Week 16

11/17/14

Good Morning!

I can't believe that we are in the middle of November!  So, this week we had a Zone meeting and I saw Hermana AhMu!! She told me that they are still teaching Richard and that he want to get baptized!!  He has been praying and receiving answers.  They still don't have a date yet, but he is praying to know when.  I am so happy and excited for him :)  I hope that is it soon so that I can attend :)

We are going to have Zone Conference tomorrow and I am so excited because it is always such an amazing experience and I can see the other missionaries, Presidente Felix, and Hermana Felix, and we get to share our testimonies and be strengthened.

One of our Zone goals this transfer is that every week we are going to pray that the people who have been prepared will be dressed in one color.  This past week the color was RED.  So we were looking for all the people dressed in red!  We were able to see many miracles!  One day we were walking and a man with a red shirt stopped us and asked us more about what we do as missionaries.  He told us that he wanted to change his life and that he wants us to come teach him how to come closer to Christ.  We are excited to keep working with him and with this goal :)

Our investigator Julian (the 10 year old boy) told us that maybe his mom will let him get baptized when he turns 11.  And his birthday is in February!  So, we'll see if we get to plan his baptism :D

I gave a talk on Sunday at church, and spoke about the role and importance of women in the church.  I think it went ok and I really enjoyed studying how important we women are this week....well all the mothers :)

Also, this past week some Elders in my district found out that I like to sew and so they have been giving me their pants and white shirts to fix.

Ok, well that's all for today.  Hope you all have a great week!!

I love you all!

Our room is a little small, so I have to sleep in the closet

We found a vender that sells Elotes

Relief Society activity dinner

Week 15

11/10/14

Hey, hey, hey!!

I'm writing from Santa Maria!  The town that smells like Broccoli all the time.  I'm serving in the branch here in Santa Maria and there is so much work to do here!  I'm so excited to serve here :)

We have an investigator who is 10 years old and we already taught him everything and he knows that it is true but his parents don't want him to get baptized :(  And we can't talk to his parents because they live outside of our area (the boy somtimes stays with his grandpa who does live in our area).  So we are trying to see what to do with them.

On Wednesday Hermana Newman wasn't feeling very good so we stayed inside.  The day goes so slow when we are not working.

We have another investigator (Jose) who is so nice!  He's like 72 years old and every time we go to visit him he feeds us.  He always give is fruit, salads, or vegetables....he is very healthy.

Also, this week we were visiting some people when we found a less active member!  He was baptized in Mexico but when he came to California he didn't know where the church was.  So, we gave him the address and we'll see if he comes!

Well, other than that....

We are singing in a Christmas choir and one of the songs is "Mi Burrito Sabanero".....I know.....yes very Mexican.

Ok, well hope you all have a great week!  I love you all :)

Hermana Newman drew me

The District :)

We went to buy fruit :)

The Cornejo family :)

Me and Hermana Newman

Me and Hermana AhMu

Week 14 Transfers!!

11/3/14

Well! This week was my last week in Arroyo Grande!  But it was a really great week!  Last weekend Richard tried to go to church but he got hurt and he couldn't go.  Then he tried to go to the Halloween party, but he go couldn't either.  He asked us why so many bad things were happening to him when he was trying to do something good like go to church.  We had a discussion with him and we explained to him that in the Pre-Mortal world he was a very special spirit and he was a leader who was able to influence others.  Satan knows that so he is working extra hard to make sure that Richard doesn't choose the right.  So we promised him that if he learns more and if he tried to be better, the Lord and the Holy Ghost will help him, but Satan will keep working as well.

Last Saturday was a baptism for some little girls and Richard loved it.  He was able to meet Presidente Felix and his wife and other members of the church.  And yesterday he went to church and he stayed the three hours and he was able to meet a lot more members. :)  We are really excited to see his progress.  He is sad that I will be leaving this area.  But I promised him that the new missionary is supposed to be here at this moment.

Also this week I was sick for three days but I continued to work anyways.  The Halloween party for our ward was on Tuesday and it was super fun.  Then Thursday on Halloween we went a sister's house to eat and we had a lot of fun with her.  When we were leaving it was raining A LOT, it was like they were dumping buckets of water.

Tomorrow I will be leaving to Santa Maria (it is only about 30 minutes away from Arroyo Grande) but I'm really excited :)  I will also be getting a new companion! Hermana Newman, and this will be her last transfer!  I'm really excited to work and learn from her.  I'm really sad to leave my first area and Hermana AhMu because I love her a lot, but I know that I'm supposed to be in Santa Maria.  I will be in a Spanish ward so I'm really excited for that :)

Something that Heremana AhMu taught me is that missionary work and being happy go together!  We need to always be happy because we are sharing a happy message!

I hope that you guys have a good week and remember to always stay valiant like Abinadi!!

Hugs and Kisses :)

Hermana Cuevas

Our district and our pumpkins!

Heremana AhMu, Hermana Hiapo, and I

I love Lucy!

 The Halloween Party

Hermana AhMu, a young woman, and I went to eat at a "Rock and Roll Diner"

This week I was a little sick so the Elders in our District brought me Oranges, Kleenex, and Vitamin Water

My favorite girls: Loralei and Quinny

 My Plant!!

Week 13

This week was incredible!  As you know, Pipa passed away, but that day my Mission President told me to get to work because that is what she would want.  I know what he is right.

I am a little sad that I couldn't be there for her funeral, but I know that I am where I'm supposed to be, doing what the Lord needs me to do.  I know, without a doubt, that Pipa is happy with the service that Fano and I are giving.

