS is such an amazing program and it truly has so much potential to continue changing the world!

I am glad to hear that you and Gma Caye are starting to go to the temple together! I am hoping that I will be able to go to the temple soon! I have really been missing that opportunity! 

We had interviews with President Petersen this last Wednesday! I learned a lot and I found out that I am going to be transferred to a Spanish area. To tell the truth I am a little nervous but SUPER pumped! It is going to be great! Maybe I'll be serving in Barttlet TN so I can go to the temple! I am going to be super sad to be leaving Warren! I have met so many wonderful people and I have been changed and have learned so much from my experiences here.

On Thursday we were able to see miracles happen in Warren. woot woot! We talked to everyone in sight and invited EVERYONE to baptism... yeah, pretty much just fulfilling our purpose... anywho, it was an awesome day we were able to teach a total of 9 lessons! I don't think I have ever taught that many lessons in one day! Crazy stuff! We were also able to commit 3 people to baptism! Holla!

I love you so much! I am truly grateful for your prayers! I am so grateful for this awesome work and I hope and pray each of you are able to have a missionary moment this week and feel of the love that Heavenly Father has for each of His precious children!

Love,

Hermana Ives.

Trying to eat better...
and yes I do cook when I can

 

Week #39: Hump Day

Hey family! How is everything going?
This week has been pretty good. We have been able to teach a lot with members this week and honestly the highlight has probably been working with Ebony Williams and having Erma Zendejas come with us. We met early in the week with ebony and she told us that she wanted to be baptized on June 22! And she knew that she needed to come to church twice before she could be baptized so she asked if we could find her a ride to come to church. Well she has four kids and two of them are in car seats...do you know how difficult it is to find enough seats for that many people especially in the same car? Pretty intense... Any who we were able to take Sister Zendejas with us and oh boy, if ebony hadn't been prepared by the lord she would have dropped us like a hot potato! Erma kept going on about the word of wisdom and how she had to be clean and holy before she could step into that holy water! It was so strong and powerful and ebony made the decision then and there that she would be completely through with cigarettes on the 29th of may! We were finally able to get her a ride and when she was at church she felt like the speaker was talking directly to her and her needs. That speaker just happened to my the stake president who was visiting for the week and had prepared an entirely different message but felt wrongly impressed to speak about the symbolism of the sacrament, baptism, and the temple! ....during the meeting ebony asked me what a seventies was... After i explained she said, oh I want to be one of them too!....sooooo we might have some explaining to do... But we will deal with that when we get there.

I lost my planner this week. There is nothing quite as disconcerting as a missionary as not having your planner. I was pretty lost but I was able to find it again! Whew! (which reminds me... Mom, do you want me to send home my planners? Because I was thinking about tossing them... I have all the important information that I need/want elsewhere...)

Yup....ummmm... I am now officially on the downhill slope of my mission! I have overcome hump day and am now speedily flying through my mission. I can't hardly believe at I have been out that long...

Yep, yep... Sorry about not sending pictures last time... My bad. I switched all my pictures over from my memory card to my USB and forgot to email them teehee, please forgive me.

Man, washing a house that sounds like a blast... If I had been there though everyone would the a lot wetter than they needed to be...me and my silly lack of self control.

Sea foam chocolate??? Ummm....that sounds kind of gross to be completely honest...but what ever floats your boat I guess...

Love,
Hermana Ives

Week #38: Humility... why did I pray for humility?

Hey familia!

So this week has been, ummmm, crazy??? You know that Christ-like attribute thingy we are doing in 9 weeks? Yeah well I have developed this weird complex about praying for Christ-like attributes because I know that Heavenly Father will give me experiences to test those attributes... and when you are working on an attribute such as humility, that's just not very much fun... to be honest this hasn't been the funnest week. But I have learned a ton and I know without a doubt that the promise in Ether 12:27 is true and that as we truly do humble ourselves and work on improving ourselves, Heavenly Father will turn those weaknesses into strengths and into ways that we can bless others with those new found strengths. 

We had an awesome p-day in Monticello. I bought some new skirts, an ugly tie and we had some pretty delicious Italian food! Talk about yummy! We went shopping and I have found that the 70s are coming back into style...who knew! But I am looking forward to rocking that look when I get back! lol, jk...kind of...

We tried to teach Tacho... he pretty much "commended me to pray to know that God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are one, and that they are spirit"... So, I made a deal that I would pray about that if he would pray to know that the Book of Mormon was true... Being Bible bashed in English is bad...being Bible bashed in Spanish is ten times worse! 

We have a recent convert Alvin. Whose goal is to visit every temple in the world, starting with the one in Salt Lake City! We are so excited to start working with him to get him ready to make that step to be worthy to go and to live worthy to those covenants. 

We saw Barbara, she is a 12 year old that is just living in a super hard situation. We were talking to her about random stuff and temples... she eventually said that she didn't want us to get married in the temple. We asked her why and apparently something I said hurt her feelings... I still have no idea what I said or did! But somehow she forgave me and we are friends again. Sister Williams were able to have a heart-to-heart and that was really special. Barbara endures a lot of bullying not only from her school mates but by her own family as well... It is sad to see it and to know how much the gospel could help her and her family but she has no way to come and participate and we can't talk to the mom because she is always working and the step dad is always drinking... 

