Punchy-ness adventures...

Hello everyone! Here is the video to explain my title for this week. :) 
 MVI_7588.MOV

This past week was definitely a struggle, but it has been a blast! 

It has been in the one hundred degrees this week for the temperature... and It's been crazy!

We were walking on Tuesday, when we walked a VERY long distance home from the seminary building, where we were helping the seminary teacher for the high school do some office work. It made me feel like I was in my Mom's office again! filing, cleaning, laminating, she even brought some fruit for us to eat. She's amazing! Not as amazing as my mother though. :) 

After we walked all the way home, we literally passed out on our apartment floor. It was SO hot, we may or may not have started laughing uncontrollably because of how hot it was. It was a blast though, we tried to find as many cold things to eat as we could, got cleaned up, and headed out walking.... again... It finally cooled off to the 90's towards the end of the week, and believe it or not, we felt it! 

We had an awesome lesson with our ward mission leader, who served his mission in Argentina. His Spanish is SPECTACULAR! He basically is still a missionary inside a members body, he ROCKS at teaching lessons with us. We taught the Word of Wisdom to one of our slowly progressing investigators, and he just jumped in whenever in the lesson as if we were in a tri-pan. (maybe a quad including the Holy Ghost, of course) We also got asked out by an older gentleman this past week right as we were walking home... He wanted to take us to shoot pool, and we said no.. He was disappointed.. we didn't know what else to say other than we are missionaries. Luckily, Hermana Baird took over that conversation. 

The fridge of a walking missionary...

We've been working great with the members! We've had quite a number of great member lessons with some of the members from the English wards we cover. Because we've been getting involved with them more, on accident (being given rides home by sweet members) and purposely set up member lessons, We've been receiving so many member referrals! We even attended one of the English wards with permission, and we had everybody on their toes about if they had actually gotten sisters! Unfortunately, not completely... Everyone in this certain ward has begged to feed us, they are so sweet! The elders in this ward are going to have to get used to sharing a ward... Because literally, all the sisters in the ward already want to feed us and help us since they can't quite help the elders with too much. #blessingsofbeingasister

We had a few interesting lessons with less actives by translating for them about tickets they've received, and having 3 different lessons all in the same house, at different times, each a few minutes after the other. We've been on a roll!

Someone asked me this morning, "What is one of the greatest lessons you've learned on your mission?" Well some things I've learned on my mission..

How much potential that each of us have as sons and daughters of Heavenly Father.

We are pieces of art... He has created us each very differently for MANY purposes.

Especially, relating to your mass email from today, that we are called to specific missions, areas, and companions, for MANY reasons. 

I have had to slowly accept that things are the way they are, because He made them that way.

We each have divine potential, for what he wants us to become; and if we are humble, submissive, patient, and urgent in listening to the spirit, we can conquer all that lies in our path. 

Hermana Knight & I!

Good morning everyone!

Wow, this past week has been a work in progress.  Monday and Tuesday we let Hermana Buss say goodbye to a lot of members, and we had some sweet time together before she left. Wednesday morning, we woke up and Hermana Buss STILL wasn't packed. I was scared for her, on the other hand, Hermana Juarex who stayed the two nights with us (her senior comp went home) was not so happy. I, on the other hand, told Hermana Buss to get in the shower while I packed her stuff. Within 15 minutes, Herman Juarez and I packed her last few things and got out the door with Herman Buss's stuff... and when I say stuff, there was A LOT.

We got to the Hood River Church when we realized how much stuff each missionary had that had to fit into a Dodge Van... I was on the verge of sweating, I couldn't believe how much stuff we had to fit into this van, and the member was completely chill as a cucumber while I looked at the van as soon as we pulled up, and I silently said to myself... 'This ain't gonna work, people!!'  But luckily, the sweet member and I packed the van with our good packing skills (Thanks to my sweet, awesome Dad who taught me how to properly pack a car for a trip!) And we headed off to the transfer site, we smushed the two elders in the back while we hermanas fit into the upper seats... (Poor elders, sorry!) We came back with even MORE things from our new companions, so we ended up having to take some of our new companions' things and have other missionaries take them to another church building, and which our member was more than willing to pick up the other missionaries' things. 

Hermana Knight is from Rockwall, Texas (Across a lake and 30 minutes from Dallas) and she ROCKS! She was born in Logan, and she's been back and forth from Cedar Hills, Utah and Dallas ever since.  She's only been 6 months out on her mission, and she's on fire! I love it!  We have lots of great plans for our area; Trevor is slowly but surely progressing, and he's growing so much in the Gospel! We've met some part member families that we will be teaching this week, and it will be amazing. I just can't wait. 

