Survived Transfers

April 27, 2015

So.....this week has gone by both super fast....and really slow. I was just thinking I can't even remember what I wrote last week.

Best Moment:

Myself & Hrm Jimenez, Jose, Cesar & Mario

The BAPTISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mario, Cesar, and Jose were baptized on Saturday, confirmed on Sunday and received the priesthood!!!!! WOW! We were all so happy. Because it was our first baptism there were MANY miracles and we saw the reality of grace. We forgot to get the baptismal suit for Hermano Rodriguez, the baptizer! And when we got to the stake center the copier didn't work....and there weren't any hymn books in Spanish. Everything worked out though! And it was such a spiritual experience! YEAH!!!!!!!! SO happy for them!



Claudia Uribe with the Ocampo's.

Their mom wasn't able to attend but the Uribe family (their neighbors and basically their family) went....that is Claudia Uribe the mom in the picture. She and Joseph were SO happy for them to get baptized! 

Since I don't have much time...... I will update you all on the people here. 

We are still visiting the Singh family to tutor them. They are great!!!  Karen and Lupis.....we have been trying, but they don't really keep commitments.

Helping Isha Singh with her book report.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's it :) We are working on finding!!!!!! I am staying here in Rialto with Hermana Jimenez and we are going to find people who are ready to be baptized!!!!!!!!! We are also starting English Classes this week for EVERYONE! We have been inviting people to that....which is an easy ice breaker because the people here understand how important it is to know English. Especially the moms....because their children know English and they 'talk back' because they know their moms don't understand what they are saying.

With the Young Women in the ward.

Love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hermana Wright

Family Home Evening with the Larios Family

Some skateboarders that we street contacted.
They came over to talk with us for about an hour.

Ward Noche de Hogar (Family Home Evening)

My Spanish, Our Investigators...and a Crazy Experience

This week was another blur of a week! I am basically to the first transfer....CRAZY! Still not fluent...but close :) Just kidding! Sometimes I think that there is a reason for me to not be fluent. There are obviously lessons that I need to learn from this....so I am going to do my best to learn these lessons quickly.....I am anxious to become fluent :). Understanding has gotten much better....still hard....but better.

 

This week we had 1 lesson with the Ocampo's, where we asked Mario to be officially baptized. WOOHOO! However, they didn't come to church this Sunday (which makes two times in a row). We are a little worried that they aren't ready to be baptized. We are going to try to have a lesson with them tonight....but they are rarely home anymore. That is why we've only been able to have 1 lesson with them this week. If everything works out though....all three of them will be baptized this Saturday.

 

Crystal is no longer an investigator we can teach because her mom realized that we were mormons......so we aren't allowed to go back. I think she found out because I left a Book of Mormon with Victoria (Crystal's brother's girlfriend). I felt really strongly that I should leave it....so I think that just having that book in their house will somehow give them desire! Who knows....one day someone might be having a rough time and open it up to find answers. They might stay up the whole night reading because once they started they can't stop.... I don't think the Lord wastes his Books of Mormon. Somehow it will bless someone's life. 

 

Karen and Lupis were on a trip this week so we didn't teach them at all really. Hopefully they can come to church this Sunday !!!  I love this ward! They are so awesome! There are so many strong families with strong testimonies!  

Coolest Moment this week:

We went to go visit a less-active family this week....la familia Arcos. We pulled into their circle and parked. Right then we got a call from an investigator. We were on the phone when a car with really loud music sped into the circle and up to a car with a cover on it. He got out (obviously mad) and started sprinkling something on the car. I thought for sure he would light it on fire. He went back to his car, broke something and then placed it on the covered car. He whistled 3 times and then ran to his car. Four big, bald, gangsters came out of a nearby apartment....they were MAD! Hermana Jimenez pulled out really fast....we didn't want to become accomplices or anything :) CRAZY!!!!

 

Finding Moment:

Our district has decided to start holding English classes for members (and their friends). We aren't going to officially start holding classes until next transfer....but it has been a great tool to use to get people acquainted with the church. We also got a chance to meet la familia Cisneros....we haven't been able to actually have a lesson with them yet....but hopefully!

 

I love you all! I hope you are having a great week! Keep praying and reading your scriptures!!!!!!!!!

LOVE YOU! 

Our apartment (upstairs)

Hermana Wright

The Fontana Library where we send our weekly emails.

Mission Life: The goods and the bads

Hola Familia & Friends:                        

 Well....it's been another week here in Rialto 4th. Life has been good. This week has gone by fast...transfers are coming up....and I can't help but feel nervous! This week was much better I will just give you some highlights:

 Favorite Lesson: We asked Cesar and Jose Ocampo to be baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Their date is April 25th NEXT SATURDAY! We are really hoping that everything will work out just right! They are so awesome!!!! We had a Noche de Hogar with la familia Larios this week with them...we played a little ping pong and such....it was fun!

 

Low: None of our investigators (even the one's on date for baptism) came to church....it was kind of like a stab to the heart. So officially....Karen & Lupis and Crystal are not progressing :(  It's hard to help them see that this is such a big deal. We worked really hard on Karen and Lupis this week. We brought an Hermana from the ward to make friends with them and follow up with them....but to no avail. We aren't going to 'drop' them but we will start to see them less. And hopefully this week we will find other investigators to fill up the empty time slots. 

