Hellooooo everyone! This email is late because of transfer week. P-day is switched to Wednesday every six weeks so that we can go shoppin and get supplies and such when we get to our new areas.
Speaking of: I've been moved to Mesa! I'm in a WARD called Liahona 2! My new companion is named Sister Stratton, and she can speak even less Spanish than I can, haha. She's been out a transfer longer than I have, but she's already amazing. I don't know much about the area, but it seems like lots of good stuff is going on here! I can't wait til Sunday when I can actually meet people. There's not too much to say cause I've been here for less than 24 hours, but I think things will go really well!
I'm gonna miss Phoenix and all the people in Camelback 1, but I think Mesa will be a great experience :) oh, and I'm still on a bike! The ol' purple Avalon from Wal-mart is holding up pretty well!
The last week in Phoenix was great! It has been getting pretty chilly, and it actually rained on Friday and Saturday. So my last hurrah with Hermana Arevalo was riding our bikes through the rain! It was pouring when we woke up on Friday, but we had weekly planning so we were hoping it would have died down by lunch time so we could go out on bikes, but it didn't. We were kinda nervous, but we went out in the rain! It was hard at first, but we saw lots of miracles and got a new investigator, so it was definitely worth it :) Hermana Arevalo is staying in Camelback 1. That branch used to be 2 sister companionships and one elder companionship, but for this transfer, they're erasing those area boundaries and splitting the whole area in half. So Hermana Arevalo will get the Elders' area! So exciting. Change can be so much fun!
But hard at the same time. I feel like this is my first day in the mission all over again! Just that I know more about how it works this time, haha. It's hard the first couple of days in a new area, you just feel kind of helpless and lost, and that you're being dragged around by your companion (like those poor kids on leashes getting pulled by their mothers). But it'll turn around in a few days! I'm trying to remember the beginning of my first transfer, and how much time I needed to feel comfortable. It must have been at least 2 weeks! So this time I'll hopefully need less since I at least know how planning and teaching work :)
Everyone in Mesa is so nice! We went to Wal-mart for groceries and EVERYONE talked to us! So friendly. There are still crazy people too, though, haha. I'm a little sad, I won't get to go to the library and see eyepatch man anymore. But we get to write emails in the privacy of our own family history center now! It's super nice.
Well sorry there wasn't too much exciting stuff, I don't know anything about this area! Hopefully I'll have more good stuff on Monday :)
I love you all! Nobody let Tamara or Annie (or even Andy) take over the position of favorite aunt. It's got my name on it.
Have a good week!
Sistah Watkins
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
Hermanas!
Everybody! This week was great!
First off, we've got two baptisms planned for this Saturday! One is a granddaughter of Hna Lopez that hasn't been baptized yet, and her Grandpa is gonna baptize her, so that should be an awesome experience! And... drumroll ...Roberto is getting baptized! Officially! It was an amazing experience, a miracle, really.
The first couple days of this week were tough, to be honest. We were struggling to plan because we didn't have very many people to go visit, everyone kept cancelling on us, and we lost a couple investigators. Pretty discouraging. So we decided on Friday that we would fast on Sunday because we really needed to see some things move forward (which was extra difficult cause our branch president gives us donuts at correlation! But it's worth the pain, heh heh). So before church we were talking with Roberto, asking him (again) if he had been reading or felt anything different about baptism. His answer was the same, that no, he still didn't feel any different. Gah, so we just told him again to keep reading and praying. Fast forward 2 hours, and we're going in to sacrament meeting (we have it at the end of the day). I was talking with other investigators, so Roberto walks right up to my companion and says, "I'm going to get baptized!" WHAT!!! He said he was listening in Young Mens class and was really touched by what was being taught. He realized that Heavenly Father has given him so much, and the least he could do is be baptized and be faithful to what he knows. So that was his sign! Roberto is getting baptized!!!! It really is a miracle. Fasting is so amazing! I don't think I've ever gained such a strong testimony of anything in such a short period of time. If you really need to see some changes in your life, FAST. But do it prayerfully, with real intent to work hard for what you're asking for. I promise the Lord will bless you for your sacrifice!
Other amazing things this week: Yumiko had her son, Adrian, and hadn't been very well the whole week. It's so difficult, they live in a tiny apartment with so many little kids and they can't always pay for electricity and air conditioning and that stuff, and the little bed they have for Yumiko broke in the middle of the night. So things are tough for her! She had a c-section and had been in a lot of pain, especially in her back. We went to visit them the other day, just helping them out with their kids and doing some cleaning with them cause things have been crazy. We asked Yumiko if she wanted a priesthood blessing, but she said no, she was too embarrassed. Well we sent over some elders anyways! Haha, and we went and snagged her some pillows from Walmart to help her be more comfortable. The amazing thing: the next day she was up and walking around! She was in bed all day the day before, in so much pain, feeling really really low. And the day after, she was smiling and shuffling around! It was great to see her up and moving, and it definitely strengthened her testimony of the church. She was embarrassed, but so grateful in the end for the blessing. It really helped her! So great.
