Our new 3-some, Miracles & High Speed Chase

Familia and Friends!

This week has been another great one here in San Bernardino!!! Some exciting things have happened..., but the biggest news of all is transfers. For the next 5 weeks, we will be in a trio! Our new companion is Hermana Frost!!!!!!!! That's right, Hermana Jackson, Wright, AND Frost! CRAZY!!!!!!

Miracles:

-This week-- Brianda. I LOVE HER SO MUCH! She has literally been such a miracle! In her second lesson we came in and sat down with her and she said, "I want to prepare for my baptism, what do I need to do and when can I get baptized"...literally, that was the conversation starter!!!!!! She came to our ward party on Friday, a baptism on Saturday, Church on Sunday, and had us over to eat on Sunday night!!!!! SHE IS SO AWESOME!!!!! Literally we saw so many miracles with her this week! Her date is June 11th! She is so ready! We received so much support and love from the ward. She had so many people come and meet her. She clicked with so many of the hermanas, things could not have worked out better!!!! Brianda is a single mom with 3 adorable ninos- Chris, Ivanna, and Melissa. Chris is 9 and will get baptized too. WOW! Ivanna is five and calls us her Tia's (Aunts :)). They are all so cute!!!!!! 

-We also ate dinner this week with la familia Mendoza. Hermano is sure he will be baptized before I leave. He also came to church AGAIN this Sunday!!! YES!!!! We had planned to talk about the Book of Mormon in our dinner thought, but hermano is SUPER talkative...we didn't get much in. But, he is SO SO AWESOME!!!! Hermana Mendoza came up to us in church and said that she had been pretty frustrated the night before after we left, but that she read the Book of Mormon and felt so much peace. YES!!!!!!! Another miracle!!!!



-At the end of Relief Society, like 5 minutes to the end. A homeless-looking woman walked in to the room and sat in the back. So before closing the class, the relief society president asks her to introduce herself and she says something like this, "I have been looking for you for months. My family and I just moved from Sinaloa and we have been living on the streets for a few months. We eat maybe 1 or 2 times a week I wanted to find my church but I didn't know where to look. But I finally found you. I know that my church is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I am so grateful I found my Brothers and Sisters." all through tears. At the end of the closing prayer, I went over and hugged her. She told me that she hadn't eaten this week, but was grateful to be here. I hugged her and told her everything would be ok. The members flocked around her, Hermana Lujan gave her all of her church snacks, the other gave her a white envelope (containing money for sure), and it was so hard not to cry. WOW! The spirit. Later as everyone is filing out of the relief society room Hermana Loera (from the nursery) comes rushing in, sees her, and yells "MI HERMANA! (my sister)" They hugged for a good couple minutes crying. Apparently, Hermana Loera and her husband went to go give food to the homeless at a homeless park, and that is the first contact this woman had had with the church for a while. She walked about 2 hours to get to church. She is a return missionary whose husband is getting deported. She has such a strong testimony!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW! I cried....a little bit! 

We had 3 investigators at church!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

San Bernardino Moments:

-Saw another High Speed chase

Fiesta Time ... Ward Party

-Later yesterday, we were having a lesson with a less active member. People here leave their doors wide open to let the breeze in..... so in the middle of the lesson we here like 8 gun shots and sirens right after them.... needless to say Hermana Frost looked Terrified!

I know that this church is true! I know that God will take care of us when we keep our covenants. He is bound when we obey! I love this work. I know the Book of Mormon is True and that it contains the fullness of the Gospel, meaning we can never be satisfied with the word of god until we read and study the Book of Mormon. Hold to the Rod!!!! Have a great Day!!!!!

Love, Hermana Wright

Lots of work...lots of miracles

P-day Hike

It's the week of transfers again folks!!! I will let you all know what happens, there should be a lot of changes coming up soon because there are 4/19 hermana's going home. That's a lot since the last sisters to go home were 1 in Feb. and a couple in November. So...big things! We are also getting 2 new hermana's! The first since last October!!!!!!! I just have to say that I love this ward! What a great place to be! I am going to start off with some miracles. This past transfer has been a lot of work, lots of miracles, but not a lot of results. It has been pretty rough, especially because that makes you feel like you aren't doing a good job. This last week we really feel like we have seen the fruits of our labors!!!

Miracles:

1) This week we had 10 LESS ACTIVES at church! That's crazy because the last weeks we've have 3-4 max. It was so cool! I love these people!!!!! We got the chance to see 7-8 Less Active families and teach them. It was so cool 

2)  Familia Loera: Hermana Loera is awesome and is a convert of a few years. Her husband isn't a member. She is really excited to come back to church! We had a lesson with her and she cried. She told us that she wants to come back to God, that she misses him. It was so spiritual! We are having a Noche de Hogar (Family Home Evening) with them tonight.

3) Over this last week or so, I have gained a really strong testimony of Member Missionary work! It works!!!!! This week we had 4 actual referrals from members, and all of them are truly interested in listening to us!!! It has been so awesome to see the members get out of their comfort zones and invite!!!!!

4) Last Sunday night we received a referral from Hermana Erickson in Rialto, of a woman who had come to church in their ward. Her member friend had invited her, so she went. She loved it so much she cried. We went over on Monday to contact her and she is so awesome!!!!!!! I am so excited to teach her. She is excited to get baptized!!! Go member Missionary work!!!!!

I love you all! I hope you have been having a good week!!!!

Love, Hermana Wright

Short and Sweet

This week we have been focusing on our sweet Less Actives and Recent Converts. What great people! We are not only trying to reactivate them, but also we are trying to make them, their families and friends, our main source of investigators. We have some good prospects, mainly husbands and children who are non members. We are truly seeking to be guided. I know that we are going to see miracles. 

These last few weeks have really been a metaphor for me for life. A lot of these last few weeks have been cancelled appointments and investigators that either we've had to drop or they have dropped us. At times I have felt like its punishment or that we aren't doing something right. This last week I realized that I think that is how God is guiding us.

Missionaries in the Book of Mormon like Alma, Abinadi, and Ammon didn't have much success at the beginning either. What made the difference? They were guided and led to ONE convert. ONE person that would help push the work forward. And that ONE person was the ONE that would help them baptize cities! For Abinadi his convert was Alma, who later baptized thousands. Then that Alma had a son, who also served a mission. On that mission he was led to Amulek, who became his companion. Together they baptized thousands! Ammon went into the land of the Lemuelites and found his convert the king, who later opened doors that would never have been opened otherwise. Ammon baptized thousands and opened more doors for his companions to baptize thousands! The Lord leads his servants!!!! The Lord will lead us, ALL of us! We have the potential to find THOUSANDS when we are led to the ONE! God always works with the one! He knows and loves us all individually. So individually that he knows our names. He can look into our eyes and know our past, present, and future! We are his children! 

I love you all! Pray to find the ONE! 

Love,  Hermana Wright

 

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.