10/5 - Edinburg Week 8

Hola!

This week we had a bit of a rough time planning makes the difference in every thing and last week we didn't have a great planning session so this week we made it super spiritual so that we knew that the preparations are inspired.

We are doing our best effort everyday to follow the spirit and yet there is always more! As a mission we fasted this last Sunday.

We are also doing a purification challenge as zone and that means we made personal lists of things that stop of from feeling the spirit or things that "poke at our spirit" and we are praying everyday to live a plan we made individually on Sunday. Every night we report to God how we did on the list and ask forgiveness and then also the next morning we pray and ask for his help again.

I realized my list was all to help the inside of my head :-) I am working now to clean out every negative thing in there. I am obliterating judging others and now I putting in habits of praying and thinking of how I can best spend the Lord's time. It all connected to faith in myself and also faith in God. Both are difficult when I keep thinking myself down. So I am happy to say I am now recognizing these things better then ever and trying my hardest to GET RID OF THEM. Light can not dwell in darkness and I am trying so hard to clean out my mind so the light of Christ can shine freely through me and my actions.

Its life changing . I am so grateful for the chance to change and repent and remember God is giving every opportunity to become the best me.

Love Hermana O.

10/29 E south week 6 or 7?

Buenos dias!

 

Esta semana tuvimos varios milagros y encontramos familias! Tuvimos la opurtunidad de ensenar familias!

 

We found and taught families this week :-D What a miracle! We are working on helping them progress to baptism and with even more specific prayers its all going to come about.

 

This week I was reminded various times of the awareness the Lord has of each of us. He sends us when we are needed and he lets us know He's there in vaious repetitious ways.

 

I was reminded or told in a blessing of healing (because I am still getting over the cough but its almost gone), by a person, by the talks in three different wards that God is always aware of us. The Spirit testified to me that my Heavenly Father is aware of me. I am now trying my hardest to continue in following Him. The same way God tries to help us so much we have to try so hard to follow Him. I am grateful that this week we were able to meet families.

 

I prayed specifically before we got out to work that the people that were ready to listen and learn and progress to baptism at this time would ask us questions not just us coming to them with our message but that they would ask us the questions first God has blessed us to find and teach various people with this miracle and I am so grateful he answers prayers. I pray that all the prayers this week for the Family B, G, S and Sis L pray for them that they will be open and ready to commit to baptism. And please pray for Sis D and I that we will be able to listen to the spirit and follow it so that these families will accept the message of la restauracion de el evangelio y  progressar!!!

 

I don't run at night but in the morning its super dark :-)

 

I love you!!!!

 

-SIster O

Oct 22, 2012

Hi 

This week has been a little rough I got sick. I have a cough but I am getting some medicine today.

 

We are struggling to find people and yet we keep a going!

 

Something really powerful this week was the following scriptures: Alma 5 and 1 Nephi 17:9 and Moroni 7:33-34 & 48 and Moroni 8:25-26

 

Keep a praying we need specifically: help recognizing the people who are ready.

 

I am loving it! Growing and learning a lot! Still quoting General Conference its so much goodness I can't even describe!

 

Well more next week.

 

I love you all!

 

I have been running a lot under the moon lately and I can't go fast because I am so distracted! The other day it was a skinny nail thin moon but you could see the whole moon? even the part in shadow? and then right below it was a giant thunder cloud just making its way slowly across the sky. it was really hard to focus when I just wanted to see the thunder clap on the inside. Texas is beautiful!

Sister O

oct 15, 2012

Yeah I kind of tried to write last week's letter for the ward. I'll try again now!

 

Dear Ward,

 

Soy Hermana O! Spanish isn't easy to read so I'll take it easy on my mom :-)

Did I mention how amazing she is? My mom tells me how the ward really loves and supports each other and what you learn in Sunday School and everything. I know what you do to support each other makes all the difference.

 

I have a sad experience to share with you.... I met a man this week who has not come to church for years and his wife never chose to become a member from something small and sad. He and his family experienced discrimination in various states and wards and now is here in Texas with little interest in coming to church. He's from Puerto Rico and people made really sad assumptions about him multiple times and now he has given up... not for long though he invited us for dinner!

 

I bring him up to illustrate that what we do or not do truly makes a difference. I have seen how a small thought to say hi or speak to someone has truly changed their day. And other's lives. A man was baptized just because I was able to get my guts up to follow a silly prompting to ask for computer help with trouble I was having at the library. He asked who I was and we talked. He now has the gift of the Holy Ghost to help him feel the Spirit like he did as a kid and also to feel close to the savior. Ignoring my discomfort was so worth it.