Wow, I'm already out of time. I hope that wasn't too confusing! I love you all, everyone have a great week!
Love, Hna Watkins
I forgot to write about it, but we went to the Visitor's Center with Yasury and her dad on Friday. And guess who I saw: TAM! We were getting ready to go into the family display, and someone tapped me on the shoulder. Lo and behold, I turn around and its my sistah!!!!! What a coincidence (aka blessing from the Lord)! So fun. A VC sister took a picture with her iPad, and here's the result! So fun!
First off, we've got two baptisms planned for this Saturday! One is a granddaughter of Hna Lopez that hasn't been baptized yet, and her Grandpa is gonna baptize her, so that should be an awesome experience! And... drumroll ...Roberto is getting baptized! Officially! It was an amazing experience, a miracle, really.
The first couple days of this week were tough, to be honest. We were struggling to plan because we didn't have very many people to go visit, everyone kept cancelling on us, and we lost a couple investigators. Pretty discouraging. So we decided on Friday that we would fast on Sunday because we really needed to see some things move forward (which was extra difficult cause our branch president gives us donuts at correlation! But it's worth the pain, heh heh). So before church we were talking with Roberto, asking him (again) if he had been reading or felt anything different about baptism. His answer was the same, that no, he still didn't feel any different. Gah, so we just told him again to keep reading and praying. Fast forward 2 hours, and we're going in to sacrament meeting (we have it at the end of the day). I was talking with other investigators, so Roberto walks right up to my companion and says, "I'm going to get baptized!" WHAT!!! He said he was listening in Young Mens class and was really touched by what was being taught. He realized that Heavenly Father has given him so much, and the least he could do is be baptized and be faithful to what he knows. So that was his sign! Roberto is getting baptized!!!! It really is a miracle. Fasting is so amazing! I don't think I've ever gained such a strong testimony of anything in such a short period of time. If you really need to see some changes in your life, FAST. But do it prayerfully, with real intent to work hard for what you're asking for. I promise the Lord will bless you for your sacrifice!
Other amazing things this week: Yumiko had her son, Adrian, and hadn't been very well the whole week. It's so difficult, they live in a tiny apartment with so many little kids and they can't always pay for electricity and air conditioning and that stuff, and the little bed they have for Yumiko broke in the middle of the night. So things are tough for her! She had a c-section and had been in a lot of pain, especially in her back. We went to visit them the other day, just helping them out with their kids and doing some cleaning with them cause things have been crazy. We asked Yumiko if she wanted a priesthood blessing, but she said no, she was too embarrassed. Well we sent over some elders anyways! Haha, and we went and snagged her some pillows from Walmart to help her be more comfortable. The amazing thing: the next day she was up and walking around! She was in bed all day the day before, in so much pain, feeling really really low. And the day after, she was smiling and shuffling around! It was great to see her up and moving, and it definitely strengthened her testimony of the church. She was embarrassed, but so grateful in the end for the blessing. It really helped her! So great.
Wow, I'm already out of time. I hope that wasn't too confusing! I love you all, everyone have a great week!
Love, Hna Watkins
I forgot to write about it, but we went to the Visitor's Center with Yasury and her dad on Friday. And guess who I saw: TAM! We were getting ready to go into the family display, and someone tapped me on the shoulder. Lo and behold, I turn around and its my sistah!!!!! What a coincidence (aka blessing from the Lord)! So fun. A VC sister took a picture with her iPad, and here's the result! So fun!
Monday, November 4, 2013
What a great week! I feel like in my past couple emails I've rambled a lot, so I'll try to be more organized today!
First off, we had a great experience with Byron this week! He and his cousin are from Guatemala, and they just moved to the area and don't really know anybody. We taught him once like a week and a half ago and we hadn't been able to catch him again until Saturday. We chatted a bit outside his apartment, and committed him to go to church! We were waiting and waiting after correllation and didn't see him anywhere, so we stepped outside and wandered around the building to see if we could find him (cause our church building has like 1,000,000 doors, everybody always gets lost, haha). So we head outside, and on the other side of the parking lot we see him getting in his car to go home! We booked it across to his car, waving our arms and calling his name to get his attention, haha. He pulled over and said he didn't know where we were and he was nervous cause he didn't know anybody, but once he saw us he was ready to go back inside. And he had a great time! We were standing in the foyer before the meetings started, just chatting, and some Hermanos came right up to him and introduced themselves and when we turned our backs for one second to say hi to someone, they had whisked him away to priesthood. So great! I love it when the members step up and fellowship the investigators. So much love!
We also had a great lesson with him later that day about the plan of salvation and the word of wisdom. Everything just made perfect sense to him, and he is really ready to step up and change his life. He has had some problems with drinking, but he really liked the word of wisdom and is willing to do whatever it takes to set those addictions aside. So wonderful! It was especially great that one of the men that took him to priesthood has had the same kinds of problems in the past. He was talking with Byron and testified to him about the power of the atonement. He was in the same place about 3 years ago, but now he's attended the temple with his wife and is super active in the ward. So he's a perfect example for Byron!