We had a crazy lesson with Darrius. He has a baptismal date for the 7th of June... We felt super prompted to go through the interview questions with him... mind you that we had only taught him the restoration... yeah, that was pretty intense and we felt so bad about throwing all the commitments to him, to live the law of Chastity, Word of Wisdom, and to learn about Thomas S. Monson... but we were so prompted and he is so prepared by the Lord! He is excited to start working on it all and to really devote his life to God! =D

Sister Williams and I are working on sorting through our investigators and how we can best help a lot of them to become progressing. Sister Williams is awesome and we are going to be working on building more trust with the members. We passed around a sign up sheet in RS for splits and a lot of the sisters signed up! We are super excited to start working with them more and to get them truly pumped up about missionary work. I think the meeting with Elder Kapishka really helped a lot of the auxiliary leaders in our branch excited about reaching out and retaining! Oh yeah, on Friday Elder Kapishka and Elder Merideth came to our zone meeting and shared some wonderful insights! I learned so much and I felt like a lot of the things that they were saying were said just for me! The Spirit was the true teacher in that meeting and I want to be able to teach like them someday! 

Yesterday we were talking to an older lady and her daughter walked in and bashed us with the Bible... I thought that it was very interesting that as these ladies were trying to tell us how we were being deceived by men that wrote the Book of Mormon.As Beverly was waving around the Book of Mormon and quoting Revelations about not adding to God's words..the Spirit witnessed so strong to me of the truthfulness. And all I could feel was how much Heavenly Father loved these women and how sad He was that they were rejecting the fullness that He so much wanted for them. We tried to leave with a prayer but they essentially told us that we were too unrighteous/unworthy to pray... so that was a new and interesting experience! lol, wow...

So, yeah, mission life is great! I made some good food this week and I took pictures as evidence as well!

I love you! This work is awesome!

Hermana Ives

 

Week #37: Y'all

Hey yall (I guess it is official...apparently I have picked up a southern-ism!)

In answer to your question yes I wear my hair in braids, pony tails, buns... but whenever I wear my hair down I get a lot more compliments... so maybe it's a vanity thing... ooops! 

I would like the melaluca in oil form. It helps clear up acne (and with the humidity my face is freaking out a little bit... so yeah...that's fun..)

Hey congratulations on the bike riding success! You are going to be in better shape than I am going to be by the time I get home... that just means you can help push me right?!? I am pretty excited to go bike riding with you as long as I don't have to do it in a skirt.

It is super cool that I have the blessing to be with sister Williams again. The first go around, to be completely honest, was super rough. But I am so excited to be with her again. Transfers are truly inspired by the Lord. I have really been able to see my growth as a missionary by being with her again. I have become a LOT more talkative (which I was beginning to wonder would ever happen.) And so that has been really neat. I've been learning a lot about the Atonement and repentance this week. And how if we really want to change we have to have more than a mere thought, I want to change." But a complete desire, "I AM changed"... you have to own it, kind of like the secret! Anywho, pretty neat stuff!

Our plan is to baptize 5 people in may and June. So that is going to be pretty awesome. Right now we have two dates set for Anthonese Spears and Darrius Clary. 

We have had a pretty good week as far as lessons go. We were able to find quite a few new investigators. And my testimony of how effective street contacting compared to knocking doors has grown exponentially. I am now a huge fan of just walking up to people while they are outdoors, because then you know that you aren't interrupting them. Pretty neat stuff.

Sister Hicken is now a sister training leader in my zone so maybe I'll get to go on exchanges with her! That would be pretty sweet! 

Ummm...what else? I'm sure there is more...President Petersen is down to 7 weeks left in the mission! :( That is going to be super weird not having him here... But he gave all of the missionaries the challenge during his last 9 weeks to study and work on a different attribute from the Christ like attributes chapter in Preach my Gospel. I have absolutely loved this! I would encourage yall to do it too. It is so cool how all the attributes are correlated. As you work one improving one the others improve as well!

Love yall so much! 

Keep pushing/swimming on!

Hermana Ives

We gave Sister Bryant a giant Mother's Day card!  She is the greatest and we love her so much.  She is our "Mommy away from home".  

 

Week #36: Tornado Cleanup

Ummmmm.....so crazy stuff.

Sister Hicken is getting transferred... I am staying in Warren. I'll prolly be here for the pink tomato festival... I am actually pretty okay about that. 

Can you believe that it is May? Cinco de Mayo?!? and that I'm not serving in a Spanish branch to get any yummy food?!? lol oh well. We had breakfast with Erma this morning so that was more than enough. 

We were able to help with the tornado clean up this past Saturday! That was pretty neat to wear a helping hands vest and to help clean up all of the trees and branches that were uprooted and blown down. We were in a part where the tornado was just starting and all the actual damage had been done by straight winds. But it was really neat to see how much can be accomplished when we all pull together and work hard. And there isn't a better feeling in the world than being completely exhausted from helping someone else! Service for a missionary is like going to the movies. You don't have to think or concentrate you just do, so fabulous. Yup, I wore gloves... I might not have worn any sunscreen... but I didn't get burned so it is all good. and I stayed super hydrated! 

I am super excited for this coming Sunday... Still have NO idea where I am going to be skyping or calling from... but something will work out I am sure! 

Ummmm....what else has happened? Really not much. I've gotten to this point where missionary work is missionary work. I do it every day and nothing much really changes... 

I got hit on and asked if I believed in inter-racial marriage... so that was a pretty interesting conversation. Being in the ghetto has really made me wonder about black guys' success rate with 'hitting'... I would be pretty curious to see some stats. Because it has to be some what successful or they wouldn't waste their time doing it. 

Sorry about this e-mail... I left my old planner at the apartment and I can't remember anything else that really happened. 

But I love yall!

Hermana Ives