 

Please. Let us not let our brother or sister continue pleading for help from God. We are instruments in the lives of every person every single millisecond of our day. If we are not answering the Spirit's prompting we are prolonging His children's suffering. We will be blessed with joy as we lift the precious souls. Alma 31:37 35? (its about the worth of souls)

 

Please recognize that we are not perfect but that God truly uses his imperfect people to do a perfect work. We can not become perfect unless we practice perfect. Perfectly follow the pure thoughts of the Spirit and as we learned in conference "without delay!" I know it has blessed my life and will bless yours.

 

We will love our neighbor to show our love to God. Feed His sheep and be blessed. Let us not stop the blessings for brothers and sisters and ultimately ourselves.

 

I love you all for the love and support I have felt and feel. We can do our part to lift others.

 

Con amor,

 

Sister O

Sept 30, 2012

***NOTE: THESE ARE OUT OF CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.  THEY ARE BEING POSTED IN THE ORDER THEY WERE FORWARDED TO ME, I RECEIVED ALL THESE PAST LETTERS YESTERDAY**

my uplift today was the talk by elder wilson en conference last april so good about teaching kids and i hope i can lead better with his surgencias

sorry its so short all the time i just got to put time into meditating more so its not so hard. I WILL write this week and then if you don't get it i'll write a better email next weeek. 

Le amo!!!! 

I will write promise!!!! 

Bye!

Hermana O. Oct 8,2012

Oh mom! I am so blessed. I can't tell you how much love I have for these missionaries. I have a deep appreciation for everything they do even when I don't understand why they do it :-)

 

My companion is passionate. She doesn't waste time. She helped me realize this week I was living below my potential. Then Conference just called me to repent again, like I said every talk spoke to me. Never in my life have I had that much attention and understanding for the words of the prophets.

 

I think of my family during those talks. The family I have directly like you mom, and my bros and sistas. And then I thought of my Grandparents I thought of my youth leaders.

I even intently searched the screen for people I might know at conference during the songs :-)

 

I love this life the ways of the mission are less traveled but clear and distinct. they truly teach to give everything. I have been giving everything but my heart. I know that the spirit testifies of truth I have felt that as a missionary.

 

In every area there is so much potential. Every person is a child of God we are made of pure things. We have the potential to be purely beautiful in this life. Helping others.

 

I feel as I finely do the things I have always had thoughts to do I find a release: I feel like I have been holding myself back. I have the chance to change my life and I have progressed for a year and now I get to move even further in the next 6-7months. (I'd like to extend) But I know the lord is helping me, I have no idea why I loose faith sometimes in things so quickly but I have the chance to be strong and follow that which I know.

 

I want to bear my testimony that truly the Spirit of God testifies to our spirit of our divine potential: (Romans 8:16-17) We merely need to choose to listen. All the things of the world try to distract us from that very simple truth that we are more powerful then we can understand when we follow God. President Monson said
something like : "When a man listens and follows God that man is always right." I am trying harder to listen so I can feel the peace of doing God's will.

 

Only have a short time to bring a TON of people to the gospel. I love you and all you have given me has truly helped me to grow to be able to give it all here. Thanks again for your daily example of sacrifice I try and follow that everyday. Just ask my companions I try and serve a ton. they tell me its a talent and I tell them I learned it from my mom.

 

With all my love and appreciation!

 

Sister O.

9/24/12

Hola Hola!

 

Casi es tiempo para la conferencia general! Que padre no? Estoy agradecida para la conferencia de zona(s) esta semana y tengo mucho animo para el reunion de la sociedad de socorro en el fin de la semana.

 

I hope you use google translate :-)

 

Anyway!

I am here in E literally like I said right above and to the side of my last two areas in "el valle" and I am glad to be with Sis D. I have laughed and found a lot of joy recently. Its a blessing to have a change of view. She feels sometimes like she doesn't know enough and I feel honored to bare a testimony that I know God expects us to do all we can with what we know and he makes up for what we can't do. Also we are always going to learn so we should look at where we have come to and then where we want to go. Perspective is powerful.

 

God is merciful I am so thankful that I get to ride bikes! I am so thankful for the kind members that glow. I am thankful for the light of Christ in each of us and I am thankful for the chance to be a child of God.  

