Spiders, Spain and Super Lessons

Good Morning/Afternoon/Night!!!! Thank you for tuning in this week! Things are going REALLY well! We love our ward!!!! They are really pressing forward! 

Funniest Moment: 

* So this week was full of funny moments. There was one night where Sister Frost freaked out because there was a large spider in our room. So Sister Jackson and I rushed in. Immediately, Sister Jackson starts screaming and crouches in a ball in her bed. I, being the brave one, killed the spider (and only threw one thing at Sister Jackson to quiet her). The best part is that it is all on camera. (In hind sight, it was really not that funny.....but it was hilarious in the moment. Maybe it's because it's so hot… we come home sweaty and mostly delusional...and at that point EVERYTHING seems funny)

*There was one day that we were packing up to go out and Sister Jackson told me that if I were any other race I would probably be from a country in South America, Spain probably. We laughed for a good little while. And now we are working on our Geography in Companionship study. 

Spiritual Moment: 

*Yesterday, Brianda came to a lesson with us to teach la familia Lara. She was so excited to bear her testimony. She cried and the spirit just filled the room. She was beaming. She couldn't hold in her excitement!!!! 

*We also had a lesson with one of my favorite Less Active members. Cassy! She is SOOO awesome! We talked about Eternal families. She confided in us and told us how unworthy she felt to wear her garments and come back to church. We got to share some scriptures about how god doesn't expect us to pay anything back to him for the years, months, or days we have gone astray. He loves us so much that he just asks us to start today. Just like if you haven't been paying your tithing, he doesn't ask you to pay the money for the times you missed, he just asks you to start paying your tithing now. It's SO much more than money! It's SO much more than paying him back!!!!!! He wants us! That's it! With all of our imperfections! She started to cry softly. They committed to come to church. When she came to church on Sunday   1) she was wearing her garments and    2) the Primary president came up to us and said, "I don't know what you are doing with Cassy, but keep doing it, because it's working." Cassy's husband is not a member, so we are hoping to start working with him. 

Favorite Lesson Moment:

*This week we taught our favorite investigator family, la familia Corona. THEY ARE SO AWESOME! The Hermana has 6 or 7 kids...I don't remember exactly. When we came to their house they were all ready, all 6 kids! Sitting there.... WOW! We taught them the restoration and it was awesome! The Hermana said that she was willing to keep her mind open. So we will see where that goes! She told us that she has seen a difference in how her kids act when we come over. The spirit is AWESOME!!!!!

Most Interesting Moment:

*So I have neglected to fill you in. A couple weeks ago we got a referral for a woman at the Patton State Mental Hospital. The first week we went over and had to get background checks.... the next time we went over we taught a lesson through the telephone and glass (YES THE KIND YOU SEE IN MOVIES ONLY....except I EXPERIENCED THIS ONE IN REAL LIFE!!!!!!!!). This last time, we taught her the Restoration and we actually got to have a 'contact visit' (That's prison vocab friends...yes I am already up to date with all of the words!!!!!!!). It was a really interesting lesson, and experience. I will keep you updated! 

Well that's it for this week folks! I love you all! Have a great week! Keep living the Gospel, smile and wave at someone today! 

Love you!

Hermana Wright

Temple, Exchanges and Hot HOT HOT

 Dearest Family and Friends:

This week has been a really good one! We got to go to the temple with Brianda and did baptisms for the dead (we watched). She was so excited!!!!! 

It has been EXTREMELY HOT HERE!!!!!! But, I guess it's probably hotter in the desert. But, I love it so much! 

This week:

*Went to the temple

*Did 2 exchanges--1 in the Mountains with Sister Bates and Marstella and 1 with our roommates who cover our same area but in English (Sister Bates and Dalton). They went really well. I have absolutely loved being a Sister Training Leader. It has really forced me to become the missionary/person that God wants me to be. What a blessing. I really have relied on my calling so much more than I thought I would. It is cool to see how our personal experiences in our area is helping those we serve.

*Armando came to church again! I probably haven't talked too much about him.... He is really interesting. We haven't been able to a have a lesson with him recently. He is the one whose brother in law is a member. He was really argumentative in our first lesson and I had to whip him back into shape. :) just kidding. But then he came to church the day after that lesson. Yeah, that's Armando. I am pretty sure he will get baptized, but we will see. 

*Sister Clarke goes home tomorrow!!!!! and President Van Cott leaves this next Monday !!! 

*The ward had a father's day fiesta. It was really awesome and fun! 

It has been a fun-filled, hard work week! I love it!!!!!! Thanks for all of your support! Keep being the great members you are!!!!

Love Hermana Wright

What a Week !

This week I have 3 main highlights--

1) This week I got to go to the departing missionary temple trip. I still have a while, but because our mission president is leaving he wanted us to have the chance to go. Also, we don't want the other mission president to be too stressed when over 26 missionaries leave (and it will be his first transfer.)  That is a lot of missionaries! 

We went to the temple! LOVED IT! And we had lunch with the Van Cotts. They gave us all sorts of life advice- marriage, dating, parenting, career, schooling, and staying converted. It was really awesome! I love the Van Cotts. I think I love them so much because they remind me of my very own parents. They have deep, abiding testimonies. Both husbands make jokes and love to make people laugh. Both wives are firm mothers with forte's in cleanliness, primary songs, and discipline.  



Brianda & Chris's baptism.

2)  Saturday was the day that Brianda and Chris got baptized! It was such a special service. We had such a great support from the ward. They are such great people. It was a great service! Short but powerful! Brianda was so happy!  On Sunday she was talking about how she knows Satan will still try to tempt her but,  now she has the Holy Ghost to help her (**Last part said with a high pitched squeal**). I love her so much! She is such a miracle and a blessing!!!!!