Okay, who else... Silvestre! We went to the Visitor's Center with him on Halloween, haha. It actually was perfect, since it was a Thursday and a holiday, there was hardly anyone there. We had the place to ourselves and looked at just about everything! And we brought a great ward missionary with us, Hermana Anaya. She's a convert too and is absolutely not shy at all. She basically just bore testimony one minute after the other about everything we saw! She's so great, haha. So we have a baptismal date with Silvestre, but he still is having some problems with a girlfriend, even though they're not living together. The only problem is that he has a family in Mexico! So we'll have to work that out with him this week.
We're still having trouble with Roberto! He's seriously such a good kid, and he's basically already a member, just minus the fact that he's not baptized. We're pretty sure he's ready, but he keeps saying he's waiting for a big sign or feeling or something to tell him he should get baptized. The only problem is that he's still not really putting in his full effort! I think we'll have to slap him around to get him to really really listen to us, haha. But he still has his baptismal date, so we're just gonna keep pressing along and try to get him to the Visitor's Center this week.
We got some really exciting news yesterday: Yumiko finally had her baby boy!! His name is Adrian, and we got to visit them this morning at the hospital. So precious! We mostly just talked about how everything went and how she was feeling, but the moment she gets home, we're gonna seize the moment and talk about the plan of salvation. She's so ready to be baptized, but she just says that she wants to know more. So we're gonna give her anything and everything we've got!
A little testimony: fasting is amazing. When we fast, miracles happen. We had 5 investigators in church yesterday, and the spirit was so so strong! I am ashamed to say that I have been a super lame faster all my life. Now that I have the opportunity to fast with real intent, I can bear testimony of the miracles that take place and the blessings that the Lord pours out on us. It's still super hard to fast, especially when you're running around trying to meet new people and get everyone to the right class at church and make sure everyone has a ride, but it is SO WORTH IT. Seriously, I encourage everyone to fast next Fast Sunday. I testify of the power it has in our lives, and that we can fast any day to show our gratitude to our Heavenly Father. And He will bless us in return!
Yay for being a missionary! Life is the BEST. I've never been so happy. One thing we've committed to do is live like this is our last week in the mission. Amazing things have happened! But we are also recognizing Satan, that he's calling for reinforcements against us and all missionaries. I love Moroni 9:6 (I think). Mormon is writing to Moroni, and he says "And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently". No matter what, no matter the hardness of the people around us and their actions against us, we must labor diligently. I love the rest of the verse too: "for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God." So great! We've got work to do and so little time to do it, so let's get to work! Let's conquer the enemy! And we will find peace for our souls with our Heavenly Father in His kingdom. So great!
I love this gospel so much, and I love being a missionary. I hope everyone has a great week! I love you all!
Hna Watkins
First off, we had a great experience with Byron this week! He and his cousin are from Guatemala, and they just moved to the area and don't really know anybody. We taught him once like a week and a half ago and we hadn't been able to catch him again until Saturday. We chatted a bit outside his apartment, and committed him to go to church! We were waiting and waiting after correllation and didn't see him anywhere, so we stepped outside and wandered around the building to see if we could find him (cause our church building has like 1,000,000 doors, everybody always gets lost, haha). So we head outside, and on the other side of the parking lot we see him getting in his car to go home! We booked it across to his car, waving our arms and calling his name to get his attention, haha. He pulled over and said he didn't know where we were and he was nervous cause he didn't know anybody, but once he saw us he was ready to go back inside. And he had a great time! We were standing in the foyer before the meetings started, just chatting, and some Hermanos came right up to him and introduced themselves and when we turned our backs for one second to say hi to someone, they had whisked him away to priesthood. So great! I love it when the members step up and fellowship the investigators. So much love!
We also had a great lesson with him later that day about the plan of salvation and the word of wisdom. Everything just made perfect sense to him, and he is really ready to step up and change his life. He has had some problems with drinking, but he really liked the word of wisdom and is willing to do whatever it takes to set those addictions aside. So wonderful! It was especially great that one of the men that took him to priesthood has had the same kinds of problems in the past. He was talking with Byron and testified to him about the power of the atonement. He was in the same place about 3 years ago, but now he's attended the temple with his wife and is super active in the ward. So he's a perfect example for Byron!
Okay, who else... Silvestre! We went to the Visitor's Center with him on Halloween, haha. It actually was perfect, since it was a Thursday and a holiday, there was hardly anyone there. We had the place to ourselves and looked at just about everything! And we brought a great ward missionary with us, Hermana Anaya. She's a convert too and is absolutely not shy at all. She basically just bore testimony one minute after the other about everything we saw! She's so great, haha. So we have a baptismal date with Silvestre, but he still is having some problems with a girlfriend, even though they're not living together. The only problem is that he has a family in Mexico! So we'll have to work that out with him this week.
