April 25 2016 Starting my transfer with Sister Vega

This week we had transfers and I love my new companion!! She's such a sweetheart and I'm excited to see what we can do with our time together!

This week was really hard and my challenge for this week has been trying to work with my new companion, who doesn't speak English, and also to find new investigators. I think the Lord is trying to help me learn Spanish at an accelerated pace haha. 

I've been trying look for the positive and to keep working. I know that my hardships are only for a moment and that I will be stronger and wiser from them!

Even though there were a lot of hard things about this week there were also a lot of good things. I got fed 2-3x a day, sometimes just by random old ladies that we contacted and sometimes by members that saw us out contacting. It's also been really cloudy so I haven't had to worry about getting super sunburned. Also, thank your for sending me food that I can actually eat while I'm out contacting, candy gets really sticky and gross.

I'm praying that this week will better and I know that the Lord is trying to accelerate my language study. I'm hoping to have another baptism sometime before I leave Toa Baja!

Love you!

April 18 2016 Desde PR

Hola!

This week has been really hot but really rewarding! We've been contacting a lot and we've found some new families to teach.

Yesterday was transfer calls and my companion is going to be  a sister trainer leader in San Juan!!! I'm staying in Toa Baja and my next companion (Hna Vega) is from Guatemala and I'm 90% positive that she doesn't know any English so my Spanish is going to get really good! Today is my last day with my cute companion which is sad but I'm so excited to she what she can do in San Juan!

 

April 11 2016 Conference Caves and Celebrations

Last week was so much fun and I was able to listen to conference in English so I could actually understand everything that was being said! I felt like every speaker talked about how much our Heavenly Father loves each one of us. I loved the quote from President Uchtdorf that said "You can have what you want, or you can have something better". I have the hardest time being patient during times of difficulty but I know that every experience that we have will eventually make us stronger.

Last Monday we had a zone activity at the Indian Caves in Arecibo and here are some of the pictures! It was on my 5 month mark which was a fun way to celebrate!

My spanish is getting better and I know it's 200% the Lord. Oh funny story with the picture that I'm sending you of me holding the 5, I had the 5 above my head but then the wind picked up and my shirt flew up... yeah I flashed the Elders my Garms and my companion captured my reaction. I ate at Olive Garden while we were waiting for the Elders to meet up with us for the Zone activity.

 

Flasher!!

  

LA PASCUA

This Easter was very different for me. I was able to focus on the true meaning of the atonement and resurrection of Christ. Usually on Easter I'm just focused on eating pie, or candy, or food in general, but this year I felt just how important this holiday really is. I'm so grateful for my Savior and the knowledge that I have that this life is not the end. That I have a brother who loves enough to lay down his life for me. He knows my trials, heartaches, and weaknesses. "Because of Christ I will have new life".

On another less serious note, here's some pictures from my activity with the sisters and my cute Easter package!

\

Love the Lord with all Thine Heart Might Mind and Strength

This week has been amazing! We had the baptism of our investigator Lilly on Saturday and then last night we had a sleep over with all the sisters in my zone. Lilly had the chance to share her testimony after the baptism and I have no idea when she gained such a strong and incredible testimony of the gospel but I'm so glad that I could take part in her conversion. The elders in my area also had two of their investigators in the baptism!

Last night the activity was great and we were able to go to the beach early this morning! I love the Hermanas in my zone and I will have all the pictures from the activity next week but for right now here are the pictures from the baptism!! 

More Baptisms in Toa Baja!!!!

So this week has been super exciting!! Our investigator Lilly accepted a baptism date... for this Saturday!! All week long I had been telling my companion that I was going to get Lilly to accept a baptism date and we planned to propose that she get baptized on the 26th. Well as we were teaching her we found out that she's moving out of our area in April. After hearing this I felt really strongly like I needed to invite her to be baptized on the 19th. At the end of the lesson I just went for it. My companion looked really surprised when I said the 19th instead of the 26th!! She thought about it for a minute and then told us that she knew that she would be ready by that date.

We also have a baptism scheduled for next Saturday (the 26th) with our investigator Wilmer. We found him about two weeks ago and during the first lesson I felt like I needed to extend a baptismal invitation for the 26th so I did and he accepted!! He has asked several times if he can be baptized sooner but we want to make sure that he has a testimony and has received all of the lessons first. He came to church on Sunday and he has been reading the Book of Mormon diligently. 

So yeah basically this week was really good!!! I'm excited to see what else will happen this transfer!!

4 Months Down!!!

Hola!!

This week has been really hard but really rewarding! I hit my 4 month mark (wait, what?!) and we also got transfer calls yesterday! I'll be staying with my companion for a 3rd transfer in Toa Baja!!! I love this area and I'm super excited to see how Hna Garcia and I can change it. We have been contacting and working really hard to find new investigators or at least help our investigators progress. I feel really good about these next 6 weeks!

I have been focusing on a different attribute of Christ that I want to strengthen each week. This week I choose to work on patience because anyone that knows me knows that it is definitely an attribute that I'm lacking. One of my favorite scriptures is found in DyC 24:8 which says: "Be patient in afflictions for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee even unto the end of thy days". I love this because it doesn't promise that our life will be perfect, but when we have those hardships and those trials we can turn to the Lord and know that he is there with us. It reminds me of Romans 5:3 which teaches: "... but glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience". Every experience we have in this life teaches us something and I hope that I can learn to be more patient.

I hope everyone has a good week and here are some more pictures of my recent convert and her cute family!