 

Study Insights:  I started the Book of Mormon again.....I wanted to finish the New Testament first....but I have recognized the lack of the strong spirit that the Book of Mormon brings! I LOVE THE BOOK OF MORMON! I have realized it is one of the things in the church that I have the strongest testimony about. I am only in 1 Nephi 15 but the story is SO cool! And I am finding characteristics and things I had never noticed. We have seen in the ward a real lack of knowledge of the Book of Mormon (seen in the Noche de Hogar where we acted out Book of Mormon stories.....some people didn't even know who Laman and Lemuel were). So our new challenge to people is starting to read the Book of Mormon together as a family. We also challenged Itzel (investigator) and the Ocampo's to start reading the Book of Mormon as well. I love the part in 1 Nephi 17

 
"But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound. "

 He prays to be strengthened...he prays to have the strength to change his own circumstances not necessarily to have his circumstances changed. 

 Another insight was:   

                                                                                                                  
"For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot. "                                                                                     
If we want to receive answers to our questions and really feel the spirit, we have to take the time to do so!!!! Ponder it in your heart!!!!

Funniest Moments:

We started a game in the car where we try to wave to as many people as we can. We get a tally mark for everyone that waves back....naturally I tend to win. So Hermana Jimenez has to go to desperate measures. One time she rolled down the window, waved and said 'Have a Good day' and the guy was visibly creeped out! It was hilarious! 

 Also Hermana Jimenez wanted to give our flowers a little sun...she put them outside on the balcony....they fell off 5 minutes later. We spent the next 10 minutes cleaning up broken glass.

 Another Jimenez moment.... we were slowing rolling along and she threw the car into park from being in drive. YIKES! I silently thought of what Dad might say. She was bewildered and asked what happened..... Ha-ha

 Well that's it folks....I am aware that some of you read my letters only for entertainment purposes, and so, I am sorry this week has been rather redundant. But, hey! Next week! Next week we are going to take Mario, Cesar, and Jose to a Samoan baptism so they can see what it's like. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!! 

Have a GREAT week! Thanks for your prayers! Also....Shout out to Hermana Sarah Cheret and Sister Chelsia Liu who are both leaving on the 15th for Spain and China!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Love,   Hermana Wright

Happy Easter

April 6, 2015

Hola once again familia y amigos:

 

Thanks for the Easter Basket

Another whirlwind week. We are already starting week 4....month 2! Sometimes it feels like it's going so fast....and then other times it feels like things are dragging! This week was one of the harder weeks.....but hey.....we knew that would happen! I loved reading all your letters, and I am so glad that most of you had the opportunity to watch conference! It was so awesome! As far as this week's momentos are concerned.....

First up....Weirdest Moment: la familia Larios....what do I say. They found my blog on 'accident'....and so now I have to significantly trim down what I say about them. :) JUST KIDDING! (Shout out to Moses Larios!). Their family is awesome and had us over for dinner not once, but TWICE this week! We always have a good time! The people here are SO SO SO AWESOME!!!!! Every day I get to be amongst the awesome, loving, humble, hilarious people of Rialto, CA. Sure.....this place has its weirdo's...like the sign-holder guy on the corner that was dancing....crazily...and I have to admit, for being 100 ft away I still felt EXTREMELY uncomfortable. But, hey.....he was definitely drawing attention to his business. We also have the occasional encounter with someone making a drug deal....but we share the 'Because He Lives' video anyway!!!  For all those people, we see 100x more who are just plain AWESOME!


E. Gore & E. Juarez

 

Scripture Moment: This week while studying, I found an awesome scripture that I wanted to share.....since its still Easter Season! 

 
Isaiah 49:15-16
 15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

I want to share my testimony that I KNOW that He knows us. He has us scarred into His hands! He not only knows what we need and our personalities....he knows what we are going through. He knows because He experienced it! I love this scripture because it reminds us that in a world where it feels like we are alone and nobody cares about us....there is ALWAYS someone who is with us! 

 



Ward FHE...Book of Mormon Charades

Roughest Moment:  This week was one of those weeks where I felt like I had my weaknesses shown to me...a lot of them all at once. I realized that I have some things I need to improve on. The sad thing is that the one lesson I failed to realize until now is that we shouldn't let 'becoming aware of our weaknesses' stop us. I did that this week....I was told that I was talking too much in lessons and that I wasn't the teacher I thought I was....and so I stopped talking, thinking that would solve the problem all together. The thing I failed to recognize is that God works through imperfect teachers...in the words of Elder Holland "That's all he has to work with. That must be awfully frustrating, but He eals with it." The lesson I think I learned most this week is that we MUST keep trying. We are not perfect...and occasionally we get reminded of that...and it's painful. But, God shows us our weaknesses so that we can see how much we've changed when He is done with us! So keep working...keep struggling..., but  most importantly Keep Trying!!  I like the conference talk where he talked about Saints. We are n ot Saints in this church...unless Saint means 'a sinner who keeps on trying.'

 







General Conference Moment:

There were so many little things that popped out to me. And I wish I could remember them.....but alas I am found unprepared without my notebook, which I left in the car.

 



Redlands Temple

SO....you will all have to wait until next week. 

For now....know that I love you all! A special shout out goes to all the missionaries entering the MTC within the week! You can do this!!!!!!!!! 

For all those deciding whether or not they will serve a mission......GO! It is a blessing in so many ways! You get to serve God, work with His children, and let Him change you into a better person all at the same time! 

Keep reading the Book of Mormon, going to church, praying, and growing your faith!!!!!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS Saw Tavi in one of the General Conference Magazines!

 

Tavi