 

Those things have strengthened me a lot this week.

 

I may have already said this... but as we come closer to God he helps us see where we can improve. We can't get down we have to realize that it a a blessing and that God is helping us to come even closer to Him.

I am thankful for my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I am even more thankful that I get to share that knowledge with everyone else.

I know commandments are there so that God can bless us. it just makes sense. Laws are already set we just have to follow them to become happy. true power is understanding the doctrine and growing that desire to follow what is given. As we come to understand the blessings of repentance for example we don't have to see it as something negative ever. How blessed we are. "Adam fell that men might be; men are that they might have joy"

 

Hermana O

9/17/2012

Funky transfers have just transpired.

I am now above and to the side of my two old areas.

I am in ES. Mi companera es Hermana D. She is younger in the mission but diligent, I know we will find teach and baptize and bring those people to the joy that the Lord has waiting for them.

 

I am so appreciative for every person in my life, those who stay a while and those who move forward faster then others. Right now I get the chance to experience a new beginning and love more people, I feel truly blessed.

 

In FB had a ton of rain yesterday (it was crying because I left!) and the sunrise was gorgeous. It has taught me just what Matt 6:25-33 good will watch over us as we trust him and obey him. I am grateful for the chance to be still in the storm of the world around me. God has me in his hands I just have to forget even more about my self and give everything! I am so thankful for the chance to be serving. Consider the lilies and compare it to the life of the missionary. Always changing and always growing for better if we follow God's will.

 

Adele! Viva la mission!

I love you! Thank for your amazing support and awesome spirit. I feel your prayers. I will forever be grateful.

 

ps My theme for the last two transfers has been "calm in the storm" see Walter Rane's "Triumphal Entry" or Palm Sunday I love how Christ is so peaceful even as everyone around him is so crazy and excited but he always just has that peace...

 

September 10, 2012

Thank you for the birthday wishes! I kind of feel 22? Sort of?

:-D

My week had been okay. Learned a lot yesterday from a companion study with the District leader. About taking care of the sheep we have so God knows he can trust us with more.

We don't have any "investigators " but once Bro G believes in himself and trusts God he'll know the gospel is enough to help him in all the commandments. 

That is actually a starter for today I want to bear my birthday testimony.

 

I am a blessed daughter of an eternal Father. He loves me enough to bless me with the treasures (that come in treasure boxes that sometimes look like trials with the locks and such :-D )

I know that God is the same yesterday today and tomorrow. I know His eternal power is on the earth upon the mantel of His prophet Thomas S Monson. I know God uses imperfect people to do his imperfect work. I know I am imperfect. I know am progressing and I know I choose happiness.

I love that every choice has a consequence and that its not easy to find treasure. I do know the more we look for treasure (ie read scriptures, pray, immerse yourself in all good things that you have already) we can find more. What more can he give that we don't already have? We must recognize what we have so we can treasure it and then give thanks and then in his great mercy he helps us find even more treasures.

 

I love my brothers and sisters. I love them imperfectly but I want to do so perfectly. I am so thankful for time and for time past. Time is spelled L-O-V-E. :-D thank you for all the time and love you've given me.

 

 

Thank you mom for all you do! 

LOve you!

 

Sister O.

Texas McAllen Mission

200 W. LaVista Ave

McAllen Texas 78501

9/4/2012

How's your companion this week?  She is doing better :-) Just still has to be cautious with medicine and everything and so i got to do splits with members and see miracles with them.

We have some really great potentials that we're working with. I really think brother G will get an answer soon! I know that some families in the branch are so powerful that they will be finding more missionary opportunities as we move forward. We're going to visit and help them get excited for that! this month's theme in the branch is serve your neighbor so they'll get the chance to serve and hopefully feel inspired to invite them to learn or enjoy something as a family.

There is a really sweet return missionary that we get to work with too because we are the closest sisters to her :-) and school for her doesn't start til January. So we're going to find and help some families prepare for baptism!

I am so excited for Sunday! Elder Holland is giving the CES fireside address!

 

I am fine just so thankful for everything. thanks for the package.  Everything is so great! 

Really the one thing I want for my birthday is letters and pictures of recent stuff (weddings birthdays school whatever) gimme paper and words over things any day :-)

 

 

love you mom! thanks again! you are wonderful!

Sister O.

Texas McAllen Mission

200 W. LaVista Ave

McAllen Texas 78501