Paying the Price when the Price goes up!

Dear Family and Friends, 

Thank you for all of your love, support, and prayers!  Welp, here they are-----this week's moments---

Feeling the Spirit Moment:

Hermana Mendoza's dad is in the hospital again. He has got some heart problems. CUTEST old man ever! He isn't doing very well. In ward council they talked a lot about things they would do to help. We hadn't planned it, but felt like we should stop by yesterday and sing for him. So we did! It was really cool and they were all teary eyed when we stopped singing (Asombro Me Da...I stand all amazed). Very special experience! 

Miracle Moments:

While leaving the Hospital after we sang to Hermano Preciado (hermana Mendoza's dad), we walked out the front door to the hospital to see a woman crying and saying bye to her family. We walked by and I felt this pressure that we needed to go back. So we turned around and waited for her to be done. When she walked by us we gave her a hug and asked if we could sing for her and her family. She took us up to the room where her husband was (he will be put in hospice care because his cancer is pretty progressed). We sang again while she cried. We prayed and then we left her with her number. We told her she could call if she wanted us to come sing again. She asked if we only sing in the hospital. We told her we could go to her house too. She said her daughter isn't taking this all very well. What a great powerful woman! It was an awesome experience! Very sad, but we gave her a plan of Salvation pamphlet. 

The next miracle is that we finally finished Weekly Planning! YEAH!!!!!!!

Spaghetti Tacos

Exchanges Moment: This week I went on Exchanges with Sister Anderson in her area (Highland). They are doing a great job! We talked to a WHOLE bunch of people! We got names and lots of addresses. We also got Spaghetti Tacos....yes...a taco shell filled with spaghetti. That is was happens when you go to English world :). I also got to meet their Recent Convert, Martin, who is the ABSOLUTE PERFECT fit for our new investigator Jose. That was a miracle!!!!!

Favorite Teaching Moment: This week, one of my favorite moments was teaching our combined Relief Society and Priesthood activity. It was AWESOME! and very powerful!!! We started off altogether and then separated into 2 classes (one taught by the elders and one by us). We taught about how the members can help us in our missionary efforts, and the elders taught about how they can share the gospel with their friends and family members. We narrowed it down to 3 things they can do (Escuchar, Amar, y Testificar) In Spanish it spells eat, but it means Listen, Love and Testify. It was actually a VERY spiritual experience! I felt the spirit as we taught! Great activity. At the beginning we had given them all a post it to write ALL of the names down that came to their minds. There were some great hermanas that were a little teary eyed in the end! Very cool! 

Inspiration Moment: So, I think probably the most valuable life lessons I will take from my mission is "Are you willing to pay the price when the price goes up?" A long time ago we had a mission conference with Elder Hamula that literally changed my WHOLE LIFE! Not even just my mission. He taught this principle and it is just barely starting to make sense with everything that is happening right now. So. He showed us a video "Pure and Simple Faith" (I would HIGHLEY RECOMMEND WATCHING IT) about a poor family who every Sunday had to pay the bus fair to get to church. Because they were low on money they did not have much money to buy food and other necessary supplies for the week. One Saturday, after setting aside the bus fair money, the daughter is sent, with a little cash, to buy the groceries. When she gets to each place she finds a new challenge. Sometimes the price had gone up....but the miracle happens when she reaches in her pocket and finds just the right amount of cash for their bus fair and food. I didn't tell the story very well...but....the principle is the same. God expects us to act! When we pray to have charity, we can pretty much assume that he will give a trial or a person to love that forces us to develop charity. It is the same with missionary work. Sister Jackson and I have a goal of 5 baptisms. Guess what we are struggling with? Keeping appointments with investigators. Almost all of our appointments with investigators or members have cancelled for the last week and a half. It is extremely hard, but it has made me think back to the girl. If my goal is 5 baptisms, what am I willing to give when the price goes up? It is the same with the world right now. Are we willing to pay the price when the wickedness increases and when the storms arise and when people persecute us and when wars come. What are we willing to sacrifice? This is a time to consecrate ourselves to the Lord, give everything we have. Give him the last drop of resistance! Are we willing to pay the price when the price goes up? 