Benito Gonzalez's Baptism

3) Literally, immediately after Brianda and Chris got baptized, I left for the desert with Chila (a recent convert in our ward) and her nonmember friend. We got there with time to spare and I got to see all my family there! They are still awesome!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THAT PLACE!!!!!!! Then Benito Gonzalez got baptized! He is such a powerhouse. He bore his testimony (not the first time!) at the service and thanked his missionaries. He told the story of how we first met, and how he has loved reading the Book of Mormon. HE IS SUCH A GREAT MAN!!!!!!!!!!! 

I LOVE ALL OF THESE PEOPLE! I am so grateful for this mission God has given me. These people have become a part of my heart and life for eternity. I know that it is a blessing to be a part of this work. God could do it himself if he wanted to, but instead he allows ordinary people like us to be a part of the happiest moment of someone else's life! Thank you for all of your support and prayers! They are very needed and appreciated by everyone here! Thank you!

Love, Hermana Wright

 

This week...Baptisms & A Temple Trip

Family, Family, Family!

I am so excited for this week! I received some AWESOME! NEWS!

1) This week we get to go to the temple because President Van Cott is leaving and we are doing our departing temple trip early

2) BEN'S GETTING BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited! Maybe you don't remember him, but he was my investigator in the desert. The really cool one with a son that came to the church tour and baptism!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!!!! I am so excited for him! 

3) Other news: BRIANDA's GETTING BAPTIZED TOO!!!! So, this Saturday the plan is, at 5pm we have Brianda and Chris' baptism, and then right after I will head out to the desert for Benito's baptism at 7pm...IT WILL BE SO AWESOME! Pray that everything will work out! I cannot miss either of them!!! 

Chris, if you didn't know...is Brianda's 9 year old son. He is a genius. Literally. At church yesterday he read 11 chapters in the Book of Mormon stories book, and when we went over last night to teach them, he had read 35ish chapters!!!! He is so awesome and knows everything there is to know about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. He is such a great kid. He will be an awesome missionary. This week we started and finished teaching all of the commandments: so at church on Sunday Chris said he doesn't like Sunday anymore because his mom wont let him watch TV! SO CUTE! They tried on the baptismal suits after church and he was getting SO EXCITED! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

Brianda also got to go to the temple this weekend with one of our members! She loved it!!!!! 

D&C18:15-16

Alma 26:3

I will keep it short this week! But, I love you all! Have a great week!!!!!

Hermana Wright

Fellowshipping, People in our Path and 'Throw-downs'

Dearest family and friends:

This week has been really good! I have to say that I love our investigator, Brianna, SOOOO MUCH!!! She really is such a miracle! Every lesson with her seems to be a lesson that answers questions she's always had. June 11th is approaching fast! But, she is so ready. Our ward is really doing a great job of fellowshipping her! She always has someone sitting by her and she is seriously besties with ALL of the Hermanas.

 



A horse waiting for the light???

She spent all of church yesterday talking to Hermana Mendoza (recent convert). Later Hermana Mendoza texted us to ask us to remind her about Brianna's birthday (this Friday) so she doesn't forget. WOW!!!

For now, I would like to share a couple experiences I have neglected to share in the last few weeks:

Rey.  One time we were doing language study in a park. On our way back to the car a man stopped us and we started talking. He said it was a sign that he needed to get closer to God. I read to him 3 Nephi 9:13. He really liked it and accepted a Book of Mormon. He said when he was ready he would contact us. Really cool to see how God works with each of his kids individually. He knows how to work with us and when to put someone in our path.

Another day as we were walking into a members apartment complex. There was no parking inside so we parked in another apartment complex close by. As we started to leave the car a man came out. We started talking to him. He said he saw us in the camera, and that he had come out to make sure nobody bothered us. We got talking and he told us that one of his sons had died as a baby and he always wondered where he was. I shared Moroni 8 with him, which talks about how little children are alive in Christ. He was so grateful that we answered one of the questions that he has had for years. He said he would start to read the Book of Mormon as well! So cool!

This week was a week that Hermana Jackson and Hermana Frost called a
'throw down' week. We had a lot of great opportunities to call people to repentance, which I don't usually like to do unless they make me frustrated :). Examples: Armando and Norma. They are investigators that the elders gave to us, and they have been taught for a really long time!  When we went in to determine if we should continue teaching them, they tried to start arguing about doctrine with us. We asked them a few times if they were ready to make necessary changes in their lives to come unto Christ. They kept beating around the bush, and arguing, until finally I interrupted them in their arguing and did what we call a 'throw down'. (That is when Hermana Wright has had enough.) I told them why we were there, and exactly what we expected them to do and asked them if they were interested. It got really quiet and everyone was kind of staring at me for a little bit. Norma finally said no and that she told all of the missionaries that she
wasn't interested but they kept coming over. Her brother said he wasn't really sure. So after that lesson we decide to stop visiting them. But then guess what, Armando came to church yesterday!!!! What?

Other highlights: Hermana Jackson and I sang in church yesterday. We sang Asombro me Da ('I Stand All Amazed.')  Everyone cried! It was so cool and the spirit was so strong! We did the last verse A Capella. It was one of the coolest experiences! I also spoke in church with Hermana Frost and Elder Nickel. I chose to speak on the sacrament.

It was a really good week!!!!! I love missionary work! Have a great week!!!
Love,  Hermana Wright

We love this healthy Mexican food!