We're still having trouble with Roberto! He's seriously such a good kid, and he's basically already a member, just minus the fact that he's not baptized. We're pretty sure he's ready, but he keeps saying he's waiting for a big sign or feeling or something to tell him he should get baptized. The only problem is that he's still not really putting in his full effort! I think we'll have to slap him around to get him to really really listen to us, haha. But he still has his baptismal date, so we're just gonna keep pressing along and try to get him to the Visitor's Center this week.
We got some really exciting news yesterday: Yumiko finally had her baby boy!! His name is Adrian, and we got to visit them this morning at the hospital. So precious! We mostly just talked about how everything went and how she was feeling, but the moment she gets home, we're gonna seize the moment and talk about the plan of salvation. She's so ready to be baptized, but she just says that she wants to know more. So we're gonna give her anything and everything we've got!
A little testimony: fasting is amazing. When we fast, miracles happen. We had 5 investigators in church yesterday, and the spirit was so so strong! I am ashamed to say that I have been a super lame faster all my life. Now that I have the opportunity to fast with real intent, I can bear testimony of the miracles that take place and the blessings that the Lord pours out on us. It's still super hard to fast, especially when you're running around trying to meet new people and get everyone to the right class at church and make sure everyone has a ride, but it is SO WORTH IT. Seriously, I encourage everyone to fast next Fast Sunday. I testify of the power it has in our lives, and that we can fast any day to show our gratitude to our Heavenly Father. And He will bless us in return!
Yay for being a missionary! Life is the BEST. I've never been so happy. One thing we've committed to do is live like this is our last week in the mission. Amazing things have happened! But we are also recognizing Satan, that he's calling for reinforcements against us and all missionaries. I love Moroni 9:6 (I think). Mormon is writing to Moroni, and he says "And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently". No matter what, no matter the hardness of the people around us and their actions against us, we must labor diligently. I love the rest of the verse too: "for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God." So great! We've got work to do and so little time to do it, so let's get to work! Let's conquer the enemy! And we will find peace for our souls with our Heavenly Father in His kingdom. So great!
I love this gospel so much, and I love being a missionary. I hope everyone has a great week! I love you all!
Hna Watkins
Monday, October 28, 2013
Hello errybody!
Where to start this week... We went to the visitor's center with Nereyda, a recent convert, her husband Octavio, an investigator, and their 5 year old daughter, Ashley, who's a mega fashionista, haha. It was really good! We talked a lot about eternal families and eternal marriage, which was really exciting! We had another lesson with them a few days later because Octavio had this whole week off of work, and he committed to baptism! His only struggle is the Word of Wisdom. But his date is the 16th of November! This is actually the 3rd time he's had a baptismal date, but the other day at our ward halloween party, he was talking to one of our Elders and confirmed the date and was discussing baptism and everything. So hopefully it'll all work out!
Speaking of our Trunk or Treat party! Mom sent me a mega-package full of cupcake decorations and cake mixes, and we went crazy! They were a huge hit! Everybody loves the missionaries now, thanks mom!
Okay, other people we've taught: Byron and Yarli, cousins from Guatemala that just moved into our area. Byron is super friendly and Yarli is a bit shy, but they are both looking for a church since they are new to the area, and they're really interested in our message. Byron really just wants to follow the path of Christ but never has been exactly sure how to do it. We had a second lesson with them on Saturday, and Byron committed to baptism, also for the 16th! It's so impressive to me to watch people as they open up to the message we have to share and see the changes they make to follow the example of Christ and be baptized. When people really feel the Spirit, they are willing to change anything. It's always such a good example to me!
We've also been teaching a 14 year old boy named Roberto. His dad and stepmom are both active at church, so he's been attending a lot with them. He's just come from Mexico and is going to high school and learning english at the same time. And he's a great student! That's so impressive to me. Anyways, we've been teaching him for a long time and we even had a baptismal date with him a few weeks back, but he's just been waiting for a special feeling to confirm what he's been learning, even though we're pretty sure he knows it's all true. The only hard thing is that he hasn't been very diligent with scripture study or prayer! We've been trying to help him understand that it's very possible to have that special experience that he's been looking for, but that he has to do his part. It has been tough the past couple weeks to try and find a nice way to say it, so finally we were just kinda tough on him and told him that he has to put in his effort. The Lord is always waiting to bless us! We just need to take that first step and show our willingness. So we taught him that, and we got through to him! He was kinda silent, but in the end he just said, "You guys are right. I haven't been doing my part." So he's gonna work harder now on prayer and scripture study, and he also committed to a baptismal date on the 16th of November!