So, we went to work.  One of investigators, Richard, gave thanks to the Lord for sending him his "friends" to teach him the Gospel.  He is progressing really well and is excited to learn more about the Gospel.  We are going to have a Halloween party tomorrow and we are excited to go and meet the members of our ward.

Also, this week we were able to teach a discussion with some people that we have been trying to find for weeks!  So, that was a great blessing :)

On Thursday it was my turn to lead a discussion about Charity and how charity helps us to be better teachers.  It went really well and more than anything, I spoke about how the Lord was our perfect example on how to love one another and how to serve everyone and how by giving service and showing love we can better teach.

Transfers are next week!  I can't believe that it's been 6 weeks already!  I am excited to see if I'll stay in Arroyo or if I'm going to a new place.

I leave you with an invitation to read the first chapter of Peach My Gospel.  And you will lean more about how to share the Gospel with everyone!

I love you all and send many hugs!

D&C 128:22

One day Hermana AhMu and I dressed the same....by accident! :)

Week 12

Hi everyone :)

This week was very good.  We had Exchanges again!!  And it's my turn to work with Hermana Smith and Hermana AhMu is going to work with Hermana Taylor!  Hermana Smith and I went to Nipomo and we had a discussion with Juan and we invited him to baptized by the end of November and he said yes!  He said that he still wants to continue learning and reading the Book of Mormon.  But we know that he is going to know and realize that these things are true before the end of November :)

We also went to see another lady that we had met a little bit ago and it turns out that she was taking the discussions with some Elders in Idaho!  But when she came to California she didn't know how to get in contact with the missionaries.  So she said it is really interesting to take the discussions with us and learn more. :)

This week we were attacked by flies!!  One day, out of no where at least 10 flies appeared!  We kept killing them but it seemed that every time we killed one, two more appeared.  This lasted about 3 or 4 days and then they stopped.  We didn't leave any doors or windows open so we don't know how they got in, but we hope they don't come back.

We also went to visit Juan and Blanca (Juan was baptized in July) and after he was baptized he was supposed to have the 5 discussions again but he was always busy.  But now we were able to schedule with him and we are going to teach him the discussions again :)

Oh! so we are working in an English ward and we don't have enough members in Spanish to have a branch, but this week we went with first presidency to ask about starting a group!  And after we start a group, we can start a branch.  So, we don't really how the group is going to work, but we'll see how it goes :)

Well, I need to get going but I hope that you all have a great week!  I love you all!!

One day I left the house with different shoes!

Week 11

Hi everyone!!

This week has been so good :)  Thursday we went to the stake and saw "Meet the Mormons" with our zone!  I loved the movie and we are excited to be able to invite our investigators and other people that we know so that they can see we are normal people :)  We also had interviews with Presidente Felix, it is always such a pleasure to see him and his wife.  Saturday we were having study time and Hermana Felix sent us a text telling us to come out.  We went out and there they were, Presidente and Hermana Felix waiting for us with cinnamon rolls!  :D  They love us so much :)

We had discussions with Connie and it looks like she is not very interested right now about learning more about our church, she is too busy.  But it's ok.  We get along really well with her so she told us that we can still come visit her.  So we are going to go see her once in a while to share a scripture with her or just see how she is doing.

We taught Richard about the Plan of Salvation and we were able to answer a lot of his questions.  He likes that we are teaching him, but he still has a lot of questions.

Juan is really happy and doing well.  We have been reading the Book of Mormon with him and he is understanding it.  We are going to teach him about the Restoration next week.

Well, other than that, nothing else is going on :)  But everything here in Arroyo Grande is good.  Sorry that this letter is short but I don't have anymore time left.

Have a great week!  I love you all!!

Week 10

So CONFERENCE!!!

I don't know about you but I loved conference.

I love to be able to see the Prophet and his Apostles and to be able to heard what our Father in Heaven wants us to know!

My favorite talk was from President Monson about how we should walk "Like" Jesus Christ.  Walk in love, service, charity, diligence, patience, and everything else.  I invite you all to walk as Christ walked every day of your lives and love everyone like He would love them.  Remember that EVERYONE is a child of God.  Even that lady who looked at you meanly in the store.

This week we had discussions with Juan, Richard, Olga, Connie, and Sandra!  They were all amazing!!  Juan is reading the Book of Mormon a he really likes it.  He wants to believe the things that we are teaching and we have faith that the Spirit will help us with this..  Richard is super cool and super weird!  But he is also really willing to learn.  He grew up around Mormons so he knows a lot of things, but he also has a lot of doubts.  So we are going to see if we can help.  Olga es really good!  Her son Rene, who had problems with alcohol, is in LA in Rehab so we are really happy that he is looking for the help he needs.  Connie is also weird but she has been studying the brochure that we left her about the Restoration and she really liked it.  And Sandra is new.  She let us in her house because it was so hot outside.  And she gave us water :)  We were able to talk to her and she said that something is missing from her life and that she wants to raise her children with good values.

We also did lots of service this week.  We worked at the Food Bank cleaning, at the Catholic church we went to help with their food storage and we also went with Hermana Pettit to work in her garden.  OH!  Shane is also in Rehab and we are so happy!  We gave him a list of scriptures to study while he was there.  We promised him that the Lord will not leave him alone, he just has to look for Him.

This week it was SO hot!  We were 99 degrees that past five days---But its ok---I am two different shades since last Monday.  Also this week I killed four spiders, I know, I can't believe it either.

Thursday we are going to see Meet the Mormons.  We are so excited!! :D

Well, that's all for now, I don't have many pictures because we were so busy this week.  The boy in the picture is a boy from the ward.  It was taken a day when we went to eat with their family.

Thanks for all you guys do, I love you all!