I also just FINALLY got pictures of Wendy, the teenager with down syndrome that I taught in my first area, and her baptism pictures! She just glows! (sniff sniff)  She's all grown up!

Anyway, It's been an awesome week, Change is my favorite, but this week has been great!

I can do ALL things through Christ!

Fun News, I'm a grandma!  Hermana Perry, who I half trained in Toppenish, is now training in Sunnyside, so we have this cute three generation picture to show. 

So this past week was amazing, frustrating, and a whole roller coaster at the same time, for one of the many times so far. 

We had some sweet lessons with Trevor, who has officially chosen a date to work towards. April 23rd, everyone! We are so excited, he still feels nervous, but he knows it's what he's wanted for awhile, and it's what is going to help him step into eternity with his Heavenly Father.  We also had an awesome lesson with Satika, who is the best friend of another one of the youth in the ward. She lives in Hood River, so the Elders across the river will start teaching her. The Elders have another young girl who wants to get baptized who technically lives in our area, and we are so excited to teach her!  Adriana has had it rough.  She lives with her Mom most of the week and goes to church with her Dad in the Elders' ward, so we are basically having a swap of investigators with the Elders.  It should be exciting this week!  We have plans to teach Trevor in some members' homes and we can't wait.  We are patiently preparing for those lessons. 

I've had my moments this week, but every time I've gotten down on my knees, I've entered my own world for a while. I testify to each of you that the Atonement is real, and that Jesus Christ truly did die for each of us, and I know, and testify, that even though none of us were on earth to witness his sacrifice and death, that we each watched him suffer from our kingdom up above before we were sent to earth with our glorious gifts - our bodies. 

I am so thankful for Him and his sacrifice, and for the Zone Conference we had this past week in Yakima.  It was so good to see everyone, and to spend our time talking about Jesus Christ and the last week of his life. 

Another piece of Joy for Ya'll!

 

We had to drive our own car to Yakima this past week, 2 1/2 hour drive, but it was decent, as you can tell by this picture... It was a blast.  Loved having the road trip and being able to clunk out after we got home... 

Yakima is melting, not me!

Hi everyone! 

This past week was great!  We had a sweet District Council, and we even had it in Spanish, which was fun because I haven't done that before!  We had some sweet practice in Spanish for our lessons with role plays, too. We talked to a ton people this week too, it was great!

We had a missionary training broadcast, which was worldwide, and that was awesome.  I felt the spirit so strong. It was a lot of what we already talk about as missionaries -- living the doctrine of Christ to grow our testimonies, and then to be able to testify even more.  Our two hours of listening to them was a blast!  Later that day we had a set lesson with Chessy and Francisco, her Dad, but we couldn't find a member to come with us, so we asked them if they could meet us at McDonald's.  Francisco called us back and said they could!  So we were still able to have a lesson, haha!  We just had to have it in public, which is always a little awkward the first time around, but it went great!  

Later that night we had a lesson with Jorge, who is our sweet golden referral.  We taught him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and he loved it!  He's reading the Book of Mormon, and really enjoying it!  We hadn't gotten too far with him and the lessons until he called us the day before our last lesson and told us he'd be leaving to move back to San Francisco to start over.  I don't know if I ever mentioned this, but he was married to his partner for about a year, who died last July, and that was around the time he was walking around Pike's Market in Seattle when two sister missionaries kind-of -- sort-of chased him down to talk to him.  He felt a bit weird, but he loved talking with them, so that turned out well!  But he's now officially out in San Fran.  He said he'd request the missionaries to visit him though, he's awesome!  Just looking for a bit of peace in his life!

After having the broadcast, and preparing to have a Zone Conference this week, I've been evaluating myself and my personal goals.  Hermana Aldrich and I have been talking things out, between us and personally our mission goals, and I've come to a conclusion.  I don't always look at the time I have left, but in thinking about how far I've come so far on my mission, this past transfer I have truly changed more than I probably have over all my mission. This past transfer has truly taught me what it takes to be a true disciple of Christ. Patient, long suffering, faithful, knowledgeable, charitable, virtuous, diligent, and especially humble. I am who I am right now on my mission because of the endless experiences I'm having with Hermana Aldrich, and my situations right now. 

One thing that has helped me out this week is the Youth 2016 music.  Wow!  How uplifting!  We've listened to a lot of hymns, I love it.  I am so motivated to become more like Jesus Christ everyday!  I truly now feel like a real missionary!  

I LOVE being a part of the W.Y.M. Couldn't ask for anything else!