I love you all!

Hermana Wright

Exchanges, Referrals & Asking random questions

Family, Family, Family:

It's getting to be that time where I have to read my least email to see what happened last week. Things are moving SO FAST here! 

Miracles:

Service opportunity.

*Our first day together, we went to go visit a 'potential' named Julio. When we got out of the car, his next door neighbor was halfway in her door. I called her and told her I had a question. (PS apparently I am good at coming up with random questions that I actually know the answer to. Like, where is E street? To which the answer is usually, its right before F Street. Don't worry I'll get better) After we talked for a little while we scheduled a time when we could return. Turns out I know her sister because I taught her in Rialto way back 1 year ago!!!! So, this week we got to have a lesson with her, and guess what! She happens to be the COOLEST person ever. She said yes to being baptized and was SO excited to start taking the discussions. We haven't had a chance to meet with her since then, but we passed by her house once and taught her 2 older daughters (7 and 9 ish) how to sing Las Familias Pueden Ser Eternas (Families can be together forever). Very SPECIAL!!!

 

Exchanges with Hermana Biggerstaff

*Went on exchanges yesterday! Sister Biggerstaff, who usually covers YSA in San B, came here with me to my area. We had a good day! We talked to LOTS of people, and I got pretty sunburned. The funny part is, we didn't walk that much. I parked the car about 2 minutes from the house we were going to, and it took about an hour and a half to get back to the car because we talked to so many people! Sister Biggerstaff has been out 4 months. She got to do her first street contact ever!!! Glad I could help change that around. For all of you who are going on missions in the future (Yes dear nieces and nephews, I don't care how scared you are...you talk with EVERYONE!!!!!). We asked everyone for referrals, and a lady we met named Milagros gave one of her neighbors. As we were walking past the house a little later, I said, "let's go contact that referral we just got." Sister Biggerstaff looked at me panicked! She told me she had never done that and that she didn't know what to say. So I told her that it was her turn to try. After almost vomiting and doing some deep breathing on the way up to the door, she DID IT!!! The person sadly was not interested, but she DID IT!!!!!

 

Exchanges with
Hermana Jackson

Later while going to contact another referral, I saw the neighbor out. I said, I am going to finish writing this note, but you should go start a conversation with that man! She looked at me panicked again!!!! I said, I will be there to help with the rest, but I will just be finishing the note for the first part. So she deep breathed and went over and started. I really did have every intention to go over, but then another person stopped me to ask me who we were. So, she got to do a whole street contact by herself!!!!!! SO COOL! We talked about it in the car after, and she was very pumped!  It is really cool to be able to help sisters be more courageous and feel the spirit!!!!! 

It was a little sad, because none of our new investigators came to church!!!! But we are going to work even harder and faster this week!!!!!! BUT, Hermano Mendoza came to church!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was the first time since he cancelled his baptism!!!!!! And this week we will hopefully go to the temple with the Hermana!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I love you all!!!!!!! Have a happy week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hermana Wright

Big things have happened this week!

My new companion, Hermana Jackson!

Dear Beloved Family and Friends:

Many Big things have happened this week.

* First and foremost...you should know that Transfers happened this week. I know you have all been waiting and wondering on the edges of your rolling computer chairs.... but the moment is here. My new companion is Hermana Jackson, my MTC COMPANION!!!!!! Wow! Neither of us saw that one coming!!!!! It's a great place to be here in San Bernardino (experiences below will demonstrate why) and a great Time to serve a mission!!!!!! 

*I got to see Hermana Erickson for the first time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so exciting!!!!! She is doing well and told me that BEN CAME TO CHURCH twice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited for the day he gets baptized!!!!!!!!