We also have one more man who's ready to be baptized, Silvestre. We were walking into Gospel Principles class last sunday, and one of the elders in our ward pointed out an older guy sitting in the back that he hadn't seen at church in 4 months, but that he lived in our area. So Hna Arevalo and I went up to him and chatted a bit, and he invited us over this week! So we went by, and basically he's a member that hasn't been baptized yet, haha. The only problem was that he had a girlfriend that he was living with several months ago, but she's gone now, and he's started coming back to church after a few months of realizing that he was really missing it. So he's the fourth person we have for the baptism on the 16th of November! Bottom line, we've had some great miracles in finding and helping people commit to baptism. What a great week!
Everyone remember to do your part! Heavenly Father is waiting to bless you! Show him your willingness by being obedient and humbling yourself through prayer. It's hard but definitely worth it!
I love you all!
Hna Watkins
Where to start this week... We went to the visitor's center with Nereyda, a recent convert, her husband Octavio, an investigator, and their 5 year old daughter, Ashley, who's a mega fashionista, haha. It was really good! We talked a lot about eternal families and eternal marriage, which was really exciting! We had another lesson with them a few days later because Octavio had this whole week off of work, and he committed to baptism! His only struggle is the Word of Wisdom. But his date is the 16th of November! This is actually the 3rd time he's had a baptismal date, but the other day at our ward halloween party, he was talking to one of our Elders and confirmed the date and was discussing baptism and everything. So hopefully it'll all work out!
Speaking of our Trunk or Treat party! Mom sent me a mega-package full of cupcake decorations and cake mixes, and we went crazy! They were a huge hit! Everybody loves the missionaries now, thanks mom!
Okay, other people we've taught: Byron and Yarli, cousins from Guatemala that just moved into our area. Byron is super friendly and Yarli is a bit shy, but they are both looking for a church since they are new to the area, and they're really interested in our message. Byron really just wants to follow the path of Christ but never has been exactly sure how to do it. We had a second lesson with them on Saturday, and Byron committed to baptism, also for the 16th! It's so impressive to me to watch people as they open up to the message we have to share and see the changes they make to follow the example of Christ and be baptized. When people really feel the Spirit, they are willing to change anything. It's always such a good example to me!
We've also been teaching a 14 year old boy named Roberto. His dad and stepmom are both active at church, so he's been attending a lot with them. He's just come from Mexico and is going to high school and learning english at the same time. And he's a great student! That's so impressive to me. Anyways, we've been teaching him for a long time and we even had a baptismal date with him a few weeks back, but he's just been waiting for a special feeling to confirm what he's been learning, even though we're pretty sure he knows it's all true. The only hard thing is that he hasn't been very diligent with scripture study or prayer! We've been trying to help him understand that it's very possible to have that special experience that he's been looking for, but that he has to do his part. It has been tough the past couple weeks to try and find a nice way to say it, so finally we were just kinda tough on him and told him that he has to put in his effort. The Lord is always waiting to bless us! We just need to take that first step and show our willingness. So we taught him that, and we got through to him! He was kinda silent, but in the end he just said, "You guys are right. I haven't been doing my part." So he's gonna work harder now on prayer and scripture study, and he also committed to a baptismal date on the 16th of November!
We also have one more man who's ready to be baptized, Silvestre. We were walking into Gospel Principles class last sunday, and one of the elders in our ward pointed out an older guy sitting in the back that he hadn't seen at church in 4 months, but that he lived in our area. So Hna Arevalo and I went up to him and chatted a bit, and he invited us over this week! So we went by, and basically he's a member that hasn't been baptized yet, haha. The only problem was that he had a girlfriend that he was living with several months ago, but she's gone now, and he's started coming back to church after a few months of realizing that he was really missing it. So he's the fourth person we have for the baptism on the 16th of November! Bottom line, we've had some great miracles in finding and helping people commit to baptism. What a great week!
Everyone remember to do your part! Heavenly Father is waiting to bless you! Show him your willingness by being obedient and humbling yourself through prayer. It's hard but definitely worth it!
I love you all!
Hna Watkins
Monday, October 21, 2013
If anyone REALLY loves me they'll send me some stamps!
Yah! What a good week! It's kind of weird to write again after writing on Wednesday, so I'll try to think of some good stuff to write.
We got Isabel and Daniel and their grandkids to come to Church! First off, we told them that this week was the primary program, meaning they had to be at church at nine. So we told Isabel and Daniel that we'd come help them get ready in the morning, like ironing and brushing hair and stuff, which they were super grateful for because they have like 5 or 6 grandkids (I'm not sure how many, I keep losing track, haha). We showed up at 7:30, started ironing and pouring some cereal, and left them an hour later about halfway prepared. So we were just crossing our fingers that they'd be there in time to take the Sacrament. Then we showed up to the church, and no children were there practicing or anything. After asking around, we realized the primary program wasn't that Sunday, which was super embarrassing!! But the great thing was that Isabel and Daniel showed up about an hour late, so they were right on time for our church! It worked out perfectly!