Hermana Carbajal y yo

*Before Hermana Carbajal left we went to go contact a potential investigator. When we got there a man was just getting out of his car, Jose. He said the man we were looking for wasn't home. We got to chatting with him about his relationship with god. He said he had been to some other churches before. He agreed to give us his phone number and we set up a time to meet with him at the church building. Then on Thursday (set lesson day) he ACTUALLY CAME!!!!!!!!! SO COOL!!! We had a really great lesson! We went into the chapel and sang one of my very favorite hymns, Grande Eres Tu (How great thou art). Afterwards, I asked him how he felt. He said, "Honestly, As soon as I walked in here I felt something different. I don't know how to explain it. It's like a peace and calm." That lesson we put him on date for May 7th !

 *We had a lesson with the friend of the investigator Consuelo, named Rafi. I am not sure if you remember her. She too is now on date for May 7th!!!!!

 *San Bernardino Approach: (Official name) So this miracle moment starts off with a little bit of sad news. We set up a follow appointment with Jose at the church building with the Elders Quorum president and his wife-a sweet young couple in the ward. We waited for about 30 minutes and he never showed up....sad news. But.... just wait. So, Our church building is surrounded by a large white gate, because it is in San Bernardino, right by Baseline....When we went to church for the lesson we unlocked the gate for all our cars. While we waited outside the gate (hermana Jackson and I), we hear this noise, and see 2 men running as fast as they can....towards us. As we turn back to the church so they don't see us, our members, who by this time had come out of the church building, walk up and ask us why we looked worried. Just then, the first man running runs around us into the church parking lot and then into the church building. We are all running after him, because who knows what's going on. The Hermano runs in and the man tells us in Spanish (Listen to me, listen to me! They are going to kill me! I can't leave, I have to stay here!!!). We are still all waiting by the door, a little shocked. Then the crazy man then runs into the chapel to hide in the pews and the hermano runs after him. So the three of us still standing half in and out of the church door, see a car pull in. A scary man with a gravelly voice leans out the window and says, "Did you see a man run in here?" To which of course I replied "No, we are waiting for someone else." you can't be in here". (Hermana Jackson said I was pretty good at acting cool....so I might look into acting after the mission). The car turns and drives out of the parking lot. So, we go back in and the member had finally gotten the crazy man out of the church after they saw the car drive by. SO................. choosing to look on the miracle side of this story, 1) We saved that man's life 2) Jose didn't come, which means those creepy men didn't come into the church during the lesson...maybe without us knowing. 

Whew!!!! we are alive!!! Don't worry mom! 

 *We are trying to get the members fire going with missionary work! We are starting to go over and help them practice teaching the Restoration in 5 minutes and we are helping them think of people and things they can do to help those people. We had 2 really cool experiences. 1) Familia Carrillo: we bore really strong testimony of Missionary work and then the next day at dinner the Hermana told us that she had though all night about it. She said she wants to somehow start with the people at her husband's business. 

Familia Loera: We taught her the Restoration and committed her to teach it to us when we came back. Then we talked to her about her friends and family. She had been thinking about her son who isn't a member, but she just talked about how she doesn't know what to do to help him. This hermana loves to work in the temple, so we suggested family history work. She got so excited to know that angels from the other side could help prepare her son just a little more to accept the gospel. 

Morning of transfers. Our apt is in
the background

*MLC- This week at MLC we got to answer the questions of a future mission president leaving from the Redlands stake. He and his wife are a little nervous, so we got to testify of all of the things that have made us the mission we are. It was also really cool because apparently 6 of the 10 Sister Training Leaders are from our little group that came out last February! President said it was fulfilling a prophesy and that he remembers all of us coming in as new missionaries all scared. He told us in the training meeting that we would carry the mission.....and that we would probably be the leadership for the new mission president in June. VERY Cool!

Well that is all for this week! Thank you for your prayers! They are needed and they work!!!!!! I love you all!!!!!!!

Hermana Wright

 

God cares about this work!

This letter might be a little short, but I will try this make it sweet  as well.  First, I would like to start off with my testimony. I know that God called Joseph Smith as the prophet to restore this gospel, the same gospel that Jesus Christ himself lived and taught. I know that since then, the priesthood has not left the earth and that it continues in an unending line to our beloved prophet today, Thomas S Monson. He is God's mouth piece. The church has never been
stronger. I see it every day. For those of you who doubt it, trust me. There are things I have felt and witnessed in this church that I cannot explain. I know that every time we open our mouths to share the gospel, God and his angels swoop in to help us say and do the right thing. He cares too much about this work!