What else happened.... we had a missionary fireside at our chapel last night, and it was so great! We sang a song with Hna Toledo, a blind woman in our ward who plays the guitar, and some recent converts bore their testimonies. It was really nice. And we got the Riveras to come! They're less-actives that we've been working with a lot, but they both work on Sunday mornings so they haven't been able to attend church. But we got them to the fireside! The only thing is that Yasury wasn't able to go, even though she was all ready to share her testimony! But her sister Yumiko, the pregnant one, has been having a lot of labor pains, and they were planning on taking her to the hospital! So Yasury was being the good sister and took care of her. And we'll have a new baby! Perfect to teach the plan of salvation :)
That's about it... We've just been doing the regular teaching and stuff, trying to get some of our regular investigators to start progressing. We're going to the Visitor's center tonight with a Recent convert named Nereyda and her husband Octavio, a long-time investigator. Hopefully things will turn around for him and he'll get interested again! I'll let everyone know how it goes!
Everyone have a good week! Being a missionary is the best!
Love, Hermana Watkins
We got Isabel and Daniel and their grandkids to come to Church! First off, we told them that this week was the primary program, meaning they had to be at church at nine. So we told Isabel and Daniel that we'd come help them get ready in the morning, like ironing and brushing hair and stuff, which they were super grateful for because they have like 5 or 6 grandkids (I'm not sure how many, I keep losing track, haha). We showed up at 7:30, started ironing and pouring some cereal, and left them an hour later about halfway prepared. So we were just crossing our fingers that they'd be there in time to take the Sacrament. Then we showed up to the church, and no children were there practicing or anything. After asking around, we realized the primary program wasn't that Sunday, which was super embarrassing!! But the great thing was that Isabel and Daniel showed up about an hour late, so they were right on time for our church! It worked out perfectly!
What else happened.... we had a missionary fireside at our chapel last night, and it was so great! We sang a song with Hna Toledo, a blind woman in our ward who plays the guitar, and some recent converts bore their testimonies. It was really nice. And we got the Riveras to come! They're less-actives that we've been working with a lot, but they both work on Sunday mornings so they haven't been able to attend church. But we got them to the fireside! The only thing is that Yasury wasn't able to go, even though she was all ready to share her testimony! But her sister Yumiko, the pregnant one, has been having a lot of labor pains, and they were planning on taking her to the hospital! So Yasury was being the good sister and took care of her. And we'll have a new baby! Perfect to teach the plan of salvation :)
That's about it... We've just been doing the regular teaching and stuff, trying to get some of our regular investigators to start progressing. We're going to the Visitor's center tonight with a Recent convert named Nereyda and her husband Octavio, a long-time investigator. Hopefully things will turn around for him and he'll get interested again! I'll let everyone know how it goes!
Everyone have a good week! Being a missionary is the best!
Love, Hermana Watkins
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Yaaaay a baptism!
I honestly can't even remember what has happened since I last emailed!
Also, this email is 2 days late because it's transfer week! And for some reason, they change P-day to Wednesday during transfers. Nothing changed for us 6 missionaries in the Camelback 1st branch, so that's exciting! We're just gonna keep charging on ahead with the work!
Okay, so Yasury's baptism!!! You guys, it was AMAZING! It was a little scary at first cause we couldn't find a jumpsuit that fit well, and we were running around trying to search for more, when finally our district leader told us they were all hanging up in the boy's bathroom! So we had to sneak in there and get some of those, but otherwise, everything went very smoothly! Yasury (the mom) was baptized first. It was a little crazy cause some little kids were running around and yelling, but as Hno Curiel started with the baptism, everything just got really quiet and peaceful. Yumiko (Yasury's sister) was really moved by the whole thing, and Lorenzo, their dad, got to be there, which made it really special. There was a little problem with Yasurita's baptism cause Hno Curiel couldn't get her name right, haha, but it all worked out in the end.
And then their confirmations were on Sunday! Both the blessings were really special. It was Fast and Testimony meeting for us, so beforehand we asked Yasury if she would bear her testimony, saying that we would too (meaning I had to do it in spanish, so scary!), and she did! It was really powerful. She gave a beautiful testimony on her feelings about her baptism and the changes that she's made and feeling the spirit and stuff. So great! She is really special. She's definitely going to be a great asset to the branch and to the church.
What else has happened this week.... We made contact with a street contact from about a month ago, and it was great! Her name is Guadalupe and she has one son named Alexis (who is like 10 and has serious attitude, it's hilarious. The first thing he said when his mom introduced him was, "Soy gordo" with a huge smile on his face! It was so funny). She's been going through a really rough time for about a year now, and was really enjoying our message. We have another appointment for next monday, so hopefully everything goes well!
This week was interesting cause we weren't seening a lot of progression with our investigators like we wanted. We were planning on dropping a bunch of them this week after a final visit, which is always a scary thing cause you don't know if any of the referrals you have to fall back on will actually pull through. So we were just praying and praying that if we did decide to drop these people, we'd find more people to work with. And the Lord answers prayers! But diligence is required. We have worked super hard the last couple days, and the Lord has provided us with great new investigators and a change of heart in some of the old ones that are now progressing more than ever. So great! I love seeing fruits of our labors and answers to prayers.
Well I hope this isn't too long! Everything has been wonderful. Phoenix is full of weird people. A guy just walked into the library with an eyepatch. But I love it here! There are wonderful families like Yasury and her daughters and sister and dad, and great members like our branch. I absolutely love being a missionary!
OH I almost forgot! On Monday night we were leaving a member's house to go to FHE at the Guerrero's house with Yasury. We were pedaling along and were coming up to a corner when a car passed us and stopped right before the stop sign. We rounded the corner and stopped cause smoke was coming out from under the hood, and we were gonna ask if we could help. And then there was a huge boom and all these flames came out from the hood!! And the people in the car just bolted out! It was crazy! There was tons of fire, and Hermana Arevalo was just saying "Alejese, alejese, alejese!!" Finally a firetruck came, and it made me realize how brave firemen are! A guy jumped out of the truck, and before they sprayed the fire or anything, he walked right up to the car with a flashlight to find the problem and make sure nobody was still in there or anything. And then it was great, we met up with Presidente Alvarado, and he introduced us to a family he knows from his work! Potential investigators! So there you go, missionary work can come from anything, even an exploding car :)
Well great! Everyone have an outstanding week!
Love love love
Hermana Watkins
Our zone at the Mesa Temple.
Fiesta patrias!
Yumiko, Yasury, y Estrella at the Visitors' Center.
Conference!
The baptism!
Also, this email is 2 days late because it's transfer week! And for some reason, they change P-day to Wednesday during transfers. Nothing changed for us 6 missionaries in the Camelback 1st branch, so that's exciting! We're just gonna keep charging on ahead with the work!
Okay, so Yasury's baptism!!! You guys, it was AMAZING! It was a little scary at first cause we couldn't find a jumpsuit that fit well, and we were running around trying to search for more, when finally our district leader told us they were all hanging up in the boy's bathroom! So we had to sneak in there and get some of those, but otherwise, everything went very smoothly! Yasury (the mom) was baptized first. It was a little crazy cause some little kids were running around and yelling, but as Hno Curiel started with the baptism, everything just got really quiet and peaceful. Yumiko (Yasury's sister) was really moved by the whole thing, and Lorenzo, their dad, got to be there, which made it really special. There was a little problem with Yasurita's baptism cause Hno Curiel couldn't get her name right, haha, but it all worked out in the end.
And then their confirmations were on Sunday! Both the blessings were really special. It was Fast and Testimony meeting for us, so beforehand we asked Yasury if she would bear her testimony, saying that we would too (meaning I had to do it in spanish, so scary!), and she did! It was really powerful. She gave a beautiful testimony on her feelings about her baptism and the changes that she's made and feeling the spirit and stuff. So great! She is really special. She's definitely going to be a great asset to the branch and to the church.
What else has happened this week.... We made contact with a street contact from about a month ago, and it was great! Her name is Guadalupe and she has one son named Alexis (who is like 10 and has serious attitude, it's hilarious. The first thing he said when his mom introduced him was, "Soy gordo" with a huge smile on his face! It was so funny). She's been going through a really rough time for about a year now, and was really enjoying our message. We have another appointment for next monday, so hopefully everything goes well!
This week was interesting cause we weren't seening a lot of progression with our investigators like we wanted. We were planning on dropping a bunch of them this week after a final visit, which is always a scary thing cause you don't know if any of the referrals you have to fall back on will actually pull through. So we were just praying and praying that if we did decide to drop these people, we'd find more people to work with. And the Lord answers prayers! But diligence is required. We have worked super hard the last couple days, and the Lord has provided us with great new investigators and a change of heart in some of the old ones that are now progressing more than ever. So great! I love seeing fruits of our labors and answers to prayers.
Well I hope this isn't too long! Everything has been wonderful. Phoenix is full of weird people. A guy just walked into the library with an eyepatch. But I love it here! There are wonderful families like Yasury and her daughters and sister and dad, and great members like our branch. I absolutely love being a missionary!
OH I almost forgot! On Monday night we were leaving a member's house to go to FHE at the Guerrero's house with Yasury. We were pedaling along and were coming up to a corner when a car passed us and stopped right before the stop sign. We rounded the corner and stopped cause smoke was coming out from under the hood, and we were gonna ask if we could help. And then there was a huge boom and all these flames came out from the hood!! And the people in the car just bolted out! It was crazy! There was tons of fire, and Hermana Arevalo was just saying "Alejese, alejese, alejese!!" Finally a firetruck came, and it made me realize how brave firemen are! A guy jumped out of the truck, and before they sprayed the fire or anything, he walked right up to the car with a flashlight to find the problem and make sure nobody was still in there or anything. And then it was great, we met up with Presidente Alvarado, and he introduced us to a family he knows from his work! Potential investigators! So there you go, missionary work can come from anything, even an exploding car :)
Well great! Everyone have an outstanding week!