Miracles:
After the Saturday sessions of general conference we had a couple of lessons planned with some single men. The only problem was that nobody in our Ward answered their phone to come with us. Elder and Sister Allred (a senior couple) happened to be with us watching conference and they agreed to come help.  The lesson was in Spanish and neither of them speaks Spanish.....so it was really interesting. But as we translated and asked them to share experiences it was very cool to see how their testimonies answered questions the people were looking for to help their family. Very cool! In that lesson we picked up 2 new investigators.

The lesson after that we visited a man named Jose. The sisters met him a long time ago, but we had never had a lesson with him before. We went over and asked if his wife could sit in and she did! Whew! The Allred's couldn't come with us to this one, but the wife saved us. Pretty soon as the lesson went on, the wife started to cry, she wouldn't tell us why, but it was so cool to give them hope for their lives and for their family. They were so ready to do what we asked them so they could see changes! We picked up two new investigators from that lesson as well!

As we pulled up to the car wash today the man next to us said he had extra time on his car wash...so we didn't even have to pay for it!

I love you all! We find out about transfers tomorrow morning! Thank you for your prayers  for the missionaries around the world!

 

Love, Hermana Wright

 

 Our mission covers Lake Arrowhead up in the mountains. This is the drive up there.

Rosario's Baptism

Dearest Family and Friends:

Highlights from this week:

*Rosario Mendoza got baptized!!!!!!! It was such a spiritual experience for everyone. Even at the very beginning of the service there was not a dry eye. VERY great woman!!!! She was SO excited. Her husband bought her a special dress just for the event!!! 



E. Anderson & Garcia, Rosario, Matthew & us

*The baptism was at 4 on Saturday and then right after we had the Women's General Conference. We watched it in Spanish, but sadly that means I didn't get as much out of it as I could've. I will have to watch it again in English. I am beyond excited for General Conference this upcoming Friday! What a great time for inspiration and edification from the prophet and from on high! It is all about preparation though! Elder Bednar has taught that we must 1. Prepare to Learn 2.  Interact to Edify and  3. Bind ourselves to act.    So how are we preparing? Are we going to be edified? And what will we change? 

Hrm Carbaja, Rosario Mendoza y yo

*Pday for some reason is the hardest day for me to talk to people. I am not sure why, but we ALWAYS see cool miracles on Pday if we open our mouths. So today while we were looking at some food I started talking to some lady in Spanish about how her Easter went. She said they watched The Passion. She told me she was confused because they killed God, but then it was his son. So I had the chance to clarify that God and Jesus Christ are two separate people, they together make up the Godhead and love us so much. She said she had so many questions. I asked if she would want us to come over to answer her questions. It was so natural!!!! It was awesome. I do not remember her name....woops. BUT, we gave her our card. She couldn't give us her phone number because "she couldn't remember it :)"....which actually is pretty common out here, or maybe it's because we are missionaries, not really sure. But I know she will call! Very neat lady!!! Open your mouth! It works!!!!!!!!!!!! I can promise you that it will, each and every one of you reading this letter can find someone that wants the gospel, you just have to have the faith to open your mouth. Start with a prayer every morning really pleading with the lord for the strength to open your mouth. The hard part is that in order to find that opportunity....we MUST be willing to put our faith into action and really talk to people and bring up the gospel. It's like us in the mission field, if we pray for more baptisms but don't go out and talk to everyone....we are not showing or using our faith!!!! Food for thought! Take the promise seriously! As a representative of Jesus Christ, our resurrected Lord and Savior, I promise that as you pray fervently, actively and purposefully share the gospel with ANYONE; you will find someone that the Missionaries can teach! 

Rosario's Baptism

This transfer is a 7 week long transfer, so next week we will find out what is happening!

I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hermana Wright