Love love love
Hermana Watkins
Our zone at the Mesa Temple.
Fiesta patrias!
Yumiko, Yasury, y Estrella at the Visitors' Center.
Conference!
The baptism!
Monday, October 7, 2013
Pretty sure this is week 11
Hi everybody!
This week was GREAT! I can't really remember how it started. That was like a million years ago. But we've had some great lessons with Yasury, who's official baptismal date is October 11th, with her daughter Yasurita. It's so exciting!! We can't wait for this Friday. It's like waiting for Christmas! The challenge now, though, is to help Yamiko and Estrella and even their dad Lorenzo to commit to baptism.
Estrella's baby boy is named Mitsuo! We were a tiny bit disappointed because Hermana Arevalo and I had thought up a name for him: Natalio Patricio (our first names masculinized). Haha, but Mitsuo seems to fit him very well! It was so awesome, they made it to a session of conference! It was Sunday morning, which is perfect because the Prophet spoke! Yamiko wasn't feeling to good so she didn't come, but Yasury and Estrella LOVED it! We were taking some pictures after, and Estrella was talking about how Mitsuo is a future missionary, which is so awesome to hear! They have such an amazing desire to learn more, and are willing to change anything in their lives that isn't in harmony with the doctrines of the gospel. I love their examples of faith!
And I finally figured out all their daughter's names, haha! Yasury's girls are named: Yasurita, Yukey, and Yza, and Yamiko's daughter is named Mitsue. So Japanese! Can you see why I was so confused until now?
We also made a great connection! We were planning on going to the Visitor's center with Isabel and her fam and The Rivera family, but rides didn't work out, so we had to cancel. We were over at the Cobarubias house (less-actives), and we were telling them about Isabel, and it turns out they're good friends! They had just lost touch over the years. So we gave them Isabel's number, and after talking about conference, they planned on inviting Isabel and Daniel and their girls to come watch Conference with them. So great!
Um also, this week I ate the most delicious hot dog in my life. Hermana Anaya truly is an amazing cook! Or she's just crazy and throws a bunch of things together and they turn out deliciously, haha. This is how it went: warmed bun, 2 american cheese slices, hot dog wrapped in bacon, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, diced onion, tomato, guacamole, grilled onion, and cotija cheese. WHAT. It was like three pounds and SO DELICIOUS. Thank goodness we had to go to an appointment, or I would have eaten another one, haha. Also, we had gigantic lasagna yesterday. It was heavenly. I love mexican food, but a little change never hurts, haha. It was wonderful to have a little break with some italian food.
Thanks for the emails and letters, everyone! I love you all!
Love love love
Hermana Watkins
This week was GREAT! I can't really remember how it started. That was like a million years ago. But we've had some great lessons with Yasury, who's official baptismal date is October 11th, with her daughter Yasurita. It's so exciting!! We can't wait for this Friday. It's like waiting for Christmas! The challenge now, though, is to help Yamiko and Estrella and even their dad Lorenzo to commit to baptism.
Estrella's baby boy is named Mitsuo! We were a tiny bit disappointed because Hermana Arevalo and I had thought up a name for him: Natalio Patricio (our first names masculinized). Haha, but Mitsuo seems to fit him very well! It was so awesome, they made it to a session of conference! It was Sunday morning, which is perfect because the Prophet spoke! Yamiko wasn't feeling to good so she didn't come, but Yasury and Estrella LOVED it! We were taking some pictures after, and Estrella was talking about how Mitsuo is a future missionary, which is so awesome to hear! They have such an amazing desire to learn more, and are willing to change anything in their lives that isn't in harmony with the doctrines of the gospel. I love their examples of faith!
And I finally figured out all their daughter's names, haha! Yasury's girls are named: Yasurita, Yukey, and Yza, and Yamiko's daughter is named Mitsue. So Japanese! Can you see why I was so confused until now?
We also made a great connection! We were planning on going to the Visitor's center with Isabel and her fam and The Rivera family, but rides didn't work out, so we had to cancel. We were over at the Cobarubias house (less-actives), and we were telling them about Isabel, and it turns out they're good friends! They had just lost touch over the years. So we gave them Isabel's number, and after talking about conference, they planned on inviting Isabel and Daniel and their girls to come watch Conference with them. So great!
Um also, this week I ate the most delicious hot dog in my life. Hermana Anaya truly is an amazing cook! Or she's just crazy and throws a bunch of things together and they turn out deliciously, haha. This is how it went: warmed bun, 2 american cheese slices, hot dog wrapped in bacon, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, diced onion, tomato, guacamole, grilled onion, and cotija cheese. WHAT. It was like three pounds and SO DELICIOUS. Thank goodness we had to go to an appointment, or I would have eaten another one, haha. Also, we had gigantic lasagna yesterday. It was heavenly. I love mexican food, but a little change never hurts, haha. It was wonderful to have a little break with some italian food.
Thanks for the emails and letters, everyone! I love you all!
Love love love
Hermana Watkins
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